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  • 2017 XC Racing Thread
  • r8jimbob88
    Free Member

    Can you not enter Open category Iain?

    r8jimbob88
    Free Member

    Just back from Nationals Round 3 at Aske Moor. Holy jebus that course was tough. Just hills, hills, hills. Another great race. Finished 4th in Sport Category. Just wish I had pushed harder for a podium! Was absolutely ruined at the end.

    First lap was silly fast and I led the race on a couple of occasions. Blew up a bit mid race and held on for dear life to the end. Loose and techy descending had me sideways and one foot out rather too often! Climbs were long and steep and a fair few of them.

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    ferrals
    Free Member

    Well done, imagine not podiuming must be gutting but it’s still a great result! How far ahead was third?

    Sounds like my kind of course, I need lots of climbing so my lack of power and skill is compensated for by being a skinny runt 😆

    Bike maintenance day for me today- replaced my worn or jockey wheels with anodised orange ones – figure that’s got to make me faster 😆

    weeksy
    Full Member

    Awww great effort! You’re doing really well!

    mick_r
    Full Member

    Mrs and boy racing at Aske tomorrow. How is the ditch crossing riding on the 3rd A-line section (before the stone wall)? At the nutcracker it was a bit wheelgrabby and not much faster than the B.

    Good ride by the way. My 4th lap round there nearly killed my legs.

    r8jimbob88
    Free Member

    Cheers guys. 3rd place was out of sight. Probably 30 seconds or so ahead.

    Ditch crossing was alright but I can only imagine it getting deeper as the weekend goes on. I managed to roll it, just about. Some elites were just jumping the whole damn thing in practice. Either that or popping the front wheel over and dropping the rear in it. Didn’t fancy either of those options!

    Was extremely dusty and loose in places. Some soft berms to be careful of. My mate fell of 3 times!

    Adam_Buckland
    Free Member

    Great result Jimbob, it sounds like you had a good scrap.

    If any of you keep racing blogs or write reports I’d really like to post them on the SouthernXC website and Facebook page so if you fancy sharing them please email them to info@eventrexuk.co.uk

    Good luck with your racing!

    Bream
    Free Member

    Had a good race myself on Saturday at Billingeracet, Skövde, Sweden; quite pleased but of course still want to improve. Placed 37 in race H40 class, 15 places better than last year and 13 minutes faster. Finish time was 3:34:18, place 135 overall, this time would have been good enough for 6th in Sport or 36th in Elite

    So I’m fitter than last year at this time and the fitest I’ve been for about 30 years 😆 Still room to improve as the fastest H50 guy was 3:09, placing 27th overall 😀

    Godson also had a good day, coming home in 9th place in the half distance race, he was 40minutes faster than last year at 1:51 8)

    padkinson
    Free Member

    I had a bit of a crap weekend away results wise, but it was quite fun.

    Did the BUCS university champs road race in the Howardian hills on Saturday, my first ever road race, kind of jumped in at the deep end with that one! Did some attacking on the 3rd lap, which really caught up with me on the 4th. I could see the break going at the front while I suffered along at the back of the group, so cut my losses and pulled out to rest up for the MTB national. Still did about 50 miles of racing though!

    Set off properly steady at Aske – I think I was second last at the bottom of the first climb – with the idea that I’d ease my legs into it as much as possible. This kind of backfired when a massive queue formed at the top of the first descent, but hey-ho. I settled in to it a bit and started picking off riders, until my chain snapped on the third lap, just after that rocky section. Turned out I’d lost my split link that is usually taped behind the saddle, so I had to kind of bodge it together, took about 10 bloody minutes in the end! Decided to finish (only 5 laps after getting lapped by the first few guys), just to extrapolate some kind of virtual position from the lap times. Had a bit of fun trying to stay with Grant Ferguson on the final climb when he came past me – just about managed, but it did somewhat kill me.

    Fingers crossed for some better luck at Dalby.

    mick_r
    Full Member

    This reminds me I need to drop Mr Bream another email about summer….

    Lovely sunny day at Aske yesterday – overnight rain just damped the dust down a little. Boy had a good first lap, then dropped the chain, later fell off and eased off the gas. Not a terrible finish and still in good spirits / learnt from the experience.

