Race 11: Pocklington 160km Challenge, 30/04/2011

This was a sportive rather than a race, We had timing chips but I know it wasn't a race because we stopped for a quick pie half way around. It was the Royal Wedding Weekend so I was wearing my patriotic GB MTBO top and union jack socks.

The town crier shouted a lot and rang his bell and we were off at a cracking pace of around 20mph. The wind was so strong it was ridiculous. I thought this isn't going to last for 100 miles, so after about 15 mins we slowed and waited for Ginnie. I thought maybe we'd catch the rest up again later when they burned out.

It was an interesting route that resembled Mr Messy, I guess that is how you get to do a 160km ride in the wolds! We always seemed to be either 4 miles to Thixendale or 2 miles to Pocklington.. After passing through Thixendale for the 2nd time I began to wonder what was going on. Then we got lost! There was no arrow at a T junction and we (about 15 people) all plumped for the road that went the wrong way. We did few extra miles, realised we'd gone wrong, so made our way over to the 2nd feed station, I couldn't help wondering if the GB MTBO top is actually cursed.. Good job we are getting new ones for the next international race. Better to be safe than sorry!!

At the 1st feed station we were allowed two bars and a fig roll. I was a bit concerned that this would not be
much food for 100 miles, so later on when we passed through Stamford Bridge, I suggested a quick pie stop to top up the tank. Everyone agreed rather quickly I thought. So we ate pies and watched a whole load of people go through.

After 70 miles my legs went tired, I don't know what was wrong with them (probably all that battling against the wind), but it wasn't pleasant and every time we passed the '2 miles to Pocklington' signs and turned the other way, they felt worse! I ate marshmallows and even a gel that we got given and it was fine. I was a bit slow on the climbs towards the end but then with 10 miles to go I got a 2nd wind and rushed (kind of) to the finish.

All in all a pleasant ride in nice sunshine but very windy indeed (the weather not me!)

Race 10: MTBO World Cup Open Elite Middle, Tapolca Hungary

T-1 where's the triangle?!

An OK race, I knew where I was at all times :-) but did nothing spectacular. Oh I did come joint 1st with Stodge on the last control to finish sprint!

It was quite suited to me as there was lots of pedalling between controls, and there wasn't any complicated forest tracks either!

I did a few short cuts for the 1st time (allowed in this race) once I went through some bushes to reach a parallel track in the other side, another time I scaled a cliff, got the control at the top, then slid down the red mud on other side which was pretty much vertical. I got cut on some brambles and my camelbak got snagged on a tree, but all was well.

I passed a fly tipping area and the track I needed was completely covered in litter (lorry loads full!) so it confused me and I took one to the right instead and ended up a lot further on than I wanted to be! I realised when I came across a lake and a water tower, pretty good for establishing my exact position! Probably best as I think going through the rubbish would have been a bit grim! There was glass everywhere too.

Coming in to the last control

It was an hour but it didn't seem anything like that long! My last international event for a while :-)

Finished!

Race 9: MTBO World Cup Open Elite Sprint, Tapolca Hungary

I had an amazing race compared to the training camp ones! I came 11th of 21 so pleased with that.

It was a 1:5000 map of a derelict army base, which was pretty cool. There were 28 controls in a 1/2 hour race so it was pretty full on from start to finish. No let up at all.

I didn't get lost, which I think is a first for me in MTBO. There was a control on a bridge and one under a hanger type building, the rest were hiding behind buildings and things.

The spectator control

I tried to look cool coming into the spectator control and was happy to see the GB's cheering me on! I got around the corner and then had to pause to check the map - I wasn't about to do it at the spectator control! Then it was full throttle through the last 4 controls to the end.

My amazing claim to fame today was being the fastest girl in our team to control 28 and then around the running track to the finish! Because I knew where to go by then and because I'd got around OK. Shame I can't nail them all like that hey :-)

Getting the last control

Race 8: ultra long, Denmark MTBO camp, 10/04/2011

I came 14th of 23 in an elite (best in the world) MTBO!!! Yeeeeeeeeeeeee haaaaaaaaaaaaaa...

It was really really long too, ultra long actually! I did 38 miles and it was tough. It was my first mass start event and I didn't like it one bit. The map was A3 and I couldn't find the triangle, so when the start went I had only just got my map on and hadn't even folded it so it was all flapping around. But I zoomed off with everyone else and stayed with them until the queue at the 1st control. Then it was a bit much so I paused to look at my map and fold it properly, I let them all go, much happier chasing on my own.

It was going well until I got lost. I went down lots of wiggly tracks and in the end the control wasn't at the junction I thought it would be. I had no idea where I'd gone wrong as there were so many junctions, so I finally employed the ride away technique! I rode to a clearing that I could see through the trees and relocated pretty easily from there and found the control!

