I could hear the guy on the loud hailer calling for my group to start their engines and my bike was still on the trailer! Running around in a flat panic I tried to get ready in time but I knew it was a wasted effort so I became frantic – and then I woke up with a start!

Thankfully it was all just a bad dream and I still had a few hours’ kip before the alarm was due to go off. Tony was 15minutes early so we had plenty of time to get to Billington for the CHEC event. Meeting Phil at the local petrol station we set off together.

Nearly time - the butter flies are a fluttering!

We feared the worst due to all the rain but the car park looked ok, and to be honest I thought the going was a lot better than last time, but hey, I had a tube in the rear now so I could run it nice and soft, so maybe that made a difference!

I met a few familiar faces in the pits and had a chat about bikes etc and one of the marshals came over for a chat but I forget his TBM user name now as pre race nerves were kicking in! I did manage to have a short chat with the ‘lady in pink’ (sorry didn’t get your name either) who was taking part in her first CHEC event. Looking back at the photos now she managed to keep it shiny side up cos she looks remarkably clean in them!

I set off in the forth group and the course was reversed for today’s event, so we headed off across the field into the sapling wood. These little saplings are starting to grow pretty fast now and you can tell the difference from last year.

I took it nice and easy on the first lap but once we’d got into the bigger tree section I came across a guy that was looking fairly ‘dazed ‘n confused’ doubled over with the bike on its side. I stopped to ask if he was all right and he said he was so I carried on, but he was still there the next lap when I came round again but this time just looked a little sorry for himself but otherwise looked ok.

I quickly caught a load of guys in the woods so had to play ‘follow the leader’ for most of this section as there was hardly any places to past. Hey – it was sooo dark in there compared to the daylight outside, it took a while for the eyes to adjust.

Coming out of the woods it was through the stream, up to the right and then left, over some humps before climbing up a bank to swoop back down to the right to get over a small slippery hump. Now normally this is fine, but the moment you loose momentum it all goes wrong and on one of the early laps that happened to me. Someone was down so I tried to cut it tight and get over the hump but the rear just spun up and I ended dumping it down on the crest. A marshal was there straight away and we heaved it up so I could get on my way again.

Tony on the banking in the mx track

The course crisscrossed the mx part of the venue after that and some of the slopes were fairly tricky but all were ‘do-able’ as long as you had the before mentioned momentum, lose that and it was over, time to slide back down the slippery slope of shame!

me on the banking

By about lap three I was starting to get into the swing of things and trying to make up ground where I could. I found I was a lot better on the brakes than most people on the open going but lost out a bit coming out of the corners. Trying to remember all the techniques of cornering I found I had a hell of a lot more grip this time round. The bike was making very good power, pulling its front end up while revving out between corners.

I kept up a good pace and I must say I was feeling pretty good. I wasn’t falling much so that wasn’t draining my energy, and the few weeks of mtb riding and gym work seem to have paid off as after an hour I still felt ok.

Only two things were bugging me. The first was the bike, it had started to miss-fire and cut out again after going through water and the second was my right hand thumb which was starting to hurt (again). It must be at least six or seven weeks since I hurt it while out trial riding and it’s still not right.

 me again getting crap into the works again

Things took a turn for the worst when I approached the largest of the slippery slopes. I think a had to pause for another rider or it could have been the bike coughing but for whatever reason I either gave it too much gas or never had enough momentum but the end result was the same, however you look at it. I got ‘almost’ to the top before slowing, stopping then sliding back down to earth. The marshals were there straight away and I must say they were great, pulling it back down and helping me getting it going – while pissing themselves laughing and pointing out that my girlfriend was snapping pictures like mad! A bit pissed off now I did a bit of a circle and promptly did the exactly the same thing!!! After the ring from the loud “FAAAARK IT” stopped in everyone ears they again helped me get it going, and this time I took the chicken route to the top. I didn’t have anymore problems on that one for the rest of the session thankfully.

This is NOT what i'd planned!

just what i shouldn't have done cos see what followed!

 This is getting to be a habit!

I say good man - take that to the bottom of the hill for me eh!

As you can see from the photo gallery there were people going down all over the place and my girlfriend was hard pressed to know where to point the camera half the time! Luckily for me I didn’t come a cropper any more in the morning session.

