Cannock Chase Winter Classic XC MTB 2020

I'm writing today's blog post from my sick bed, literally as I've got suspected viral tonsillitis and I'm feeling very poorly right now 🤒

Last Sunday 1st March was my first race of 2020, it was the Cannock Chase Winter Classic XC MTB race, and I had entered the Women's 'Fun class' which was 2 laps of the course.

I had been feeling unwell for about a week before the weekend, suffering with an on/off sore throat and just feeling generally meh 🤢

My Husband Leigh was also ill but with a nasty chesty cough and cold symptoms so I presumed I was on the way to getting that, but I dosed myself up on Echinacea, organic Cider Vinegar and 1000mg Vitamin C every day and apart from the sore throat and slightly stuffy nose it didn't feel like it was going to manifest into anything really nasty, so I went to work all last week and even went out for a ride on the bike a few days before.  I didn't feel too bad and had convinced myself I would be OK to race on the Sunday.

Then the day before the race I woke up feeling awful, I felt feverish, sore throat had returned, just felt giddy and I quietly resigned myself to pulling out and just spectating but kept telling Leigh I would make a final call on the day, and asked him to prep my bike and I got all my gear ready, just in case I felt better.

I woke Sunday morning, feeling absolutely fine! 🙂  Weird, but my symptoms had been on and off for the last few days, so the race was on!

I decided to dose myself with cold and flu tablets just to be on the safe side, had a huge mug of Bulletproof coffee, then we loaded the van and headed over to Cannock Chase Tackeroo campsite where the event village and race start were set up.

We go there quite early and registration wasn't due to open for another half an hour but we headed over there anyway to find a few people looking at the entry lists.  We bumped into Tim Cooper from the Team, who had recced the course the day before and was saying how muddy it was already... great! 🤔

I got my number board and decided as it was still reasonably quiet I would head out and do a practice lap and to warm up as it was bloody freezing!

Off I went... the course takes you up and down the event village to start, then through the bomb holes and into the first section of forest along some singletrack where the Forestry Commission have been working so there's lots of felling debris, including large pieces of tree trunk across the trail at an angle, muddy ruts, tree stumps in the middle of the trail which meant paying particular attention to reading the trail ahead to decide which side to ride around, especially as this could potentially be a passing place for a rider behind... throw in a load of sticky, gloopy mud and roots and puddles and that gives you a good idea of what to expect for the next 3 miles!

It was slippery to say the least...

Then out of the forest, across the fire road into the next section of forest, more of the same tight, twisty, very muddy singletrack but with a long stretch where the logging vehicles had previously been so it was rutted either side and although it was more than wide enough to ride, the mud was so churned up from tyres, it was hard to keep a straight line and the trail was dropping away so I knew this was going to be hard work to keep momentum and upright whilst battling with other riders! 😬

I could already feel my tyre treads filling up with the sticky mud and my grip was getting less and less, it's horrible mud at Cannock, it just sticks like shit to a stick! 

The trail continued, and then into the next section which was slightly different and it was more familiar territory for me (quite like the the plantations at Pines), a bit more loamy with pine trees so the ground was softer, not as wet and muddy but there were bomb holes in places where the water sits and some nasty little kick ups which were very slippery, one in particular I spun on the spot and had to jump off and run with the bike to get up it (that's gonna be fun in the race, I thought!) this lead out into an open area (sunshine! ☀☀☀) and took you down a nice descent into a muddy right hander (which would catch me out on lap 2 of the race!) then it was a long slog of a climb up a fire road, made harder by the layer of mud, this would get a lot worse later after a few hundred riders had been up it!

Then it was into what can only be described as the "Hill of Hell! 😂  It was off the fire road straight into a steep climb into the forest which was littered with felling debris; large sections of tree trunk, roots and thick mud, my already failing tyres just gave up any grip they had left, as did I, and I reluctantly hopped off the bike and pushed... to my embarassment I was passed here by George Copper and Jacob Steed, our young guns from the Team, who happily pedalled up the hill as if it wasn't there! 🙄  I kept pushing as there was nowhere suitable to jump back on without just spinning on the spot.  I made a mental note here to make sure I had changed to a suitable gear for further up this section whilst still pedalling on the fire road; too low a gear and I'd be spinning, too high a gear and my tired legs just wouldn't turn over!

Eventually it was back out onto another fire road and onto another muddy twisty forest trail which eventually took you up a long muddy (did I mention there was lots of mud!) slog of a climb out towards the bomb holes and event village, but this wasn't the end of the lap, it was about 1.8 miles in, so I kept going knowing I still had a way to go... 

The course continued out the other side of the event village, onto more familiar trails, which again were starting to feel the impact of so many riders; thick greasy mud, submerged sections of tree trunk and roots, all trying to kick me off, or that's what it felt like, and with less than a mile to go and the event village still visible I decided enough was enough and I pulled off and went back to the van.

When I got back to the van, I was questioning my tyre choice and feeling quite pissed off that I didn't go with my gut instinct the day before to put on my DT Swiss wheels with the Maxxis Forekaster's.  Hubby had moaned that he'd have to swap the cassette, re-index the gears etc... well that's one lesson learnt, to go with the tyres I have the most experience and confidence with and although they wouldn't have the grip of Maxxis DH Minions for example (I know cos I had them on my last bike), I knew they had better grip on the rear than the Vittoria Morza which was currently on the bike, which I should also point out is a dry trail tyre!

Whilst I appreciate Leigh does the mechanics on my bike, there are times when I wish he would put his stubbornness aside and actually listen to what I want.  I am usually a very confident and capable rider in the mud, and have been riding with Maxxis Forekasters on my Intense Primer for well over 7 months, and only went over to the Vittoria's at the beginning of February when he gave me his HopeTech Enduro wheels which were fitted with the Vittoria tyres.  I've done 2 rides on them in muddy conditions and didn't feel that confident, so in hindsight it was a stupid decision to race on these tyres!

