by hattenburrow | Mar 1, 2016 | Biking Adventures, Racing
Last weekend was my first race of 2016! I had a major mechanical on Friday which left me a bit apprehensive as I packed my stuff. I like to make sure everything is sorted and in the car the night before as this helps banish my pre race nerves.
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The Wiggle Southern Rough Ride sportive started and finished in Amberley, Sussex, a pretty little village nestled in the South Downs. I am lucky enough to live in the South Downs and was excited to ride in a new part of this beautiful landscape.
After registration I lined up and the organisers set us off in group. A sportive is not a ‘race’ ‘race’ as it uses public land. Instead its a mass participation event with different routes for all abilities, I was doing the Epic, a 34 mile route.Each sportive has gold, silver and bronze finishing times I was aiming for around 4 hours putting me in the women’s gold position.
I set off with a plan to let my legs warm up for the first 30 minutes and then to ride hard, consistently. The first two hours passed by and I felt good, I had stopped briefly at the first feed station to fill up my water bottle.
The course was good fun with a mixture of open trails through farmland and scenic ridge paths.
After a while the course split where the standard and epic routes divide, here I came across a bit of a stumbling block the sign-age on the route had been great but myself and a group other riders miss read the sign and ended up on a mile detour back to the course!
Back on track I knew I had lost valuable time so pushed hard, to make it back up. This part of the course seemed a lot more hilly but after the final big push the last feed station was in sight and I knew there was only 8 miles left.
This gave me a new lease of life and helped me push towards the finish line.
My nutrition routine had been very good during the race eating three homemade apricot & nut bars, one each hour with a few jelly babies, a banana and a handful of salted nuts for good measure.
The course neared the end and doubled back on itself with an exhilarating downhill all the way to the finish line.
Crossing the line I was really proud to have finished in 3 hours 46mins even with a little detour of 2 miles. This put me well within women’s gold and was the time needed for mens gold!
Thank you to UK Cycling Events and Wiggle for organising a really good event.
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by hattenburrow | Sep 13, 2015 | Racing
It seems a very long time ago that I was lining up at Battle on the Beach for my first race of the season.
I went up to elite this year which was a bit of a baptism of fire! My first nationals were a real eye opener to the speed needed to be competitive in cross-country. Although the race was really hard I learnt a lot from the experience. I went away and worked on my technical skills.
Over the winter I had been doing some longer rides and found these suited me. I have always found the power and pace of cross-country a challenge but this year decided to try endurance racing.
My first six hour solo was tough but showed me that I could turn to endurance racing. I worked hard to improve my endurance building up from 3 hour nonstop rides to 5 hour nonstop rides. These were hard but I enjoyed pushing myself in a new direction and worked hard on my fitness.
The next challenge was a 24 hour race with Martyn where we got an unexpected 3rd place.
After Mountain Meyhem I had my own time of mayhem with buying our first house my training was disrupted. I decided to use this time when I was feeling rather stressed to concentrate on training and getting used to being on my bike for long periods of time and perfecting my nutrition during those rides.
I entered the last round of the Southern XC series and was happy that my training had paid off when I managed 3rd place.
My next priority race was Torq in your Sleep, my first 12 hour solo. I didn’t really know what to expect but I had a plan which I stuck too and that paid off. I learnt so much from this race like make sure you eat little and often so that you don’t get stomach cramp, don’t take the dodgy head torch light out as coming back to change it costs a lot of time (20 mins to be precise).
The next few months I will be working on my endurance and stamina clocking up the miles and building a good base over the winter.
My aim for 2016 is to race the Trans Alp and continue to improve on my endurance results from this year.
Thank you to my coach Mark at Velo coaching for your help with my training.
Thanks to my sponsors Grip Grab and Bike Fixers. Thanks to Silverback for my brilliant Syncra which has kept me competitive all year.
