This race marked a special milestone for me: one year since I first stood on the sidelines at a cyclocross race, watching my husband and thinking “that looks fun.” That same afternoon I bought a CX bike from a lady selling her old one, and here I am, twelve months on — one new shiny gravel bike, one second-hand MTB, 7 CX races, 4 MTB races, countless off-road/gravel rides, and a cycling coach (thanks Tim Phillips 😉) later — lining up for the start of the new CX season.

Chelmer Cycling Club did a brilliant job with the Springfield course. It wasn’t “classic CX” weather — the ground was bone dry, hard and dusty — but the organisers packed in plenty of features to keep us working: endless twists and turns, short sharp ups and downs, and two sets of steps to bound up each lap. Not muddy, but definitely a test for lungs, legs and skills.

As with every race, I’d signed up enthusiastically, then spent most of the week before feeling anxious. Luckily, fellow Catenary coachee Sophie Lee reminded me: “It’s only 40 minutes — Tim gives us harder sessions on Zwift.” That made me laugh, and she was right. Perspective helps!

Twenty-two women lined up. The whistle blew. My start wasn’t exactly fireworks (explosive power isn’t really my thing), but I stuck to what I do best: pacing and consistency. The first lap was all about settling in — practicing cornering, looking ahead, and actually remembering to change gears at the right time.

By lap two I’d found some flow. On one of the longer, more open stretches I even caught myself grinning and thinking: “I am enjoying this!” I started picking off a couple of riders who had gone out a bit too fast. I even managed to sneak past someone on a tight corner — a small victory for all those hours spent weaving around the driveway practicing turns!

The final two laps were tough. My heart rate sat at threshold and spiked to numbers I don’t think I’ve seen in 30 years. But all those painful VO₂ max intervals must be doing their job, because I could recover just enough on the flatter sections to keep pressing on — and, most importantly, keep smiling.

So to the results. I was 1st female 50–59 (though with just two of us, it feels a slightly hollow victory). Overall I was 13th out of 22 women.

My season goal is three top-10 finishes, so this one didn’t quite tick the box. And I know as soon as the mud arrives my technical weaknesses may get exposed and I may never reach that goal. But honestly? The biggest win of the day was how good I felt and how I really enjoyed it.

Lambourne End/Hackney next week!

Julie Taplin

Eastern League CX Round 1, Chelmsford, 7 Sep 2025

© Catenary CoachinG