Blood, Blackberries and Bouncing off Rocks

You could well ask what am I doing up at 4am writing this post, call it a bit of blog therapy, but my injuries after today's race are making it hard to sleep, so the best option was to pour a bowl of cereal and dump some of my thoughts down on today's race.

I guess I'm a bit disappointed due to my poor result, I've been racking my brain trying to work out where exactly I went wrong.  Perhaps a better question is "How in the world did you finish that one??".  I've never been one to give up on myself and I guess that's a little of the appeal of mountain biking.  From time to time you are going to fall off, but can you get back on and master your fear?  Perhaps that was my victory today.

The start was pretty cool, there were some freakishly talented riders present all with postcodes starting with 26, not the least of which was Brad Morton, who went straight to the front, took a sneaky line right to the fireroad climb and set a respectable tempo.  At this point I felt great sitting two abreast in 2nd wheel.  I thought a top 5 finish today would be a good result.  But as the gradient turned upwards I started quickly going backwards through the field and once we hit the single track, I was a long way down.

The riders were good up Cardiac, it was the same for everyone, a mad scramble to the top of a climb that most would struggle to walk up but it's the rock gardens and tight technical switchbacks that really test you.  In a train of riders I took the A line down Hammerhead and regained a few places to the cheers of many spectators.  On the next lap I really gave them something to cheer for as I went in a little unbalanced and hit a rock ledge half way down, sending me straight over the bars.  It was a pretty big off, but somehow I managed to roll with it and was lucky not to break my body or my bike.
The guys watching were already calling for the ambulance as I got up and remounted.  With the adrenalin still coursing through my veins I made another mistake at the tricky the little waterfall, the last obstacle before the easy descent, and went OTB again into a thicket of blackberries.
This one took a little longer to recover from and I'm still finding shards of thorns in places I'd rather not mention. I'm not sure if this is what Paul was referring to in in his letter to the Corinthians "a thorn was given me in the flesh, ....to keep me from becoming conceited" but at this point of the race just finishing seemed like an insurmountable challenge (credit: Peter Lister).  I rolled sedately down Luge, got my composure back, worked out what was still working, and where it hurt most and then set about completing to two further laps.

Top of Cardiac Arrest, don't be fooled by the smile, I am in complete agony and this is just before my crash. Thanks Grantley, Liam and Riley for this photo and your cheers of support!

The real question bouncing around my head as I prepared for my 3rd assault on Hammerhead was would I have the guts to take the A line again.  I was pretty sure that if I crashed again my race would be over, I was feeling like one of those characters from Call of Duty whose life force is down to 25% and it's close to game over.  The answer was yes, I rolled it pretty clean, passed one rider, happy that I only had 1 more lap to go.

It was a great relief to finish what was certainly the most technically challenging MTB race I have ever ridden.  I rolled straight to first aid and Paul did a great job of patching me up.  Thanks to Grantley, Kate and Kel and Martin Wisata who all helped me immensely in the lead up and throughout the race.  I couldn't have finished without your help.  Also the many volunteers who give their time to make these events happen.  I mention Russ Baker who works tirelessly for the sport but there is an army of people who work beside him to deliver such a professionally run event and I thank every one of you for the time you invest in this sport.

Keep Riding
Mike

Warm up at Yellowmundee

Christmas is over for another year and while most cyclists would be putting their feet up and enjoying a few extra guilt free calories whilst planning their trip to Adelaide for the TDU, I was sweating hard on a wind trainer somewhere on NSW far north coast whilst helping out on SUFM Beach mission.  Round 1 of the XCO last month was fun, but my 6^th placing provided enough motivation to see if I could extract any more power from the old diesel.

Web site http://whats.todaysplan.com.au provided the challenge.  Some monster intervals to improve power and strength and there were times on that trainer in 30 deg heat with no fan where I came close to quitting.  The one thing that kept me going was the promise of a better performance in Pemberton.

