wgtngrl wrote:Scotty lined up for this race too, but after his first lap remembered that xc isn't his thing and switched to supporting instead.

It's funny 'cause it's true!

Those exit jumps were fun though.

downhilbikedownhillbikedownhilbikedownhillbikedownhilbikedownhillbike

Nice report

wgtngrl wrote:Finally, on the drive home yesterday I awarded myself 'best use of a walkie talkie' after cranking up John Denver's 'On the road again' and feeding it through to Gav and Ricky in the Subie via walkie talkie - because I KNOW how much they love that song after many car trips with me

John Denver is da man!

Unfortunately a small number of posts were lost on Sunday the 24th of February 2008. This is one of those posts.

5th on the day and 3rd in the series - read on:

The third and final round of the North Island Cup was hosted out at K-Loop just south of Palmerston North. The last and only time I raced here was in the annual K-Loop Challenge 3 years ago which was run on a very similar course to previous nationals races.

For 2008 the course had been extended to an 11.5km lap - just short enough to still run 500ml bottles. Anybody who raced nats here in 2006 had pretty horrible but fun memories as it was very, very wet and muddy and slippery. I couldn't race that year and given the weather didn't head up to spectate but have heard plenty about it since.

This year the weather man was telling us all week it was going to rain. Great news for farmers, and we'd all packed our muds! But as the days went by it looked less and less likely so we'd have to rely on the streams and dust to get the bikes dirty.

My personal build up to this race was far from ideal. In fact it's pretty fair to say it was a shocker. I couldn't tell you why for sure, simply that the planets don't always align when you want them to. So for a few days I was repeating that it would all be fine come 2pm Sunday. One thing I like so much about this level of racing is warming up on the wind trainer. It's the same every week, same time, and routine is really helpful if things aren't going quite right. In many ways I just waited til 1.25 when I could get on there and start warming up. The mind and body know what to do from there. My biggest concern was my asthma after an incident on the climb on Friday, but at the same time I've ridden through it before so I know it doesn't have to mean the end of a race.

The start line was about 15 riders wide, but the flat grass only about 7 wide so when I lined up out wide on the right I couldn't help but comment as I looked up to see the poo we were obviously going to have to ride through (nice to keep it light on the line). We had a 1 minute call, a 30 second call and a 'any time in the next 15 seconds' call. He blew the whistle about 3 seconds later while I was wondering if he really meant 'any time'. He did! It didn't make for a particularly fast break off the line as I fumbled with my pedal (yes, again - I need to practice!) but once I was in the flat start loop gave me a chance to gain back some time and get in to a reasonable position as we merged in to a single line to head up the gravel road, across the bridge and up the climb.

Because the climb was rocky and technical in nature it slowed things down a bit and we were all trying to get past each other, but only when we wouldn't waste too much energy in doing so by riding a bad line. Every now and then someone would spin out on a wet rock or struggle on something and we'd all surge to get past. I was sitting behind Nina when the person in front of her slipped and I got in a great move getting past both of them and finding myself behind 2 of the young r&r girls with Monique just ahead of them. Fiona, Sam and Katy were up in the lead.

After a few minutes Nina went for the pass and took it, getting past about 4 of us all at once as she warmed up in to the race. I was oblivious to anything that was happening behind me and reluctantly admitted to myself that the pain I was feeling was asthmatic. By the time we were half way up the climb I'd let a gap open up ahead but had also opened up one behind since I couldn't hear anyone. The pain was intense but I'd done some thinking about what I would do if this did happen, and that was just to try and push through it. I felt like I barely had enough oxygen to feed both my muscles and my brain and unless there are little purple men out there, I was hallucinating. But the strange thing was that I felt like I was riding well - and we all know you can't stop when you're riding well!

At the top of the climb was a few kms of very nice single track - too twisty and turny to really power through but very nice to ride, with some short climbs to attack on. Not too far in to it I came across Sam carrying her bike - her rear mech had busted and her race was over. That's no fun for anyone. Further up I saw one of the younger guys ahead of me and focussed on catching him with some smooth and consistent riding. Once I did I probably sat in a bit too long before passing. A bit further ahead I saw the r&r girls and figured I must be riding faster than them so I might as well go catch them too. I came up behind one as we headed in to a bit of a down hill stretch of trail but as we came out of it she let me go, even telling me to have a nice race Smile I had about 500m left before we crossed over the road in to the next section of trail and made my next pass right before that. The next section was a short climb through singletrack before the first downhill of the course. Not having ridden the course very much I didn't know the downhills well enough to be confident in my lines so was really just riding it as I saw it. Being such a long course it had been difficult to get many laps in and I'd only done 1 complete lap before the race having cut both Fidays and Saturdays sessions short.

