Inter regional MTB champs and Oktoberfest

This year at Inter Regionals Team South West finished the weekend in 9th position after a fun filled weekend of endless competitions. It was a great experience with towel stealing, getting locked out of rooms and consistent eating at the hotel, and riding, racing and even more eating at hadleigh! Thank you to Justin and Rob for taking us all there. Also, a massive thank you to Maddie and Jay for helping us get to the level we are all at! Well done to everyone for doing brilliantly this weekend! 
Inter Regionals this year started on Thursday evening when my mum, dad and I travelled up to the Caines house in Yeovil for the night before going up to Essex the next morning. The next morning we met up with the rest of the team so the girls piled into one van and the boys in to the another. The journey for us girls mainly consisted of giggling, selflies and eating! When we got there it was time for the skills competition soon after we arrived. After everyone finished the South West finished the day in an amazing 2nd place!
The next day it was time for the Handicap and Dirt Crit races. I started the Handicap race just over half way up the field after finishing in the mid 20's in the skills. It was a fun snappy course and we did multiple and I managed to finish 25th. Next were the Dirt Crits after many sprints around a short course of about 500m and in the end finished 22nd.
On Sunday it was the main xc race, we pre-rode the course in the morning and I eventually brought my self to ride all of the A lines possible which made a great difference in the race.The race finally started in the after noon and we were off for 5 laps. For 2 laps I felt great powering around the course but then my energy slowly went and I dropped back in the field finishing 32nd.
It was a great weekend and I would love to do it again! Thank you again to everyone that helped me to get there and also to Gareth from Bikespace for fixing my bike again!

Oktoberfest 2013
Friday night, we picked up Lucy from her house and started our journey up to Ashton Court in Bristol. The journey contained singing, selfies (again!) and endless texting! When we got there we looked out for the Fully Sussed van and placed our camping spot next to them. That evening we all sat in circle and chatted whilst eating crisps, biscuits and celebration cake (thanks Maddie and Jay) as us professional Mountain Bikers do! 
On Saturday our busy day started when the Caines arrived and we set off for a quick pre-ride for Lucy and Patsy, as they had never ridden there before. I love Ashton Court and couldn't wait to race there. Maddie then started off our team race by doing the run up the grass climb to jump on her bike and race for to laps. When she finished her laps I set off for mine it was great fun! The course is so much fun with sweeping and flowing berms. I then finished my lap and passed the hair bobble on the Patsy. Throughout the day we relayed around the course. At 4.30 Maddie powered around the course for the team's final lap of the day and we then won the women's 8hr team event. Well done to the Maverick girlies for winning. Also, well done to everyone else that raced for doing brilliantly!

Dartmouth cyclo cross

A 9am start with the Allan's off to Dartmouth for the next round of cyclo-cross. As we turned off of the motor way there was yet another road closure in the south west, it must be me whenever we go to cyclo-cross there is a road closure, I must be living up to my nickname Calamity-Lane! When we got to the venue Lucy and I went for a nip around the course before my race adventuring through the sand pit and trekking up the grassy banks! 11.30 soon closed in which meant it was the beginning of my 30 minutes of riding. As usual Harry B zoomed off in to the distance and in the end winning the race (well done!). The course was really fun with slopes, curbs, steps and sand! The prize I got for winning girls was brilliant, a bottle full of chocolates! At 12.30 the other race started with Lucy, Charles, Penny, Matt and Jack in, they all stormed around the course with Lucy winning female, Charles junior and Matt 3rd junior. 
It was a really great race, thank you to the organisers and well done to everybody who raced. Bring on inter regionals next weekend! 
 

Did us girls really race?

To start with a positive, I'm now part of team Fully Sussed! Wooo! Thank you Maddie and Jay :) 

