With the end of the year coming up I thought it would be interesting to start a thread on how many races people have entered over the year, which ones they thought that were the best and the high and low points of their races.
I will start off:
7 Sprint Triathlons
3 Olympic Distance Triathlons
2 Hillingdon
2 Eastway
1 Time Trial
1 RR in Poland
TOSH
The most enjoyable Tris I found over the year were the Eton Sprint Triathlons and the Windsor Olympic Triathlon. The Eton Sprint Tris are short distance but in enclosed area, so great for spectators. Windsor was excellent weather a great course although I had two punctures I will do this again next year. Low point in the Tris was probably the London Triathlon which had too many people in the swim and a boring course and being within 1 minute of getting under 2hrs 30mins. Maybe next year.
RR was great and next year I am giving up this Triathlon lark and going all guns for RR. Hillingdon was a bit hair raising but Eastway is superb and I look forward to having a few more races around this circuit.
TT was ok, got second place after a very generous handicap of 6 minutes for a 10 miler.
The RR in Poland was great fun and very different to what I had experienced over here.
TOSH was immense, although I was ill and did not finish I will be attempting this again next year.
What about the rest of you?
Racing highlights of the Year
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Racing highlights of the Year
by siwickm » Tue Nov 11, 2003 2:45 pm
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by Will » Tue Nov 11, 2003 11:47 pm
I entered:
7 or 8 Beastway XC races
1 SAMS XC race
Cristalp XC
Free Raid DH/XC (although not timed, so not really race)
ToKA
ToSH (well, part of it)
Several club runs (do these count as races? it does seem like it
)
I think the most memorable, and at times enjoyable (when the views were good!), was the Cristalp (a 130km mtb race up and down the mountains of Switzerland). I didn't exactly wipe the floor with the opposition - in fact I came last out of the Addiscombe crowd, in a placing of over 1000th overall - but I did complete it. I reached a bit of a low point on a 22km climb half-way through when everything was aching, and I felt like pulling out, but I managed to hold it together, and carried on. I'm glad I did, because the feeling of satisfaction having made it to the end made it all worthwhile. Looking back, now that I have fully recovered & had a few months of beer therapy, I think I can say I did enjoy it.
I also enjoyed the Beastway races. The atmosphere was really friendly, and it seemed like a perfect way to spend a summer's evening. One particular aspect that made it fun was seeing similarly-placed rivals emerge week by week, and then doing the cat-and-mouse thing of competing with them more and more over the final few races of the series. In the end I think I got 14th place overall. I'll probably do them again next year, if I can be bothered to punish myself with a few early season road rides to get a bit fitter.
The TOKA was great too. Fantastic weather, and some great scenery. I'll be back for more of those next year!
7 or 8 Beastway XC races
1 SAMS XC race
Cristalp XC
Free Raid DH/XC (although not timed, so not really race)
ToKA
ToSH (well, part of it)
Several club runs (do these count as races? it does seem like it
)
I think the most memorable, and at times enjoyable (when the views were good!), was the Cristalp (a 130km mtb race up and down the mountains of Switzerland). I didn't exactly wipe the floor with the opposition - in fact I came last out of the Addiscombe crowd, in a placing of over 1000th overall - but I did complete it. I reached a bit of a low point on a 22km climb half-way through when everything was aching, and I felt like pulling out, but I managed to hold it together, and carried on. I'm glad I did, because the feeling of satisfaction having made it to the end made it all worthwhile. Looking back, now that I have fully recovered & had a few months of beer therapy, I think I can say I did enjoy it.
I also enjoyed the Beastway races. The atmosphere was really friendly, and it seemed like a perfect way to spend a summer's evening. One particular aspect that made it fun was seeing similarly-placed rivals emerge week by week, and then doing the cat-and-mouse thing of competing with them more and more over the final few races of the series. In the end I think I got 14th place overall. I'll probably do them again next year, if I can be bothered to punish myself with a few early season road rides to get a bit fitter.
