Southern Championship

My wife is 8 months pregnant so Sundays race was the culmination of a truncated season of racing. With the national events this year either in Scotland or falling around the due date, the Southern Championships is the most prestigious event in my 2012 race calendar. Last year at the same venue I was very disappointed to finish 23^rd and fully intended to make amends in 2012.

The first sunny weekend for months had left the course damp and grippy. There was only one climb of note, the rest of the course weaved amongst the bluebells in the dappled shade of the undulating woodland. I had rested since last weeks enduro, so when I was gridded 3^rd with the warm spring sunshine on my back, everything was looking positive for a good race.

The start was a flat out sprint into the base of the climb. I lost some ground but still turned into the wood at the top in 9^th place. Then it seems I forgot how to ride! In the twists and turns riders came past me left and right as I struggled for any kind of rhythm. As the lap continued things didn’t improve and I completed the first lap absolutely plumb last! From the front to the back in 20 minutes! I don’t know if it was fatigue from the Gorrick 100 and a hectic week at work, or the prospect of impending fatherhood playing on my mind, but I had absolutely no pace.

With my motivation in tatters I did at least force myself to keep riding, as there were still series points up for grabs. To compound my good mood I misjudged a turn and burped a large amount of air out on my rear tyre by hitting a root. Despite riding the entire last lap with a flat tyre it was still almost my fastest!  I also caught and passed a few riders, finishing the day 24^th one place worse than the year before.

It was a very disappointing day in what is becoming a frustrating year. Maybe it was just a bad day, or perhaps the thought of becoming a father means different priorities?  Either way Sunday is in the past.  I’ll now take a break from racing for a couple of weeks and look forward to the next round of the series. This will be my final race before the birth and I’ll be targeting enough points to ensure a top 10 position in the Southern XC Series.