NPS Round 1 – Thetford

National Point Series round 1 was at Thetford, A 5 hour drive for us from the Lake District.

We started our journey on the Thursday night and headed for Leicester, we went to Thetford on the Friday morning and got to the venue at about lunchtime.

The weather was really nice and I managed to get in three nice practice laps on the course,Ii was surprised how the course varied from little up hills to nice swooping downhills, I liked the look of this course!.

Just as i finished my last practice lap the heavens opened and there was a huge storm of hails stones and rain. My dad said he was so pleased that we had booked into a hotel for the next couple of nights as he remembered how we struggled last year camping!!

I started to think twice about my trye choice as I had a non grippy tyre combination!!!  Before I decided what to use I went out just to see how the course panned out after a major down pour with a mate of mine Billy Joe Whenman (Marin Elite Sponsored Rider). We flew round the course and we both decided that it would be a good idea to put a mud tyre on the front and a “Racing Ralph”  on the back as the course had changed alot since earlier in the day and was rather sketchy at times.

My dad and I drove to our hotel a couple of miles down the road at the nearby village of Brandon. It was luxury lying on my bed watching telly then having a nice warm bubble bath  to relax my muscles for a hard day of racing the following day.

I managed to have agood nights kip and woke about 6.00am really excited looking forward to the race, the sun was shining and the wind had dropped so it looked near perfect..

After breakfast of porridge and 3 cups of coffee we went to the race, I got my race number and went for a little spin before setting up my “turbo” for some pre race progressive warm up’s as instructed by Adrian ( my coach) to get my legs warmed up ready for action. I got my ipod on and started some nice steady spinning. After about 45mins of spinning.

10 Minutes before the start i got a banana down me for some slow release energy and got my legs covered in muscle rub and tried to keep focused

I watched the Juvenile race set off to a speedy pace along the forest track!, Next race would be ours!.

I went to the start line to be gridded with the rest of the youth riders. Gridding was done from last years results so I knew I would be at the back of the field, I knew a good start is what I needed.

i  was getting really nervous now as I looked around at the other racers, I had a quick gel and got myself in the race zone!.
The commissionaire said “In the next 30 seconds the bell will chime and your race will start!” Then before I could think we were off!. The sound of the clipless pedals clipping in and the gears changing and the rocks flicking up off the forest track I knew it was race time! I got the chain in the biggest sprocket and charged up the long forest track . I knew I had to get in a fairly decent position until we got on the singletrack or I would struggle to get pass people,. I managed to get upto 6th place and was feeling really strong.

 I Stayed with this group and was feeling confident about even making a few more places up!.

We hit the forest track after maybe 2 miles of singletrack through the woods then i attacked like everyone else was doing and managed to get myself up to 5th place.

We then started to turn off the forest track onto another bit of singletrack as we turned off onto the singletrack i nearly twent flying over the handle bars and I hit my ‘goolies’ on my top tube as a lad behind me shouted “Your Mech!”, I came to a dramatic halt as I saw there was a stick partly jammed in my mech.

By the time i had sorted it out it seemed that most of the field had flown pass me, I was feeling so down at this point and was right at the back of the field , I knew there was no chance i could get back up to the position i was in before, I felt desperate and angry with what had happened,
I sat at the back of the field and kept attacking and made a few places only for another problem to happen again, this time was a little more serious,
Myback wheel came out just as i was climbing out this bomb hole, i couldn’t believe what was happening to me,
i couldn’t even get my back wheel back in as my chain had came jammed between the cassette and the wheel. Luckily a spectator ran down and helped me fix it, Thanks who ever you were!
I  was now in last position at this point  and was nearly in tears!, my race had gone from bad to worse,I had just done one lap and had another lap to go.
Iwas so determined to just finish the race even if i was nearly 5 minutes off the back of the field!, I kept my pace fairly high even though I knew there was no chance of getting back onto the field.

I turned the corner and looked up the climb just before the finish and could see a rider in front, I saw him turn his head and put on a little burst but i knew i had to give my all so i just went for it and out sprinted him on the line.
A bad day for me but at least I finished I had always said to my dad I wouldnt quit a race again unless I really had too. I was chuffed that i still completed the race and although I didnt do well I felt strong and determined, maybe next time!!!.

50KM Enduro Race (SUNDAY)
Even though i was fairly gutted about Saturdays race i was excited for the 50km Enduro race on the Sunday, I got myself a good nights sleep and woke up nice and early and got a good breakfast down me as i knew the day as going to be a tough one!,
The race was due to start at 10:30am so i got to the course at 9am and went for a little spin round the course before the race was due start, The start list was nearly 150 Riders,
I got  on the front row as I hate being at the back and getting stuck behind riders , I lined up on the front next tos Bronze World Champs Medalist David fletcher and his team mate Ross Creber……Mixing it with the big guns.
I more relaxed than i was before Saturdays race, then we were off!,
We got a good start and I  was in 3rd place behind Ross Creber, i held that position for maybe 5 minutes until i just couldn’t keep the pace what they were doing!, they were absolutly flying…….more speed work and bigger lungs are what I need!,
I  settled into myown rhythm and felt alot better….phew

Two lads from Orange Monkey race team came flying past me so I decided I would hop on their wheels and stick with them as best I could and managed to get ‘towed’ me around the course,. I stayed with them both for the whole duration of the race until on the last lap I very cruelly attacked and managed to stay away from them. I did thank them at the finish.

I was pretty chuffed on how I raced but next time I will  make sure i dont go off as fast!, I finished 24th in a time of 02:12:20, The winner was Ross Creber who blitzed the rest of the field in an amazing time of 01:47:43!!!…..If only I had stuck with him.

A great weekend ,hame about the result on Saturday. See you at round 2 in Scotland.

PHOTOS ARE ON MY FLICKR PAGE.