Dug In

Y'know, a year ago if you'd told me I'd finish 70th out of 121 starters in a cross race I'd have been dead chuffed. But I can't help being a bit disappointed with today's effort. I'd said beforehand that the course didn't suit me - pan flat, and as one person I was riding alongside pointed out, "it's a roadie's course. Roadie bastards," and on top of that this is the most popular race on the calendar, so a lot of really good A race riders had dropped down to the B race. But but but. 

One funny thing is that my fastest lap time (and this is true of most races) is slower than most others around me, but I've got a ridiculous consistency. Today I had a feeling my fastest lap was my last, and I was right, as I dug deeeeeeep and picked up 4 places, but that was just 31 seconds faster than my slowest, so taking advantage of others tiring.

I spent the A race filming live to Facebook, which had its ups and downs, so the only shots were 'atmosphere' types. So it felt, altogether, like a slightly odd day.

But thats the cross season done. Strange to think of the spring and summer as 'off season', but that's what it is for me. This year, though, I want to try and build on the good work of last, when my commute more than doubled, and I started getting out at 2 or 3 lunchtimes a week. Time, perhaps, for a training plan and coach (options, the frontrunner being a company co-run by one of the best Scottish crossers out there, who came 4th today in an astonishingly strong field).

Watershed season.

(And if I'm not wrong it's my 8 year anniversary on here. Nice to reach that with a shot of a sport and scene that has become such a big part of my life after starting Blip, and hopefully will be for many years to come).