February

A while ago I had the bright idea of getting everyone to do the London League Team Chaps, mainly selfishly so I could eek out some end of season form. At this point though, my best result to date was at Bradford National Trophy where I got 34th way back before Christmas. To my delight and surprise it all came together nicely at Shrewsbury and I bagged 26th, which wasted me for the next week and then I buggered off snowboarding for a week.

These factors, combined with the arctic weather the previous week meant me lining up for the team champs in the depths of Feb after basically a month off. Freezing temperatures prompted a predictable first lap Asthma attack, putting a cap on my available horsepower while feeling like someone was dragging barbed wire up and down my windpipe. So I plugged away somewhere in the twenties and used my technical ability to put me ahead of anyone who crashed -I think nearly everyone bar me managed to crash at some point.

Anyway, that was really it for the 2011/12 CX season, all done. I played a long game -putting in a lot of spadework, managing setbacks and going from one crappy anonymous result to the next, hoping to come good later in the season and pleasingly it worked, placing me (to my surprise) as highest ranked ViCiOUS Velo rider in the National Trophy; 47th overall. That should go some way towards preventing what happened earlier in the season when the commissaire had gridded about everyone else and got to the last 3 and said "If I grid you, I have to turn the sheet over and I can't be bothered so just go up..." -way to get psyched on the line!

This year, I was able to 'open up' and race harder (& at times faster), but I couldn't sustain it. I need to work on that earlier on so as to be at less of a disadvantage early on.
Shedding a couple of kilos made a difference as well.
I have already diarised Christmas. This year it is going to involve a lot of racing and training -I know I need to maintain this over the festive period or I get to the Nat Champs with nuffin to give.

On a side note, if you are remotely interested in winter sports, you HAVE to get out to the mountains this season. I haven't seen conditions like it for 10yrs.