The end of a very long race phase

The last three months have been possibly the busiest and most ambitious 3 months of my entire life.  When you roll together the XCO series plus a couple of marathons, training, one full time job and one part time job, a family consisting of three challenging yet gorgeous teenagers, one of whom is doing his HSC, you might say I bit off more than I could chew.

So it was with some relief and a sense of accomplishment when I slumped in my seat on the flight home Saturday night and looked back over the last 3 months.  It climaxed with a 4 day conference in Melbourne and then a quick detour via Forrest for the Otway Odyssey.  Actually I was just thinking, I made it, thank goodness I didnt miss that flight! I just need to get home.

Looking back at the last three months.

9 races in 5 different states

6 flights and 5 road trips (You Yangs, Toowoomba, Pemberton, Stromlo x 2, Forrest, Yellowmundee)

Car hires galore with a little bit of Uber thrown

AirBnb and hotels also feature heavily on the Credit Card statement

1 new bike + bike bag
countless bottles of Gatorade, gels, coffees

Capital Punishment was a race I love doing and am really sorry to see it end, but I guess the logistics of organising such a journey through the city of Canberra have taken their toll.  All the same I had a ball at this race, even if my form was a little down and managed to finish in just the same spot as last year overall and just enjoyed the banter and comeraderie and the simple pleasure of riding (semi-)fast through the Australian bush.  For most of the day we'd formed a nice little bunch, crucial for when you get to the fireroads and Trent Moore was showing the way on the climbs.  Ben May was also having a great ride, and a few of the Quantum boys featured in our mini peloton as well as some mates from YEOW-MTB.  It was a great day out.

I never tire of the Stromlo trails, especially Skyline/Luge.  Photo Talentspotter

Andy Lloyd and Michal Kafta of Quantum fame on the start line

Canberra MTB brothers, Grantley, Trent and Clayton

The Odyssey is a race of huge reputation and one I've always wanted to do, so when the chance came I jumped at it and it did not disappoint.  Arriving around 5pm Friday evening, I picked up my race plate and was struck by the chilled vibe to the whole event centre.  This vibe would continue all weekend, I dont know if it was the culture of Forrest or just the general chill-ness of all those Melbournites, but I appreciated it and soon began to wind down.  I had to decide, would I drive the 30 minutes over to Colac for a first ever green curry with JD, or would I be better served to relax, spend 30 minutes doing a little reccy of the course and then finding dinner at one of the two local pubs.  Common sense prevailed and the reccy of the single was just perfect as the sun slowly set.  

Keeping in mind my escapades a few months back when I got lost out at Back Yamma, I made sure to err on the side of caution and headed back in plenty of light to find dinner.  Surprisingly the legs felt pretty good, I'd had a cruisy week at the conference, only allowing myself the short rides on the town bike too and from the hotel.

OK I did let loose one afternoon and took my town bike on a loop of the Yarra, but that was just good fun and I enjoyed freaking out several roadies by sitting on their wheel and spinning away with the three speed hub.  I got more than a few smirks as I turned back and took a final lap up Swanston St amongst the trams, cafes and commuters.

The beautiful Yarra, at this point I was ready to sell up my Sydney abode and move us all down to more a civilised city where cyclists abound

Dinner at the brewery was awesome.  sometimes you manage to get it just right and the lasagne with a pot of stout turned out to be the perfect race prep, not to mention the slice of Lemon and Pistacio cake with ice cream.  All I needed now was a good sleep and Rishi and Ben had organised this trendy little cabin just 1km from the start line.  Also good meeting Andrew Ferg and Steven Fortuyn, a couple of more cycling blood brothers I've only ever known via the twitterverse.

On the start line with Pete and Trent

The race itself lived up to and exceeded all my expectations.  I was well rested and well energised/hydrated all day.  Strangely I only drank 3x600ml bottles of Gatorade, but that seemed to be all I needed plus the 9 Clif gels (5 caffiene) and one endura carb bar.

The start was surreal, as we headed up the first hill almost like a neutral roll out, we circled the town and headed north toward Barwon Downs.  It was the easiest start to a race in living memory, I was sitting in the bunch about 30th place, the guys were just happy to roll out gently and warm things up.  The sound of the rubber on the road and guys chatting and laughing was really cool.  There were a couple of little bergs that got the breathing heavier but the first 30 minutes was really just a river cruise.  Even the first bit if dirt road was pretty sedate, but a sudden right turn followed by a long descent and things soon got pretty serious.  

