Well I entered to do 3 laps, I completed my 3 laps, and I’m happy. Exhausted. but happy.
Once again I didn’t leave myself enough time to do any sort of warm up, but I did at least get there and was at the start for the start, and not chasing after people (as has been the case on at least 1 event in the past). About 200 yards later at the top of the first hill though, and I was wondering whether riding on a singlespeed was the wisest choice.
These are supposed to be 10 mile laps. I’m todl that this year they were closer to 11 miles, so I did a little bit extra. A few years ago they turned out to be 12.5 miles, and I was extremely glad to only be doing 2 laps!
First lap = hard. Doubling up as my warm up, I sincerely regretted having that can of ‘Relentless’ energy drink as my stomach cramped. An ‘orrible graunching noise had me scanning the back end trying to figure out HOW a singlespeed bike could make such noises, and realising that its never a good idea to enter a race straight after fettling. I readjusted the disk caliper to fit the new wheel location (sliding dropouts and different sized cog – I won’t bore you with details) and 10 minutes later had to stop again to retighten teh skewer that had come loose. (Brant – if you’re listening I REALLY need that replacement skewer you promised me over a month ago). After that, mechanical troubles were over and I could get on with just turning pedals. The first 1/2 of each lap was HARD! Damp, slightly claggy ground sucked at the wheels. Singletrack sections seemed to be all uphill, and putting ‘the wall’ in at about 4 miles was just sadistic! (I decided to save my legs and walk this on each lap, vindicating myself by looking around at all the bikes with gears that were still being pushed up!) After that though, the lap got fun. Much more flowing, even where the newly hardpacked trail was still lumpy and stony it seemed to flow well. My only problem was after 1 lap I felt so knackered I didn’t want to carry on!
But carry on I did, the second lap feeling a bit easier in some places, an I settled into a rhythm of just plodding along, turning the pedals, knowing that I was just there to complete, not compete, and knowing all I needed to do was keep going. i got my nutrition better this time, stopping to eat a Torq bar 1.2 way round lap 2, and shovelling a gel pack down early on lap 3.
Lap 3 was hard. Actually the hardest bit was going past the finish and turning right to do a 3rd lap! It wouldve been so easy to just stop there! But I carried on, getting slower, but determined. and plodded round another time.
Cramp set in 1/2 way round lap 3. My thighs cramping up whenever I went to really crank on the pedals. this is NOT a good thing on a SS, as cranking on the pedals is the only way you’re getting up any decent hill! Luckily, pedal rotation forced my knee to bend again each time and avoided the sheer agony that can come from cramp. I was forced to push up most of the steeper hills, although this was somewhat of a relief to have a legitimate excuse.
I had to concentrate really hard on my last lap. I was getting so tired it would have been very easy to run off line and hit a tree or something. I was devastated when anothe singlespeed came past and I realised he was on lap 7!!! – Well done that man! made my puny 3 laps seem ……well……..puny.
But I finished. Somewhere in the mid 60’s out of a hundred or so. There were a lot that didn’t make it past 1 lap, and even more that didn’t make it past 2, so completion makes me proud 
Resuts are here if anyones remotely interested
