Stroxton Cyclocross

Today's event (the third of the Lincolnshire Cyclocross League), was an affair laid on by Witham Wheelers and took place in a field just South of Stroxton. I had ridden the same course last year so knew that it was pasture based, with a few ups and downs and a lumpy surface - apparently a testers course but with enough elevation to slow me down.

After a big night on the beer Friday night, and a lazy hangover day yesterday, I was itching for a spot of exercise and an hour at maximum heart rate was to be the cure ! I was so early to the venue, that I had chatted for ages, collected my number and still had an hour to wait until the start of the race. I wasn't sure how I'd go cos the warm up seemed very slow, but when the race started, most people seemed to be going slow on what is a slow course. There were very few fast parts, but not difficult technically, which meant just powering through the grind. Mostly the ground behaved itself, but started getting churned quickly and there were parts that were slippy and to be looked out for carefully.

The race itself lasts only 40 or so minutes, where the first race seemed to go on for ever, this one flew by, and I soon had the bell to signal the last lap. I was in my customary lower mid table position with neither anyone to chase or anyone close behind me, which meant that I was able to dial off for the last lap and take things a little easier whilst I negotiated the twists and turns and the jumping off over the planks.

3rd race done, a bit of improvement seen in my battle of the Wheelers, and I think I was a few places better than usual - we will see when the results come out mid-week.