Foo Fighters and trails like these

A couple of weeks ago I managed to drag myself up to Coed y Brenin and catch up with some old friends, and meet some new ones in the process.  I really love it up there and when the opportunity to ride a couple of days were offered; it was a no brainer really.


I knew Shergie and Andrew from our endeavours as pronghorn riders and racers, to which I still had plenty to talk about.  I was quite negative at the time of its coming to an end, but out of it came some great friendships.   So, this weekend I also got to meet Stuart and Tom and needless to say I think they are cracking blokes.  To cut a long story short I managed to wreck Stuarts new forks (it is sorted now thankfully). But when I spoke to Stuart recently I said that in a mad hour during the weekend we managed to break three bikes but made some great friends (but that's mountain biking for you).

Anyway, fast forward couple of weeks and there were some further developments locally that have really made me smile.  My local shop and team arranged a meeting mid week to sort out next year.  I was just going to do what I normally do and just ride what I can when I can and keep my head down.  Anyway it looks like I will be riding with not only my mates, including Mick who is a national champ; but also a professional mountain biker and all round top fella.

I cannot say much more than this because they have contracts, but needless to say this person has been on the podium in a world cup!!!


Its amazing to think that I will be riding in the same kit and might even compete in the same events, I never saw this coming.  I genuinely am grateful that http://www.sherwoodpinescycles.co.uk/ have let me be part of this.  However it looks like I might have to step up the training and be a bit more focused, and a little less my normal beer swilling self. 

This morning I got out for a couple of hours and hit the local Kitchener Trail, this picture was from the early part of the trail and captures what Sherwood is about.  Look out for team Sherwood Pines next year, I will try to keep people updated; but also because also we have new riders and old ones who might surprise us and get some results (no pressure Jon).

Not racing

This happens every now and then, stuff happens and family commitments get in the way so you end up missing out.  That is all it is though; its just that feeling that all your mates are racing and having 'fun' and you are not...but to your work mates and friends (who do not ride bicycles) they see it as you get a break and get to hang with the family.

This is true, but it does 'mess' with your noggin.   Anyway I will put up a picture of a race from last year as it happens, and as it happens I didn't finish that race either (its a good picture though).  But this blog is to get a message across about how I feel about the 'scene'.

The fact is I have lost motivation to actually race (it will come back) but its a problem because this sport is hard and you cant rely on team mates to help you; this is because they are the ones who normally want to beat you.  I have found a great friend in Jon Lightfoot though, and he is going great at the minute.  So that's the first thing off my chest in this blog; also I have good friends who are now in other teams which is not a bad thing either.


Which leads me in to what I actually want to get across; no matter what you do or how seriously you take this sport, it is just a sport.  It was 2008 when I decided to put shop kit on and pretend I'm a cyclist.  From then I have started my own clubs, been in super teams where the earth was promised as long as I coughed up some money in the first year (oh yes I fell for it) and now ride for the shop where it all started.  Two pieces of advice have stuck with me, the first was from Andy Cockburn "forget the team stuff just enjoy riding your bike", the second was from Gareth Hayes, "stick to riding with that fast bloke (Mick Powell) and stay with your local club".


And that's the rub folks, Sherwood Pines Cycles are my team, they are my local shop, they are a meeting point for so many of my friends and the staff are a great bunch of personalities.  Its a local shop for local people as Edward would say. 

Thetford winter series

I have this blog to talk about stuff which a) is about bike racing and b) is about stuff that matters to me.  I f anyone reads this shit then that's a bonus.  This series is probably the only one I have ever completed, but in doing so I have learned a lot about myself and life in general.

I have probably landed 6th or 7th overall with coming quite close to a 3rd place in round 3.  For two rounds I was going well and for the other 2 rounds I probably should not have bothered going.  The difference between entering or not was my team mate Jon.

He has been brilliant throughout and has driven every round.  No hassle just get up go, ride and go home.  I wish I could be more like that sometimes instead of over thinking things and making more excuses than just getting on with it.  I don't though which sort of makes me who I am. 

I am going to keep this short, I basically need to stop thinking and just enjoy the ride which is something we all need to tell ourselves every now and then.

 

Thetford winter series Rd2

Excuses, excuses, excuses.

I have loads of them for this one.  In real life though I cannot complain it was a fair result in the end; 10th position, and if I could have been arsed to do another lap it could have been 8th.  I really did not have the verve to even try though.

Excuse 1

I had a weird run up to the event, I missed a cross race and the following week I broke my rear mech before the start so missed another round.  I know it shouldn't, but things can start to nark you after a while.

Excuse 2

My wife has changed her job and this is not a moan but it meant that I had to step up the dad duties, which is no bad thing.  It just affected my riding and I felt I had missed out.

Excuse 3

I just felt crap!! I had mouth ulcers, felt tired and if Jon had said he could not go I would have thanked him and stayed in bed (I am glad I rode the event though).

Excuse 4

I crashed early in the race which knocked me back (I landed on the stem with my soft parts!)  I just could not get back to the group Jon was in.


So there we go.... plenty of excuses

Still a great event though, the course was tough and if I wasn't such a mardy arse I could have done better.......................................................... 

Thetford winter series

It has taken a while but it looks like I will be gridded for the next round of the Thetford winter series.  This will be a novel experience because I usually have to barge my way through most races or get to the start line hours before anyone else.  Indecently on that subject when I have lined up early at races, every now and then the top guys just turn up and stand in front of you.  Rant over but I seriously feel like punching them.

So as most people are taking it easy or training I am racing cross and doing these 4 hour events.  And to be honest I feel like everything is going well for a change.  The cross racing is just mad.  Its flat out full gas and great fun.  The first race of the winter series was really good though.  I convinced Jon Lightfoot to enter from the team knowing that a) he would enjoy it and b) he would be a good team mate to drag me along.

