After the crazy rainy weather of the week before, Britain’s MTBO elite descended on a sunny Dorset for the British Mountain Bike Orienteering Championships. Wimborne Orienteers had been leant on to host the Long race held on Wareham Forest and my thanks goes to them for putting on such a fantastic day. After the usual banter and prevarication with the others I went off on my own to warm up and stretch under a tree well away from the car park, collecting my thoughts and generally tuning in ready for what was to be one of the most important races of my MTBO career up to this point, with selection for the World Champs being the prize.
I started really well and got the fastest split by 10 secs to #1, reinforcing to me how important the mental preparation is for Orienteering. I was still ahead on 2 but missed a track on #3 and lost about 30 secs. I then had another poor split on #4 this time due to a route choice decision which found me struggling in sandy conditions whilst the other route with slightly more climb proved to be much faster, again losing me approx 30 secs. From then on I had a clean ride, attacking the climbs and flat sections and cruising the downhills trying to recover. The free order section at #16 to get over the bridleway law issues was interesting and I think I picked the optimum route around the controls. I then just gave it everything, the last few controls being fairly straightforward I got my head down and pushed really hard. The final climb up from the last control was a whole world of pain and I finished collapsed in a sticky heap of panting pinkness before struggling over to download. I was 5th, just 3 mins down, a fantastic result for me on the long which is not my strongest distance.
After a night staying with friends in Romsey (and mending a shed roof !) the action moved to the Hamptworth
Estate for the middle race. Again I went off on my own, warmed up and got a fairly late start. The middle distance (along with the sprint) is my best event format, it rewarding good navigation and control flow and I was hopeful of a top 3 placing. The riding on Sunday was the complete opposite of the day before with technical trails of roots and ruts, long grass hiding track edges and close overhanging vegetation, all ready to reward a lapse of concentration with a face plant into the undergrowth. Some tiny indestinct paths and poor visibility made good navigtion a must. I started well and from the splits I have seen I was leading after the first 6 controls and going really well. My problem came at #7 where I lost approx 10 mins. There was something amiss with the map and the control placement but I found it eventually as Bryan Singleton and John Houlihan caught me having started 5 and 10 mins behind.
I then had the most fantastic head to head race with Bryan (the eventual winner) Bryan piling past on the short climbs using his awesome fitness and me pulling back into the lead in the intricate track network, keeping the control flow going not making any mistakes, I even managed a couple of standing EMIT punches (not putting your floor down at controls).
At #20 after my gears jammed he pulled ahead of me on the fast decent and subsequent climb but a mistake at #21 saw me overtake again leaving one to go.
On the way to the last control Bryan flew past out of the saddle with a call of ‘ My legs your Map !’ shame as I was just braking to turn into the track to the control 🙂 and he missed it. It felt very nice braking hard after the sprint for the finish line to have beaten him round the second part of the course.
Again a great event on a very challenging area. I was a little disappointed with my 4th place feeling I was capable of the win if I had not had the problems at #7 but everyone was in the same boat.
The weekend finished with a sunny prize giving of local apple pies, local ale and more banter before the long drive back up north.
Full results for the Long Race here and for the Middle Race here.
The accommodation is basic but great and the food very plentiful and yummy, if a little odd at times. It is very hot and humid, but not as bad as I feared. We have been out for a shakedown ride after building the bikes and many have had punctures already. The riding is very technical with lots of rocky trails to trip us up, as well as the thorns. I will go out again late this afternoon with the map to do a few controls at race speed to finish tuning in, then its lots of rest and fluid to get ready for the first race the long qualifier tomorrow morning.
Well the bags are packed and weighed (28 kilograms is all we get !) Bike serviced and tested, EMIT card sourced and I’m ready to go. Most of the team are staying with me tonight so we can travel to Heathrow together in the morning. Ive had a couple of colds in the last few weeks and the training has been a little disjointed but I feel very fresh and have tapered well getting lots of sleep.
