Exams

Phew! 10 months of revision, panic and stress have come to an end today as I have heard that I've passed the third and final part of an exam that I was doing from work. Prior to the 2006 Stella I collected all the books and papers together that I needed and left for Italy, knowing that the revision would have to start the minute I returned. Since then it's been part of my life and cast a shadow across more interesting activities, such as taking the Beta out or taking a summer holiday with my SO. Anyhow, now I've no excuse for my rotten trials technique and must get some practise done.

Over the years I've taken numerous theory and practical exams and can honestly say that this has been the worst. I'm sure it's something to do with increasing age and the number of other things in ones life. So the moral is, don't put off an exam today to do it next year, it'll get harder!

Not a good day

Yesterday I participated in the Ilkley Clasic Trial and had hoped to do fairly well. However it wasn't to be - second to last! I won't list each section but give an overview of how things went. Mostly the Alp behaved itself and was a pleasure to ride. As the weather had been wet for the last week, but dry before that I expected the ground to be little more than damp; and thus may old tyres would be adequate. Well that was the first mistake. Although they had some tread on by the end of the trial they were pretty flat in the centre. I think that will have lost me some grip and thus some points. Of course, once a bit of grip is lost a slip becomes more likely and then you get tired etc etc.

I also lost 27 points on three sections where I didn't follow the poles. I suppose they are there for all to see but I think I was looking for the easy route up a hill and didn't spot the detours which weren't obvious. On 2 sections you got the points to where the lesft the course, on one they awarded the maximum of 12. Very mean. Naturally the better riders had enough spare concentration to watch the poles and everything else.

The third problem which lost me points on the 2 final sections of the morning was that I felt terribly weak by lunchtime. Is this due to being a pasty vegetarian, that I don't feel very well at present, or just that 'it's one of those days?'