Post Race Blues

This weeks Sporting Hero has to be Michael Schumacher. After 3 years in retirement and at the age of 40 he is going to return to F1 and contest the points for Ferrari. This should spice up the season more and if Lance can do it then so can Shuey. The question is Will he break 100?

Now I have had a few hard days training last week which included 5k swims and long days on the rivet. However nothing prepared me for the mammoth journey to Somerset and the Interservices. Now i am one of those guys who is never a dead cert for the team. I will however if picked race hard and give it everything. This was not going to happen. Despite myself and a few others racing well enough to qualify for the main team comp come race day we found ourselves in the guest places. Straight away I was thinking what a waste of 2 days training. So on race day I was not really up for it.

Sherbourne Castle is a great place to race and with the grounds being so picturesque in the summer a great day out. Wednesday was no normal summers day. Freak rain storm had moved in a drenched the hilly, twisty country roads making them even more dangerous than before. After a very good relaxed swim. I exited the water in the top 20 or so according to those watching with a 20min swim. I will say now that I felt easy on the way out and could have pushed harder. Exiting just behind Brad (I thought it was Jase) I got on the bike and calmly began the cycle. Well if I had known Jase was behind by a way I may have worked harder on the bike. After the initial climb up the terraces it was out onto the Blandford road which is the busiest road in Dorset especially when the A30 is closed. Twisting and turning it was not long before Ghost Boy caught me on a descent, by which time I was already thinking of quiting as the rain came down harder. After turning on the Milborne Port road the road narrowed and then violently turned. Not managing to make the turn even at a low speed as the back end twitched left and right locking up I had only one thought and that was ditch in the field. As I stopped in the filed I was passed by Jase looking slightly shaken and worried.

From this point forward I was only going to do one lap and after watching a few more competitors coming of on other corners I realised it was a wise move. Even on the big descents there was no braking action as the bike just locked up under the slightest pressure. Once again the Navy had proved they were able to make a mockery of a great sport by using stupidity instead of common sense to choose a route. It looks even more promising next year when the Army return to Wimbleball and the Exmoor hills. Looks certain I will never race the IS until the others grow up.

Great result for The Male and Female Teams finishing 2nd. Despite Dale and Fish puncturing. Greg McDonald finished 3rd as did the Male Vets. Lets think about the next one in a weeks time...Prague with the GB team.