After I grumbled and moaned at him for a bit for not listening to me, I made the decision to race anyway, after all I was in the 'Fun' class and it was only 2 laps.  This race wasn't about podiums, it wasn't about lap times, it was just to get some race experience and have fun!  I gave the bike a quick wash as it was caked in mud already and we headed over to the event village to watch the E-bikes, Youths and Beginners races and so Leigh could take some photos for the Team.

Caked in mud already and the Race hadn't even started! 

The Men's and Women's 'Fun' races were due to start around 10.45am, the Men going first, then the Women's race was due to start 2-3 minutes later.

I had ridden around for a good 15 minutes or so to try and warm up a bit before heading to the holding area near the start, it was sooo cold, I was shivering and Leigh kindly lent me his coat. 

Photo credit: Leigh Batten

I was starting to regret wearing 3/4 length cycling pants under my shorts instead of going for full length thermal cycling tights and my hands were going numb but I find I warm up very quickly when I am riding, so wearing thermal gloves wasn't an option!  It's quite tricky judging what to wear, you want to be warm but not overheat!  I always have to wear a buff over my face in the winter, as I find cold air makes me cough, but I was to regret wearing that later too!

After what felt like forever, the Men's race set off and we were called to the start line.  I had already looked around at the other riders; you can gauge a lot from what people are wearing, and the bikes they are riding.

I was in Sherwood Pines Cycles Team top and there were a few other ladies in team attire.  There were also quite a few ladies in hoodies, fleeces, leggings and trainers, not what I would consider 'race' attire so I placed myself on the start line based on what I could see around me.  It was clear who was an experienced rider and who was there just for the fun of it.  I sat on 'row 2' (there wasn't a formal start grid) and I hoped to get far away enough from the inexperienced riders so I wouldn't get caught up in any situations that arose from lack of experience in what were to be very trying conditions!

And then we were off!

I kept up with the front pack through the event village, through the bomb holes and into the first section of forest, sliding all over the place but somehow managing to keep upright!

Photo credit: Leigh Batten

Photo credit: Leigh Batten

Then into the next section of forest where there were tree trunks sunken into the mud at an angle, you could pop the front end to clear them or turn into the corner so they were straight on and easy to ride over, I chose the latter but the lady in front tried to ride over them at angle and next thing I know she binned it and ended up lying across the trail leaving me with no way to get round so I had to stop to let her get up, in the meantime, 2 riders pass us on the other side! She apologised as she got up and I managed to get past her and carry on... I'm already cursing that I've lost places.

The course, as I suspected was now a mud bath, the section where the Forestry vehicles had previously been were so churned up from the previous riders, in the end I decided the safest way through was down the right hand rut, trying my best not to catch my pedal along the way, I made it through in one piece... phew!

Then it was out into the clearing and down towards the muddy right hand turn, I slowed down enough to take the outside line and pedalled as hard as I could up the muddy fire road climb remembering to change to an appropriate gear before hopping off to push up the "Hill of Hell" which had deteriorated considerably since my last attempt!

I managed to get back on the bike and kept going, albeit rather slowly as my legs were fading fast from all the mud and extra effort needed to keep upright and moving forward.  I was enjoying the course once I got enough momentum and speed but every once in a while I would stall, either from spinning the back wheel on a root or sinking in the mud, it was hard work and I was blowing out my arse! 

I came to another section with a nice little drop which I had no problem with but the lady in front of me who clearly hadn't done a practice lap as she was pristine on the start line, decided she had to stop and walk down it! So I waited for her to get to the bottom and I quickly got past her and carried on, eventually coming to the long sloggy muddy climb back to the bomb holes and event village.  It was here I was met with cheers and words of encouragement from Leigh and Darren our Team Manager 😁 "Keep going" they shouted and I tried to smile... 😂

Photo credit: Leigh Batten

Then it was into unknown territory, as I hadn't completed the practice lap that morning.  I had just over a mile to go on this first lap and was excited to see what laid ahead, as so far the course had been fantastic despite the mud and horrible climbs!

It quickly turned into more muddy singletrack, weaving through tight Pine tree plantations, then as I turned left I saw a sign for a technical feature ahead, not knowing what it was, I chose the B line which dropped into a steep bomb hole and an equally steep climb out the other side which I made, then along a very narrow off camber trail along the top of the banked slope with the A line running below.  I rejoined the course and it continued into a nice long descent, enough to give my legs and lungs a rest for a few seconds before another steep muddy climb, which I got half way up but the trail was blocked by 3 riders pushing up and with no way of passing them I had to get off too.  I quickly got past them and hopped back on and the trail continued along another flowing descent.

The remainder of the lap consisted of another long fire road climb, followed by some more muddy singletrack and onto the final fire road climb back into the event village, where once again I was greeted with more cheers and words of encouragement from Leigh and other members of the team 😊

Photo credit: Leigh Batten

I will admit now as I crossed the Start/Finish line to commence Lap 2, I had a little moment where I thought to myself  "you know what, I've done a full lap, I could quit now"... but I decided No, I'm going round again...

Photo credit: Peter Wilkes Photography

Second time round, I had no one in front of me?  The first lap I had been riding with 3 other ladies, we all swapped places along the way, giving words of encouragement when one of us was stuck in mud or had fallen off but this time they were nowhere to be seen?  It may be, they were better on the climbs than me and had pulled away, but to loose all 3 of them was a bit odd I thought? Oh well...

