Adam Mitchells update - 27/06/2007
Update from Adam (28 June 2007)
I thought I should write an update seeing as though I’ve
not once got round to doing one this year and it’s nearly
July already! My racing season is now well underway and my
mystery illness, which forced me off the bike for the whole
of February, is history.
March and April were like my winter, albeit a bit late, with
a fair bit of training, while everyone else was starting to
race. Hopefully I’ll feel the benefit of a late start
further on into the season, when other riders are starting
to feel stale.
April to May
My first road race of the season was at Kippax on 22 April
and was a major shock to the system! Did about 40 minutes
before packing and went away feeling fed up! I picked myself
up though and managed to get round the Elite race at Thurcroft
the following weekend (29 April), finishing in the top 30.
Russell Downing won the race, so it was a boost to the confidence
to have survived!
As quickly as confidence can come, confidence can go. I found
this out the next weekend (6 May), when I very quickly got
spat out of another road race, very early on. I actually can’t
remember anything about it now but I know I just didn’t
have my head screwed on that day! Other than the Thursday
evening SIS league on Preston Sports Arena, I didn’t
race again in May, which was also a busy period at work, so
probably for the best.
June
June started, uncharacteristically by doing a ten-mile time
trial! I actually quite enjoyed the Tuesday evening ride (5
May) and rode flat out all the way, finishing 15th from a
field of 67 riders. I reckon with tri-bars on, I’d have
been a minute quicker, so watch out testers!
My first June road race was on the horrendously hilly Doveholes
circuit, near Buxton (10 June). Luckily I had my head screwed
on and my legs in gear, getting to the finish in the top-30.
I’d started getting bad cramp in the last lap, despite
being handed up an extra bottle by Emma midway, and the final
hill to the finish seemed to last an eternity as my legs resisted
everything my brain was telling them to do!
Another hilly race followed the next weekend (17 June), on
the Old Hutton circuit, near Kendal. Once again, I had my
‘best head’ engaged and stayed in the front group
for the first two hours until, like the week before, I started
to get cramp. This time it was more severe and in both legs
and there really wasn’t anything I could do to carry
on. At the time of packing, I was one of about twenty riders
left in the main group. I later learnt that only 14 riders
finished the race, so I was pissed off that the cramp had
got in the way of gaining some points. The only good thing
was that I’d got a fairly long ride in, which I hoped
would do me some good.
Calthwaite Road Race
A wet Wednesday night road race at Calthwaite, near Carlisle
was most memorable for an enforced race stoppage with ten
miles remaining. The cause of the problem was a herd of rampaging
cows that were, according to the driver of the lead car, Friesians
and fine ones too! I got blocked in for the sprint and finished
11th, one place away from a licence point.
Not so Lumpy
You might think that the Not so Lumpy Road Race would be
run on smooth, flat roads but you’d be wrong. The Preston
CC elite event (24 June) was another wet race, held on the
Bashall Eaves circuit. Because of road works, the smaller
circuit was used, which meant 15 laps of being worn down physically
and mentally.
I spent the race simply trying to survive and went through
some bad patches where the thought of packing and joining
Emma and Hayton in the car seemed appealing. I’m glad
I didn’t pack, even if I did finish outside the top
20 and outside the points once again. The climb to the finish,
off the circuit, was over Chaigley and was just a case of
not stopping pedalling. There were a few stretches where I
couldn’t see any other riders and it felt a bit like
I’d blown on a winter club run. Wearing shorts.
Riding back to the HQ after the three-hour plus effort, it
was hard to believe it was June. I made a mental note to ring
my mum to wish her happy birthday as I sipped a protein recovery
drink and shivered in my winter thermal jacket.
Brighouse Circuit Race
After a Monday evening massage, which did me the world of
good physically and psychologically, I wanted to do a good
ride in this evening crit on 26 June. Emma’s granddad
lives in Brighouse and he’d come to watch, which was
another reason to try for a result. Hayton came across, which
was good because getting to the event was a bit tight, so
he was able to sort out my bike while I got changed.
The race was really professionally organised and well sponsored.
Lots of spectators were out and it seemed right to put on
a show for them. On the first lap I took the best racing line
into the first bend and got a bit of a gap, which I held on
to long enough to pass the finish line and get a mention from
the Eurosport Commentator.
The short, tight circuit was made harder by a keen breeze
on the back straight, which made it harder to escape, although
I tried to on a couple of occasions. At the midway prime I
narrowly missed out and was breathing out my ears while I
tried to recover from the effort for the next couple of laps.
After 30 minutes of racing the lapboard went up and started
to count down from five. The pace went up a bit but sticking
at the front, amongst the first five or so riders was the
best way of keeping out of trouble. A sprint finish was now
a certainty and I did all I could in the 200-meter finishing
straight to get up there. I got fourth; my best result since
2006 and was glad that I seemed to be getting some good form
at last.
Fish and chips with Leslie and Hayton aided my recovery and,
after watching the elite race, I drove home, thinking how
close I was to getting on the podium. Next Wednesday it’s
Rochdale, another tight town-centre crit but before that,
there’s the BTN Conveyors Road Race, covering three
loops of the infamous Saddleworth Moor climb…
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