We were into it now for keeps and the first section was mostly fireroad with some pretty burley climbing.  I dropped a few places but kept my competition in sight happy in the knowledge that it would be a long day with plenty of tight single track for me to excel.  The motorbike trail was bizarre, like this freshly cut single track through dense bushland scrub, but it was heaps fun to ride and I was happy to catch Trent here.  He'd come away with the victory at Capital so one of my goals was to stick with Trent for as long as I could today.  In the end the tables were turned and the 1% favoured me today so we are tied at 1-1 in this race within a race after his win at Capital.

The next bit of euphoria I remember was a track called Slingshot.  Wow these trails were so beautifully honed.  I found you could go into a blind corner with a berm pretty hot and come out the other side with the same speed, safe in the knowledge that the corners wouldn't bite, such was the flow.  I was a total newbie to these trails and loved every metre.  By the end of the race I was having to slow down, as not only my legs tired, but my brain started to fatigue from the constant processing of line choices and bike handling in the single track.

By the 68km transition I had overhauled all those who had passed my in the first 30km and still felt pretty fresh.  PVDP had pulled the plug early and gave me a big fist pump and a "Go get some!" as I headed out for the last 30 odd k's.  This is where the rubber hits the road well and truly as you go straight into a 10 km climb with 400 vm.  Even the last 20km are pretty lumpy and you want to make sure there is something left in the tank.  I had a few twinges of cramp, but mostly felt good and continued on.  Ben May from Brisbane has been another constant buddy on the race scene, no matter where we ride, we always seem to end up chatting and helping each other out as we strive for the finish.  There were no words spoken now in our little in a rotating group of 3 or 4, it was just a given that we'd continue sparring to the finish.  Once you summit the climb you are rewarded with a dead straight bullet like descent on narrow single track called Short Fuse, I came out of the scrub to find a hard left hand turn and the bomb nearly exploded as it was all I could do to turn the bike with a massive handful of back brake to avoid careening off into the fast approaching ravine. In the end I was stoked with my result of 38th overall from 308 finishers and 10th in Masters.  It's been interesting to see how much the XCO series has honed my skills and enabled me to attack harder when needed, but I still need to work on my climbing speed.

At the finish with good mate Peter Lister, does it look like he is holding me up?

So what's next? A bit of time off the bike with a tour to School Football Tour to France and Spain, then ramp up again for the Convict and the 12 hour at James Estate.  

Keep Riding

Mike

Blood, Blackberries and Bouncing off Rocks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keep Riding
Mike

Warm up at Yellowmundee

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Thanks to Riding Focus for this great shot

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

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

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

Keep Riding

Mike

How to race a MTB without really trying

This episode starts under the premise that whilst life is normally pretty busy, it just suddenly got that little bit busier. Recently after a particularly deflating day at my job as an IT Manager, I went home determined to do something about it. I needed a change, I needed something else to occupy my brain and the match that got struck was an ad for a mechanic at one of the local bike shops.  "YES!" my mind expanded into the possibilities of a life lived within the cycling industry, until the prospect of a fairly hefty pay cut, and the subsequent defaulting on the mortgage came into focus. Well long story short I am now a part-time bike shop mechanic, albeit with P plates but I'm loving the change of scenery and I must say the gang at Cyclery Northside rock!

So it was on a sultry Sydney Saturday where this tale begins, when Anthony Shippard (Specialised Rider) waltzed into the shop with a box of health food. You might otherwise know them by the name of Crispy Creme.
"Shall I put these with the other health food?" Anthony asked, referring to the huge pile of pizza awaiting to be eagerly devoured by hungry staff for lunch.
Mmmm I wonder if working in a bike shop is going to impact on my lean physique...time will tell.  I resisted the donuts until "Shippo"caved in so I thought I could probably get away with it as well.

The shop was going ballistic just before closing time and consequently the rendezvous with my racing partner Phil Welch was slightly delayed, but it was no problem for Phil and it was great to pack up the Santa Fe and head for the hills so to speak. The drive to Orange is pretty long and you have to be constantly watching your speed lest you get snapped by a network of highway patrol and speed cameras, but the scenery is breath taking and we were lucky to time our journey and witness a gorgeous setting sun illuminating the golden sandstone walls of the Grose Valley.

