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

Capital Punishment 100km MTB

Earlier this year when I locked in my entry for Capital Punishment, I got a little excited.  My focus for the last two years has been more towards the ultra-endurance end of the spectrum, so to be able to design my training and racing around this 4-5 hour discipline made for a welcome change.  Also as CapPun was going to be the first round of the Maverick Marathon series, it was pretty much a guarantee the race would be very well attended. by a strong field.

My excitement turned to a little anxiety when the start waves were published and I was relegated to Wave 2.  To be honest I probably didn't rate myself as a Wave 1 rider, but looking down the list all my regular sparring partners were in Wave 1, so I had to accept a race plan of chasing very hard all day.  Local legend Grantley Butterfield, promptly gave me a dose of HTFU and encouraged me to start in Wave 1 and so it was on a glorious mild Autumn morning that I fronted up like the badgeless guy with the clipboard, albeit it in the "wrong" wave but who was going to stop me?  That being said I did sit at the back of the wave so as not to raise too many eyebrows and hoped that the timing mats would take care of my sneaky self promotion.

Warming up in the dark is always fun and before long we were charging up the the fireroad.  I didn't have a great position so all I could do at this stage was ride at a comfortable pace and wait for the gaps to open up.  The other big change for me was the resurrection of the Ellsworth Enlightenment 29er carbon hardtail, fresh with a 1x10 setup.  This bike has been on the shelf for a couple of years due to a non-reliable drivetrain but with some input from Jordan and Camo at Ride in Workshop and a few parts at mate's rates from Mike Blewitt Marathon MTB, this bike was now race ready again.  And didn't it go hard.  I loved riding it again, so agile and light and compliant.  Don't get me wrong, I've had some great races on my alloy Giant Anthems, but there is nothing quite like riding a carbon hardtail on the sweetest single track around.

And we're off, with Brett Bellchambers preferring to give the field a headstart.  We rode most of the race together, errr that is he dropped me on the climbs and then I'd catch up on the flats again.

At around the 30km mark I'd had a great run with Brook Nelson, I'd never met him before but we were riding well together and helping each other through the single track. We caught a big group including Garry James and Paul Morgan.  I know that is disgraceful attempt at blog name dropping, but it was a great sign to me that I was travelling pretty well even if they did drop me on the very next pinch.  I just sat on Garry's wheel for a time, feeling content as an anonymous wheel at the back of the bunch rather than announcing my presence only to wave bye bye in the very near future.

Focussing on smooth and flow-ful riding, looking for the millimetre perfect line on some hand made single track 

The rest of the first section was a perfect mix of fireroad and dusty dry schlerophyll eucalypt forest.  I loved the course, last time I rode the race was in 2011 and endured the endless grassy airport fairways.  It was so good to ride this alternative route and made for some really enjoyable riding and with one little pinch over Majura, we crossed the mats for a welcome breather.  The feed station was a great place to have a chat, refuel and pick a bunch to roll out with.  Tristan White and Wayne Dickinson were there so I followed them out and meandered our way up to Black Mountain for the restart.  It's a strange phenomenon once you reach the restart.  Everyone stops, noone wanting to be the first over the mat for fear of being a marked man and giving up precious seconds at the finish, but you cant stand there all day, so just as I rolled out, Steve Henry and Rob Weiser came through, you beauty! A couple of mates I know who will work hard as a group.  The track around Black Mountain was nice and sketchy just to keep everyone on their toes and there were a number of punctures through this section. After the legs warmed up again I felt OK, but a few of the hills around the Arboretum soon started to take their toll and in the headwind to Stromlo I dropped a wheel.  At this stage, I was really starting to tire but with just 15km and one climb to go I put everything I had left into the pedals and finished with a shredding descent off Stromlo.

