Remembering that this was going to be a 5-hour plus race, I settled into a good pace as we hit the climb up to boulder track. Now for all of you in the know, the top of boulder track is a rock feature called the Clam. It is a rock that you need to approach with speed and a little courage in order to ride up and over it cleanly. I watched as one of the riders in front of me, who obviously had never seen it before, attempted to ride it, taking the wrong line, and bringing himself back down to slam into the opposing rock face. Not that I needed any encouragement to walk it, but witnessing this event sealed the deal. So walk it I did, much to the disgust of Andrew and Shaun when I told them.

Closing my eyes, this is scary!

So after my walk of shame it was down the technical descent over big slick rocks - even though I am well-practiced in coming down this descent it does require a bit of body-english to move your weigh around the bike, and it really gets your arms pumped. Straight after the bottom, it was turn right and head up to the Rockwell ascent. This is a granny-gear buster and requires concentration to avoid having to unclip and put your foot down. Straight after the ‘steep bit’ there is a bit of relief as you continue to climb up rocky single track with a couple of step ups. This brings you up to the highest part of the course. I had a quick drink and popped a gel up there before heading down the very technical Trav’s diamond run.

Again, concentration is required, as you make you way down a series of rock gardens intermingled with big wooden burns and man-made bridges and speed jumps – this is a heart pumping, brake burning, arm aching ride. After you descend this track there’s only about 100m of recovery before you make your way up Cressy climb. This track if fun to descend but a bugger to climb. Plenty of rock gardens and step ups had me wishing for the top for some much needed recovery. After the fast descent we hit another rock-garden-fest on the Junction track. It was at the bottom of this track that I decided to raise the seat post and let some air out of my tires, as I found my legs burning up the climbs and started sliding out on the corners. This proved a good decision as the fast flowing turning single track of Kurrajong requires good traction so you can get your flow happening.

Unfortunately when I stopped I also lost the riders I was pacing with. So, with the hills out of the way for this first lap I put the hammer down to try to catch some victims (surely some people must be tiring by now?). After another 15kms of single track and catching no-one I hit start/finish line and stopped to change bottles. At this point part-time Kaos rider Pommie Lee caught up to me, and we headed out onto the second lap together. I still felt strong, so we pushed the big ring up the fire-road to the Stockyards region. Not so fresh on the second lap I found the climbs harder and the descents more tiring. On the last garden at the bottom of Trav’s descent, a touch of the brakes sent me over the bars; not too much damage bar a cut arm and leg and a scratch on the new frame, but it did throw my rhythm off, as I headed up Cressy climb once again. Looking back, the fall was the half-way point of the race and the turning point for me. I was tiring but still felt strong, but after the fall …not so strong anymore and tiring a lot faster. So I managed to catch Pommie Lee (who was tiring faster than me) before the start of the last lap.

A change of bottles and the knowledge I was two thirds finished, I pushed off for the final lap. By the time I made it to Stockyards I was starting to hurt and beginning to cramp. I was counting down the hills and descents, each one making me more fatigued. After jostling for position in the first lap and not changing position in the second, by the third I was looking over my shoulder as riders were gradually catching and passing me. Were they from the 66km race of the 99km race??? I was getting to the stage were I didn’t really care and just wanted to finish. As one of the fresher 66km racers overtook me in the flat Kurrajong tracks, I decided to jump on his wheel and hang with him for the last 10kms. And boy was the finish line a welcome sight. Straight across the finish they pushed a cool can of soft drink in my hand …you beauty!

Having done the Australian Marathon Championships in Bendigo just a fortnight ago, which had more climbing and over a longer distance, I would say this was harder by far. It’s such a punishing course. It really hammers your body. The end result for me was 29th out of 72 starters with 21 not finishing (that’s 30% DNFs). Check the full results here.

A big thank you to Andrew for putting my BMC 4-stroke together in race-ready condition, and a big thank you to GMBC and all the volunteers for putting on a great event over a great course. No doupt I will be back next year.

Mel got away to good start and it felt weird not heading out with all the riders. I did some warming up waiting for Mel to come back in. Once out there, I felt slow to start with knowing I wanted to be going harder compared with riding a solo race with having a rest at the end of this lap. The course was in good condition and I wanted to focus on my skills of cornering and using those brakes less, my 2 goals to achieve for the day. I could feel myself at my upper limits a fair amount of time but yet my recovery was possibly quicker having that ability to keep pedaling through on the downhill sections. It’s always been an area of my fitness I have wanted to improve on which I obviously have but I sure there is more room for this.

My double laps I felt in the zone early on. It did take a short period to get the legs and lungs back going again, it was a feeling I was not use to but tried not to allow this to deter me. These were my quicker laps for the days and felt more comfortable. I concentrated on my skills especially through the single track area and riding that smooth line. I compared myself to what I was like riding this track 9 months ago and that’s when I know where I have come with it all. Downhills for me have never been my favourite part of riding but I allowed myself to let go and keep the body as relaxed as possible. Although a simple exercise for most, it was achievement for me and an accomplishment of one of many things I went out to do.

Overall, it was a fun day out doing pairs which went pretty quickly for 6 hours and Mel and I were happy with our result. We were fortunate to have fantastic weather as the day got on which was a bonus. I also found out the news that the World 24 hour solo champs would be coming to Australia next year which was unexpected yet exciting news to hear. We got regular up to date reports throughout the day of the current 24 hour solo champs being held in Canada which I had a few friends riding in. It was hard to believe I was over there 12 months ago as a support person and to where I was now out there pedaling around and hoping one day to be there as a racer!

Thanks to Andrew at Kaos Custom bikes for his ongoing support and bike maintenance of my Fourstroke and also to Jenni King for her coaching and guidance with my riding (well done on winning with our category with Nikki Fisher!) and her partner Ed for his words of advise over the past few months. And lastly, thanks to Mel for doing pairs with me and for us finally achieving that race we had thought and talked so much about doing many months ago!!

I woke that morning and probably like many other riders wondered what I was doing this for. More punishment on a course I knew nothing about except that it was going to be wet and potentially muddy. Reality soon kicked in and I had to remind myself of my goals for achieving this event – some for riding purposes, others for personal reasons. I surprisingly felt pretty good physically and it was the head stuff I had to alter which didn’t take long after a chat with my good friend. Following on from breakfast we headed out to the track where there was a bit more action happening now. More than 240 riders had entered in this race, only 6 female and about 40 male solo riders with the rest of the field being made up by pairs and teams. I only knew 2 other riders there, that being Andy Fellows from the Nationals and World Champs last year in Canada and Jamie Bailey who was at the Nationals and was a very proud owner of a Fourstroke BMC bike.

After a quicker trip out the track this time, we set up and made the final preparation before the race was to begin. I felt confident in Mel and David and we had discussed in the car the plan for the 24 hours and what my aims and goals were. I knew I could rely on them both for their encouragement and support plus that push and lift if and when I needed it. I was feeling somewhat relaxed and after a short warm and I was ready to start this race.

Once the hooter went off, all riders headed out onto what was going to be a rather wet and muddy 24 hours than probably many of us had anticipated. The course took us out up a hill and out around one side of the event centre. We then travel along 2 of 4 sections of the dam wall before turning inland up another short climb into the bush. This first section was slightly wet and slippery….the next section was the beginning of what I can only describe as mud, mud and more mud. There were short parts of the track which were distinctly single track but would then branch out all over the grassy area as riders attempted to find an easier way around rather than through the mush. Towards the end of the race, these sections would be a few meters wide.

The next kilometer or so was probably the only part of the course that was neither muddy nor wet. Once up the top of the short climb, there was some 600 meters of fire road followed a short section of dry single track. This ended very quickly with a brief change over onto more single track which lead us to a very slippery and rooty downhill section. This was a challenge and I almost went over the handlebars in the first lap with an unexpected drop off half way down which haunted me many times throughout the race! At the bottom of the gully there was a quick left turn and the need for memento up a short but steep slippery climb followed by a several switch backs. That memento was still required to drive the bike through the thick mud. This area of the track was in amongst lots of tree which didn’t get much sun to it to dry out at all. By 6am Sunday morning, they closed this section off and made a detour as it was that bad. The course then headed along the ridge line of the hill and down and out onto to a short section fire road. We were greeted with a short sharp downhill, straight through a big muddy puddle and quickly back up again a steep little climb. At the top, the course took us back into the bush up a long deceiving climb.

Through here were some log rollovers and steep up’s which were slippery but I was managing well with getting over all 4 obstacles despite the conditions…..well, until about 2am when the a bit of fatigue and lack of concentration go the better of me and I added a few bruises to my collection for the weekend! It was here through this section I needed that extra burst energy to get through the mud up this deceptive climb. Finding a smooth line around the corners didn’t always happen and I felt I got use to loosing the back wheel at times!

Up the top of this track we were once again greeted with a short section of dryish single track although became slippery over the course of time. It was like wet clay! We headed back down into another gully area and once again there was that need to drive through the really thick mud which had some rocks and roots underneath which you often couldn’t see. With another half of kilometer of these conditions, we found what looked like some dry yet again deceiving double track. Thinking this was going to relieve us from the mud, riding along this section was taxing and slow, it felt like trying to make your way through quick sand which was on a slight incline. It only got worse over time (like the rest of the course for the first 18- 20 hours!) and this was the one section I never looked forward to riding!