Having some space in front of me meant I could up the pace a little, I was still quite wary of riding over roots, tree trunks etc as my rear tyre was not filling me with confidence!  I poutled along quite happily until I came to the right hand muddy corner which I had safely navigated on previous occasions!  This time it had turned into a mega mud bath, no other description for it really, there was no longer a safe outside line so I went through the middle, not my best idea and of course I sank in the mud, then I stalled, then I tried to put my left foot down and that sank too and then I had a lie down... man, that mud stank and I swore quite loudly 🤬 much to the amusement I suspect of the guy watching from the side line who asked if I was OK?  

Didn't help me up though, thanks for that mate! 😕😤

I was starting to worry that my bike was making strange noises; my gears, my brakes... I was slowing down considerably, probably due to all the extra mud I had acquired along the way!  I had done one of the drops where a marshal was placed and decided I needed to investigate the noises before I did any long lasting damage.  I hopped off and started looking over the bike, only to discover my bottom bracket, cassette and derallieur were caked in mud, were full of debris; pine needles, leaves, twigs... the Marshal asked if I needed help (how kind) we spent the next few minutes trying to clear everything out.  I wasn't worried about lap times but this really wasn't going to help my final ranking for the day but my bike is more important at the end of the day!

After thanking the lovely marshal, I carried on and eventually got back to the bomb holes and event village. I was starting to feel tired and I was really thirsty.

I normally ride with a backpack and hydration bladder but because this race was only 6 miles and supposed to be less than an hours riding, I decided to take a bottle instead fitted into a cage on the frame.  With all the mud splatters, I couldn't drink from the bottle without risking being violently ill so I had no choice but to stop and unscrew the top from the bottle so I could safely take a drink. 

Another lesson learnt!

The final mile approached, I exited the event village after briefly seeing Leigh again and then suddenly without warning I was on the floor in the brambles, my back wheel had spun on a root and thrown me off! I quickly scrambled to my feet, a little embarrassed as I had an audience and sped off shouting "I'm OK, nothing to see here!" 😂

Before I knew it I was back on the final climb to the event village, no sign of Leigh at the top, or any one else come to that but I needn't have worried as Leigh was waiting for me at the Finish Line 😊

Photo credit: Leigh Batten

I was relieved it was all over and quite proud that I had finished and hadn't give in to the little voice in my head at the end of Lap 1.

I had no idea where I had finished, Leigh seemed to think I was in the top 10 which I doubted given my overall time?

I was in one piece apart from some scratches and bruises and I was very muddy by now and probably a bit smelly from my lie down in the mega mud bath!  I was coughing like I had a 60 a day habit, I was knackered and sooo thirsty!   I headed back to the van and Leigh went and got me a cappuccino.

Happy, relieved, knackered and very muddy! (Photo credit: Leigh Batten)

It took 25 litres of water and our portable power washer to clean all this mud off! No wonder I was slowing down towards the end with all that additional weight!

Turns out, I finished 14th out of 24 riders, 10 of them didn't finish the race so I was the last lady in but who cares!  I'm not surprised that many DNF to be honest, having looked at what some of them were wearing and riding at the start I suspect they found the course really challenging but hats off to everyone who did complete the race, it was really tough and I'm sure if I had been feeling 100% at the start, if I had chosen my other tyres, if I hadn't stopped to clear all the mud out of my gears etc and stopped to have a drink I would have been top 10, who knows?

To summarise, I would class this race as Type 2 fun, where you hate it at the time but on reflection you realise that actually it was a bloody good effort with room for improvement!

Lessons learned?

1. Don't ride when you're feeling ill, the knock on effect from riding on Sunday will probably stay with me for a week or so now!

2. Don't change things on your bike, or have a set up you're not that sure of?  I don't know if the Maxxis tyres would have been any better in these conditions but having more confidence in them as I had more experience with them would have helped me mentally.  Riding/Racing is as much a mental thing as a physical thing!

3. If it's super muddy, don't rely on a water bottle for hydration, take a back pack! 

I do prefer Enduro to XC only because there's less pedalling involved (on the downhill bits anyway!) but it was good fun so I'm probably going to do a couple of rounds of the Midlands XC MTB series this summer, round 3 is at Cannock end of May (It's a National champs round) and they have a Fun class, so I think that's a definite 😊

If nothing else, XC is fantastic for fitness and building skills, and it's bloody good fun too! 

Results can be found here

You can watch a full lap of the Men's Fun class here

Congratulations to Sherwood Pines Cycles Team and members of Sherwood Pines Cycling Club who took part, we had a number of race winners, everyone put in a top effort and supported each other, which is so important.

Photo credit: Leigh Batten

Thanks to:

My Husband Leigh!  Without his help I couldn't do any of this as he's my bike mechanic, bike cleaner and support crew ❤❤
Sherwood Pines Cycles Team 💚🖤

Sherwood Pines Cycling Club
Team Sponsors
Vittoria Tyres https://www.vittoria.com/eu/

Ambassador for:
Absolute Black oval chain rings https://absoluteblack.cc/

Green Oil UK https://www.green-oil.net/
We Are One Composites UK http://www.weareonecompositesuk.co.uk/index.html

You're never too old to learn - part 2

Day 2 couldn't have been any more different! Where we had brilliant sunshine and blue sky the day before, we woke to thick cloud and rain and boy was it cold! 🥶

Andy wanted to meet early, as the parking at Lady Cannings is limited, so we agreed to meet there at 8.30am... on the drive there the weather deteriorated with thick fog and the temperature dropping even more. I was glad I wore my Madison Flo waterproof/windproof jacket, but was regretting wearing shorts, but my usual Endura Singletrack trousers were so big on me after my huge weight loss, they looked more like clown trousers!  Oh well, time to man up and I knew I would  warm up after a while on the bike!

