Ready anytime to RACE.. 4hr solo.

The Rockytrail crew made a call during the week to move the race to AWABA, it made my ears prick up.Thoughts of racing around that awesome track just puts a smile on my face.

I was having a massive monday with my first ever Vo2max test at NSWIS and then teaching a RIDE class at chatswood fitness first.

 Tuesday had a cycle and boxing class before lunch and then went riding with my mate nick, it involved trekking across some beaches after riding some awesome trail. we made it back just before dark and before my next class. Around 6hrs of training that day. So wednesday was a slow start. I just kept the legs moving so they where ready for the 3cycle classes on thursday. After a weak moment of crying poor on facebook, well i just want to express my passion and share my energy for cycling in all aspects of life and i really miss not being able to afford to race now that i am going to university, Julianne from RTE emailed me a lovely invite to their race on saturday.  It took a while to sleep that night i was so excited.

 I made some calls on friday and by about 9pm i had a plan in action and i was digging through boxes after recently moving for a sram chain that was still in its wrapping..The legs wrapped in compression after my 530cycle class, bottles cleaned, bike prepped, i tried not to watch the TDF and get to bed.

RACE DAY:

                   On the road by 630am and arriving at AWABA about an hour later. Thinking back now im not sure ive ever been so chilled, i kept thinking i had forgotten something as im use to doing that when im stressed, but no, i have everything most importantly i still have my sanity after a testing 12months of life.

  I was hoping to flying under the radar a bit by dressing in disguise but it did not slip past any enduro kings that where there. Being social at a mtb race is really the best part. The MC was paul craft, so no one is safe with him around so we had a great chat over the mic and had some laughs about my appearance on cycling central.

START:

            On the front row and feeling fine.So here comes the carnage.... Within 5 pedals strokes someone was driving there front tyre into my leg and it sounded he did not recover to well..zooming up through tent city and fighting for the singletrack, i make a sneaky overtake on the entry and jump on board with the freight train of riders. There was no slowing down, about 7riders in a row all at pace, but it was nice, guys being a little bit cautious as we just didnt know when the track was going to give away its grip. so i hung well and charged onto my 2nd lap, where i posted my fasted lap. I felt strong so i got stuck into it as hard as i could go. (Nirvana was found) The plan was to race hard then use my mental strength of knowing how to suffer to finish off the race.

 Lap 4 and things start deflating..energy and my front tyre hitting drops and hard corners where not my best friend so i limped it around the course hoping to not just lose my front tyre at any moment, we had some scary moments, especially the fire road in the middle that was defiently exciting and a real test on rider and shifting abilities. I made it back to transition and got on the track pump...

 Another bottle and i was off again, time to get on the refuel so i was slamming torq gels and getting on the bottle when i could, this is quite hard around awaba, its why i choose the 4hr.

Lap 5. i was feeling a bit better now. I was battling my mind as i was taking it easy on my front tyre, but i hav pressure now so get back slamming the descents.. waahhoooo. At this point i went around mark tupalski in the 7hrsolo race and a bike culture rider. this would be the point i moved into 2nd place.

Lap 6 After slowing through timing to find out how long was left in the race. 55mins was yelled.

I was truly starting to suffer now. I was having a small cramping issue in my right quad it would only appear on camelback climb. That doesnt surprise you does it? Wow that climb was brutal on saturday. But cramps is something i never get, i took it on as a trophy of going so hard, I moved my focus onto driving more on my leftside.

Lap7 another bottle pick up and time to finish off the race. Smooth=fast here at awaba, i just tried to keep refueling and staying smooth and strong not to mention fighting the bike in the slippery sections.

Camelback climb was a screaming grunting hill of death that cramp was hitting the bone now and i scared a few riders in the process, those two riders where the only company i had, i was starting to think i was out there all alone and doing an extra lap.

 Cresting the top of the climb and my front tyre was flat...i just hate stopping.. but is going slower better then stopping fixing it and going fast again??? 

So i limp it down the descent, shifting all my weight to the back wheel through the corners, i make it to the fireroad before i was to scared to go any further.  A lap where i see no one, when i stop i have 6riders past me.. i Co2 it to the max. I know the track well and if i had my time again i would have my tyre pressure so much higher.

 I was off like a mad man. Were one of those guys 3rd place? i cant lose now.. Im happy to be beat but i don't like losing something i had total control of.One by one i picked them off.. I am sorry to crash into juan i made the call on his right 4times but he may have heard it as go right and when he did i was about to past through, i look where i wanted to place my front wheel, and i saw a small glimpse of black stump 'blackboy' No one in hell i was going take on that fight so poor juan had to take on the brunt. Mark tupalski was next and he cheered me on as i totally buried myself catching the final rider at the timing tent.

I rolled over the line totally spent and sore all over. Feeling a bit down that id been beaten and it was a different feeling doing a race with no support, which i totally enjoyed during the race as i was out there in my happy place and loved all of minute. You really find who you are and who you can be while endurance racing. Thats the best part of it all.

  I catch my breath and roll around to recover then go see julianna in timing. With her massive smile she holds two fingers up.. huh.. You got 2nd chops.. yeeeooowww!!!! 10min behind jon odams 10min in front of andrew lumely.

It was a day made by the Rocky trail enterainment crew on the smoothest of trails.

Thankyou for a great day.

Our prize was a certificate thats a fridge magnet. SO COOL.

Chops is back and still on podium.