Great shot with Telstra Tower in the background, I'm really hurting on the front and only smiling for the camera

Well done to Matt Rizzuto and Minter Barnard, tearing the Master's field to pieces to take 1st and 2nd with a 15 min gap to Wayne Dickinson in 3rd and a further 5 minutes covering the next 5 places. For me, I beat my time from 2011 by 35 mins so I was very happy with my 6th place in Masters and 44th overall.  Thanks again to the Butterfields for putting me up Friday night.  You always make me feel at home!  You martians (Canberra locals) have it made; fancy having a 5 minute roll home to shower and recover after a 100km MTB race?
The final pleasure after a great ride with mates on the best trails was the vibe at the finish enjoying a beer and some good food in the sun.  That's why we race

Keep Riding
Mike

Scody 3 Peaks Challenge

They don't call this one of the Top 10 hardest rides in the world for nothing.  Having completed it for the first time last weekend, I reckon the organisers have a fair claim to that title.  I had no idea Australia had such impressive mountains!

3 Peaks is a timed event for 1800 riders taking in Towonga Gap, Mt Hotham and Falls Creek. The 235km loop boasts just over 4500 metres vertical.  A new record number took up the challenge this year with the event selling out and also 11% riders were female which is great to see.  The challenge is to finish within the 13 hours deadline and avoid getting a tap on the shoulder from the Lanterne Rouge.

Heading into this ride, I have never felt so clueless before.  I'd never climbed this much on the road bike, my training had been a little sporadic over the last 6 weeks and the weather could turn very nasty indeed as I had heard so many horror stories from years gone by.  But I kept thinking "just 3 climbs, how hard can it be?" A sure sign of denial or just plain stupidity.  I was hearing stories of people setting up with 32t cogs or 28t with a compact.  Really?  In the end I discovered it's not the amount of climbing that get's you, it's the gradient.

The night before I carb loaded to an inch of my life with the Easy Riders crew I was staying with and settled in for the usual light sleep I normally experience before a big ride.  I was first to rise at 4:30am for a light breakfast just to top off the energy stores and I was on the start in the dark with many other keen beans by 6 to get a good place on the start grid.  The temperature and forecast was perfect and before long we were rolling out and cruising down from Falls Creek to Mt Beauty.  All the riders were pretty good and rode sensibly, except for one guy who I saw overcook a corner on my outside and head straight off into a ditch.  Not a great start for him poor guy, but it served as a great warning to take it easy and survive the first hour.

Ready, Set.....

The legs were feeling good and I got into a nice little bunch on the flat before setting the cruise control up Towonga, the first peak.  Over the top, it's a beautiful sweeping descent and I picked up one rider, we bridged across to another 3 and then the 5 of us caught a big bunch of 10 or so.  Cool, time to sit in and save some energy.  Harrietville is the next stop and we mostly all rolled straight through and onto the biggest climb of the day, Mt Hotham.  This is another truly epic climb, starting steep, then keeping a respectable gradient for the next 10km or so.  It flattens out for a while and just as you are getting comfortable, BANG! In come 3 big bergs in excess of 10% and it's at this point you start to realise a compact crankset would be handy!

Over the top of the highest sealed road in Australia and the views are beyond words.  I was stunned by the magnificent views looking back down the mountain and following the faint line that we had followed up the range for the previous 2 hours and momentarily forgot the pain starting to develop in my legs.  

Nearing the summit of Mt Hotham

Again I found a couple of willing wheels as we swapped off down the mountain and before long we pulled into the lunch stop at Dinner Plain to refuel.  I was surprised to find how hungry I was and spent the next 15 mins gobbling down lunch and repacking my belongings to complete the ride and send back what I no longer needed in my pockets.  Great organisation here, this whole process was very smooth and professionally run, so a huge thankyou at this point to the hundreds of volunteers who help to make this event so successful and so enjoyable

