Every cloud has a Titanium lining

This will probably be my last post for the year, so first up I want to thank you for reading. It is cool seeing folks from all the over the world hitting my blog to see what's happening and I hope in the years to come I can visit a few of your favourite tracks outside downunder.

It's taken a week to gather up the energy to write this post and to be honest I am still not quite sure what I will type. The reason being that the last round of the STM 8 hours series at Awaba turned into a bit of a tragedy, but then again, there is always something good to take away from any time spent whizzing around a beautifully crafted purpose built xc mountain bike trail, and a better venue than Awaba to finish the year on, you couldnt wish for. If I knew my Shakespeare a little better and had the mental agility I might have crafted this post into 3 acts; the first being "The Promise", the second being "The Expedition" and the final I might have titled "The demise of MightyMike", but it's not really that bad, so settle back and let's get into it.

Act 1
The Sunday before had me setting off in the fastest group of 90+ riders for the 190km Wisemans Ferry Gran Fondo, and what a day it was. Perfect conditions, superb support courtesy of Turramurra Cyclery, and an awesome bunch to ride in. The pace was on from the start and the bunch worked like clockwork as we each took our turn on the front and keep the pace well over 35kph. The challenge was to catch the other bunches that had left between 40-60 mins earlier and to finish in 5hr 30 mins. As expected the bunch finally started to splinter on the climb to Mangrove Mountain and while I lost touch with the lead pack of 10 or so riders, I was feeling good considering I had done a good share of the work on the front and gradually picked up (and was picked up by) 4 or 5 similar riders and we worked together to keep our pace up to Peats Ridge. The second food drop was mayhem with many riders electing to ride through and I had to bring my MTB skills into play to hop a few obstacles out back onto the road and join a healthy bunch of 10 riders.
The rest of the way was a battle of attrition as riders came and went, but by Berowra we had a good bunch of 5 and we went as hard as we could all the way back to Turramurra to clock in at 5:20, just 5 mins before the main lead bunch. Huge kudos to Simon M who rode off the front and got back in 5 hours flat, simply awesome. All this boded well for the final 8 hour planned the following weekend.

Act 2
The expedition consisted of leading 12 Knox boys on the annual Year 10 Mt Kosciuszko expedition; comprising 4 nights and 5 days hiking across the highest peaks of the Great Dividing range. I have been fortunate enough to lead on this camp a couple of times and was looking forward to getting away from all the email, social media and mobile phones and just enjoying the great outdoors. The 5:30am start from school was a little tough after the big ride the day before, but the hope was that the week long walk would consolidate the legs without wearing them out too much and leave me fresh for Sunday. Starting out from Guthega, the legs were definitely feeling the exertion from the day before and climbing the track to White's River Hut with the fully laden pack with food for 5 days was quite a challenge. Overall the week was fantastic with perfect weather, a great guide from Land's Edge and a group of young guys who apart from the odd question like "how far have we got to go?" were awesome all week. Getting back to civilisation Friday night, I was a little concerned to feel how weary the legs felt but hoped 48 hours recovery would be enough.

Act 3
So here we are, ready to roll at Awaba and still the legs feel ouch, that feeling you get walking up stairs..you know what I mean? Well it was there and all I could do was hope that with a warm up lap the legs would start to fire. Warm up it did and before long the temp was ready 35 deg in the shade. This spells trouble.
I had a great spot on the grid and rode wheel to wheel with Gary up the firetrail and into the single track with Camo on the my wheel. I kept leaving space for Camo to pass, but for some reason he was happy to sit tight, perhaps that should have told me something. OK so far so good and the laps started to tally up. Before long the temp was pushing 40 and alarm bells started going off in my head, had I gone out too hard? By the 5th lap the engine was really starting to cough and splutter and Jason was steadily creeping up on me. There was the matter of a little crash with my good buddy Anne who in an attempt not to hold me up hit the descent a little too quick, clipped a tree with a handle bar and down we came. Jase saw it all from the back of a train of 6 riders and was good enough to wait and make sure we could all continue but now the wind in my sails had disappeared and pretty soon the wheels really started to fall off, I was dropping bottles and chains left, right and centre and most worrying of all the legs were telling me there was nothing left to give. Jase tapped it out up Camelbak hill and all I could do was wave bye bye. It seemed I had gone into an 8 hour race with only 4 hour legs. Worrying still was the fact that Phil had moved into second and a little voice in the back of my head said "series honours", I knew Phil wasnt far behind me in the series rankings at 4th, it was just possible with a 2nd place finish today he could pip me at the post. After a good rest and lot's of rehydration I decided to get back out and do a couple of more laps just to keep me in some sort of touch, but at lap 8 the legs said enough and I had to sit out to see Phil produce a terrific result and take 3rd in the series by a single point. Heartbreaker.

Sometimes the toughest lessons are the best ones so there is plenty to take away and ponder what might have been, but the real gold came when I stopped thrashing my body into a sweaty dizzy mess and took some time to catch up and really talk with a few of the good friends I have made from this sport. In the end I couldn't have asked for a better day and while the little trophy might have charmed my ego for an instant, this sport has so much more to offer than just what place you come in a race.

Finally I want to thank the guys that made this season one to remember, Garry J, Jason M, Phil W, Peter S and Chris T. The 6 of us have been riding hard against each other all year and every round has been a nailbiting finish (with the exception of Garry who smashed us all!) and all the while our mateship has gotten stronger through the blood sweat and tears that is solo 8 hour racing. One of my favourite sayings is "Iron sharpens Iron" and you guys have made me a better rider.

It has been a fantastic year of riding and racing with good mates new and old. I have no idea what's in store for next year, but right now I am happy to forget about training, get out and ride for pure enjoyment as we wind down for Christmas and celebrate the things that have mattered for all eternity.

Keep riding
Mike

Quick Update

It's been a busy time of year with the Scott, the Spring Cycle and another round of the STM series racing by so here is a quick update on what's been happening.
The Scott
For a throw together team, we had an absolute blast and of course the icing on the cake was winning the Masters Mixed 4 category. One morning at coffee Sandy mentioned he had a team entry and no team, so I was in. Next up was Brad T, who had never done a 24 hour and was keen to get amongst it. Finding a willing and available female was a little harder, but a post on Silent Revolution did the trick and before long we had a few choices and Fiona got the nod. The lead up was hilarious, first Sandy had done some damage to his back at the TORC skills session. Picture this, a 60 something year old bloke turns up at the doctors and says "I hurt my back when I fell off my bike trying to do a wheelie". But old Sandy is as tough as old boot leather and rode like the hard a**e he is. Fiona couldn't decide what would slow her down more; the mysterious virus or the 8 stitches in her shin from a recent OTB. I have to say Fiona won the prize from most valuable team member, first for braving the rain which seemed to arrive exactly on time for Fiona to start another lap, but also for providing the lovely marquee heater and then the post race beers, boy did that taste good! The pre-race strategy was simple, have fun and dont hurt yourself, but secretly I thought we had a pretty good shot.

