Beastway '06

[DirtDiva]

I didn't expect much of myself this week. I've spent most of the last few days coughing and blowing my nose and generally doing my best to further the spread of germs. But I actually had quite a lot of fun tonight, albeit in a slightly (i.e. completely) masochistic way. Don't know what my time was yet, but there were less people in the finish area when I rolled up than there usually are. I mean, I suppose it could mean that all those other people did one more lap than usual, or maybe that there were less racers than usual, but I'm so not thinking about those possibilities.

I managed to drop my chain twice on exactly the same point of the course. The first occasion was definitely operator error - had one of those moments where the fingers don't do what the brain told 'em to and I ended up mashing gear levers all over the show. I think perhaps the second time my bike was just reminding me that she still wasn't happy about the way I treated her the first time around. Perhaps next time I should just suffer in the middle ring when I hit that climb... Interesting how, when the pressure's on, you don't mess about trying to do things the best way; it was more like: Grrrr. *YANK* Fixed. Sweet! (And then sraight back on the bike, of course.) The girl who usually has the closest time to me had some chain issues too. Took the joy out of finally beating her as her issues were more serious than mine. Next week I'm marshalling. I'll have to try and leave her in the dust fair and square the following week!

Anyway, to bed with me! I'm knackered!

[DirtDiva]

I didn't race last week because I was marshalling. Quite relieved by that at the time as it got up to 37C/99F that day.

We had the last individual point-scoring race of the series last night. I won my class again because my competition was marshalling and out of town. Go me. I must admit to being a wee bit gutted though - I missed out on being quick enough to be able to get in a fourth lap by, as far as I can figure out, no more than a minute. There's a team race next week, so that's my last chance to embrace the pain and suffering (like that's gonna happen ) and go that little bit faster in the first three. I don't care if the fourth lap takes me half an hour, I just want to do a fourth lap! Dammit!

There is something to be said for turning up regularly. I'll have won my class by at least 20 points (all scored on nights I had no competition, but shhhhhhh ).