Race 4: MTBO middle (world ranking), Denmark

The 2nd race of the MTBO camp was a world ranking middle race. My start time was 3rd or 4th elite so right near the beginning. I was happy all the way around. Didn't get lost or go wrong really. There were a couple of route choice questions and a few times when I had to pause to make sure I'd gone up the right track, but all was well each time. We are trialling some new dibbers and they are brilliant, you just waive your arm near the control  on your way past and the chip lights up and it plays a tune. Great but it means you need to know your exit plan because there's no stopping any more.

Green is fast and red is stationary

Race 3: MTBO night short, Denmark

First MTBO race of the camp and it was a night race. I would have done OK if i hadn't of messed up number 1 rather spectacularly!! I found out afterwards that the map was actually wrong, but at the time I just could not fathom it. I went back to the start 3 times to try and work it out! Then I decided to go the long way around and found it straight away. Almost 14 mins to do a 2 min control. So that was me firmly at the bottom of the table! After that I did quite well and I enjoyed the single track in the dark. Tomorrow is a world ranking race so let's hope I don't mess that one up!

Green is fast and red is slow-  not the best gps coverage!

Race 2: MTBO, Rawnsley Hill, 18/03/2012

The second race of the year, I have been on a roadie training camp since the first race but I was as slow as a snail still! This race had lots and lots of short sharp climbs and descents, often loose or sandy, my kind of terrain really but on the longer climbs I just couldn't get my legs going. I kept catching myself slacking and had to keep reminding myself that it was supposed to be a race.

I didn't get lost again, which was very nice, there were a couple of times where I got on the wrong track but I knew straight away so that's a great improvement on last year. I had a dilemma from 4 to 5 because I couldn't see the contours to see which way around to go, think I chose the best way? 6 to 7 I was on the wrong path and I knew it so I scrambled up a bank to get to the correct path. 10 - 11 I couldn't decide at all which way to go, I took the longer but hopefully flatter route.. Ooh to number 15 was interesting as I turned too early and walked/climbed up a track which turned out to be a little alleyway in the trees (the long red bit on the map!), that must have been a costly error. All the rest was good, just need a fast forward button now :-)

The track is on the maps, red is slow and green is fast...

Map 1

Map 2