The Highland Fling 2013

Iconic

Prestigious 

Longer than most

Festival

End of year catch ups

Paddocks

Creeks

Hills

Bagpipes

A weekend away

All spin around the minds of all mountain bikers when the words ' The fling' are whispered.

Months out from the race MAGELLAN my sponsor and also the major sponsor of the event offered me a ticket to race with for free. Knowing my story of my stolen bike well I still agree to race and hope the planets align in all other areas so I can race on the day.

Lucky for me I get to ride the Rocky Mountain Element again, which I picked up on the Friday before the race.

Once I get away from work on Saturday I head for the m5 to escape the city only to realise at the airport I had forgotten my helmet, my new helmet so I'm forced to turn around to retrieve it. 7plates of sushi later I'm back at the airport enroute to bundanoon. 30mins before rego closed so it was quite easy for the ladies to know my name as I was the last one to do rego in my category. Now to find my tent..... Luckily I bump into Wilson tent building pty ltd on my way in and we head over to camp to share many laughs and set up bikes before game day, to the disgust of one fellow camper who thought it was necessary to yell SHUTUP..... It wasn't even 1030pm, it's quite a different atmosphere within this camp compared to the Convict marathon where I feel people are a lot more chilled.

We awake to bagpipes at 530, at 535 I attempt to drown it out with john butler tunes to the joy of James. I'm mr calm then James is mr stressed as he can't find his cycle knicks.. One hissy fit later and a few laughs I'm mr stressed as I'm not organised and rush off to find my support crew, with the help of the event microphone. Maybe some free advertising is always helpful but it solved the problem in a place with no phone reception, let's just hope Tim Stubenrauch could find my eski and meet me at the feed station, he's a guy that gets shit done and he's word is as reliable as steel. But the what could go wrongs went through my mind. On the start line I had a small look around to see who was here, but really didn't get involved, I was deep in my own thoughts in my own zone. Pretty happy I left the leg warmers on, looking silly compared to the Canberra guys. There is no tough points up for grabs if it fatigues you and you don't finish the race.

In usual 2013 mountain bike race fashion, the drone goes up and the racing gets underway, with big dog (Xc specialist) charging off the front, I'd see him again at the 75km mark packing his bike into a car. No matter how fast you are, it can come down to how long you can hurt for. I was ready for a lot of hurting. The 110km category riders swarmed around us as we slowed the pace, it was nice to have more MAGELLAN riders around for company, but I know the fitness of these guys and I know I brought my Diesel engine with me, not my V8 so I knew it was not a smart idea to try and hold their pace.

Looking at my strava I have done 400kms in the last 4months, I'm up against guys who do that midweek. My staying power is my best weapon, so I settled into my rhythm ready for a day on the bike.

We approach the free bike wash, I trudge through and it's only 15mins into the day. I would never feel my toes again from this point onwards, my thoughts where ' I don't need feet... I just need legs' back to the job at hand.

Get through stage 1 without going to deep into the hurt box

Stage 2 survive it so you will want to do it again.

Stage 3, let's just assess that when we come to it. But knowing if I had come that far surely another30km is possible.

Entering wingello everything was under control, stopped for a quick feed from tim, and I was on my way over the rail line and into the part of the race track sets the tough from the weak really fast.

It's been a couple of years since racing the fling and was caught out by the extra amount of single track, it felt quite slow and loamy and the rocks and tree roots were to get wetter and quite tricky as the day went on, as they had no grip compared the dry sometimes loose single track. Up and over the wall and further away from anywhere, passing the feed station you begin to descend a long way down. It's plenty of time to think about the impending doom of halfway hill and everything else that hurts from here to wingello. In the past the elite boys would come charging through not far from here, my fondest memory is while I was grobbling on a climb I had Gordo come past me in the big dog, and further on the late James Williamson came by and I got to work and ride with him and one other ride for close to 15kms together that day. And then shared war stories and burgers after the race.

In the distance on a climb I spot a familiar sight, the rock solid form of a great friend of mine and a long time training buddy. A guy that helped me build a lot of fitness on a bike, Crawford!!!! Each other's company super charged our legs and we really got stuck into the climbs and once hit the dirt road to wingello, a place you do not want to be alone. He offered to help me along as it's rude for a Mile'r to pull the 110k riders, but the conditions where really cook crawfords legs. He worked on the flats, I worked on the climbs. With sleet coming sideways at us, it was a tough jaunt into Wingello. Breathing was difficult as when you sat behind a rider dirt would fly into your face, at times I was shielding my mouth with my hand so I could breathe with an open mouth and not have a mouthful of dirt.

