Hoggenberg

San Fairy Ann 3/4 crit, Hog Hill, Saturday 6th March. My first time back at Hog Hill since my mishap last June. Only my second time actually taking part in a race there. Last time I raced at the Hog I think I lasted about halfway through the race then slowly drifted off the back up the ‘berg! So how was I going to fare this time? Was my fitness better?

In short, yes. I managed 17 of the 20 laps and had no problems on the hill at all. So my recovery after hard efforts is getting better. I had a problem on lap 17 with the rider in front of me though! I’d been sitting near the back for a few laps (I know I shouldn’t have been there) when I noticed the guy immediately in front had a rather flat tyre. I noticed this coming into the fastest corner of the circuit, with the tailwind whipping everyone round the almost 90 degree bend at great speed. Guess where this guy nearly lost his tyre and ended up careering all over the place? Guess which muppet was stuck behind him? Guess who couldn’t quite catch the bunch for another lap and then gave up as they dangled just out of reach? Aaargghh!

On the brighter side we celebrated my wife’s birthday that night with friends, karaoke and Chinese food. Sore heads all round on Sunday! I think my singing is almost as bad as my racing…

Wheelsucker

The plan had been to ride out to Hog Hill and take part in the San Fairy Ann (best cycling club name ever in my book) 3/4 crit on Saturday. But come Friday night the excuses started to appear - I'd been ill all week (only a cold, but a niggly, persistent cold), I was tired and felt out of breath at the top of a flight of stairs, the weather looked pretty grim, no one else I knew was going (not a problem for the race, but it's a long journey there and back with no company) - so I decided to chill out at home, enjoy the red wine and do the park ride on Saturday instead.

The weather lived up to the billing - it rained a few times on Saturday morning, with the park being part-flooded and absolutely filthy. Riding in a group meant a constant spray of muck off the wheel in front, grit in the teeth and small spatterings of tar over all my clothing, my skin and my bike. The sooner they sort out the road surface the better - roll on May.

The café post-ride was a sight. Every time the door swung open another Dynamo rider would enter looking like he'd just finished a cross race (a particularly dirty cross race). It was good to catch up with people, even though we were all cold and shivering. As predicted, a plan started to hatch mid-coffee and several of us decided to continue with a longer ride out into Surrey. Five of us set out - by the time we'd left the warmth of the café we'd lost one, then five minutes later another! Luckily the weather brightened a bit and we remaining three had a fairly gentle run out to Box Hill and back. It was a good leg-stretcher even though the roads were awful- rutted with potholes and mud all over the place.

Still, 70 miles in total for a Saturday, made all the better by a massive bowl of cereal on my return. Simple pleasures. It only took me 30 minutes in the shower to get all the tar off me as well...!

A better day

A better day. Still no points, and I rolled in right at the back, but definitely a better day. The final Hillingdon 3rds race in the winter series was faster paced, which seemed to suit me better. I felt fitter than previously and had very little problem holding my position near the front of the bunch. When I dropped back at the mid-point for a couple of laps to have a breather and some long, steady swigs of energy drink I never doubted I would be able to move back up again easily. With five laps to go I found myself on the front – a bit of canny soft-pedalling allowed me to slip back to 4th or 5th, where I stayed until two laps to go. Then someone decided to force their way through a gap that wasn’t there, cut in from the inside of the hairpin turn and slowly die up the slight incline, boxing me in. Suddenly all my speed was scrubbed off, about 10 riders had stormed by on the other side and I was left looking for a gap to move into and get off this guy’s wheel. By the time I managed to get out from behind him I was mid-pack at best, so held back about 10 metres from the bunch in the final lap to give myself room to avoid any last-minute mishaps.

Frustrating really, but I feel that for once I did nearly everything right. Still, it all happens in the last couple of laps, where I am still failing to get it right!

Goals for 2010...

Having pondered my lack of racing success so far (well, avoiding crashes is some sort of success I guess) I thought that it would be worthwhile setting some goals for the year. So here goes:

1) Spend next to nothing on bike upgrades. I have all I need - really.
2) Don't injure myself and miss a whole summer of cycling.
3) Do a time trial. A '10' will do, on a road bike, in under 24mins.
4) Gain double-figure points as a 3rd Cat. Not so easy, judging on past performance!
5) Complete the long route of the Time-Megeve sportive. No time goal.
6) Complete La Marmotte sportive in 10hrs 30mins. Hey, I'm heavy and don't go uphill very quickly.
7) Lose another 4kg of bodyweight prior to 6). That will take me to 79kg for a height of 185cm.
7) Finish near the front of the bunch in a Palace 3/4 race.
8) Buy a house. The most important goal.

Will I ever break my duck?

Another Hillingdon (the penultimate race of the 09/10 Winter Series) and another null point. There seemed to be more riders in the 3rds on Saturday, but a closer examination of the results shows the numbers were about the same (I didn't look at the results too closely as I knew I was way, way down the list).

45 minutes + 5 laps this week, no crashes, a slightly faster pace and an annoying headwind up the home straight that made for slightly negative racing. I managed to stay in the top 10 spot for the first 15 minutes or so, but then took a breather near the back and found it impossible to move up again - same old story. Last week is the final race and, despite having made less than half the races, I feel I'm getting stronger. I think that's where the frustration is creeping in - on Saturday I finished having felt that I had hardly exerted myself at all.

Despite the frustration I've enjoyed the races for the most part - they're really well attended and well organised events.

In other news, I've now been a crisp-free zone for a month - a real sacrifice because it was my snack of choice!

'Don care

Saturday 23rd January 2010. Hillingdon 3rds. Turned up. Raced. Finished near the back of a (very crowded) bunch. Went home. Photo shows that I must have spent at least a little time on the front – which is the only good thing I can take from the experience!



I missed the race yesterday (30th Jan) due to an excess of cheese the night before! Can't say I was sorry when I heard about the crashes. I went on the turbo instead, then out to Windsor today - plenty of ice about but (luckily) no spills. Oh well, no racing but 60 solid base miles - could be worse...

Snow joke ... uuurrrgggh!

Hillingdon again, 2nd Jan. Failed break, few laps on/near the front, but mainly relaxing at the back. Rolled over the line at the back of bunch. Rubbish. Here's a picture of me relaxing at the back next to a Kingston Wheeler.

Since then - turbo in the snow. Numerous times! Now it's started snowing again. I need some new sessions and some new music...

Hillingdon was cancelled today, predictably - from the photo I saw there looks to be at least 4 inches of snow. Given my form it's probably a good thing - £11 I can spend on pizza instead.