by hattenburrow | Apr 19, 2024 | Racing, Uncategorized
Southern XC R 1 31.3.24
Couldn’t wait to race since this was the first Southern XC and I was hoping the course improved from last year. We arrived very early so lots of time to practice the course which helped.
The race went to plan (pushing the pace to try and get a gap) until I hit a slippery root at the wrong angle, slipped and hit a tree I got winded and my handlebars got twisted so it took a while to get back up by which point I was in fourth, I almost closed the gap to third but by then I had ran out of energy.
Despite that, I learnt lots. I had had a good start and fast four laps, holding my lead throughout. Maybe it was bad tactics that made me crash so I’m going to try an improve by being calmer (so I didn’t crash) and not giving up after my crash.
I’m looking forward to round 2 at the end of April.
Southern Enduro 7.4.24
I was really excited for this race but wasn’t expecting much as it was my first enduro. Practice went well so I was super excited, having the rest of the BTM team there was great and really helpful to talk about different lines and options on the track.
My best bit was hitting one of the important high lines on stage 2 plus having a great mistake–less run on stage 4 on which was a slippery and technical track.
On stage 3 I slipped off line and on stage Two I over braked into a corner so had to waste energy getting back up to speed. Overall, it was a really fun first enduro race and it went well apart from those few small mistakes and I still managed to get 4th in the U13’s – really happy with that!
I would like to improve my jumping for next time so I can hit some of the bigger ones like on stage 5 and maybe work on my line choices.
Thank you to my sponsors: Windwave | Right Bike | Southern Enduro | Melon Optics | Beyond the Mud
by hattenburrow | Apr 17, 2024 | Racing
Southern Enduro Round One Queen Elizabeth Country Park – Hampshire.
Arriving
When I arrived at the event, I was very excited but also quite nervous. We met up with my new race team beyond the mud, at the tent Rafe had set up for us. It was great to meet with the team again and Rafe made sure to let us all know what was going to happen.
Practice
We left for practice and I was very exited to ride the trails that I would have my first race on. Charlie, Jacob and I started on stage 5 which was very fast and jumpy, which I liked a lot. Then Rafe and Demi joined us on stage 4. Stage 4 was similar in speed to stage 5 with just a few less big jumps. We then went over to stage 3 which was again quite a fast one but it was a bit more rooty and technical. Penultimately, we headed over to stage two which started off slow and pedaly then fast and technical in the middle section. Finally we went over to stage 1 which again started quite slow and pedaly but then picked up speed in the latter part of the course. We all headed back to camp and made sure to flue up and keep warm!
The race
At the start gate of stage 1 I was very nervous, however as I started to pedal towards the first berm it was like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders and I was at home again, shredding my bike!
The first half was a bit slow but as soon as I got near the road crossing, it started to pick up in speed and I was loving it. Unfortunately at the last 50m or so my chain came off but I knew that it wasn’t far from the finish so I just rolled with it.
Stage 2 – I was a lot more exited then nervous on this one and I had a good start, got my foot down and smashed through the 1st section, when it came to the road crossing I listened to Rafe’s advice and stuck to the high line unfortunately I got my pedal stuck on the tree roots costing me a few seconds. The rest of the stage was good.
Stage 3 – started off fast however I missed the first shortcut and had to hit the drop, I think this caused me to get a bit agitated about getting the next short cut, which might of cause a bad line choice after the second short cut causing me a crash which costed me about 30 seconds.
Stage 4 – went all well and I felt fast.
Stage 5 – also went well I was a bit on the fence with some of the jumps so I just decided not to hit them (next time I think I will have a better look at any jumps so that I am more confident) I came 22/45 which I think is a good place for my first race!
Thank you to our sponsors: Southern Enduro | Windwave | Right Bike | Melon Optics | Beyond the Mud
by hattenburrow | Apr 12, 2024 | Racing
Saturday morning waking up to a gale in our little Welsh air bnb I suddenly realised I had forgotten my heart rate strap! As someone who loves to see her numbers this really threw me… I didn’t’ need to worry as on a message to Dave from RCR he had a spare I could use. Thank you Dave!
On Sunday I lined up for my first ever race as Hannah Griffiths with my Husband as my queuing buddy among some 700 riders @battleonthebeach
Preparation had been patchy at best with illness, trapped nerves and general antics.
The wind blew wildly as we stood with everyone else listening to the band and waiting for the mid day start, soon we were on our way jostling for places out onto the hard packed sand, catching the wheel of other riders and being quite literally blown up the beach!
Turning off the beach and into a mess of boggy puddles before crossing back to the beach into the headwind from hell!
The tactic, work together with other riders to survive and make it up the beach using as little energy as possible.
The best part for me was the second part of single track this really played to my strengths and I loved swiping through the dunes and up into the forest I felt more at home.
Out on lap two and with the wind changing direction a little as well as the tide coming in, the effort needed both up and down the beach really started to hurt!
Once off the beach sections I got back into a rhythm in the single track and finished the race feeling exhausted and full of life.
What an epic event. I learnt so much, including that next year I need to get seeded so I can get out ahead of the crowds!
Thank you @welshside for sticking with me at the start.
Thank you @battleonthebeach for a brilliant day out.
📸 @anthony__pease
by hattenburrow | Mar 21, 2024 | Adventure, Coaching, ITAG
I.T.A.G stands for International Trail Ability Grading and was created for mountain bike coaches to encourage standardisation and safety out on the trails in the UK.
When I (Rafe, art of the Beyond the Mud team) dreamt up I.T.A.G Framework at the tail end of COVID after watching all these new riders emerge from their isolation I saw some amazing talent, a lot of progression, but a lot of riders who had learnt to run before they could walk. I wanted to create a framework which could give riders a ‘check list’ as it were of what skills to work on first.
I developed the framework alongside several coaches at Beyond the Mud and other organisations to ensure we had a wide range of expertise and opinions. The framework is built upon a natural progression of which skills a rider would need, from beginning their journey into the world of bikes, on green trails, all the way up to becoming a racer or free rider!
I have laid out the 9 column with 6 sub categories. Each sub category is a skill the rider must complete. Once the rider has completed all 6 and demonstrated them to the coaches they can be awarded their Tag, (a coloured paracord bracelet) their certificate and a poster. Once complete the rider can move onto the next column.
You might note the sliding scale of colours along the bottom of the poster. This indicates the trails the riders skill level would best suit. These are aligned with international trail grading markers to keep riders safe.
Here at Beyond the Mud we use this system during our summer camps and when working with groups of children on the trails. We have also started using this ethos with adults we coach too.
by hattenburrow | Mar 7, 2024 | Uncategorized
Hey there, I’m Ben, hitting the ripe age of 34 this year. I’ve been tearing up the trails for a solid 22 years now, dabbling in all sorts of cycling disciplines along the way. Started out with dirt jumping and I then quickly got into riding Downhill back in 2006. Nowadays, I ride so many disciplines you could pretty much call me a freerider. My greatest accomplishment was getting the front cover of the Red Bull magazine, Red Bulletin back in 2018.
You’ll find me competing in Downhill, Enduro, and Dirt jumping competitions. Last year, though, I had a bit of a rough patch with a nasty crash in Leogang. Still on the path to recovery, but I’m grateful to be back in the saddle. The speed is slowly creeping back, and I’m itching to get back between the tapes.
