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

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

.

On a Fling and a Prayer

Coach says, this is it, last race for the year better make it a good one. I couldnt help feeling like I turned up a little under done, but there is nothing wrong with being well rested and with my three roadie mates joining us at the Pony Club for the full MTB experience, plus my two boys in tow, there wasnt really anything to do but just enjoy the event. Tom and Liam each had their new bikes and were loving being away from home and camping. After an easy drive down, setup, rego and dinner, we settled into an easy chat before the expected rain shower began right on bed time. Tommy got his wish and got to hear the rain falling on the tent, while there I was getting soaked inside my "0.5" man tent that is too small, too old and just too bad, so in I dive with the boys. Even though it's a 3 man tent, there wasnt an abundance of room and my two boys love a good sleep walk and talk, so needless to say my sleep wasnt quite uninterupted but I am used to that before a race and still bounced out of bed at 5:30 for breakfast or rice cereal, sustagen and caffiene.
It is a gorgeous day, but we quickly realise it is going to be a hot and sweaty affair and I am going to need every bit of that 3 litres of Endura in my Camelbak. On the start, all the regulars are there. It really is an amazing sport where the social and competitive aspects gel so seamlessly and the friends I have made at these races I know are friends for life.
I get a good spot near the front thanks to Ray and then we are off and straight away I feel great, the legs are strong, the heart rate is contained and I am holding onto the front bunch, I have my racing legs today.
Thankfully the horror first 10km of last year are cut and pasted to another stage and there are no horrible queues into single track. There is plenty of fire road to sort out the field and to my surprise the trails are dusty dry and the Ellsworth is eating it up so much so the first stage is all over in an hour. The next stage is just as great and I feel good. Not wanting to lose touch with the leaders, I roll through transition and get into a fast bunch. I pass Andrew and JMac who are refuelling for the miler and am in touch with Gary which is a big shot in the arm for me going though Bayliss Beauty. I get a good run into the wall and up I go to head into the single track on the front. I know the pace is still pretty hot and the HR still hasnt gone below 85% but I want to ride hard today and give it everything I've got and the nutrition seems to be hanging in there. My race continues to run to plan and I am constantly swapping with two other riders Murray and George but I can steadily feel my stomach starting to reject the concoction of gels and Endura and the first little twinges of cramp are start to appear.
The Frequent Riders lounge is a welcome pit stop from which I take on some GU drink and head off towards Halfway Hill and The Kick. Again the legs feel good and I dont struggle too much up these climbs as much as in previous years. Next is Outer Limits, another hilly section and I make the critical mistake of getting off the bike on the last pinch before the pastures and bang, the massive cramp strikes my right quad and hammy. There is nothing to do but take a seat for a couple of minutes have a good long drink and wait for it to settle. The guys I have been racing with all offer me drinks as they roll past and JMac passes me too. Soon enough I am rolling again with Steve Knight coming up behind me which I am thankful for and I latch onto to his wheel as we hit the fast roads back into Wingello, but alas the left leg "throws a rod" and I have to stop pedalling to let the cramp subside as Steve disappears in a cloud of dust.
The energy levels are still good and soon the cramps are back in the their box and I make it back into town just a minute behind Steve. Another bottle of GU and we roll out together with Murray and George, the fast four. The final stage is one of beauty with some new trails and we all hoot and hollar as we pelt down a farm road through a gate and completely miss the sharp right hander and end up riding very wide through some long thick grass. There is single track and some more fireroad and I am happy to find the cramps seem to be holding off. The free bike wash looms up pretty quick and then we hit the Boundary Road knowing from previous years we are close to home...but what???? as 50km riders head back up the boundary we are directed in the opposite direction and you can almost hear the evil cackle of Huw as he takes us on a killer loop, the same loop we used to do at the start of the race, but in reverse and it is just one pinch after the next. George has dropped off a while back and Murray has put the hammer down so it is just Steve and I to push each other on. I know he'll be ahead of me on adjusted time as I crossed the start line first and didnt spend much time in transitions but I decide to stick with him even though he is fighting off the cramps big time. This last 10km is tough at this stage of the race during the hottest part of the day. On one very steep pinch I decide to keep riding but over the top I am blinded by the sudden pool of salty sweat pooling into my eyes. Brokeback Mountain is also a test of the spirit but still the energy levels up good and the cramps seem to be gone for good. Across the creek and Steve says he cant hang on any longer but I tell him just to hold my wheel and we can finish this together.


Finally we return to the boundary road, Murray takes the long choice and we go the shorter beating him to the post. The last bitumin is also a blast, after such a long hard race, it is a rush to lock off the suspension, shove it in the dog and ride a pace line back into town and Steve and I cross the line together in 5th and 7th positions respectively. My time of 5:26 is 30 mins off the previous two years so I am stoked with that and I find my boys have also had their success with Tom getting 5th in his age and Liam winning his age race.