With two races this weekend I want to start my time with Fully Sussed hopefully getting podium places.
Saturday morning was an early start for my dad and I, 6am! It was nearly made worth it with the beautiful sunrise but 6am is 6am! We made our way up to Stroud with the company of Janner fm (Heart) commenting on how crazy everyone is getting up at this time. As we arrived at the location the satnav took us to we released that it wasn't the place we were supposed to be at! After some help from a kind local we rolled up in the event car park slightly later than the other competitors. 1 lap for us Juvys and Youths, 15minutes later we all had all finished ready to ride some more of the fast course, so that was what we did. Most of the under 16s went out for a fun lap and then watched the adults suffer their 1.30hrs plus a lap race! It was then the presentations, I was really happy because I had beaten the youth girl and me being a juvenile this was quite an achievement. As they gave the prizes out I released that they only gave prizes to the age group winner and not boys and girls, this was really disappointing especially when the girl I beat got acknowledged as the winner of youth. She deserved to get this recognition, I was just a bit upset not to get recognised for my achievement as a juvenile and not my first podium picture in my new Fully Sussed kit. This aside, I think it was one of the organisers first races and it was a fun course and suited me well being quite flat and having short steep hills. 

On to Sunday now, luckily the alarm wasn't set for as early as the previous day and today it was cycle-cross time! I really liked the course at Wellington with it being reasonably flat and not being too technical. This time there were more people in my race and even another girl! After 30 minutes of cyclo-crossing around the local rugby team I finally finished, nearly collapsing from exhaustion! It was the best cyclo-cross race I have done and I didn't get lapped by Harry so that was an accomplishment in itself! After the day before, I was hoping that as I had won I would get that photo on the podium in my new kit! The amount of boxes of Jelly Babies broke the news to me though, 1 winner for each category again! I didn't really mind about the Jelly Babies as I can't even eat them with my braces. I just wanted the recognition for what I had done and hope that at the next event the girls achievements get noticed too, as no girls under 16 were acknowledged.

Rant aside, thank you to the race organisers who put together really great courses and also again to Maddie and Jay for inviting me to team Fully Sussed :)

Big Bike Bash Bonanza!

Friday night we arrived at Avon Tyrrell adventure centre all psyched up for the weekend ahead. We pitched up at our hook up near the arena so we didn't have much of a walk to anywhere! By the time we went to the stage area and beer tent everything was in full swing, one of the bands were jamming away to some rock and roll music at full blast. The Hough's then turned up and soon after we saw some friends that are moving to Australia so we had a nice little group! The rest of the evening consisted of little children crazily riding around, adults drinking beer, j20 for me and Charles and some band playing 'banging' music very loud! Eventually everyone retreated to their camping pitches at about 11.30.

The next morning the Big Bike Bash officially started with the under 15's races on the short track setting everything off. First the under 6's, then the under 10's and finally the under 15's! The course was tight and bendy, making racing on it fun. After 2 laps it had finished and I won (woo!). 
Throughout the day, there were events such as Track Stand and Bunny Hop competition, also there was an under 18's race on the main xc course that Charles and I wanted to do. As soon as we started Charles zoomed off in to the distance then winning the race! Having not ridden the course during the race I managed to go in to tape twice but it was great fun! I was the only girl in it so it was an easy win! Later on in the day there was a Malt Loaf eating competition, (earlier we had been told that the quickest time to eat one was 42 seconds!) About 7 men lined up behind hay bales and they got given a Malt loaf in it's wrapper and then, go they were off! 
One person even stuffed the whole thing in his mouth, (but then was nearly sick!) in the end, slow (ish) and steady won the race! After that was the Pint to Pint race, when adults raced around the short track to their pint of beer, then had to down it, do another lap, down another beer and then do there final lap! When they were drinking their beers people moved the bikes confusing them so much when they rushed back to find their bike gone! When that had finished Charles and I headed over to the Pump and Gravity track to find it near enough empty (yay!) whilst we were jumping numerous times down the track, we heard the Lezyne Exploder (inner tube bursting) going on in the main arena. The evening pretty much consisted of the same things as the previous night, loud music and drinks!
Sunday morning started with the eliminator races on the short track, lots of water was involved in it! Charles then took part in the Track Stand competition and was third beating many older men! We then both went in a fun xc race Charles coming first again and me coming third! As we were racing we could hear the cheers coming from the Gravity track as the hill climb and pedal free races went on. After we watched the jumpers on the Mulch Jump Competition, some were quite impressive!
My dad the challenged me to the Giant Slalom, so I accepted as a laugh! Beating him I then managed to go on to win it, beating some upset men! The next Pint to Pint race then started with my dad and his friend Ben in it. They both managed to gain many places from the ability of being able to down a beer quickly and finished 2nd and 3rd! That evening the auction went on with shiny bikes and flashy things up for grabs. 