I got the to do the run start lap and by the time I reached the bike it felt like I had lifted both big toe nails. The track was good and it was a hoot heading up the trunk trail in a huge train, until we caught some of the younger and less serious solo riders. Not their fault but perhaps a note to the organisers to rethink the start order. The rain and mud was a bummer but sometimes that's just the way it is. I was lucky to do a Blue lap as the sun rose and the view from the top of Willo Link was something I will never forget. My last two laps in the morning were a blast as the sun slowly dried out the quagmire and best of all, Tom, my 14yo son in his first 24 had a ball, he'll be back!

I have to say the commentary and giveaways could have been done alot better. The idea of randomly distributing $1000's of dollars of valuable and kindly donated kit from generous sponsors to whoever was proud or brash enough to make up a story that appealed to the compere's idea of entertainment was frankly pitiful and the throwing of kit off the pavillion at the presentation to a bunch of screaming kids while the majority got cooked in the hot sun was undignified and amateur. For all the effort we went to and for winning our category we got a jersey we'll probably never wear. Whereas some random walking away with a coupla hundred dollars worth of kit just doesnt seem fair. It would have been nice to see this stuff distributed in the race bags rather than thrown randomly to the masses, oh well there's my rant, sorry folks now back to regular programming.

Picture thanks to Sportograf "bestof"

On the Podium, competition vanquished, but where is the lovely Fiona?

The Spring Cycle
A great fun day, usually I am crawling in the masses of every shape and size of bike and rider imaginable, this time Tom and I were fortunate to be invited to ride in the lead bunch. By the time we hit the bridge, the bunch had departed and we were left riding together through the city like we were the only two people on the road. We soon linked up with a bunch that included one Opposition leader Mr Tony Abbott and no matter which side of politics you come from it is always a hoot to ride with someone like that and be able to offer a wheel on some of the steeper bergs. Riding home Tom was beat but did incredibly well to keep up with the bunch and clock 100 k's for the day; his biggest ride to date.

After a feed and a change of kit I returned to Homebush for the crit run by LACC. The less details given here the better, as I pretty much sucked at this form of racing, but atleast I gave it a go and it is something I would love to get better at. I then took a slow ride home to clock 150km for the day. Rolling back through Eastwood late in the afternoon, the air was thick and warm after the threatened southerly buster dissipated was pure bliss.

STM Round 5 Rydal
I'd already had a big week, with lot's going on at home and work. What a blessing it was to stay with Mum and Dad in the mountains the night before to be fed and get an early night. I looked dog tired and hoped 9 hours sleep would recharge the batteries sufficiently to get through the 8 hours of punishment awaiting.
Off the start I was flying and as usual marked Jase and Garry who were dog fighting. In the first four laps I saw 4 good riders go down from momentary loss of focus. It was clear this track would be challenging. Interestingly I was noticing it was 26" riders struggling for traction while those on the circus wheels cruised a little more smoothly, but as the day wore on, the course started to get pretty cut up and every corner was becoming an exercise in playing chicken.
The weather also stuffed us up a bit, I had mixed my bottles a tad diluted expecting some warmer temperatures from the start, but it stayed cool for atleast 4 hours, the fluids weren't going in and so neither were the carbs. I managed to make up for the debt with some food, but many struggled late in the day as the fuel tank started to splutter.
On lap 9, I had a massive off. Having just enjoyed an awesome tow up the fireroad courtesy of a Mitch from Stevens team, I let him go and settled in for the rock garden when my front wheel caught an edge and I was ejected over the bars before I knew what happened, I was heading chest first for a stump that looked like it might impale me. Somehow I managed to dive to the side, but landed very heavy on my side. The reason I tell this is Mitch actually stopped and ran back the 20m to check I was OK. What a gentleman! thanks Mitch
No permanent damage done but it slowed me down a bit for the rest of the race as I went in a little more tentative.
The day after, my arms, hands and shoulders hurt the most as well as the hip I used to break my fall, so demanding was this course.
Late in the afternoon my lap times started to dawdle but I just focussed on keeping it smooth through the corners and keeping an eye out for Phil Welch who I figured wouldnt be far away. As it turned out Trent Moore was chasing hard and got to within 7 minutes to take 4th. Garry won again :( but the gap to me was just over 10 mins, not bad after 16 laps. Jase pulled out an awesome effort to take 2nd and get close to Garry. He sure can chase hard. Mid race I had a 30 second buffer, but he came back hard and just kept motoring. (A mistake in the entry process saw him grouped in the open males instead of masters and it wasn't discovered until after the cutoff). The other pertinent point is last year I broke my hand here. This year going the other way I still wasn't having any heroics and any doubles that came up I just playing it safe and mono-ed over them. That is until the camera crew camped by the biggest scariest jump on course and willed riders to boost it. Nothing for it but give it some air and what fun it was. For the last few laps I looked forward to that jump every time.
For a course so flat I have never felt so fatigued. The constant braking, accelerating and manoeuvering the bike takes it's toll and even though your heart never really goes ballistic, the course is a real test.
Thanks to everyone out there on the day and those cheering at home. I felt truly blessed to be enjoying such a great sport amongst so many friends and got to take home a prize as a bonus.

It's been by far the best year of my short cycling "career" with not only lot's of good results, but many many great people who have spurred me on and become very good friends. One more race for the year at Awaba, it's going to be a celebration of a huge year, see you there

Keep riding
Mike

PS Huge thanks to my buddy Brad T who generously lent me his ENVE carbon wheels. a light, stiff wheel is just what the doctor ordered for this course and these puppies were awesome. Not quite sure I can justify the price tag, but it was a thrill ride probably the best wheels currently on the market. Thanks mate, I owe you.

The Slugfest

Two weeks ago my fitness was pretty much as good as it get's, everything was on track for a recovery week to freshen up before the race and then I got hit with a cold, one of those little bugs that just leaves you whimpering in a fog of lethargy. Since then it's just been a case of trying to find some energy and right up until Saturday afternoon I was still feeling less than 100% and hoping a good sleep would see me right to race.

The drive down early Sunday morning was great and I scored a nice little shady place for a pit stop at the 2km mark on the course near transition and only metres from the car. The rider briefing was the funniest I have ever seen, but it was clear and informative with a brilliant demo of passing technique. I'm kinda chuffed to know that my bad luck from last round might have contributed to the new revised rider briefing. Well done Jo. Sure enough on a course where passing opportunities were few and far between, riders were showing the best of manners and I didnt see a problem all day.

The start was pretty sedate and I was happy to grad hold of JMac's wheel up the first climb and just tap away to find our place in the mad dash for single track. As the weather warms up, these races now extend for one extra hour of punishment and it soon became clear that this would be a battle of tactics and pacing.

