Second blog entry for today.....
Time for a racing update:
The first day working at Griff's meant that I had to miss round 2 of the Newbury Summer CX series, by all accounts, a hot and tough evening. The course had been lengthened from the first round to reduce the number of laps and overtakes.
My next chance to race was round 3, P was busy, so this one was solo.. I loaded the car and drove to work, prepped the bike and headed straight over to Newbury from the shop. This time the course was reversed, going up the left side of the hill in a zigzag, going up into the woods and out on to a fast descent which turned it's way through trees and into the flatter park section. I did a couple of recce laps, tentatively at first on the fast descent and tight corners.. bit of a chat and then formed up for the race... I was a little slow at the start. The rest of the women's field was made up of two U23s and a U14, all routinely quicker than me. The first climb up the hill was tight and messy and I tried not to get in anyone's way so I lost positions quickly. After this, it was a lonely race.. I struggled to judge my pace and not get in anyone's way when the fast riders came through, The overtakes were a mix of good, poor and downright dangerous... and I just couldn't get a rhythm going.. actually, my laps were pretty consistent, if slow.. though I did find that I got faster each time on the descent through the corners...
Result - 4th place in the women's race (from 4 starters, no other veterans) and not last overall.
Onto Round 4....
This Thursday.. P collected me after work and we duly headed off to Newbury... in the rain. After the previous week, Mark (the organiser) had apparently asked the parks people to cut the grass...which they duly did the day before the race...and with the steady rain, it meant that the grass pickup on the bikes was really bad..
P came round on the first recce lap.. I ran with my Challenge Chicanes for this... the course was similar to round 3 but with even more back and forth on the flatter area but also the return of the really nasty little off camber kink that caught people out on week 1 (foreshadowing, as @CXhairs would say on the Svenness videos).. I gave the bike a quick clean and changed to the wheels with Challenge Grifos for a second quick recce, though I missed out the hill this time..I pushed a little to get my heart rate up and lined up for the start. the field was a little smaller and the women's race was just me and one other Veteran. I had resolved to start harder than last time and duly pushed hard on lap 1... I gapped my competitor and pushed on..the grass pickup was bad, the course pretty slick.
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| Mid race - looking focused |
Lap 4 and I was pushing and feeling OK.. there were points where I was parallel to other riders and going as fast as the guys I could see. I went quite hard on the descent to keep ahead of a rider coming up to lap and let him by on the flat and hit the park section... as I went into the off-camber kink this time it gets a little blurry... I think the back slipped and then the front broke away, the bike went down and I fell to the right into the crest of the off camber bit..my head hit the ground HARD... it felt like the sky changed colour briefly (best way I can describe it) and it really hurt... I dragged myself up and (apparently) against the suggestion of the photographer who was there, I jumped back on was determined that I would NOT DNF and I would not get beaten after building such a lead (about half a lap)...
Full disclosure: my memory of the next period is hazy and has gaps...but I know I pushed...the last lap I rode was my second fastest of the night..I was fast down the hill through the trees, I know I was worried about the kink... I can't actually remember how I took it on that lap, nor can I clearly remember sprinting over the line (apparently I did) and rolled over to P...
I can remember sitting at the finish and there being concern, I can remember then being back at the car and Mark coming over (I Don't remember not listening to P giving me clear instructions based on his knowledge of head injury care which I duly ignored (sorry)). I was wrapped in a jacket and put in the car, Mark checked out the helmet, apparently intact, but concern for my state meant an ambulance was called. I was duly popped into the back and checked out. The ambulance crew were both professional, amusing (P getting given the hand injury leaflet instead of the head injury one, for example), calming and made sure I was OK. My head hurt a lot and I was starting to feel the impact on my side and shoulders.
After a while getting cleared and doing the paperwork, we exited the ambulance and everyone apart from the organisers had gone.. I thanked Mark and Jamie for sticking with us and keeping an eye on me. And we headed off home.
Result... 1st in the women's race (field of 2), but it was a win.. even if I can't actually remember crossing the line.
Overall ... I'm now sitting second in the overall standings but I may not be racing this coming week, either because I may be away with work, or if not, because concussion is a risky thing and I probably shouldn't race.
All results are here
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Oh, yes..... just to add "insult" to "injury", our car has been having issues, P had been getting it checked earlier in the day and we'd been told it was OK to drive.... but.....
On the M4 coming to Reading there was a bang and the engine sounded awful..we pulled to the side and left at the junction...pulled into a business park and called the AA..mentioning that I'd just been in an "incident" and an "ambulance" and we needed to get home... I was also starting to really need to use a loo..(I'd been drinking a lot after getting the all clear) we saw someone come out of the Verizon offices so P went and asked the security dudes if I could use a loo, so THANK YOU...not only did I get to use the loo, I stayed in the foyer whilst we waited and was given a cuppa too.. the AA were really quick and the patrol man did a fast, temporary repair to the exhaust downpipe (it had separated) and we were on our way..we got home around 2330... I went straight to bed and proceeded to get not much sleep....
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UPDATE
After the crash, I've retired my Kask K50 helmet as it hit the ground pretty darned hard.
Here is the replacement...
As of today, I feel stiff and sore, the headache is diminishing (Friday was rather vague at work) and I should be OK for the event that I'm off to support for the next few days.... that I won't be able to discuss until after I return... till then.... take care... and ride safe, people....
P.S There are pics of both races HERE .. including a sequence of my crash, if you really must... I warn you... it's NOT flattering
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