BMC MOUNTAINS TO BEACH

Will try not to make this into a novel..

Arrived in thredbo on sunday arvo did all the checking needed of me. had a cute lil room to sleep in that night and ate as much as could at dinner huw gave us the run down of the track in the morning it had me shitting myself, not as much as getting on a chairlift not sure if i was scared for my own safety or my epics life.. but we made it to the top which was covered in fog or cloud? my leg was bleeding on arrival hmmmm not a good start.. a sharp cable tie was the cause of that hoping it wasnt the begining of something worse i took shelter at the summit, i wana go back to the cafe n just chill out there..

RIDER 31 crap its my turn and following andrew lumley he took off so fast, just got more scared.

So i took off as fast as my fear would let me... i teetered down the hill and was soon thrown into some pinch climb so i attacked, god it felt like i had one lung it was tough being up so high.. made it to the finish and i like finished 8th i was so surprised but stoked..

STAGE 2

26km around lake cracken back.. my aim to race as hard as possible to try to catch the BMC TRAIN... and well there in my sights for about 1km.. did my best to deal with a track ive never seen to finish 13th

STAGE 3

60km now were talking the race is on now... the start was super hot, fell off the train to form a group heading to the summit with andrew and naomi riding strong on my tail. on the descent i flattered grrr..

a slow change and i was on the chase 20km of down smashing it 5km climb a lonely flat ride thru farmland in the mountains and just worked it to the line... still 13th in opens.

STAGE 4

the dawn raid.. 515am start stayed up the front while being led by the a 4wd we were released at top speed my aim was just to hold my position n wait for moving day.. into the darkness of the unknown was going well till i took an inside line into a rutt over the bars i fly battery pack flys out of my camelback i sus the prob out n remount but my helmet is falling off the force of the crash opened the helmets adjusters, itried to close them wit one hand while ride n did n ok job.

ok so chasing down lost time again....FLAT bloody hell it was a super quick change wit the anger building up... remount and into the red zone, i wana catch marty and marty who are from the central coast.. rain going sideways in my headlight and on the second lap the terrain looked nothing like the 1st lap it was spinning me out.. one marty to go.. i catch 2nd marty n give him a quick update (had a fucking flat)) he speeds up to help my pursuit but bombs quickly, up the boat ramp and to the climb to th finish maxing big time..

i was totally down in the dumps after that stage but when we arrived to cooma i was still 13th and pumped top 10 could still be possible.

STAGE5

MOVING DAY

yea moving up.... hardest start ever.. and once on some tar after an airstrip paddock and a race course i was the dog at the front doing all the work (well behined the bmc train) no one would pull there weight in the group.. so i just kept going.. mtb is about acheiving it on your own..

right glute pain made me stop at the 40km food station a stretch fixed it for a while..

into the big climb of about 4km 400m of elevation it was nasty.. and it smashed your calves in the push to the top... over the top and thru a pine forest were a few ppl took a wrong turn glad it wasnt me..

i was then caught by damon and richard a pairs team running second in ther catergory, damon asked if i was gona do this all by myself a nod and yup was my answer but as they and a 3rd 29er roll by i jump on the wheel and stay with the for a while losing them on a dscent, i finally got a gel out of my jersy stupid pockets and a wind vest and not much flexability its hard work.. crap im at the very top of a 7km descent between the teeth the peak fuel tube goes, i held it in there,

let me use this moment to say that avid elixer brakes are the bomb ive never been able to brake one fingured but down the longest descent i have ever been on it was fine..

another climb to ride picking up a few spots and a very sketchy dscent really was dreaming it would end soon it was ages ago wen damon said it was 56km done.. YAY 2KM 2 GO. out of the saddle to reach top speed tucked it in and put the hammer down, i passed richard n slap him hard on the arse on the way by, passing damon "just doing it on my own" but he didnt let me grab any glory and sprinted to pip me over the line..

STAGE 6

hmm still 13th lets keep it there eh..

i had the best start to the toughest start ever,, grass paddock up a hill, my legs were sore but my desire to do well was stronger i stayed with guns for a while but dropped just beforre the single track.. damon was soon on my tail again dishing out cheek because the epic was sliding everyway possible "sideways is the only way forward" passed some riders and i was all on my own back out across the paddock and down to the ocean i look back there miles back chops ur killing it son...it spurred me on to ride harder.

across 4 beaches and all sorts of crazy shit..i was passed by 6 riders just couldnt hold there tempo after the start.. this stage was 45km tried to eat as much gel as i could get time to. but i was fading towards the end, there was a few "cmon legs " to keep me going at the top of a small climb a marshal was there which i had dinner with on the 1st night i begged to know how far to go.. 3-4km yes..... thank god.. never looking back i hit freshly cut single track thru trees knocking elbows n my hips trying to stay up right locking it up heaps,, out of that and towards a graveyard, thinking yup im down put me in the ground, sigh another beach crossing i get a quick look up the beach HELL YEA THE BMC FLAGS ITS THE FINISH letting go of the brakes i bomb it to the sand dismount sprint to the waters edge n power it to the line.. looking back to still have a full beach lenght to the next rider..

wat a journey.