We arrived at Lady Cannings car park to find it almost empty, Andy was there already and there were 2 other vehicles... "Looks like we almost have the place to ourselves" said Andy 😊 He then pointed out there was a spectacular view from here, sadly it was hidden by the fog "We'll take your word for it Andy!"😂 

The plan was to session one of the trails; there's 2 official trails at Lady Cannings, "Cooking on Gas" and "Blue Steel", both start at the top of the trail centre which requires a long pedal up to the top, and they wind their way back down to the bottom.

"Cooking on Gas", is graded a blue but Andy explained that it could easily be classed as a Red if you put some effort and speed in, and even a Black if you start clearing the features.  It's a long twisty trail with some huge left and ride berms, great for putting into practice what we had learnt the day before.

First run we rode the whole trail, Andy led, with me behind and Leigh covering the back, this was just so we could recce the features. I loved it, I could see the potential to really give it some beans in places and get some proper lean into the berms.
We got to the bottom and Andy said we would take a short cut that would bring us back to the halfway point, no point in riding to the top of the trail every time and wasting energy.
We rode part of the way back down and stopped before a series of left and right berms with some rollers, we got rid of our back packs and Andy asked us both to ride this section remembering about correct body position, outside foot down, look through the berm...  we did this a few times, I was loving this, and feeling more and more confident on the berms, then my confidence got the better of me and as I dropped my left elbow and turned into the fast left hand berm, something, I don't know what, made me look up instead of ahead and before I knew it I was flying (quite literally) over the top of the berm into the felled trees and shrubbery beyond... OUCH! 

The bike landed about 6 feet away from me, and I somehow ended sitting upright in a hole, feeling rather dazed 😵 Andy and Leigh appeared around the corner looking rather shocked, and both jumped off their bikes and scrambled over the berm to see if I was OK?  I seem to remember laughing, not wanting to let on how much pain I was in, I had whacked my lady bits proper hard on the top bar of the bike frame but I do remember joking that if I were a bloke I'd have a high pitched voice now! 

I was given a hand up, Andy grabbed my bike and checked it over, no damage done fortunately, and I hobbled to the side of the trail to sit down. I had cut my face and Andy wanted to clean it up (he had joked back at the car park about the size of his First Aid pack, and how British Cycling insist he carry enough medical supplies for 10 people!) well I wasn't going to need all that but he did get through a few antiseptic wipes cleaning the blood and bits of tree off my face.
By this time my lady bits had stopped throbbing, I felt well enough to continue but not before removing the broken peak from my TLD helmet... bugger, I like that helmet!

 

I think Andy was thinking to call it a day, suggesting we head back to the car park, slowy... I was quite insistent that I was fine to continue, I didn't want to spoil the day and could ride to the end of the trail... I got back on my bike and carried on as though nothing had happened, I clearly remember Andy saying rather loudly behind me "well that hasn't slowed you down" 😂

We decided to call it a day at Lady Cannings and head out to ride some off piste stuff, so we headed over to Blacka Moor and the infamous Devil's Elbow, I had heard of this trail but never ridden it so was quite excited, even though it was a technical descent with rocks, roots and mud, it was still raining so everything was going to be super slippery which added to the excitement and the challenge.

The day before, we were talking about confidence on the bike, and I was telling Andy how I felt my riding and my confidence had soared since I got the Intense Primer 29er, I couldn't put my finger on why?   It could be I have gone up a frame size from Small to Medium, even though I'm only 5'3" with a 29" inside leg the bike feels more roomy.  It could also be I've gone from a Small women specific bike to a men's bike so the geometry is different?  

I do know that my weekend at the Hopetech Women Enduro at Gisburn Forest last October, gave me an immense confidence boost, riding completely new stuff, not just new trails but more technical terrain and pushing myself well out of my usual comfort zone, I loved every minute of it!

I went on to tell him about a section of the Red route (Follow the Dog) at Cannock Chase that I absolutely love, it's right at the end and called "Snakes n Adders" and its a series of super fast berms and tight corners and there's a couple of left hand almost blind turns, which I love riding as you can't see the exit and I felt it was about putting all my faith in my tyres and my bike. Andy asked "why do you think it's the bike?  It is to an extent but it's you, you believe in your ability to get round that corner" and that really resonated with me, I almost had an Epiphany in that moment if you like, realising "Hell Yeah, I'm actually a much better rider than I give  myself credit for" and hearing that from someone else, and more importantly hearing it from Andy gave me such a confidence boost and it stayed with me for the rest of the Skills weekend and beyond 😊

When we came to ride down Devil's Elbow, which is the most technical descent I have ever done, I just cleared my mind, focused on what lay ahead without over analysing it (worrying about falling off!), relaxed my body and let the bike do it's thing, I trusted it, and more importantly I believed in myself and I remembered Andy saying "stay off the brakes"... yeah, don't want an OTB on this stuff! 

We stopped a couple of times on the way down to look back up at what we had just ridden down (wish I had taken some photos!) and also to recce what laid ahead with Andy asking "What line will you take down that section?" this was really helpful, what wasn't helping was trying to clip back in on a super steep, narrow, rocky trail, it was a nightmare (Andy suggested trying flats at some point) but other than that I loved every second of riding through the rocks, ruts and over roots and if it wasn't for the fact it was a mare to get back to the top I would have done it all over again! 

I am going back ASAP, as I want to ride the whole thing from the very top by the road to the bottom without stopping, I don't care about the time (well maybe I do a little bit ) but I'm not going to get anywhere near Bex Baraona's QOM of 1 minute 17 seconds (16.3 m/h 😮 WTF!) but she is a top Elite EWS rider! 😍

Once we got to the bottom, we then had to make our way back to the top, a long slog uphill, pushing the bikes in places as it was so muddy (and still raining). The views at the top were stunning now the fog had cleared.

