A week of sickness and some racing - NPS 7

This last week has been a little funny – since the 6th NPS in Djouce I have been pretty sick. After the race, in which I almost got sick, I had stomach cramps all evening (attending a wedding the day before and changing race drink, where can I get Cytomax?, probably causing most of it), Monday, I did an Active Recovery ride for about an hour and felt fine, then on Monday night, I woke up feeling as if I had drank 20 pints and was about to get sick. The next day was horrible feeling as if I had a terrible hang over – I was bloated as if I was 6 months pregnant. Wednesday, I felt okay and tried to do a little technique training on the mountain bike but was just totally unmotivated. Thursday I was on the road bike and couldn't eat or drink. (This lead to be bonking while trying to eat dinner later that night) Friday, I didn't/couldn't do anything... Not exactly the best way to prep for the final round of the national series :(

IMBRC were hold the final round in one of Dublin's parks called Tymon Park. It was the first time that an XC race was being held in a city park in many years and it was going to be a dramatic change from the mudfest the previous week. The course was a flat 4km, hyper fast raceway that didn't really suit me – give me some big climbs any day :) On Saturday, Mel, Sean and I took part in a team relay race what was being held as a 'fun' preride event. Our club had a huge turnout with nine teams. Our team, gobuckMAD, finished up in 9th position.

Mel during her leg of the relay

Some beautiful singletrack

Team gobuckMAD (my stomach is still bloated in the picture!)

Most of the MAD contingent from the relay race

Sundays elite race was going to be a 10 lapper and started out quickly with the initial lap being faster then the laps all of us did the previous day. From the start I felt dead and my heart rate barely went above my lactate threshold (basically, the max heart rate I hit in the whole race was less then the average of the first 30 minutes of almost every other race I did this year). My mind wanted to go but my body wouldn't have any of it. It wasn't that I was suffering as I went around, I just couldn't go any faster then a fast Sunday spin type pace. It was really frustrating but I have to remember the week I had leading up to it. The funny thing is that I've actually won the NPS Elite Men title – crazy... I wish they gave jerseys out for that – like the national champions one...

The weekend of racing was fun overall, especially from a social point of view as the course really lends itself well to watching the other racers race. The weather, for the first time in ages, behaved and I think I may have even got a very slight tan - wow - just when I thought my mountain biker tan lines were gone forever. This type of race course isn't really for me but everyone I chatted to loved the event as a whole and I hope that there will be another of these type races in Ireland in next years calender...

There is a report available here and some more photos here.