Race Mornings

Theres somthing strange about waking up the morning of a race. From the moment you wake up your constantly thinking of the day ahead and continually checking for signs that your feeling good. So as I sat eating a bowl of cereal and swallowing early morning coffee on Sunday before the Scottish Duathlon Champs (10k run/38k bike/5k run) I was feeling good if slightly nervous about entering into the somewhat unknown.

I hadn` t raced a duathlon in two years and it was the first time I had ever did the distance in a non drafting format. Being a championship event there was a 300 strong field especially on the cycling front. So the plan was simple run hard from the start and hold on for dear life- better to blow up trying to win than settling for 2^nd.

The start was pretty frantic with 300 guys sprinting the first 100metres as at this point we had to navigate through a gate(tight). I hit the front after 500metres and began establishing a lead which grew to 80seconds going into the bike. The 38k `s was split into 2 laps and being just down the road from me I knew it perfectly. I settled into a great rhythm from the start which is something of a novelty for me and riding scared I started putting more presure down on the peddles than I had planned to do. I was riding well tho probably the best I have ever ridden. Some days it feels so smooth when everything is clicking. So despite the quick glance every so often behind to assure myself I was still clear I spent the 38k`s as aero as possible just turning the peddles over. I knocked out 56minutes for the bike which was the 2^nd fastest of the day and only 8 seconds slower than Ian Grant from Dooleys.

With a big lead of the bike I was able to relax in the 2^nd run leg and cruised home to my first Scottish Duathlon title.

Running - What Next?

Oh dear, I've just entered the Troon 10km in May. This will be interesting. Big heavy cyclist attempts sport for light people!

More to follow once I've done some training!

Cheers

Neil

2010 - Season Begins!

Race season 2010 kicked of last weekend with the Scottish University Championships in Edinburgh. It` s always a strange feeling setting up your bike ready to race, attaching clip on tri bars for the first time in ages and going through the traditional pre race routine when it` s been six months since you did it last. My head struggled to get round the concept that we were about to do a triathlon and it wasn't until 10 seconds before the start that the adrenaline began to kick start my body.

The race itself went pretty smoothly and it was good to be back in action. My swim and run sections were solid but my complete lack of time trialling abilities were evident. I probably only race two or three non drafting races a year and time trialling is an art that takes time. I still managed to record the 2^nd fastest bike split of the day even though I kept on changing from riding on the tri bars, the hoods and the drops. The end result was a victory and my 3^rd Scottish University title.

Next up is the Scottish Duathlon Championships this weekend. 10krun/40k bike/5krun. A hard day in the office. I have been practicing trying to get as aero as possible on my bike so hopefully that will pay of this weekend. Then it is off to Portugal for the first drafting race of the year on the 11^th April where it will give me my first indication of exactly what shape I am in for the upcoming season.

Sun

Strathpuffer 24hr 2010

We say it every year, but that was an epic! As usual, getting there was tough, with the fear of road closures due to the snow, the A9 was pretty slushy, and the access road to the forest was still ice and snow when we arrived on the Thursday (this meant we got to use the snow chains though!). Myself and Drew were riding as a Bionicon UK team, in a pair, on their fantastic Golden Willow adjustable geometry bikes.

We set to work getting the club pit area assembled in the snow, then lent a hand digging snow off the last few hundred metres of singletrack, then off to town for some dinner. On Friday the rest of the club started to arrive, and after an interesting entrance from one of the campervans, we cleared the full pit area of snow (felt like most of the weekend was spent digging!), and everyone took turns helping out with the carpark marshalling (basically pushing cars out of snow banks!).

Race day came, and for the first time in a 24 hour, I wasn't in the Le-Mans start, with Drew doing the honours there! It was odd to be watching the start, but knowing that I'd still be racing.

With the recent thaw, the race course (now largely cleared of snow) had turned into the Somme, 1914, and riders quickly ditched ice tyres (although there were enough icy patches to make the course "interesting") for more suitable treads. Almost all the Walkers CC teams (except the soloists) finished lap 1 in the same, big pack, and stayed remarkably close over the first 7-8 hours. The BBC Adventure Show lost Dougie Vipond (riding in Walkers CC Kit after our support 2 years ago!) early on, crashing on his 2nd lap and earning a trip to A&E with concussion!

We were fairly quickly established into 5th place, occaisionally popping into 4th with changeovers, and going comfortably well. After a few laps the whole course became rideable, with the snow packing down on the final climb, but the fire-road was still a slog, and the final descent a bit slippy in places with the ice-tyres off.

As the night wore on, temperatures dropped, and the now frozen (but grippy) fire roads gave the riders some respite from the mud. The frost made the more technical sections difficult, as each individual rock was now coated in frosty slush! Through the night we made 4th place our own, and were slowly chipping away at 3rd (1st and 2nd places were clear out front). Heading out for my 11th lap, with the dawn slowly breaking, I realised that the overnight rain had frozen on the ground, and the fire-roads were now sheet ice! So my only crash of the day was going uphill, in a straight line! I passed the 3rd placed team at the entrance to the technical stretch at the top of the course, and pushed as hard as I could everywhere it wasn't icy to open up a gap, and as Drew began his 12th and final lap we had 15 minutes advantage.

I got the ice tyres back on for the final lap, and gave it everything, finishing 30 seconds behind my fastest lap from Saturday, and 1 lap clear of the 4th place team to grab a podium spot.

Despite 3 brake pad changes (per bike!), the Golden Willow's performed admirably - surefooted on the technical climbs, efficient on the fire-roads, and plush and confidence inspiring on the descents and technical sections (it was amazing how quickly I reeled riders in on the bumpy stuff, and the energy saved through these sections!).

I can now confirm that Alex Glasgow was right - riding the 'Puffer in a pair is harder than solo, the concentration required due to the higher speed (and to make the most of your laps off), plus you never really get a rest.

Off to bed now.

Neil Walker

Share The Damn Road

Just got an email about these jerseys - cool!

http://www.sharethedamnroad.com/

What a great way to make a statement in a funny way. Just a pity they don't do thermal jackets or waterproofs for our weather!

Neil Walker

The White Stuff

Many people think that snow, ice and bikes don't mix, but with the recent arctic conditions accross the UK we've had to change our ideas!

The snow and ice at Cyclists V Harriers before Christmas provided the ideal conditions for the bikes, and we were able to charge hard and fast round the course (interspersed with running the tarmac sections very, very slowly) to a Walkers CC 1,3,4 & 5. Runner, Davie Miller managed to sneak in for 2nd place. I was really pleased to win the event again - 3rd time now in 17 years!

More ice was to come though, and the big snowfall got the ice tyres out of the garage to go riding round deserted snowy backroads, and icy country parks (even the top few metres of the tide were frozen at Irvine Beachpark!) These conditions proved ideal preparation for this week's Strathpuffer 24 hour, which although a thaw is forecast, is currently being cleared of around a metre of snow to allow the riders easier passage!

It is reasurring that some events manage to go ahead despite the weather, and a belief in the participants common sense, and proper preparations and graft by the organisers (I mean, digging a metre of snow off around 5km of singletrack - hardcore!) keeps the health and safety folk at bay.

Neil Walker