There will be mud...

Strathclyde Country Park was the setting today for the latest round of the Raleigh Scottish Cyclocross Series, and we finally hit some proper cross weather. It was dry when I left Edinburgh, with George and Ken in tow as cheerleaders, but the skies were darkening and after a stilted journey west we disembarked into expected precipitation. The Women/V50/Junior race was already in full flow, and the mud-splattered legs and faces told a tale.

It was getting colder too, and I was happy for the choice of having taken the full-fingered waterproof gloves. The race itself, however, gave plenty opportunity to warm up, and I was quite pleased with the efforts in the end. After 22 DNS, and 10 DNF, I was 6th last of the finishers (or 49th overall). Only got lapped once, and on the second lap closed on an MTB in the singletracky and technical sections from the top.

Sat behind him the next two laps, as he pulled a bit away in the mud, and I got it all back in the technical, then I started shouldering the bike in the mud and held the gap, settled in behind in the technical, then he made a mistake in one tricky section and I got the bell at the end of that lap, so blew myself out running the mud, and trying to keep a cadence up the big climb and maintained the gap.

In the end my fastest lap was that last one, so I must have paced myself reasonably well...

Irvine December 6th the next for me, in the Scottish Champs, time to push it.