In my final week of the plan, Quantum rider Michal Kafta was looking for a teammate to pair up in the WSMTB Stans 4 hour Summer Series Round 2 (Twilight Edition) http://www.wsmtb.com/v2/4hr_2014.html  Michal is a very talented rider having won the Veterans in the Fling and placing very high in the Croc trophy last year and although I wouldn’t put myself in his league, I was privileged to join with him for some fun and give the legs a test before tapering for WA.

Upon arriving at Yellowmundee around 4pm, the sun was still blazing and temps were still 30+ degrees.  Classic Yellowmundee, it was hot and the track was dry, dusty and very ,very looooose.  Every track has it’s own character and this is just what I’d expect from this favourite track at the base of the Blue Mountains. An added bonus was that Michal had put up the marquee and we had 3 other quantum teams racing with Mark & Ollie, Jacob & Alex, and Aaron & Steve combining to provide some inter-team rivalry.

 

The banter begins at the marquee, just racing for fun right?

I volunteered Michal for the first lap and was both cheering and cursing as he cruised through transition after the start in 2^nd wheel behind young sensation Matt Dinham.  Before he went out he said to me to take it easy in the heat, conserve energy and then light it up after the sunset and temps dropped.  It was great to see Michal taking his own advice, NOT!  Michal came back through timing in about 5^th place just 20 secs behind Matt and tagged me in.  The sun was still raging but I felt great on the track. I’d brought my racing Anthem shod with newly renovated www.TWEBikeWheels.com.au Arch 29er wheels.  They might be over 4 years old but these wheels still feel light and stiff and the Anthem was eating up the rocky trail. 

Meanwhile the legs felt strong.  I’d had a dodgy stomach for most of the week, even succumbing to a nap before heading out to the race, but once I was riding, all the cares and niggles just fell away and I opened up the taps.  I got finished the lap in just a minute more than Michal’s lap so I was stoked with that and we steadied into 4^th place overall.

The race continued pretty smoothly and 3^rd place was coming up on the radar.  Michal put in a scorching lap breaking the 19min barrier and then sent me out right behind 3^rd place Velocipede with Jacob leading a train of three.  On the techy rock steps, the Velo rider made a mistake and I jumped past onto Jacob’s wheel.  We stomped to the base of the fireroad climb and half way up we’d established a good gap on Velocipede so I put my head down and recorded my fastest lap just missing a sub 20 min lap by 2 seconds.

The rest of the evening passed by without incident, the vibe on the track was very casual and as the 4 hour mark closed in, the traffic thinned, the temperature dropped and the light slowly disappeared to leave me riding in ideal conditions.  It was another good test for the www.NiteLights.com.au and the bright broad beam provided excellent illumination in the foreground, whilst the ever faithful www.ayup-lights.com narrow beam on the helmet lit up further down the track.

I ran Maxxis Icon EXC front and rear which gave a good sense of grip, fast rolling and protection from the rocky terrain.

 

Thanks to Riding Focus for this great shot

In the end we finished 3^rd overall with the Kaliba team of Glen and Fabian just 2 minutes back chasing hard.  1^st and 2^nd placed pairs were a whole lap ahead, made up of Matt Dinham (18), Luke Brame (17), Ben Metcalfe (14!!) and long time XC champion Matt Fleming now turned 40! Look out Masters category. And look out for these young guns, coming through the ranks.  They ride like greased lightning.

It was a well run event with some nice prizes donated by www.BikeMinded.com.au , www.BlackmanBicycles.com.au and www.PantherCycles.com.au so thank you for their support.

Thanks to the www.Quantum-Racing.com.au team for a great fun event and to Michal for the opportunity to race with you.  It was just great to feel part of a team and chew the fat around the transition as we waited for our partners to reappear all too soon!  Thanks also to all the riders who turned up to make it a fun event and the local RFS crew for the great BBQ.  It was great to catch up with part of the MTB family friendly and chatty as always.  Now it’s time to rest and taper and see what comes about in Pemberton next weekend.