We made a quick stop for food in Bathurst, yep you guessed it pizza again (Lewy's on George St - can recommend!), and then onto Orange. Phil had sorted the accommodation at the Occidental and we went for a quick stroll to collect cereal for breakfast, much to the entertainment of some local gals cruising the main drag who clearly took our skinny shaven legs as a sign of youth, poor misguided Gen Y's!

So to the race, and Phil and I were feeling quietly confident. We knew Benny had been doing some not so secret training, Mark is always a tough competitor and we knew the #fortyplusfrothers of Troy and Matt could certainly ride fast but could they sustain it for the full 7 hours?

Shredding through the forest on my time machine, the Giant 29er Anthem - Thanks Dave Bateman for this top shot

Well without prolonging the suspense too much, the answer was yes! Phil again designated me to take the start lap and from the gun I felt pretty good. Mark beat me into the single track by a few wheels, but that was where he stayed and I kept him in sight for the whole lap. Normally I'd be expecting to hold a little buffer after the first lap, but not to today and I knew straight away this was going to be a even tougher race than usual. It looked like our competition would be taking no prisoners and by half way through the race, we'd given them around 5 minutes. Our one remaining hope was that they had gone out too hard and I was still lapping at a reasonable pace, so I asked Phil to stake me a double and if there were any signs of them cracking perhaps I could stem the bleeding, but it was to no avail and all we could do was settle for 3rd as the real battle continued up the track for 1st and 2nd.

7 hr Master Pairs series podium - L-R Troy Matt Ben Mark Mike Phil

Once the realisation set in that we couldn't win, it was good to ease off the pace a fraction and settle into some not so fast laps. We'd also learned that our no show at Awaba would be counted in the series tally so that lowered the expectation and I was quite happy to settle for 3rd on the day and 3rd in the series.

The biggest congrats certainly goes to Benny who has done some serious training and basically was the quickest masters rider on the day. Also congrats to my good mate from TORC Brad Tillack who has been chipping away at this series for a couple of years now and finally cracked his first win in Super Masters, what a great effort!

Brad and I at the rider briefing - Thanks Phil Welch for this pic

Cycling is an obsessive sport, anyone reading this who is related to a cyclist can attest to that.  The pursuit of better fitness and sharper skills is like a carrot dangling in front that you never quite reach.  The goal for Phil and I at the beginning of the year was a series win, and whilst that didn't quite pan out, we've had a great time riding, keeping fit and healthy and making some great friends.  It's always worth remembering that cycling should be fun first, and also that there is more to life than riding fast.

A few thanks I have to make.  Firstly Chocolate Foot's Joe and Fi for putting on an awesome series and setting up these races in all the best locations.  Also to the sponsors and clubs for their support without whom none of these events would happen.  I have a number of clans now that I count myself lucky to ride with like TORC, Easy Riders and Quantum.  And now Pete and the gang at Cyclery Northside thanks for giving me a go.  I am loving working with you guys and genuinely excited where this could lead "down the track"

Keep Riding
Mike

Fathers Day Special - The Back Yamma BigFoot

As with all epic mountain bike rides, the preparation and what happens before and after race, often takes up more words than the actual ride itself.  The Back Yamma Bigfoot is a race I have always wanted to attend, so with a fixed elbow and a thirst for racing I entered on the spur of the moment (never a good move when you have family) only to realise it was Father's Day.  Hmmm, now some might say, hey, it's Father's Day, you should be able to do what you want! and that's true to a degree, but I hated leaving my family, so that's the price you sometimes pay to race at a high level.

The Road Trip

It was so good heading west out of the big smoke and many drivers were treated to a view of two gorgeous Lamborghinis cruisy down Pennant Hills Road in the wet traffic.  The guys were just cruisy slowly so you could follow them and pass them and take a really good look.  Wow!
Heading over the mountains, the mist and rain was beautiful and then once I got past Lithgow, the rain halted and gradually the clouds broke to reveal a picturesque landscape of blue skies, puffy clouds and lush green and golden fields as far as the eye could see.

