September musings
Having got a little slack on my blog updates, and September rapidly coming to an end, thought I’d better at least post an update on the months events?! Excuse the long rant. I need to get back to weekly updates. Read on. Or not….
Day/Night Thriller
A fortnight ago as Team Delmaine, Nic and I were able to race together and win the Mixed section of the popular Day/Nighter Thriller 12hr in Taupo. We were joined by good friend Sonia Foote and super keen Delmaine road specialist Sam King-Turner to make a formidable 4. We were missing a 5th rider but figured we could sub in Motorcycling legend Aaron Slight (riding for a Delmaine social team) if need be.
Day went well. We just took it in turns to ride solid two lap stints and paid no attention to results. Which was smart, as if we’d looked we would have seen we were down by 8mins+ with 1hr20 to go. As luck would have it I ended up doing 3 of the last 4 laps, and we won by a couple of mins. Along the way I posted close to (if not the actual) fastest laps of the event in both daylight and at night. So that was encouraging. Lap of the day goes to Sonia for busting out a 25min night lap riding only with my tiny 3watt headlamp for ‘vision’. Nice.
Big disappointment was the prize giving. We were announced and presented as 2nd, despite the laps/time stated saying otherwise. Not wanting to create a scene I quietly questioned things backstage, and asked for a correction announcement to be made. Instead it was left to after the prize giving, and not announced. And we were left to seek out a prize/medal swap. I feel this was incredibly poor of the organisers and not the first time I’ve had ‘run-ins’ with this particular promoter. It was a disappointing end to an otherwise very enjoyable day.
Cyclocross comes to Palmy
Last weekend saw a solid and varied training block of about 9hrs in two days capped off by a great 50min short track, come cyclocross, club
MTB race down at the riverbank 5mins from our house. Partly from my urging, a great wee circuit was laid out zigzagging up and down the stop bank, through some ditches, and even some barrier fences were erected necessitating some swift dismount skills.
It was great fun. I was a bit tired (arriving at the race after a 3hr30 MTB ride) and a bit lethargic at the start. But soon made it my mission to try and lap the field on the 5min loop. Managed to up the pace to 4:30’s at the end and finally lapped 2nd lace on the last lap. Promptly calling it a successful weekend.
Am starting to think about organising a ‘proper’ Cyclocross could be a good idea. Maybe the weekend prior to Xmas. “Cabin’s Christmas Cross.” Beer’s and Barbie afterwards. Any takers?
Magpies
No need to explain this. The worst thing about training at this time of the year in NZ. Magpies are out. They’re vicious, and seemingly with a vendetta against me. It’s resulting in more than a few unscheduled sprint efforts!
XTERRA
I’m going to say it’s a month away, as that sounds like I have more time. With just four weeks until XTERRA World Champs, training is shall we say, solid at the moment. One of those phases where at no point in time am I really feeling that flash. Fitness definitely on the up. But without much rest and/or sharpening going on yet, I wouldn’t exactly say my race form is brilliant. But that’s what the next few weeks are for. Right know I’m feeling strong so that’s good.
The only hiccup has been a distinct lack of running after the injury in China. Lead to 3 weeks of basically no running, and only managed my first 40min run yesterday. Still…With a couple more races (The Whaka, and PNP MTB series) four weeks is heaps of time. I hope?!
Podium Shot from China… When I could still walk properly!
