Little did we know the singletrack gold that awaited us at the end of the rainbow.
(Just passing Kiama)
(Just passing Kiama) Once again this 7hr race became a battle of mind over body, the lead up was great for the mind but not the body as 7days prior I raced a12hr event in pairs. Although the adrenalin was pumping all week to do winning that race.
It was a Wednesday morning enjoying my last week on holidays from uni. It was a day to pimp my bike ready for Sunday. Once the new Conti tyres were fitted I noticed a spoke had pulled through and cracked my room. Everything begins to implode now.
The guys at whooly wheels (an old mechanic of mine) assured all could be rebuilt by Friday.
With the wobbly wheel I ride to paddington and leave them the task of rebuilding a wheel and shortening the remote lockout cable.
Stress level are now quite elevated due to financial pressure, so selling a crankset on Friday afternoon allowed me to breath I'd have some pineapples in my back pocket and might make it to payday next week, to save some money and had already bought a few bars the week before I'd thought I better not spend any money on gels and just race using bars.
Nom nom nom nom.
Picking up the bike on Friday all was not 100% as their was a fault in the production of the tyre which made it run untrue. I was to find out later that I now only have lock and fully open on my DT Swiss forks, where is had 3 settings before. Along with my free hub not making it's usually sound and feels it's been jammed full of grease and just not having any rolling speed. I left feeling sabatouged.
As you can see the stupid things playing on my mind.
It's the day before the race and as per usual my trusty traveling buddy Phil arrives at cyclestudio to pick me up, this weekend being so much easier and fitting only 2 bikes in his 3door hatch we were away fast, but it's lunchtime in sydney on a Saturday so it was a slow trip to bondi to pick up my gear.
Once on the road we would realise that making it in time for a practise lap would not be possible, so we drove through the wind and rain and solved a few world issues until we stumbled across a real issue on a road trip.
The car and it's occupants needed fuel. Petrol for the car chocolate milk (oak) for us.
We drove on for miles. (Because once you drive more than a few kilometres everyone reverts to measuring a trip that takes longer than expected in miles) to find a Coles servo so Phil could use a fuel saver voucher.
We arrive and no joke the one voucher Phil had was out of date by 2days. I go and hunt down some OAK, phil walks into the servo and I'm empty handed. That's right..... No chocolate milk.
Could this servo get any worse.
Servo guy: hi guys what are you up to today
Chops & Phil: arr ummm ( a servo guy wants a conversation) we are off to a mtb race
Servo guy: oh yeah where abouts?
Chops & Phil: down in mogo
Servo guy: so you race mountain bikes ?
Chops & Phil: awkward silence
Chops: yeah mate, we race mountain bikes..........!
Leaving the servo.
Chops: we are not visiting this servo on the return trip Phil.
Pre Race dinner was with a host for the night (Grant) and Jase & Kylie McAvoy at the local Thai restaurant.
Kudos to you if you can race off this stuff.
Grant hooked us up with 5star accommodation and the wood heater was amazing.
It was actually hard to leave for the race, maybe it was the coldest start line of the year that had me thinking that way or the zombie mode I was in.
Getting to the start line or event centre was not an easy task, and best to leave a lot earlier to reduce the stress. So I'm lucky to have Phil help me with bottles so I can focus on just getting ready.
LETS GET RACING I hear you say.
We traverse down single track and through the bush to the start ready to race flat out on a track unseen.
My start was horrible..The kudos I got from people about the 12hr had me in good spirits though, unlike my body.
The pain in my hips was horrible and could barely pedal without lasting to long and I'd have to stand and stretch. The next 2.5hrs was a constant battle on staying in the game but I've never ridden so much with my headspace so filled with other things. Plus eating bars sucked...only have plan A is such a bad plan.
Closing in on the 3hr mark and my body started to feel good and I could do a lap without the need for stretching.
Paying closer attention to my Magellan GPS I notice my avg speed is not that much slower than the 12hr race, you know what choose you may not being going as bad as you think.
Now I would overcome adversary:
Let's make it a 4hr race now
Let's try to keep the avg speed from dropping.
I found a game within the game to keep me motivated.
I managed to succeed in my goals and began enjoying my day and actually chatting to some riders instead of grunting in response.
The long climb out the back became my friend as early on in the race I could not push my HR up so now hours in, I could still punch my HR up to 85-90%.
Lap on lap from berm to berm between the creek crossings and off the jumps, mogo presented 12kms of amazing trails. At times you felt it was the Australian version of Cool Runnings, and the bobsled tryouts were on.
It's to be said that trail fairies build mountain bike tracks, well these must be on the trails built on cloud 9.
Closing in on the final hours I pulled up in transition to chat with Phil and find out my position and I was coming 4th so I rolled out for another lap thinking it would be my last arriving back in transition with 15mins to go. I stopped to chat with Kylie who knows more timing data then the actual timing system and with 5th place a chance to make it in before the 7hr I should of fuelled up and headed out, alas I just chatted with Gary James and Kylie then Lloydy arrived and was happy to call it a day..
With seconds to spare 5th place came rolling in, so I stepped on it.
I could hear Kylie cheer me on. Actually she was yelling at me to stop as 5th place was not going out again.
After a rest I enjoyed that last lap and knowing it was my 12th to match Loydy and Callum on the same amount of laps I was happy... Pockets empty of food made for a few blury glycogen depleted minutes before adrenalin fuelled my veins to keep me going to the finish line.
With over 3000vm it was the easiest track to obtain it on as it was butter smooth and descents took you to a happy place every time.
I finished the day in a better place mentally, it just shows if you push through adversary you be happier on the otherside.
Battered and exhausted bodies left Mogo that day the roadtrip was filled with the epic tales of how Phil won the Men's pairs a Mac attack and a very late arrival back in sydney.
I fell in love with this bike even more at mogo and having fresh rubber on the rims made it a great ride..
How will round 3 go I wonder..
Just chops.
No comments:
Post a Comment