PNP MTB Spring Series Round 2

This time the race doubled as Club Champs and was out at Wainui. I decided to race C grade and Under 19 for this round as the technicality and length was going to be similar to what Schools Nationals is going to be like (and Lisa told me to!).

As it was club champs there were three races, a XC, a Super D and a Criterium. I know - an off road Crit!! It also meant that the races weren’t too long, which was good because the weather really wasn’t in a good mood.

I had just gotten my super cool Mud Cycles kit so what’s a better way to christen it than get it covered in mud? With the XC race first and having pre-ridden it two day before with Ricky I wasn’t too nervous- for once. I managed to finish in more or less 45 minutes.

After a haul up to the top of Freewheel it was time to Super D. The Super D went down Freewheel and Beeline, so it was on some fun, zoomy and slightly technical tracks. I managed to ride everything alright- and I didn’t wall ride the first drop on Beeline Extension like I might have on the Friday with Ricky.

I was really impressed with how the Crit was run; with two laps of a short course it was just the way to end a long day in the saddle. They also gave us women a head start so that we could have our own race.  

The whole day was lots of fun and a good learning experience. It was great to be able to compare myself to bro Jonny and Cowbell crewmate Ryan. Although it was gutting that I wasn’t eligible to be club champion as I’d raced in C grade rather than D. But I did manage to come away with 8^th overall in C and an alright time in the Super D. So it was a good day!

Huge thanks to the Guys at Mud for the bike help, Ricky for giving me descending coaching and taking me for a pre- ride. Kim and Lisa for all the support they give me. And Mum and Dad for the rides out there and all the amazing support they give me.

Day Night Thriller

I don’t think I’ve ever been so nervous for something that I wasn’t racing- that’s including mock exams. I went up solely as support for Kim, Lisa and Ryan, trying to help them out as they help me out so much. Kim and Ryan were doing the 12 hours solo and Lisa did the three hour solo, my job was to do lap times, give them food and generally just look after them. Which is a pretty full on job.

The weather was doing its best to imitate Scotland, wet and cold, which I guess was good as it was meant to be a dry run for Kim and Ryan before they head of to World 24 hour Solo Champs- I think it was a bit more of a wet run though (ignore the bad joke if you wish).

I think I did an alright job of looking after Kim and Ryan while they were out as they didn’t die but did manage to get first and third overall (respectively). It was a long day in the easy up but it was an experience that I’m glad to have, it allowed me to understand just how important nutrition is and appreciate how important it is getting support from others.

It was an awesome weekend away and surprisingly stress relieving- who knew that putting off internals for a weekend relieved stress! I’m super glad I went and am stoked that I could try help Kim and Lisa out given how much they help me.

PNP MTB Spring Series Round 1

I was pretty nervous about this race, but hey, when am I not? I decided to race Open Women for some tough racing with longer distances, and there was the added bonus of racing with some really cool chicks!

Racing B grade was a big step up compared to what I was used to, and I loved it. Although I finished near the back of the field, I enjoyed it. As the course was exactly the same as A, I convinced my self that it didn’t matter if I was feeling slow, I was racing at a level I never had before.

As Kim and Peg were racing in A, I was up against Jacquie O’Hagan and Bex Houston, not the best for my nerves. I did however manage to keep Jacquie in sight for half of the short lap, and managed to keep close (ish) to Bex.  I ended up finishing third in B Grade Open Women, Jacquie winning and Bex getting second.  This was a great bonus for my confidence as a few day before I’d come off on deliverance, despite having ridden it all before.

I wouldn’t have been able to race if it wasn’t for the guys at PNP organising it, so that there was a race to be raced. Huge thanks to Ricky, Don and Dave at Mud Cycles for officially sponsoring me, and giving me a loaner wheel. Let’s just say having a broken free hub 5 days before a race is really not good.  Of course there’s also Kim and Lisa for their amazing support and belief in me, even when I feel pretty slow.  There’s also Mum and Dad for their awesome support, funding and belief in my ability.