Lamborghini on Pennant Hills Road

Michael's Mistake

The legs were a little stiff and definitely in need of some blood flow so a quick rego and tent pop up and I was off to enjoy a dusty ride as the sun set.  I'd bumped in Grantley who had just finished the first 30 km in a little over an hour, which would suit me fine.  I'd be back for dinner and an early bed.  I took a big gulp of water, fixed my lights to my helmet and I was away, and didnt it feel good.  The track was bone dry and dusty as .... in the race, you couldn't see the ground for the dust being kicked up by the wheel in front!

Sunset over Canola fields Back Yamma State Forest

I was having such a great time as I flicked on my lights, I didnt really notice I'd missed the turn off back to the event centre until I looked at my Garmin and it said 35km.  Uh oh, well nothing for it but to continue on, for some reason I had in mind that the 30 km loop went back through transition and it wasnt till I clocked up 40km that I realised my error.  Now I was really in a deep hole and I just kept digging.  No idea where I was, my lights were dimming, I was tired and thirsty, and just top it off, on a bit of fireroad I caught a tyre track with the front wheel and went down pretty hard, oh great now the gears arent working.  All the worst thoughts were racing through my mind from, "how will I fix my bike" to "I'm going to get cleaned up by a Kangaroo or a Cow" to "I'm going to miss dinner" to "I'm going to be stuck out here all night!"
Finally I flicked over to the map page on my Garmin and saw the "Begin" point wasnt too far away.  Oh thankyou! The navigational logic of the Garmin has always been pretty dodgy but on this occasion, it totally saved me.
I still had 10km or so to ride and even when I got to within sight of the event centre there was this dirty great ravine keeping me at bay, so I scrambled down and found a way out and headed straight for my tent.  By this time I was pretty cold.  It was now 9pm and all was quiet in the camp site.  Peter from Rotary, saved my life with a couple of sausage sandwiches some Milo and we even shared a beer as I recounted my ill-planned reccy, and he explained to me a little about the history of the land and the relationship with the kangaroos!
It all ended well and when I got back to my tent I was bone tired.  I washed all the dust off and set about getting some sleep while I pondered how I would repair my bike before tomorrow's 7:45 race start.

Rise and Shine?

At 5:30am, the alarm was not welcome.  I had sleep quite restlessly and you always feel you have only just dozed off into a deep sleep when the alarm goes off.  First things first, get some fuel into the tank, I was starving.  Second things second, figure out the bike.  I had kinked the cable and damage the ferrule so I wandered around looking for some friendly mechanic who might have a spare cable and ferrule.  Rod Farrell (race organiser) was kind enough to find his last gear cable and end cap for me to use, but I'd have to make do with the split ferrule.  Back to the bike, and I swapped the two ferrules at either end of the outer, inserted the new cable and reset the gears, "Yes! we now have a working bike, I wasnt really looking forward to going single speed today."

Chatting with Alex on the start, noone seemed all that keen to start on the front row

I lined up on the start next to Brett "Jeebus" Bellchambers.  I have no idea what he was talking about (the brain still foggy from last night's misadventure) and yet he still made me laugh and I was thankful just to be there.  The race start wasn't too bad and I was hanging onto the lead group for a while but soon the gaps started to appear and I was pretty tentative on the track not being able to see where I was riding for the dust and had no desire to wash out again, so I backed it off and saw my adversaries sail past.  First Jason Morgan and then Quantum team mate Alex Kooijman in hot pursuit and my heart and legs just come up empty.

Great shot courtesy of Michael Crummy drifting out of another perfect corner

For me it would be a case of enjoy the ride and use it as a training exercise in skills and nutrition and to that effect I had a great day. I rode with a group of 5 guys from the 20-40km mark and hit the front to do some work. After a few k's I had a gap with only the singlespeeder on my wheel.  At the half way point there were some pretty tired 100k riders; two guys quipped that they were trashed, but I felt pretty comfortable and had been careful to keep up the fluids and gels.  A quick bottle swap and I was off for the 2nd 50km.  For this lap I was pretty much on my own and I picked up a few riders who were succumbing to cramps, it had suddenly got hot!  The trails are so much fun out here, I liken it to Kowen Forest without the Pine trees.  Lots of flowing corners and a few tight ones that can catch you unaware.  Lots of sketchy gravelling descents that tempt you to drift into ruts and stay off the brakes.  Again the Ellsworth 29er was the weapon of choice and the 1x10 setup was perfect and kept the legs spinning all day.  The Curve/Rubena pairing continues to outperform and there was many a loose corner when the Rubena Kratos bit and held the line as my heart was in my mouth for fear of washing out.