The timetable for Monday consisted of;
11am - The famous Lake Jump. 
After some persuading I then agreed to take part in the popular event, joining Charles in the queue. When it was my go I so nervous to launch my self off a jump on a bike in to the lake but it was so much fun (apart from face planting the lake!). Charles then followed getting loads of height and not face planting like me! 

1pm - The Massive Prize Giving!
If you can't hold it give it back! (the rule for the amount of prizes you could get!) There was so much! So many people got prizes!

2pm - Pack up and go home safely. 

It was all over, a weekend well spent! 

Thank you the whole of the Big Bike Bash organisers and helper for an amazing weekend, hopefully we will be coming next year!

Great Hound Tor Bunkhouse

Saturday
Running, I have to say running isn't my favourite thing! Anyway, Saturday morning, off we set up Hound Tor for an early morning (ish) training session. A few jumps and some skipping (we all love skipping!) later we headed back down to the bunkhouse. Later on, Harry started his tour around the local area. It was brilliant! I may have fallen off a few times but it was really great. Half way through the ride we went down the nutcracker, well rode half and walked half, which I had heard loads of scary stories about. After that we started to ride back to the house and got out of our sweaty kit and then sat outside by the stream for a nice chat! Before dinner we all sat down to play boggle, we then had lovely chilli, cooked by Maddie and Jay, for tea. After that we started a game of foreign uno with cats on the cards! We then moved on to poker! It was then time for bed, Maddie and Jay retreated to their van, Harry back home, Jack, Fin and Matt to their room and me to mine. Thanks to Harry and Matt the barn was lovely and warm because of the log burner below us. 

Sunday
Sunday morning began with the noises of the farm all around us, especially the doves in the walls of the barn and the sheep right out side! The night before we got told to try and fast before our first session in the morning but that was soon given up and the croissants, bread and pancakes were brought out for our first breakfast. We then cycled up to Hound Tor to do our morning session of hard gear sprints and then messing around on the rocks of the Tor. The weather soon turned and it started to rain. On the way back to the bunkhouse the road was really slippery and Harry slipped off going around a corner, back at the bunkhouse Harry's mum decided to take him the the local A&E so, unfortunately for Harry, he had to miss out on the days ride (hope you're feeling better Harry :) ). After that our second breakfast started and the rain became heavier. Luckily the weather started to become better so we headed off for another local tour, this time from Matt (which was just as good as Harry's!). Today we headed up onto the moors, instead of being in the woods like the day before. The rain then started to come again as we were going up a long moorland climb, later on in the day I even had to resort to taking my glasses off so every thing in the world was clearer and I could enjoy the amazing views! The descents were really fun and not really that technical but I still managed to fall off, but only once today! Back at the bunkhouse we all got changed into clean clothes and got our stuff ready to go back home. 
It was a really great weekend, thank you Maddie and Jay for organising it and Becky (Harry's mum) for getting the bunkhouse for us. Hopefully everyone will be able to come to the next weekend away, and I seem to remember the mention of the total wipeout course in north devon?!

Link for the camping barn-
http://www.yha.org.uk/barn/great-hound-tor-camping-barn 

A race catch up!!

Woodbury- Final SW round
It's going back a bit I know but this is one of the races I am most happy with recently! But due to school and other cycling commitments I haven't really had time to write a blog.
Saturday morning, Lucy and I woke up after a pre race sleepover raring to go for the two days coming. The journey consisted of listening and singing along to cheesy music including JLS, Justin Bieber and the Jaws theme tune, which I have to mention were on my dad's phone. When we got to the camp site we joined Ruby, George and their mum who had already set up camp. After we put up the tent and had one of our few washing up water fights we set of to the race course on a bridleway through the woods. As we arrived at Woodbury we met Maddie and Jay who had been working hard since wednesday or thursday to get the event running smoothly. We then went on a practise lap concentrating on the more technical stuff to get us riding it quicker. After a helpful few laps we headed back to the camp site to get prepared for the fancy dress in the evening. We looked like Wally's (excuse the pun!). Everyone looked great in their crazy costumes, but Lucy, Charles and I looked the best as Where's Wally. The hot laps were so much fun and I was really happy coming 2nd out of three. That evening we all went to the camp park and happened to ask one of the most annoying girls in the camp site to play 40/40 with us, but oh well we had fun! The next day I was so happy with how the XC race went, coming 2nd out of 4 and feeling on form! 
Well that was it for the south west series over and I hope someone can live up to Maddie and Jay's high standards for a series next year!

