Gorrick Spring Series Round 3

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BY: Louise Robinson

Published: 12th March, 2012

Now I know that Contrast Hot /Cold therapy has long been used to aid recovery but is Contrast Hot/Cold racing just as effective? Round 2 - Racing in short sleeves in the sunshine, one week later at Black Park - racing in near zero degrees and the piddling rain, yesterday, Round 3 - sweating in the single track with temperatures up to 16 degrees. I'm not feeling very recovered.

So how did my pre-race preparation go? Well it went something like this: get up, get kids up, get dressed, get kids dressed, make breakfast for everyone, make packed lunches for everyone, change bed of small child who had a accident in the night, get kids stuff ready for a whole day spent in the woods (coats, helmets, gloves, favourite teddy), get kids teeth brushed, get six year old to practice his spellings (oh the ordeal!), throw some bike stuff into the boot for me, drive to bike race,  collect two additional charges for the morning (4 and 8 ), Spend the next couple of hours running around the woods, pushing the little ones on their Like-a-bikes  and generally having eyes in the back of my head as the boys try and light-saber each other with braches,  feed kids, make umpteen trips to the loo (why do they never need to go at the same time!) collect up untold numbers of coats, gloves and water bottles that we have left in various tents around the arena, handover kids to my job-share just in time for a quick change into my race gear, a warm up that consisted of riding up and down the entrance lane and line up for the start. Ahhh now for the easy bit….

Fast start for the Grand Vets

On the start line it became apparent that entries in the ladies expert race were somewhat sparse. So sparse in fact that it was only me. I started with the sport ladies (a huge field of 5) and raced with them for the first 3 laps and then was left by myself to complete my 4^th and final lap. The course was fabulous fun. No major climbs, just a couple of short steep rises and lots of twisty single track. The start was hard work - undulating fire road. Big ring and pedal hard, up, down, up, up a bit more, down, up, down, up then flat (keep grinding) then …relief, into the single track.  The relief didn't last long however as we were soon back to more short steep climbing, twisty rooty single track and the odd fire road run. The Crowthorn classic "corkscrew" made a feature, as did the traditional finishing zigzag.

Given I only live a 30minute drive from the race venue I can honestly say this is only the third time I have ridden here. No time for a recce lap and no previous knowledge meant the first lap was a steep learning curve. The course took in a significant amount of established trails but the organisers had also thrown in a few newly cut sections of single track.  Given the peaty nature of the soil at Crowthorn this created the effect of riding on sponge. Can't complain however as these trails will be lovely once a few hundred more wheels have bedded them in so it's probably looking good for next year.

Lap 1, it was all going fairly well. I had Jo Munden (sport ladies) in my sights (all be it through a telescopic lens) and I was feeling comfortable for 4 laps. Then Jo hit traffic in the single track and I caught her wheel. She managed to pass the traffic but I ended up caught exactly where she had been and she escaped away. At the Corkscrew I got Jo back in my sights but as I dropped over one of the rooty ledges I dropped my water bottle (I usually only have one for the whole race) stopped to grab it, only to watch it roll down the hill. Water bottle abandoned I continued to the end of the lap but never saw Jo again. I stopped to grab my spare water bottle after the first lap (well stopped to fight my way through the throng of spectators that had randomly chosen to congregate just at the spot I had left my spares) and ploughed on for another two laps fairly lonely laps. On lap 4 I got some company as I started to catch the back end of the men's sport and lady's varsity race and the elite men also started to pass me. There's nothing like following a tight little bottom in lycra to spur you on so thanks to Jody et al my last lap was my second fastest.

Thanks to Ash from UK-Biking for the photo.  www.uk-biking.net

The fact I was both first and last in my race was somewhat demoralising. I worked really hard, my lap times were pretty good and I beat nearly half the men's sport field round.  However, on paper it looks rubbish.  I was pleased with my ride and series points are series points. Bring on the next one.

Lou Robinson

XCracer.com

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