Photo thanks to Dave Bateman from the STM round at Coondoo

The track had a bit of everything, a bit of flow, some techy bits, some pinchy climbs. I guess it reminded me of Appin with the all the rocks, but the most challenging segment came at around the halfway mark with a new section of trail that was very rough and tight and almost every corner off camber. It took every bit of skill and focus to keep it smooth through here and I have to say I wont be disappointed if I never ride that trail again. That being said, if the track fairies consolidate some of the rutts on corners into berms, add a few solid ramps (rather than loose rocks at the bottom of drops offs), and maybe a boardwalk or a small bridge over the creek crossings, this could be a pretty cool race track. The first descent was a ripper and I found on the Giant Anthem 29er I could tear into the sketchy ravine with confidence, just steer and hang on!

I think it was on the first lap as a group of us tackled a steep little pinch, I was second wheel when suddenly JMac came to an abrupt halt and I figured he'd dropped a chain or something, I slowed a little at the top to see if he was able to get going again but there was no sign so on I went. After just one lap it was obvious that this would be a war of attrition on both (wo)man and machine so I took the decision to enjoy the day, forget the clock, and just treat it like a full day's riding. This worked really well for a few hours, the time seemed to pass by effortlessly. The temperature began to soar and those in transition were getting concerned how dirty I was, "What happened, you OK?" a few called. It was just the combination of dry dusty trails and sweat that we all ended up looking like coal miners by the end of the day. Even today my eyes still look like someone decorated me with the eye liner on the weekend. On the trip home I stopped for fuel and some high stress chick was arguing with the shop attendant over the $2 ATM charge. I chimed in and told her "She'd made her point but wasn't going to win so move on and stop holding us all up!". She took one look at my filthy dusty face as I gave her a steely gaze. I must have looked a fright as she moved straight on and out of the shop.

The hours ticked by and every now and again I'd check back and no sign of my competing masters, then on lap 6, a buzzing free wheel came racing up behind me, Jase calls "Back in the Black! It's taken me 2 hours to catch up" and onto his wheel I jumped, rudely awakened from my social ride! It felt great to be riding for each other taking turns on the front, not talking much, happy in our own thoughts and focussing on keeping it smooth. Jase mentioned there is atleast one rider between us and leader Garry J so the goal is to stalk him down and sure enough we catch sight of Peter on lap 8. He looks like he is struggling and we whizz by but he doesnt respond so it's now a battle for 2nd or so we think! Turns out mystery man Chris T has made a comeback after Kowen and this time he means business. This guy looks the good's, basically the replica of a very strong bean pole!

At some point I pull away from Jase and the noisy freewheel goes quiet as the gap widens and I figure the energy he used to catch me earlier in the day might have taken it's toll, let's see what happens!

I started to do some sums in my head and struggle to divide 37 mins into 3.5 hours, but at some staged figured at this pace I had 5 laps to go (probably 6 but what's another lap between friends!). As the laps continued to mount, it got harder to ignore the clock, but I was having fun with my mind, shouting in my head "3 MORE LAPS TO GO" then 2, then 1, then none.....maybe. Crossing the line to start my last lap, the race clock said 7:15, so I thought I could ease off the gas a bit and just keep an eye on any chasers. I was super-sensitive to any noisy freewheel after JMac caught me on Lap 6, but the track remained quiet and I kept rolling to get back to transition at 7:56. OK now what to do, how far back was Jase? I resolved to keep rolling and asked Kylie if she could keep an eye out for any chasers and let me now when I got back to the 2km mark that came near transition. I switched off and rolled nice an easy just to get a little recovery in, but my stomach was not playing nice, time for a nature stop and keep an eye on that track, still nothing! OK I must be safe! I rolled back to my transition to find two cars had parked completely blocking access to my pit stop (nice one guys!) the look on Kylie's face said it all. Jase didn't make it but Phil has snuck in. You've got to go again to hold 3rd. OK no probs, I actually I feel OK after taking a pee and I still have a gel and a little Hammer Heed in the bottle, let's finish this. I love how you can fool your mind into thinking it's the last lap when deep down you know you've got one more.

Now Phil also has a pretty noisy free wheel, so I set a steady pace all the while looking back for the tell tale jersey but it never appeared and I was stoked to finish third. Phil rolled in just a couple of minutes later.
The following chart shows just what an arm wrestle this race was with 4 riders fighting it out for 3rd place. Chris and Garry well clear of the bunch.

All in all a really challenging and enjoyable event, thanks to TMC for your continued support. With two rounds to go the competition for series points is getting tight.

Keep Riding
Mike

Food wise
12 Hammer gels (3 with caffiene)
1 TORC bar
4 x 800ml bidon Hammer Heed (2.5 scoops)
2 x 600ml bidon Endura Optimiser
2 bananas

http://app.strava.com/rides/22118326

Milestone Reached on the Mount

Yes! My first solo victory, actually there's not too much to write here, but I couldn't let the occasion pass without so much as a blog post.
I got home at a very respectable hour, I even avoided the toll road. Getting home I quickly cracked open a celebratory beer and began preparing a mean butter chicken for dinner.

The race itself was really fun, well derrrr, I mean I know MTB is fun, but this time it was different. You have to take into account that I was only here because the previous weekend, things didnt quite go to plan and I felt a little...well..."ripped off" and as they say, what do you do if you fall off a horse? You get back on. So it was important for me to get back on the race bike and give it another shot. Martin and Juliane also run a great event and now that Football season is over and Saturday's are free I wanted to support these guys and get to at least one of their races.

The course at Mt Annan is really good. I had heard mixed reports of it being too rough, no flow, just another cookie cut MTBA course. But honestly, I really enjoyed riding this course. It has a little bit of everything and rewards those who ride smooth (that's code for someone who never get's out of the saddle and rolls into sharp corners!) There are a few nice little pinchy climbs, plenty of logs and stuff to roll over, a scary looking rocky drop off that isnt really that scary at all, some rock gardens, some berms, some bridges. It's a neat course and it rolls fast as it was really dry. The track is hard packed clay and you can see why the manager closes the track at the first sniff of rain. At about the half way point there is a downhill section with three big sweeping turns and every lap was a challenge to see how fast I could descend and how far I could lean the bike into these corners. I also love the fact that quite a bit of the course is open grassland so not only does it look cool, seeing a whole gang of riders steadily making their way around the snaking course, but you can sometimes check who's behind and the way RockyTrail do race numbers, it isnt too hard to work out if someone close to you is in your category.

The other fact worth mentioning was the whole vibe of the race was quite different to some others I've been to recently. Whilst everyone is riding at the best, noone was bothered by my wanting to pass and I didnt have to wait a single second all day. People were cool and encouraging as I rolled past after a friendly call of "rider back". I could say more but I wont harp about about this facet of racing, more than enough has been said already. I did have a chuckle near the end of the race when a keen bean from Ashfield Cycles team came rushing up behind Big Dog and I. I managed to time it so he got past me just before the big rocky descent and sure enough half way down as all three of us are leaping off rocks that seemed at an impossibly steep angle, he calls "track"! Dude, are you serious? Well maybe he just wanted to let Brian know he was there, but we did have a chuckle about it after the race.

Nutrition was good (Hammer gels and Heed did the trick again), the start was well..interesting as I found myself atleast 10 rows back and passed alot of riders in the first k of fireroad, I guess they were pacing themselves???

