Cyclo Cross Bedlington

my 'best' side

 I entered the local cyclo cross race, the first of the season. There are 2 leagues up here in the Tyneside area which makes for a busy winter if you do both sets of races - around 20 in all. This one was local at
Gallagher Park on an old wooded pit heap. Its very twisty-turny and technical. I've done it before in the distant past. This time around there were about 25 on the start line, a modest field.  I was wearing my new Dundee Thistle club top and was riding the Moda bike which I bought at a garage in Durham off a bloke I didn't know. Money changed hands, but I reckon I got a bargain, or at least I thought I did. 

The bike is top end and  I was keen to see if it was all I hoped it would be or if it would simply melt early in the race. It had been raining earlier and the grass, where exposed, was greasy. I started strongly on a steep incline and was in front of a group of 4 at the top largely because I weigh not a lot compared to the average cyclist (conversely I am a bloater in the world of athletics). I had a great first lap and was full of the positive intentions to 'do something'. Then I went and did it, and the bike came down as I pushed too hard on the adverse camber on the reedy grass. The beauty is that generally if you come down its quite a soft landing as long as you avoid going full-on into a tree.  The four behind me came past as I picked myself up and I remounted the bike. They were probably going to get past at some point, anyway. The incident resulted in me dropping from a heady 14th to a lowly but acceptable 18th, and thereafter things were quiet and controlled with only one other minor spill to report. All in all a pretty good aerobic 50 minutes of exercise. The bike took an age to clean afterwards. 

On the following Saturday (just gone) I cycled up to Thropton on the edge of the Cheviots to watch the Thropton show race. I had a mind to run the new 6.8 mile course, but arrived late and after the start due to a brisk headwind. I meant to take a pile of photos, but I got involved in a medical thing with one of the runners who retired and then his condition deteriorated. Hopefully, he's ok. 

Next weekends 3 peaks challenge is a bit daunting, but my new cheap cyclo-cross fell shoes are adequate and the bike seems happy enough; we just need to ensure that the riders properly fuelled and doesn't overdo it. Either way, I will be back into the gym today after a fortnight off with a hacky chest and will start to build the running and cycling miles up again.