It's going back a bit I know but this is one of the races I am most happy with recently! But due to school and other cycling commitments I haven't really had time to write a blog.
Saturday morning, Lucy and I woke up after a pre race sleepover raring to go for the two days coming. The journey consisted of listening and singing along to cheesy music including JLS, Justin Bieber and the Jaws theme tune, which I have to mention were on my dad's phone. When we got to the camp site we joined Ruby, George and their mum who had already set up camp. After we put up the tent and had one of our few washing up water fights we set of to the race course on a bridleway through the woods. As we arrived at Woodbury we met Maddie and Jay who had been working hard since wednesday or thursday to get the event running smoothly. We then went on a practise lap concentrating on the more technical stuff to get us riding it quicker. After a helpful few laps we headed back to the camp site to get prepared for the fancy dress in the evening. We looked like Wally's (excuse the pun!). Everyone looked great in their crazy costumes, but Lucy, Charles and I looked the best as Where's Wally. The hot laps were so much fun and I was really happy coming 2nd out of three. That evening we all went to the camp park and happened to ask one of the most annoying girls in the camp site to play 40/40 with us, but oh well we had fun! The next day I was so happy with how the XC race went, coming 2nd out of 4 and feeling on form!
Well that was it for the south west series over and I hope someone can live up to Maddie and Jay's high standards for a series next year!
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| Where's Evie? (Excuse the pun again!) |
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| During the race |
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| On the podium |
2XC race Haldon
The 2XC race was on a Wednesday night and my dad, Charles and I travelled up to Haldon forest for the race. It was a fun course and technical at the same time. I was happy with how I did, beating some of the youth boys!
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| 2xc race 2nd place |
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| The SW clan posing |
XC Youth race
There was a youth race the Monday after Woodbury, it was very tiring! I still managed to take 2nd place out of 3 with Ruby taking the win.
A few weeks later there was another youth race that I was feeling on real form in managing to come 3rd over all in the under 16 which I was really pleased with.
Margam- National round 4
On Friday evening my dad and I set off in the motorway to Margam Park. When we arrived we headed to the SW area next to the Fully Sussed van. After setting up we went for an explore around the park and when to the castle. When we came back the Hough family had arrived and the next 10 minutes consisted of me and Charles bossing around our parents of where to park the vans. We then had dinner, talked for a while, waited for the Allan family for a bit, but then gave up after they got locked out of Margam Park for the night, and then went to bed. The next day we got a bit of a lie in as Maddie and Jay had gone off for an early morning race. Slowly the rest of the SW clan turned up and we went off to pre ride the course. I was happy that I rode the quarry drop which some people even got broken bones on. Although I rode that I didn't quite have the confidence to ride the A line later on in the course but hopefully next time I ride there I will. That evening it was lake time! With Penny and Jackie the SW riders went for a cool off in the lake by the castle. It was lovely getting out of of the heat and in to the coolness of the lake. The next morning it was boiling! Everyone was getting pre race nerves and then to top it off the race was delayed but 30 minutes due to a bad crash and an ambulance being needed.Whilst racing the conditions were crazy, it was boiling! The parts of the race I was most happy with were my start when I managed to get to the front half of the pack and then managing to get in to 3rd place on part of the climb. Finishing 7th I realised what I had to work on was my endurance and decided to concentrate on that for next year when I will be in youth.
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| In the Welsh sun |
The most recent race I've been in was on Monday when Lucy, Charles and I went to the XC Youth race in Stover. We were the only ones there! And we all managed to win as we were all in different categories! It was a good work out though and we got a nice cheering on from the pupils at the school!
Over the summer I am going to work on endurance and have decided to give Hadleigh a miss so I can have more family time and train towards the cyclo-cross season and hopefully the inter-regionals.
The next race I am doing is the Big Bike Bash in Avon Tyrall on the August Bank Holiday and is a great event (there is a lake jump!).
Thanks to all of the organisers for the races I have been in recently which include Maddie and Jay, Andy Parker, Alan Drury and British Cycling.