My Giant 29er Anthem is a pleasure to ride and every time I race it I fall in love with it a little bit more. It is just so reliable and easy to ride. The new Shimano XT groupset is absolutely a world apart from some other drivetrains I have had to contend with lately. The RockShox are a little hard for my liking, I'd love to go back to the oh so plush Fox RLC29 but there you go you cant have it all. The rear shock might seem like a luxury in a race like this, but I dont feel like it really slows me down and it suits my style of riding giving me just that little bit of travel in the middle setting all day. Racing Ralphs rolled fast on the clay and gave me the bite I needed on some of the loose corners.

So there you go, 6 years of racing and my first top step on the podium. Let's see if I can do it again?

Keep riding
Mike

That's Racing

We were met with pristine conditions at Coondoo Rd for the third round of the Single Track Mind series and after a satisfactory pre-race carb load at Leong's chinese and a good sleep at the Camby Hilton, Brad and I were ready to tackle the dry dusty trails that weave through the Comberton State Forest.

I got an absolute zinger off the start line and again determined not to go too hard too early settled into a steady pace for the first lap and was happy to be in first place for the Solo Masters. Coming through transition into the 2nd lap, I had Garry James hot on my tail and we played tag for a little while as I would get a gap in the tight downhill sections and Garry would catch me up on the little climbs. Knowing how strong Garry is, I didnt want to go playing with fire and let him go on the third climb into transition and concentrated on consolidating 2nd place, always looking back expecting to see the bright orange of Jason McAvoy looming large.

Photo courtesy Dave Bateman



The track as always here is fun to ride and the corners can be treacherous on the sandy mix but I mostly stayed out of trouble aside from the odd handlebar clip passing between narrowly spaced trees. The new section of track was literally a pain in the backside but that's how it is with new sections and it held up alot better than the rutted dust bowl we had to endure at Orange and of course you have to remember that someone put their heart and soul into cutting the new trail, thanks for that trail fairies. I reckon the opportunity to get 300 riders to ride over a new section 5 or more times is a big carrot for trail builders and now we've got a great new segment of trail (well it might need a couple of little berms thrown in!)

On lap 5 a little panic set in when one of my 800ml bottles went flying out of the cage and I was in too much of a hurry to stop. What would happen without 25% of my fluids and a big chunk of energy go AWOL? Luckily there were lots of jettisonned bottles and I decided to stop and pick one up and take a slug. By the time I got back round to the same spot, there it was lying in the middle of the track, amazingly with the lid still on. Phew that was a close one!

On lap 9 the heart rate was still looking good and I tagged a ride up the main fireroad with a much bigger stronger rider...whoa 88% and I am in the draft??? See you later buddy and thanks for the tow. Next lap it was Phil Welch who came charging through the ZigZags and flashed past me on the way into the last sniggle. He looked and was riding like a man possessed so I took the safe option and let him go. I figured if he can keep that pace going I cant match him and if I can save some energy he might blow up towards the finish. Still 4 laps (maybe 5 to go). The 5 hour mark in a 7 hour race is the hump for me. Just 4 little laps to go you say to yourself, but the body talks back and says that's easy for you to say brain. This is starting to hurt! Pedal damn it and shut up legs!!! Lap 12 and Tupac, Andy and Ed all eased past with time for a brief chat and a word of encouragement. Andy said Jase was a few minutes back so that took some pressure off. Nice that team mates can still pass on a little intel to the competition.

One last pit stop to grab some carbs and I was off and soon on my 2nd last lap and feeling great when some weird things started happening on the track. First a really fast aggressive rider in t-shirt and baggies came barrelling down the track. I got out of his way as he shoved past me without so much as a track please, but we were both bearing down on a much slower rider. The legend overcooked it on the corner and went down in a squealing heap of dust, as I just managed to float over his back wheel with him and the bike lying prostrate across the track and leaving me nowhere to go and no time to stop. sure enough he reappeared in a minute or so and clearly hadn't learnt anything from him little off. Muppett!

But the big axe fell at the top of the double track leading into Hot as Hell. I came up behind two very slow guys weaving all over the track. I called rider back and saw a big gap on the right so called "on your right". As I started to pass he moved straight over toward me and chopped my front wheel, sending me careening of into the scrub. When I tried to start pedalling again it wasn't happening so I pulled over to find the chain completely mashed. The death toll goes down as one chain breaker, many chain links, a bent mech and more than 15 minutes of race time. Not a bad bit of bush mechanics to remove and reinsert the same pin to rejoin the chain. Huge thanks to Kylie and the guy who pulled over with his sturdy chainbreaker (my topeak one broke!) and stayed until the job was done. My only regret is I didn't ask his name and I couldn't track him down at the finish, but mate I couldn't have finished without your help, so thanks! Even Jase slowed down to see if there was anything he could do to help as he slipped into 3rd place. A true gentleman.

I rejoined the race who know's where and fought back to 4th place to salvage some series points, just pipping Matt at the post who came in 5th. Here is the gaps between the top 5 for each lap. It would have been a great battle with Phil at the end if not for my misadventure but that's racing.

Overall I was stoked with my race and now looking forward to the next round to try and pull back Phil and Jase. Whilst Jase and Garry probably have 1st and 2nd for the series sewn up, Phil and I will be battling for the last spot on the podium. thanks to everyone involved especially SCUM for a great track, sponsors SRAM and organisers Choc Foot, and Turramurra Cyclery for your continued awesome support and getting my rig tuned again and ready to race another day

Keep Riding
Mike

What I ate
10 gels
2 x 800mL HEED (3 scoops)
1 x 800mL HEED (2 scoops)
1 x 600mL Opti
1 TORC bar (Apple and Raspberry, dry but go down alright)
1 banana

As the temperatures start to rise the fluids will too! Probably add another 800mL to this all mixed on 2 scoops for the next rounds

Back Yamma

No garmins, no powermeters, no heart rate monitors just me, my mrs and two of Giant's finest steeds cruising the trails of Back Yamma State Forest in Parkes NSW. If you've never been here, put it on the must ride list. The trails are fast and flowy built on the richest red earth you've ever seen. Perfect for riding on. The forest is just beautiful and the only company you get out here are a few cattle and some healthy pods of grey kangaroo. The place is riddled with single track and while at times I had to stop and check my bearings it's not too hard to find your way back to the trail head as the forest in pretty much fenced in surrounded by grazing stations. Optus reception is sporadic but good enough if you are using motion-x on your iPhone. It barely got above 6 deg this afternoon, but the sun did poke it's head out late in the afternoon just to warm us up a little. Tomorrow it's back to sample the trails of Kinross
Keep riding
Mike

Husky100 2012

A picture perfect morning greeted the field or the Husky100 today. My prep was pretty good and after 2 big races in the last three weeks, I was ready to give this one all I had in return for a few weeks of no structured training.

