Race 26: World Championships MTBO long, Hungary, 25/08/2012

This was my best race ever! I was in the A final so it was the top 60 women competing. The start was a bit strange because you had to go up 5 mins before to cycle around the corner for 2 mins before reaching the actual start. They said we would get two A3 maps and pick up a 3rd near the end. I only got given 1 map so I was a bit concerned I was missing one! The people didn't speak English. So off I went, hoping that the 2nd & 3rd maps were out there somewhere!

I'd poured 2.5 litres water over me at the start, that seemed to keep me cool enough as it was windy today, and only 32 degrees! It started off in the forest too so that was nice. All the forest controls went OK. I fought my way through some undergrowth to get to the railway tunnel, a branch ripped my shorts and cut my leg.

I met Sue, an American, at the butterfly control. We all had the same control three times with two different loops coming from it (to prevent following). I met her on my 2nd loop, she was on hers too, she'd been struggling to find the control we visited three times so I managed to make up 6 mins on her. It meant we were going the same way though. We did the rest of the course together. Well not together really because we'd go different ways to some controls and we always seemed to arrive at the same time!

We got to the map exchange together and had a larger urban map to get us to the finish in the town square. Thank goodness there were only two maps! I enjoyed the run in, it was a nice route by the river. Just near the end Sue got a puncture! I gave her my gas as she only had a pump and she was only 2 mins behind at the finish.

Today was forest, then open ground, then urban. The open was some sort of military place and it was fine. Not like the races we've been having! It was a big climb to the last control, my lungs were screaming. I rounded the corner and sprinted for all I was worth to the finish. And it worked, today I was the fastest girl in the world again for the final sprint! I got beaten by just 4 boys too!! I did 16 secs, the world champion bloke did 14 and three other blokes did 15. I came 53rd in the race. 53 / 74 at world championship level is my best result so far!!

I am most proud of my sprinting, I cannot believe that I can sprint to the line faster than any other girl in the world championships!!!

Last control of my world championships:


Me and Sue:



Today Charlie got gold in the W50 world championships:


and Andy Conn got bronze in the M40 world championships:


Team GB in our banquet outfits:

Race 24: World Championships MTBO Middle, Hungary, 22/08/2012

I was confident at the start of this race because all the controls were on paths, it was like a normal race. I got a decent start too, up until number 8 I was going well. I was cycling along a track with 2 other girls, they turned left, I got very confused and all of a sudden didn't know where I was and I ended up mis punching.

I am not sure what happened because it was an easy course and I should have been fine! I couldn't think at all, probably due to too much sun, not enough food, and brain ache from all the other races! I'm very glad that we have a rest day tomorrow, can relax and recompose ready for the relay on Friday.

Didn't even compete for the green jersey run in today. It was all a bit much to be honest.

At the start:


Charlie came 2nd and Angela 4th in W50:


Richard did his 1st ever MTBO race today, he did well!

Race 23: World Championships MTBO Sprint, Hungary, 21/08/2012

I was dreading today's race, the description was 'an open area with a dense network of paths'. I felt physically sick this morning because I wasn't actually sure if I'd be able to find them all. I was OK in the start box, but scared to find number 1 was off the tracks. I didn't look at any other legs in my minute, just planned out number 1 carefully. And it worked! I went straight to it. Very happy.

It went a bit downhill from there though. I found that the tracks were of no use whatsoever, I navigated by hills and shrubbery. Not my strong point! There were a few where I was all over the place. I stopped a lot and stayed calm and gradually got better as the race went on and I got used to it. I never planned ahead, full focus on the current leg each time. That was all I could do.

It took me over double the time of the winner but I finished OK and I came 65th, beat 9 people, which for this race was amazing. Also it turned out that I got joint fastest time to the finish with 3 other girls so I've got the green jersey again! Amazing :-)

Emily finished 2nd!!! Now that is brilliant:

Start of the sprint - slightly off putting helper!!

Fastest in the world sprint to the line!:

GB team:

Going to the opening ceremony:

Inside the opening ceremony:

Race 22: World Championships MTBO Long Qualifier, Hungary, 20/08/2012

I was so stressed before this race it was unbelievable. I was doing childbirth breathing with Richard in the car to calm down! But when I got to the start I was fine, as it wasn't actually that scary, the same as the world cups really, but with toilets in the start area so that was a plus!

These races aren't like any I've done before, they have controls off paths so you get a control description sheet like in foot-o. Pippa kindly lent me a description holder for my wrist as I didn't have one. The map fitted in my map holder without having to change it around and I was pleased to see that the start triangle was out of sight so nobody could see you at the beginning.

I was the 2nd girl to start, which wasn't great. I went the safe way to number 1, as I do tend to mess the 1st one up quite often. Today it was good, so I settled down and tried to concentrate fully. It was so hot it was unbelievable, way over 30 degrees. I took a route across the open ground and nearly keeled over with the heat. I just wanted to get off and curl up and sleep. It was like a desert.

I messed up number 4 a bit, got a bit distracted by the bloke at the drinks station and looked across to see my control, but when I went there it wasn't mine, I spotted another so I was a bit annoyed with myself and went to it instead, but that was the wrong one too! So I finally looked at the map and saw mine was about 100m away actually and went straight to it. Oops! Luckily all that didn't take much time, I blame the heat! It was in the open desert area...

The rest was fine, it was just a hard slog, I'm rubbish in the heat. I had all 3 gels to try and get some energy and was sipping at the water all the way. Glad I had the camelbak on! I didn't see that many people really, lots of blokes coming towards me but not many going my way. I was with a Danish girl for a while, we kept taking different routes and popping out just near each other.

I did a big sprint to the line. I followed 4 or 5 blokes to the last control and actually passed a few in the sprint too! I'm glad I did that because the results were really tight, there were seconds in it for the A final.

I was absolutely shocked when I found I'd got into the A final! 60 out of the 73 girls got in, we were split into two groups, so I had to come 30th or better out of the 37 in my group. My goal for the world championships was to come 60-something in each race, and to qualify meant I effectively had to come 50-something. I though it would have been nice but was more than I could do. But I did it! Amazing!!!

Also I just found out that I was the fastest girl in the world today for that sprint to the line!! Unbelievable :-)

The finish area:



Being stressed out before the race:



The finishing straight - fastest girl in the world here!!!!!:


The finish:


Edwyn has an injury from going over the bars!


Andy was pretty tired too:


The map: