Police & Emergency Services Games 3 Hour

Though this is just one of those events that don't really phase me, it was conveniently timed in my return to racing, and a duration that was doable but still challenging.  

I vaguely remembered the course at Officer to be technical with lots of hard climbs.  I also remembered that I think it was Officer that I had a huge crash at 10 years ago.  I was also much fitter and lighter 10 years ago.  

I knew that my inability to climb strongly would be my weakness, therefore I consciously hammered the technical descents and sections to make up valuable seconds each lap.  I was loving throwing my Scalpel round the course, over rocks and tree roots, and letting the bike flow and float over the rough sections.  As I got to know the course I was able to nail sections better each time.  The climbs didn't get any harder or easier than the first lap, until about the 2 hour mark where I accidentally took the lead.  Once in front I was driven to not lose the lead.  So I pushed harder on the climbs; I descended as hard as I could to clock up those seconds gained on each rugged section.  

One amusing point occurred during the 2 hour mark.  In my attempt to gain seconds on the descents, I was hammering a fast flowy section that had a fast 90 degree right hander, and then continued on a fast descent.  A male rider was propped on his bike on the outside of the corner, obviously having over-shot the corner and decided to have a rest.  He had watched me descend fast, floating the bike over rocks and ruts and cornering at speed, and had the gall to make the comment as I rode past him on the corner 'Don't hurt yourself.'  DON'T HURT YOURSELF!!!  Who did he think he was talking to???....someone who couldn't corner like himself?  I did have a laugh over that one.  For the rest of the lap.

I have to say that I had a fantastic race.  Results weren't a goal, but I had many other factors to do that I could measure success against.  

1. I had a great warm-up riding the technical first half of the course, identifying that the tech sections were going to be my only ally in this event
2. I talked myself through the entire race, complimenting myself on each achievement
3. I climbed strong the entire race, even when I had absolutely nothing left in my legs and had to walk the 2 steep climbs in the last 2 laps
4. I used my strengths to my advantage and didn't let my weaknesses bring me down
5. I had an absolute ball, including laughing with some of the marshalls every lap, and woo-hooing on the awesome sections of fast technical track

What did I learn?  To buy bananas the day before the race before the shops shut.  I was a little under-done in the nutrition area and I'm pretty sure my legs could have done with a bit more than Endura gels.