Chris and I raced the 6 hour mixed pairs at Brighton Big Dog a couple of weeks ago. The sun was shining all day and the conditions were dusty and fast. Although we were sun bathing in between laps, there was no slacking when we got back on the race course as the top 3 positions were constantly changing. This mainly depended on whether the men or women in the pair were racing each other. Due to a double lap that Chris did in the middle of the race it worked out that I was due out to do our last lap... against the men! We were leading, but there were going to be two fast men from the 2nd and 3rd pairs coming to hunt me down in the forest at any time! Although I gave it my all, they passed me during the second half the lap meaning that we came 3rd. We were still chuffed with our podium position, which was what we aimed for, and even got some lovely yellow rossettes. Big Dog is a race I would definitely recommend as the organisers just want to make sure everyone has a go and enjoys themselves. The extensive category list includes a retro cat and the 'Wonder Dog' for people who decide to enter for one lap on the day, and all the profits from the race go behind the bar for a party in the evening.
After Brighton I had my last week working at TF Tuned before I start my primary PGCE next week. To mark my leaving the world of mountain bike suspension and going back to school I went on holiday for a week to Valencia. I enjoyed the balance of city and beach, drinking sangria and eating tapas and wearing a pair of white shorts to the tomato festival!