The TOKA was great too. Fantastic weather, and some great scenery. I'll be back for more of those next year!
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by Climber » Wed Nov 12, 2003 2:17 pm
I didn't start my racing season till late August, and all were Surrey league Road races.
They were:
Goodwood (1st)
Rusper (2nd)
Cutmill (1st)
Isle of Wight 2 Day (3rd overall & 1st in KOM)
Chertsey (3rd)
Cutmill E,1,2 (17th?)
The most memorable being the Isle of Wight as this was my very first stage race. The first stage was around 85 miles and the temp. about 35 deg C.
I managed to pick up a few KOM points early on up the famous 'Blackgang' climb. Then about half way through the race a small group of 5 escaped and looked like staying away. It wasn't until the Addiscombe riders made an effort to pull them back, that we finally all came together. I managed to get 4th in the sprint and be 16 sec. behind the Yellow Jersey.
The next day was a 70 mile Road race, which I placed second in and more importantly passed the Polka-dot jersey in the KOM comp. (14 climbs in all)
It was all down to the final 8 mile hill time trial and being off second to last, had a great advantage over the rest of the field. I ended up beating the Yellow jersey by 14 seconds but was whipped by an Old Portian rider who beat me by 32 seconds!
So in the GC I stood 2 seconds behind 2nd and 32 seconds behind 1st.....
It was great to be apart of a team that worked well together and who respected each other. I can't wait until next season.
Climber
They were:
Goodwood (1st)
Rusper (2nd)
Cutmill (1st)
Isle of Wight 2 Day (3rd overall & 1st in KOM)
Chertsey (3rd)
Cutmill E,1,2 (17th?)
The most memorable being the Isle of Wight as this was my very first stage race. The first stage was around 85 miles and the temp. about 35 deg C.
I managed to pick up a few KOM points early on up the famous 'Blackgang' climb. Then about half way through the race a small group of 5 escaped and looked like staying away. It wasn't until the Addiscombe riders made an effort to pull them back, that we finally all came together. I managed to get 4th in the sprint and be 16 sec. behind the Yellow Jersey.
The next day was a 70 mile Road race, which I placed second in and more importantly passed the Polka-dot jersey in the KOM comp. (14 climbs in all)
It was all down to the final 8 mile hill time trial and being off second to last, had a great advantage over the rest of the field. I ended up beating the Yellow jersey by 14 seconds but was whipped by an Old Portian rider who beat me by 32 seconds!
So in the GC I stood 2 seconds behind 2nd and 32 seconds behind 1st.....
It was great to be apart of a team that worked well together and who respected each other. I can't wait until next season.
Climber
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by Jon H » Wed Nov 12, 2003 4:44 pm
5 x 10 mile TT's
5 x 25 mile TT's
2 x 50 mile TT's
2 x 100 mile TT's
1 x 12 hour TT
7 other TT's
About 4 Hillingdon Tuesday night races.
1 Open track meeting.
Club track championships.
Time trialling highlights were new PB's at 10, 25 & 100 miles, and helping the Addiscombe team beat Norwood Paragon in the inter-club 10. Also took part in the SPOCO SE series and got to ride some interesting sporting courses which I otherwise wouldn't have ridden - recommended to any testers wanting a break from the Horsham bypass.
The best Hillingdon race was the night it was really windy and the race split apart with me and Huw in the leading pack which stayed away to the finish.
On the track I got my arse kicked in the open meeting, but was part of the winning team in the club championship team pursuit and avoided being brought down by Paul Tunnel when he fell off in the last lap of the scratch race.
Low points were turning up at the HQ for the national 100 to be told in was cancelled, and dropping out of my debut 12 hour after 4-1/2 hours.
Overall I'm pleased with how my season went, I'll be even more pleased next year if I get under the hour - just 53 seconds to go.
5 x 25 mile TT's
2 x 50 mile TT's
2 x 100 mile TT's
1 x 12 hour TT
7 other TT's
About 4 Hillingdon Tuesday night races.
1 Open track meeting.
Club track championships.