RESULTS 13TH IN OPENS 20TH OVERALL.

THE RACING DOESNT END..

travelled back home on saturday and arrived at midnight, local club race starts in 9hrs..

4x9km laps 1st place:) then home to sleep on the couch.

very happy chop:)

CHOPS

MTB FOOTAGE

Here is a link to a video made by shane.. on wat we call staples look out a great ride on a fire road that is challenging surface seen some big stacks on these rides and here comes another..
http://www.vimeo.com/3197532

chops:)

HAMMER TIME

Top left is just an example of how random life can get when ur asked to polish gavells(prob spelt wrong)

Bottom left is me off the start nice gap eh

Top right is me after 5 6km laps so muddy

It has rained all week as each day wore on the more pain i felt for my epic..

i got back from orange 930 on sat night some endura and fried rice before bed was all i had time for.

The drive out to ourimbah was wet the whole way sigh my bike is getting wet on the roof and im not on it to comfort it..

Well its time to break this epic in now i put my name down in a grade with another rider i scout the carpark to see he who could be.... some big dude on a carbon scott bike in matching racing kit.. yea that would be him,,, hmmmm but hes not a local tho, i hit the track for a practise the amount of puddles was crazy i asked the organisers if they were selling snorkles, just got a laugh..

So we roll down to the start and me and anthony stand on the line, i find out hes just moved to the coast well hes local now.. so wish i had some clear glasses, my race plan became fire off the start so i dont have to dodge mud from tyres the plan worked well at the top of the switchbacks i took at a glance of were the field was, the other a grade rider was behined a b grade rider because we all started together.. my plan worked even better so i rode it as hard as i could n the track was very grippy it was such a smooth lap.

LAP2 heading back up the switchbacks i could see 2nd place finishing his 1st lap so i kept the pounding of the pedals, got thrown off th track riding the b line(the drop off was shut) all momentum lost i ran up the hill. knowing he was hot on my tail, i rode as hard as i could..

LAP3 back up the switchbacks again no sight of 2nd place haha its my day now, a crash into a tree and sum traffic was the order of lap3 and my brakes dying so now it got fun/dangerous but i stayed upright and knowing my lead could not be made up i still wanted a work out so i pushed on.. on my final lap i flattered oh i swore angry i could lose my lead,(i dont get much practise at changing tyres let alone in the mud) of it was crap n looking over my shoulder waiting for the battle to begin all over again.. i rode to the finish..LAST MAN STANDING.. 2nd place pulled out but we had a good chat n laugh at how we dont have any pads left, straight home to wash the bike.. i even had mud inside my nics.

The epic is in the shop for the week now or until they ship sum pads in for my elixer brakes.. wow they are so smooth they didnt even squel once in the wet.

here is sum footage of ourimbah from youtube..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYWj1CnyydI&feature=related

chops:)

ps. i wore pink for you jason and ed :)

TRYING TO PREPARE

Firstly if and when you go to canberra take ya bike.
Ed and jason and kriskon i was there on the wknd for a bucks wknd and well there wasnt any time for riding on saturday n sunday well i woke up quite well considering drinking till 5am but it was torture seeing anyone on a bike going anywhere..

well this sunday is the first round of our local xc competition at ourimbah which is one of the tracks in the mag with 48TRAILS THAT ROCK.. check out the guy riding sparrow hill sorry canberrians thats me:)
boxing class was last night and i got to box which was sweet and cycle at 615am this morning awoke to cracking thunder at bout 5am was so hard to drag myself out of bed but got up on stage and do my thing.. another class to teach tonight at 630 was planning on riding afterwards but def not taking my bike near any mud..
wednesday involves a spin class and boxing class thursday has 2 spin classes 615am and 630pm
there is one friday afternoon.
saturday has one in the morning then i gotta drive to orange for a course about indoor cycling then back so 2spin classes and 8hrs of driving the day before race day not an ideal prep i say, but thats life will try to my best to keep fueled up on saturday to give my legs a good chance to recover..
im nervous about being left behined becauase i havnt trained enough... and with the list of entries in the mountains to beach published i think i might know my position but same again and its over 5days will i have the legs..
time will tell..

keep riding

chops:)

2009 EPIC MARATHON

HOW HOT IS THIS BIKE????????????????????????????

dont have much to blog about my head is just dreaming of trails.. lots of gym classes 6 so far and its only midway thru thursday another spin class at 630tonight then me and my new ride will be having some quality time together watching the sun going down...

woop woop cant wait to ride after the gym:)

happy chops....