If you would be interested in supporting me in 2016 please contact hannah@peal2pedal.co.uk
by hattenburrow | Sep 2, 2015 | Racing
No race would be complete without a bit of drama! Torq 12:12 was no exception. On Saturday my newly tubeless tyres decided they were not happy with this arrangement and both went flat! Mild panic set in as I considered getting a flat tyre in my first ever 12 hour solo race on Sunday. So I popped in some tubes to keep punctures at bay.
Arriving Sunday morning I was eager to ride the course and face the much talked about Minley bombhole! I was accompanied on my practice lap by super star of the hour Fred who won his race the previous day in the under 7’s and Seb, feeling the need to be talked through the A lines it was nice to have some company!
The course was brilliant, singletrack linked by fire roads. It was mainly flat with 3 good climbs, the first was a short sharp up, a long gravel road climb and the worst one of all was a grassy climb, which considering it was not steep or long seemed to suck energy out of my legs! Considering the level of rain there had been the course was pretty dry with a couple of ‘sticky’ patches. Arriving at the Minley bombhole I rode it twice and was happy with my line choice.
After rider briefing I was feeling nervous but had prepared well so tried to relax before the mass start. Karen and I lined up together and it soon was time to begin our epic ride!
I got a good start and was not caught in too much congestion going into the singletrack.
The first three laps were good fun I pushed it on the climbs recovered on the downhills and ate on the flats. The singletrack was really good fun, especially a section with some off camber turns through the trees.
After the third lap I had a pot noodle break, this was the wrong time to stop as I got held up behind the six hour race in the singletrack which was frustrating, as soon as we got out of the first section I worked hard to pass as many slower riders as I could before entering the second section, however this high burst of energy with a half digested pot noodle made me feel rather sick and I got bad stomach cramps afterwards.
Lap five and six passed quickly I rode consistently picking up a new bottle and small snack. After lap 7 I stopped again for a porridge pot, it had just started to rain. I then felt a bit better so had a slice on banana bread and a packet of marmite crisps as I was craving savoury after so many jelly babies and sweet energy drinks.
Riding at night was a really cool experience. Under the tree canopy with only my headlight beam in front of me I felt like I was the only one out on the course, with only the sound of the ground under my wheels for company. Every now and again a shimmer of light and the sound of others would catch me up and then usually over take! Other riders where so supportive giving me encouragement which kept me going. Sometimes I felt like I had been riding alone for nearly a whole lap and then in the distance a carving beam of light would appear, this was really uplifting and gave me a target to aim for and catch.
At one point the course opened up into a field and through the trees I could make out tiny lights shimmering through like stars.
Near the end of the lap through a dark section of forest the organisers had put loads of glow sticks in the trees it was really pretty, like entering a magical forest and with the music from the disco pumping in the background I had a surge of energy and felt happy with my progress.
As I went out for lap 9 I had a technical issue as my head torch stopped working, I cut off the track and picked up a new one but had to then re-do part of the course again, this cost me valuable time and I felt a bit flustered and came off on a silly root.
Going back out for my 10th lap was the hardest I was cold, my knees ached and I just wanted to curl up and sleep. Martyn was an amazing support and convinced me to do another lap or two! I managed to do one more getting in just after the mid night cut off.
I felt pretty overwhelmed with what I had achieved coming third in my first solo 12 hour race was something I had never expected.
I want to say a huge thank you to Martyn who was an amazing support keeping me going every lap.
Thank you to Mark my coach who has helped me with my training.
Thank you to Silverback for my amazing bike, Bike Fixers for keeping it in tip top condition and Grip Grab for keeping my hands and feet toasty in all conditions!
Read the Pedal 2 Pedal team race report here.
by | Aug 24, 2015 | Racing
Pedal 2 Pedal travelled to the last in the Southern XC Series at Checkedon. I have been working hard on my endurance ready for my 12 hour solo next week and have not raced a cross-country race since June.
I was feeling strong and enjoyed my practise lap. Arriving back in time to see Fred take 5th place in the under nines and Ollie take 11th in the under 11’s. Well done boys! Head over to Pedal2Pedal for their write up.
As I have done no technical training for a couple of months I stuck with the B line even though I knew this would cost me time.
