Normally I'm very nervous come race day, for some reason I was relaxed, maybe to relaxed for this one, drawing number 17, I didn't think i was going to be seeded, from memory it was the top 15 who got a seeded place, then I get the call up, geez this is alright.
We line up and talk anxiously between us with a little bit of sledging with best wishes thrown in for good measure.
The countdown says 30 seconds, 15 seconds, bang goes the start gun, I take off in a valiant effort only to have the guy in front of me stall, meaning I come to a complete stop as the rest of the field passes me by. I try not to let it worry me as we are 10 seconds into a 24hour race I have all day to make up for lost time.
Being so used to other races and their mass starts, it pays to get a good start before the single track, especially when there's 400 people on track.
This time around however there are 120 of us and almost 10km of sweet flowing single track.
I didn't have a look at the track the day before the race, I didn't think I would really have to, then talking to some of the guys I normally ride with, it was the opposite way to the previous year so those long gruelling climbs were now fun bits of down.
The track, honestly I didn't like it, I didn't like it at all, And I don't know why.
Maybe I just had to get used to it. There were no pinch climbs, in fact I liked the fire road sections. Maybe I just wasn't used to it or I had spent too much time on the road.
How did I go?
Well, It took me 2 laps to warm up as I didn't want to push myself to hard to early,
I decided to put it into a gear I knew I could pedal comfortably and basically enjoy myself for the day, then push at night, then keep on turning the pedals over come dawn,
It didn't happen or I didn't happen. So casually riding around being overtaken by only the really fast guys I'm having fun, A mate of mine B-Rad on the rigid single-speed catches me so I decide to ride with him for a while, we talk and laugh to each other as we are actually having a-lot of fun out there, eventually we part ways as having gears sometimes has it advantages.
Come to the 6.5 hour mark I was feeling great,
I had just taken and lost 3rd place in my division (35-39),I had already been lapped by 1st and 2nd in my class, (these guys also came 4th and 5th over all.)
My achillies tendon on both legs were aching along with the balls of my foot, so the next time I come past transition I make the call for painkillers, I bust out another few laps and pull into the pits where Big Dog and Ray apply some neurofen gel and massage my achilles (many thanks guys)
OK, give that 5 minutes to sink in then get told by Big Dog that I cant have any more painkillers for another 8 hours.(or i will die!!!)
I set out to get my 3rd place back and put the hammer down just a little more,
I get halfway around the track and the pain comes back, hmmm this is no good, guess I'll have to harden up and deal with it.
One lap later I get to one of the choppy downhill sections and make the decision the continuing is probably going to do some long term damage, I get to the fast sweeping flat section of singletrack and it hurts, I back it off and tell the guys that im not doing any more.
18 laps and 10.5 hours of riding, IF, i had kept that up I could have finished really well, but I didn't and thats that,
What did I eat?
HAMMER GEL every 2nd lap and half a POWERBAR every 2nd lap, 1 750ml bidon of HEED every 2 laps.
I really really wanted to do so well, but unfortunately it just wasn't my day
now I'm sitting here washing clothes and making cakes out of all the bananas I didn't eat....mmmmm...banana cake.
next year I'll be back with a vengence, and hopefully a finish time.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
36 hours and counting.....to the 24hr
Righty-O then,
The Australian 24hr Championships are on this easter weekend.
The days are looking good and I'm feeling good, well good enough to finish anyway.
I'm aiming for a top ten finish if everything goes according to plan.
I don't have much of a plan but it will go something like
get a fresh bottle HEED every 2 laps,
eat half a power-bar every 2hours,
A Hammer Gel every lap on a bit of fire-road where it is long enough to reach into my jersey pocket.
Eat an Easter bun / banana / chocolate cake / fruit cake.
Bike prep is done I just have to wait for my brake pads to break in.
It's going to be a hard race but I'll have a lot of mates there racing as well,
This will keep it enjoyable as well can egg each other on.