Arriving at the Callala Bay RSL, I had plenty of time for rego, get dressed and final adjustments to the bike, check tyre pressures etc. After a brief warm up I went back to the car just before heading for the start and realised my front tyre had gone completely flat. What The? There didn’t seem to be any holes so I quickly pumped it back up and chucked my hand pump in the CamelBak just in case it turned out to be a recurring problem. The start was good although being a few rows back on the grid, gives the front runners an immediate advantage once the field strings out to a long single file, but not to be deterred I pushed hard to maintain the same pace and kept the front runners in sight for most of the first stage.

The legs were feeling great and I was holding 85% max HR for extended periods, but figured I had nothing to lose so continued to push hard to see how long I could last. Apart from a stomach upset at the 60km mark, I pushed hard all day and ended up averaging 80% for the whole ride which I was pretty happy about. Gavin Williams and I had plans to team up and try and work together which worked pretty well to the KOM mark at which point Gav destroyed me. I saw him again briefly at the 60km mark but at that point I couldn’t hold any more gels down so had to back off a touch until my stomach sorted itself out.

For a relatively flat course this KOM kinda hurts

In the middle section a nice little group of about 10 riders formed and we all worked pretty well together to make good ground. Inevitably there were a few spills from guys who tried to get an advantage by riding through the mud holes, only to go over the bars in a shower of mud as the hole plummeted to depths not previously imagined. The bike handling skills were again sorely tested especially when you are climbing a track with 30cm deep ruts common and slippery clay ridges barely wider than your tyre the only ridable line. Line selection was critical as it was always a battle to keep the back wheel on track rather than sliding into the rut forcing you dab your foot.

My only near spill was on a descent when my front tyre caught a dried mud rut and I nearly came a cropper at speed but was able to throw my leg out and stay upright, even warding off the usual cramp such a kick can bring on.
Coondoo was lonely but I was still making good speed. By this stage the demons had crept back into my X0 SRAM drivetrain (fact is they never really leave!) and the small chain ring had well and truly packed it in as the chain sucked after only one or two pedal strokes. I thought about lubing the chain, but I hate stopping so it was the 39t for the second 50km which worked out alright and make me get out of the saddle and push hard on some of the climbs. That being said I think everyone had some form of mechanical at some stage so it was a great leveller and thankfully my front tyre was behaving itself.

MTB Racing can be a lonely track

Now at about 80k’s I was starting think I might pick up Gav again while I kept looking back to see if any other members of our group were catching me. Sure enough at the 95k mark I caught sight of Gav again so I bided my time to catch him to make sure I was fresh. I would need to beat him by a few seconds if I was going to swap positions with him. At one point Gav slowed for a big puddle and I saw my chance and floored it straight through the mud to create a gap but to Gav’s credit he got back on my wheel so now we’d have to battle it out to the finish. I mean let’s face it, that’s a hubbard move anyway so my determination to drop Gav wasn’t quite 100%. I attacked one more time but couldn’t shake him, it seemed he’d been resting up for the last few k’s so his legs were ready to tango. Onto the golf course and he took the lead and I jumped on his wheel. I am sure the 50k riders we were passing at TT speed must have thought we were crazy, but in our minds we were racing for a top 5 finish so it was definitely on. Rounding the last corner a wayward branch ripped into my arm, Gav attacked and in the end just had too much power for me to get close, beating me by 7 seconds.

The Gavatron

Now organisers please note, I know this place is muddy at the best of times. We expect that and to a degree we kinda like it every now and again but really you HAVE TO cut out that section thru Comberton Grange with 10k’s to go. It’s no way to finish a race and it is the worst mud right at the point when your bike least needs it. I know it is probably the quickest way back or there is some other reason, but please consider canning this section as it NEVER dries out. I was following a 50k rider into an ominous pit of filth and she was almost swallowed whole! Otherwise it is a well run event ably supported by the local community and the ice cream and exotic fruit cocktail at the finish was something to savour!

Notable absentee today was Ed “Gears” McDonald who is probably riding a cyclocross bike to the Flinders ranges or something equally silly (Turns out he was mixing it up with Victoria’s finest MTBer’s).

This was my first 100ker since CapPun2011 so it was great to return to this race format, it challenged me to new depths and I am stoked with my result, it was an awesome day and as always the MTB community were cool and chatty and friendly while still finding time to put me in the hurt box. Great to see Cam Peterson there too leave his roadie in the shed and come over to the dark side. He carved out an awesome time and raised more than an eyebrow from a few of the MTB aristocracy and of course looked fresh as a daisy afterwards. Nice one Cam. Machine!

In the end I finished in 5 hours 9 minutes, a long day in the muddy office for sure and 7th in the Masters (18th overall not counting the Elites) and just 4 minutes off 3rd place which goes to show how close these races can get.

Thanks to all those who supported me again in this crazy pursuit of speed, the Eastments for putting me up Friday night, my family for allowing me to and Turramurra Cyclery for your continued support in so many ways

Keep riding
Mike

STM2012 #2 Kowen Forest

These races come up awful quick and after some indifferent weather in Sydney, the last two weeks have been all about recovery and carb loading, ie. I've done not alot of training since the Nationals. As Joe Ward said in his post interview race with Jason McAvoy, Masters is super competitive and this time I think I took the approach to just enjoy this ride (well yeah still compete!) without the repeat of the soul destroying last couple of laps at Orange last round. I mean where is the fun in riding a bike if you are just going to flog yourself every time? It was great having a cohort of TORC riders make the journey to the land of milk and honey for MTBer's, here is a selection of some of our finest. Martine doesn't appear here because she was taking all the pics! Thanks Martine

Brad, Marco, Farkas and Mike. Note Simey has made a sport out of riding his comfy chair and esky

On the start line it was a little cool, the Garmin was reading 1 degC but I wasn't shivering (probably because I had the oncomings of hypothermia!) and once we hit the gas, I was pretty comfortable all day with just a base layer and arm warmers. I was quite amused to see a couple of little streams of runoff water had frozen overnight so the ice and frost on the ground made it feel like something out of Narnia. Riding through pine forest is just beautiful, it's so quiet with the little shards of sunlight that find there way onto the track. There was also a brisk westerly blowing that made for a tough head wind in some sections.

A typical chilly Canberra morning but the promise of a gorgeous day once the sun rises

A couple of hours in, I was sorry to see a rider down at the 4km mark. He had come a cropper on a berm and apparently head planted into a stump. It was a couple of laps later before he was moved out with suspected spinal injuries so we all certainly hope and pray the injuries aren't permanent and he has a good recovery. It made me ponder the fine line we balance as I was trying to ride as fast and as smooth as possible, which means braking as little as possible. It doesn't bear thinking about the damage that one tiny mistake can bring about as you speed downhill past jagged rocks. Nup don't think about it.

The good news is my lap times were much more consistent this round. I started to lose a little time towards the end but I figured it was all pretty manageable and knowing I haven't got the legs to challenge the Radical Lights boys, I'd be happy to fill in 3rd place again on the podium. Little did I know there was a new kid on the block who'd been smashing it up all day. He certainly slipped in under the radar and it wasn't until the end of Lap 7 I found out I still had some work to do. I casually asked Cindy on the way out what was the gap to 4th and she says ONE MINUTE TEN! What? did I hear you right.