Ellsworth Enlightenment, shod with Rubena tyres and Curve Carbon hoops

Alex had a great ride and was unlucky not to podium.  Unfortunately for him there was no Elite category so James Downing automatically took 1st place in Masters and overall, what a machine!  The next 3 places in Masters were spread by only 6 minutes and I cheekily took 5th in a dash for the finish line a further 12 minutes back, not too bad considering.

Hit the Road Jack

But my day wasn't over yet.  Normally one to stay for pressos, I was on a mission to get back for my son Thomas' confirmation.  Now 16, he made his own decision to make a public declaration of his faith in Jesus Christ.  I don't want to make a big song and dance about it, but I am incredibly proud of my son who is growing into a thoughtful, mature, happy, respectful and well balanced young man and he now has an eternal perspective on life.  What more could a Dad ask for Father's Day?

Keep Riding
Mike

Hebrew 10:23
"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful"

Tom and 7 others ready for confirmation with Rev Chris Edwards at St Philips Turramurra

Chocolate Foot Round 4 Coondoo

It was a strange feeling packing up all the gear prepping for the STM round in Nowra.  With interruptions from weather earlier in the year and then an injury, my racing season has been....well.....sparse to say the least.  Suffice to say the injury forced me to re-appraise my priorities and how I "do life" and with a few tweeks I was in a much better place mentally to head into a race.  Now 9 weeks since my accident and having completed 3 good weeks on the trainer with some help from cycle coach Dave Hunt, it was time to return to the race scene and see where the legs were at.  

The evening before was a perfect race prep, travelling down with fellow Masters racer Ian Bridgland, we took in a practice lap and found the track had drained well and would be in great nick for the race.  SCUM had put in a huge effort to prep the track and some of the new berms on the descent were just awesome, thanks guys!  I spent the evening reading a cycling blog, catching glimpse's of the classic James Bond "Dr No" and soon fell asleep to the soothing calm of a light shower signalling the end of the rain (surely!?).

Sure enough the weatherman got it right and we awoke to near ideal conditions Sunday morning.  The race started with the usual lead out on the fireroad and I comfortably found a spot near the rear of the lead bunch.  It is in these first few minutes when you discover whether you brought your race legs and I was happy with my first effort.  A errant strip of bunting diverted the lead bunch into an "hors d'oeuvre" of single track and confusion reigned for a moment, but there was nothing to be done except to hold the wheel in front and we all seemed to emerge back onto the fireroad none the worse off.  It's the little surprises like this that make a race more memorable.

And so the first lap completed, I was glad to to see we were in second with a healthy buffer to 3rd.  It turned out Mark Hardy wasn't so fortunate with the way the diversion worked out and he and Ben spent the entire day clawing back the 4 minutes he'd lost on the first lap.  Without that bit of race luck, the end result may have been a little different.

Having the Bioathletic team there was fantastic and added a whole other dimension to those riding in a team.  The option to take an ice bath in between laps and then stretch out on a roller was a great way to recover and I am sure it helped me to maintain consistent lap times all day.  Thanks to Jen and the team, you rocked.  

Dave Eccles entertaining some of the lovely Choc Foot ladies in the "IceT" bath

A good graph showing the epic battle for all you strategists out there

The rest of day panned out pretty much to plan and personally I just had a ball reconnecting with old friends and making new ones.  As you can see from above, Mark and Ben were never far away, chasing hard all day and Michael "Browny" Brown was the hero of the day setting blistering lap times and making a very good substitute for regular partner Phil Welch.  Phil is away riding the Mongolia Bike Challenge and at this very moment is probably reclining in a warm Gur somewhere on the Mongolian tundra partaking of his first swig of "airag". Meanwhile Jason and Paul set a pace that was inspiring and took the win with ease.

The Ellsworth Enlightenment setup with 1x10 performed beautifully on the track, still nimble in the tight corners and light as a feather up hill, but my lower back is complaining today!  The Curve Cycling wheels continue to impress and have taken the bike to a new level of performance.  Paired with the Rubena Kratos, steering and cornering has never been so precise and so reliable thanks to the wide profile rim.

