Leaving work at 4pm – nice.
Basking in glorious sunshine whilst unloading your bike – great.
Having the all-important pre-race burger whilst chatting to all and sundry – fantastic.
Forgetting that it’s your wedding anniversary until the wife gives you a "gentle" reminder shortly before the event – not particularly recommended. Oops.

Following the success of last year’s Wednesday evening series, The Southern Counties Enduro Club kicked off a fresh series for 2007 on the 6^th June (must remember that date). Entries boomed and over 100 riders lined up at Rogers Hill Raceway near Bere Regis in Dorset for the 2 hour event which had undergone a few changes from the following year. Course owner Danny Hall had obviously been offered some telegraph poles at a reasonable price as they could be seen at various parts of the track, and did their very best to catch the un-wary. Another change was the rockery, the brain-child of Si Wakely which was followed by the river crossing – over by bridge or through it; the choice is yours - both sections giving the rider a choice of easy or hard routes.

Mark Cornick demonstrates how the pipe section should be ridden

From the 6.30pm start, the Championship class disappeared into a thick cloud of dust, rounded the first few turns and then punched back through the dust into the downhill section of the Motocross track. At the end of the first lap, Husqvarna's Daryl Bolter was first, closely followed by Andy Frost and Danny Hall (who was fresh from watering the track with tractor and bowser). Laps 5 and 6 shuffled the pack as Andy Frost passed Bolter, and Mark Cornick passed Hall to take third place. Positions remained unchanged until lap 10 when Andy Frost retired, elevating Cornick and Hall into second and third respectively until finishing a lap later.

For me, things were a little tougher. In previous seasons, I’ve enjoyed plenty of bike-time and occasionally some gym-time has been thrown in, but since Christmas I’d ridden a grand total of 9 hours. With the various responsibilities that age invariably brings, time has been more than limited and it’s never a good sign when the bike seems alien whilst sat on the start-line. Add the 23 degree heat and my rapidly approaching 40^th (3 and a bit years to go…and counting) and I’d already racked up a decent pile of excuses - given more time, I’d have come up with a few more.

With an un-characteristically good start in the E2 group, I took second spot and was so surprised to claim first a few corners later, I stalled mid berm and relegated myself to 5^th or so. But all wasn’t lost – Enduro being thinking mans game, I spotted a queue at the first of the easy/hard route sections and decided to take the un-cluttered easy route, only to end the section with no-one to be seen. That’ll teach me to think.

With the pressure off and nothing more to do than practice my post-race excuses, I settled into a good rhythm and managed to catch the leading E2 group at the half-way point and sneaked into a second place finish. It seemed so good at the time, but as I’m writing this some 3 days later, I’m still struggling to get out of a chair un-aided.

Daryl Bolter flies into first place.

To say I’m in desperate need of a fitness programme is a huge under-statement. Any volunteers?

With the next round only weeks away, preparation is already underway. Forget the bike and the gym – I’ve looked in the diary, my wife’s birthday isn’t until October.

Round 2 of the SCEC/Crescent Suzuki Wednesday evening series will be held on July 11^th.

Championship: 1^st Daryl Bolter, 2^nd Danny Hall, 3^rd Jeff Goss.
Expert: 1^st Mark Cornick, 2^nd Gavin Flagg, 3^rd Darren Hounsell.
E1 Clubman: 1^st Ross Follet, 2^nd Josh House, 3^rd Tommy Layzell.
E2 Clubman: 1^st Marcus Dodd, 2^nd Lee Davey, 3^rd Matt Guppy.
Over 40: 1^st Michael Hughes, 2^nd Gary Warr, 3^rd Karl Phillips.
Sportsman: 1^st Pete Fry, 2^nd Brendan Reese, 3^rd Russell Harris.