Race Report SXC Kirrouggghhttttree

The course was pish and I got beat, but it was a fun day...

http://www.innerleithenmtbracing.com/

I was riding my new MSC Koncept which was mint, corners faster than I do, but its extensive powers were somewhat wasted sadly.

Swag report - one reasonably tasteful trophy made from old slate tiles, added to the extensive collection in my bathroom. One bottle of lucozade, one lucozade bar, one box lucozade "sports vitamins" made in Belgium I hope, one clif bar and bag of gel shots, one mini-tool from That Other Bike Shop We Don't Name bringing my collection to three, one Scottish Power drink bottle, bringing my collection to five hundred million and one. And a well smart Buff with SXC logo on it so good result there.

I now come away from races with more nutrition products than I arrived with, not complaining like, but really need to eat more during the race !

Roll on SXC Aberfoyle, might even manage to do some training before then...

Off this weekend to Wales with Dawn and Paul that ran the NPS last year and some of their pals can't wait.

Announcing the winner of the fattest lassie to ever stand on a podium competition....

Here is me at Thetford Winter Series 4.

Glentress Duathlon - if I ever say I want to do a running race again shoot me...

OK well it wasn't that bad, but it wasn't that good either !

This was the final and the Long race of the series, I was hoping to make some time on the first bike leg to make up for my rubbish running but it wasn't to be, had a bad start stuck in traffic, then my front mech had a spaz and I only had the top of the big ring or the bottom of the little ring, then awful chainsuck so had to run up half the climbs, got stuck behind mincers on the descents, it was just endless hassle the kind of race where you actually pray for a puncture ! Moving to my efficient changeover - armed with a pair of scissors as I have to use cable ties to attach my mtb shoes just now and scissors to get them off, a tactic that impressed Prasad no end - and away out for the run in a well back by this stage 2nd place.

This is a point for me in a duathlon where all the runner girls start flying past me, but weirdly it didn't happen that way. I slipped, slid, walked, fell over, waddled, took wrong turns and stumbled my way nearly to the end, when 300 metres from the finish a girl came past me, and I had nothing in the tank so dropped to 3rd. Well, almost nothing, looked over my shoulder towards the end and spotted another runner girl, so summoned last wee bit for a "sprint" finish. Some lessons there on nutrition for these kind of races was totally bonked by the end. I finished up with second place in the Seniors, Lesley took the win with a good solid performance that gave her the series win too, well done Lesley ! Prasad also took the win on the day and the series win.

Quality prizes BTW - chocolate and wine !

Overall I guess I would have to say I almost grudgingly enjoyed it - was surprised I didn't lose as much time as usual on the run. Have some weird injuries this morning, I got a tree in the face and have scraped my eye, nasty welt where I stuffed the peg down my running bra (you had to collect a peg to prove you made it to the top of the hill) and terrible blisters on the soles of my feet.

Another great event from the Glentress Duathlon team, but next time can we have a 8 hour bike and a 10 minute run ? Then I will rock in an awesome and stoked fashion.... Have been asked to write an article for the local newspaper in Peebles about it will post when/if it's published.