Where's Evie? (Excuse the pun again!)

During the race

On the podium

2XC race Haldon
The 2XC race was on a Wednesday night and my dad, Charles and I travelled up to Haldon forest for the race. It was a fun course and technical at the same time. I was happy with how I did, beating some of the youth boys! 

2xc race 2nd place

The SW clan posing

XC Youth race
There was a youth race the Monday after Woodbury, it was very tiring! I still managed to take 2nd place out of 3 with Ruby taking the win.
A few weeks later there was another youth race that I was feeling on real form in managing to come 3rd over all in the under 16 which I was really pleased with. 

Margam- National round 4
On Friday evening my dad and I set off in the motorway to Margam Park. When we arrived we headed to the SW area next to the Fully Sussed van. After setting up we went for an explore around the park and when to the castle. When we came back the Hough family had arrived and the next 10 minutes consisted of me and Charles bossing around our parents of where to park the vans. We then had dinner, talked for a while, waited for the Allan family for a bit, but then gave up after they got locked out of Margam Park for the night, and then went to bed. The next day we got a bit of a lie in as Maddie and Jay had gone off for an early morning race. Slowly the rest of the SW clan turned up and we went off to pre ride the course. I was happy that I rode the quarry drop which some people even got broken bones on. Although I rode that I didn't quite have the confidence to ride the A line later on in the course but hopefully next time I ride there I will. That evening it was lake time! With Penny and Jackie the SW riders went for a cool off in the lake by the castle. It was lovely getting out of of the heat and in to the coolness of the lake. The next morning it was boiling! Everyone was getting pre race nerves and then to top it off the race was delayed but 30 minutes due to a bad crash and an ambulance being needed.Whilst racing the conditions were crazy, it was boiling! The parts of the race I was most happy with were my start when I managed to get to the  front half of the pack and then managing to get in to 3rd place on part of the climb. Finishing 7th I realised what I had to work on was my endurance and decided to concentrate on that for next year when I will be in youth.

In the Welsh sun

XC Youth race
The most recent race I've been in was on Monday when Lucy, Charles and I went to the XC Youth race in Stover. We were the only ones there! And we all managed to win as we were all in different categories! It was a good work out though and we got a nice cheering on from the pupils at the school!

Over the summer I am going to work on endurance and have decided to give Hadleigh a miss so I can have more family time and train towards the cyclo-cross season and hopefully the inter-regionals.
The next race I am doing is the Big Bike Bash in Avon Tyrall on the August Bank Holiday and is a great event (there is a lake jump!). 

Thanks to all of the organisers for the races I have been in recently which include Maddie and Jay, Andy Parker, Alan Drury and British Cycling. 

Juice lubes jam, SW champs and Stover race

The weekend started with the Juice Lubes jam, me and Patsy were ready for our 3 hour pairs race. At 10 o'clock the race started and Patsy zoomed off, I then got prepared for the change over 30 minutes later. After three hours of relay, Patsy came in from her last lap and we had finished, managing to be 2nd in the Senior pairs and beating grown men! Thank you Juice Lubes for our great prizes!
After the presentation, Patsy, Lucy, Fin, Chris and I went off to watch the 6 hour racers brace the bear pit. We then spent the last few hours of the race sat on the B line eating sweets, nearly rolling a tree down the hill and revising for Fin's math test on Monday.
Later that evening the hot laps started and after a long battle Ruby finally beat me by 3 seconds. 

When Sunday came it was another early start for the hour race. I have to say that I was quite tired from the day before and  at the end of the race I could have easily slept for a week! Thank you Juice Lubes again for the prizes. Also, thanks to Silverfish for my amazing bike and Gareth from Bike Space for servicing it.

Monday then came quickly after a brilliant weekend and good nights sleep! It was time for the last race on my 3 race streak. The course at Stover School was really fun and I even got to race against another girl! After the 30 minute race I had to agree with Freddy's comment to me "Evie you must be dead after yesterday and the day before!". 

Thank you again to Maddie and Jay, Juice Lubes, Silverfish, Gareth and the organisers of the Stover race, Andy Parker and Justin Knox.