PODIUM!!!!!!!!!

My support crew of one charlie (my gf) who entered her first ever solo race and it was the wagga 6hr enduro, which she won and won by a whole lap... congratulations babe all that running and spin classes and mountaing biking has really paid off.

For me i could only manage 4th place.. never got a proper warm up in and should of skipped the race briefing for the bathroom but held top 10 into the single track after a 3km road climb my legs felt heavy and the weather was gona reach 31degrees so i tried not to push it to hard on the climbs consuming a bottle a lap with water and one scoop of endura magnesuim max in each bottle while sucking down peak fuel lime gels.. i slid out on one corner in the 1st lap it never fazed me it was so slippery out there ya realy couldnt push it hard thru the corners or on the descents i had both wheels sliding enough as it was, sometimes kicking the rear out so far i just laughed at how insane you could slide... end of lap 2 i had a slow leak in my rear tyre so i limped home to hit it with the track pump out 4 another lap,,, it didnt survive...had to take it real easy on the descent now its loose and a flat tyre i didnt spend much time pointing straight...
change of tyre a horrible change i couldnt get it off the rim.... still had to tyre lever it back on so gay im binning that f****ing tyre...back out for more... rode with anger to make up time, but starting to fade in the heat...dropped my bottle in the 1st half of my third lap manage to make it back ok...simon who traveled down with us had enough so he was at my feed table with bottle ready to go,,, totally oveer endura so i tipped it out filled with just water to scull a whole bottle refill and with a 10min gap to 3rd i set off again...
up the fire road climb after 1.5km of single track was the easiest spot to drink...half the bottle went into my helmet n down my back more gel... but really starting to feel bad in the stomach and dizzy as well,, breath drink water breath n some gel was tough work up the climb...
i make it back to timing 3min closer to 3rd, time for one more lap, but i was done i spent some of my lap dry reaching.. tried to keep the emotions together at the top of the last climb it was a brutal grind but rewarded you with views over the city and the craziest descent on a xc track i know... by crazy i mean steep fast fun, not plz hand me my DH for this one crazy...
over the line 9laps (one short of my goal) put a fork in me this chop is done....

Then did my best not to sit down and waited for charlie to finish big hugs at the finish line.. she had no idea on her position, and couldnt beleive it no matter how many times i told her she won...

with a brand new jersy a trip computer and 300bucks in her back pocket shes got one hell of a smile going at the moment..

Looks like i wont be racing at majura cause i have to move house hope to find out this week.
my next big thing will be performing at the fitness expo in sydney and hopefully free to race the club round that wknd also then onto race DIRTWORKS.. so if you wana take out 100km in open mens come and see me on the start line, ill be the guy in pink who will be in ur shadow all day or making you eat my dust...

CHOPS:)

FOR SALE

my blur lt is forsale in great condition and has been built to 10kg bike want a fast long travel xc bike penelope is the bike for you..

$2000 ono

Off to wagga 6hour race 2moro my gf charlie has signed up for her 1st enduro full race report early next week.

chops:)

FULL OF NIGGLES

So happy to add this race number to my wall..

Last friday i went for a run which took 46min had road beach and stairs involved to try to out do charlie... now school wasnt that long ago but i was the fastest in my area for 8km and 800m my resprentive area went from young in the southwest to as far as brokenhill.. anyways enough bragging the run absolutly destroyed me... im fit im mentally strong and i know how to run but dont have the right muscles for it any more.. sore quads and ITB blisters on toes and it took way longer than ever for me to recover from it all.. i was all over sydney on a bucks day on the saturday in a jet boat up n down stairs it sucked so bad... the next was a wedding with russian beer not even that made it feel better..

MONDAY came around and i had to teach boxing and the only way to get rid of sore muscles is to work them again so we did alot of dynamic lunges and squats which did help my situation but on the last boxing round of the night we were throwing big right handers as we moved forward and slighty tore my upper calf muscle...another niggle to th collection.. it really only hurt to walk and felt ok on the spin bike...

THURSDAY.. i was sitting on a brick wall waiting for the real estate to view a property i jumped off and my right leg(same as my niggle calf) cramped massivly, ihave a class in 3hrs sigh.......

wat a crap week add headaches and just feeling shit all over..

I NEED MY ZONE.... I NEED TO RACE..

well there was my space to bitch.... and i havnt even ridden my epic since mountains to beach.. after my 530spin im off to canberra tonight.. i want a lap or two of stromlo sat morning and sparrow hill sunday i have to fit it in around another wedding...:)

And the wagga 3 plus 3 (6hr) race is only a week away now.. that should help to prepare for the 6 +6 at stromlo, ill enter next i reckon...

My heart goes to the families of the cyclist who died on the coast recently.... and for the person driving a black bmw who left a cyclist on the side of the road after breaking his arm n wrist.. karma will kick u in the arse if i dont beat karma to it..

JUST CHOPS :)

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:)