Leisure Lakes Circuit Race Round 1

Cheltenham Race Course

Circuit/Crit

1.2 km Circuit with a sharp hill every lap

Raining and very cold

Friday saw 35 riders line up on the start line of the first of two circuit races to be held at Cheltenham Race course hosted by Leisure Lakes. Over the last 2 years I have raced these events and had some great experiences, great results and gained a lot of race craft along with vital BCF points, I enjoyed the aggressive racing as well as the fantastic training that these races also provide.

I would like to be able to say that I felt the same about this year’s first round but unfortunately I can’t as what I experienced was sheer hell that thankfully I do remember much of. Typically as we were given the go ahead to start the race, the rain continued to fall and the temperature began to drop as the night wore on. For the first 20 minutes I was feeling pretty good and managed to aid in pushing the pace up to stupid levels in order to thin the group out. By the time we came round for the 5^th lap, the race winning selection of 13-15 riders had already been made and we were already lapping riders.

As usual with this race, every lap saw an attack on the infamous hill that riders face every 1.5 minutes during this 60 minute race. For the first half I was finding the hill no trouble, I was able to close gaps well, respond to attacks and even attack on my own. However, after the half way mark things began to change, the hill was becoming unusually hard, I was now sitting towards the back of the group rather than the front and I wasn’t quite as sharp as I should have been. I was struggling……The reason? I was getting cold, very cold. In fact I was beginning to freeze, literally.

With the constant rain and falling temperature I was really starting to suffer due to the cold, this is not helped by the fact that I have a very low body weight and fat percentage so I feel the cold much easier than most. Every time we went down the hill on the course it was like getting thrown in to ice cold water, enough to make me struggle to catch my breath. My legs began to numb to the point where I was almost unable to get up the climb. Things began to get really bad when I started to black out during the race whilst entering some of the corners. How I never pulled out I don’t know but I didn’t as I wasa still with the main group. I eventually dropped of the pace with 2 laps to go and also began screaming in pain as I went down the descent for the last time.

I crossed the line and fell in to the arms of my good friend who had come to watch. Thankfully he gave me his coat to wrap myself in and carried my bike back to the car. I couldn’t feel my body and don’t remember much about the race, what I do recall is trying to walk back to the car like a drunk and falling over. I sat in the car with the heaters on full for a good 30 minutes shaking violently with my lips and face ice blue. It was horrible.

I don’t remember driving home but I guess I managed it as I woke up in my bed the next morning feeling pretty rough. My legs felt like they had been hit with a sledge hammer over and over again.

I will be back for the 2^nd round next Friday in the hope of a better experience but if its raining I think I will keep my race cape on.

Dan