Brass Monkeys - Rnd 4

26th Jan, saw the last of the ACU/Gorrick Brass Monkeys Rnd for the series.  Due to work, weather, life in general and concentrating on building core strength to set my year up I had not been on the bike much, but hoped for continued improve.  In short that is what I got.

Moments before the start it started to rain and it would do this up until a few minutes after I finished, challenging shall we say, as was the course, but apart from one hill that got to slippery for a single speed it remained very rideable, well done to ACU/Gorrick for an well planned course.

The race and weather would be brutal and there would be many retirements, crashes a plenty and more than a bit of sideways action :)  I mechanical forced a short stop after lap 2, but with it fixed I continued and it didn't plague me again.

Riding through the rain, slop and mud, squeezing past riders as I could nabbing many as they struggled on the sharp climbs, things seemed to go well.  In the closing k's of the last lap, the legs finally felt a bit heavy, but I found that my lower back was feeling strong enough continue to drive my legs and my pace didn't ease too much apart from getting caught in some traffic.  Try as I might I could not find the extra speed to slip past the Start/Finish under the 4hr mark for a cheeky extra lap.

However, finishing 10th in Vet 4hrs, was another improvement and has certainly continued to keep me motivated for the year ahead.

Special thanks to Wolf Tooth Components and Weldtite, keeping the single speed running smooth in some grim conditions.

Alpkit, thanks for keeping me warm before and after the race.

Cycleworks, there might be a full service coming your way. Ta  ;)

ACU/Gorrick Brass Monkeys Rnd 1, 2 and 3

After crashing and trashing my back in the Gorrick Torq in your Saddle 12:12 in August, I hadn't done a lot on the bike. I was tired, sore and a bit fed up.

But I duly entered the Brass Monkey winter series (Army Cycling Union and Gorrick).  Each year I look forward to this, but on the start line for the 1st Round I felt weak and uninterested in racing, but I still got on with things, well the best I could with my back feeling sore before evening starting.

Long story short it didn't go well and my back increased in pain and soon I was struggling to pedal let alone race and so I pulled the pin in pain and limped back to the van.  It was good to see the other Cycleworks team members and friends do really well.

Back to the osteo, back twisted, crunch and put right and a great deal of strength and stretching exercises issued and I was told to climb more (can't complain about that).  Whilst I started to do this a week later I threw myself and road bike down the road quite hard and once the bruising came out the next morning I could bare walk for a day or two, so I had a stay of rehab for an extra few days. Damn it!

I managed two rides before the 2nd Rnd of the Brass Monkeys and surprising managed to ride into 17th on the day, after some wheel issues and ensuring I took things comfortably.

Soon Rnd 3 was upon us after the Christmas and New Year season and two days of stomach bug made it hard enough to function as a human, let alone train.  So this race would be handle purely by a years accumulation of training and stubbornness.  In some very heavy conditions that a fatbike may well have be a better option I managed to ride into 13th, but not before have some loose chain issues and then some getting stuck behind a hundred+ 2hr racers on a lengthy bit of single track (it did hone my overtaking skills though).

So I am happy with one thing mainly with the above, I am improving again, building strength and have learnt how to managed the back if it does flare up.  However, that is becoming less of an issue, Yay!

Rnd 4 is not far off and I hope to get some more training in and be better prepared so I can see more improvement.  I have set most of my cycling goals for this year, so seeing improvement this early in the year would be a positive.

Fingers crossed.

Army Cycling - Are You Tough Enough

Last Sunday in some nice warm conditions I raced the Army Cycling Union's - Are You Tough Enough event, in the 4 hours Single Speed category.  The race would end with some controversy.  But I am over that and looking forward.

As I said the day was warm and this suited me. As I lined up I knew Al would be the man to try and beat or at least try to stay close to.  But with these events there is always one or that suddenly pop up out of nowhere and seem to be flying, then disappear for the rest of the year.

The race started and I planned to stick to my race plan. Often the best way as most of the time in these races it is hard to know exactly where you our.  As the laps whiled away and my nutrition and plan seemed to hold together another SS passed me, but without clocking his number and real idea I didn't chase, plus at this point in the race, it would be against my plan and the bigger picture in a few weeks time.

I pushed on and passed many riders, in many different categories and even got caught up in the start of the 2hrs race, but put in the effort to up my pace so as not to lose time on other I was racing to slowing to let these guys passed. Once these guys had passed I settled into my rhythm again and ticked the legs over nicely.  However soon, my bike was plagued by an ominous creak, which I decide to inspect thoroughly once.  I would have easily lost a minute here, but better than the alternative.  Everything checked and in working order I pressed on, however as I started another SS rider appeared on my wheel.  Balls! I had gifted him a minute or so.  But lets not panic.

Over the next 2 laps we swap positions, 2nd and 3rd a few times. Then I managed to steadily ride him off my wheel, but suddenly he reappeared. Onto the last lap and the same occurred I rode him off my wheel, but in the last 600m's he appeared from nowhere and latched onto my wheel, but he didn't have the legs to get past.

Coming into the last 300m's I made a simple mistake, which meant he sneaked past, but I was soon on his wheel again. Once chance was left, a dirty loamy corner in a steep climb.  I had nailed this every lap. I back off a bike length or 2 has he sat right on the wheel of the 2hr rider in front of him.  This would be a mistake, sure enough at the corner, they both faltered and stepped off. I called "track" and the 2hr rider who was on my line jumped out the way.  The SS rider, with not right of way, jumped in my way, knocking me off my bike.  Angrily I run my bike to the top as he did the same and sprinted for the line and just missed pipping him on it.

I have to admit I was quite pissed off at the time and rightly so.  But like I say I have moved on. After a while I focused on the good. I had stuck to the plan, my nutrition was spot on and I rode the sections the way I had planned after the first lap.  In fact, it was probably my most disciplined race in the last 18 months.  I also got 3rd in the Cat and roughly 16th overall in the 4hr.  So another podium for Cycleworks, the team is getting quite a few this year.

(Photo: Chris Noble)

So overall, I am really happy with this result.  I feel disappointed for Al Fairbairn, whos handle bars snapped, but glad he was OK and inspired by his massive attempt to get back in the race.  Thanks to Chris's dad for helping out, Cheers!

ACU and Gorrick, awesome course and great event well done again.

Thanks Cycleworks, Weldtite and Alpkit.

Next stop, Bontrager Twentyfour12.  Confidence is up, I am finding some form and everything else seems to be coming together nicely. Fingers crossed at the end of July I can have a similar blog to post.  :)