The final two sections were much the same. The top of this track was called ‘waterfall’ which literally did have small rivers of water coming down the side of the hill onto the track which slowly turned into a dribble as time went by. The track then took us around the other side of the dam and this was even in worse condition that the first side. It was undulating and there 4-5 areas which you could take a pick on which path you thought was the easiest and best way to get across the mud….and this would change each lap as more ‘pathways’ evolved! You did though quickly learn which was the best way NOT to go! And clipping out in these area meant disaster in the feet department as well!! It was back at the event centre where the dam was overflowing onto the track led you through some water which was an opportunity to ride on through the clean the wheels down.

Having Mel and David once again with me meant they knew what I needed and liked when it came to my nutrition. With one aim of this race being only wanting to stop every 2nd lap due to the lap lengths and wanting to condition myself with this practice, it became obvious this wasn’t going to be practical due to the muddy conditions and the chain needing regular cleaning and lubing. By 5pm if I didn’t stop each lap, it would mean I suffered from chain suck on the following lap. I had one stage of feeling nauseated in the early stage of the race so I just stuck drinking more and getting my calories through this rather then food for a lap or 2. Apart form that period, I ate consistently throughout the 24 hours of a variety of my favorite race food and whilst out on the course. I discovered a liking of pikelets which went down a treat and only wish I had bought that 2nd packet as the first lot went down to easily and quickly. I had my two main stops for some real food and thanks to Leigh who was camped next to us, I was able to have this hot and even got a cup of peppermint tea which went down to well that apparently I requested a few of these along the way to only get told I was here to race!

I have always enjoyed the night riding and this race was no exception. I would have to be honest in saying I did have some anticipation with the course conditions. My times did slow somewhat once the sun went down and having the Nightlightning helmet light lighting up the dark track by 6-7pm, you felt somewhat familiar with the course which as many riders said ‘would only get worse before it got better’!! It was great to see day light though as that gave you a sense of the end being in sight. Those final 4 laps did bring some dryness to some of the track with the sun light bringing about some warmth.

30 laps later and coming across the line a bit before 11am, I was 4 laps up on 2nd place and made the call to finish my race. Although the mud and wet conditions made the course not as fast and flowing as it potentially would have been, I couldn’t say all was lost and I actually had some good times out there with some fun riders. We were all out there battling the same course and many of us having a few spills along the way which you just had to get back out of the mud and on the bike and have a laugh at yourself. I know I definitely came home with a few extra kilos of dirt in the bags and clothes that will never look the same! I had a steep learning curve riding in these conditions lap after lap. I knew too I was going to be drawing on that inner strength to do get me through the 24 hours. It does come out especially when you need it at those crazy early morning hours when the ‘why’ question sneaks on into your mind. You do remind yourself that there are reasons for doing it and this race in particular, being mostly personal ones but ones about a sense of challenge and achievement of what you can get through and do. This learning from a skills and personal aspect are all invaluable, winning was a bonus and another highlight in my racing credentials.

There are a few people to thank to wrap up this report. My Fourstroke doesn’t get around a course like this and come out fairly unscathed without having been prepared, serviced and looked after so thanks to Andrew at Kaos Custom Bikes for an excellent job plus his ongoing support with my racing. I very much appreciate his advice and spending the time particularly after this race to do a fab job at getting it back to near perfect conditions.

Our stay up in Brisbane wouldn’t have been possible without the help of my friends Susan and Pete who put us up with some comfortable accommodation and allowing us to use their car over the 3 days. We appreciated your time and effort in making our trip a fun and easy stay.

Thank Jenni King for her coaching leading up to this race and all her advice and support. I am looking forward to many more months of guidance and training programs in leading up to my main goal for the next 6 months.

Thanks to my family and friends who are forever giving me support and encouragement with my riding and especially those who I regularly ride with and I keep learning from.

Lastly I couldn’t forget my support crew who yet again gave up their time and gave me their ongoing support and energy to see me come across that line lap after lap. Once again, Mel and David were fantastic with their positive, enthusiastic and dedicated support for me. I had a great time away with you both and know you don’t win (or even just complete) a 24 hour race without people like yourselves. And as much as I probably had a whinge about the course conditions a few times to you guys, I was aware of your trackside conditions which probably weren’t much better at times having being enclosed in by a river from the overflowing dam, dampness underfoot and cooler than expected weather. So thanks guys so much for this!

Coming up for me is a short recovery period but more training both in the fitness and skills department so not much time off the bike. For the next 5-6 months, I am have 2 more rounds of the Victorian Enduro series left plus there is 2 24 hour races coming up which I am planning on racing in them both but yet o determine in what form. There is a charity social endurance road ride and the Australian Marathon champs both in September to have a crack at.

My fist lap I set out at a medium pace to and found my groove early in the piece and surprisingly didn’t find it be as challenging as the Beechworth track. John from the Bendigo MTB club had kept announcing over the PA before the start that Bendigo was known for its rock but his words of looking beyond the rock instead of at the rocks was going to keep ringing in my ears for the next 6 hours. There were my slow spots which I often referred to them as but I also felt I found lots more faster spots (for me that is!) which I was able to power, pedal and/or smoothly roll my way through. After this lap, I knew I was already in for a fun day.

My transitions for each lap were fairly quick and I prepared and knew what I wanted to eat and drink before coming in to complete a lap. Not having the support requires some organisation and preparing in order for this time to be minimalised. I have worked on what I like to eat and what sits well which includes variety in the way of numerous types of bars, gels and drinks on offer. My aims with nutrition during a race (which probably goes for a lot of riders) is it has to be tasteful, provides energy and a kick, easily digests, doesn’t bloat me (more so in the longer enduro’s) and ensure I don’t feel hungry 20 minutes later. I tend to stick with jam, honey and/or peanut butter white sandwiches, Torq bars and gel, Gu’s, Endura bars and FX Protein bars. I may have the occasional half of a banana but fruit often bloats me. For hydration I use Endura Rehydration (electrolyes) and Optimiser (protein and carb’s combo), half strength Gatorade, plain water and the occasional coke. It depends on how long the race is, the weather conditions, the course itself (are there spots to eat and drink frequently through) and how I feel myself as to what I have. I always intend to take in 700mls/lap and have luckily never suffered any cramping issues.

As the laps went on, my confidence with riding this course only got better. There was this one section which reminded me of the National 24 hour course expect for being longer with less incline. The reward for this climb was this awesome downhill section which on one lap I decided to clip my handle bars with a tree which took me and the tree out together. Only a minor scratch on the knee and no damage to the BMC Fourstroke! The decent back into the pits area was probably the most challenging part for me on the course but yet an awesome track -lots of berms and downhill switch back corners with a few shorter more technical rocky climbs thrown in there. As the day went on, certain areas became more powdery but all good practice.

I had Norm Douglas giving me an update every couple of laps along with some encouragement to keep me going – always helpful and much appreciated to have that! For the first 2-3 laps I was neck and neck with 3rd place when I pasted her around the 4th lap mark and stayed in that position for the remainder of the 6 hours. I was happy to be doing this solo and mentally focused on what needed to be done – retain my position, keep the lines as smooth as possible and remain injury and mechanical free of any wrong doing’s. I knew I had Jess (Douglas) in front of me along with another female rider who passed me on my 7th lap. Jess came on by towards the end of my second last lap. I think I could have gotten away with not doing my last lap but the practice and fun I was having out there was calling me to do another one!

Overall, I have a great day up at Bendigo and look forward to heading back there for the Rocksox Golden Triangle Epic 100km marathon in September. My thanks to Norm (Douglas) who provided me with his support during the race, very much appreciate your enthusiasm and words of encouragement and regular race updates throughout the day. Thanks to Andy for giving the BMC Fourstroke a once over last week to ensure that it was in good working condition and to Troy for his training advice.

I have 3 races to go now until a rest is on the cards for a month. I feel I haven’t had a break after doing the 24 hour solo Nationals at Easter and feel July will be the right time to keep the legs turning, start up a new training program, practice and develop some new skills and finalise my racing plans for the rest of the year. After a weekend’s rest, next on the calendar is the You Yangs Crazy6 hour which is part of the Vic Enduro series. There is another one a fortnight later and then there is potential for a 24 hour solo race up north…..a final decisions to be made over the coming few weeks with already the good old support crew eagerly signed up for another day-night-day race!

The first lap I was to discover what these guys had been talking about. There were more than anticipated rocky sections but it was accompanied by some fast single track. Trying to pick out some spots to eat and drink proved a minor issue with not many opportunities there. Over those first few tracks I managed to choice possibly 2 spots but this was going to be difficult. The track itself was soft in spots from the rain which over the next 4 to 5 laps came even mushier. I didn’t know who I was competing against let along how many were in my category. These first few hours were proving to be a struggle, 3 hours already felt like 6 although I now don’t consider this to be long in the scheme of other races I had done!

On lap 4 I felt pretty ordinary to say the least. I couldn’t get into this course I was at the point of pulling out. Troy spoke to me whilst coming through the pits area but pretty much sent me back out. All I wanted was an opportunity to get my thoughts together and work out what the next 2 hours or so were going to be about.

My 5th lap was the lowest I have ever felt whilst doing a race. I kept coming off my bike and couldn’t get into any rhythm. It was the simple things like me cleats getting full of mud and then being able to clip back in that irritated me. I felt so frustrated and could only think I was overdoing it by doing another race – it was my third in 5 weeks from doing the 24 hour solo Nationals. All sorts of thoughts were going through my mind. It was when Jess Douglas came pass me towards the end of this lap I spoke with her and then again in the pits area. My stops between each lap have only ever been short but this was a longer one normal. I had a coke, got my breath and thoughts together. I know my Mum and Dad were there and sadly having to listen to their daughter have another big grumble about things….not something I was hoping they had to experience! Jess gave me some words of advice which I really took on board. She even said she was glad that she wasn’t doing this course solo…..maybe a reassuring fact for me to hear!