OK Euston we have a race on here. I gritted my teeth and pushed a bit harder in lap nine cutting 45 secs off and kept it going for the last lap to beat Chris by 6 minutes. Phew that was close, it felt great to know I had someone hot on my heals and to push me all the way. By that stage I was taking more risks on the descents and I had Ed, Andy and Antony fly past me who gave me a fast wheel to hold if only for a few seconds but it all counts. Checking the results post race, I realised I had been cruising in 4th all day and had only just crept into 3rd place after 7 laps.

This chart shows the gap to Jason McAvoy. Note Chris and Garry fighting out for 1st in the first few laps. Chris blows up on Lap 7 and I sneak into 3rd place

Once again the race had a great vibe and although I've said it before I'll say it again, it is awesome to see so many girls getting out there and racing. The chicks are friendly and very cooperative, they give you track within about 3 seconds of you asking and they tell you which side to pass on. There are definitely a few grumpy blokes who could learn a thing or two about track etiquette from the girls!

Thanks to Chocolate Foot for another stellar event, the Kowalski Brothers and Co. for an awesome track, Turramurra Cyclery for your continued support along with all the TORCIES who turned up and special thanks to Cindy Farkas who took on a cameo role as bottle lady and kept me going to the end. Without your help I'd be feeling pretty rotten about finishing 4th and racking my brain to work out why I didn't ride just that little bit harder!

As a postscript, the whole race prep was very enjoyable, Brad, Mike Blewitt and I shared a lovely bottle of red in the Royal Hotel Queanbeyan followed by the biggest bowl of Penne Carbonara I have ever seen courtesy of the The Central Cafe. Now I know that probably sounds weird, but life is good and I am grateful to the One who provides all the goodness.

Keep riding
Mike

What I ate
1 600ml Optimiser
3 600ml Hammer HEED (mixed a little stronger)
10 gels
2 bars
2 bananas

I would normally drink twice this amount of fluid and I hardly broke out a sweat all day, yep it was cool.

The real reason I got to race National XCM

Picture this, a wife at the end of her tether after weeks of report writing, marking etc...this teaching gig is TOUGH, it makes a 24 hour solo MTB ride seem like a stroll in the park. Now Sarah is not normally one for tearing off for a dirty weekend of mountain biking in the middle of term, so you can imagine my surprise (read GLEE!) when I casually mentioned the idea of heading to Canberra for the long weekend (umm yes I did mention that there was a tincy wincy little mountain bike race on) and she said "BOOK IT MIKE, TAKE ME AWAY!"
YEIIIIWWWW!
I was on Wotif quicker than Josh "Frother" Carlson rockin' it loose down Skyline.
So it came to be that our car was adorned with 5 MTB's and conveying the Children of Israel towards the Mecca of Mountain Biking (hmm might have mixed my religious metaphors there!)

We had a great run down to Canberra Saturday morning and arrived in plenty of time for the Junior Marathon. Tom and Liam were entered and off they went on their 25km loop. Meanwhile Sarah, Dani and I tackled the Trunk climb together, it was so good to be back here breathing in the fresh air and riding our bikes.




Tom and Liam had a great race in the U15, taking their time and enjoying the ride. This is their second real race (both times at Stromlo) and each time they get better and better. Thanks to the sweep rider who followed Liam every step of the way.

That night I cooked up a pasta storm and slept like a baby ready for my race the next day. I was feeling pretty good, the training is going well and I had a new bike to test out (Giant Anthem 29er). The idea here was to test the legs and see if I could pace myself a little better from the start. The field was completely star-studded. See Jason McAvoy's blog for some examples of the talent we were up against, but knowing the track and how hard the course would be I was confident I could put in a good show.

Interestingly the pace from the start was not the usual heart exploding 5km time trial and I settled into a sustainable pace for the first few km's. Eventually I did drop off the back but there were plenty of respectable riders nearby so I determined to stick to my plan and just ride solidly all day and enjoy it. Nutrition wise things were going ok and the bike was awesome. Really nice handling with the added luxury of a rear shock to bring into play on some of the techier sections. There were lots of highlights throughout the day, the only lowlight being when I heard something fall off the back of my bike through Little Seymour and realised my saddle bag had opened sprinkling a lovely trail of track candy through the scrub. On my second pass I managed to stop and pick up a few bits and pieces, but my trusty old Topeak multitool was nowhere to be found. RIP!

That said there were heaps of positives, including riding some long distances with Tim Kerle and Rich Peil. Rich went on the attack at about the 60km mark and ended up beating me by 5 mins and taking out 3rd, well done mate you got me again! Having my own cheer squad was also awesome as my family screamed and cheered each time I hit transition, thankyou my darlings you made my day.

The track was a ripper, signature Stromlo with heaps of climbing rewarded by several white knuckle descents. I especially enjoyed the two proper downhill sections thrown in for good measure.

The next day we had some time to spare and the kids were keen for a Questacon visit so in we went for some brain stimulation and it was great fun as always. Here is some huge froth for all my extended MTB family


Stats:
Food, 3L Energy, 0.6L Opti, 8 gels, 2 bars, 2 bananas
90km, over 2000m vertical, just over 5 hours, 5th in Masters
http://app.strava.com/rides/10566736

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Oranges and Sunshine

In the movie, a young boy under state care in post WWII England is promised Oranges for breakfast, lot's of sunshine and a horse to ride to school when he is deported to Australia under questionable pretences. What eventuates bears little resemblance to the promise and is a life under constant threat from predators, hard work involving big rocks and not much food. The first round of the Single Track Mind Series for 2012 reminded me a little of this movie. Now before you think "Is this guy having a whinge?" it really wasn't all that bad. In fact it couldn't have been much better and just 5 days after the event I am hungry and keen for the next round, but as I made my way home post race it struck me how conditions could not have been much better for me and yet I went away feeling somehow like I had underperformed and something had gone terribly wrong.

On the good side
I was fresh and fit, I had a great lead up week of light training, good pre-race dinner, slept like a baby and felt relaxed and ready on the start line. My competitors having raced 100km the day before were likely to be feeling a little 2nd hand, I had a great support crew, the track was pretty much perfect for the 7 hour epic that laid before me and Chocolate Foot as always were running the event to perfection.
As the gun went and I took off at what I thought was a sustainable pace and entered the single track on the back of the lead pack. The laps then flew by, the carbs were going in and the lap times looked good. Even better I knew I was in the lead of the Solo Masters and the few glimpses I caught of Garry and Jason were starting to get fewer and fewer. I was actually putting time into my heroes and I am ashamed to admit a bit of complacency came perching on the handlebars.

At the three hour mark I figured I had a nice little buffer and took a short breather in transition, and from there things started to slide.

