# 2020/2021 CX Season Race reports



## HarryTheDog (19 Sep 2020)

Well I dont expect many post from people this season but Eastern League managed to put on a race today. All but the senior race was only 30 minutes and only around half the normal people turned up but it was good to see old faces.
Well my race is more of a tale of woe than a tale of daring do. 4 months ago I embarked on a proper training plan and got stronger and lost weight and was looking forward to a event to show of my new power. I did some evening cx rides with fellow racers and felt I had really improved but then suddenly my performance dropped of a cliff and i had to take ten days off as I felt so crap. Even after the 10 days still did not feel right. Then for the last 3 weeks I mostly did not feel good on a bike but normal day to day I felt fine. I suspected I was still under par.
The sighter lap confirmed this with my heart rate soaring and I was drenched in sweat just really going at slow speed.
As soon as the whistle blew I knew I was going backwards, I ended up with only a very small handful of people behind me and the main race was rapidly disapearing over the hills in front.
I ended up in a strange no mans land with just one other rider for company so it was a race of sorts. It was quite a flat course where he started to disapear but as soon as it got anywhere near technical I rapidly caught him back up. For the first 3 laps I would catch him in the woods and overtake then once out on the open grass he would catch me up and overtake. Last lap he really got a move on and I thought that was it , however he dropped a chain and I was on him. He was so pissed off though he soon disapeared again.
I finished the race promising myself I would see a doctor. However I think telling a guy with a surgery full of fat unfit people that I am under the weather cos I had a crap race is not going to have a lot of traction with him but this has gone on too long.


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## dan_bo (19 Sep 2020)

Bummer H.


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## HarryTheDog (20 Sep 2020)

The official results came out and I find I was the last person* not* to be lapped ( I thought it was a bit sparse behind me on the last lap) and there were 10 people behind me, way ahead was the supervet world champion! David McMullen over 60 and he still came 2nd against all the over 50's.


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## HarryTheDog (21 Sep 2020)

Me suffering big time Avg heart rate 164 ( which is above what a old crock like me's max heart rate is supposed to be on average)


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## matticus (21 Sep 2020)

Seems very early to be starting the cross season - but then I always think that. And most years I've missed the nice races on dry ground in warm weather :P

Hello from Wessex League land 
(we've only got 7 rounds scheduled, sadly  )



Spoiler: The old "average heart rate for age" thing






HarryTheDog said:


> Me suffering big time Avg heart rate 164 ( which is above what a old crock like me's max heart rate is supposed to be on average)


(please don't start this again - would you worry if you were above or below average old crock height??)


Good pic BTW


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## HarryTheDog (21 Sep 2020)

@matticus We have no more rounds planned as they were waiting to see how this trial event went which was only half attended . The womens race was a real let down, had loads enter last year around 30 per race so they put on a race just for women as so many wanted a womens only race , only 7 turned up yesterday so I hope they dont whinge when they are thrown in with the over 50s+60's+70s again . There were more in the over 60s men. Largest attendance was over 40's followed by over 50's.
NB with the heart rate I only mentioned it as higher than my normal for racing and aint seen that max heart rate for a few years.


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