Adz went passed me early in my 6th lap and rode with me for a few minutes. I told him how I was feeling and his words of “Jac Connell doesn’t stop pedaling” rang a few bells in my mind…..those words stuck in me and repeated themselve for the rest of that race. His words were true and although I may not be the most skillful female rider currently out there, I have always kept pedaling and attempting to improve and challenge myself each lap. I have a lot of determination within me to finish any race I ever started despite how things have gone.

By my final 2-3 laps I was starting to feel more confident on the course. I knew my spots where previously I was hesitant to give them a go as where now I just riding on through them without any problems. The course had also started to dry out a lot in places which made it even more fun riding around. I was finally enjoying riding around and what I had come here for. I wasn’t fully aware of my result by the time I finished but surprisingly it was 3rd which was very unexpected!

Lots learnt from this race as we always do and although this week I have had doubts about doing the Bendigo 6hour this coming week, I am going to take the plunge and give it a crack. I know I am up for another rocky course but a bit more sleep and a bit more race preparation for me is what I need to do.

Thanks as always goes to Andy at Kaos Custom Bikes for checking out the Fourstroke BMC bike and his support with my racing. A huge thanks goes to my parents for coming from Canberra to see me for my race. Unfortunately it wasn’t my best one but still it was great to see them and for them to experience another race and see what we put ourselves through! Thanks to Jess, Norm and the RDS crew for their support. Lastly, thanks to my coach and partner Troy for his support with my training and racing. We had a fun weekend up in Beechworth and definitely a place other riders should go visit……..this place has a lot to offer and I will definitely be back there to take on that track in a more positive frame of mind!

By the third time I stopped to add more air, the guy in 2nd place went by, hastily getting back on I reached the bottom of the decent, hitting a short, straight, smooth dirt road section, hopefully giving the stans a better chance of doing it's job,

Turning left to go through a gate, the tyre almost rolled off the rim, it was time for a tube, Whilst putting the tube in a bunch of 8 or 10 went past, dooh!

A few minutes later, once again on my way with my angry pants on, forced to go it alone on the fast bitumen section until Brett court me half way up the last climb, he too suffered some mechanicals earlier on, therefore proceeded to help me absolutely bury myself till I was hard in the box trying to regain position, thanks mate.

Jason English (Team BMC) taking the win

We did pick up a few positions, however we just ran out of road, finishing up a disappointing 6th, Mainly disappointing due to the fact, I feel the cards were played correctly & was pretty confident of taking the win.

Oh well that's racing! As a good friend of mine (Jason Jackson) said yesterday, there are alot of variables have to all come together on the day to win a 100km event.

That's where the jubilation comes into it, when you cross the line & you're informed that your BMC team mate, Jason English has taken out the event, setting a new course record! It obviously all came together for Jason, he is just going from strength to strength, which is just great to see, well done mate.

A weekend off from racing this weekend, then 5 in a row, more on that later & product reviews coming your way soon.

Live to ride, ride to live,

Troy

Saturday morning came around pretty quickly and after an ordinary night’s sleep I was treated to breakfast in bed and an extra hour of rest. I was lucky to have such good support around me who ensure I had minimal things to do before heading to the track. Once out there, I left the organising to them whilst having some time out in the chair and starting to focus on the start of the race. I was preparing myself although felt I had done most of that over the past few days and weeks but could feel the nerves starting to settle in. I had a lovely visit from one of my oldest school friends Emma. I remember speaking to her but not really sure what about!

The call up came for us rider to make our way to the starting line. There were roughly 15 female competitors there most of whom I only knew names of. Once that gun went off, it was the beginning of a race I had been training hard and consistently for over the past 4-5 months. I knew in myself I was going to do it, that wasn’t the hardest part. It was having faith in that and knowing and reminding me that my racing and skills experience was of a short period compared to others. I had come so far in the last 8 months, my expectations was what I was trying so hard at managing which was challenging and a mind game as simple as it sounds.

My first 3-4 hours you could say weren’t the best. I was left behind from the other girls overwhelmed with what was ahead of me. It wasn’t the time factor, nor my physically and mental ability to ride 24 hours. It was knowing I wasn’t as skilled as the others which as much as I didn’t want it to get to me, it obviously did!! I was struggling to eat and find my tempo during the early stages of the race. I had lots of support around me from friends and family who kept cheering me on lap after lap. I would come through transition and see the array of food in front of me which I felt like none of it. I complained about feeling sick so the least I could do was to keep hydrated and my kilojoules and electrolytes coming through my drinks of Enduro Hydration and Optimiser. I felt in another world which was overwhelming and frustrating to the point where I was even blocking out what my support crew were telling me and was just pedaling around in circles like I was out on a Sunday picnic. It was awful!!

Something eventually kicked in and maybe that was the stern self talk I had to myself whilst on lap 5 or 6 after a chat with the coach. My tempo was moving on in…..and so were the clouds! The threat of rain had been on the cards and I knew not long into lap 6 when the darkness was starting to set in and minus a rain jacket, I was going to get wet! The dampness on the track was only a good thing if it wasn’t going to bucket down for hours. Being in under the pine trees, the were only certain spots which got muddy and unpleasant, namely the minor incline up a gully way which meant finding the right gear without the wheels spinning out underneath. The other spot which I became cautious on was the one small switchback which as time progressed, so did the trickiness and slipperiness of this corner.

Jac with pit crew

My family had come back out including the kids around 6-7pm and it was good to feel somewhat alive and back on earth again. My eating picked up, the jacket stayed on due to the rain and out came the Nightlightning bBlast! helmet light came – I can only highly recommend these as an awesome piece of equipment for anyone in the market for one. I had forgotten how much I enjoy the night riding and it was particular eerie going through the forest particularly when there was no one in sight.

The pit crew was in fine form egging me along each lap through transition and coming up through the forest to see me go by and giving me cheers of encouragement – this continued on along night and back into the morning hours as well!. It was inspiring despite my lack of acknowledgement towards them. They had gotten me into a routine of one quick lap stop and the next being rolling on through one with the exchange of a drink bottle. I got told to eat more, so I did and needed to. They were becoming more vocal of what I had to do. I had a stop for some pasta around 7.30 which consisted of standing over the bike having a few spoonfuls of real food which wasn’t sweet. I was pretty much then sent straight on back out.

I was starting to want to know where I was coming but no one could give me an answer. I was becoming somewhat frustrated and maybe didn’t express my intentions to them enough. I wasn’t concerned about positioning (which I knew wasn’t up in the top 10), but wanted to know who the next girl was in front of me and what the time difference was. I wanted something to chase down as my challenge for overnight and to build my way back. By about 9pm, my frustrations spilled over onto to Troy who copped an earful from me about this. This earful came and bit me right back later in the race!!

Without going into to much detail, the wet knicks were starting to become uncomfortable. I came though desperately wanting to change these over or change something over! This meant minutes and minutes meant losing positions so I was sent back out. Like the Kona 24 hour, I found it interesting how one thing felt so sore and the next lap it would be a different part of the body. The best way I have found to overcome this pain is concentrate on that part of my body, say my shoulder and somewhat “relaxing” it and loosen it up when I can through stretching or rotating it. Not easy whilst riding…..a few Nuerofen’s always help along the way!

My recollection of most of the night riding was the repeativeness of each lap and not actually feeling too fatigued both mentally nor physically. I actually felt positive and very chatty out there when I came across someone. It was the regulars, still putting around and having a bit of a laugh and sharing a story or 2 about something! I wasn’t cold but aware that I was still in this rain jacket knowing if I took it off it would rain again. My one and only sit down stop was at 4ish when I had a few spoonfuls of muesli, a coffee (my first hit of caffeine for the race) and a change of clothes. After being in the chair for a minute, I felt too giddy to stay there and I was desperate to get back on the bike where I wasn’t spinning around. I am positive I was talking a lot to the crew about nothing….but that’s what you do!

Day break came around, it was a pleasurable sight to watch the sun finally come on up over the horizon. The final countdown of those 6 hours. “I can do this” I said to myself, 6 hours was nothing in the scheme of things. But to be honest, it was harder than anticipated especially between the hours of 7-9am. My knicks were rubbing, my right shoulder was aching and I felt my wonderful support crew weren’t cooperating with me (I think it was the other way around!) and how could the time be going so slow now. I had a minor meltdown around 8am for all of 20 seconds until Troy told me to “harden up” (along with a few other words) and which I am very fortunate that my mother caught on her DVD recorder. Despite all of that and a bit of “whinging”, I was somewhat content in myself I had made it through another night in a 24 hour race. By the final two laps, I was now in some sort of autopilot and along with some rather high potent concoctions made up by the pit crew, I merrily pedaled those last remaining laps seeing an end in sight. The family was all out there along with several friends from Sydney.

It only dawned on me during my final lap that there was potential for yet another one. I was going to be on the border line of the 12 midday mark. In my foggy head, I attempted to rationally think if I needed to go out and complete another one. I got towards the end of the track and all the other riders were lined up waiting for the final 30 seconds to roll across the finishing line. I had made it though the 24 hours, a feeling which is somewhat indescribable as it has so many senses to it. The world was once again spinning and everyone was coming up to congratulate me. I felt I couldn’t even stand properly and sitting was even a worse option. My quads immediately started to tighten up and I knew I needed to get some fluid and protein into the system, a thought which was not an overly entertaining thought. My family was amazed at what I had just done and now had an insight into what this whole endurance MTB scene is about. I so wanted to communicate especially to my support crew but not much sense was coming out of my mouth. I eventually had a shower which was a slow awkward process which then followed on with the presentations. I got 2nd in my age category and 7th overall. It was a good benchmark for me to know where I am at and what to aim towards for next year

There are so many people I have to thank for making this possible and being apart of my journey and dream of doing this event.