It was soon time to grid and I lined up on the front line with four other elite girls. When the whistle went I got squeezed and was not fast enough to react and lost my position. I have always found grass energy sapping and today was no exception the short grass loop to spread out the feel was exhausting I went into the single track struggling to stay with the group.
The singletrack was made up from lots of rooty corners and long fast straights I enjoyed the twisty tight singletrack and on the long straights pushed as hard as I could. My heart rate was averaging around 162 which is low, compare to what I know I can handle but I just couldn’t push any harder.
After the first lap the rain was really starting to come down making the roots slippy, I had to slow down on some of the root sections as I had quite hard tyres which did not grip as well, I had decided to keep them harder to stop the possibility of getting a puncture but now doubted this decision!
I worked hard for the next four laps catching glimpses of the other girls as the singletrack traversed through the wood.
After five laps I had consistently kept my lap times around 19 minutes which I am pleased with. I was frustrated that I lost the rest of the field and need to work on my speed ready for next year.
I surprisingly took third place which I was happy with but disappointed not to be able to close the gap.
Thank you so much to Bike Fixers, Steve has kept my Silverback in tip top condition. Thank you to Grip Grab and Dog Tag for supporting me and the rest of Pedal 2 Pedal.
by | Aug 8, 2015 | Racing
Yesterday I rode my first ever mountain bike super marathon, 100km. The Scott MTB Monster Marathon in Wantage, Oxfordshire. I had not had the best start with a few weeks of bumpy training and no time for long rides. I was hoping that the short sharp vo2 sessions which have helped improve my fitness would be enough to pull me through. To add to this it was my Dad and Sarah’s wedding on Friday so after a wonderful day and long night I hadn’t had a lot of sleep and had a belly full of cake and wine!
I drove up to Oxford apprehensive about the distance, the furthest I had ever been on a mountain bike but excited about the challenge.
The start was delayed by 15 minutes as people got stuck in London because of Ride London. Which reminded me of the absence of Martyn, who was meant to be accompanying me on this latest adventure…
When the horn finally went my relaxed start meant I was quite far back, I worked hard through the field to try and get in a good spot before the single track. I managed this relatively successfully and turned into the singletrack in a good position.
The first hour passed quite quickly, I thought the feed zone was at 21km it turned out to be at 17km which had taken me an hour; this worried my slightly as I had planned my own rations around when I could replenish. I picked up half a banana and re filled my water bottle.
The next couple of hours went by without a hitch I was happy I put more air I’m my tyres as I flew by lots of people with punctures. The hills were easy climbs but in the heat felt hard.
The views were amazing up on the ridgeway I could see for miles which took my mind off how long I had been riding for. The ground was chalky and rutty in most places with some loose rockie climbs and descents. A few road sections linked together the mainly double and single track course including one road through a valley where the wind seemed to be pushing me backwards.
The first 70km I felt happy with my pace and progress. I had a slight head ache due to the heat and being slightly dehydrated. At 76km I reached the final feed station snacking on peanuts and bananas I was starting to feel tired. Luckily I met a fellow cross-country racer and chatting about racing helped the time to pass quicker! When the 10km to go sign came I was really excited to be so close to finishing but also sad that my first 100km was coming to an end.
Crossing the finish line was a relief and being able to grab a cold drink felt very rewarding!
My first 100km was a great experience and I learnt a lot. I think in reflection maybe I needed to drink more in the first two hours. Also I think I would have been better with a more salty snack. Malt loaf was great but I craved salt so would try something savoury next time.
by hattenburrow | Jun 22, 2015 | Biking Adventures, Racing
It’s 23:51 and I am waiting for Martyn to finish his first double lap. I don’t usually start blog posts half way through a race, but then my races are not usually in a pair, for 24 hours, so why the hell not! Plus there is so much to remember I need to start now as I fear my brain will not be the same come 12 noon tomorrow!
Today started in the usual way me making breakfast for me and Martyn, the difference today being we would be sharing in this adventure together. After practising the course together yesterday I was excited about racing as a team but hadn’t really considered the fact when one was riding one would be resting so actually apart from the hand over the baton there would not be much ‘time together’ never the less I was excited about the race, along with those beastly pre-race nerves I always get!
