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Fat Tyre Festival - Coed y Brenin - 2nd/3rd March 2002

The first event we entered all together. What a weekend. It was a classic laugh and a real good test of our biking skills.

We arrived at the site and it was hurling it down with rain. Normally that wouldn't put us off from camping (yeah right), but we decided to stay in a welcoming B&B.

The Saturday afternoon was a tour round some of the course with two of the semi-pro riders. It was an interesting session for the team as we hadn't be introduced to knowledge about how to ride a bike before (we didn't realise there was an art to it). So it was a good beginning to the season by learning a few skills.

Perhaps the highlight of the weekend happened in the afternoon. After Mick had decided to take the Michael out of one of the pro riders for a modelling job he'd done, Mick duly went head over heels over the front of his bike taking a nice chunk out of his arm. Enough said really, the rider didn't need to say a word.

With it not being a competition event the Saturday evening was spent in the local watching some wannabe singer singing some songs. It was weird but the beer and pizza were good.

The 50km ride on the Sunday was something the team had never experienced before. An excellent course, rocky, steep hills, technical downhills. A brilliant job and an all round excellent event.

On returning home Dermott was not happy with the standard of our riding and our preparation to the days event. If I remember well, he went barking made (I know poor gag!!)

Kona 100 - 6th/7th July 2002

This wasn't the best event for us.

Dave couldn't make it due to a Desert treck in Oman.

As before preparations were good with 6 pints of Guinness and a Chinese meal being consumed the night before.

The race began and we found ourselves at the back in the line up. Not an ideal position as it took us at least 15 minutes for the line to move. 1200 people setting off all at once is not ideal.

The beginning of the race was frustrating. We had the power to pass people but couldn't get passed them because the trails were too narrow.

From then on was mechanical problem after mechanical problem. From punctures to knackered deralliurs, mainly on Micks classic Diamond Back Ascent.

To make things worse, an unfortunate accident on the trail set us back another 45 minutes, whilst a helicopter airlifted the injured party from the trails.

I think the results tell the story.

Position	928 / 929
	
Time	9 hrs 36 mins and 37 secs

Dearn Valley All Terrain Club (Summer Series) - June to August 2002

These races are fun events dominated by cyclo-cross bikes. Not much chance for the mountain biker.

The team entered a range of these six races. The last race being the only one the whole team could compete in.

The courses are in local parks weaving in and out of the woods. The aim is to do as many laps as possible in 50minutes. They're flat courses apart from the Belper course, not very challenging apart from the out and out effort needed.

The team couldn't get a correct position as not all the events were entered. However to say we were regularly pushing the top ten was a great achievement for our first season.

Sleepless In The Saddle (Trenthem Gardens) - 14th/15th September

The best event all year. The weather was perfect, the course was perfect, the facilities were perfect, the team camp was perfect and we had no problems with the equipment. What a result!!

For a quick run down. The team had a baton to pass between each other once an 8-mile lap was completed. This continued for 24 hours. Our tactics consisted of doing a lap each following on from each other. It seemed to work and paid off.

To enter this event we enrolled the talents of Chris, our Scottish connection. Some respect must be shown for Chris for his all out effort on his last lap where he collapsed at the end, exhausted.

The team couldn't have worked out any better, we were all of equal ability and we all wanted to do the best possible.

The team also has a lot of thanks for the camps efforts, we couldn't have done as well as we did without their help.

Position		Time
20		32 laps (plus 24mins)

Worksop Half-Marathon - 17th Nov 2002

This was tough. Bear in mind it had been cancelled once due to poor weather.

After not a lot of training Mick, Alison and Katherine arrived at the start line nervous of doing their first Half-Marathon.

The first couple of miles seemed to fly by for Mick but Alison and Katherine had just realised how far 13.1 miles was. They started to fight with each other (as sisters do). However after deciding to part company they continued.

It was a bonus to find a friendly face at the halfway point, again after about eight miles and at the finish line. Dave and Rachel had turned up (with camera) to support the Team.

For Mick the pain started to appear just after ten miles when every step seemed to crash his thigh muscle against his bones. He was not a pretty site trying to walk after the race had finished. He completed it in 1hour 50 minutes. A decent first time that will be beaten next time.

Alison and Katherine found the pain arriving after probably 2 miles. For them it was a case of mind over matter. The friendly faces were a big lift for them but the camera perhaps was not. At the finish and after a long wait Dave, Rachel and Mick worried that they hadn't managed to finish the race and had been carted off to hospital other something. However the girls were to prove everyone wrong. They arrived looking absolutely exhausted to a cheer from the rest of the team.

This is an event that probably the girls will not do again, but for the boys the challenge has been set.