Congrats to Paul and Chris on their podiums - pair of savages :-)
Conditions were wet on the ground but the weather was great for racing. Organisation was top class - particularly the feed stations. I stuck with Vinnie and Niall for the first two hours before falling off the pace. Found it very hard to eat but when I did I got back into it. Going great guns through the wind farm, picking off a few riders and then I took a wrong turn that cost me 4 minutes. To be fair the organisers could not have made the signs any clearer - just too focused on catching the next guy I guess :-). Still, the fear of being caught by the lads that I had passed through the wind farm made me push from there to the very end so it probably balanced out.
Well done David & Paul & Chris on the podiums & everyone else who did it! Very well organised event ! Took me ages to get going after getting completely smoked by two girls on the very first fireroad yowzers : ( . Cudnt catch them or get even near them. Felt v slow for ages, cudnt get comfortable on the single track or get any sort of flow going. The natural xc trail stuff the organisers built was brilliant though. My back started to kill me after 2hrs, & the 1700m of fireroad climbs was no place for my Trance lol. Very tough and absolute killer. Marshals were v encouraging when I was entirely miserable but they kept lying to me & telling me just a bit more climbing & then it's downhill haha. Felt like it wud never end !
Well done to all riders who raced today,big shout out to our podium riders,respect.Personally I love to hear from individual riders and their reports on the race.Very well done to you Caroline,you raced.suffered like hell,but sure every Marathon MTB race is pure hardship!!
But,you finished,that phyisical & mental hardship will only stand to you.Fecking top class result!!!
Same for Dave M,you bloody well raced and got a finishing place after a ride from hell!!!
Im not taking from the podium finishers,long months of training pay off with medals,but its those riders who enter knowing they wont win are the background of the Nationals every year.
Well done David & Paul & Chris on the podiums & everyone else who did it! Very well organised event ! Took me ages to get going after getting completely smoked by two girls on the very first fireroad yowzers : ( . Cudnt catch them or get even near them. Felt v slow for ages, cudnt get comfortable on the single track or get any sort of flow going. The natural xc trail stuff the organisers built was brilliant though. My back started to kill me after 2hrs, & the 1700m of fireroad climbs was no place for my Trance lol. Very tough and absolute killer. Marshals were v encouraging when I was entirely miserable but they kept lying to me & telling me just a bit more climbing & then it's downhill haha. Felt like it wud never end !
Ha ha... no podium for me but I see photos of you standing on the podium - well done :-)
Congrats to Paul and Chris on their podiums - pair of savages :-)
Conditions were wet on the ground but the weather was great for racing. Organisation was top class - particularly the feed stations. I stuck with Vinnie and Niall for the first two hours before falling off the pace. Found it very hard to eat but when I did I got back into it. Going great guns through the wind farm, picking off a few riders and then I took a wrong turn that cost me 4 minutes. To be fair the organisers could not have made the signs any clearer - just too focused on catching the next guy I guess :-). Still, the fear of being caught by the lads that I had passed through the wind farm made me push from there to the very end so it probably balanced out.
Well done David & Paul & Chris on the podiums & everyone else who did it! Very well organised event ! Took me ages to get going after getting completely smoked by two girls on the very first fireroad yowzers : ( . Cudnt catch them or get even near them. Felt v slow for ages, cudnt get comfortable on the single track or get any sort of flow going. The natural xc trail stuff the organisers built was brilliant though. My back started to kill me after 2hrs, & the 1700m of fireroad climbs was no place for my Trance lol. Very tough and absolute killer. Marshals were v encouraging when I was entirely miserable but they kept lying to me & telling me just a bit more climbing & then it's downhill haha. Felt like it wud never end !
Well done to all riders who raced today,big shout out to our podium riders,respect.Personally I love to hear from individual riders and their reports on the race.Very well done to you Caroline,you raced.suffered like hell,but sure every Marathon MTB race is pure hardship!!
But,you finished,that phyisical & mental hardship will only stand to you.Fecking top class result!!!
Same for Dave M,you bloody well raced and got a finishing place after a ride from hell!!!
Im not taking from the podium finishers,long months of training pay off with medals,but its those riders who enter knowing they wont win are the background of the Nationals every year.
Well done David & Paul & Chris on the podiums & everyone else who did it! Very well organised event ! Took me ages to get going after getting completely smoked by two girls on the very first fireroad yowzers : ( . Cudnt catch them or get even near them. Felt v slow for ages, cudnt get comfortable on the single track or get any sort of flow going. The natural xc trail stuff the organisers built was brilliant though. My back started to kill me after 2hrs, & the 1700m of fireroad climbs was no place for my Trance lol. Very tough and absolute killer. Marshals were v encouraging when I was entirely miserable but they kept lying to me & telling me just a bit more climbing & then it's downhill haha. Felt like it wud never end !
Ha ha... no podium for me but I see photos of you standing on the podium - well done :-)