Thursday 5 February 2009

The end of hibernation, the start of my mid life crisis.

The fug of winter lethargy is beginning to properly lift. Mojo located and requiring some nurturing, I bottled out of soloing the Strathpuffer and joined a team of 4 to 'enjoy' the windy, snowy madness and the socialising between laps. The snowy morning laps were a privilege to experience, but I'll leave my second 24 hour solo effort til I'm mentally better prepared.

Starting my 40th year has prompted a flurry of entries to some 'gnarlier' events than the XC and endurance stuff I have attempted before. My thinking being, I'll get them in now and if I utterly embarrass myself, I can blame it on a mid life crisis. The first effort was round 1 of the Alpine Bikes Winter Series at Innerleithen. 'A fun race' I was told, how come then, when I looked at the start list there was a certain T Moseley, J Mart and K Curd in the line up... So, I was going to come last, the question was, just how last would I be?

The heady aroma of testosterone filled the air in the queue for the uplift, not another woman in sight, I was truly afraid. Squeaking, swearing and hyperventilating, I made it down the practice runs in one piece and at last got chatting to a couple of the 7 other lady competitors. I was the only first timer to DH racing on the female start list, but experienced young and upcoming riders Bex Reilly and Angela Coates looked after me. My race run was a blur of adrenaline induced tunnel vision and I collapsed in a retching, gasping heap at the finish. Anyone who suggests that DH is a lazy option because of the pushing and uplifts is so wrong. I've rarely exerted more intense effort over a short period, even during the most beasting of hill intervals. So how did I do? Though I say so myself, I thought I acquitted myself respectably at 40 secs behind the girl in front and not coming last overall. The thing that I will treasure is that I rode in the same race as a multiple world cup winner and was only 1minute and 58 seconds slower. And so I enter my mid life crisis with my head held high :)

Jo

13 comments:

Minx said...

It sounds like one hell of a mid life crisis - can we all join in?

Carey said...

Awesome! I turned 40 this January and I Kick Ass over younger ones, if I do say so myself!

SJ said...

Well done! You need to get down south and enter some more DH's, you'll get the bug!

F.W. Adams said...

Face your downhill demons--whether they be in your head or in the hills--with coursge! Ride on, Ride on.

Anonymous said...

Hey Jo!! You're cool! Go girl! I did my first downhill race last year at the ripe old age of 46!! And have done another 6 races since - lovin' it! I can totally identify with your 'mid-life'crisis.

Jill (Gravity Gran)
fwords4life.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

[url=http://gallery.veafoorea.ru/russian-women-novosibirsk.html]russian women novosibirsk[/url] [url=http://gallery.veafoorea.ru/sample-russian-girls-submit.html]sample russian girls submit[/url] [url=http://gallery.veafoorea.ru/bluesapphire-and-russian-brides.html]bluesapphire and russian brides[/url] [url=http://gallery.veafoorea.ru/dating-agency-uk-blackpool.html]dating agency uk blackpool[/url]

Anonymous said...

[url=http://girls.hamee.ru/nude-virgin-mail-order-brides.html]nude virgin mail order brides[/url] [url=http://girls.hamee.ru/russian-girls-pee.html]russian girls pee[/url] [url=http://girls.hamee.ru/index56.html]mail order brides from spain[/url] [url=http://girls.hamee.ru/scanna-russian-woman-ideal-wife.html]scanna russian woman ideal wife[/url]

Anonymous said...

[url=http://song.hamee.ru/young-russian-girls-under-18.html]young russian girls under 18[/url] [url=http://song.hamee.ru/russian-girls-fuck.html]russian girls fuck[/url]

Anonymous said...

[url=http://pretty.hamee.ru/whipping-russian-woman.html]whipping russian woman[/url] [url=http://pretty.hamee.ru/mail-order-bride-poland.html]mail order bride poland[/url]

Anonymous said...

[url=http://livecam.hamee.ru/mail-order-bride-latin.html]mail order bride latin[/url] [url=http://livecam.hamee.ru/index82.html]russian dating service[/url]

Anonymous said...

[url=http://young.reira.ru/woman-russian.html]woman russian[/url] [url=http://young.reira.ru/xx-russian-girls.html]xx russian girls[/url]

Anonymous said...

[url=http://free.reira.ru/.html][/url] [url=http://free.reira.ru/index90.html]russian girls aged 16[/url]

Anonymous said...

[url=http://pretty.reira.ru/kharkov-dating-agency.html]kharkov dating agency[/url] [url=http://pretty.reira.ru/index52.html]russian brides sluts[/url]