You cant stand around all day waiting for the right bunch, so I pulled out of the carpark and before long teamed up with a fit looking young guy and we were hammering the rest of the descent until he started to cramp so it was onto the front and steady as she goes.  Before long a group of 10 or so appeared including a couple of strong guys from Perth and Peter "Stealthy" Ogilvy.  Kudos to Stealthy here who stuck with me for the next 80 km's unlike Drastic who snuck through the lunch stop and set a cracking pace to break the 9 hour barrier!  Stealthy and I chatted away and stayed in touch with the bunch.  I was starting to lose my punch up the undulations and this was one of the hardest sections of the ride through to Omeo.  The section through to Angler's Rest was really cool.  It was kind of a winding false flat through a valley and we had about 5 or 6 guys taking turns and setting a good pace.  By Anglers Rest the temperature had soared to 30 deg and I needed water fast.

Drastic in full flight

Fresh water tasted great as I could no longer swallow energy drink and whilst the odometer looked promising with just 40km to go, this ride has a sting in the tail.  Undoubtably the hard part of the ride appears at "WTF" corner.  Right on 200km, the road kicks left and up and the next 9km @ 9% is no joke. It's now 32 deg, my eyes sting from the sweat and glare from the white road surface, I have to leave my sunglasses off so I can keep sponging the sweat out of my eyes and I am grinding up what seems to be a never-ending ramp.  I feels like an eternity passes before the odometer clicks over one more km and it takes every skerrick of my determination not to get off and walk (in fact a little later I do walk 200m or so up another steep ramp).  My cadence is so low, I cant get my heart rate over 75%, I just dont have the strength to push any harder and after pinning it for 200km on 9 hour pace, I give up a 70 places in the long haul to the finish.  I finally crest the climb alone and am left with a 10km flattish sector around the lake (with a head wind I might add) to finish in 9:19. Again the scenery is sublime and it's a great way to finish the ride. The sense of euphoria on finishing this ride proved what a great challenge it really is. I felt so much emotion at the finish and I was completely choked up as the crowd cheered on every finisher.

Thanks to Collette for this pic at the finish.  The smile says it all, "I did it!"

I'm calling it the toughest road ride I've ever done.  Last May I rode the second stage of the Tour of California from Murietta to Palm Springs:193km, 3000m vert and 47 degrees for the last 40km.  This was harder, and yet by 9pm that night, I was planning my return.  That's a good sign.  The sooner you forget the mutterings of "never again", the less it really hurt.

I hung around the finish for a while cheering on all the finishers and caught up with a few mates, but a shower, food and a nap were calling loudly.  Sunday night was one of the most glorious post ride celebrations I can recall with plenty of beer, steak and war stories to go around. Thanks to the Easy Riders bunch for an unforgettable weekend and for making me feel so welcome. Everyone was keen to hear about each others day, and an almighty cheer rose up when the last of our group made a grand entrance and beat the Lanterne Rouge with 10 minutes to spare.

Lake at the top of Falls Creek

Congrats to all Turramurra riders: Mary-Lou, Josh, Graeme, Soren, Dave, Tony, Simon and Andrew to name a few, I know there were lots more!  All I can say is if you ever get the chance to do this ride, go for it.  The scenery is just amazing, beautiful roads, great people, but don't forget your 28-34 gear!

Keep Riding

Mike

Some artisitc snaps here from Graeme Weatherill

Rolling the Dice

Tonight, four plucky mountain bikers rolled the dice and hit the trails in the hope we could squeeze in the regular ride before the deluge arrived.

While our timing was a little out and the Creator of the Universe decided Hornsby needed a good soaking at around 8 o'clock, it wasn't all bad.

It was a gorgeous sultry February evening.

The fading light took on an ominous feel reflecting off the many deep purple rain clouds gathering.

The lightening show on the return leg was awe inspiring. Seeing the trails light up for a second was exhilarating if not a little scary

Finally it came down just as we began the final climb out of the gorge and it was so heavy it was tough to make out the trail at times, we even got that lovely sensation of sipping the rainwater as it streams down your face. Guess you had to be there :)

The ride ended up being a lot of fun and restored the spring in my step sapped away by a working week that is best left behind.

