My racing buddie (Bryan) and I took on the Killingworth MTB track yesterday for round 4 of the BMC Working Week series.  The race is basically cutting laps around a 10km mountain bike loop for 8 hours - the most laps in the lowest time wins.  Bryan and I were in a pairs category where it works like a relay. 

It was a chilly morning getting up and out to Killingworth (just out of Newcastle) but the sky was clear and things were looking good for a day of MTB action.

I was spending the day hanging with Bryan's mate Shane (aka Ali G) and his motley crew of shit stirrers - Frank (1-for-1 , thats 1 beer for 1 lap)  and Darren (not Scott).  These boys were well equipped for the day with the team tent, table, chairs, gas outdoor heater (which was everyones best friend in the early hours) and plenty of wise cracks.  I think I earned my keep by having to do some quick repairs on Darren's derailleur before the race started - but wasn't winning any friends with my so called fart blanket.  After a few uses between laps the guys became convinced my faithful blanket was summoning farts from the depth of hell.

The track wasn't wet with fresh water, but it was muddy with a deep bogs that made you feel like you were riding half the track with flat tyres.  That aside there was still plenty of good surface and flowing single track and not too many climbs.  My first lap around I ended up in  giant puddle (fortunately upright) while looking for a passing line.  I was pretty happy with the first two laps around and made a decent time (for a punter - but still way of any thing that would be good in the days line up).   I may have gone a little to hard to early but the next few laps I slowed more and more.  Lap 5 I thought cramps may have been close so slowed right down, using grannies for the 1st time on the hills.  Number 6 (my final) was much the same, but I finished incident free - not stack and my bike still running nicely.  Bryan put in a guts effort for the team pumped out 7 laps to my 6, starting and finishing the days racing.  He also found time for a quick mud bath on the final lap when he took a dive over the handle bars.  The stack of the day had to go to Frank though, who managed to go over the top just riding from the tent down to the start line (may have been the couple of beers he had with lunch).

We finished up coming 28th out of 45, so we were pretty happy with that (particularly over our last result in the bottom 5). 

Click here to see the course on google maps.

Click here to see the download from myGPS/Heart-rate monitor.

The results ....

Team = F.U.D
Category = Pairs Male
Place = 28 - 13 laps in 08:15:30
Lap # Time Spd Age
13 44:43 11.81 611 Bryan Mathieson 27
12 42:23 12.46 614 Jason Neatherway 30
11 39:01 13.53 611 Bryan Mathieson 27
10 42:30 12.42 614 Jason Neatherway 30
9 38:41 13.65 611 Bryan Mathieson 27
8 38:28 13.73 614 Jason Neatherway 30
7 37:43 14.00 611 Bryan Mathieson 27
6 35:47 14.76 614 Jason Neatherway 30
5 38:05 13.86 611 Bryan Mathieson 27
4 32:50 16.08 614 Jason Neatherway 30
3 35:27 14.89 611 Bryan Mathieson 27
2 32:32 16.23 614 Jason Neatherway 30
1 37:20 14.14 611 Bryan Mathieson 27

 For the other lads

Team = Los Cojones Grandes
Category = Threes Mixed
Place = 27 - 13 laps in 08:30:42
Lap # Time Spd Age
13 37:57 13.91 334 Shane Parry 37
12 52:10 10.12 333 Frank Astroza 37
11 36:33 14.45 335 Darren Adam 34
10 37:28 14.09 334 Shane Parry 37
9 45:09 11.69 333 Frank Astroza 37
8 34:06 15.48 335 Darren Adam 34
7 38:23 13.76 334 Shane Parry 37
6 43:20 12.18 333 Frank Astroza 37
5 35:19 14.95 335 Darren Adam 34
4 35:46 14.76 334 Shane Parry 37
3 42:14 12.50 333 Frank Astroza 37
2 34:59 15.09 335 Darren Adam 34
1 37:18 14.16 334 Shane Parry 37