Coming into wingello I was quite cooked, I went to hard but hey I enjoyed the company so we gave each other a high five and Crawford wished me luck. 

Once at the 100mile lounge Tim was frozen to the core, I was hurting but ready for more. Here comes the moment that all riders today fear. You roll through timing down some single track if you go left it's 30km home. You go right it's 80km. 50km of which you are most likely to not even see another soul. You picked the 100mile option chops. I go right....! 

With a few harsh words to and with myself I get to work on finding my physical limits on this one day in November. It's now not a race but a ride, it's a ride that I want to achieve in under 8hrs so it's a race then? It's always a race, maybe not always for first. 

I hit the loamy single track again the rocks are now super slick. I feel super slow.  Come on chops your average speed is dropping, so I really get stuck in and try to smash through it. 90km in I'm having the time of my life. At 98km in, I'm in a world of hurt but out of the single track and looking for the feed zone. I'm thinking I am doing ok, I go to talk to the feed zone ladies and all that is produced is some dribble.. Ok so maybe I'm in a darker hole than I think I am, so I take more time than I had planned so I can pull myself out of the dark hole. By wearing a vest and a camelbak it's impossible to get food from my pockets so I stuff what I can in my Knicks and get back out there. I'm chewing hard on my stem up the climbs not that it will satisfy my appetite but now all roads point towards home. 

Back onto the dirt road to wingello and now all alone memories of hours before fill my mind to take the pain away.

 Tim is now really frozen to the core. Poor support crew had it real tough. I try to make this stop real brief so I don't get to cold. I get rid of the camelbak take everything I could and stuff my pockets and get back on the saddle.  I cross the rail line and head for home, most of this journey will be new to me as the course has changed a bit since I have raced the Fling. But far out it was full of slow, well I was going slow single track. My sub 8hr goal slowly slips away from me, my legs totally destroyed. I keep turning the pedals over and over knowing every revolution is getting me closer to the fire bucket and hopefully seeing some friends at the finish line if everyone has not gone home.

Through the free bike wash again the rest is all a blur, I remember the ' my call' section, I talked myself into the long way around option but as I soon the sign I just went left for what ever reason I'm not sure.

Ok sweet we hit the dirt road home, WRONG. We are now directed off the road and into a farm, it now really starts raining. I'm alone I'm hurting I can barely see through the rain and splatter and I'm really cold. I yell to the power from above " is that the the best you got" and charge through the shit to finally see the finish line. 8hrs 14mins. I pretty damn happy.

All my closet mates come to congratulate me and it was so good to see Wayne, James and Joel as we take shelter in the Magellan tent.

I'm all smiles as I soak up what I just achieved off the back of not owning a bike or doing any training.

Except spin classes and Altitude training at Altitude88. 

We all mop up from a days riding pack the tents and escape the shit cold weather of bundanoon. The fling really missed out on the festival atmosphere after the race, but the 2013 edition of the Highland fling will go into the history books that's for sure.

Once again thanks to Magellan for race entry GPS equipment and the bike, James for setting up my tent and pre race entertainment, Joel for always making sure I ride hard. Wayne for getting all my camping gear to James and the good chat afterwards.

A huge thanks to Tim for being my go to man on the day and toughing it out all day to give me food when I needed it. Couldn't of done the race as well as I did without you.

So folks that's a Wrap on racing in 2013.

Now to find a bike sponsor and to race again next year.

JUSTCHOPS :) 

http://www.magellangps.com.au

http://www.altitude88.com

http://www.theathleticclub.com.au

http://www.cyclestudio.com.au

ROCKY TRAIL 4hr at STROMLO

The final race of the series has been raced and here is the run down.

Race four was to be on the fourth bike I have used in the series, kindly donated by MAGELLAN.

A Rocky Mountain 29er, entry level spec bike, but a bike is faster than no bike at all.

Once I picked up this rig I added my fav pedals pumped the tyres up and slammed the stem.