Looking forward to a fun weekend and catching up with mates at the Awaba Rocky Trail GP on a trail that may be in perfect condition with a shower or two to raise the tackiness factor

Keep Riding

Mike

Mr Hyde may not be so Evil after all

You could say that Peloton Sports has a bit of a Jeckyll and Hyde personality, but before you jump to conclusions let me explain.  For the majority of riders, the culture is very civilised, riders are cared for and accommodated into a bunch that most appeals to their desired pace, thereby demonstrating the very kind Dr Jeckyll.  But step up to the plate and take on the A bunch and things take a decidedly different turn; the evil Hyde rears his head and the ride takes the complexion of a life and death struggle.  It is a full on battle where many a rider is put to the sword and only a select few survive and today was no exception.

In the end there were only 3 survivors today (huge props to Camo, Nathan and Rowdy), and this type of competition may not be for everyone, but it is in the heat of the battle when every fibre of your being is pushed to it’s limits that you find out what you are made of.  Of course not everyone can finish with the leaders and there is nothing quite so gratifying as falling into a small group of comrades and continuing to ride as hard as you can to limit the losses and stay away from the next chasing group. 

The ride started out friendly enough with 30 or more riders fostering hopes of glory.  At times the pace dropped to almost pedestrian and Rowdy was certainly on a mission today, so when Nathan dropped the hammer at Cowan he had plenty of followers keen to test the legs and a bunch of 12 or so tacked on the rear after a scintillating descent of Brooklyn.  There’d be no regroups today, so it was a steady gruppetto up Mt White and roll on.  Mill Billy put in a solid turn up the rise past Road Warriors and before we knew it we were again hurtling down a negative incline to the Mooney Mooney creek.  Again the group coalesced; only Camo and Rowdy tried their luck up the climb, meanwhile Julian pulled the turn of the day and towed a few others up the climb to realise a few PR’s.  Camo got a well earned rest at the top, only so he could plot his next attack.  We didn’t have to wait long.  With still about 12 in tow, we turned left onto Wiseman’s Ferry Rd.  Camo turned up the blow torch and it was pain and suffering all the way to Somersby Heights.  Every pinch, the attack came and it wasn’t long before the legs said enough and I settled in for an ITT as I watched Camo, Mark, Nathan, Garry, Julian and Tim ride away.  There was a slight reprieve when Julian fell victim Mill Billy’s CX riding style, but the result remained unchanged and soon there was a trail of gooey riders strung out all doing their best impression of Jens Voight in a solo break.  

Getting gooey on the road to Somersby

This is where the camaraderie began and Josh, Tim, Graeme, Jeremy, Mike and “Specialised Track man” pooled resources to set a cracking pace across the Peats Ridge TT.  Four riders were sharing the load with 2 just content to be there and that’s the way it went all the way to Brooklyn until the last two cracked and the Fab Four were left to finish the job.  Arriving back at the after party, we’d averaged 34kph over 140km with 2000m of climbing (TSS 350).

 

The fab four today Graeme, Mike, Tim and Josh

So it seems the evil Mr Hyde isn’t really that evil after all.  The feeling of accomplishment and pride and mateship that comes from completing a ride, having given it your all is unbeatable.  We are indeed lucky to have a number of talented riders that are happy to measure the pace for the most part and then to turn up the volume and provide a platform to train harder and faster than you ever dared to imagine.  I’m not saying that just to to piss in their pockets, but to ride with these guys is a real privilege and it means pretty much any level of non-professional rider can turn up on any given Sunday and have a red hot go.

