Towing a buffalo (SEQMTB #2)

Last Sunday team Cyclinic (Aido, Glenny and myself, with Ben Forbes an honorary member as he sometimes listens to our training and wears Cyclinic socks ;P ) ventured out to Mt Cotton for round 2 of the SEQMTB Series. Basically the new state racing thingamajig.

This time we were prepared and we took a glowing Ella out as our babysitter. She confided to us en route that she hadn't had much sleep as she has a new boyfriend (very exciting, we've been telling her to get one for years!) but that she would do a fabulous job nonetheless. As long as Baby Pea remained alive and safe we would be pretty happy, no need for fancy Playschool songs or educational games today; after all we didn't want our babysitter to out-parent us. Not a difficult task i'm sure.

Anyway, after getting ready and feeding her, I had about 20 minutes of riding up a boring old fireroad in some lame attempt to warm up. I hadn't ridden the course but was told it was the same old Karingal loop.

Think it was a waste of time as nothings going to make my legs feel good at the moment!

The gun, or horn, whatever, went off and I smashed my foot into my pedal and missed. Great start! Jodie takes off up the road with DH behind her and somehow I manage to slip between them on the fireroad climb. Far out—hills hurt and i'm only 200 metres past the start line, breathing like a buffalo! Kylie's tight on my wheel through the first part of singletrack and comes around me on the fireroad, so I stick on her like glue.

Through the next singletrack, Kylie is pinning it like the super diva she is, even pedalling on the downward-ish bits. Meanwhile, am using the downward-ish bits to suck in masses of air but still manage to stick behind her (granted, not quite like glue) until the U19's come flying past. That was about 2/3rds through the first lap, and then i'm in no man's land until...well...the end.

(Thanks to Ken Laws for all the photo's)

The course that I once loved as it was so punch and power orientated, was so much harder when you lack punch and power. Despite me riding the D's better than ever just trail riding at the moment, when you add in redlining for over an hour, I just suck.

To be honest, it wasn't as bad as punching out a kid, and maybe next race i'll think that to myself. "Hey Anna, you think this shit hurts? Well, remember the time you punched out that kid??" Though I can't expect it to be easy on newborn training hours in addition to newborn sleep hours (though to be fair she's getting a lot better). Plus I hate that as an excuse. People are like "wow, you're racing and you just had a kid!" I'm like "that was so ten weeks ago, can't I be race fit already? Without actually training?".

Managed to hold third for the rest of the race, though I was pretty much seeing stars by the end! Thank goodness for pre-packaged stodgy pancakes. Only 2g fat each and oh so tasty. Best pre and post-race food ever.

Rolled over the line, dump my bike and find Ella and Elva both having a cry. Well, maybe just Elva is, but Ella looks a little bewildered. A lady who I don't know is giving Ella feeding instructions with a bottle of expressed milk. She gets the technique right and suddenly Elva thinks Ella is amazing once again. I think they're both pretty good really.

I'm feeling pretty good that the race is over, but beating myself up about being slow. Well, my rational brain knows why and is ok with it, but my athlete brain likes to dismiss rational brain and punch me in the stomach (or maybe that was the post-race hunger flat sensation?) for it.

Thats me on the little step, with the Baby Bjorn. Looking far more interested in keeping sun out of little pea's eyes than in checking out my sweet swag (26" tire, Torq bar, some cash...well two out of three aint bad!)

It was such a beautiful day, Aido, Ben and Glenn managed to secure first, second and fourth respectively, and it was 26" tires and cheers all around! I did even snaffled some prize money, crazy times. I spent it yesterday on new boots as my ten year-old ones literally fell apart on race day (Frugal? Yes.)

Ella was stoked that I was back and that the Baby Pea had stopped crying, plus she got out in the bush which is pretty far removed from her apartment in New Farm. I was stoked to finish pedalling, and to have a pretty good race back (all in all). Aiden was stoked to win, considering his lack of training, and Ben was super stoked to pass coworker and fellow competitor Michael Illing to take the middle step on the podium.

All in all a good day.

On the way home Ella said she enjoyed the race atmosphere and was amazed "everyone is really nice!". Good on you SEQ mountainbikers, keep spreading the love!

Keep posted for a new blog segment which is a bit like this, and a bit not like this.