Especially at the 2-3am laps these are the hardest and I haven't gotten past these due to Injury, Mechanicals, or just plain drunkenness.
Ive been in some kind of training regime since the new year.
which has involved up to 900km a week, with a few 4 - 7.5 hrs road rides on the weekend, 8 hour racing has also been good training.
I'm just deciding on which front tyre to use.
anyway i'll let you know
The Australian 24hr Championships are on this easter weekend.
The days are looking good and I'm feeling good, well good enough to finish anyway.
I'm aiming for a top ten finish if everything goes according to plan.
I don't have much of a plan but it will go something like
get a fresh bottle HEED every 2 laps,
eat half a power-bar every 2hours,
A Hammer Gel every lap on a bit of fire-road where it is long enough to reach into my jersey pocket.
Eat an Easter bun / banana / chocolate cake / fruit cake.
Bike prep is done I just have to wait for my brake pads to break in.
It's going to be a hard race but I'll have a lot of mates there racing as well,
This will keep it enjoyable as well can egg each other on.
Especially at the 2-3am laps these are the hardest and I haven't gotten past these due to Injury, Mechanicals, or just plain drunkenness.
Ive been in some kind of training regime since the new year.
which has involved up to 900km a week, with a few 4 - 7.5 hrs road rides on the weekend, 8 hour racing has also been good training.
I'm just deciding on which front tyre to use.
anyway i'll let you know
A minute is a long time WWS#2
Wow!!!, what a day out,
Probably one of the nicest trails I’ve ever ridden, lost of twisty turny single-track with a short climb thrown in for good measure.
Approx 440 teams turned up for this one, and while talking to people setting up they were saying this was a flat track, so I decided to see how long I could keep it in the big ring.
I had to keep my eye on Spoonboy in this one as I was hungry for the win, and I need the points after a disappointing 1st round.
So the typical start with everyone racing up the fire-road I had somehow managed to get to the not so pointy section of the field.
Just as we get to the first bit of fire trail I just miss out on getting into the singletrack up front, so the first 2km was spent sitting behind a slower rider holding up approx 20 of us who wanted to pass. He kindly pulled over when he had a chance and let us through. It was to be a little like this for the whole race as there is very little passing room on this course.
Up in the distance I could see 2 soloists one of the being spoonboy, I try to catch them but some of the newer riders slowed me down just that little bit
after 4 laps I am finally behind them and there is a big fire road section coming up which is full of people.
Slowly and quietly, I creep up behind them, put the hammer down and race past him and another soloist (Michael Crumb?)
Ha Ha, I laughes like a lunatic to myself quietly, I’ve got him ha ha ha….I keep the pressure on, looking behind me on the switchbacks next lap I can see he is still not that far behind me.
Hmmmm, I’d better keep the pressure down.
6 laps later I stop on the top of the hill to visit mother nature, thinking that Spoonboy is well behind.
I turn around to hop on my bike and Spoonboy in tow with Michael Crumb creep past,
I follow them to transition where I stop, Grab a fresh bottle spend what seems forever looking for my powerbars I eventually find one and hurry it down.
I see Spoonboy disappear into the distance again…….
Damn… he’s now got close to a minute on me.
Thats OK I’ve got 3 hours to catch and pass him,
"Yeah Yeah " Rob your not going to get me with you mind games I say to myself.
Next lap "He’s only 10 seconds in front " people are yelling at me
Yeah Yeah sure sure.
I put the hammer down,
What’s that up ahead?
Is it?
It cant be?
It is!!!
I get a second wind….
Up in the distance are the familiar KHS colours of Spoon boy, I slowly gain on him and ride behind him for a Km or so, pretending to be somebody else.
He looks hurt.
On one of the slower sections of single track I ask if I can pass he pulls over giving me enough track to pass, and wham i make a break pedalling as fast as possible trying to make time on my new found lead.