Strava tells me the last time I rode up Mooney Mooney was almost 3 years ago and today I beat that time by almost 4 minutes. That’s what PS has done for me, I’m fitter and healthier (and happier!) than I ever before in my life.  Peloton Sports continues to set the pace when it comes to recreational riding that is designed to reflect as close as possible the feeling of elite road cycling, and that holds true for everyone from the genetically gifted young gentlemen who would give the NRS a real shake, to the complete newbie who starts riding because he or she is looking for some new friends, to get fit or a variety of other equally valid reasons.  I hope everyone enjoyed the ride today as much as I did and judging from the conversation back at Bar Stelvio in between mouthfuls of lamington and a well deserved Australia Day holiday beer I'd say that’s a given.

Keep riding

Mike

On the Convict Trail

There is something special about the first race of a new year and with the Duo Classic getting red flagged, I was excited to be heading out to YellowMundee; a track I hadn't sampled for quite some time.  A fairly technical rocky course, it keeps you on your toes in order to avoid a fall or a puncture.  It rewards smooth efficient pedalling and forces you to find fast lines.  It typifies the blue mountains with plenty of sandstone, I love the new couple of little sections of paved sandstone, makes you think the track could have been laid by the convicts back in the early days of our young country.

After just about succumbing to spontaneous combustion in several previous Summer races, I wasnt going to make that mistake again and went fully prepared with 12 bottles, some ice and towels that could be soaked and wrapped around the shoulders.  I was determined to drink atleast a litre an hour, and although I could have positioned my little pit area better, it didnt seem to hold me up too much having to stop every couple of laps for more fluids.  Temperatures peaked at just over 30 deg today, so it didnt get too bad, but I did end up drinking 5 litres over 4 hours....

Phil Welch setting up for the race.  Hydration would be critical today.  Photo Crummy MTB

The start was well marshalled, a fairly simple request to get the faster riders to the back as we rode down to the start and then an about face, there I was on the 2nd row where I like to be.  Fellow Masters competitor Phil Welch was there so it was great to have a friendly face, we've been doing a bit of training together and it would be great to see how we are progressing.  At around the two hour mark I was still lapping consistently.  My heart rate was under control and my lap times were on the dot every time and I started to think maybe there was a chance of a podium.  Lot's of the quicker riders going round were in a pair, so I just kept plugging away, not knowing where I stood but keeping up a consistent pace.  The Giant Anthem again was rolling faultlessly with it's silky smooth full XT grupo, I was comfy all day and just love riding it (despite the strange grimace on my face here below)

Photo thanks to Michael Crummy

Pretty soon I spied another solo rider up ahead and he looked like he was hurting.  With three laps to go I figured I would just mark him and if the pace started to fall away I could put some pressure on him.  The very next lap we both stopped for a fresh bottle, but I left the pits quicker and never saw him again.  

Thanks to BikeMinded for their generous sponsorship today.  In a nice touch, all place getters from all categories got the same prize which was a neat little package of bottle, bottle cage and multitool.  I was just happy to come away with a great ride under my belt and a few bragging rights

Photo Crummy MTB

All up it was a spectacular day on an awesome challenging trail.  Thanks to WSMTB and everyone involved for a great day of Mountain Biking.  As a footnote I ran into John Patterson, an old school and football mate.  His 12 year old son and team mate took out the juniors with 9 laps.  MTB has a big future ahead with young kids coming up the ranks like this.
Keep riding
Mike

Race within a Race

It just had to be done.  After our epic battle at WEMBO, it seemed like a logical move to team up with Ian Bridgland as a pair for the 6+6 at the Rocky Trail JetBlack 24 hour.

In the lead up Ian quipped it would be a race within a race and I guessed he meant we'd conduct our own little personal challenge to try and beat each other's lap times.  Of course he might have been thinking something completely different, but it is amazing how close our lap times were and we were just enjoying the thrill of being able to put out a fast lap and then recover instead of the usual slugfest where survival is the name of the game.