A huge thanks to Andy from Kaos Custom Bikes for his continual support, advice, sponsorship and looking after me and my bike. Once again, thanks for the back up bike (the Fourstroke 02 2009 model) that you provided me and although I didn’t need to use this, it was reassuring having it there. I enjoyed the practice lap I did on it.

Thanks goes to those who have been apart of my training over the past 6-8 months. There are many names to mention but in particular I would like to acknowledge Jack, Troy, Melinda, David, Andy, Marty, David and WAK who have been there doing some of the hard yards with me both on the MTB and road bike. Very much appreciate everyone’s support and energy. I can’t also forget those regular riders on the Tuesday and Saturday Kaos rides who I chase up and down Beach road.

I can’t forget to make a huge mention to those others in my life and in particular my family. Thanks to Mum and Dad for having not only Troy and I up there in Canberra but my other support crew, David and Melinda. Your generosity and hospitality meant a lot to me plus all the support and encouragement you have given me with my riding. Doing enduro racing requires a lot of training and sacrificing of time and which often means I don’t get to see my sisters and the rest of my family and friends in Melbourne as much as I would like so thanks you for your understanding and support. I hope you all had fun and got some insight into MTB racing and events whilst out at the Majura track!

My support crew….they were amazing. To sacrifice 4 days away from your busy lives meant so much to me. David, you were the quieter one of the three but ever so reliable and a person who just got on with things. Thanks for all those little things you did for me before leaving during the race and when we got back but being a great support with my riding. Your dedication to ensuring my needs were met means a lot to me. Melinda, you were fantastic in ensuring things were organised during the race, you took control and your enthusiasm and encouragement was endless even during those wee hours of the morning….there you were track side in the forest spurring me on. I hope you both really enjoyed the experience!

My final thanks are to Troy, my coach and partner. Your guidance with this through not only my fitness training but being there for me in many other ways means a huge amount. You have challenged me and been there if I needed the motivation although I feel I have had that within myself plus you have believed in my ability and provided me with that reassurance. Along with Melinda and David, you were awesome in supporting me throughout the 24 hours with your words of encouragement and keeping me going lap after lap. Not sure how many times I will get this privilege but thank you!

So where to next….well a few weeks of recover and then on with some more racing. I am doing the BMC 50km and considering the CTS series. Its then off to Sydney for the Dirtworks 100km race at the beginning of May. I will continue on with the Victorian enduro series with 3 more 6 hour solo races coming up over May and June. The regular training will continue and I would like to start to do some XC races over the coming months. There is potential for another 24 hour race in Qld towards the end of June with Jason (English) and Joel (Donney) to chase around! I qualify again for the World 24 Hour Solo Championships but with work and completing my Masters at uni this year I feel my priority is get this done and focus on the Worlds next year. I want to get more experience both in racing more importantly with my skills and confidence on the bike before embarking on this challenge.

Looking back towards Lake Mountain

As we entered Marysville before turning left up to Lake Mountain, I didn't give the hill much thought. As soon as we turned onto it, though, I realised that the hill needed full attention. I had saw the hill profile on the entry website and it said 8% gradient to start with which doesn't sound much. But within 100 metres of the incline start, I was in my highest gear and going very slowly. Quite a few riders were pushing their bikes, and with no granny gear on the road bike I was almost tempted to join them. But, as any self-respecting mountain biker will tell you, we never walk up hills, especially ones that are only 8% gradient! Luckily after climbing 5kms, the gradient eased and the hill didn't threaten the legs for the next 17km.

We saw that the bush file had burnt through the whole ascent. The green regrowth of the forest was pretty amazing to see, with leaves pushing out of blackened eucalypt trunks, and the tree ferns, though with burnt black stumps, had loads of fern fronds. The colour contrast was stunning and I stopped to take pictures a few times (on the descent). Another change was the eerie silence - there were no forest sounds of birds and insects at all. I eventually reached the finish line where I had an event show bag popped into my hand as I passed the finish. So after a coke, burger, and coffee ....in that order, it was a rather fast, if chilly, 22km descent back to the car.

Overall the event was well run and went smoothly. Well done to all the event organisers, locals, volunteers for putting on a great event, and to all the riders that participated.

Getting to the bottom of the first descents in front, it was all down hill from there, so to speak! Time for a tube, then another, then picked up a bit of debris off the track bending my rear dérailleur hanger, so a bit of bush mechanics was required,

That wasn't so bad!

All & all not the start we were hoping for, still managed a 4th place, 5 & 8 minutes down 2 Torque teams consisting of James Mabis, Pairing up with the owner of Torque & Dan Mac With Luke Fetch also suffering a few mechanicals, With Mark Fenna & Sam Back taking the Stage win in just under 5hrs.



The one consolation to all this, it was certainly one of the most scenic rides I have done & the word is there is a whole lot more to come, did I mention the weather was absolutely magic.

Thanks must go out to Joel for his patients on what was a pretty trying day.

Live to ride, Ride to live,

Troy

To read Troys reports for the other stages, visit Troys blog.

The race started with a 500m sprint up the only fire road of the course sorting out the contenders from the basket yielding day trippers before swinging a right hander onto the 38 and a half kilometres of single track (raced over three laps). I managed second out of the blocks and stuck hard to the back wheel of KB, the Search and Rescue copper in front of me. We made good time on the rest of the field in the first lap. Although KB got away from me for a while, which was ok. The pressure to keep on him came off a bit and my riding smoothed up a lot as a result which was a beautiful thing. Riding smoother and better, I put in a big effort over the second lap and entering the third, KB was only seconds in front of me. I pegged him back and with a head of steam, flew past him back into first place. The racing was awesome, with a real cat and mouse thing going on. With the third and final lap closing fast, the pressure was on to try and hold KB who was right up my clacker. He tried a couple of times to get by, unsuccessfully. However in the closing few hundred meters of the race, KB saw an opportunity, and took it, racing back into first place with the line almost insight. He crossed six seconds in front of me and provided a good, hard race.

It was a brilliantly run event, with great input from FTF. A good day in all, I kept it rubber side down and walked away with a silver medal!

Catch ya,

Ben.

I can’t say I was out of the starting blocks with the big guns but off I went and stayed in with a bunch of riders who were setting a good pace for me. My legs once again weren’t overly happy with what was happening but this was on the cards for the first few laps and I was reassured that they would come good. The first 20-30 minutes of the course was mainly climbing. For me, this hill work was what I needed and liked so I enjoyed these especially as the day went on. Some sections had loose soil, some were a little rocky and other parts had a few rooty bits to it but all rideable for me. It was the going down in the final descent was my test for the day especially the berms and tight switchback corners.

By lap 4 I was starting to get frustrated with myself. I felt fatigued all over and it was only the 2+ hour mark. I distinctively remember this lap feeling like I was the only one out there on the course as I didn’t see another rider for at least 15 minutes. I also got the news that Troy had crashed “quiet badly and was probably concussed” which wasn’t what I wanted to hear and maybe know about. No one in the recording tent could give me any information about so I just kept riding hoping he was OK.

I have always avoid any caffeinated products before the half way point (if not longer) but I felt I needed a boost to get me going and the choc-mint Gu hit the spot. Out I went on lap 5 and there was some kind of improvement happening here although it was lap 6 onwards that things were finally coming together. I started to really get into it all here and even my downhill descents felt smoother and possibly quicker. I maybe got a little too adventurous on one corner and lost it and decided to hug a log on the ground and yet again take the skin off the same spot on my right knee for the 3rd time this year – and just when it was starting to heal nicely!

It was warm and somewhat humid following on from the morning rain so keeping the fluids going in was important for me. That extra grip on the track was no longer there and sections were starting to get churned up. On lap 7, I finally came across another solo female rider. I rode with her for half a lap and then decided to take off and crank things up. There was less than 2 hours to go and although I had ridden fairly well for the lack of tapering, I wanted to get a little more speed and push my limits whilst I had the momentum going within myself. The legs had definitely kicked in and I was looking forward to what could have been my last lap. But at the end of this, the timing tent crew couldn’t give me a quick straight answer on my position so I opted for a 9th lap as there were still 20 or so minutes to go before the 6 hour mark.

It wasn’t until about 5 minutes after completing that last lap that Russell Baker announced that I had come first in the race. The persistence of working through that frustration had paid off for another podium finish. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to locate the lap times but I felt I remained consistent throughout the race with these. Overall though I was happy with my results and achievement and eventually did have a fun ride at this awesome track in a very beautiful part of the world.

A thanks once again goes to Andy from Kaos for servicing my BMC Fourstroke 04 bike and his ongoing support. As mentioned, the new Manitou forks made a lighter difference and I look forward to testing them out more. Much appreciate you also lending me your Trail Fox as a second back up bike for the race.

Thanks to my coach Troy for the training program and advice with my fitness regime plus his support with my riding and helping me get through this rather hectic time in my life.

With 2 weeks now until the 24 Hour Solo Nationals in Canberra at Easter, the training continues on both the road and MTB bikes. The preparations are starting to take place for journey up to my home town which includes the mental ones which is a major component prior to a race like this. I am very fortunate to have two fantastic support people coming with me who are my fellow Kaos riders – Melinda Jackson and David O’Dwyer. And hopefully the coach will make it there as well! So with work, uni, training and some extra sleep in there somewhere, there doesn’t leave a lot of time for much else although we do manage and plan to keep having fun along the way!