On the bad side
I was getting hot, I had too many layers on, but I also felt the need to pee. Do I ride on hoping to sweat a little more and maintain the current fluid intake? Do I stop to pee or wait to see if it goes away? I had the wrong glasses, I had the wrong gloves and was developing some good blisters on my hands, my back and butt started to complain and before long I began to recall just how hard a 7 hour solo is. My next stop at transition and I was ceremoniously dumped to third place. As Garry and Jason sped past I was left thinking is it over yet and what do I need to do to rejuvenate the legs that till now had been running like a sewing machine, but suddenly felt like two lumps of concrete.

The rest of the day was just a slog fest and all I could do was hang on to the glimmer of hope that I could hold third, as two of the best riders I've ever met continued to build up a 20 min gap by the close of play. I did finally stop to pee, only to find I shouldn't have worried. I did stop again to strip off a layer and change gloves and I stopped even one more time to drop tyre pressure.
So what am I to take away from this race?
? Even the best laid plans can come to grief? Nah that's not it
? Just try hard next time and pace myself better? Nah that's not it.
? Forget the race, appreciate what a gift it was to ride amongst such great people, on a ripper track, on a perfect Autumn day and give thanks to the orchestrator of the universe who makes all things possible. Yep I think that's better

Congrats to all the TORC crew, to Garry Millburn making his comeback in emphatic style, Simey, Greg and Lopper for just being there, to Brad Tillack who in his first solo effort smashed out 12 laps, had a few stacks, broke his chain and will be back to do it again, you sir are a gentleman and finally to Penny for being such an awesome support crew and devoting your day to helping me race. Thanks to CWORBC for an awesome track. And what happened to the little boy in the movie? Well I wont spoil the ending of the movie, but I did manage to hold third place and podium which I would have given my right arm for a couple of years ago so maybe that gives you a clue :)

Keep riding
Mike

BikeBuller 2012

It was with a huge sense of anticipation that Nick Gilbert and I packed the car at 5am and headed down the Hume, destination Mt Buller, for the 2012 Rapid Ascent BikeBuller MTB Festival. To call it a race just wouldn't do it justice. This is about riders from all over the country converging on the self-proclaimed (and rightly so!) premier MTB park in Australia for 3 days of riding hard and fellowshipping harder. I call it fellowship, because it wasnt really "partying", it was more about like minded cyclists and those who support and love them coming together to share the good life and all the things we sometimes take for granted.
The drive to Buller was long as you'd expect but we got a first hand view of the flooding around the Riverina and the scenery got more spectacular the closer we got.

We passed through some gorgeous little towns like Holbrook and Mansfield and the further south we went, the brighter the sun shone. I was struck by just how mountainous the Mt Buller region is and swore I'd be back with my roadie to tackle a few choice climbs.

We got to our lodge mid afternoon and were honoured to see we were sharing with the Norm and Jess Douglas. Having really only been Facebook friends before now, it was awesome getting to know these guys over the weekend.

Jess and Norm clearly have a real heart for other people and they are quick to share their knowledge and resources or help out a fellow rider any way they can. I will never forget Jess speeding up behind me on one the big climbs. I'd had a few hubbard moments and had completely lost my flow. Fully expecting Jess to speed past me, I moved over to give her the track, instead she called out, "Nice little flow up ahead, shove it in the dog!" Sure enough the track levelled out, I got back my rhythm and continued up the climb at a more respectable pace. Thanks Jess, that was cool!

Keen for a ride to stretch the legs, we quickly unpacked and rolled out looking for any trail available. We soon located Copperhead, the trail we've all been salivating over watching some Mick Ross carv-ation, and down we headed. What a trail! A steep winding track that ducks and weaves and seduces you to go just that little bit faster on each new corner until you feel your tires starting to lose traction and your heart almost jumps out of your mouth, then who should we bump into but Glen Jacobs and his crew doing a bit of last minute spit and polish on a fresh sweeping banked corner. We soon lost ourselves in the huge network of trails and before we knew it we'd clocked up 25km, hmmm maybe a little too far the night before a big race???

That night the rest of our lodge buddies arrived and it was packed to the rafters as we watched an amazing little cycling movie called LifeCycles. If you haven't seen it, just go see it, you will love it.

The next day was Stage 1. I wont bore you with all the details, it was just amazing, lot's of climbing. I had no idea a 50km bike race would take me 3hours 22minutes, but there were many memorable moments particularly involving riding with other riders and willing your legs to ride faster. It also setup a four way challenge between 4 of us guys in the lodge. Dave MacDonald, Todd Stanton, Nick Gilbert, and myself were neck and neck the whole weekend and we enjoyed great comaraderie comparing Strava times for segments and cheering each other onto the finish. The end of Stg 3 epitomised this as we all finished within 5 minutes of each other. I would also add Ben May in this quartet, though to be honest he was a league above us mere mortals and was only held back by some unlucky mechanicals. I drank every last drop of my 2 ltr Camelbak full of energy, 4 gels and a bar

That night after dinner we headed out of the lodge for a 40minute stroll (err hike really) to the summit of Mt Buller to watch the sunset. This was a highlight for me and emphasized that this event is about more than just cycling, it is about enjoying the journey with new friends and recognised what a blessed life we live in this country. The sun sank quickly and the idea of circular objects spinning round and round led to the conclusion that "God the controller of the universe, had it in the dog" indeed! Stage 2 was the BrakeBurner, but it wasnt all downhill. The 20 min plus lap included a short but steep pinch climb through the village and a series of tight uphill switchbacks to the top of One Tree Hill. The Gangs Gangs descent was also hard work with many obstacles and corners to keep you working hard on a very gradual decline.

The next section was a steady downhill dirtroad section (into a headwind) that demanded full gas and then the lap finished with the bottom half of Copperhead, steep yes but again it took a huge amount of energy to quickly negotiate the course and clock a competitive lap. I had a new found respect for DH riders not only for there skill but their strength and stamina to do what they do. At the bottom you cross the timing mat again to clock your lap time and join the short queue for the chair to the top again.

I really enjoyed this race format and it rewarded riders with both skill and fitness. Once you've had enough of doing laps, you take a diversion after Gang Gangs and take the express elevator to Mirimbah, a smokin' 700m descent over about 7km!!!

Hitting Mirimbah, there was a really cool festival happening with music and great food and just about everyone from the surrounding area seemed to be there. It had a great vibe, but to be honest all I wanted to do was get home and get cleaned up after taking a couple of spills throughout the days action and the bike had never taken so much punishment.

I must say the Ellsworth continues to impress and it's hard to imagine that I could go any faster on another bike, such is the versatility and agility of this rig. My tyres could have been fresher, my front Racing Ralph was on it's last legs after 18 months of racing I'd call that a pretty good run, I let it down to 20psi and squeezed every last ounce of grip from this tyre. On the back my Crossmark was also a little worse for wear and traction in some of the moister sections of track was an issue, but I ran it at 25 psi and it stood up to every rock stick I bounced over.