It was also great to see my son Tommy riding so well and getting closer to my lap times and playing a big part in his team taking second in the Junior team of 6 for the 6+6

Tommy makes the Juniors 4 podium

As for us, shall we say. "more mature gentlemen", Ian and I were stoked to take out Masters Category and post a solid result overall.  The track, the weather and the general vibe on the track from other riders could not have been better.  It was a thrill to ride with living legends like Cory Wallace the Canadian who seems to have been made an honorary Aussie, Andrew Lloyd who was happy enough to sit on my wheel for the last 500m of a lap.  He was clearly taking a breather and sucking in a gel whilst I rode beyond my limits trying not to hold him up too much. And "The Jeebus"; what can I say, I think he did about 480 laps on a SS.  Good mates Phil and Pete were there as well, smiles all round, not to mention the newly formed JetBlack team who looked great in their new bright yellow kit and featured frequently in the top finishers.  Kudos to team manager Grahame Sonter

The event was chilled with great beats and lots of families all out for a fun weekend of camping and comradeship and for me it was the perfect end to a stellar season with 7 podiums from 7 starts including 4 1st places.  Certainly my leanest year for some time in terms of actual races entered, but 2013 is a year I will never forget with highlights including riding the Tour of California, taking the family to the Northern Territory and winning WEMBO.

Mike and Ian take 1st place

The rest of the year has been pretty relaxed over Christmas with a bit of road cycling and some service combined with a little recreation in beautiful Brunswick Heads cooking for the SUFM Mission team.  I was even persuaded to participate in the Brunz World Title Aquathon; a hotly contested local event where health nuts have been competing for bragging rights for more than 15 years!  No bike leg unfortunately but the 2.5km run was just enough for me to actually enjoy running :)  It's been around 20 years since Sarah and I were last involved in a mission of this type, but to see the respect this team had in town, the participation of so many kids there on holidays and trust from parents, and the passion this team had for sharing the Gospel has put a new perspective on everyday life.

The Master Chef team from Brunswick Heads SUFM

2014 is looking huge and I couldn't help but get excited at the state of Australian cycling after an amazing Road Nationals on the weekend just past.  In my mind this positive energy must flow across all levels of cycling and the number of cyclists enjoying the outdoors Last Sunday morning around West Head/Akuna Bay just goes to confirm this is a hugely popular sport.
My season plan will see a mix of new events including the Alpine 3 Peaks Challenge as well as a return to the Choc Foot STM series as my main staple of races and a few 100km marathons sprinkled in between.  I can hardly wait to get amongst it again

Keep Riding
Mike

Giant Test Day

I love bike testing days.  Getting to ride the latest new rig, at a great track with a full crew of specialists to support you?  It doesnt get much better and the Giant demo Day at OMV was a perfect example.  A hot dry dusty afternoon I chose to try out the new Giant Anthem 27.5.

Of course there has been alot of talk in the MTB scene about wheel sizes and us regular MTBers take it all in out stride as pedal stroke as the case may be.

It's funny talking to my roadie friends about mountain biking and before long you notice the eyes roll back in their heads as you start talking about 26 inch, 29ers, 650B, hardtails, dual suspension, XT, XX1, 2x10; I might as well be talking chinese!

Setting up the bike, the first thing I noticed is how far back I feel relative to the rear axle.  It's been years since I rode a 26" bike and even then it was a trail oriented build, so jumping on a mid wheel size XC racer is quite a new experience. I reckon Giant have gotten the geometry just right.  gone are the days of the twitchy Anthem with the steep head angle.  This bike feels fast and flowy, yet forgiving.

The next thing I notice is how quickly the wheels seem to spin up.  Not surprising considering the lower rotating mass, but I didnt expect it to be so pronounced.

The bike handles really well and with a full Shimano XT groupset and Fox Shocks, it is equipped with the components of choice in my books.  With the mid size wheel you also get the benefit of better rolling resistance and that tractor wheel effect of rolling over large rocks that make 29ers so popular.

