Copyright

All photo's are Copyright of Scott Swalling or the tagged Photographer. (Background photo Scott Swalling Photography).

About Me:

24Hr MTBike racer and general bike rider, climber and mountaineer. Good coffee drinker and cake eater (any cake, seriously, don't leave your cake laying around). Also, I like to try new things that challenge me.

Wednesday 8 May 2013

Gorrick 100 and 24hrs of Exposure

The weekend just passed I took part in the Gorrick 100 as I normally do each year as a prep race for the 24Hours of Exposure.  This year the course location was moved to Porridge Pot Hill and the Gorrick team created a great, fast and interesting track with loads of new bits, with very little fire road trucking.  Despite this the course was fast, very fast, which meant I was always going to suffer on the single speed.

By and large the race went well in terrific conditions, with the course dry and the sun shining. As I tried to keep my pace high with a gearing suitable to a 24hr race not a 100km one.  I pressed on but soon came unstuck with cramps, after a lie down and stretch, I continued on and paced myself to finish and ensure that my legs recovered from the cramps.

By the end of the race I had dropped to 30th, but I have to say I was quite content with that.  My focus remained on the 24Hours of Exposure and trashing my legs was not an option and actively recovering from my cramps during the race was a positive for this coming weekend.

With my focus now narrowed, I am prepping for the weekend, bikes are prepped and I am feeling quite good physically and mentally, but quite restless.  Hopefully the nerves will be useful energy and a positive.

Weldtite, Alpkit and Cycleworks have got right behind me and everything has come together at the right times, so this has also keep the household calm.

I look forward to seeing if all the effort and sacrifices that have been made, pay off.  I am also sure my pit crew will ensure that I keep going and stay fully fueled and the bikes rolling, she bloody good at these and giving a hug when required (don't discount the power of this).

24 hours of Exposure, here goes.


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