SITS Stats

This year the results are up on the singletrack website. Someone has done some playing and all the important stats are there.

Rider Number	102
Rider name	trio25
Team Name	Cookson Cycles
Category	Solo Women
Total laps	20
Total time (h:mm:ss)	24:04:17
Average lap time (h:mm:ss)	1:12:12
Fastest lap time (h:mm:ss)	0:53:59
Slowest lap time (h:mm:ss)	1:29:34
Distance (km)	250.53
Distance (miles)	155.67
Average speed (kmh)	10.41
Average speed (mph)	6.47
Speed rank	748 / 982
Distance rank	16 / 982
Total rank	324 / 982

I'm pretty happy with them, 16th overall in the solo and amazingly not at the back for my speed rank. Not sure how total rank is calculated but top third for that as well.

So next time.....and yes I am thinking about another one I am crazy! I want to not slow down as much, my plodding was pretty slow by the end!

Sleepless in the Saddle 2011

All too soon we were in the car and heading down to Catton Park, the car was full of food and kit with two bikes and a gazebo on the roof. We got there mid afternoon and set up the Gazebo and tent trackside, said hi to a few friends and headed off to my sisters. She kindly provided me with loads of pasta and packed me off to bed to get some sleep. Morning came and I tried not to be too stressy as I ate breakfast and then the three of us headed back to Catton Park. A lot more people had arrived since we had left and the solo area was noticeably busier than last year. A bit of catching up with people and I had a little rest in the tent before eating some lunch. It seemed no time at all and I was lined up near the front ready to start the race with a run. Once again everyone headed off and I went backwards through the crowd. I thought I saw two solo girls go past me but I stayed at my steady plod as I didn't want to pay for the run later in the race. I was just behind Ros at this point who was racing in the Women's team category. Helen had my bike ready and I was out on the lap and making sure I kept my spot in the line, half a lap was spent with queues into the singletrack but nothing too ridiculous.



Through after the first lap and the commentators announched I was the first solo female through, Ali agreed with them. I was handed a bottle and some food without me stopping and headed back out. I was walking a couple of the steeper hills and was rubbish through the twisty singletrack but I was enjoying the course and for the first few laps was riding with the same few riders who were also soloing. A couple of times I even rode the "Jump of Doom", I was having fun!

Then came the rain, first was a five minute shower which wasn't too bad but it quickly was followed by a 15minute deluge, I got drenched and started to get cold. Into the pits shouting for clothes, Ali sensibly stopped me at just a base layer as by now the rain had stopped and I headed back out. The next lap involved a lot of dragging my bike around as the mud became unrideable. Back to the pits and I headed out on rigger leaving Ali and her helpers (thanks Jenn for washing the bike and Shona and Rich from Keep Pedalling for lending us a Dirt Worker so no-one had to queue at the bike wash) to sort out a muddy clogged up bike. The course had dried up so it was back onto the Superfly.

Nighttime came pretty fast and it was time for lights and partway through the night 3/4's. I kept plugging away and by now the lead had gone up to 30minutes, but I knew anything could happen and so I couldn't stop. Each lap I came in and demanded a doughnut whatever else Ali tried to give me, this apparently caused lots of amusement.

Morning came and another change of outfit, by now I had been wearing my cooksons jersey for longer than was probably pleasant and it was warming up so I wanted to get shorts on (and back into bibs). I was slowing down and now I wanted Bacon Rolls, two in total. My body was playing a which bit hurts the most game but I knew if I kept moving I could keep the lead (now at over a lap).




I realised that I could get to twenty laps without having to speed up much, I didn't fancy pushing my body to go five minutes faster so I could get out for 21! The second to last lap was the hardest, my knees decided they hurt the most and I was a little worried I was doing permanent damage. But heading out on the last lap things felt a bit better, I bumped into Paul who rode with me through the singletrack and suddenly I could follow and not think. Lots of people were cheering and I was still smiling. The singletrack lurkers tent gave me some bucks fizz and I cross the finish line five minutes after 2pm to shake hands with Pat.

It might be a solo race but I'm not sure I could have done it without Ali, she was a star in the Pits and also stayed up for the full 24 hours!

All that was left was to shower, pack up and me to be helped up onto the podium. Ali is already planning next year but I'm not so sure!

Lots of people to thank:

• Ali for being the best pit bunny in the world
• Helen for the bed, extra food and perfect bottle handups
• Cookson Cycles for the help with the bike, getting it ready when they are busy, lending us the Gazebo and basically being the best bike shop in the world. 
• Squirt Lube for keeping my bike running
• The marshalls who kept me going through the night
• Rich and Shona for the Dirt Worker and Jenn for washing the bike
• Minx for help with clothing - no one else seems to have such a great range of womens bike clothes.
• Everyone else I have forgot because I am still really tired!

SITS Prep

I had lots of good intentions to do a few long rides in preparation and then have a really easy week this week. Obviously none of that has happened. There have been a couple of 8hour rides but they have had work in the middle or at a reasonably easy pace. Still taking it easy this week should have been fine as I am officially on holiday? Well no I have worked everyday and even getting the train where possible a couple of days work has involved riding. In fact I have clocked up 10hours of riding this week. Still having today off. The other plan was to lose the extra half stone I put back on, but once again I ate too much cake and chocolate and if anything added to it.

