Monday, August 17, 2009

Keeping it going!
This weekend past was at Crieff Highland Games and I was feeling confident but you never know until you get off that start line. As it happened I started well but from there the legs started to fail on me to the point I was just going round at the Deil where I got fifth. So not to bad day with the results considering I was not at my best, the season is coming in to the sprint finish with a few rounds left just hope the legs remember that!

800m OPEN CYCLING MK TIME
1st Craig Hardie, Dalgety Bay SCR 1m 21.47secs
2nd Tim Allan, Glenrothes 25m
3rd Darren Howitt, Glenrothes 55m

1600m OPEN CYCLING MK TIME
1st Tim Allan, Glenrothes 40m 3m 04.38secs
2nd Craig Hardie, Dalgety Bay SCR
3rd Kevin Barclay, Glenrothes SCR

3200m OPEN CYCLING MK TIME
1st Tim Allan, Glenrothes 55m 6m 08.06secs
2nd David Mathieson, Newburgh 125m
3rd Kevin Barclay, Glenrothes SCR

DEIL CYCLING
1st Kevin Barclay, Glenrothes
2nd Tim Allan, Glenrothes
3rd Neil Withington, Carlisle

Anyway that was the racing but I had another job on the day with delivering a fixed wheel Dawes mono to a certain Ewan Mcgregor who is a top bloke and is getting right into fixie's.
I even managed to get him to push me off in one of the races!


Monday, August 10, 2009

Scottish Champ
After Inverkeithing we were back on Grass for Perth Games and my legs were feeling good on the day, After winning the first Race I knew that today was on and with the 1000m Scottish champs next I was up for it, as it happened I was pushed all the way to the line by an Oliphant but not Evan this time his brother Lewis, so close was it that the judges conferred and I got it by a tyre width! So three wins on the day and the Scottish Kilo Champs medal not to bad a day!

1000m Prizes

1000m OPEN SC. CYCLING CHAMPIONSHIP MK TIME
1st Craig Hardie, Dalgety Bay SCR 1m 49.59secs
2nd Lewis Oliphant, Edinburgh SCR
3rd Alan Clark, Thurso SCR

1600m OPEN CYCLING MK TIME
1st Craig Hardie, Dalgety Bay SCR 2m 36.46s
2nd Lewis Oliphant, Edinburgh 65m
3rd Neil Withington, Carlisle 50m

3200m OPEN CYCLING MK TIME
1st Craig Hardie, Dalgety Bay SCR 5m 26.44s
2nd Alan Clark, Thurso 25m
3rd David Mathieson, Newburgh 115m

4800m OPEN CYCLING MK TIME
1st Lewis Oliphant, Edinburgh 120m 8m 18.25s
2nd David Mathieson, Newburgh 125m
3rd James Melville, Dumbarton 120m

DEIL CYCLING
1st Neil Withington, Carlisle
2nd Craig Hardie, Dalgety Bay
3rd Lewis Oliphant, Edinburgh
Up to speed
Another double weekend of Games past and the legs came back a bit after feeling like lead last week, I knew after my training in the week that the form was still there from a couple of weeks ago but maybe just tailing off a bit.
Inverkeithing Highland Games is run not on Grass but a red cinder track which makes cornering interesting as the bikes do move about underneath you a bit, the key is to let the bike move and not to be be to rigid, easier said than done once there are 7/8 bikes around you it makes for a few buttock clenching moments!

The one race I wanted to win at Inverkeithing was the 6400m Scottish Champs and I was feeling strong but Evan Oliphant got it on the line although I think I pushed him all the way. The other events were good for me but I was a bit frustrated in not coming away without a win on the day.

800m OPEN CYCLING MK TIME
1st Tom Hunter, Falkirk 125m 1m 03.94s
2nd Craig Hardie, Dalgety Bay 40m
3rd Brendan Roe, Valleyfield 60m

1600m OPEN CYCLING MK TIME
1st Darren Howitt, Glenrothes 140m 2m 17.30s
2nd Craig Hardie, Dalgety Bay 60m
3rd Brendan Roe, Valleyfield 85m

3200m OPEN CYCLING MK TIME
1st Darren Howitt, Glenrothes 300m 4m 57.88s
2nd Tom Hunter, Falkirk X
3rd Craig Hardie, Dalgety Bay 100m

6400m OPEN SC CHAMPIONSHIP CYCLING MK TIME
1st Evan Oliphant,Wick SCR 10m 16.81s
2nd Craig Hardie, Dalgety Bay SCR
3rd Alan Clark, Thurso SCR

DEIL CYCLING
1st Neil Withington, Carlisle
2nd Craig Hardie, Dalgety Bay
3rd Alan Clark, Thurso

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Bag of Spanners
Wow what a difference a week makes! after getting four firsts at St Andrews Highland games I struggled at my next Games at Bridge of Allan last Sunday.
This week there was a big field of bikes so for the 800m race there was heats with three riders going through to the final, I got drawn in the heat with Evan Oliphant and both of us did not make the final due to our handicaps!
The rest of the races during the day were a slog for me as my legs felt like lead all day, if this is the worst weekend I have it will be not to bad with three third places in the bag.
Bridge of Allan results:
800m - no final
1600m - 3rd
3200m - 3rd
Deil - 3rd

On a good note I was out on a training run tonight and the legs are feeling like they are mine again, here's hoping for some form for Sat - Inverkeithing / Sunday - Perth.