First Decent Result
The first round of the NEEC was held in Graythwaite in the picturesque Lake District. Its traditionally a very hard event and always super tight on time. Being clean on the going is only for the very fast and forunate in each class. This surprise for this years event was the spectacular weather, very rare for this event, only the second time its not being pouring with rain in the last 7 years.
Parking seemingly as far away as we could from the start/finish gave us plenty of opportunity to bump into plenty of other TRAC club members and have the crack. It does make for a enjoyble day seeing plenty of people you know and have a laugh. I was travelling with Phil Smithson who entered the Vets (over 40's) class and I was back in the sportsman class after having a disasterous season in the Clubman class last year. I think I've decided i'm a good sportsman rider but an awful clubman competitor! Having legs as strong as a small chicken doesn't help at all.
Having not finished the event for the last two years and not having finished a timecard event at all last year I was determined to get me and the YZ to the finish and without houring out. I didn't really care where I finished, just to finish was the goal. Two checks per lap were set out with the special test in check 2. Check 1 was a lot harder than check 2. The first check involved all the hard shaily climbs, tree roots in the tight forests and lots of rocky sections. Keeping going and not getting stuck was the key through this. The second check was a lot more flowing over open moorland, more of a blast with nothing overly technical. Having got to the end of lap 1 and dropping only 4 minutes it was all to not loose to much time in the second lap where fitness and stamina be the key in not loosing to much time. Half way through the second lap I was knackered, the hands had blisters and were frankly stinging like hell. There would have been no way I could of done a 3rd lap if iI'd entered the Clubman class so I was happy with the decision to enter the Sportsman. Checking in at the finish I though I'd lost a further 22 minutes (26 overall) but having read the resuts I'd lost 16. Just shows how being knackered affects the mental side of things. 4th place in the Sportsman was the reward for keeping going, my personal best result in enduro!
Coming into the refuelling area and seeing other guys there showed others had not faired so well. It was a hard event indeed, I'd hate to imagine what it would have been like if it had been raining. Well done to all those who finished. I was meant to be doing the 2nd round of the NEEC in Langdale tomorrow but a viral infection had knocked me sideways and theres no way i'm strong enough to pilot the YZ round for 3 hours.
Yours in a sick bed,
Kieron Sykes.
Parking seemingly as far away as we could from the start/finish gave us plenty of opportunity to bump into plenty of other TRAC club members and have the crack. It does make for a enjoyble day seeing plenty of people you know and have a laugh. I was travelling with Phil Smithson who entered the Vets (over 40's) class and I was back in the sportsman class after having a disasterous season in the Clubman class last year. I think I've decided i'm a good sportsman rider but an awful clubman competitor! Having legs as strong as a small chicken doesn't help at all.
Having not finished the event for the last two years and not having finished a timecard event at all last year I was determined to get me and the YZ to the finish and without houring out. I didn't really care where I finished, just to finish was the goal. Two checks per lap were set out with the special test in check 2. Check 1 was a lot harder than check 2. The first check involved all the hard shaily climbs, tree roots in the tight forests and lots of rocky sections. Keeping going and not getting stuck was the key through this. The second check was a lot more flowing over open moorland, more of a blast with nothing overly technical. Having got to the end of lap 1 and dropping only 4 minutes it was all to not loose to much time in the second lap where fitness and stamina be the key in not loosing to much time. Half way through the second lap I was knackered, the hands had blisters and were frankly stinging like hell. There would have been no way I could of done a 3rd lap if iI'd entered the Clubman class so I was happy with the decision to enter the Sportsman. Checking in at the finish I though I'd lost a further 22 minutes (26 overall) but having read the resuts I'd lost 16. Just shows how being knackered affects the mental side of things. 4th place in the Sportsman was the reward for keeping going, my personal best result in enduro!
Coming into the refuelling area and seeing other guys there showed others had not faired so well. It was a hard event indeed, I'd hate to imagine what it would have been like if it had been raining. Well done to all those who finished. I was meant to be doing the 2nd round of the NEEC in Langdale tomorrow but a viral infection had knocked me sideways and theres no way i'm strong enough to pilot the YZ round for 3 hours.
Yours in a sick bed,
Kieron Sykes.
posted by Kieron Sykes at
5/09/2009 02:21:00 PM
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