Thanks to Turramurra Cyclery for this awesome Ellsworth 29er. It did not miss a beat all day! Thanks and congrats to all the TORC and Peloton Sports riders for your awesome results and especially to Steve Knight for teaming up at the end and pushing me to the finish.

Thanks to my family, first my gorgeous wife Sarah who bears with all my training and racing. Without airing too much dirty laundry, we had a bit of a barny the week prior to this race but it was great making up and it was a wake up call to me to keep things in perspective. My kids Danielle, Liam and Thomas, you guys rock!

Thanks also to my coach Dave Hunt of FTP, this year has been absolutely beyond expectations and next year is looking very exciting.

And finally to all the organisers, sponsors and volunteers who made this race possible. Special mention to the race commentator who kept the throng entertained all day and delivered his kiss to a grimy sweaty cheek at the end of the race as promised for correctly answering the quiz question. Nice one!

Keep riding

Mike

Life goes on post WSC

Since the "BIG" one it has been interesting to see that there is a life outside of training and cycling. I realised I had accrued a massive "life" debt and so set about rebalancing my priorities. Of course that didnt mean an end to cycling (that would be unthinkable) just a shift in priorities.

Yes there were all those niggily little jobs around the house to catch up on, such as mowing lawns etc., but it was also time to invest in the family and what beeter way to do that than ...you guessed it...take them foir a ride! haha I can see you are rolling your eyes already and thinking doesnt this guys think about anything else?

So the first outing was the Spring Cycle, this is a really fun ride from North Sydney (over the bridge) then out through strange places like Five Dock and Haberfield to finish at the Olympic Park Homebush. A little longer than last year, the family nearly perished in the last 10km, but they made it and I was so proud of them. Riding an event like this is a great sanity check on why we ride...BECAUSE IT IS FUN!

Following that little outing, I was surprised to hear my better half asking about the TORC training camp and whether we could still join in and take the kids. We had been thinking about when we could get the kids to ride Stromlo and this seemed like the perfect chance. I needed about 3 milliseconds to think this one through and before we knew it we were booked in on the camp and heading down the Kings Highway for our first ride at Sparrow Hill. The whole weekend was awesome and all three kids rode all the way up Stromlo. Even more impressive they loved it and since we returned home they have been on their bikes almost every afternoon.

The next outing was the Sydney to Gong and this was something I had committed to do with my friends at EDC. With only a week out from the Fling, I figured this would make the perfect warm up ride and as I hadnt really been doing too much training for the last 4 weeks, it was a good chance for some fun and a few little efforts. Karl, Dean, Pete and I rode down as a foursome and had an absolute ball. The crowd at the finish was amazing and when I let it slip that I would be letting the train go in favour of riding back I came in for my fair share of "he's crazy" type looks. The ride back was just as good, though a fair bit harder into a head wind and with some decent climbs. Upon reaching Waterfall I figured I had done enough and hopped on a train to Central. I few winks of sleep and a bidon of energy and I was ready to go again for the last hop to home. 180km all up for the day and I felt pretty good. Bring on the Fling!

Keep Riding

Mike

Garmin Rice Cakes ala Mighty Mike

OK, here is my version of the Garmin Rice Cake. It is delicious, nutritious and easy to eat on the bike, especially as you cruise through transition in a solo 24!?

1. 1 cup Sushi rice (rinse in cold water, then microwave in 1.5 cups of water for about 10 minutes, stir it occasionally and stop when it is no longer chewy, but still a bit gluggy)
2. 3 whole Eggs - whisk these up till they are a bit fluffy and have lots of air bubbles, then pour into a hot non-stick fry pan with a bit of olive oil. Swirl it around to make like an omelette or a pancake, turn over to cook the other side. Set aside to cool then dice into 2cm squares
3. 150g of Prosciutto - dice into 2cm squares and fry this off in the frying pan, just till it goes pink, not too crispy.
4. Mix the rice, eggs and proscuitto, then add a splash of soy sauce to taste and about 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan Cheese. Mix it all together.
5. Now when it is all cooled a bit, spoon 1/4 of the mixture onto a sheet of seaweed that is made for sushi rolls. Spread it evenly down from top about 15mm thick leaving about a 3 cm gap at bottom and a 1cm gap on each side. Roll up and cut in half to create 2 nori rolls each about 10cm long and 3-4cm in diameter. Brush water on the bottom edge of sheet to make it stick, and you can fold up the two outside ends of the rolls so the mix doesnt fall out the bottom while you are riding and trying to eat these.
   

You should have enough mixture to do 4 sheets, that makes eight rolls
Each roll gives approx

• 150 kcal
• 20g Carbs
• 9g Protein
• 3g Fat