At 11 we went to rider briefing followed by a Le Mans style start, I pulled the short straw and started which meant not only would I be riding the first lap I would be running the 800m to my bike! Not one for running I wasn’t thrilled by this idea.
I lined up helmet on bike parked behind me and when the horn sounded slowly crept forward into a run all the time being mindful not to trip or twist my ankle! The first lap went without a hitch and I passed the baton over to Martyn ready for his first lap and headed back to camp.
Now an hour is usually a long period time, but for some reason these ‘resting’ hours seemed to go very quickly compared to the time spent on the bike.. Anyone who can explain this please do!
We had decided to do one lap on one lap off until 6pm and this worked really well I got in some fast lap times, perhaps getting a little over excited!
Each rest stop I would have a small carb snack mainly malt loaf or porridge seemed to be my nutrition of choice, also yoghurt coated peanuts and raisins so scrummy!
6pm arrived quickly and I headed out on my first double lap of the day, half way round I felt like my pedal stroke had become a bit jumpy so stopped and got off and wriggled my crank arm, sure enough my bottom bracket had come loose I gingerly completed the lap, luckily as I came round to our base Martyn was standing on the side line ready to cheer me on so I pulled in after a quick decision Martyn sacrificed his two hour break to go back on the course so I could get my bike fixed. As expected I couldn’t get a new bottom bracket so had to do with getting it tightened.
Once Martyn finished his lap I went back out on my double lap just as the sun started to disappear the forest was so dark I was a bit shocked by how much the tree canopy sheltered the forest floor. It seemed like double laps were becoming my nemesis as this time my headlight gave up on me, so again I pulled into camp which and grabbed a new light before heading back out for my second lap. It now seemed pitch black in the woods, the wind seemed to have picked up and every tree branch now resembled some scary monster trying to pull me off my bike! I worked hard to stick with people not really being a fan of the dark! Especially at the Skratch laps lakeside trail!
I was surprised by how the dark changed the perception of the course, a course I would say after riding it several times I knew well… But things seemed to have moved the smooth line through now had a tree stump and the more technical sections felt hard, I didn’t seem to be able to find the nice flowing lines I had enjoyed earlier in the day. When I came back into the arena this time close to 11pm I new I needed that good two hour break my legs weren’t that tired but my arm and back muscles were sore and I was craving hot food! Meatballs and pasta sorted out this craving and to make sure I was properly re-fuelled I had a porridge pot for good measure!
So I am now sitting in camp waiting for Martyn to get back and the plan is a few hours rest before starting again.
At the moment we are lying in third place and have completed 13 laps so far not bad going for our first 24 hour race. I am very impressed with Martyn’s stamina he has not had time to do much training but seems to be breezing round.
Dawn Raid.
After a well-earned and needed sleep I woke at 5 (slightly later than planned) and got breakfast ready. I had been having some bike issues so Martyn took the first lap. The last couple of hours went by in a blur of eat, ride, repeat. We decided that if I put in a fast last lap and got in just before 12 Martyn could then go back out, this worked well and I completed a fast lap feeling exhausted but proud to have finished as Martyn headed out for his last time. Meanwhile I started to get camp packed down, a little while later I looked up to see Martyn go charging through, sadly I missed his big finish (I’ll be there next year).
We sat down and had a well-earned rest Martyn had a celebratory beer or four! We had held on to our third place even with a 4 hour nap! So felt really happy with our achievement. Going up to collect our trophy from Princess Anne, who owns Gatcombe Park, was a moment I won’t forgot she shook our hands and asked how we divide the laps and I said I did the lions share! Actually only two laps more than Martyn so hardly the lions share but Princess Anne found it amusing. As you can imagine he won’t let me forget this!
Thank you to Pedal 2 Pedal sponsors, Bike Fixers, Dog Tag and Grip Grab. Thank you to the organisers who put on an amazing event it was our first Mayhem and I am sure we will be back!
