Peebles XC

Apparently Dracula's castle here overlooks the course. I've never seen it. Lucky I finished before dark.

Anna Henly coming to get me. She didn't but she's closer every time.

I wasn't quite right for a wee while afterwards!

Porty splashathon

It was a beautiful day for the Peebles XC. We headed up to Morningside to pick up Mike and Michael and headed down the road. Almost no route finding problems until we were actually into Peebles, where we did a little bit of chasing round in squares and some mild swearing. None of it with much conviction. The sun being out helps a lot.

For a warm up I went and looked at the scary bit before the finish. Hmmm, still scary. Rocky, slimy, narrow, rooty single track with a steep drop off.

This was my 3rd race in a month and it was telling. I was back where I used to be. It was hard. The high I got from the Lauder XC and less so at Gala (I loved the course, but not the PRESSURE) had now all but worn out and I was pecking along too hard to be at all comfortable and yet too slow to be at all fast. I didn't HATE it, but....Oh well....anyway it's a nice course. I preferred when it was up or down rather than flat because I do seem to have accumulated some crafty old dogness over the years and can steal some kind of benefit when the going gets rough or tough.

The last downhill bits were good and then I saw Anna Henly catching up behind me so did my best to hold her off. I was actually quite cunning, well I thought so anyway. There was a biggish bloke who looked like he was struggling with the technical descents so I slipped just in front of him just before the scary rocky bit feeling sure that no-one would be able to get past him...this worked out until I caught up to another woman in roady looking shoes who had actually stopped completely - was refusing the small slither down to the path. I had to go round her, losing my advantage. Then it was just a horrible push to the end with all my internal alarms going off and the nausea rising...

My history teacher used to have this exclamation that I've never heard anywhere else. "Ye Gods and Little Fishes." For some reason it's coming into my mind now. Ye Gods and Little Fishes it was tough out there today. Afterwards there was the deep silence of damn all going on in my brain.

I enjoyed the merry race talk on the way home in the car.
And I liked my lunch when I finally got it.
Can't believe it's Sunday night already.