Still its all about having fun and I know I can finish as I did last year, Ali is there as my Pit Bunny and my sister is also coming over and she was fab last year so at least I know I will be well looked after!

Sleepless in the Saddle 2010

Last year when I first thinking about riding a 24hour event solo SITS was the one I had decided on. I raced my first ever 24 there in 2007 as a team of four girls and last year I had a great time racing in a mixed team. But then I got sidetracked by solo24. I enjoyed the race but never felt I completely got into it as I was so aware I had to work on the monday. So after talking it through with Ali I decided to enter SITS, form in the post I booked the friday, monday and tuesday around the event off. Plans had to be changed and I had to work the friday but Ali had the afternoon off to pack up the car and working kept my mind off the race. I had good intentions of being all organised but that didn't really happen, although I was more organised than I realised! We travelled to Catton Park on the friday set the tent up trackside and then headed to my sister's so I could sleep in a real bed. Helen had prepared us a great meal and then packed me off to bed so I could rest. As it turns out I slept really well, a first for me before a race. In the morning all I had to do was eat and then we headed back to Catton Park. All my kit was arranged so Ali knew where everything was and she got her whiteboard ready.

Since we hadn't got there till 11ish the wait to rider briefing didn't feel as long as it sometimes does and I was soon wandering over to the start line. I said I had no intention of lining up at the front but since I was chatting with Jase and Dave that is where I ended up. It meant I spent the whole run with people going past me but probably gave me a better start than if I had started further back.

Out onto my first lap and I didn't get stuck in too many queues for singletrack. It felt like I was riding a couple of sections too hard to keep my place, but on the climbs I just span to recover. I came through with 53minutes on the clock in first place. No stopping for me as my sister did a perfect handover and Ali was further along to pass me food. This continued for four laps where I was gaining time. Someone said I was a lap up but I hadn't noticed any other female soloists yet.

After four laps I had a brief stop to go to the toilet and then it was back on the bike and out again. The course was so dry my back was really struggling, I was trying to stretch it on the bike and started doing more climbing stood up which seemed to help. But the course was so rough it was a case of just putting up with the pain. Another three laps and I was slowing down but looking forward to it getting dark. I stopped, changed and put lights on the bike and then it was back out.

Lights went on at 9pm and thanks to the loan of a MaxxD I knew I could just put my lights on full and not worry about battery life (I had an Exposure Joystick with a triple piggyback battery, two Exposure Enduros and the borrowed MaxxD. This was the ideal setup and now I'm trying to work out how I can afford a new Exposure light). Getting to midnight felt like an achievement till I realised I wasn't even halfway through. That's when I started to think I wouldn't finish! By this stage I was just plodding round, I knew I was still in the lead and someone told me that it was three or four laps. I told myself I just had to keep going. At some point Ali went to bed for a bit so I just grabbed my own bottle. The nice thing about being slow and there being teams in the race was that there was a constant stream of people passing me nearly all of who at least said "keep going solo". That and the friendly marshalls kept me going till Dawn. I then had a really bad lap, the singletrack was fine, but anything else and I was falling asleep on the bike. I think I walked most of the lap. I got back to the pits and just started crying, I was sure Ali would stop me (I felt so bad I really wanted her too). But no she fed me some food and an energy gel, got me changed and sent me back out. I was round in an hour and 15mins, feeling better and riding most of the course again.

I kept going and although I slowed a bit and walked more of the hills I was still lapping reasonably consistently.

Before I knew it I was out with two hours to go, I was four laps up so I knew this was to be the last lap. I took my time, thanked the marshalls, chatted to people. Lurked for a bit at the end and then crossed the line just after 2pm. Joolze kindly interviewed me straightaway so I probably was making no sense at all. Not looking forward to that video popping up somewhere.

All that was left then was to wait for the podium and let Ali and Helen pack up.

Back to Helen's for Pizza and then I was put to bed since I was falling asleep.

A fantastic race and so hard, unsure at the moment if I want to do another one but I think I will.

Lots of people to thank:

• Ali for being the best pit bunny in the world
• Helen for the bed, extra food and perfect bottle handups
• Chris at Cookson Cycles for the loan of the bike (you did notice the gears in all the pictures?)
• Mike for the loan of the MaxxD (So generous seeing as I only met him once at Gisburn)
• Squirt Lube for keeping my bike running
• The marshalls who kept me going through the night
• Cookson Cycles for all the support and advice (oh and putting up with me talking at them everytime I go in).
• Minx for help with clothing - no one else seems to have such a great range of womens bike clothes.

SITS

Full blog to come when I'm a little less tired!

SITS

Back from SITS, I was riding with a mixed singlespeed team. Apart from me they were all from Nottingham. To our suprise we finished 5th, in a competitive category! We were all super consistant throughout the race and apart from throwing myself at a tree in the first lap I had a great time. Reminded me how much fun racing can be!