Waiting for a clear run at a slope I had a second or two to ask the young lady in pink if all was well before heading off again. I gave Phil a toot and a wave as well somewhere along the line but never saw Tony at all so he must have been going well.

err - a little help here please!

Near the end of the session I had a quick look at the stopwatch and tried to work out the time it took me to do a lap. I sort of remembered something being said about penalties being given at lunchtime for lateness at this event so I asked the marshal at the machines if they were. He said yes they were and I had eight minutes left. In a moment of madness I dumped the clutch and set off to try and get one more in, only realising my folly when I was half way across the field! Oh well best make it a good one so I tried to make it a fast but flowing lap and luckily I never got stuck behind any bikes in the woods. According to my watch I was two minutes late but I suppose I’ll have to wait until we get the results. I normally start my clock as we line up so I’m about one minute in front. Even if I get one extra point I’d be happy.

Couple of Tony doing the business

me again

Phil shiny side up

So to the lunch break:

Tony walked up caked in crap from head to toe having dived head first into the worst of the mud while trying to get in his last lap. Mud had even gone into the helmet vent and was in his hair! Phil announced he wasn’t having much fun as he had lost a bit of confidence after a spill and was now struggling to get enough momentum going to clear the slippery bits and was falling even more because of it. I was feeling pretty good, once again thanks to the few workouts I’d done, as normally I’d be finished by now.

The second half of the day was going to be run in the reverse, so we set off into the mx track as is the norm. I must say the track flowed better for me and it had dried out a little too, so we were able to ‘race’ more. One thing that was really annoying me was the bloody bike cutting out. I was having to go fairly slowly through the puddle and was getting overtaken by guys that I had just overtaken approaching it.

The one and only tumble I had in the afternoon was when the front tucked for no reason, which caught me out a bit as it had been really planted all day. I end up with my right leg caught under the bike but I had my back to it and couldn’t get out as my foot was wedged. My leg and foot were at a bit of a dodgy angle so I didn’t want to yank it too much but then thought a marshal would be along any moment. Unfortunately I happened to be in a bit of a depression, so I don’t think anyone could see me. I twisted my foot enough to get it free at last and just as I was picking the bike up another rider asked if I was ok. Getting a ‘yep fine’ he set off and I was in hot pursuit trying to make up lost time.

I went past Tony at the water splash at some point – he was having a breather after getting it all wrong in the mx track. The previous lap someone had overtaken him by jumping a ditch. Aha he thought, “I’ll try that next time round”. Well ‘try’ is the operative word as his front wheel hit the far bank instead of clearing it and he had a ‘bit of a tumble’.

The afternoon went by fairly fast and I kept on pushing to make up time where I could, which was on the mx track and braking into corners on the open going. One thing I did have a few problems with is guys not getting out the way in the woods. Now ok - I’m the first to defend guys that are slower but there were a few that just refused to let me by. Mmm that sounds a bit ‘off’ really, it’s my job to get by not their’s to let me by. Still I don’t like forcing a pass in the woods as it could lead to tree/bike interface.

Once again a fantastic day out and everyone enjoyed themselves. Even Phil had a good afternoon session and he enjoyed it a lot better than the morning as he hardly fell off.

I finished feeling really good and up for more, which is great as I normally feel sick with exhaustion. So it’s more mtb’ing for me before the next round to try and trim the middle down a bit. Looking at all the pictures I can’t believe how skinny most people look! Even Tony (!) looks trim compared to me!

A big ‘thank you’ to all the marshals, who once again did a fantastic job of picking the bikes up all day, thanks guys. It really makes a difference if someone is there to help pick the bike up, especially when you are starting to feel knackered.

Another big ‘thank you’ goes out to my girlfriend as well, for once again running around the track, taking pictures in very changeable lighting but getting great results!

Roll on the AMCA event at Lane End. Now do I enter clubman or sportsman? Big fish in a little pond, or little fish in a big pond? Good result or get my arse kicked?

Preliminary results:
I got 3rd, Phil was 16th, Tony17th (mx tyre!) and paul 8th (all in O40 class)

Tony & Phil - you both got beaten by the girl!

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