Thursday, October 20, 2011

Granogue cross = No legs or lungs (or head actually...)!

Well the race report can be relatively short as I felt so terrible all weekend! I was really hoping to have recovered from Iron Cross in time for Granogue, but my body just wouldn't agree.  I guess I was asking a bit much going from an endurance race, to racing all out for 40 minutes, 6 days later. 


The people I had managed to hang with during WhirlyBird a couple of weeks ago rode away from me like I was standing still at Granogue (and they went on to finish in the top 10). I knew I was in trouble when the spectators starting shouting 'come on the back of the pack'.....!!!!!  I was humbled. I also learned not to ask my body to make such huge changes in terms of race intensity over such a short space of time (some folks can do it, some cannot).


Thom from Cycling Dirt was at the race capturing some great interviews.  He was eager to hear how I felt (as he probably watched me suffer through 5 laps!). Check out the hilarity here:


http://www.cyclingdirt.org/coverage/240328-Granogue-Cross-2011/video/510394-Vicki-Barclay-Iron-CX-Vs-Granogue


You can hear Thom trying not to laugh and me trying to be serious during the interview.  That's the great thing about Cycling Dirt, it aims to catch people when they are in their most glycogen depleted, non comprehendible, post-race, um...euphoria?!


Someone asked me what my strength/weaknesses are with cross racing, what I need to work on.  The run down of my general performance is this:  good start (as it can be from the back!), ride aggressively, corner well, techy stuff (roots etc) fine, atrocious at dis-mount but ESPECIAlLY re-mout, die halfway through, approach barriers and realize they are half my size, fumble over, feel like quitting, finish, want to do it all again!


 Look at my awesome technique as I whack my front wheel on the step!


So, yes, lots to work on with cross.  But I love it, and it's addictive, and it's the off -season and it's meant to be fun. But really, who wants to be at the back of the pack? Recovery will help. I shall embrace the challenges of my weaknesses and remember this was my 1st UCI race.  We all start somewhere. When's the next one?

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