The 7hr Masters Pairs podium.  You can actually see Mark thinking, if only I'd gone just that little bit harder!

The bridge added an extra fun feature at the end of the lap

Fi showing how it's done off a jump that launches one into orbit

I'd also like to extend a huge vote of thanks to all the support I've received from Turramurra Cyclery over the years.  My identity was practically synonymous with the Blue and White kit, (indeed many of you didn't recognise me in the new green kit from Quantum), but after nearly 8 years I reckoned it was time for a change and I'm looking forward to focussing my attention to more MTB riding together with a bunch of riders who have some similar goals to me.  All I need to do now is perfect my Euro accent.  I'm getting lessons by listening to Martin Wisata's staple Armin Van Buuren - State on Trance while I spin away on the wind trainers.  Who knows, even I could find myself on the start line of the TransAlp one day.

Keep riding

Mighty Mike

Mighty Mike rebooted

Hello again and yes it's probably been too long since I last blogged, but here we are again and I guess this is the blog I had to write but have been avoiding for some time.  Not because of anything bad, but alot has been going on, some on the bike but mostly off, so for brevity, because you probably have more important things you should be doing, here is a quick re-cap of what has been happening.

A good day out

Some 6 weeks ago I had a very good day out on the bike at the RTE GP4 at Ourimbah.  Basically I had a blast and fulfilled my goal or riding this course for 4 hours hard.  The end reward was a podium finish in a respectable field, but that result aside, the course, the riders and the fellowship amongst said riders was pretty much close to Nirvana.  One tiny little highlight that comes to mind was late in the race grinding up the last little bit of hurt on "long Meadows".  I was taking it very gingerly in the granny gear just to keep balance and ensure the hints of a cramp didnt progress.  A young elite rider rolled up behind me and gave me a great little pep talk to get over the last pinch.  What a moment!

Ourimbah - still one of the best XC courses going

From a high to a ridiculous low

Yes you saw it on Facebook, a bit of stress and some poor preparation led to an unneccessary OTB on bitumin and it was into the ambulance for poor old Mike.  The number of times I've gone over this in my head in the last 5 weeks probably qualifies me for some kind of mental therapy, but I do prefer to see the glass half full, so.....

There was a  gorier one but you get the idea

During my recovery I saw.....

I most amazing bike race ever, Stg 5 of this years TDF, but even greater than that I saw an Aussie legend show an almost unheard amount of grace and forgiveness when he was brought down in the sprint in Stg 1 effectively sabotaging his tour.  Yes it was racing and yes sprinters ride on the ragged edge, but seriously Simon Gerrans, that was one class act.  No false humility, no gilded lillies, no veiled accusations, just a simple "Well that was tough luck, and I wish I hadnt crashed but there you go, play on"
I also saw the biggest self destruct in sporting history, Brazil v Germany.  I actually watched more of the World Cup than the TDF, sacrilege I know, but I'm also a Football tragic and that was some seriously sexy football we saw in that tournament...but Brazil? Oh my, we will be talking about that one for years to come.

Gerro, you legend!

Am I better yet?

So the last five weeks have been painful from the point of view of not riding and not racing my best mates and rivals, and I even tried to will my elbow to heal, by getting back on the bike just a tincy bit too soon, but I realised all is not lost....in fact

What have I gained?

Well it's actually been a time of reflection, a time to consider my priorities and the reasons I ride.  Yes I love riding, I am competitive and I push it hard.  but I love my health and I love my family more and the minute cycling starts to take away from those two things, it's time to take a breather, and so in closing, all things work out in the end and I do believe in a higher being who actually loves me more than I can ever hope to understand and He has a plan is is far greater than winning a bunch a of bike races.

I got to take my darling daughter to her dance Eistedford, that's gold!

Luckily for me I still think racing has a place in that plan so I look forward to coming back.

You'll notice I have a couple of new supporters in Curve Cycling and Rubena (well actually Rubena aren't so new but together with Curve they make a pretty good combo) so there will be more news on that to come once I'm allowed back on a real bike.  And there might be more exciting changes coming soon...

That's it for now, thanks for reading and also thanks to the many many friends who have sent their good wishes for a speedy recovery and given me kudos for riding a wind trainer :)

Keep Riding
Mighty Mike

Kirrawak State Forest Race Report

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keep riding

Mike