We were passed by a guy on an E bike on the way up, which we all joked about, and then a few minutes later we came across the same guy, bike upside down, with a flat tyre!  We stopped and asked if he needed any help, seems he needed all the help we could offer as he had no tools, no inner tube, the worlds smallest pump and had just gone tubeless, so clearly he thought that would make his tyres indestructible and don't need to carry spares... plonker 🤨

Fortunately for him, all 3 of us had come well prepared and we lent him bits and bobs and gave him an inner tube, but it turned out in the end he was on fat tyres and Andy's inner tube wasn't big enough, so he faced a very long walk (about 10k if I remember rightly) pushing his very heavy bike back to where he had parked.

We headed off and eventually got back to Lady Cannings, it was still raining and all that standing around with E-bike man had meant I was really starting to feel the cold, I really wished I had trousers on now!

Me and Andy, all smiles despite the rain and cold!

Andy suggested we ride "Blue Steel" back to the bottom of the trail centre, as it would be a fitting end to the day.  

It was another great trail, with lots of twists and turns and great fun, we were all grinning from ear to ear by the end 😁

We got back to the car park where the fog had cleared and we were now able to enjoy the view Andy had mentioned that morning, it was as stunning as he said with Sheffield in the distance.

So how to summarise my weekend with Andy... well it was bloody epic!  I came away feeling inspired, confident, eager to ride more, learn more and most importantly the realisation that racing Enduro this year is going to be so much fun!

OK, I didn't learn to manual or bunny hop in one weekend but this will take time and practice but I've learnt so much about myself and how capable I am on a mountain bike!

So many mountain bikers spend thousands of £'s on their bike, on the latest gadgets, the lightest wheels, bars etc but you know what, if you haven't got the skills to ride that bike to it's full potential then what's the point in spending all that cash?

I learnt so much in 2 days, stuff that will make me a better, safer, more confident rider... I invested in myself and it's paid dividends.  My learning, won't stop here either, I will be booking more time with Andy, getting out on more rides with him and of course Leigh, because we did the Skills weekend together, we can push each other, watch each other and help each other progress.

Andy is a great coach, he has this amazing ability to teach you stuff but make it so much fun, you just feel like your out riding with a mate, which of course he is, but he has the natural ability to bring out the best.

So where to go from here?  Just get out on my bike and ride as much as I can, mix it up, ride different places, different terrain, have fun, keep learning 😊

Before I sign off, if you read Part 1 (I hope you did!) then you'll recall me mentioning the Rider Profile we both had to complete which include a a section where we had to rate our ability levels between 1-10 (with 1 beginner and 10 pro) on things such as cornering, riding position, technical descents, technical climbing etc. 

I found this quite hard to complete, so I played safe and gave myself a 7 for most things (probably a little more than I should have, but like I've said previously it's really hard scoring yourself?) except for technical climbs which I scored a 4 and 5 for technical descents and terrain! Leigh on the other hand gave himself a 5 for most things.

A few days after our Skills weekend, I asked Leigh if Andy had given any feedback on our scores?  So he messaged Andy, who responded with the following, apparently he's never been asked this before!  It's makes very interesting reading.

There are 2 sides to how I'll approach your original ratings. 
1st you've rated yourselves based on where, what and how you usually ride. Based on this I'd say that Leigh you understated your ability level and that Celeste was really a bit more accurate and you could have used her ratings for you both. 

This is within a margin of + or - 1 as based on where you ride 90% of the time your skill sets are what I would have expected from experienced riders without any formal guidance. 

Now I'd rate you a firm 7.5 across the board as you now have the tools and mindset to really develop your skill sets and push through to a 9.5. 

All you needed was guidance as you are both open minded, wanted to learn and took everything on board and questioned when you needed confirmation. 

2nd is the unknown, if I'd have asked about how you felt your skill levels where with regards to natural, unpredictable, steep, technical riding then you'd have both given very different scores as you both have very different views on riding this type of terrain. To assess you on riding the unknown I have to consider your personalities and how much you desire to ride this type of terrain. 

You both now have the techniques / knowledge on how to ride the unknown and both of your skill sets are certainly growing. It now all comes down to confidence and where you want to be. 

Leigh I would give you straight 6's across the board with the caveat that you are still building your confidence as this is not the terrain that you are used to riding. Easing off of the brakes will benefit you greatly, you know this and understand it, it will just take practice and I can't see any issue with you hitting 8 or 8.5 as I feel that is where you'll be very happy and you won't want to push any further. 

Celeste I'd assign 6's to most with a 7 on berms and technical descending. Your confidence and speed on the unknown are growing quickly and your caveat would be to slow things down a little to allow for yourself the time to really become one with the bike and to start pushing harder. 

A greater belief in how the bike can cope with awkward drops and obstacles will come with practice and really boost your skill set to a straight 9.5 as it's what you love and want to do.

10's are usually saved for those daft enough to wish to incorporate 6 ft gap jumps and 4 ft drops! Becoming a 10 at riding Enduro is totally possible as it's about being a solid, confident all round rider who know's how to handle their bike, the unknown and their limits 🙂 

Hope this helps, you've both come so far, it really didn't take much, I just guided you through a process you both felt the benefits and you both embraced them, your on a fantastic journey and I'm honoured to be on the ride with you 👍

Performance MTB

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You're never too old to learn.. part 1

I recently turned 50...yikes!  

Actually, it doesn't bother me in the slightest that I have just turned 50, because I don't FEEL 50, not that I was expecting to feel any different when the clock struck 1 minute past midnight on the 1st January 2020 but 50 is a big number and I look around at people of the same age as me and I can't relate to a lot of them... apart from those, who like me, are mountain bikers. 