All in all I definitely rate this bike.  I loved riding it and set some pretty cool PR's on my local track so there is no doubt, it's quick.  The bike is certainly more agile than it's big brother and this means you are not only quicker on tight corners, but you can take lines that would normally be not negotiable with a 29er.  The thing I found most interesting is on a 29er you have to be very intentional where you roll your front and back wheels.  What I mean is you have to steer the front wheel with the rear wheel in mind to avoid hitting the sides of rocks and the like and losing momentum.  On the 27.5, you just dont need to worry about that, the bike has enough agility to make cornering more effortless.

Would I upgrade?  Well if money was no object or if I was starting fresh yes I think this bike would definitely  be high on the list of possibles.  I can especially see it being a favourite on short tight technical courses, such as those employed for your typical 2 hour clubby.  For me, that is someone who doesnt really bother with too much under 6 hours I think the 29er would win out in the end, but it would be close.

It will be interesting to see how the wheel wars play out over the next few years.  Thanks to Nick Bonich and all the crew at Giant for setting this up.

Keep riding

Mike

Pitt Town Pain Train

I love the Pitt Town ride, mostly. Not too hilly, some nice fast flat sections, great scenery and a little longer than our other regular rides. On the flip side it can be a bit tough when
a) It's windy and hot, damn hot
b) Camo and the Jaeger-bomb are on the lookout for fresh meat
c) You always get atleast one local who feels it's his duty to take out the bunch and do his bit for the cyclist genocide movement.
You guessed it, we got the trifecta today and there were a few others looking to take no prisoners either like Lewis and Pistol Pete, not to mention Kane who loves nothing more than to ride off the front and leave us all wondering how he does it.

At just Day 2 of the MOM, most legs are still pretty pumped, mine on the other hand were feeling decidedly lacking, but the mind was willing. It was all pretty sedate through Annangrove and just for fun, MJ dropped his light and rolled off to retrieve it just so he could chase for 15km. No sooner did MJ appear and we hit Cattai Ridge Rd, a favourite hunting ground for the A-bunch. Camo made a little move and Rowdy spotted it first, moving up beside Camo. I'm not sure what he said, but in a matter of moments the bunch looked like it has been hit by a tornado and there were gaps opening up all over the place. I got a little assist from a friendly hand and rolled into Halcrows wondering what I had left. The Gresh prophesied something about the second coming and things getting real and it was a on. A full blooded assault on Halcrows. With about 1km to go Jeremy popped and soon after I was unceremoniously chewed up and spat out the back, but I wasnt ready to give up and hit the lap button to maintain a consistent power and try and pick up some others who might have cracked just a little further up the road. Strava showed just how brutal the pace was with Camo taking the KOM and Pete just a few seconds back in overall 2nd, nice work guys.

For me it was a matter of picking up a few comrades and keeping up a respectable pace to the top of the climb to make the cut, but only just.
Thanks all for a top ride, that one will pay off in the weeks to come
Keep riding
Mike

Boys Light Up....in Orange

Rowdy, Matt and Lewis

Stats
TSS: 230
IF: 0.88
Avg Pwr: 193W (NP 257W)
Distance 100km
Avg Spd: 33.7 kph
Elevation gain: 1128m

Too many Carbs is never enough!

If you do any sort of endurance sport, you'll be well aware of just how critical nutrition and fuelling are when it comes to performance.  From bonking or hitting the wall, right through to getting that gel in just at the right time and seeing the body recover and go onto to record a stella result, it is probably something you've given a fair amount of head space to thinking about.  No doubt at some point or other you have stood staring at the nutrition section of your LBS wondering what the heck is the best thing for your body!  The main purpose of this post is to give you a little intel on some popular products out there but it might be worth starting with a few rules of thumb.  I'm no sports nutritionist but I've tried all the products mentioned here and  with over 7 years of racing hopefully this gives me a little license to share what I've learnt.

Golden rules:

1.) 1 gram of carbohydrate per hour per kg of body weight.  So if you weigh 75kg, eat/drink 75 grams of carbohydrate (CHO) per hour.  This could be as simple as one bottle of energy and 2 gels per hour.  Swap a gel for a banana or half a bar every now and then.