The course and the weather were excellent and the only mistake really was that we started from the back.  When we got going though it was basically wheel to wheel  for the first few hours, I led for the most part and then the penultimate lap Jon went on the front, the plan being that we race the last lap.  Then disaster struck, I got cramp on the last lap! it was also both legs and really annoying.  I tried to put effort in and every time my legs just said no.

1	8	04:21:45		701	Paul Ashby	Mtzoom.Com -
2	8	04:27:04	00:05:19	716	Mark Wingar	Gipping Race Team -
3	8	04:31:40	00:09:55	736	Lloyd Bettles	Clee Cycles / Kcnc / -
4	8	04:33:45	00:12:00	713	Carl Smith
5	7	04:04:45	1 Lap	731	Jon Lightfoot	Pines Cycles/Sram -
6	7	04:04:50	1 Lap	735	Robert Bradley	Pinescycles/Sram -

Fair play to Jon though he hung back until I got going again and our last lap was quicker than the previous two. So the honours went to Jon because I had no intention of sprint finishing the last climb especially after such a good race.


So the next round beckons and now we are top riders the pressures on as they say.  I am actually looking forward to it and I know we can do a good race again if we work as a team. 




 

Dusk til Dawn 2013

Mixed feelings about this one............     I have said this before but cycling is weird because it takes a team effort but ultimately relies on the person turning the pedals.  I personally like the 'team' side of stuff because underneath I am quite a social person, especially after the odd beer or three.

Cycling doesn't like this, and my theory is you have to be anti social in a way, because the aim is to beat your mate and like it.  I turned up at this race in a big group of people who are great and have good team spirit but felt quite alone.  I had no one 'in my corner' as such and relied on old mates and their good nature to accept me and help out.

Don't get me wrong, I was focused and sort of ready, although I did not feel that good the week leading up to the event.   I also had high expectations because of recent form and a confidence (whether it is justified or not) that I can podium this sort of thing.  So I set out my pit and got down to the start nice and early ready to take on 12hours of cycling.


So what happened..... basically I was going well and then I wasn't.  I set off briskly (not mental though) and found myself trading laps with Tom Ward who eventually came 2nd.  We parted company about 5 or 6 laps in and then I settled, but at 8 hours in I started to feel rotten and then never recovered and so at 10 hours I simply had to stop.



Am I down though???? no is the short answer, I got it wrong a) I did not have pit man b) I did not give 12 hours racing enough respect c) I did not feed or drink enough again.

So for six hours I felt good and sure I was good enough to grab a podium.  So lesson's learnt and I am safe in the knowledge that I gave it my all and there was no way I just wanted to top 10 again....... I wanted a podium.

Two things then, shall I lower my goals?  bollocks no.   Shall I train even more and try harder next time?  yes.


Hence the cyclo cross bike and the notts and derby league races entered.

  
So I going to thrash myself around muddy fields for the winter and hope I get even fitter and faster.

What's the worst that can happen.............................................?

Wiggle Mountain Mayhem 2013

Another month, and another 24 hour race.  This one was a team affair though so it should be easy?

Let me tell you though that team events are not easy, but they are however a laugh, never boring and a great test of friendship and teamwork.  Myself, Graham, Mick and Nigel set out on this mini adventure a few months ago when we hatched this plan to enter a team.

One of the first things was to sort out the line up from the members of pines race team which was easy because we were the only ones who were in the others words "mad enough" to enter a 24hour mountain bike race.  So Nigel entered us and pretty much forgot about it until the week leading up to the event when you suddenly realise that you have not prepared at all.  It became real when we had a meeting the Wednesday before to sort out who was taking what to the venue.  This is where who was doing the run at the start was also decided, whereby Nigel begged us all if he could do it (ok he said he runs a bit therefore we decided he was doing it).

My own personal preparation was not great, I don't think I had fully recovered from 24hrs of exposure and I was on antibiotics for an infected tooth which needs work.  However as the race day got closer I started to get excited.  Myself and Mick travelled down on the morning of the race so it was a great that Graham and Nigel had set up base the day before.  Nigel had everything you could need, lights, gazebo, tents and heating!  Graham provided the stove and loads of food (he can tuck allot of food away!) and also the usual encouragement and enthusiasm for all things mtb.

Myself and Mick got there and provided the usual wit and banter that everyone loves us for, then we got our stuff out the car and took over their base camp.

We had fairly high hopes for this event, with the team line up and the ability of all of us I don't think we were being unrealistic in our expectations, but as you can see we were beaten into to fourth and the winners were Jedi knights who are pretty good at most things.

There was lots of incident and little things that went wrong but we kept pushing all the way and put in some pretty consistent laps.  My own personal mistake was going out on the wrong tyres which I have done many times before, but had it not rained then it would not have been an issue. 
               This is what is exiting about endurance events though, you can always make time back and these things happen to the other teams as well.

 

I think that it was going to take an issue with the other teams in order to grab a podium spot so we never gave up and our lap times improved as daylight appeared, but in the end we landed in fourth which is no mean feat at one of the biggest races for mtb.  So a liitle bit tired and weary we took down our camp, loaded the car and headed for the arena to hand our timing chips in and collect our medal.

 Everyone gets a finishing medal but if there was just one awarded to each team then it would have to be Nigel who received it.  Basically he did the run, did a quick lap even when his chain snapped and also posted the fastest lap out of all of us by quite a margin.  The way the running order went also meant that he and Graham did the final 2 laps which put them at 8 laps to our 7.  He basically was rider of the day and all round top bloke.  If we decide to to this again as a team I am absolutely sure it would be a podium next time.................................................................................