The 2008 Bucket season concluded with a fun day which included the A Grade Bucket 1 hour race.
Hubby had already announced he was going to do the 'Ironman' (ride the whole thing himself) on the Sled.
This of course left me looking for a team mate who had a competitive machine. I was very keen to take part in my first endurance race...and I was not ready for the season to be over just yet!!!
My favourite Bitchy Bucket Babe Trudes offered to let me ride around with her on Pammy and we were all set for this until we found out there wasn't going to be a 'B grade endurance' race and neither of us felt quite up to going round and round for ages with the big boys. Me especially, as I have never ridden Pammy and I know she doesn't really like the ladies...excluding Trudes of course - she mostly behaves for her.
At about the same time as we found out that there was no B grade enduro we also found out that there was no Ironman. SO no one was allowed to run the complete race on their own - you had to have two riders.
So for some reason (I don't quite know what struck me) I plucked up the confidence to offer my services as a co-pilot to hubby. Expecting him to tell me he had already 'rung in a real rider' or just let me down gently with something like 'after the shit season had, I'd like to do really well so do you mind if I ask someone really fast instead' ...he instead said 'yeah, okay'...shock horror what have I done?
Luckily I was so busy at work and home in the lead up to the big race that I didn't really think about it at all. THEN three sleeps out I started to really worry about how my 'handicapping' Sully with me as a co-pilot would put heaps of pressure on me to do well and possibly still just end up leaving him frustrated with a back of the pack result.
So to give myself a break from the worry of 'the pressure' I stated that we were going to go to have fun, if the bike broke (which we were anxious might happen), if we got last, if it rained - whatever! We were going to enjoy ourselves.
So with that pressure lessened - I relaxed and just thought about riding the Sled and worried instead about whether I would fit into my leathers, the stupidarse track set up and the stupid weather reports telling us to expect a shite rainy day at the Slipway.
The day dawned and it wasn't really raining. Got up to the track and it still wasn't raining. Track got set up - stupidarse section in the middle (that I kept stuffing up) but otherwise it was interesting and challenging and as always great fun. Still no rain...infact is that...sunshine? IT IS!
Riders briefing, rules laid down, lots of nodding seriously and giving Bayden shit. Sausages are cooking - mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
First practise for both Monsters, first fun race for both Monsters.
Time to down the well known High Performance Breakfast of Bucket Endurance Race Champions - one hot sausage in bread with onions and steak sauceset me up perfect that did....for the lamonze start
...who invented that shit?! I can barely ride in these leathers let alone run and then bump start and then swing leg over whilst moving
Started at the back...but as these things go - it's not where ya start that matters it's where ya end up. I was pretty rusty to begin with - haven't been doing much riding of any sort and didn't ride at the last buckets day so was a bit unco (specially in that middle bit), slowly my confidence grew and I started to pick people off and the war of attrition was underway pretty sharply too so I started to get a sense of being NOT AT THE BACK anymore
1/2 hour doesn't sound like much, and I didn't think it would be trouble...but when you start trying to negotiate tight little corners as fast as you possibly can go for every corner solid over 30 minutes you really start to feel it. Just as it had started to occur to me that I had lost a lot of feeling in my hands and might have to go off early, my team mate signalled it was time to come off...phew! For the first time ever I was ready to get off the bucket and rest at the end of my session.
So one more lap, off to the end of the track, remove helmet and then off Sully went. He was having a blast and looked really good out there but that is his story to tell - if he wants.
At the end of the race we all stood around eating Trudes sausies and waiting for the results. Kendog had a smug little look because he knew the results but wasn't going to tell anyoneI had never anticipated that we would have a shit show since one half of the team was me and there were some much faster guys out there at times- so I was relaxed...but at the end of the day we ended up taking out
We were 6 laps behind Flying Fi5hy and his team mate on the Longcin and 4 laps ahead of the third placed F5 Dave and team mate on the Scooter.
So all in all an excellent day and an awesome result for the Monster team. Sully said it was his best ever enduro result too - so I feel just a little proud of myself for not letting him down completely!
THANKS to everyone who helped make the day - lap scorers, flag wavers, sausage cookers, sign in peeps, track setter uppers, mechanical handy helpers, race suit removersand general odd bodies who just hung around and laughed and cheered and were entertained.
Cheers for an awesome season Bayden and to all the other riders for welcoming us girls (and other newbees) on board this year - has been a blast and the people certainly help make it great too!
CRIKEY why ever didn't I start doing this earlier?!
See you again next year - Number One will be back
I'll have my own personal steed...and so any one wanting to sponsor 'Wellingtons Reigning Bucket Queen' just sing out
(I really could do with some help with the entry fees and leathers that fit...oh and anyone know a good babysitter? LOL)
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Number One
Bloody Bullies aye!!! AND ahem, you mean you could tell which one was me??? 
it were my womanly curves weren't it. 
Bookmarks