As I get older, I see people of my age shrivelling up and losing their zest for life, worrying about old age, worrying about their health, I don't want to end up like them! I don't want to end up with failing health and dreading retirement.

So I'm doing everything I can to keep my body and mind fit and healthy; eating well, following the Ketogenic lifestyle, being active now, and I hope all of this will pay dividends in later life.  

Riding my mountain bike not only makes me feel younger, it connects me to so many amazing places and awesome people!

I'm very fortunate that my husband Leigh, even after 18 years, is my best mate, my soul mate and my riding buddy. We both started mountain biking together back in 2016 and we both agree that life revolves around our bikes, whether it's weekend rides, mid week evening rides, indoor Zwift sessions together or 2 week holidays mountain biking around North Wales.

So, when it came to my big birthday, I was chuffed to bits when he handed me an envelope which contained a gift voucher for an MTB Skills session with Performance MTB which is run by our friend Andy Hampshire... 

Originally the idea was for me to have a full skills day with Andy on my own where I could improve on areas such as cornering and braking, learn new things such as manuals, bunny hops and even wheelies, things I felt I need for when I race Enduro this year... as I thought about it, I decided that actually the day would be more fun and beneficial if Leigh did it too as he's also racing this year, so I booked us in together.

What started as a 1 day skills session, turned into a 2 day session and it was booked for the first weekend of February with Day 1 at Sherwood Pines, where we would focus on the basics and then Day 2 at Lady Cannings MTB trail centre where we would put everything we learnt into practice in the morning and then venture outside the trail centre in the afternoon to ride some 'off piste' technical stuff... great 😃

A few days before, Andy emailed us both and asked us to complete a Rider's profile, this would give him an in-depth breakdown of our experience on the bike in various areas, where we had ridden, the kind of terrain we liked to ride, what we hoped to gain from the skills course and finally there was a section where we had to rate our ability levels between 1-10 (with 1 beginner and 10 pro) on things such as cornering, riding position, technical descents, technical climbing etc.  

I found this quite hard as I didn't want to overrate myself and come across as cocky so I played safe and gave myself a 7 for most things except technical climbs which I scored a 4 as I'm rubbish at them and 5 for technical descents and terrain!  I never thought any more of the scores until after our weekend and I'll talk about this more in the second instalment of this blog.

Andy would use this information to tailor the 2 days to both our needs, even though we had different end goals in some areas, there were lots of areas we both needed to work on.


Day 1

We agreed to meet Andy at Sherwood Pines at 9.30am, we found him in the large open green near the visitor centre, with various contraptions including an array of coloured plastic cones, a small sender ramp, and a skinny (a long thin wooden board for riding along) and various bits of tree.

The morning started with the basics; cornerning and braking, well we all know how to do that, don't we?  Well, yes but not as well as we could it seems!  I've always favoured 'feathering' my brakes, and tend to use my back more than my front, great for skidding to a stop but actually not great for safely stopping!  So I spent some time trying to tell my silly little brain that the back is for scrubbing off speed and the front is for stopping... I got it eventually!

Then we practised cornering... now I think it's fair to say that everyone has their favourite corner, mine happens to be left, Andy explained about body position, dropping the elbow and leaning the bike and having faith in the tyres gripping and it wasn't long before I was cornering between Andy's yellow plastic cones like a pro! 

Then it was time to practice turning right. Now I have a slight issue with turning into right corners, as I am almost blind in my right eye, so turning my head and looking past the exit on the corner means I almost have to do an Exorcist style rotation of my head but without the projectile vomiting! 😂

I managed to run over Andy's lovely plastic yellow cones on a number of occassions but after some practice I was improving and to be fair, riding a 'corner' made out of cones on a flat surface is harder than riding a real built up right hand berm.

Once Leigh and I had got the hang of the corners, we moved onto the 'Skinny' - a long length of thin wood, about 4" in diameter, mounted on blocks to elevate it off the ground slightly, it had a little ramp on both ends and the idea was to ride onto it and along the length and off the other end... sounds simple doesn't it!

My silly little brain (again) was telling me it's a foot off the ground and if you fall off, it's gonna hurt! What a twat!   

Andy gave us some tips on how to mount it... take a run up and line the bike up, don't look at the Skinny, look past it, focus on something on the other side, which happened to be a football goal in the distance.

First attempt I looked straight at it, got the front wheel on and the back end didn't come close! So I rode round again for a second go, "Don't look at it, focus on the goal net" shouted Andy... I tried to look ahead and I managed to get both wheels on this time and then fell off just before the end! 

Third time I managed to ride the whole thing, then with my confidence up I managed a few more runs successfully riding the entire length 😁

Next on the agenda was track standing, being able to balance the bike whilst standing on the pedals, a very handy trick if you ride up to an obstacle and want to check it out (and impress your mates) before deciding whether to ride over it by either popping the front wheel or bunny hopping it. Despite my best efforts I couldn't manage more than a couple of seconds so I will be practicing this whenever I can!

We then moved onto bunny hopping, something I need to learn to be able to ride over obstacles not only when I'm racing but when out on the bike in general. I've got a lot better riding over things like fallen trees, logs etc but if its more than 4" high I'll walk over it. Andy got his bits of tree out, one being a thick log which he staked to the ground, the other being a long thin branch and he asked us both to show him how we would tackle those obstacles... I just rode over them, my pathetic attempt at popping the front wheel was duly noted! 😂


Andy explained the process of 'popping' the front wheel, Leigh excelled at this and I was rubbish BUT we did discover that I can get the back wheel off the floor with no problems but the front wheel just wasn't having it, Leigh joked it must be because of my little T-rex arms 🤨

Next was the Sender Ramp, I'd been looking forward to playing on this all morning, I love doing jumps, not big mahoosive jumps, but little pop offs, drops etc, anything to get 2 wheels off the floor! Once again Andy explained about correct body position and how to launch and land correctly and that speed/momentum is your friend...   