That night we had no idea what our places were in the GC, so we carbed up and got to bed early knowing we'd need to give it everything the next day. The 25km race for Day 3 was always going to be a smashfest and right from the gun it was on. I got a great start and held onto the lead bunch until Standard Lane climb where I got a little shelled. Into the top of Copperhead and I was 2nd in a train of 12 riders and everyone was just happy to descend at a rapid but controlled pace and wait for the next climb to pass if possible. Overall I was stoked with my ride and completed the course in a good time to secure 3rd place in the GC for Veteran mens by 2 mins. Overall a top 20 finish in a competitive field from all over Australia.

Lot's of thankyous, most of all to my wife and three beautiful kids. It was a big call to agree to see me off on this adventure a few months ago when I first raised it and I really appreciate it my darlings, I love you all very much and hope to take you with me next time. To Nick my new best buddy, it was just great travelling and riding with you mate. We'll miss you when you head back to Mexico, but keep in touch. To Dave, Todd, Ben, Jess, Norm, Rishi and all the crew at the Gliss Ski lodge, it was just awesome getting to know you all and not having to creep around a bunch of highly strung Sydney siders for a change (no offense guys, Melbournians are just so much more chilled!). You guys are a scream! And of course to Mark, Simon, Peter M and now Brad (the frothing cyclist) at Turramurra Cyclery who continue to support me and encourage me to aim high, thanks for all your help.

Rocky Trail MTB Cruise 100km

There is nothing quite as liberating as packing the car full of gear and leaving the city behind for a weekend of mountain biking. This time I had my two boys in tow, Tom and Liam for their first real MTB race, how exciting. Of course we just had to stop for dinner at the GreenGrocer in Goulburn for woodfired pizza and then finally onto Stromlo for a 10:30pm put up the tent.

The next morning revealed a gorgeous sunny day that would soon become a hot energy sapping day. Riding through smouldering grasslands from a recent backburn at the start of the first lap was not a good omen, but the legs were feeling pretty good and I was happy just to keep in touch with Garry James, now racing SuperMasters but looking as strong as an ox like always. The track was heaps of fun if you like rocks....lots of rocks...no it wasnt that bad but

I was wondering how my boys would go on this.

We soon caught up Brian "Big Dog" Price and as he wasn't racing "serious" he graciously offered his wheel for the second half of the lap. Through transition and the three of us were still together. I had a little buffer on Garry after the descent that he would gobble up on the climb.

By the middle of the second lap, the sun was really starting to burn and it became obvious I would have to top up my bottle at the on course water station. This is where I caught Liam and he looked a little dejected. I tried to lift him a little with some words of encouragement "keep going mate, you are doing so well!" which he was. He asking me how far to go and I had to admit he was just past half way, but I said if he'd had enough just to follow the dirt roads back to base. He not only finished but went on to take 4th place in Juniors at just 12 years old. He knees are back and blue today from knocking them against the frame negotiating the rocky track. It wasn't too long before I came upon Tom he looked pretty happy, just tapping away up Blue Tongue. He took third, but not before puncturing. Two very kind gentleman stopped and got him rolling again. I don't know who they were but I hope to find out, thanks guys I owe you one there!

Come lap 3 and I was really feeling it, unable to drink and eat enough my speed plummetted and just as I was wondering what kind of lead I had, a pretty fit looking guy came past me near the top. He didn't look old enough to be Masters, but there wasn't much I could do as he gapped me so I just had to keep rolling and see if I could get a second wind. A cool breeze provided slight relief, but mostly it was pretty darn hot. I was lucky enough to get the last little cup full of water at the refill station and I could see my target just ahead. On I pushed and it was up Heartbreaker where I got a little energy back and passed my competitor. Turns out it was Trent Moore, a rider I have admired and probably never beaten so with nothing but downhill to the finish (except for Blackberry) I put the hammer down to claim 2nd. Tony Rice, another legend took the top step, well done mate and of course Garry James completely dominated in the SM.

Thanks to Martin and Juliane for a fantastic race on a good challenging course. And hats off to the 100M guys, especially Ed McDonald cranking out the 5 laps and averaging 90mins a lap for the whole race, an amazing achievement!

TORC Canberra Training Camp

After a very soggy Sydney Summer, you could be forgiven for getting just a little bit excited about heading to the mecca of mountain biking for a weekend of single track serenity. Sure enough 17 of TORC’s finest climbed aboard the MTNBike Express in search of some sweet dusty trails

First stop was Kowen forest and again we had the privilege of mixing it with Ben Henderson, still recovering from a virus, Ben was kind enough to come out and set the scene for a weekend where the object was to ride your bike as fast as possible through every conceivable type of corner. Before long the natives got restless as Kowen’s beautiful lines beckoned and it wasn’t long before a few keen beans blasted off to stretch the legs and the lungs. The name of the game was “Where’s Brad?” Hardly a puff of dust had been raised one of our team were missing in action. Turned out he thought it was the Roadies tour coming up in a couple of weeks and decided to take a detour via Queenbeyan! Steve also pushed hard on the power limit and broke his chain link by link until he had to scooter back to base camp. There was plenty of “Yieeeew!” and “Yeaaaaah” and “Whoooooa” calls coming across the valleys, these are the mating calls of the mountain biker and the better the single track, the more frequent the calls.

Back for lunch and Will and Laurie really fed us well. The whole tour was expertly organised and the food was a hit for tired legs, then it was out for another couple of hours of soaking up the trails over Sparrow Hill, just 25km of uninterrupted singletrack.

Peter took the prize for the hard man of the weekend, taking particular offense to a certain pine tree and both he and the tree were left missing some bark. Of course the tree won, but Peter has the bragging rights and got a nice ride in an ambulance for his efforts.

Post ride coffees and a good quality “all you can eat” buffet at the AIS were very welcome after a big day in the saddle and then it was off to sample the night life in Dickson. Yes there is night life in Canberra and we all enjoyed some carb loading in the cool summer evening

Sunday morning provided another opportunity to ride the “all you can eat” single track, rolling out at sunrise to take in the manicured trails of Bruce Ridge to roll the legs over the before breakfast. It really was the perfect morning at 12 degrees and clear blue skies and not a puff of breeze. Ben, Hayden, Will and Isy had a great time navigating this tortoise shell of criss-crossing trails with gentle climbs and sweeping bends on the descents.

Our final ride started with an easy bunch ride through the suburbs from the AIS to one of the oldest and best love MTB precincts in Canberra, Majura Pines. The trails were a little damp which made for tricky conditions as one moment you had loads of grip on a tacky corner and the next you could be two wheel drifting over a slippery tree root. There were heaps of riders there including families and heaps of girls all enjoying the best of MTB in Canberra (Great to see more girls getting into this sport!). Mike Farkas was having a shocker and no sooner was he singing the praises of Scarlett and the next, going rubber up at low speed over a couple of sketchy obstacles, very unlike Mike. Fankles also revealed his talents for inflicting pain and made a foursome with Nick, Mike and Isy to explore this area that is some areas resembled the Blair Witch project, gothic aged pines trees, plenty of hills and made for some gorgeous scenery.

All in all a fantastic weekend of riding with friends and right on queue the storms reappeared as we made our way back to Sydney, wishing we never had to return

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