Time trialling highlights were new PB's at 10, 25 & 100 miles, and helping the Addiscombe team beat Norwood Paragon in the inter-club 10. Also took part in the SPOCO SE series and got to ride some interesting sporting courses which I otherwise wouldn't have ridden - recommended to any testers wanting a break from the Horsham bypass.
The best Hillingdon race was the night it was really windy and the race split apart with me and Huw in the leading pack which stayed away to the finish.
On the track I got my arse kicked in the open meeting, but was part of the winning team in the club championship team pursuit and avoided being brought down by Paul Tunnel when he fell off in the last lap of the scratch race.
Low points were turning up at the HQ for the national 100 to be told in was cancelled, and dropping out of my debut 12 hour after 4-1/2 hours.
Overall I'm pleased with how my season went, I'll be even more pleased next year if I get under the hour - just 53 seconds to go.
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by richv » Wed Nov 12, 2003 6:56 pm
Roughly I did:
5 x club 10 mile TT
1x club 25 mile TT
5 x RRs (2 @ Hillingdon and the rest Surrey League)
Herne Hill Summer League
1 Open track meet
Etape du Tour
Ronde de Picardie (cyclosportive)
Battle and Back (audax)
London Triathlon (as part of work team)
They all provided their own highlights starting with my first racing experience doing the Club TT first thing in the morning and then racing at Hillingdon that afternoon which was a great day with several ACCers doing the same including some who had just turned up at Hillingdon to support but were talked into their first RR.
The TTs were all pretty good improving my time (i think) on every occasion.
I finished just outside the points in a couple of the RRs and hope to do better next year.
The Etape was awesome, riding on closed roads with thousands of other riders, and absolutely knackering - the only time I climbed off my bike before finishing this year although I did get back on and finish. Interestingly I finished the Etape about 15 minutes quicker than I did Battle and Back which was roughly the same distance and excellent preparation - proving that there are more hills than you would care to imagine in the south of england.
The Ronde de Picardie is a great day out just south of calais, an "etape" style event but fewer people and no big hills.
But the one moment that sticks in my mind was at an evening track meeting doing a 10 lap race when I bridged across to a two-person break on about the 4th lap. We started working together and stayed away and I finished second in the sprint. I had other results in the League and finshed 7th in the B cats but for some reason that feeling of being in a winning break beats anything else this year.
5 x club 10 mile TT
1x club 25 mile TT
5 x RRs (2 @ Hillingdon and the rest Surrey League)
Herne Hill Summer League
1 Open track meet
Etape du Tour
Ronde de Picardie (cyclosportive)
Battle and Back (audax)
London Triathlon (as part of work team)
They all provided their own highlights starting with my first racing experience doing the Club TT first thing in the morning and then racing at Hillingdon that afternoon which was a great day with several ACCers doing the same including some who had just turned up at Hillingdon to support but were talked into their first RR.
The TTs were all pretty good improving my time (i think) on every occasion.
I finished just outside the points in a couple of the RRs and hope to do better next year.
The Etape was awesome, riding on closed roads with thousands of other riders, and absolutely knackering - the only time I climbed off my bike before finishing this year although I did get back on and finish. Interestingly I finished the Etape about 15 minutes quicker than I did Battle and Back which was roughly the same distance and excellent preparation - proving that there are more hills than you would care to imagine in the south of england.
The Ronde de Picardie is a great day out just south of calais, an "etape" style event but fewer people and no big hills.
But the one moment that sticks in my mind was at an evening track meeting doing a 10 lap race when I bridged across to a two-person break on about the 4th lap. We started working together and stayed away and I finished second in the sprint. I had other results in the League and finshed 7th in the B cats but for some reason that feeling of being in a winning break beats anything else this year.
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by Maria David » Wed Nov 12, 2003 8:48 pm
What I remember of this year :
Running :
cross country :
Highlight - getting round Parliament Hill in one piece through all the mud at the English National Championships
road running :
Hastings Half marathon
Humber Bridge Half marathon
Highllight - getting under 1hr 45 at two of the hilliest half marathons around.