I was good at this, and happily rode round and round riding over it again and again, much to the amusement of Leigh and Andy who both have this impression that I'm a bit of a hooligan... don't know why? 🤣

That was our morning; learning lots, trying to absorb everything without brain overload! We decided to stop for lunch and after a nice coffee and some food we headed into the Pines so put all these new found skills to the test.

During the summer months when it's light in the evening, Darren from the shop, runs a fortnightly mid week TT race. It's a great little course with some pretty gnarly off piste singletrack including a section infamously known as 'Carnage Corner'... aptly named because it's a tight off camber 180 degree corner where you exit up a rooty little climb.

Leigh and I had tried to ride this right hand corner many times in the past and for one reason or another never managed to get round, and always ended up jumping off the bike and pushing up... well Andy was having none of that!

After looking at the line and reminding ourselves of the cornering we had practiced that morning, it was time to give it a go. Of course being a right hand corner, I had to practice my Exorcist head rotating again, I failed at the first attempt but second time round BINGO! and then there was no stopping me, round and round I went like a kid who has just learnt to ride a bike without stabilisers! I was so happy I asked Andy to film me and I did 2 laps just to prove it wasn't a fluke first time 😁

Leigh did equally as well, and we both agreed we could end our MTB careers right there having conquered 'Carnage Corner'! 😂

Now it was time to try the quarter stroke/pedal technique, another tool when you have to get over an obstacle on the trail, it's basically a track stand into a front wheel 'pop' and it's used to start a wheelie. Once again Leigh got it straight away but I couldn't do it, I just couldn't slow the bike down enough to get that pedal stroke, only managing it when Andy held the bike for me.  I clearly have some stuff to practice over the coming weeks!

It was getting late in the afternoon and gone 3pm, so we decided to wrap the day up by sessioning one of the Downhill runs over at the Jump Park, now Pines isn't known for it's gnarly steep descents so these are more gravity runs but you can pick up some decent speed from the top and if you get it right you can clear the rock obstacles and drop offs.

So we had a play, running backwards and forwards putting into practice all we had learnt that day.  It was good fun and as usual my inner hooligan made an appearance much to the amusement of everyone (I can't help it, sorry!).

It was interesting watching other people come down these trails too and see how 'not' to ride them!

After a final full run, we headed back to the visitor centre, all smiles and heads full of skills, ready to take on Day 2 at Lady Cannings, the following day 😊

Starting the new year as I mean to go on...

It's New Years Eve 2019, just a few hours away from the beginning of a new decade and almost my 50th Birthday! 😳

Social media is filled with posts today about the 10 year challenge, showing pictures of people at the beginning and end of this decade; overweight vs slimmer, more hair vs receding hairline, dark hair vs grey hair, unfit vs fit... well I pretty much cover all of those - apart from the receding hairline!! 🤣

A lot has changed for me over the last 10 years, I've gone from spending every weekend out with my bow shooting at unmarked 3D field archery events, which has taken me all over the UK, as well as abroad shooting at Internationals, to spending all my free time mountain biking. 

I can't get enough of being outdoors and the forest has always been a magical place for me whether it's shooting a bow over unmarked distances at 3D animals or riding my mountain bike, walking my dogs and generally getting muddy!

The biggest difference for me from 2010 to now is my fitness, eating habits and being healthy, inside and out.  I take my fitness and nutrition very seriously these days and am proud of what I have achieved this year with weight loss through the Ketogenic lifestyle, mountain bike training and being more focused, both mentally and physically.

In my job supporting those affected by brain injury, I've run Mindful Meditation and Wellbeing workshops and have tried to change my mindset for the better, removing as much negativity from my life as possible, being more self aware and I will work hard to continue that in 2020 and beyond.

The new year will see me racing Enduro and some Endurance XC for the first time as part of Sherwood Pines Cycles Team and I already have a number of races booked.

1st March - Cannock Winter Classic XC
29th March - PMBA Enduro round 1 at Gisburn
16-17th May - Boltby Bash Enduro 
20-21 June - Mountain Mayhem 12 hour night race (solo)
6th September - PMBA Enduro round 5 Kirroughtree
18th October - Hopetech Womens Enduro Gisburn 


I have a few other 'maybe's on the radar, depending on money and whether I can find someone to share driving with etc.

29-31st May - Tweedlove Enduro, Scotland 

I may try and do some of the Southern Enduro series and some mini downhill events as Forest of Dean etc.

As well as the racing, I will continue to train using the MTB Fitness program, I am currently following the 12 week plan but there is also an Advanced 16 week plan. Training consists of weekly weights sessions, indoor interval sessions on my Proform TDF 5.0 bike using Zwift.

I am returning to commuting to work on my hardtail, which I plan to convert to a singlespeed! It's only 6.5 miles to work with a little bit of elevation but every second in the saddle is time well spent and I'd much rather be riding in than sat in the car in traffic every day 😖

So 2020 is full of exciting stuff, lots of bike time, lots of fun out on the trails with my hubby, lots of focus and hard work.

Happy New Year 🤘

A lesson learned

Thursday evening Hubby and I went out for dinner, we went to Pizza Express as we had £60 of vouchers to use up as they expired that day.

