I was disappointed with my result at the first round of the Brass Monkeys. I moped around the house with a face like a wet weekend when I got home, feeling generally demotivated about life. Historically I've raced in the top ten for over a decade and the reality of 18th actually came as a bit of a shock. I'd known my fitness wasn't where it has been and my weight was 4 or 5 kilos more than it used to be, but here was the stark evidence of my decline.
Round 2 was my first chance of redemption, but with Christmas in-between there hadn't been any time to make much difference to my physical form. In fact I'd only managed one long ride over 3 hours in the month since the previous race. I'd certainly not lost any weight either!
Conditions out on course were what you would describe as "Character Building"! The weather had been pretty grim for several days and although there was a momentary break in the rain for the start, we were soon subjected to a complete soaking. I had a sinking feeling off the start as I watched guys I'd hope to be racing disappear ahead of me. However, I knew it would be a day of attrition.
As the laps wound by conditions got worse and worse. It was so slippery the rear wheel fishtailed left and right and steering was like a constant controlled accident! It was physically hard going too, gloopy trails and soaking clothes sapping my strength. I plodded on, not really racing, nursing the bike all the time, knowing that making it to the finish line was going to be an achievement.
I'd seen people in shorts and a standard jersey on the start line. A brave decision anyway in January but surely bonkers if you are cycling for 4 hours in the rain and a blustery northerly wind. Experience had told me I needed to wrap up, so I wasn't initially affected by the windchill inside my waterproof jacket, leggings and overshoes. Eventually however the water leaked in. Trickling down my legs into my shoes and down my neck and inside my jacket. As it did my core temperature began to drop.
For the last lap it decided to totally piss it down! The big fat drops hammered on my helmet and the trail turned to porridge, oozing under the tyres and offering even less grip. Although I'd been as economical with the brakes as I could, the combination of wet sand and mud meant I now had no real way of slowing the bike down. Luckily I wasn't building up much speed anyway as I forged an furrow through the sludge in front of me. My vision started to black out with the effort, I didn't care about anything but reaching the car and putting on some dry clothes.
Then I crossed the line in 10th and realised I really did care. With the euphoria of finishing, and the exhaustion I actually shed a tear when they announced my position! In my age group only 28 people made it to the finish. I'd used experience and sheer bloody determination to get the result that I had wanted. Benracesbikes was back in the top 10!!