Well not exactly, I actually hooked into a fast yet tight bermed corner, that you enter blind & hit a log square on that was laying in the middle of the corner, sending me over the bars landing square on my head, ending up some 15ft down the track,

The log was actually used to build the berm, someone obviously dislodged it a short time earlier, As it definitely was not there the lap before.

That's racing, after a few minutes of rolling around on the ground, I realised nothing was broken, so continued on taking it real easy waiting to see double or start throwing up, didn't happen so kept creeping around holding 5th place, with about a 5minute gap on 6th.

10minute before 6hrs was up i stopped at the timing tent to wait for Dan(6th) to have a gentleman's agreement not to continue as I couldn't see the point, he didn't stopped & buzzed on by, so i was forced to do another to get my 5th place back, for the points in the series.

I pulled him back, then i flatted, picking up a thorn in the front tire, right next to the tread & the side wall, so I had to stop to let the Stans do it's job, In the mean time Tim Ferris rolled passed putting me back to 7th.

Oh well, in a nut shell, wasn't my day & you can't win them all.

On a positive note I did have 3 or 4 very enjoyable laps of Mt Beauty at it's best & Jac certainly had a good one, picking up 1st place in the womens solo, well done Jac.

Live to ride, Ride to Live,

Troy

Day 4
86km Race stage
Starting with a lap of the local horse race track with a sprint across line picking up fellow BMC rider Andrew Lumley a set of A-UP lights, I may have given him a bit of a help with a handy lead out. Then i proceeded to drive the bunch helping Jas & Brett shell all butt Andy Blair in Chase of Dennis who was dangling a few hundred metres up the road on his own, on board his 29er. With a couple of very descent climbs & some undulating windy sections which Joel went to the front to help me recover from my earlier efforts. We managed another stage win & another 40km cruise stage down to Bermagui on the beautiful south coast of NSW.

Day 5
45km Race stage
With the start prologue across a grassy cow paddock before entering the Bermagui Mtb park with some great fast flowing single track, then headed north along some of the most picturesque coastline you'll find anywhere, even having to run across some soft sand on a few beaches along the way, which my calves still remind me of. Following my double flat the day before yesterday, I had to make 4 mins on the guy ahead to get back into the top 10 overall gc & knowing it was the final day I gave it everything with Joel hanging on for dear life, Mission accomplished, ending up 7 mins ahead of him in the end, therefore all 5 BMC riders ended up in the top 10 overall gc.

So a good time was had by all.

Thanks to the Dirtworks crew of Rick, Pat & Millie for supporting us all the way, along with keeping the bikes spick & span with the best cleaning products money can buy (MUC OFF) Mark for taking care of the tucker, BMC for a bike that was faultless all week, Ritchey tires & components, Hayes brakes, Manitou forks, Stans no tubes, Crank bros, DT Swiss, Night lightning Lights, Andy at Kaos for superbly race prepping the bike, Joel for riding well all week & Jac for dropping me to the airport & picking me up from Narooma.

Live to ride, Ride to live,

Troy

Anyway, it was a very early start but great to have the road to ourselves for most the race. We had a neutral start along the Great Ocean Rd before turning up Wild Dog Road, a 8km climb as a nice wake up call. Some idiot roadie chick was attacking right from the ‘neutral’ stretch which pissed everyone off immensely. Does she realise we have another 6 hours of riding ahead?

My legs felt fine as I tapped out a nice rhythm up the climb and very briefly watched the sunrise before turning back to my own little world of conserving energy. A crazy fast fire road descended then into crappy farmland, where the path felt like it had been mown about 20 mins ago. A creek crossing or two, humid fern forests, and the un-rideably steep hills began. I unclipped and started pushing my bike for the first of many times that day.

The hills were equally steep to go down so you had to be switched on the entire time. More hills. Some double-track. Drizzling rain. Walked up another few hills sweating alarmingly, saw a 20km sign when I had been riding for an hour and felt a little perturbed. I was all by myself but enjoying it. I found another good rhythm and passed a few girls on the road. At 1.5 hours I was caught by Sirs Jongewaard and McConnell who passed me so fast I thought they were cars. I was pleased to hear Adrian’s voice soon after, asking how I was doing.

Hung onto packs of guys as long as I could for some incredibly rutted double-track descents; picking the right line was dumb luck. They were loose, rocky and sticky, and if your wheel went into a rut you were gone. Some guy binned it in front of me doing about 40km/hour and broke both his arms. It’s exactly what I love about mtbing: when you’re mostly out of control and instinct has to take over… and you survive.

I knew I had time to gain over other girls on the descents so was trying to let go of the brakes even more. I lost count of how many times I walked up hills in the next 20km. I was still having fun and feeling fine, but was getting worried about fluids, as I hate riding with a camelback, so was hanging out to fill my bottle at the first feed zone at 37km. I choked on my first bite of a bar, so I stuck to gels and Infinit electrolytes.

We finally got to some single-track near Lake Elizabeth which made me smile; I hadn’t ridden any of these tracks before but this trail was sweeeet. Another welcome feed zone at 50km and I had been riding for 3.25 hours – somewhat depressing. The timed ‘descent’ was the Red Carpet which was tremendous fun, but it involved some short climbs and I started cramping. I had gel and water and concentrated on pedaling properly but my muscles were twitching and threatening cramps. Somewhere in here we rode the 7km XC loop at Forrest trail head, which made it easier mentally because I knew and liked the trails. I was in a world of hurt by this stage and focussed on riding smoothly and getting to Forrest for the 67km mark, a friendly face and my feeder holding a bottle of protein and magnesium.

The next 22 km were great fun again in the Yaugher singletrack loop including Marriner’s; again trails I hadn’t ridden but loved. I had settled into what I thought was 10th female which I was very happy to remain, but knew my relative advantage was in the single-track so had to keep pushing. At some stage in this loop Leigh appeared and, being the druggie that he is, palmed me a magnesium tablet which I was very happy to munch down. It worked and I didn’t cramp badly again. (Thanks mate!) It was also nice to hear a friendly voice to interrupt my stroll in the land of pain.

Back to Forrest at 87km and I was physically screaming, but psychologically I felt ok. Last loop, 13km to go. But then the ‘Britney’s Meltdown’ fire-road climb began. It was horrible, this never-ending staircase of hot open road. I had definitely stopped enjoying myself and started really hating everyone. I was still all by myself, and every time I climbed another granny ring hill I convinced myself it was the last, and every time another hill appeared in front, I was nearly laughing hysterically.

I had no conception of distance or time, but halfway up it said 90km which felt like a cruel joke because I had been riding for nearly half an hour since Forrest. People were indeed melting down, cramping everywhere, but finally we were off onto downhill single-track. I had lost all my skills by this point.

And then the Sledgehammer. The last unimaginably steep, rocky climb to finish off your sanity and legs. I passed this man who had dropped his bike and was yelling like he was giving birth and I didn’t even have energy to look sideways and ask if he was ok. It was the longest 13 km ever, it took an hour, but I finally was back on the road rolling downhill towards Forrest.

I crossed the finish line in 6 hours 36 minutes, 10th elite woman and I was ecstatic. AJ had got 4th, Leigh got a 78th and some other great results from my friends.

The pain disappears so quickly… I’ll be back for sure!

Things I like: Rapid Ascent for running a great event as usual, AJ for being awesome, Kaos for my lovely bike, Leigh for the drugs, anyone who said something which made me smile, Gu for being all I could eat.

Things I don’t like: cramps and past competitors who told me it was the hardest race I’ll ever do: I’ll listen next time!

The bike course consisted of 3 x 30km laps with a steep climb out of transition and a short windy section through the Botanical Gardens before heading out onto the course proper – a long, undulating, straight out and back section of road towards Portarlington. After a relative cruisy start through the gardens in an attempt to lower and control my heartrate, I started to push it onto the straight section. It was at this stage that the benefits of a disc wheel became apparent.

Riding my new BMC Time Machine (this was my second ½ IM on this current bike – having had the previous one for the last 2 years). Andy at KAOS had set it up beautifully, with the new Sram Red running gear and Zipp Bars, and Mad Dog had perfected the bike fit over the last few weeks. However this was my first race with the new Zipp Sub 9 Disc. Having only done a 1/2hr velodrome session with it prior to the race I was yet to realise the true experience. The bike felt fantastic and with a slight tail wind I was in my element – and quickly plodding along quite comfortably at 48kph.

By the 2nd lap the sky had darkened with heavy clouds and it wasn’t long before they opened up and dumped on us. With rain and at some times hail pelting down, it made for some pretty trying conditions, as is testament by the amount of falls and crashes, especially on the hills and turns.

The 3rd lap was tough, with the headwind picking up on the way back to transition, but despite this I was still feeling pretty fresh as I came into T2. For the first time in 8 races of this distance the ride seemed to go by very quickly, without really feeling the pinch. I dismounted and ran into T2 feeling relatively fresh for a change, being 10 minutes up on my last years ride time at this course.

This was where the fun starts – I really do hate running – but the crowd was fantastic and cheers from friends and training partners definitely helped.

The run of 3 x 7km laps was pretty standard and the first 1500mt was fun, running along enjoying the view and cheers from the crowd. Then the struggle began. The course undulates continuously with a short out and back section followed by a loop around the gardens before finishing the lap with a run back past transition and through the main throng of spectators.

The crowd throughout the race was fantastic and Mad Dog with young son Max in his arms was positioned on the turn offering great advice, ‘constructive’ criticism, split times and mostly good moral support.