We haven't been out for pizza since going Keto at the end of July, and for good reason, Pizza is so high in carbs, shockingly high, not just the Pizza's which on average have about 128g of carbs, but most of the starters and sides are high too, so potentially you're looking at a 2 course meal with nearly 200g carbs 😮

On the Keto diet you try to keep under 50g net carbs a day (that's total carbs minus the fibre as your body doesn't store fibre it passes through and it's fibre which keeps your stools nice and firm 💩) but if you're serious about Keto and are using it as a way to burn fat for energy (essential for training and riding the mountain bike) then you try and keep your net carbs below 20g a day, that way you'll definitely be in Ketosis and fat burning.

So I've already set the scene here haven't I, been keeping under 20g carbs for the last 5 months and then BAM!💥 we go out for one meal and blow all that hard work and positive eating out the window!

Now, I did read up about the effects of having a 'cheat day' on Diet Doctor

To cheat or not to cheat? That is the eternal question.

Almost everyone is occasionally tempted – are you? 

In truth, we dislike the term “cheating.” We use it since many people relate to it, but what does it really mean? Does it mean you are “getting away with something?” Does it mean you are gaining something unfairly? What it really means is that you are just cheating on yourself. That’s why we prefer the term “going off plan.” That shows we have a plan, we are moving towards a goal, and sometimes we go off plan. And sometimes that’s OK, as you will read in this guide. However, since “cheat” is a commonly used term that many people relate to, we do use it frequently in this guide.

So why cheat? 

1. Politeness or wanting to fit in
2. Impulsiveness
3. Bad planning
4. To take advantage of opportunities 

I think it's safe to say that we're guilty of no. 4 here and the fact we didn't want those vouchers to go to waste as that would be a food sin wouldn't it!

So, what are the effects of going massively over your daily carb allowance, even for one day?  This ⬇ according to Diet Doctor 

Side effects of cheating? 

So, there are bad and better reasons to cheat. What are the typical side effects of cheating? 

Hunger and cravings  

Many carbs make you hungry. You know this if you have given them up for any meaningful period of time. Cheating means potentially inviting hunger and cravings back into your life.Proceed with caution – you could end up in trouble. 

Weight gain  

Cheating nearly always leads to immediate weight gain. First, too many carbs put your body back in fat-storing mode. Second, carbs can lead to hunger and cravings hence you eat more. Third, the water weight associated with high-carb diets returns.Want to look and feel your best? Cheat rarely and carefully.  

Blood sugar spikes  

If you are keeping diabetes at bay with your low-carb or keto diet, cheating is generally a bad idea. When you eat too many or the wrong type of carbs, your blood sugar can spike to dangerously high levels. Over the long run you increase the risk of long-term complications like blindness, dementia, amputations, etc. 

Sickness and acne  

For some of us, cheating can lead to dramatic and fairly immediate setbacks – bloating, stomach upset, gas, or even seizures (if you have epilepsy). Some people get acne and other types of skin trouble, too.If this happens to you, is cheating really worth it?  

Feeling bad  

One of the most annoying effects of cheating is that you often don’t feel great after having cheated. In addition to weight gain, blood sugar spikes and so forth, your mood can suffer – enthusiasm, focus, and confidence fall.This is tough – and with hindsight, makes the decision to cheat seem questionable.

So there you have it, temporary but crap all the same!  So we did it anyway, weighed up the risks and ate the pizza (it was delicious by the way).

Friday wasn't too bad, I decided to Fast for the day, until our evening meal and made sure I hydrated well.  I bloated like a balloon and literally put on 5lbs overnight, I had a bit of a bellyache but nothing too uncomfortable.

Saturday, I went back to my normal weight and stopped looking like a pregnant puffer fish 🐡 "this isn't so bad" I thought!  I made sure I ate healthily and hydrated properly.

Sunday (Today) was when my 'cheat day' finally hit me... firstly I had the most awful upset stomach in the morning, I felt pretty ropey but today was the Sherwood Pines Cycling Club Christmas rides, and I wasn't going to miss that so after several visits to the bathroom, a large glass of Dioralyte and an Immodium and lots of water, I packed the bike in the van and set off.

I felt fine when I got there, the Immodium had worked, I had already drunk plenty of fluids plus I had a 1.5L hydration pack and was looking forward to the ride.  There were 3 rides on, a family ride, a social ride and the Intermediate "Bah Humbug" ride so I joined the latter as it's a good pace with lots of singletrack and technical stuff 😊 About 20 minutes into the ride, I realised joining this group was a big mistake, I felt rough, slow and no energy at all... "it'll be ok" I told myself, "it takes a good half an hour to get the legs going on Keto, stop stressing and just be patient".  Well the half an hour passed, as did an hour and I still felt like total 💩 

Terry the ride leader likes hills, I usually like hills too, especially with the Absolute Black oval chain ring fitted to my Intense Primer as it makes hill climbing easy peasey and going up eventually means going down (my favourite bit) but today every hill sapped me, it got to the point where pretty much everyone left me for dust on the climbs, rather embarrassing to be honest 😳

I soldiered on, quietly suffering and did over 11 miles, as we got back to the Pines, the group decided they were going to do some more singletrack, this was my chance to head back to the cafe, I needed a wee anyway as I had drank loads of electrolytes hoping it would give me some energy, it didn't.

I got back to the Pines, put the bike away and headed to the cafe where the Social ride guys had finished their ride and were waiting, I had a coffee, caught up with some friends and then headed home.

I feel absolutely shattered now, not how I usually feel after a ride and that tells me that not only was the 'cheat day' not worth it, but it's kicked me out of Ketosis and fat burning 😕

As it's Christmas this week I won't be out on the bike again until next Sunday, so that gives me a week to get back on track.

To say this is a lesson learned is an understatement, next time we go out for dinner it will be a big fat juicy steak, definitely not pizza!🍕