trench life

Sunday saw me riding my first cross race in Wiggle colours - although the belgian t shirt was being sported as apres wear!

( if you are not aware, i am now riding for Team Wiggle tandem.....)

Dundee, famous for it's cake, cold weather and outside velodrome hosted the event. Over 100 people took place and battle was fierce. The velodrome, being tarmac, took centre stage with both start and finishing straights leading to some epic battles every lap.

It has, you may have noticed, been raining biblically over the past week and the ground was not going to let us forget it - despite a sun kissed departure of the gladiatorial throng. The mud was harrowingly sticky and deep - more suited to marine commando adverts than silth like honed athletes. By lap two all were well spread.

Having got caught out in the 'Tunnel of Mud' at the top end - bitten by a submerged root that had me doing the first bog snorkelling of the day - I then spent quite a time chasing the lead group and getting back on. In fact, by the time I had made contact the field was so spread out that lapping was taking place. Pushing on, pushing- sometimes literally, was the only solution and at times it was a lonely slurp of brown sticky goo that was my only companion sitting between me and the bid for victory.

It was never going to happen.

The boys at the front were storming and chasing was the order of the day. i placed 15th. It was about training - we have bigger fish to fry - but it was good and it was testing and most of all it was great fun!