Australia day wknd riding.

hope you like the pics... there all out of order but oh well thats charlie with mr pink:) i turned the free australia day bucket hat into a cycling cap it got plenty of laughs.

The wknd started with a trip out to ourimbah on the sunday, i was riding my santa cruz blur lt which is forsale will have pics up when its fixed i get to that later..

so i we did a cruzy lap 1st up then i put the hammer down to see the difference between the epic and a santa cruz, the cruz is a lil heavier but it climbed like a mule yes it made it but slowly,,it descended like ummmm like a mudslide smooth fast and stuck to everything lol were the epic can be a bit like the big roll of cheese they throw down the hill ok prob not that bad...if i was a bike shop owner i wouldnt sell an epic to rider with not much experience but if ya love the bike moving about a bit then they are fun to throw about and they just fling ya up a climb.

one lap done 10.4km 30.33m avg 20.4kph

lap two came with half a crash chain popped off but still held same time and avg lap3 was a bit sloppy but i was still on the same pace maybe a lil slower and then i caught charlie on her 2nd lap so i just rode with her and then i noticed my front tyre going down the result of sloppy cornering and just cruzed back to the finish had fun but oh i cant wait for my 09epic:)

Australia day ride started at 7am in erina all 23 of us took on the 1st climb to the top of a ver muggy mossy infested kincumber mountain with a big range of fitness level the tail end get to the top at the same time as the fit guys wana get going, but this anual ride is a very socialable one and no one is in a hurry. some of the trails were knew to ppl so it was great to extra large smile or bright eyes of fear on the descents. over to the trails at macs the second big climb really hurts a few ppl so they take the short option to big berther, we all fly down the luge which takes you to the bottom of heart brake hill it has about 20 water bars up a steep climb turn left at the top 200m of rolling before to reach the bottom of big bertha i have a crack at in middle chain ring completly rooted when i reach the top. single speed riding has made a diference. into the the turkey track and onto the cliff ride all very tight techy single track we cross the road into the strome track hmmmm why is there play in my cranks... oh crap the bottom bracket has just died.

miles from home... one of the riders lives 200m away n her husband was away with the kids sweet ill jump on his bike.. a scott something seat hight was already perfect length was all sweet change sum pedals off we go.. hmmmm very narrow did i say narrow bars hmm no back break oh this will be interesting.. on the descent down to the rip bridge was the 1st challenge trying not to over heat the brakes sorta went ok i joked about being the padding for anyone who couldnt stopped before the guard rail at the bottom cause i had a good chance of slamming it hard... and one guy went over the hangers on the descent i think the gumleaves on the cement did him in.

on the other side of woy woy i rode with the girls to the top of this massive climb that takes u to staples look out.. the faster riders took a trip to the pie shop... the girls continued on so i turned n headed back down the hill to meet the others this hard scott bike shook me down here real rocky all the way n on the front brake:P got to the bottom to suggestions i had a mental prob wanting to do the climb again... we meet up with all the crew at staples look out.. and ride the road to kariong for the last section of dirt.. nearly didnt make it down there alive.. onto the cycle paths to gosford thru lots of banked traffic due to road closure and some time trail racing over the last 2km to smash it to the end...

i good day out on a strange bike.. better than no riding at all..

a week of spin classes and hopefully more xc racing prep come th wknd.

cheero chops:)

C'MON LEGS...

the term usually used in a spin class to get ppls legs moving it had to be used on myself this morning.
after a hot wednesday the beach was closer than going home to get on my single speed. to lie on the sand and watch the storm rolling in from sydney was brilliant so i whimped out on my ride which brings punishment.
On the bike this morning to ride to my 615am spin class jumped on my spin bike smashed out rpm 39 the out the door to ride the road(no food yet) the tummy was hungary had the option to ride 8km to work for breakfast had to punish the body 1st. so around brisbane water we go i decide to take the footpath as the sydney comuters are on the road at this time still sleeping at the wheel..
i struggle to get the speedo over 30 the body was having a go.. wat happened to the pasta n barramundi for dinner last night, well chops to go were u wana go this year your gona have to put of with more hurt than this so shut up n ride.
16km down to woy woy i look the other way wen i see a coffee sign i so need one but dont have th time doubt i even have anything in my wallet.. keep pedaling...
The thought of the final 8kms sinks in its all hills about 4 of them im gona have to find sum food so i pull in to a servo i just have enough coin for a nut bar mmmmmm.. i start munching it down i just get it all in before the first pinch once over the top i reach 4 the water barely anything left now it was only half full when i started it never got a refill after class.
The nut bar made a slight dif it did make me feel a little better it didnt give me any extra leg power but i made it to my destination/ my weetabix:)

1hr7min 33km

chops;)