Keep Riding

Mike

Kirrawak State Forest Race Report

Moving a little further afield than in previous years, Chocolate Foot held their first round for 2014 in Taree last Sunday.  Having heard how sweet these trails were from last year, I made sure this one was firmly locked in the calendar well in advance.  Marking the first round of the premier endurance MTB series known as the Finish Line Single Track Mind Series, riders converged from up and down the eastern seaboard for what boils down to the most fun you can have in the dirt on two wheels.

Saturday night turned into something of a cross between a treasure hunt and the great race, in an attempt to find pre-race nutrition.  On the plus side we got to see the sights of Taree at night, and there were plenty of laughs and raised eyebrows amongst our steely MTB foursome of Chops, Phil, Tim and I.  As in all good boys nights out, we ended up playing pool and proving we should stick to cycling, when Tim pulled out the most amazing "single track" trick shot, rolling the cue ball the full length on top of the cushion that would have challenged the great Eddie Charlton.

Located just outside the sleepy country town of Taree, the park presents as a gorgeous leafy green pocket of eucalypt forest and the local club (Manning Great Lakes Tip Riders) take great pride in their trail network.  Ripping around for my first lap, I was struck at how smooth the trails were and also how perfectly radiused the many windy corners were.  This was indeed a track built with Flow and Fun in mind that would reward those who ride smooth and subscribe to the theory, slow is fast.  It even had white markings for obstacles, something that reminded me of early Saturday morning soccer matches eons ago.

Brad Tillack has been gradually building capacity and experience in this series over the last couple of years and has now been rewarded with his very own category, "Super Masters" where he can draw his sword against the many other 50+ warriors.  I’m a confirmed addict to this style of racing (first entering in 2007) and ended up causing extra froth in the coffee cup when the news got around; I'd not be riding solo, yes I finally found a friend (long time rival and good mate Phil Welch) prepared to team up with me and Masters (40-50yo) pairs would be my battleground.

The start was pretty civilised, these races tend to start with a long stretch of slightly uphill fireroad to sort the wheat from the chaff, and while there is many a boyracer who like to throw derision in the direction of those who potentially self-seed a row or two higher than their legs can deliver, it all get's sorted out in the mad rush for single track.

I had the first lap and enjoyed the feeling of fresh legs knowing I had 30 minutes recovery time at the end of the lap, so I let the horses gallop, there would be no room for pacing today, with atleast two other pairs fancying themselves in the stakes for a podium finish. 

By the middle of the day, the temperature was starting to climb and Brad was having to contend with a couple of issues, like some strange noises from the bike (or was it just his knees?) and a crash just adding to the drama of the race.  As solo riders come in each lap, the dust, drink, gu's, mud (and other unmentionable substances) tend to build up to the point where the rider resembles some creature from the murky depths.  Thanks to the crash, Brad also earned extra style points for the sizeable graze down his elbow and not a little claret flowing.  I was found reclining between laps enjoying some chit chat and a cool drink when Brad came in on red alert.  "Alright buddy you are OK?" I soothed, Brad got centred again, with a drink, some lube for the chain (and knees), and we sent him on his way in 2nd position.  "What's the gap to 3rd?" Brad asked. "You've got heaps of time Brad forget about 3rd, just keep circulating and you've got 2nd in the bag" I replied.  The addition of the SuperMasters category belies the swelling ranks of long time riders who are now still competing beyond the 50 year birthday. Brad completed the same number of laps (14) as the 2nd place getter in the Masters category showing age is no barrier to performance.

For Phil and I, it was a solid hit out with some intensity and some sharpening up of the skills.  Unfortunately the top step wasnt to be, as Trek Racing finished 20 minutes ahead after 15 laps in 7 hours, but there is no shame in coming 2nd to Rich and Darren who have always been extremely talented riders.  Ben and Mark kept the pressure on all day and finished just 10 mins behind Mike and Phil to round out the podium.