    Mrs loves Aske and had a stormer in Vet women – finally managed to beat Maddi the National Champ by 2 mins, caught and passed the entire Expert field, then all but 3 juniors and started making inroads on back end of Elite (would have finished 12th in Elite on time / laps, and they had no traffic to deal with). Very happy mid 40s mother of two 🙂

    steve_b77
    Free Member

    Got the results from Single Track 7 on Sunday, turns our I came 23rd /98 solo and 65th / 155 finishers including all the pairs. 110km / 16 laps & 1900m in 7 hours funnily enough.

    The best this I’ve taken from it is my pacing, knocked out pretty consistent laps and did 8 laps/ 55km in the first 3 1/2 hours and the same in the second 3 1/2 hours.

    Now for 5 days solid of riding finishing with the Trans Cambrian at the weekend before I finish the month off at Wantage and hopefully 500km and 10000m of climbing off road in preparation for Mayhem solo in June :mrgreen:

    2tyred
    Full Member

    Nice day at Aske yesterday, slightly disappointed with a finish outside the top 20 but there was a bit too much steep climbing there for being competitive on a SS. Grant F coming in to change to a smaller chainring after seeing the course should have been a clue!

    Where you weren’t groaning up a hill or hammering across rutted bumpy grass the course was magic – plenty of lovely tight-but-loose singletrack with enough technical bits to keep things interesting.

    padkinson
    Free Member

    Anyone else have to stop for a rest halfway up the stairs today?
    That’s my measure of how good a weekend was, had to stop twice this morning.

    steve_b77
    Free Member

    Nope, rode with my eldest to school and back with our 3yr old in the seat on the back of my fattie

    r8jimbob88
    Free Member

    I raced Saturday at Aske and went for a 4 hour CX ride on Sunday. Wow was I tired Sunday night! I’m having an easy week this week ahead of Dudmaston on sunday. Can’t wait for that.

    Anyone else noticed the Midlands series is significantly bigger and more competitive than even the nationals… what’s that all about!?

    Kryton57
    Full Member

    But of a gloomy mood here.

    The weather is predicted to be a downpour from 12:00-1am so tonights race will be a grim clay/mudfest but thats not really it.

    It would appear I’ve strained my quads, indicated by last week low power and after a weekend road ride, stabbing pains in my left quad when I walk upstairs getting better as the weeks has gone on plus use of a foam roller. I’ve three races in the next 10 days and fear all of them may be compromised. It really gets to me that its feels like theres excuse after excuse for me but with this and two illnesses as I’ve only managed one race of any merit, now I can’t train properly or race to my ability.

    I’m in a bit of a “whats the point” mood. 😐 I should probably also swap Raplhs for Storm Controls but can I be arsed?

    Sigh.

    weeksy
    Full Member

    It’s easy to struggle when you’re both injured and your results are lower than your expectations.

    TBH based upon a few months ago and me having similar calf issues, i’d say “Don’t ride for a week” but i’m sitting here about half a step behind you and struggling not to do a Zwift race today despite knowing mine are close to tweaking, so fighting the urge.

    crosshair
    Free Member

    Why don’t you pick one and sacrifice the other two?
    Otherwise you could drag the problem out even longer?

    One theme from all of your threads over the years is lack of focus.

    Worst case scenario, you come into the last of those three races having not done the other two super fresh and chomping at the bit.

    Sounds better than dragging yourself and your moral through the mud just to pin on a number….

    Kryton57
    Full Member

    Yes I get that. I have been very focused and working hard on my training, which has cause the issue. Its just overtraining really.

    I have conflicting goals. I started out with Sunday’s race – Mud Sweat and Gears – race series as my goal events, I always want to do well here as I have historic results to analyse and improve on, know the crowd etc.

    However, I was invited to race the Scott Marathons as a race team audition for 2018. For various reasons the first was a mess, and I’m keen to get to my potential but its a different format…

    I know I should pick one and stick with it… but I find it hard to let go.

    weeksy
    Full Member

    I guess the answer to that comes down to “which type of racing do you enjoy the most”

    ferrals
    Free Member

    Anyone else noticed the Midlands series is significantly bigger and more competitive than even the nationals… what’s that all about!?

    I always look with jealously at the field sizes at the MidlandsXC! Similar the Southern. At a guess its because they are well run and well advertised in populous areas. I duon’t know if people are put of by it being a national and being a bit more expensive? Also in sport Sat racing is less convenient. Even though I’m rubbish I still like racing nationals best for the atmosphere and the fact tha fields are bigger than for the welsh regional series.

    There are only 4 pre-entered in sport for the welsh regional series on sunday 🙁 hope some more turn up on the day as was a great course last year, although might be a mud fest this time!