Definitely recommend Hastings - loads of hills followed by sea front finish - loads of spectators along the route.
(low point - mashed up achilles tendons)
Duathlons :
Powerman
Swindon
Milton Keynes
Highlights - qualifying for the World age group champs after battling round the cold, challenging Peak District during the Powerman.
Getting 3rd place at Milton Keynes duathlon - intense race consisting of 2M run, 10M bike, 2M run, 10M bike, 2M run, with the bike being a crit.
(Low point : dnf at Cambridge/missing out on the Ballbuster)
Triathlon :
Tonbridge
Windsor
High point - top 10 lady at Tonbridge
Top 10 lady's team at national relay champs (Holme Pierrepoint, Notts).
Winning lady's team at Southwater relays - great day out, and really fun race.
(Low point - dnf at Windsor)
Biking :
a couple of "10"s
+Festival "15"
Battle and Back audax
TOSH with Huw W
Etape du Tour
Hillingdon women's rr series
+ other road races
Dublin two day stage race
Cyclo x
Highlights - winning lady and ladies team at Festival "15". Tamar letting me beat her a couple of times !
Completing l'etape - great way to spend 200km.
The camaraderie of the lady cyclists at the stage race, and the warm welcome and kindness of the Dubliners.
Low points - the scars on my elbows and my weeping shins !
Well, that's my year to date - doesn't time fly when you're having fun.
Running :
cross country :
Highlight - getting round Parliament Hill in one piece through all the mud at the English National Championships
road running :
Hastings Half marathon
Humber Bridge Half marathon
Highllight - getting under 1hr 45 at two of the hilliest half marathons around.
Definitely recommend Hastings - loads of hills followed by sea front finish - loads of spectators along the route.
(low point - mashed up achilles tendons)
Duathlons :
Powerman
Swindon
Milton Keynes
Highlights - qualifying for the World age group champs after battling round the cold, challenging Peak District during the Powerman.
Getting 3rd place at Milton Keynes duathlon - intense race consisting of 2M run, 10M bike, 2M run, 10M bike, 2M run, with the bike being a crit.
(Low point : dnf at Cambridge/missing out on the Ballbuster)
Triathlon :
Tonbridge
Windsor
High point - top 10 lady at Tonbridge
Top 10 lady's team at national relay champs (Holme Pierrepoint, Notts).
Winning lady's team at Southwater relays - great day out, and really fun race.
(Low point - dnf at Windsor)
Biking :
a couple of "10"s
+Festival "15"
Battle and Back audax
TOSH with Huw W
Etape du Tour
Hillingdon women's rr series
+ other road races
Dublin two day stage race
Cyclo x
Highlights - winning lady and ladies team at Festival "15". Tamar letting me beat her a couple of times !
Completing l'etape - great way to spend 200km.
The camaraderie of the lady cyclists at the stage race, and the warm welcome and kindness of the Dubliners.
Low points - the scars on my elbows and my weeping shins !
Well, that's my year to date - doesn't time fly when you're having fun.
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by Tamar » Thu Nov 13, 2003 3:59 pm
Time Trials:
 Half a dozen or so 10s
 Festival 15
 A couple of 25s
 My first 100
High points: new pb and club record for 10, new pb for 25, going under 5hrs for 100.
Low points: first 10 too damn cold; couldn?t get going smoothly on 15 - huge relief to finish; went wrong way on a 25 ? duh!; mile 94 of the 100 I wanted to fling my bike to the ground and go home ? note for next year ? practice using tri-bars for more than 10 miles at a time if planning on doing 100.
Road:
 1x 3/4/w @ Hillingdon
 4 or 5 x women?s series @ Hillingdon
 2 women?s @ Goodwood
 1 women?s h?cap @ Milton Keynes
 Vaujany
 ToSH
 Dublin 2-day women?s stage race
Highs: Vaujany ? great scenery, fantastic descents, camaraderie, huge sense of achievement; ToSH ? top day out; Dublin ? awesome, made to feel like professional rider, finally began to relax in bunch; SE Division Champs @ Goodwood ? hey, getting the hang of this at last.
