Brownbacks Series 1, Race 1Before the race
Preparation before this event was just a case of sticking to my much maligned training program. As the race was the first
race held by the organisors there were no past races to research, photographs to look at or results to read. It was simply
a case of turn up and see what was on offer.
The final kilometre involved a downhill singletrack return to the start line and another lap. Fast, slowing and a lot of fun.
Just to spice things up a little it also included a section with singles, doubles and table tops for the riders who like to give
it a little air. It was like being on a BMX course and even for the anti-gravity like myself it was still absolutely brilliant fun
tearing down this last section with the bike bucking all over the track underneath you. A technical, challenging course
with some serious rewards for the climbing for the racers and spectators alike.
During the raceThere was a slight delay whilst the organisors got the timing equipment setup so there was ample opportunity for some banter on the start line. One of the female "Racers" had already had a moment on the pre-ride and was sporting a very sore looking hand and by the way she was holding her wrist I suspected that was not all that was wrong (it later turned out she was one of the favourites to win and she had fractured her wrist). Having had the pre-ride it was clear that the riders were all in for an exhilerating mix of tough terrain, very keen fellow racers and a new event on a brand new course. Definitely a recipe for exciting and close fought racing! I noted a lot of talk of road racing on the start line which is to be expected although I'd rather the start line was full of people like me, mountain bikers, not road riders. I'm too chicken to ride on the roads and the mountain bikers who train on road bikes are stupidly fast! It's simply the most effective way to get lots of miles into those legs as well as the speed. There, I admitted it, I am jealous of their speed and know I need to buy a road bike for training but I will fight it to the bitter end! We didn't have to wait longer than ten minutes before the starters gun sounded and the race started in earnest.
I
wasn't sure just how fast people were going to set off but I very quickly found out, the early pace was very fast and didn't
really change throughout the race. There were some seriously quick riders in the "Racers" category although I didn't
recognise many of them, I was certainly struggling to keep up with them! The first lap strung us out into an early order and we chased each other round the course, each
trying desperately to hang onto the wheel of the rider in front whilst trying to gap the rider behind. This course was
not for the faint hearted and I was glad I'd pre-ridden it before the start as it had more than a few tricky sections and
we were all desperately trying to be neat and tidy on the first lap and figure out where we could pass and where we should
be patient. I was certain there would be trouble ahead for some riders and as I drive myself to events I can never
risk an unnecessary accident which could leave me unable to drive home or worse, stuck in casualty in the middle of nowhere.
Unfortunately this point was brought very much home to me when I was re-routed on my second lap to go around an accident
which had happened to Dave Haygarth (Wheelbase) who, whilst tackling one of the double jumps, came off the bike and face planted
resulting in some stitches and a broken collar bone. Luckily for Dave it happened right in front of a marshal post and the Pendle
mountain rescue so they were able to help him almost immediately.
There isn't really a lot to say about the race itself other than it was hard work but really enjoyable...well, once I was reflecting on the days events with my feet up and a nice cold beer! I'd had some trouble with my back due to the extremely rough terrain constantly compressing my lower back. It's been such a long time since I rode a really rough course that I'd forgotten that I sometimes suffer with a bad back whilst racing and I'd not taken any Ibuprofien to ward it off. Although I'd have done anything for a couple of Ibuprofien, I know ultimately that it's very unwise to take it during the race as you're potentially masking the problem and could be actually causing serious damage to your body, not that you'd know it whilst the drug is in your system. The bike was great as usual although there were more than a few loose nuts and bolts when I gave it a check over later. The pace in the "Racer" category was an eye opener. I expected there to be some really quick people racing in this category, but on the other hand I didn't expect to come 20th and dead last, but there's always a first time for everything!
For a first event, everything appeared to run smoothly, albeit with
the odd delay here and there and a prize giving that looked like it had been organised by Basil Fawlty, all very amusing though and it
certainly didn't detract from what was a great event. As tends to happen at mountain bike races from time to time, someone had an
accident but the marshals and organisors all seemed to respond quickly and take control of the situation. It was reassuring to
see on the forums the next day that Dave was feeling ok once he'd been patched up. If you like tough, close racing or you want to ride at your own pace and just challenge yourself you could do a lot worse than
sign up for the next Brownbacks race on the 4th of May.
After the race
My back was feeling pretty beat up with all of the jumps and rocks as I'd had so little trouble with my back recently on the
smooth Thetford courses that I'd stopped taking a couple of Ibuprofien before races. This passed though with coffee and cake
whilst watching the prize giving ceremony. It would have been nice to know the race times and the number of laps completed by the riders
on the podium to give you an idea of just how hard they had worked. It was good to see some spot prizes for the best jump, muddiest
rider, etc. I've fed this back to the organisors.
Things to change
Nothing to change. I just need to be patient and see the fruits of all of this training!
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