    Good national series standing result jimbob by the way!

    Cheer up Kryton, I’m sure you’d go faster if you stopped thinking – i know I do!

    adsh
    Free Member

    Z2 endurance is a good way of continuing training when you have muscular issues.

    Scott is a red herring IMHO – fun, good training etc but the Wantage round is on a busy Ridgeway on a weekend where you are likely to meet innumerable horses/families with toddlers/dogs etc. Courteous and safe riding trump everything edit

    weeksy
    Full Member

    Z2 endurance

    Elaborate a little. How hard and how long ?

    mick_r
    Full Member

    I believe Midlands run a decent race course for kids that are too young to ride in juvenile class. I’ve met a few senior / vets racers that choose to go to Midlands purely so their kids can also get a decent ride.

    Kryton57
    Full Member

    Elaborate a little. How hard and how long ?

    Zone 2 and as long as you feel fit. I’ll do an hour on the turbo, or the alternative is to take the road bike out and use the little ring only avoiding any exertion on your legs.

    adsh
    Free Member

    ^ not in my case nor in Torq’s zones

    Z2 is not recovery it’s 70-80% of FTP and is pretty tiring if it’s done right ie with no recovery, pedalling against brakes on downhills etc.
    Depending on how base fit you are it’s surprisingly fast. I’m at 3hrs working towards 5hrs.

    LS
    Free Member

    70-80% of FTP is more or less the upper end of endurance so 3-5hrs is pretty standard. 1hr is fairly pointless, either knock it back to proper recovery if injured or step it up to tempo/sweetspot for a worthwhile effort.

    Kryton57
    Full Member

    I was refer yo HR Z2, which is no where near upper threshold power. Yes at that power I’m pushing 34-36kmh on the road.

    LS
    Free Member

    I was refer yo HR Z2, which is no where near upper threshold power.

    Endurance, not threshold!

    fifeandy
    Free Member

    I was refer yo HR Z2, which is no where near upper threshold power

    HRZ2 and PZ2 should be roughly the same unless you are super fresh and coffee loaded or super tired

    Z2 is not recovery it’s 70-80% of FTP

    80% is very high for Z2, even friels zones don’t go that high, and some people would say the top of his Z2 should possibly be Z3.

    As of this year I prefer upper Z1, 90% of the benefits, 50% of the fatigue so you can add volume (assuming you have the time of course).

    adsh
    Free Member

    Zones really are a minefield. My Z2 is based on my actual lactate threshold by virtue of testing (ie blood test while on turbo). As I do a lot of Z2 training it’s a higher percentage of my FTP.

    r8jimbob88
    Free Member

    Zones are specific to an individual and their training plan. My friends zone 1 is massive and for the same intensity I’d be in zone 3. It’s just his training plan / zones are different. They are what you make them.

    Wow just noticed the National series standings. I’m in 3rd for Sport Cat but think it’s unlikely I’ll still be there at the end of the season. I might have a scrap of a chance though! I’m currently 3rd overall in National Standings. Whoop whoop!

    steve_b77
    Free Member

    There are only 4 pre-entered in sport for the welsh regional series on sunday

    If you don’t get on the podium, give yourself a slap then :mrgreen: 😆

    Kryton57
    Full Member

    After some trepidation as above, I enjoyed that. Monumental rain and slipperyness. Due to reduced numbers I started on the front and missed clipping in quickly heard riders behind me coming up besides me. Got clipped in, sprinted for the second time & entered the single track 4th but unfortunately got passed on a slippery slope to 6th.

    I then fought and regained 5th, then rode / slid comedically around for the next hour keeping my place. Who says racing ralphs don’t do wet and slippery 😀

    weeksy
    Full Member

    That sounds a bit more like it 🙂 Well done.

    ferrals
    Free Member

    steve_b77 – Member

    There are only 4 pre-entered in sport for the welsh regional series on Sunday

    If you don’t get on the podium, give yourself a slap then [/quote]

    Hope a few more enter on the day! One of the pre-entries is a guy from my club doing his first race so I better beat him – probably won’t though 😳

    oldracer
    Free Member

    Aloha all.

    Newbie here.

    Been loitering & reading this thread with interest, I did a fair bit of racing a few years ago but then tore a tendon. I’m now getting back in to it & im off to BC Bike Race this Summer.

    I was wondering where folks were based? I’m in SW London & I’m getting a little bored of training on my own.

    ferrals
    Free Member

    Some good wold cup coverage on PB
    Tracy Mosely course preview

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