"Yes" I think to myself "I’ve done it" but I had better keep the pressure down,
One lap later I come back into transition and Rob says I have made 2 minutes on him,
We are at the final stages of the day, I have no idea of how much time we have left, but I’m thinking I have probably one more lap to go before they close the course for the day.
I get passed by BMC rider David Rome whom I chat to as we descend some of the fun parts and tells me this is last the lap.
OK keep my head straight don’t do anything stupid and pedal.
Up the hill for the last time and I cramp the right hand side of my body luckily there’s only 500m to go and Spoonboy is nowhere in sight.
I cross the line.
Finally I’ve done it.
By the time I put my bike down catch my breath, do some starjumps and 20 pushups,
Spoonboy crosses the line
3 minutes behind me, man what a race.
Best. Race. Ever.
1 all Spoonie.
Probably one of the nicest trails I’ve ever ridden, lost of twisty turny single-track with a short climb thrown in for good measure.
Approx 440 teams turned up for this one, and while talking to people setting up they were saying this was a flat track, so I decided to see how long I could keep it in the big ring.
I had to keep my eye on Spoonboy in this one as I was hungry for the win, and I need the points after a disappointing 1st round.
So the typical start with everyone racing up the fire-road I had somehow managed to get to the not so pointy section of the field.
Just as we get to the first bit of fire trail I just miss out on getting into the singletrack up front, so the first 2km was spent sitting behind a slower rider holding up approx 20 of us who wanted to pass. He kindly pulled over when he had a chance and let us through. It was to be a little like this for the whole race as there is very little passing room on this course.
Up in the distance I could see 2 soloists one of the being spoonboy, I try to catch them but some of the newer riders slowed me down just that little bit
after 4 laps I am finally behind them and there is a big fire road section coming up which is full of people.
Slowly and quietly, I creep up behind them, put the hammer down and race past him and another soloist (Michael Crumb?)
Ha Ha, I laughes like a lunatic to myself quietly, I’ve got him ha ha ha….I keep the pressure on, looking behind me on the switchbacks next lap I can see he is still not that far behind me.
Hmmmm, I’d better keep the pressure down.
6 laps later I stop on the top of the hill to visit mother nature, thinking that Spoonboy is well behind.
I turn around to hop on my bike and Spoonboy in tow with Michael Crumb creep past,
I follow them to transition where I stop, Grab a fresh bottle spend what seems forever looking for my powerbars I eventually find one and hurry it down.
I see Spoonboy disappear into the distance again…….
Damn… he’s now got close to a minute on me.
Thats OK I’ve got 3 hours to catch and pass him,
"Yeah Yeah " Rob your not going to get me with you mind games I say to myself.
Next lap "He’s only 10 seconds in front " people are yelling at me
Yeah Yeah sure sure.
I put the hammer down,
What’s that up ahead?
Is it?
It cant be?
It is!!!
I get a second wind….
Up in the distance are the familiar KHS colours of Spoon boy, I slowly gain on him and ride behind him for a Km or so, pretending to be somebody else.
He looks hurt.
On one of the slower sections of single track I ask if I can pass he pulls over giving me enough track to pass, and wham i make a break pedalling as fast as possible trying to make time on my new found lead.
"Yes" I think to myself "I’ve done it" but I had better keep the pressure down,
One lap later I come back into transition and Rob says I have made 2 minutes on him,
We are at the final stages of the day, I have no idea of how much time we have left, but I’m thinking I have probably one more lap to go before they close the course for the day.
I get passed by BMC rider David Rome whom I chat to as we descend some of the fun parts and tells me this is last the lap.
OK keep my head straight don’t do anything stupid and pedal.
Up the hill for the last time and I cramp the right hand side of my body luckily there’s only 500m to go and Spoonboy is nowhere in sight.
I cross the line.
Finally I’ve done it.
By the time I put my bike down catch my breath, do some starjumps and 20 pushups,
Spoonboy crosses the line
3 minutes behind me, man what a race.
Best. Race. Ever.
1 all Spoonie.
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