With about 1500m to go, the Tri Fitness crew provided some great support and words of wisdom, which was enough to get me to pick up the pace for the run home, just what I needed for a final squirt to the finish line. In this last km I managed to run down and pass 4 guys in my age group.

I finished the race in pretty good shape, with a 3min PB for the distance and 21 min faster than the same course last year. So overall I was pretty happy.

I cant thank Andy enough for his help and setup on the bike, and mostly for the use of the new disc. If nothing else, at least you can feel like a pro out there.

Next is Busselton Half Ironman in May, this is a truly fast course, and one where I had held my previous PB, so with the new bike and some hard work I am hoping to head over there and smash the place.

I didn’t have any real desire about knowing where I was positioned although once I had Katherine O’Shea pass me I knew I had somewhat of a challenge her. Without giving in to defeat I knew I wasn’t going to catch this speedy inspiring female rider. We had a chat for a section of that lap and she even mentioned that this was a more technical course for an endurance race. I don’t think it was until the end of lap 5 that I found out I was in 2nd position and I new I had past another female solo rider on that lap so there was some encouragement and determination that surfaced in me to keep pedalling away and stay in focus.

As I made my way around the course, each lap get easier and I felt I was really getting into it. There was only 5 minutes to go before 4pm and coming into transition I had already made my mind up to go and do a 7th lap. I didn’t care about time and there was confusion over placing’s but I was enjoying the track and thought why not get more practice in. I had an entourage of riders who came and followed me including Andy, Dave and Nick. It wasn’t my fastest lap but we had fun, the company was good and which spurred me on having them on my tail. By this stage I was handling myself better in most sections I had previous been apprehensive about. I allowed body to relax more which gave me speedy and generally be able to handle the bike with more control and confidence. I finished that lap with a sense of achievement and of knowing what I can actually do.

The course overall was probably the hardest one I have encountered in all 4 races I have competed in but yet I can’t wait to go back to the You Yangs and ride some more around the awesome trails. I used my strength area of climbing hills to my advantage for making up any bit of time and I powered through those sections of the course which enabled me to do so which included that lovely climb to the top of the bolder section. I loved the berms section which I have started to feel more comfortable riding with more speed. I haven’t ridden many rocky tracks and these were my biggest challenges for the day which I was mastering more so by the end of it. This race was a good experience and yet again I walk away with more learning experiences gained and ones to keep working on to improve on my times.

There are several people I need to thank for making this race a really enjoyable one……..

Big thanks to Andy (owner of Kaos Custom Bikes) for his support both mechanically with my BMC Fourstroke and also patiently riding several laps with me throughout the race. I very much appreciate you joining me out there and offering your advice and guiding me through some of those more technical sections of the course. I also grateful for your time and effort you have provided with helping me in the development of skills leading up to this race and as a sponsor having faith in my riding ability.

I can’t forget the fab pit crew I had there for the day, in particular Shane. Thanks for your time Shane with supporting us during the race whilst coming through transition. The honey sandbo’s were awesome and sorry for throwing any back at you if I did. I appreciate your encouragement and calmness. Thanks to the other Kaos team members/riders including Mel, David, Sean, Marty, Leigh, Nick and Gary (plus any I may have forgotten). Well done to everyone in our team who participated in the event.

A quick but an important thanks to Jess and Norm Douglas from MTB Skills. I participated in one of their skill course 2 weekends prior to this which was very beneficial. Thanks guys for your ongoing support of the development of my MTB skills.

Lastly and I couldn’t forget that one important person being the coach! Thanks Troy for your support, advice, encouragement and providing me with my training program. Your time is precious with your own busy life so I am ever grateful for the things you do to help me. Thank you for reminding to always have fun if that is one thing I do whilst out there in the bush. A huge well done for a superb effort in winning male solo too, congratulations!

So with just under 7 weeks til the 24 hour solo Nationals at Easter, I continue on with my training both on the road and MTB bikes. I have a week or two left of strength work and then onto some speed and intensity. Coming up I’ve planned some fun weekends on the MTB bike in various locations to keep those skills going. When in Canberra next week I may even sneak in a few laps of the course which I was fortunate enough to do with Melinda Jackson whilst home at Christmas time. With the postponement of the Nationals Marathon Championships at Wandong due to the bushfires, I hope to get one more endurance race in before Easter.

I went through some final pointers with Karen and went out for a short ride with Joel Donney for a relaxing catch up chat. 12pm was coming around quickly and I was feeling nervous but calm reminding myself of my aims and goals. We gathered at the start line doing the preliminary lap and then headed out on to the course. There was the usual stops and starts during the first few kilometres as we were introduced to what we would be riding around for the first 6 hours. There was this one windy climb with loose soil that had many of us walking up our bikes during this lap. Once up the top of this, we then had a smaller climb but then rewarded with some fast easy track which lead us to the start of each of the three tracks for the 24 hours.

3hrs in ...all smiles

The first track I had previously ridden the week before. There were many log rollovers and cornering which I challenged myself to keep improving on with each lap. I completed 6 laps of this track with consistent times. I didn’t allow my pit stops to be to long – 2-3 mins - at this stage, aiming to have shorter stops whilst feeling fresh.

During the first lap I came across a girl changing her tyre and without a spare on board. I gave up mine when checking to see she was OK. She (being Rachel Edwards) was going to be my main contender. I had said to Karen that I wasn’t fussed on knowing positions/results throughout the race, but during those first 6 laps I had Norm informing me of where Rachel was positioned as we often came into the pits area at similar time. I tried to chase her down in a few laps but my heart rate would get to high and I was cautious not to over do it to soon. I ended up catching her on the inclines and it was unfortunate for her that she continued to have numerous punctures throughout the race.

As night came around, the lights came on and we changed over tracks. The night course I enjoyed which was longer and had some of the same plus more and different obstacles and some tight cornering. There was a longer section of climbing and the final section had a couple of km’s of great firetail which I powered my way along! I had the first of 2 main stops I had planned around 8pm. I wasn’t overly hungry, more bloated, but the warm pasta went down well. I changed clothes to some warmer ones and set out again.

I had not done much night riding and it was a weird feeling riding out there in the bush and see no one for 30 minutes or so. What goes on through your mind is interesting! Most riders who I came across I spoke with and were encouraging. There were the regulars I knew also, such as Jason, Carl and Scott who I would check in with and have a chat and a laugh. They kept motivating me which I didn’t need much of. There was another solo rider Brett who rode with me for a while on a few laps. I was feeling good, strong and just pacing myself. Determined to get through this night I just kept tapping away and so did the hours.

It was around 2am when my stomach decided that enough was enough. That was when my toilet trips toilet started when I came through each lap. It was annoying to say the least. I wasn’t concerned about being dehydrated as I didn’t have any other symptoms. Despite this, my only low time was around 3.30am when I stopped for some porridge. I got cold and going out after being rugged up whilst eating was not inviting. I changed my clothes and gloves, popped on the BMC jacket and reluctantly went out with some strong encouragement from Norm. “Only one more lap until you see the sun come over the mountains Jac….go do another lap for me” was all that was needed so I set of with fingers that felt like ice but soon to warm up the less I thought about them.

As I was about to change over to the day lap, I noticed Jess’s bike in the pits area and no where for her to be seen, nor Norm either. I was getting out of my warm gear and taking off my lights to start the next lap when Norm came and informed me that all I had to do was 2 more laps and I had won. I thought he was joking but he was serious! Jess was not feeling well and had pulled out at 6am. I set out and couldn’t believe what was happening; this wasn’t part of the plan!

Marriners Run was my next challenge – lots of berms and dips with some climbing. I had ridden this the week before also and had loads of fun but it was a more technical course than the previous 2 tracks. With being in the negative balance for sleep, the coordination was slowly declining and I knew I had to be on the ball. I had started on the caffeine gels and gu’s around 5am and kept consuming these to just get me through. I had at least 2 laps of this to do. I was on and off the bike more than expected which was frustrating me.

Tim came across me during this first of 2 laps. He stayed with me and was keen to come to out and do my final lap. Most of the people I knew in pit lane were maybe surprised to see me still going but only full of encouragement and cheers. I slowly but surely I got around with the adrenaline pumping by now and so was the excitement. I couldn’t believe what I had achieved, it was pretty overwhelming!

Winners Medal and more smiles

I came in to pit lane for the final time with people giving me lots of claps and cheers. I had done what I set out to do plus have a bonus at the end of it. I couldn’t stop smiling and I felt good in myself. I had a few people say I look as if I could keep riding. I checked in with the timing tent to see if I needed to do anymore but they gave me the official thumbs up! I came across Jess and I was a bit lost for words. We spoke later and have continued to have emails and phone contact reflecting on the race.

Overall, I feel really happy with what I achieved and would have regardless of the result. I felt I prepared myself well physically and more importantly mentally for this being my first 24 hour race. I ate and drank sufficiently and regularly although will need to assess this in view of the frequent toilet visits (I had surprisingly put on 1.5kgs after the race which I soon lost over the coming week!) I know I need to keep practicing and riding my MTB bike in order to gain more confidence and improve on my skills and techniques to become a more efficient rider.

I would like to thank Karen, you were amazing! You stepped up to the job and I so much appreciate you giving up your time and energy in supporting me. I can’t forget Norm Douglas - your knowledge and words of support each time I came through meant a lot. I know that it was extremely hard sending me out on those last two laps, you’re a star!

Thanks to Troy for coaching and getting me physically fit plus believing in my ability to achieve this goal. I have learnt a lot from your racing we have done together which I know was a real bonus. You don’t get around for 24 hours with no mechanical issues so thanks to Andy at Kaos Custom Bikes for servicing and advising me about my BMC Fourstroke. My new wheels Andy built were awesome and I immediately noticed the difference with these.