Russell Napier also made a cameo appearance in the shorter 4 hour format and finished tired and happy just the way MTB is meant to end.  Thanks to the crew from Chocolate Foot who put on a flawless event and to the sponsors whose generous support make these events just that little more enjoyable, as almost everyone get’s to go home with a little bit of bling for the bike shed.

Giant Anthem, what a great bike for a great track, Rubena on the front and Bontrager on the back is my current setup

Masters Pairs podium complete with Arsenal mascot following their dramatic win of the FA Cup final

Thanks to all the crew at TMC for your support, and hopefully we'll see a few more riders at the next round in Mogo.  Why not make a long weekend of it and join us on the beautiful Eurobodalla coast, you can even bring your roadie if MTB is just too much to ask, but I know TBG has a shiny Trek demo MTB bike just waiting for you to try.

Keep riding

Mike

WEMBO 24hr

As I approached the finish of this race, my throat tightened and my eyes began to water, not just from the dry dusty swirls.  This would probably go down as the best thing that has ever happened to me after my wife and kids.  Putting aside the slight setback of breaking my collarbone 12 weeks ago, I’d had a perfect lead up to this race in terms of training, racing and mental preparation.  You could even argue the accident was a blessing in disguise, forcing me to rest and then adapt my training as my body healed.  This is the story of how I went on to win a World Championship title and the place where I collect all my thoughts on the race and acknowledge those who made it possible.  It is a long one and will probably take you 24 hours just to read it, but I hope some of this is good reading for you.

Pit boss Andrew and I pre race

True to form I had little sleep the night before thanks to nerves, call it a little sleep deprivation training but wow it felt good to be finally on the start line.  The event centre and course had a great vibe of a true international event complete with “Crazies on the mountain” #popamono, the hippies with drums and trumpets and the volunteers at checkpoints calling out numbers and cheering on riders all night long.

Heading down Luge near the end of the race

1ST QUARTER

I like to break 24hr into 4 quarters.  The first quarter is where you settle into a sustainable pace and start building up the km’s, whilst topping up the carbs and sussing out the competition.  For the first 3 laps Michael Redman was pushing pretty hard and I was in two minds whether to push and keep him in sight or to let him go.  I concentrated hard to save as much energy as possible and still the avg heart rate was above where it should be for this race, and in the heat, that spelt danger.  Just as I backed it off, Michael flatted and I breathed easy again, thankful for a bit of race luck and a small buffer.

Putting in the big ones

2ND QUARTER

Going into the night, I had a nice gap of 10 mins and I worked on maintaining my pace in the hope of building my lead. About that time Ed came through to lap me and he was flying. It seemed like an eternity before the rest of the chasing elite group came by in dribs and drabs. What’s going on I wondered?  I never saw Ed again, but Jason English continued to lap me in what seemed to be ever shortening intervals.  Jason was exerting his stranglehold on the race and I was slowing.

Sarah passing out the energy

3RD QUARTER

After 12am, it is still pitch black and pretty cold.  The body is now taking an immense battering.  Hands, butt, lower back and triceps are all starting to give out and the stomach cramps are coming in waves.  I think I ate too much real food.  As we get close to sunrise I am ready to give up.  I can no longer corner the bike and I am hating sections of track like Luge and Breakout, normally the ones I love the most.  The only segment I look forward to is the gentle steady straight incline of Willo Link, and just then #572 goes past looking strong as an Ox.  I don’t know who it is yet, but I know he is in my age category and I basically wave bye bye to the championship.

 Getting back to the pits at around 5am, I am spent, it’s time to sit down and take a 5 min breather and break the emergency glass to reach for the Red Bull.  I was now seriously wondering if I would make it to the finish, let alone podium.