Feeling pretty pleased with myself I then found myself riding with 2 other girls, not sure what nationalities, we were all together so the nav was much easier so I started taking different tracks to them, sometimes I'd get there 1st, sometimes they did. We picked up our 2nd map and I never saw them again, no idea where they went.

The 2nd half was hard on the legs. I rode exactly where I wanted to for every control apart from one, number 19, which again was down a maze of dotty paths. I came out, went back in again, went wrong again, faffed around for ages before finally working it out. I seemed to forget the ride away thing and wasted lots and lots of time, probably because by now my brain was like mush from the hours of concentrating like crazy.

It was 14:15 and we were supposed to be back for our flight, I didn't know if I could make it to 26, 27 and 28. Luckily i bumped in to Dan and Alan and they said get them because they were! So I pedalled like crazy and did the next one in record time, they caught me and towed me back (not literally) through the last 2 controls to the finish. We caught our flight but Stodge had to drive like a maniac to get there in time!


It turned out that lots of the elites gave up hours ago. Give me an ultra long any day of the week :o) :o) :o)

Map 1

 

Map 2

Race 7: middle, Denmark MTBO camp, 09/04/2011

I had a good race apart from a nav issue on control 1!!! and a massive confusion at the end. Control 1 wasn't where I thought it should be. I wandered around a bit and found Dan wandering around too. We were going different places though. I made my way to a main track and came at it from the other side and was away.

The rest of the race was OK until the last control. I was cycling properly fast at some points and was getting them with no problems. There was one where I came across one of the fastest girls (don't remember the country now) but she turned down a track where I was going to turn, but then must have got confused as she stopped to look at the map. I knew it was right because I could see it curve round at the end so I went for it and got to the control before her :-) a pretty big deal for me racing against these very fast elites!

There was one control where I had to climb over about 6 trees on their sides. They weren't even marked on the map either. But I jumped over them with my (luckily pretty lightweight) bike and managed not to mess up.

I got to the final control and it was number 100 - the finish! There were 2 controls instead of 1 and no flag too. There was supposed to be one just before so I was a little confused and couldn't punch as I'd not got the last one first.

I actually read the control number on my map as 99, the 1 was obscured and it was printed over a contour so I read the zeros as 9's! So I examined all the tracks around as I thought maybe the centre of the circle was actually not the track I thought it was, but nothing. I had no idea what to do! I looked around a bit more and was at the end if my tether when Alan came by and he got what was going on, there was another finish just up the track, it was my last control!!!! I was so mad with myself, I knew I was in the right place, so wasted all that tine for no reason. Really unfair when I'd actually done well in this one!

Race 6: middle, Denmark MTBO camp, 08/04/2011

All the GB's finished this afternoons middle race :-) The course was like a beach, sandy trails everywhere. We had a 100 mph wind too, it was freezing when we were practicing but the sun came out during the race.


The tracks were very twisty and seemed to be everywhere. I got confused on 2 controls and rode with a nice chatty Czech girl for 3. It was great because we kept swapping over who was leading and we both went the same way. I felt quite brave taking the lead but it was fine.


I worked out what I did wrong at the 2 controls and if I'd implemented the ride off in a chosen direction and wait until you recognise something technique I'd of done well. Hopefully tomorrow! Fingers crossed...

Race 5: middle night, Denmark MTBO camp, 07/04/2011

Night orienteering, who's idea was that?! It was as hard as I suspected! Heading into the forest with a map and compass and about 2 metres of vision, not something any sane person would do..

I was doing surprisingly well, just a few unsure moments, until I messed up at control 17. Then I struggled and was lost and it was so hard to relocate. 24 mins it took to find! Not good but I wasn't going back until I'd done the whole course. Thick trees, thin trees, ponds, marshes, none of it was any help as I really could not see any of it.

I finally found the control and managed to get the last one just as my daddy maxx faded. How long are they supposed to last on full power anyway? Not long enough to get lost in the forest!

An interesting race, not one I'll ever be repeating in a hurry. On the bright side, tomorrows race should seem like a piece of cake after this!

Race 4: super sprint, Denmark MTBO camp, 07/04/2011

The first race of the training camp and it was a super sprint, quite an interesting one as it was just 3.3km. Emily B had kindly spent the morning coaching me and it was the first time I enjoyed MTBO!


I got a little confused at the 1st control as the tarmac road was black on the map and they are normally pink. But I was in the right place and did the 1st 4 OK. Then I accidentally went to the wrong one and did the next 2 backwards! I realised my mistake and went back and did them all again in the proper order and luckily didn't get disqualified!


My last 3 controls were excellent and I kept up with some Italians, which I was really happy with. I finished down a flight of steps which was brilliant too.


We got a high five goody box :-) 6 hours to wait until the night middle race.