The journey got under way from Hornsby station where the lovely Laura Renshaw picked me up and we road tripped it to stromlo, which for laura was the first ever trip she has made to MTB at stromlo, hence why the trip seem to drag on for ever. But like any good mtb'rs trip the hours are passed by dodging highway patrol cars and solving the worlds problems, while Scotty and Rocky travel in the back.

Once in the car park of stromlo laura is soon scooting about on Scotty to stretch her legs after the drive, we then meet up with some mate for a reccy lap..

Winding our way around the switchbacks on the very smooth dry stromlo course all expecting a long climb to the top,to be surprised with a descent down the bottom of the DH course and back along the car park. We then climbed our way up to skyline via heartbreaker (I think) amazed at how easy that felt,but knowing 4hrs of trying to go fast up this would be anything but easy.

A quick scoot along skyline made the Rocky Mountain bike come alive, it wanted to go and go and go and that it did forward and off the ground.

A team selfie at the bridge over looking Canberra then the luge track home, OMG it was the smoothest ever. I played it cautiously as the bike is unknown to me but holding this bad boy on the ground was next to impossible, so I let rip where I could. Look I will be honest, I'm not a fan of shimano, but I'm not sure what people pay for Slx brakes whatever it is just get some. They were awesome, spend the money you save on better rotors and pads that suit the conditions and you will always have your bike under control.

RACE DAY

The night before was spent at the Mcvoys hotel, which you could only compare to being an athlete at the A.I.S. It's the place that all great endurance athletes go to find a calm serenity and to be fed until they can eat no more, and then be chauffeured to the start line in style with everything organised and in place, from water bottles and nutrition to great pit row position. I don't recall ever being so relaxed before a race, thanks jase and Kylie. 

In the starting blocks: Blair,Lewis,Ward,shippard,odams,cooper... So if you are not sure who I'm talking about, then I'm guessing you have not read a mtb magazine in the past 7years. So to get you up to speed on who is actually racing, mountain biking is a craft and all the master craftsmen are here on this day to lay down their skill over 4hrs to carve out a mountain bike race.

Then you have chops who is trying his best to not quiver in his non Fluro socks, must of miss this dress regulation for racing elite. So we roll down a hill thru a puddle, a whistle blows and we get 150m to race for a tight right hander into single track with some 100+ riders behind you, a recepie for disaster.

Well I survived, I feel sorry for anyone not in the top dozen. 

The plan

To be consisted for 4hrs. First and last laps to be the same duration and everything else the same as well. This is to eliminate crashing and burning, it's to enhance the enjoyment of riding and to take advantage of riders racing a 4hr race like a 2hr battle.

This plan played out well, energy levels stayed consistent throughout the event. But of course there was levels of hurt to make the 4hrs count and well there was a race on as well. It was a battle of points between myself and Kyle Ward to decide the series.

Now in the past he has faded throughout the last hour of the previous races, so my aim is to just limit the damage going up against riders putting in 300-500km+ more then myself. 

I had some track side motivation in the form of Greg Lang who is a guy I went to school and played soccer with as youngsters he now lives in Canberra and has caught the mtb bug.

Don't forget I had to Emcee after the race as well, I have to finish in one piece and if you were at the presentation then you could sorta tell I cooked myself a tad.

The 4hrs of fun came to an end with a prize of tan lines and a throat full of stromlo dust.

PODIUM ! 

I take  hold of the microphone to call riders to the forefront in celebration of their fitness and skill. It was nice for ROCKY TRAIL to call up the top 5, well they do it in downhill and at world level for XCO.

So I had my work cut out for to convince the crowd I hadn't rigged it so I could get on the podium in 5th place.

75 guys turned up for the 4hr event to stamp there authority. Kyle ward 1st, Andy Blair 2nd Shaun Lewis 3rd Anthony Shippard 4th CHOPS 5th. See I told you the big guns were here.

Another 4hr race completed on a borrowed bike and only a rucksack for luggage.

Kudos to Kyle with a Stella ride to win the day and leap frog me in the overall standings to win the series.

I complete this blog entry the day before the Highland fling, 100miles for me 2moro, the race at stromlo was the last time I was on a mtb.. 

Hmmmmm.... Yup trust me I'm concerned to.

But you have to make the best of a bad situation, so a huge thanks to MAGELLAN for hooking me up with some wheels to express my passion.

JUSTCHOPS :)