Using the home advantage to full effect (I could ride to the start and the marshals knew my name when they wanted to take the piss), I duly lined up at the TLI British Cyclo cross champs at Heathall, sunny Dumfries. The course was superb, very ridable, very muddy but still very different from last year. Wide tracks, a number of dismounts required, two places to shoulder the bike and run up  muddy / sandy walls. A PA system booming out the dulcet tones of Gordon Johnston. There was a steep drop into a quarry that was water logged, (running through a swimming pool with a bike yay!) and the darn low sun left me blinded on the tricky sections, did I mention the mud?, two weeks of rain did its best, even on the flat switchbacks we were slip sliding and grinding along with crashes aplenty.

My dismounts have improved since last year , along with my remounts (grazies of velonews.com and their 'how to'  videos. (right leg over the  back, inside the left hand side of the frame roll up and unclip the left, start running.  Arm though the triangle, grab the down tube, shoulder the bike with the middle of top tube on the shoulder to prevent the saddle knocking your head. To remount, jump up and place the left thigh on the saddle and then roll onto the saddle and pedal like crazy. Ross Creber in the Olympic development team and now full time pro won the event, no shame to being gubbed by him, only lapped me the once and thanked me as he passed me. (I did say "on you go lad" as he passed me and felt instantly very, very, old) Despite the nice course, it was very hard all the same, despite the cold I was soaked in sweat and totally exhausted. I realised where I lost the race, anything technical. I nailed it on the fire roads and tarmac, the downhills, jumps and muddy corners, forget it I  lost so much time.

And yet, made the top twenty overall for sure, the British Championship age group, M2, 35-40 years -  second place, the winner was in my sights for most of the race, pulled him back on the flats, lost it on the runs and downhill, never mind, no shame in that -  the good news is the winner of my age group was Gary macrae from Edinburgh road club. Very happy to lose to a fellow macrae clansman and finish in 'silver medal' position, no a bad day. (sadly this being the TLI, no actual silver medal was presented!)