OCup 4 - Albion Hills

I was delira and exira to be to my old self this week. The weather was cooler which was great. I knew I wouldn't need so much water and that I wouldn't overheat.

I had pre-ridden the course and knew that I could really push it because it was fairly non-technical.

As usual the atmosphere at the race was fun and friendly and you start to recognise familiar faces at this point. We put up the tent right at the starting line which was very handy as we could just watch the goings and comings from the comfort of our picnic table.

I brought the wind-trainer this week and felt like a bit of an egit warming up as it's pretty loud! Anyway, once I got over the shame, I realised that it was good as I was able to get the heart pumping before I tackled the first hill.

We lined up at 10 am and were ready to go. Isabelle, Kara, Rebecca and I were in the same group so we there was some pre-race chat of course.

And we were off!

The hills definitely take it out of you but thankfully, there's a great mix of smooth single track and downhills that allow you to get your breath back.

I was really racing this one. I tried to pass as many people as possible. I think my competitive streak got the better of me and I passed one girl on a corner and of course took it too fast and bang! I was down. I got up as quick as I could because I didn't want to be wasting time.

I rode most of the course in my middle ring and hammered up the hills as hard as I could. It really helped that we had had our racing skills clinic with Steve Neal at Albion Hills as we covered some parts of the course and his words kept ringing in my head'- 'outside to outside', 'shift quickly as  you come to the top of a hill'!

I was following a group of girls quite closely and we seemed to be riding at an equal speed. A guy wanted to pass me and I let him go in front of me opening the gap between me and the girls in my category. I found it really hard to catch them. I think they were quick on the twisty trails through the forest and unfortunately, I never caught them again. The last of that group beat me by 1 min at the end so I was mad that I didn't push harder.

Towards the end of my second lap, I noticed a girl in blue following quite close behind. I wasn't sure if she was in my category so I tried very hard to keep ahead of her. I knew once I got to the fairly quick descent at the end that she wouldn't be able to pass me as the trail narrowed before it opened out for the finishing line. I really cranked it and she came in seconds after me.

I came 7th this time - a bit different from my 4th of the first race, but overall, I was really happy with my race. It went much better than hardwood hills and I felt strong. I'm gonna spend this month really training hard for the next one at Buckwallow and hopefully, I'll feel just as strong.

Roll on Buckwallow!

O Cup 3 Hardwood Hills

This was by far my hardest OCup race yet and a few different factors were responsible for this.






I pre-rode Hardwood on the Thursday before the race. It was the most technical course so far but rideable if you keep your head and confidence. I didn't have any trouble with the drops, rock obstacles or small rock gardens and was feeling ok about the race.





BUT I'd been sick the week before. I had a wretched sore throat and cough which just seemed to linger. I thought I was fine though and continued as normal. Mistake no. 1

There were a lot of people there at race day and it seemed a little difficult to go for a warm-up anywhere ... there wasn't much room. So I didn't warm-up. Mistake no. 2.

I started off well and was riding with the top group but knew that I couldn't keep this up. I gradually started to feel worse and worse. My heart rate exploded and I felt that I wouldn't be able to get it down and keep it steady. This was largely due to the fact that I hadn't warmed up. Had I done so, my body wouldn't have been as shocked as it was by the sudden activity.

It was a hot day - well into the 20s and I couldn't seem to get enough water. I also couldn't seem to get enough air. My chest was rattling from being sick that week and I felt weak.

I really didn't feel like I could do another lap and was spent. I had a gel at the half-way point and waited eagerly for the sugars to kick in. They never did. I never felt good and in form at any stage during the race. This race was slightly longer than the others and slightly more technical meaning ... longer laps. 1 gel is not enough for a 1 hr 20 min race. I underestimated the nutrition I would need. I also didn't eat as well as I could have in the run up to the race. Poor nutrition coupled with an already weakened body didn't do me any favours.

My pasty pale Irish self isn't used to being in the sun for prolonged periods of time. I think I became very dehydrated during and after the race as I felt quite sick on the way home. Headaches and general weakness was the result of being in the sun all day. I did drink a lot of water but I guess I needed to stay out of the sun (in the shade of the Wild Bettys tent) and drink more!

Needless to say, I've learned the lessons of Hardwood. I'm eating correctly this week. I'm also resting more. Even though I'm feeling better, I'm doing less cross-training etc. I'm going to ride with a camelback of water and some Heed or ELoad or something in a bottle on the bike as I like to have my water but think I might need something in addition to the gel. At least I'll have that option if I need it. I will also bring a wind-trainer to warm-up thoroughly before racing.

Yesterday I pre-rode Albion Hills! The weather looked a bit sketchy but stayed dry and fine. We were pumping up my tires beforehand and the valve stem from my Stan's Notube tires broke. There were some hairy moments where I thought we'd have to turn around and go back to TO. I was not a happy camper.

We had some trouble getting the valve out as the phlange was proving tricky to get through the hole. Eventually another rider came to our rescue with a plyers and we were able to get the valve out. Lucky enough we had another tube and we were able to ride. This little problem cost us an hour!

The trails were brilliant. It's a super fast course which is not technical at all. There are some steep short climbs which take the wind out of you but all in all, it is an easy course. It is a lot of fun because you can really gun it without worrying about technical areas.

I did my best to ride as hard as I could. I rode two laps and did them in about 30 mins. This course is also a little longer so it's just over 8km per loop.

Nutrition-wise, I'm loading up on proteins and complex carbs to make sure I am rearing to go on Sunday. It's difficult having two races within a week of each other but I think I'm on form for this one. A little TLC, I've learned, goes a long way.

Roll on Albion Hills!