Lows: Vaujany - soaring temperatures, endless climbs, pain, nausea, tears (aint cycling brilliant?); 3/4/w @ H?don ? scary as hell.
Track:
 ACC track day
Highs: new women?s 500m record?.by happy coincidence of being only woman riding.
Lows: disastrous pursuit ? let the team down by getting dropped after just 2 laps. Sorry guys ? will try harder next year.
Cyclocross:
 Two Eastways. 3rd and 2nd woman. This is seriously good fun.
 Half a dozen or so 10s
 Festival 15
 A couple of 25s
 My first 100
High points: new pb and club record for 10, new pb for 25, going under 5hrs for 100.
Low points: first 10 too damn cold; couldn?t get going smoothly on 15 - huge relief to finish; went wrong way on a 25 ? duh!; mile 94 of the 100 I wanted to fling my bike to the ground and go home ? note for next year ? practice using tri-bars for more than 10 miles at a time if planning on doing 100.
Road:
 1x 3/4/w @ Hillingdon
 4 or 5 x women?s series @ Hillingdon
 2 women?s @ Goodwood
 1 women?s h?cap @ Milton Keynes
 Vaujany
 ToSH
 Dublin 2-day women?s stage race
Highs: Vaujany ? great scenery, fantastic descents, camaraderie, huge sense of achievement; ToSH ? top day out; Dublin ? awesome, made to feel like professional rider, finally began to relax in bunch; SE Division Champs @ Goodwood ? hey, getting the hang of this at last.
Lows: Vaujany - soaring temperatures, endless climbs, pain, nausea, tears (aint cycling brilliant?); 3/4/w @ H?don ? scary as hell.
Track:
 ACC track day
Highs: new women?s 500m record?.by happy coincidence of being only woman riding.
Lows: disastrous pursuit ? let the team down by getting dropped after just 2 laps. Sorry guys ? will try harder next year.
Cyclocross:
 Two Eastways. 3rd and 2nd woman. This is seriously good fun.
- Tamar
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by Toks » Thu Nov 13, 2003 11:00 pm
Hi Peeps, here are my 2003 races
1. Polka Dot |Challenge (100 miles in the derbyshire hill)s GREAT FUN!!
2. BATTLE & BACK (200k hilly audax) ABSOLUTELY MY WORST DAY ON THE BIKE). I got lost 100's of times and bonked big stlye. It took me 13 hours to complete.
3. L'ETAPE (very very hard but a fantastic cycling experience) GOT A SILVER MEDAL
4. Three 4th cat races at HILLINGDON ( best result, 8th position).
5. One race at EASTWAY (very tough, came dead last)
1. Polka Dot |Challenge (100 miles in the derbyshire hill)s GREAT FUN!!
2. BATTLE & BACK (200k hilly audax) ABSOLUTELY MY WORST DAY ON THE BIKE). I got lost 100's of times and bonked big stlye. It took me 13 hours to complete.
3. L'ETAPE (very very hard but a fantastic cycling experience) GOT A SILVER MEDAL
4. Three 4th cat races at HILLINGDON ( best result, 8th position).
5. One race at EASTWAY (very tough, came dead last)
- Toks
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by Jason » Fri Nov 14, 2003 12:41 pm
For me, it's all downhill races and I seem to have improved progressively throughout the year.