I could hear someone not far behind me as I reached the bottom of the descent and took the sharp turn in to the middle climb so got up there nice and quickly. Again I was riding really well but the pain came back on and I got simply adamant that I didn't care - it could wait until after the race.

The next downhill followed suit. I'd pulled away on the climb and was getting caught on the way down - I don't think that's ever happened to me! I had no idea who it was, whether it was one of the younger girls, someone in my grade, or one of the guys, so on the final climb I put the pace on to open the gap again, and this time the pains moved around to my back - something else different (and I was starting to worry a bit).

I managed to keep the gap a bit bigger coming down the final descent, crossed the bridge, sprinted down the road seeing Monique coming up it about a minute ahead, and on to the start/finish loop feeling really good and headed out on my 2nd lap. Stab! Straight in to the climb again and the pain was back. I haven't fallen off my bike so I'll keep going (it's a series final and I want my points!). Every time I lifted the intensity it kicked in. At one stage I said 'ok, 1 more', and another one came so I renegotiated '2 more'. There was one more, and that was it. That second lap I absolutely flew up the climb - it felt like it was smooth and I'd really hit my stride - it was an absolutely amazing feeling, something you hope to replicate every time you race but hardly ever do. I had a great lap, climbing better than I think I ever have. I saw Monique about a minute ahead of me in the singletrack. Then in the descents my shadow was back - I still didn't know who it was but on the last corner of the final descent they were right on my tail. I sprinted out of it and across the bridge opening up a small gap again then as we came through the start/finish loop I heard people yelling both for me and her - Adrienne from U19 women. She sprinted for the line as it was her last lap, and I just didn't want to get passsed so I sprinted as well - all good fun. She'd won her race and was pulling up to stop but was on my inside and I think I just about took her out on my way around the corner to the feed zone.

At that point I was still feeling really good and I'd seen Monique again on the way down the road so I knew the gap was still about a minute. If I could have another good lap there was every chance I would catch her. Unfortunately about 500m in to the climb my mojo up and left me and things didn't feel so good up there. But I was on the final lap and had a good gap so I settled in to finish it off. After the race I learned the gap had stayed the same and Monique was fading just as bad as I was. I was pretty stoked to cross the line in 5th. Fiona had won (local knowledge pays off), Nina in second and Katy came back well after Rotorua to take 3rd with Monique 4th.

This being the final, we also had the series prize giving where I was surprised but happy with a 3rd place.

Gav also had a good race taking out 4th and also getting 3rd in the series. He called me a prima donna for all my grief during the week... The legs and lungs definitely took a hammering in this race but they're all getting back in to shape now with some easy recovery rides on the road.

We have this coming weekend off racing - a pretty welcome break as racing week in and out really does take it out of you and there doesn't seem to be time for much else. Instead there will be some high volume training. And following that we have National Champs here at home, which I'm really looking forward to. It should be the biggest field yet, and a whole lot of fun Smile

Unfortunately a small number of posts were lost on Sunday the 24th of February 2008. This is one of those posts.

Unfortunately a small number of posts were lost on Sunday the 24th of February 2008. This is one of those posts.

Unfortunately a small number of posts were lost on Sunday the 24th of February 2008. This is one of those posts.

Unfortunately a small number of posts were lost on Sunday the 24th of February 2008. This is one of those posts.

Unfortunately a small number of posts were lost on Sunday the 24th of February 2008. This is one of those posts.

Pics!!!

Me: http://flickr.com/photos/lisamtb/sets/7 ... 288178467/

Others (could be you if you were there...): http://flickr.com/photos/lisamtb/sets/7 ... 891622764/

Unfortunately a small number of posts were lost on Sunday the 24th of February 2008. This is one of those posts.

Nice, detailed race report! Didn't realise how much of a bad week you'd had! Sad Bring on Nats indeed!

slackboy wrote:wgtngrl wrote:
It didn't make for a particularly fast break off the line as I fumbled with my pedal (yes, again - I need to practice!)
You need some proper pedals madam. Can I suggest som e good quality SPD's, Fraction heavier but vastly superior in every other regard

You can suggest anything you like if you can get 'em for me for $0.00 Smile

Don't blame the pedals just cos I'm a doofus