A special thanks to Tim Ferres who patiently road around the final lap and a half with me. That meant a lot and it was great to have someone chatting constantly, encouraging me and keeping me awake! Lastly, thanks to my family and dear friends (riders and non-riders) who encouraged me to fulfil a dream. Your support only made me more determined to firstly give this a go and then complete it.

Next on the list….well there is the 200km Alpine Classic at the end of January I will be riding in (bring on the hills!) followed by a few marathon 100km events and the Victorian enduro series. Then the big one at Easter in my home town Canberra (my main focus for the next 6 months)…..24 hour Solo Nationals. I have been up and had a practice on the course and I as mad as it may sound, I can’t wait to do my next 24.

Troy had an idea to get back to the course without back tracking and headed off with the top 5 guys. I, on the other hand, was determined not to get lost again and chose to go back down the trail until we found out where we went wrong. So we pedalled the kilometre back down the trail and saw the sign that we had all missed. The good news was we were back on track, the bad news was that our group of twenty was suddenly at the back of the pack.

Back on the course, it (naturally!) turned into technical single-track which is a huge problem if your want to pass slow riders. But determined to get back my pre-detour placing, I accelerated and punched past the 70 or so riders (at the expense of a lot of energy) as the single track came out to a long fire-road/bitumen course to the Redesdale 24hr track. Once on the road, it was head-down bum-up as I tried to catch the other riders. The day was warming up, with the temperature getting to a very muggy 29°C, so while trying to stay hydrated I would catch a couple of riders, grap a breather, go to the front and pull away. This happened a couple of times before settling down with two other riders as we formed a half functional system of taking turns at the front.

As we approached Redesdale, the eagerness to catch people in front of me was waning and the thought of just trying to finish had taken over. The 60km to go sign did not fill me with enthusiasm. Once in Redesdale, the familiar trails gave me some comfort as our little bunch that had worked so well on the road came to an end. One guy went ahead and one dropped off as we twisted and weaved through the flowing single-track. My new BMC fourstroke 02 handled brilliantly, and, despite my legs starting to weaken, the bike behaved admirably, smoothing out the twisty trail and allowing what little power I had in my legs get transferred into some real forward momentum.

Once out of Redesdale it was again a long road/fire-road back to the last 18kms of single track. I was now officially in the hurt box and even though I could see a guy in 200m in front of me, 15kms of chasing only brought him about 50m closer. I got caught by a bunch of riders just as we entered the single track; they sped past me and I was left breathing in their dust. The last 18kms was made up of fire road double track and some sweeping single track which would have been a blast with a fresh set of legs but in my tired and sorry state I was busy muttering curses under my breath at the course designers. I got passed by a couple more guys at this stage, but by now I was beyond caring and only seeking the finish, as by now I was unclipping and walking the most moderate of hills. The finish line eventually revealed itself and I finished in a time of 5 hours 32 minutes to put me in 10th place in vets and surprisingly (well, to me anyway) only 21 minutes behind the winner.

Troy who recovered from the detour managed to put himself back in contention and in the lead before finishing second and receiving a nice cheque for his troubles. Presentations were long and generous with random prizes including a Rock Shox sid fork and various other spot prizes given out. Congratulations to Bendigo Mountain Bike Club for running such a good event.

A big thank you to Andy @ Kaos for putting together my new BMC fourstroke 02, this bike not only looks great but backs it up with immaculate suspension design resulting in a top shelf race bike.

For those that are interested you can view my Garmin GPS plot of the course here.

We wish Mel the very best with her recovery and get well soon.

Seeing Mel being taken away I realised that my lactic-filled legs and falling race position were not that big a deal so I headed on with the race as we were taken down link track, a great technical downhill that the BMC sucked up with ease. From there we were taken over a 4x course with big whoppass jumps and then the sweet, sweet single track in Kurrajong.

Ahhh! recovery ...forget about those nasty granny gear climbs and enjoy the track. By now the field had really spread out as some sprinted ahead and others dropped behind and you could ride your own pace. This lasted for about 15km before being spat out onto a fire road and spinning up the big ring as we made our way back to the stockyards and its nasty hills. As I came into the start finish I knew I was only one third of the way though it and I knew what lay ahead. Although the first part of the lap was hard, there was no more guess-work, which made it easier than other point to point 100k enduros.

Onto the second lap I got the climbs out the way and even enjoyed the downhills and then cranked it in Kurrajong passing quite a few people as they realized that pacing themselves might have been a good idea. Coming into the start/finish at the end of the second lap I was feeling tired an knew another lap was going to hurt ... a lot. I could pull out and record a 66k result but where is the fun in that, so picking up a fresh waterbottle, I headed out for the final lap. Not surprisingly the climbs didn't get any easier and I walked one of the steep rises. And even the sweet single-track of Kurrajong felt a bit of a drag but the finish was near and that is all the motivation you need. Coming to the finish at 5hours 31minutes in 20th place I was very happy to finish but as the majority of riders were 33k or 66k they had all finished, cleaned up, and were on their third hotdog by the time the 99k racers were finishing, so it was little bit of a disappointment that nobody batted an eyelid as you passed the finish line, unlike other 100k races.

Amenities at the finish were nonetheless very good; BBQ, coffee, and free massage, so the boys from GMBC had really stepped up to the plate.

So well done to all the finishers. I'd like to thank Geelong Mountain Bike Club for putting on a great event, Andrew from Kaos Custom Bikes for making sure my BMC fourstroke purred like a kitten. And a big get well to Mel ...hope to see you back on the bike soon.

You can check out my garmin GPS file from the race here.

Leigh

Pace lines are those neat single file lines you see in the Tour de France and it's a great way to cover a lot of distance fast, with much less energy expended by everyone in the group. The concept is that wind resistance is your enemy (as much as 40% of your energy is spent overcoming wind resistance) and by following someone close behind you can use less energy. Of course the person in front will be doing most of the work so you trade off turns at the front so that every one gets a break.

A word about risk. The efficiency of riding in a pace line comes at the cost of added risk. Riding in a pace line is not as safe as riding by yourself. If the rider ahead of you (or behind you or on either side for that matter) does something unexpected, you could find yourself on the pavement in an instant. Don't ride in a pace line unless you're willing to assume these risks!

There are three basic rules to Pace line riding:
1) Don't do anything suddenly!
2) Don't do anything suddenly!
3) DO NOT DO ANYTHING SUDDENLY!!


This may sound obvious but it is the key to a good pace line. The best way to start out pace line riding is with a partner you trust who is a smooth rider (i.e. as smooth or smoother than you). Start out following him or her with about 2 feet of space between your bikes (or greater if your not comfortable that close). Gradually close the distance to whatever your nerves can stand. Ideally you want to be 6"-12" away, although as you can see from Fig 1, you can get a good draft a wheel's length away, so getting too close is not absolutely essential. It is also important that you do not ride up along the side the rear wheel of the person in the pace line ahead of you, this is called "overlapping wheels" and can cause a fall if the person ahead of you swerves to avoid an object in the road.

Fig 1 - The Effect of Drafting

Wheel Gap in Feet	Decrease in resistance
.5	44%
1.0	42%
2.0	38%
3.0	34%

Start out riding a pace line with just two riders and do it on flat ground. It is a good idea to split your attention between watching the rear wheel of the rider ahead of you and glancing over his or her shoulder to see what's ahead. The lead person should be watching ahead and giving verbal cues along with GRADUALLY moving over for the ever annoying... er.. present, runners in the bike lanes (we don't ride on the sidewalks, why do they run in the bike lanes?). Later, as you develop more confidence in your (and the rider in front's) ability you can begin to reduce the distance between you. Be sure to "guard your front wheel" as it is the key to stability.

If you do bump another rider, don't panic or make a sudden swerve, just move away from the interfering rider. One of the drills practiced at bike clinics is bumping and riding arminarm on a grassy field. It's fun and teaches you that just because you bump or are bumped, doesn't mean you're going down.

There are other rules just as important:

Pedaling

Don't stop pedaling (see rule 1). if the speed of the pace line slows just pedal around slower ("soft pedaling" -- pedaling without applying a lot of force to the pedals), this keeps your pedaling motion going and prevents you from unintended acceleration when you go from motionless to pedaling again. It also prevents the person behind you from being startled.

You can also reduce your speed without braking by raising your body to create more air resistance or moving over slightly out of the draft of the person ahead of you, but don't raise up off the saddle!

Braking

Basically, DO NOT (see rule 3). The person ahead of you must let you know about upcoming obstacles and if you are at the front you should give plenty of warning if you are going to stop for a signal. If you have a problem (flat, chain came off, etc.) just yell "chain, flat, stopping, etc." and pull out of the pace line and coast until you are clear and can stop without endangering other riders.

Gear Changing

Try and stay in a gear that you can spin around at 80-100 RPM. The brake lever shifters (STI, Ergopower) are nice because they allow you keep your hands on the bars and shift which doesn't cause wobbles like the down tube shifters do. If you have down tube shifters you may have to refrain from changing gears as often as you would when riding alone.

Hills

Generally pace line and hill should not be used in the same sentence. Everyone has a different climbing style and unless you are familiar with the rider ahead of you may end up in a ditch from an overlapped wheel. Gradual hills are fine, just increase the distance between you and the bike in front of you and try not to accelerate up the grade (it's OK for your pace line speed to drop 2-3 MPH or more on an uphill drag). Oh yeah one more thing NEVER GET OUT OF THE SADDLE IN A PACE LINE!!! When you get out of the saddle you tend to throw you bike back 6-12" which will definitely cause a crash! If you must stand up to make it up the hill and someone is close behind you, an advanced technique is to push down hard on the pedal as you raise up off the saddle. This compensates for the tendency of the bike to move back as you raise up. Practice this riding alongside someone going uphill before trying it out in a pace line. Likewise give an extra hard stroke as you sit down to avoid slowing during the transition to seated climbing.

