XC Racer Blog Post

Gorrick Spring Series - Porridge Pot Hill

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BY: Louise Robinson

Published: 24th March, 2013


I dink I dot a coald. 


Agghhh, why does it always happen?  I've been living in a house infected with germs for the last week and a half, but it's on the morning of the race that I wake up with a nose that is dripping like a tap, and a throat like sandpaper. Oh yeah, and it's snowing outside. 


Look snow


After weeks and weeks of rain and then a day of snow to boot the Gorrick team were up against it to produce a race course that was rideable, let alone a race course that people would want to ride. Porridge Pot Hill is an area known locally to be a bit temperamental in the wet. We usually avoid the place like the plague in the current conditions as it does tend to be a bit "porridge by name, porridge by nature". However, the Gorrick Team showed us yet again they can make a decent race course anywhere, whatever the weather and without any dithering over "is it on or is it off".


The Robinson campaign got off to a flying start shortly after 9am, with Isaac in the under 10 race, as he headed off gamely round what proved to be a really tough course, even for the grown-ups. The kids lap initially followed the grown up course down a steep fire road descent, hard right and back up another stretch of fire road and then into the single track proper.  Isaac was one of the youngest in the race and he doesn't really have the legs for climbing yet, but he is no stranger to wet slippery roots or a bit of mud and he managed to catch a couple of the under 12 girls almost immediately which gave him a great boost of confidence.


Isaac powering up the first climb


The kid's race cut off the main race course at the Concrete Hill. Anyone who knows Porridge Pot, or has ridden one of the "old school" races there will be familiar with the Concrete Hill. It's about 20% gradient and a lot of grown-ups push. The adult course went about 1/3 up and cut off right. The kids went to the top! This was not actually as ridiculous as it sounded. It was the best way to get them back to the start without having to do the entire grown-up lap and they all just jumped off and pushed.  It's great to have a kid's course that is technical and not just a lap of a grass field.  Isaac finished in a very respectable 22 minutes, in front of 4 of the under 12's. Not bad for a seven year old.


The best bit - a post race chocy bar and heated car seats


So, one Robinson done, one to go.
I lined up in a rather depleted ladies expert field as most of our usual number were skiing at Sherwood Pines. I had a terrible start when I couldn't clip into my pedal, and ended up dead last off the line. We were quickly into the single track and I was trapped at the back. By the time I managed to pass Kate Pickard and Natasha Barry, Emily Iredale was well out of sight off the front. Oh well, I do tend to ride better when the pressure is off and I just ploughed on hoping to reel her in on the later laps.



 But that was before I discovered I couldn't breathe! Rotten cold = can't breathe through my mouth or through my nose. Hill climbing was not a pleasant experience. At one point I thought Darth Vader was behind me, then I realised it was me! By lap 3 I did start to catch sight of Emily but for every bit of ground I made up on the single track, I lost it on the climbing. It was good having someone to chase and I was really pleased with the way my Whippet handled in the wet slippy muck. The ground is predominantly peaty so in the wet you just get wet peat, energy sapping but not clogging and very slip slidey.  Nobby Nics were definitely a good call, even if it did mean going back to 26 inch wheels (only because I don't own any 650b wet weather tyres yet).


Who's that heavy breathing - oh, it's me!


The choice of what to wear was also an issue. I get very cold. Most of the boys don't understand this but expect most of the girls do. I need layers. Lots of layers. I had leg warmers and long socks pulled up to the knee. A long sleeved merino wool base layer, my XCracer shirt and my XCracer jacket (which I just couldn't bear to part with on the start line). The boys in the Four4th tent just laughed at me when they saw me kit up. BUT it worked. By lap 2 I was starting to feel hot, by lap 4 I was thanking the heavens I had kept it all on. It was bitterly cold and with lots of standing and running water on the course I was soaked to the skin by the end. 


Emily Iredale (Specialized Cycleworks) finding the grip on a slidey corner.


Second place felt good. My bike handling felt good and I enjoyed the course. Two weeks to shift this cold and I will be back at Frith Hill for a good thrashing as all the expert ladies will be back from the nationals - that is assuming none of them drowned.


Jo Holtom(Tunnel Hill Trolls) grinding out her last lap


I would just like to thank the team at Gorrick on behalf of all who raced today for putting on an excellent event in the face of absolute adversity. It was -1.5 degrees and snowing for most of the day, and the guys were out in it all day yesterday as well, marking the course.  And it was a great course.  Short (thank god) but with plenty of single track and (given the weather conditions) significantly less mud than expected. 


I think we all felt like that by the end - Roki Read (Four4th Lights)


Louise Robinson, Mum, Pharmacist and part time mountain biker
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Louise Robinson

Mum, Pharmacist and XCracer Team Rider

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