(All in the Masters class, followed by overall)
1. PORC Winter 2, 13th out of 21, 40 out of 104
2. PORC Winter 3, 13th out of 14, 37th out of 78
3. PORC Spring 1, 4th out of 11, 11th out of 50
4. PORC Spring 2, 7th out of 15, 32nd out of 82
5. PORC Spring 3, 5th out of 14, 12th out of 62
6. Pedalhounds 1, 12th out of 31, 50th out of 189
7. Pedalhounds 2, 7th out of 24, 52nd out of 182
8. Onabike 1, 17th out of 30, 108th out of 175
9. Aston Hill 1, 25th out of 45, 130th out of 299
10. Aston Hill 4, 16th out of 34, 77th out of 181
Highlights were:
Onabike 1 at Combe Sydenham. I didn't do as well as I could have as we all got wrecked at Pete and Tiff's new house the night before and got about two hours sleep. It was an awesome course and an awesome weekend, although this year I'll lay off the sauce.
Aston Hill race 1. I love DH3 and did better than I expected on it. I got down in 1:50 and was well happy with that. The next race, we all messed about too much (shouting MONK and not concentrating) and my time dropped to 1:55. Oh well.
The PORC races. Mental courses for such a small hill; they always contained something that made you sh1t yourself whilst waiting to set off.
Lowlights were:
PORC Winter 3. Not only was I hungover, but we'd camped out overnight (in December) and awoke to find that the previously damp conditions were now ultra muddy and the rain didn't look like stopping (it didn't). Just before my first run, my back brake failed but I decided to race anyway. I was doing okay until the first corner where I carried straight on and got stuck in a tree. On the second run, I was doing okay until a certain Irish club member decided to take a photo with his flash, blinding me and sending me veering into the bushes (no hard feelings though).
Every race we went to was great fun, despite the horrific injuries that occurred at some. Everyone improved over the year.
(All in the Masters class, followed by overall)
1. PORC Winter 2, 13th out of 21, 40 out of 104
2. PORC Winter 3, 13th out of 14, 37th out of 78
3. PORC Spring 1, 4th out of 11, 11th out of 50
4. PORC Spring 2, 7th out of 15, 32nd out of 82
5. PORC Spring 3, 5th out of 14, 12th out of 62
6. Pedalhounds 1, 12th out of 31, 50th out of 189
7. Pedalhounds 2, 7th out of 24, 52nd out of 182
8. Onabike 1, 17th out of 30, 108th out of 175
9. Aston Hill 1, 25th out of 45, 130th out of 299
10. Aston Hill 4, 16th out of 34, 77th out of 181
Highlights were:
Onabike 1 at Combe Sydenham. I didn't do as well as I could have as we all got wrecked at Pete and Tiff's new house the night before and got about two hours sleep. It was an awesome course and an awesome weekend, although this year I'll lay off the sauce.
Aston Hill race 1. I love DH3 and did better than I expected on it. I got down in 1:50 and was well happy with that. The next race, we all messed about too much (shouting MONK and not concentrating) and my time dropped to 1:55. Oh well.
The PORC races. Mental courses for such a small hill; they always contained something that made you sh1t yourself whilst waiting to set off.
Lowlights were:
PORC Winter 3. Not only was I hungover, but we'd camped out overnight (in December) and awoke to find that the previously damp conditions were now ultra muddy and the rain didn't look like stopping (it didn't). Just before my first run, my back brake failed but I decided to race anyway. I was doing okay until the first corner where I carried straight on and got stuck in a tree. On the second run, I was doing okay until a certain Irish club member decided to take a photo with his flash, blinding me and sending me veering into the bushes (no hard feelings though).
Every race we went to was great fun, despite the horrific injuries that occurred at some. Everyone improved over the year.
- Jason
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by Climber » Mon Nov 17, 2003 1:41 pm
To add to above results.
Hillingdon E,1,2,3,4:
4th (won bunch sprint) 3 guys in break, went after only 30 min and stayed away, gutted.
Quite a few Elites/Cat 1's in bunch.....they all finished behind me tho!
It was my first time there but I don't think my last!
Climber (now turned sprinter)
Hillingdon E,1,2,3,4:
4th (won bunch sprint) 3 guys in break, went after only 30 min and stayed away, gutted.
Quite a few Elites/Cat 1's in bunch.....they all finished behind me tho!
It was my first time there but I don't think my last!
Climber (now turned sprinter)
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- Location: Battersea
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