2.) Listen to your body.  If you are burping and gagging a bit, have some water and give your stomach 30 mins to settle.  If you are motoring and feeling great you are probably about to hit the wall so get some carbs in fast.

3.) Drinking is a great way to get the carbs in.  Stick to the same number of scoops of powder for any event, but use a large bottle in the heat and use small bottles when it's cool.  Keep it simple.

4.) I very rarely cramp, but in my experience cramping is a result of pushing beyond your limits and not drinking enough.  If you cramp, be happy you've given it everything you've got and get some fluids in.  

The table below shows a comparison of the main drink products I've come across and used for an extended period.  They are all great products and do the job.  Some of them are recovery based and some and energy based, but for endurance events I find any of these products will do the job.  Over the course of 4 hours, I would drink 3 serves of energy and 1 serve recovery.  The key factor here is to find a couple of flavours you like, ones that you can still stomach after 4 hours of exercise and alternate between those flavours.  This is particularly important if you are going for longer than 8 hours.  The table ranks the products based on price.  I have calculated the price on the dollars you pay for 100 grams of CHO, so you can see very quickly which are the best value.

Here are a few notes on each product.

1.) Gatorade: Here just as a baseline for what you can get at the supermarket.  Not a favourite amongst cyclists because of the sugar content, but better than nothing.  Staminade has some magnesium so may be a better option than Gatorade.

2.) NutriScience Extend: An energy product that I really love.  Good value and I love the Peach Iced tea flavour.  This powered me to a World 24 hr MTB age group win.

3.) Endura: An energy product and used widely in all sorts of sports.  I find the magnesium content too strong for events more than 3 hours long, but it is good value.

4.) NutriScience Refuel: A recovery product but great for a slug of carbs in a long race.  Again I love this product for the great flavour and good value.

5.) Hammer Heed (Energy) and Perpetuem (Recovery): Hammer Nutrition are a big player in the US and are gaining a prominent position here in Oz.  Their products work and they are priced well, not to mention you can buy jugs of the gel at very good prices.  I love using the flasks to hold 5 gels, no messy wrappers.  Just take a gulp from the flask and pop it back into your jersey pocket.  My only complaint is their drink flavours are not all that great, but for me, if it works, I'll swallow it.  That is until I get to 3am in a 24 and I just cant swallow it anymore.

6.) TORQ Energy and Recovery: TORQ are what I would call a premium product and as you can see you pay for it.  Good flavours, full range of products and all the science and support to back it up.  If money is no object, give it a go, but it's too rich for me.

7.) Optimiser (Recovery): A good product and available everywhere. It has been my staple recovery for many years (until I found NutriScience). Banana is my favourite flavour, chocolate is OK, stay away from the vanilla (urgh)

So there you go.  It's NutriScience for me, with Hammer in close second.  As an aside, NutriScience also have a terrific beetroot based product that is full of nitrates.  I have found taking a serve of this 3 hours pre-race to have a benefit to my performance.  It could just be a placebo effect as I have no empirical data to backup my claim, but it seems to have a positive impact on my results.  I hate giving away my trade secret, but if you havent heard about nitrates before now, you soon will.  Having written this post I just realised I have left out one of the biggest of them all which is Gu.  My LBS has never stocked the drinks so I never raced on them.  We've all benefitted from a few free gels they throw in at big events and they taste OK, but they are often very thick and they are messy to open.  I prefer the Clif gels that have the little keeper that keeps the top of the wrapper connected to the main body of the package.

I hope this has been some help, there's probably lots more I could say, but you'd probably stop reading after a while and some things just take time to work out for yourself!

Keep riding

Mike

Disclosure: Hammer, Nutriscience and TORQ have in the past provided sample products to me for trial at a discounted rate or for free.  I have then purchased these products at full rate for long term use.

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