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badexcuseforasailor Member  Top Poster 2003  Member#: 116 Location: Registered: 26-01-2003 Diary Entries: 357 Mood: wheres the wind? |
15th April 2007 Mt. Biking: Builth Wells Wind Direction: Wind Stength: Surf / Sea State: Air Temperature: Sea Temperature: Weather: Max Speed: Distance Covered: My second merida marathon- still only the 50km though. Things abit cooler than last year but not by much felt really warm. The first road climb was a bit of a drag and seamed to go on for ever but they have to put this is as 1000 riders decending on a bit of single track isn't really a good idea! Once off the first bit of road it was across some moorland there were a couple of wet bits in the dips, one very wet over chainring depth nice and cooling on the feet but a bit smelly! The course was a variation of the last merida I done last summer but with a couple of new bits then some of the old bits in a different order. The trails we really varied roads, fire roads, moor land tracks, and rooty single tracks through the woods. It was really possible to tell the people that we not used to the single track and roots. Watching them find out how slippery they are was quite entertaining. On one short rooty decent the person behind me got it wrong and had one of them moments that you make a grap for anything to try and keep yourself up right. Im not sure how he managed it but he managed to grab the waist band of my shorts! Thankfully they were done up properly and he ended up on the ground before I got pulled off the back of the bike too. We all had a good laugh about it. I got to the feed station ok and topped up on water and energy drink in was good this time that the feed station wasn\'t just before a big hill as last year. I managed to ride the really steep section that I had to walk last year which pleased me I had to shout \"coming through\" at the people walking down it as I wasn\'t stopping! I was going great felt a bit tired but that was normal then I started cramping up I came into a section went to give it a bit extra on the pedals then wham - my thigh cramped up I managed to get of off the bike(without falling off) as I stretched my thigh my calf cramped up double ouch! Ive never sufferd from cramps before other than a couple of times windsurfing the I can put it down to dehydration but theres no way I was dehydrated this time as I\'d had 2 pee stops and drunk plenty. I had to go easy from this point not putting too much pressure on the pedals which isn\'t my style coming up to small hills I like to stomp on the pedals and get some momentum up its was a matter of granny gear and spinning. Out of the woods and on to the open moorland the long fast desents were intersting as i couldn\'t put much pressure on my legs controling the bike was a bit of a mare made it all ok though. Riding the bike was ok if not a bit painful but walking was awful I had to walk up 2 hills (didn\'t see anyone ride up them) On getting off the bike and trying to walk I found my legs didn\'t want to bend at the knee it was almost nice to get back on the bike at the top. I had to stop for another pee break, mid flow and both my thighs cramped up I was just stood there for a while. It was onto the last feed station then up almost the last bit of climbing and the last down hill. The first part of the last down hill was grassy really fast and scary not having full control nearly had a a big off. There were lots of big dips in the trail where there had been puddles I came up on a section way too fast lost my line and went through/ across/ over not sure which some huge bumps and holes I think it was the bike that got me over it all nothing to do with the rider. The next bit of the downhill was a long rocky bridle path/track really sketchy in places dry at the top really muddy and slippery at the bottom ( I was cursing the draggy tires on the first road climb I was glad of them now). One short climb out of the ford at the bottom of the hill and it was a road down hill to the finish at Builth Not the same course as last year but similar distance about 4 hours I think the cramps cost me quite a bit of time but its not a race its a day out after all. I must of looked realy knackerd at the finish as they gave a spot prize as well as a T shirt I can only give 4 stars because of the cramps |
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