This race was always going to be a tricky one for me. Last year I entered and I could not complete the third stage because I found it too technical and steep. This year I entered hoping that the same stage wouldn't be in. We had no idea what the stages would be until the day. The day came. It was in. Stage 1.
PMBA hold fantastic grass roots events, this series is enduro. This means three or four stages each race, you are timed on each stage and have as much time as you need to get to the start of each one. It is usually a round trip of 10 miles, which you have to do twice in the day, in the morning for practice, and race in the afternoon. We set off round the course in groups of approximately 10 riders, so happily we could ride together as RootsMTB race team.
We practiced stage two first, a rocky rocky footpath with more rocks and a few boulders thrown in. It was a great stage, but I didn't really enjoy it as my confidence was taking a battering thinking about stage 1. We headed to the top of Caron Crag which was the start to stage 1. Pushing up the path to the was torturous! I knew I was going to make myself ride down it even though I felt really scared. I had a full face helmet on and lots of body armour so that helped with the confidence. I lined up. The marshal blew his whistle. My bike started down the hill.
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The stage took a different line than the previous year so I was riding it blind. The first chute into the trees was steep, rooty and muddy, I had never ridden it before and how I stayed on the bike I have no idea! But I made it down, through the woods then out into the open to the start of the chute of death. I knew if I stopped I would never do it because it was this feature that stopped me the previous year. So I didn't stop, I just rolled over the edge and hoped for the best! I wasn't far enough back on my bike and I couldn't slow down, my bike was off the track and into the tree stumps and if I am totally honest my eyes were closed and I was screaming into my helmet! But I stayed on, somehow. I had to stop to get myself together before carrying on. The rest of the practice didn't go well, my confidence was knocked, despite making it round.
I spent the next couple of hours talking myself out of not driving home. I knew I wanted to race but I knew I couldn't race it, only try to get round. This does not bode well with my competitive nature! However, with some very helpful chats with friends who encouraged me, I realised I was being really negative and decided just get on with it.
Surprisingly, I was not as nervous dropping into stage 1, but the initial chute of rooty ridiculousness filled me full of fear again. I rattled and slipped down the mud and roots and to my total amazement, I cleaned it and not only that, I kind of enjoyed it! Though looking back, I may have misinterpreted that emotion with that of relief. Through the woods was slow but I made it to arrive back at the chute of death. Again, I just didn't think about it and rode into it. I managed to move around on the bike a bit more and I wouldn't go as far as saying I enjoyed it, but I didn't scream this time and even kept my eyes open! The rest of the stage went well though I was slow and tired, but I made it to the end. It was a big step forward for me, I managed to ride the stage that had stopped me the year before. Did I enjoy it? Still not sure to be honest!!
The rest of the stages went ok, but I made lots of mistakes. I just tried to enjoy the rest of the day learn as much as I could from the experience.
Overall I came 11th out of 21 which considering the awesome class of the other women racing, was actually pretty good! But the main thing was that I did it, a big step forward from the previous year.
I love riding my bike immensely and I love racing. I have recently set myself a goal of competing in the UKGE next year and ultimately I would like to attempt an Enduro World Series round (in many years to come!). But to achieve this I have a mountain of a lot of work to do on my confidence, skills on steep rooty trails and fitness. I need to be riding trails like this and loving them instead of letting them full me with fear and drain my confidence.
Perhaps this comes with time and experience, I have only been riding a bike for 2 1/2 years and I haven't really rode many or any steep rooty trails. I usually ride rocks. Or maybe it is part of our nature, do we start riding a bike and from day one love steep muddy rooty trails because we are born that way and love the thrill of it? Or are they something that we all have to learn to love through trial and error and tree hugging? Perhaps it is because I am a single mum of two and the fear of a broken something is fairly prevalent in my mind! Maybe a mix of all of these. But whichever it is, I intend to find out by working as hard as I can within my busy merry go round of being a working mum to see if I can achieve those goals. I will nail the rooty muddy steep or cry whilst trying!
Since writing this I read a post by Tracy Moseley who took first place first in this particular race. She described it as 'fun laid back riding in the sunshine'. I laughed at the total contrast of our experience of the same race. Obviously she is arguably the worlds best female enduro racer and worlds apart from my level, but it gave me hope that, with more experience, I will feel the same when faced with similar stages in my next enduro race.
