Racing is The Easy Bit- Woodbury Common

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BY: Rob Smith

Published: 5th March, 2012

If you consider the Stinger a pre-season Warm-up then yesterday marked the proper start of the SW XC Series for 2012. A return to Woodbury Common for the third year meant record pre-entries and a revised race format with the seniors racing in the morning and the U16 competing in a Double-header (skills in the morning and XC racing in the afternoon) throughout the day.

7+ hours of continuous rain deterred a few but there were plenty who willingly parted with the extra pound for Ryley's dream to walk http://www.justgiving.com/donna-morris0  to enter on the day meaning that come 10:00 there were almost 200 (163 senior + 34 Junior) riders all eagerly waiting for the whistle on a blustery damp Sunday morning on Woodbury common.

I'll leave it to fellow blogger and fastest rider in inappropriate shades Steve Hodge http://plasticaviators.co.uk/wp/2012/03/04/first-race-of-the-season-woodbry-common-fully-sussed-sw-series/ to give you the low down of the front end of the race.

Yesterday was my first outing in the Vet Category as in a few weeks time I reach one of the many birthday milestones.  Some years ago BH (Before Hortons) I had said I fancied going to Laguna Seca to watch the MotoGP for my 40th.  Fast forward to 2011, a couple of year AH (After Horton) and not only was I now competing in Masters at both National and Regional XC but in May Jane and I were in Scotland with Jay and Maddie racing for 12 hrs in the European Solo Championships. If you'll remember Jay won the vets and finished just outside the top ten in open.

A few month passed, the four of us were at some race venue I expect (either competing or running the ever growing Fully Sussed SW Series) and talk turned to 2012 and what we fancied doing.  Now I've never had an explicit goal when racing and training, I've raced/ridden XC, 24hr team events and 12hr solo and enjoyed them all. 

Knowing how the Olympics would impact on the season and wanting to improve, I guessed it was time for some SMART objectives. Twentyfour12 was a given, a return to Scotland probable and with the way calendar is all front loaded into the first six months attending the Nationals unlikely.

So with a little help from fate it looked like I had two SPECIFIC goals for 2012. In previous years that would probably have done but now that would be 4 letters short of an Acronym. So after a review of results form my previous years and taking into account that it would be my first Vet year, I'm hoping aiming to get a top five finish in Scotland and a Podium in Plymouth (MEASURABLE).  What are the chances of me REALISTICALLY ACHIEVING (excuse the Acronym Dyslexia) the goals in the TIME between then and Apr for Scotland and Jul for Plymouth? 

Back in Sept, with the support of my ever tolerant wife, Jane, I embarked on a fiendish training plan devised by Maddie Horton; I've been spending the winter training hard and every event between now and those events would be a "training Ride" with the bigger picture in mind. 

No amount of Management speak and brightly coloured Spreadsheets will prepare you for everything plus what has any of this got to do with this weekends race?   The week leading up to Woodbury was meant to be a final "overload" week (ride and then ride that bit more) I did real well until Friday when I was meant to get up early and do a couple of hours before work and then bring home the campervan in the afternoon and then go out again for a ride with Jane.  
Forgetting to set the alarm correctly (was my subconscious trying to tell me something?) meant that I only managed an extra 30 mins on top of my normal cycle commute. That was OK I'll be going out later because of course a van left for over 4 month is going to start first time isn't it!  Cue attempted jump start from friendly mini-bus driver, unsuccessful visit from the nice man from the AA which left me sat on the dead battery outside work waiting for Jane to rescue me. Bang goes the evening ride, and it was great weather!

Saturday I did get out, as the Epic had been in for some work I thought a short shake down ride was sensible. Again another glorious day, this time I remembered to set the alarm and was out and on the road at a reasonably early (for a Sat) time of 07:30. Living close to Dartmoor and it being such a nice day I arranged to meet Jane for a coffee at the Fox Torr Café Princetown, so off I went into the Sunshine. Four hours, two cups of coffee, a slice of chocy, fruity nutty bar and the bike was well and truly shaken down, so well shaken in-fact, the left peddle had given up as had the bearing in the front wheel.

Whilst we'd been out enjoying ourselves the dead battery had been slowly resurrecting itself; so back to work, fit battery, bring van home, load van, swap peddles and front wheel and then head the mercifully short distance from Plymouth to Woodbury to stay in a small camping club site in the village. Plan being get there, plug in electric, fit lights to bike, ride up to the common, couple of practice laps, back, tea, paper and Bed.  Except (OK who saw that coming!) we got stuck getting to the camping bit of the field so by the time the farmer/owner had pulled us up to the right bit it was already dark!  Still had lights might as well go up and ride.  

Pre riding in the dark is the way ahead! Two fun "interesting" laps the second one with some random night rider who showed up; quick chat with Jay and Maddie and back to the van, tea and bed.

Then it started raining, alarm goes off at 0600, coffee, get moving but guess what the van was stuck AGAIN.  Leave Jane to ring the farmer AGAIN, ride back up to the venue to carry out my role as route recci, which involved riding the course checking for damage, moved signs with a courier bag full of tape, arrows and a staple gun.  Nothing like riding the D/H section with a satchel flying about to improve core Stability.  

Recci done, farmer on his way, back down to Woodbury to retrieve Jane and the van. Back up to the course, install Jane in registration, help out with pre-entries, assist a small gang of kids with fitting number boards for the first time, shiver uncontrollably with mild hyperthermia, try to decide how many of the 7 layers I was wearing I would need to race in and wonder how long to the race. 

Jay does his race briefing; I decide base layer, top + arm warmers, Gillet will be sufficient, roll over to join the vets for the first time. Elite, Expert + Sport are sent down the start straight, and then the Masters are away. Now it's our turn, second or third row of the grid, whistle blows and we're away.  This is the easy bit; ride as fast as you can for as long as you can; welcome to Vet Cat racing! 

 
Oh and the trip to America? Maybe for my fiftieth.