From the 3rd lap of this 6 lap race I was hurting! All races are tough but I really suffered on Sunday. I definitely went off harder and faster than normal, determined to get that top 10 finish. As the race wore on that early effort definitely of had an impact. Riding hard also gave me less opportunity to take on food and water. For January it was a relatively mild day and I was sweating buckets. I was perhaps wearing slightly too much and I feel in hindsight that I maybe neglected to replace the lost fluids and minerals as well as I perhaps could, skipping a pit stop on lap 1 and lap 2. Despite by then downing 3 bottles some gels and 2 bananas, by lap 4 I was dreaming of the sandwiches in my car!! Crossing the line after 6 laps I could barely talk until I had eaten.
I have a lot of memories of racing at Porridgepot Hill. Including what to this day I would say was my best performance in a race - 2nd at R U Tough Enough in the summer of 2011. It is a great venue and it was fabulous to return after too long an absence. Some of the familiar classics were still there, the twisting descents, the rooty bomb holes and the long sandy climbs.
The weather was spectacularly kind, the sun shining on a bedded in and grippy course. Some of the best trail conditions I can remember at a Brass Monkey event.
You can only race the people who turn up on the day and yesterday there were 10 faster riders than me. I am happy that I gave it my all, leaving nothing in the tank at the line. Perhaps I just wasn't on a good day but I also have to be realistic. Family comes before cycling nowadays and I've been spending less time in the saddle training than I have for many years and it is beginning to show. I'll still be going for it again though, next time at the final round in just 3 weeks.