FINAL QUARTER

By 8am, the sun was finally revealing it's glory from behind a strategically placed bank of cloud.  I on the other hand was really struggling again.  The quick fix of the Red Bull had come and gone.  Coming into the pits, Andrew said "what do you need?" and I said "everything!".  I said to Sarah this is as tough as my first full 24solo in 2010 and I am so much fitter and better prepared this time round.  Five minutes later I had new knicks, chammois cream, nurofen, a toilet stop and a pocket full of gels,  I was ready to roll and the lights came back on.  I was moving again at more than a snails pace, I regained the ability to corner a mountain bike and now knew I could finish.  At this time Sarah asked Andrew "I don't understand why he doesn't just stop".

Apparently, Andrew, himself an Ironman veteran, just nodded knowingly and said

"I do"

Old Duffys

Two more good laps got me to 10:30am and I now had 2nd place secured.  I figured 1 more easy lap and I could call it quits, but my crew had other ideas.

"That was really fast Mike!" called Sarah and Andrew was in the zone, he wanted two more laps and what's more he told me I was putting time back into the leader.  Could I bridge a 15 min gap? Rolling back in at 11:50, my crew were going ballistic.

"He's just 4 minutes up the track!" "C'mon Mike, you can do this!" were the last words from Andrew as I pulled away.

Like a match to tinder dry bush, my energy levels ignited and I stamped on the pedals.  The red mist had entirely descended and I was on the chase.  My heart rate soared back to race pace, and Dean rock hopped all over the mountain meeting me at junctions with timing splits and cries of motivation.

Cockatoo 3 mins, as I charged up the climb the final time, and stomped over the jagged A line at the top to save precious seconds.  I had visions of making the catch on old Duffy's, holding Ian's wheel back onto the tarmac and sprinting for the finish line. Down Skyline, I felt like a heat seeking missile locked onto a target and when I pulled up behind a train of three slower riders, I asked them as gently as possible to make way for someone chasing 1st place and they promptly yielded the track.

Slant 6 just 2 mins Dean screamed, I spurred the legs again, and I still couldnt catch a glimpse of Ian, until I got to the picnic tables at the start of Willo link.  There he was, a blue jersey still some way off, but a rider who looked like he was being chased.  This was no slower rider about to be lapped.  By this stage the wind was howling and the sun was beating down and it felt like we were the last two riders on course.  As I came up behind Ian it was such a bittersweet moment.  It was clear there would be no sprint finish, Ian was running on fumes.  I gently said "Hi Ian, track please" he returned with "Well done Mike, I'm done" and tears welled in my stinging eyes as I felt his pain.  I held my pace back to the finish being careful just to bring it home in one piece and all 5 of us, my crew of 4 and I, danced, laughed and cried in disbelief and celebration over what had happened after saving my 4th fastest lap for last.

The scoreboard will never tell the drama of the final lap. Ian never finished the lap; after I caught him, he simply turned for home, his last lap turned to dust and was blown across the almost lunar landscape along with his dreams of victory on the hot, gusty winds now lashing Mt Stromlo.

FRIENDS AND HEROS

As I mentioned in my speech at the dinner, I love this sport and have made many many good friends through it.  Ian Brigland is a new friendship that has been forged in the heat of battle and there will be many rides together down the track.

There are so many characters I love and admire, but here are just a few,

Andy Hall dropped in for a chat sometime Sunday morning and took me for a guided tour of Party Line.  He completely stepped it up a notch beating some heavy hitters on the global stage to take 3rd overall.  Read about it here

Ed McDonald scared everyone with his show stopper attack on Saturday.  Is he about to re-build the diesel to be some kind of turbo-charged F1 racing machine set for XCO?  I'm sure we'll read about it here.

Jason McAvoy is probably the first elite mountain biker who caught my interest and the first of many mates in our nations capital.  He won again! If this guy has taught me anything it is the power of the human mind to make the body do things that should be impossible. He popped in for a chat when my engine had ceased to even splutter and it was all I could do to get back to the pits and curl up into a ball.  He said "The sun's about to come up and you'll not only come good but you'll win this race".  Thanks mate.  Read about his race here

Jason English, world class, set apart, cycling royalty completely at home having a chat with lil' ol' me in the shower queue #priceless

Peter Selkrig and Phil Welch, my 300 club buddies whose races didnt quite go to plan and still with smiles on their faces heading off to the Croc Trophy.  We salute you!

WHY?

All year I have been asking myself why WEMBO.  I knew I wanted to do it but couldnt put my finger on the "why".  As a Christian (*) there is a constant conflict between this resource hungry, time consuming, sometimes selfish sport.  It is not always compatible with family and or belonging to a church family.  My minister Tom Henderson Brooks put his finger on it one day as we chatted.  Mike you are good at this, and God gave you this ability.  So enjoy it, use it and ride amongst those who may be looking for some answers to life.  I dont have all the answers, and sometimes I am my own worst enemy, but given the choice of riding with mates who accept me or sitting in church with those who already believe what I believe, I think I now know what the right option is.  

(*) I meet with a bunch of blokes on Tuesday night.  There’s a teacher or two, an architect, a project manager who loves the Hawks and a good country pub, an arborist, a builder who is also a rugby tragic, an accountant who loves to sail and a minister with a pony tail and a cross on the collar of his leather jacket.  Ordinary blokes who share the things they struggle with in life, see what the bible has to say about it and then pray God forgive us when we stumble, help us to live up to those words and thank him for all the good things he's given us. That’s being a Christian.

THANKYOUS

Andy Blair was recently quoted by Flow as saying that "Solo 24 is a contradiction".  I thought that was a little presumptuous given he hasn’t done one, but given the guy "can ride" I gave it some introspection and well, yeah, he's dead right.  This is why.

Four of my nearest and dearest give up their weekend (two of them give up a night’s sleep and dedicate all their energies so I can ride my bike as far as humanly possible and beyond in 24 hours.

Thankyou to my pit crew Andrew Mackenzie, Dean Israel, Sarah Israel (nee Deane) and Fiona Mackenzie (nee Deane) and to both our Mum’s for taking the kids for the weekend. Without your commitment I would not have finished, much less won the race.  I love you guys so much.

CORC do a fabulous job every time we make the trip to Canberra and I’ve been there 3 of the last 4 weekends!  Congratulation Russ Baker and Sarah O'Callaghan

To the volunteers who stayed up all night at Western Wedgetail and Party Line to call out numbers.  That takes commitment, not only to do the job and suffer through a near freezing night, but to cheer every rider as they go past on every lap.  You rock!

Turramurra Cyclery and all my friends from Peloton Sports, need I say more.  This is where it all began for me 7 years ago and no matter what’s happening you always have time to deal with my tiny questions and my special needs.  You guys are like my second family. Mark, Brad and Simey set me up perfectly on two bomb proof Giant Anthem 29ers.

NutriScience, I’ll review these products separately, but thanks to Wes Hurrell for your support.  The NS products Extend and Refuel taste great and kept me going when I could stomach nothing else.

Peter Melville.  Peter is a great mate and coach.  This year we took a different approach, train on feel and keep an eye on the numbers.  No structured programs, just listen to your body and enjoy the ride. It works, thanks for you regular little messages of encouragement and follow up and thanks for keeping the faith when I did something a little stupid and crashed my road bike.

Lindsay Gorrell.  I call her the chick with nuclear warheads built into her thumbs.  Two weeks before the race, my body was smashed.  She kneaded the concrete-like knots out of my muscles and got me ready.  Thanks Lindsay, you are an amazing practitioner and an even better friend.

One last thought: As I exited Party Line for the last time and rode up the fireroad, I noticed all the gel wrappers had been collected off the ground.  MTBer's are normally very sensitive to the environment and at any race they carry their rubbish to the finish, but allowances are made for 24 solos.  Whoever you are, who picked up all those wrappers, you are one very special generous person.

So how about it Andy Blair, are you ready to find out just how far you can go?

Keep Riding

Mike

24 hours 46 minutes, 390km, 9000+ vm, 10000+ Calories, 1000+ TSS