Unintended Acceleration

Another thing to watch for is unintended acceleration. First made popular by Audi in the late 70's, it was actually first used to describe the phenomena of being "off the front" of a pace line which generally irritates everyone in the pace line. It happens when you get to the front and subconsciously you feel that you are not moving fast enough so you pick up the pace without realizing it. At some point you look back either to see no one, or a bunch of really annoyed riders. Everyone has done this accidentally at some point and you can avoid it by looking at your computer and noting the speed before taking a pull at the front. Stay within 1.5 MPH or less of that speed and avoid looking like a wanker!!

Multiple Riders

Once you feel comfortable riding with another person in a pace line you can graduate to multiple riders. This gets a bit trickier since you are dealing with more than just two people. Everyone has a different comfort speed and this really shows up in multiple rider pace lines. Again, watch your computer and try to keep with 1/2 MPH of the last leader's pace. If you find the pace too fast, take a shorter pull at the front, or better yet "pull through and off which means when you get to the front just pull off without taking a pull at the front. When pulling off the front of the pace line ease up on your pedaling but don't stop, the idea is to get to the back of the pace line as fast as possible in order to get a break from the wind. As you get toward the back of the pace line, gradually increase your pedaling speed to match the pace line speed and pull in behind the last rider. Be careful to make sure that the rider you pull in behind is the last rider, More than one crash has been caused by someone pulling into another rider thinking they were at the end. (Another reason to keep the gap between you and the next rider at 6-12"). Even good riders have trouble in multiple rider pace lines, the best remedy is practice.

Echelons

Echelons are used extensively in team time trials and you may have unconsciously used them in your daily riding. Usually the wind is not head on to the riders in the pace line and may come from one side or the other to the direction of the pace line. In this case you will see the riders following to the side of the rider in front of them. The technical explanation is termed "relative wind" but is best explained by experimenting with a friend the next time you are in a crosswind. If you notice you are still feeling a headwind when following another rider pull off slightly to one side (away from the wind) and see if this helps block the wind. Remember to stay out of traffic and don't overlap the wheel in front of you, even if you are off to the side the front rider can still swerve over and take you out.

Dual Pace Lines

Dual pace lines are used with larger groups (8-15 riders) as a way of keeping the group from stringing out too far behind. It also has a pleasant side effect of enhancing communication within the group. It is really just two single file pace lines put side by side. The rotation can be done two ways. Normally the lead rider pulls over to the side away from the wind, and the rider at the end of this line moves over into the end of line on the wind side. This has the effect of creating a continuously rotating pace line. Where there is lots of road and no traffic, this can also be done by having both the riders at the front come off the front to the outside of the dual pace line and drift to the back. Note that the California Vehicle Code requires riders to stay to the right unless they are passing another vehicle (bike or car), or avoiding debris in the roadway.

Duties of the Lead Rider

In a smooth running pace line riders do not have time to see and avoid obstacles, such as rocks, holes, cracks in the pavement, old muffler pipes, cans of Bud, etc. The riders depend on the lead rider to be the eyes of the pace line and to either point out or shout out a warning, (rock right, runner right, car up, etc.) These warnings should be passed down the pace line by each rider. If you don't feel comfortable taking your hands off the bars to point out a rock, just shout "rock right (left)". If the pace line needs to slow down because of a stop sign, car turning ahead, or whatever reason, the leader must shout out a warning, "light up", "car up", etc., and the following riders must pass the word.

Drinking and Foreign Substances

It's probably best to get a drink when you're at the back of the line, so you won't mess someone else up if you swerve while swigging you favorite tonic. The same goes for spitting, this is best done when you're the last rider. Projectile vomiting and expectoration in the pace line is discouraged by the CVC.

Problem Riders

Occasionally you may be troubled by other riders who don't hold their line, stop unexpectedly, etc. Don't ignore this, often it's just a matter of education. Please talk to the offending rider in a polite way, asking him or her to refrain from the problem behavior. If you are reluctant to do this, ask one of the ride leaders to handle the problem. Safety is every one's concern!

Want a diagram??

TYPES OF PACELINES

Single Double Rotating Echelon

Which direction should the lead rider pull off? The single paceline picture above shows the rider pulling off to the left. But there are various reason to pull off either direction. If there is a cross wind the lead rider will pull off whichever direction the wind is coming from. This is because the riders in the single paceline will naturally line up as shown in the "echelon" picture to hide themselves from the wind. Some believe that the rider coming off the front and going backwards should not be in the lane of car traffic and should, as a general rule, pull off to the right. Basically, whichever direction the group is using, all riders should do the same thing.

The DOUBLE paceline is a minor modification of the single paceline. In this setting there are just two single pacelines side by side. The riders on the front of each paceline pull off in opposite directions. As a general rules, the pacelines are far smoother if the two front riders agree and pull off simultaneously. Otherwise, one of the lines has to surge to get the front riders side by side.

A ROTATING paceline requires more focus and greater skills but is very satisfying to be part of. In a rotating paceline there is an advancing (faster) line of riders and a retreating (slower) line of riders. The retreating line is on whichever side the wind is coming from. If it is a headwind a tailwind or no wind, usually the retreating line will be on the right side and the advancing line will be on the left. (The opposite of the picture above). The key to a rotating paceline is that when the rider at the front of the advancing line clears the rider who is on the front of the retreating line, the advancing rider moves into the retreating line and softens up his pace. The rider who was behind him continues the pace of the advancing line until that rider switches over. The rider in the advancing line should NEVER surge. The idea is that you ride to the front and float to the back in a constant rotation. You change your speed by "soft-pedaling" as you switch to the retreating line and increasing your pedal pressure as you switch from the retreating line to the advancing line. Smooth switches, and keeping the distance between the riders in the paceline as small as possible will keep the paceline smooth.

Cheers,

Dave

Anyway, the first lap was thankfully over in around half an hour and I settled into the race and the course. The track was excellent, really enjoyable: lots of sweet banked corners, pinch climbs, rocky singletrack and switchbacks. Fairly relentless though; you had to concentrate or you’d lose it on the loose fist-sized rocks.

I had ascertained who I thought was in my category (generally femininity was a useful indicator, but with the Total Rush boys out in hot pink sometimes the gender lines are blurred). I spent most of the first lap just on Jess Douglas’ wheel before passing her on the fireroad climb, with one Spoken girl in front riding well. I stayed with her for the next two, working together to try and get time on Jess. We had about a minute, then still feeling good riding tempo, I passed this Spoken girl and spent the next 3 laps in front.

By lap 6 I had downed a couple of muesli bars (yay for Choc Coated Nut Treat, available in all good supermarkets) and some Torq gels (highly recommended) but hadn’t got off the bike. I felt like I needed something more substantial so stopped and tried to eat some jam sandwich/banana/fruit bread, none of which I could really stomach. Although I wasn’t feeling communicative or coherent, Leigh seemed to think I was stopped for a chat and told me to stop talking and get back on the bike – I don’t think he saw me glaring at him from behind my sunglasses. I did indeed get back on the bike after a few minutes but Jess had pedaled past in the meantime looking determined. Damn, time to chase wheel again.

just keep swimming, just keep swimming*

The next few laps weren’t as quick, and I was feeling a bit sore. It was pretty hot and although I was drinking lots of electrolytes and water I felt quite funny. These few laps all sort of merged into an odd smoothie of dust, sweat, sunscreen, Torq gels and fragments of conversation with Leigh and Nick. My rear suspension had been squeaking since the second hour and it was driving me a little crazy; it sounded (and felt) like I was dragging a cart full of day-old chickens. For an entire lap I was thinking about chickens and crossing the road jokes which kept me strangely amused. I also had that phrase from Finding Nemo stuck in my head – 'just keep swimming, just keep swimming...'. I also started imagining that I had been over this particular rocky singletrack 3 times in the same lap and swore I was being sent in circles. So these incoherent thoughts kept me company as I kept pedaling along. God knows how Troy keeps from going gaga over 24 hours!

I stopped again about 5 ¼ hours, by this time I only knew Jess was about 7-8 minutes in front but the event computers were stuffed so I knew nothing about the whereabouts of my competitors or even how many laps I had done: they had some lap times as 3 minutes and others at 15 hours (for a 6 hour, that’s impressive). Leigh’s conversation (and dance moves) were irresistible so I had another pit stop and decided I should put in another decent lap time, which I think I managed. I got back again around 5 hours 50 mins, and had seen Jess head out about 7 minutes in front on her final lap. I was sure the next girl behind me was several laps down and the Spoken girl had disappeared, so I had nothing to gain by heading out for another lap to match Jess. I was relieved to finally leave the chicken cart and my own weird thoughts. I staggered back to the tent and wondered whether snorting recovery powder was the most efficient means of getting it into my system. Everything hurt but I wasn’t totally spent; I was happy with my fitness and mental endurance. I also hadn’t crashed or cramped or been attacked by kamikaze wildlife which is always a bonus. I had indeed placed second, and as Jess is a top endurance rider I was pretty pleased. A good day in the saddle for me (although my butt was saying otherwise), and Nick and Leigh had put in some very solid lap times and enjoyed themselves too.

The drive home was interesting; I was so exhausted and kept passing those signs about 15 minute powernaps, but I found the only way to stay awake was eating. I managed to down 2 oranges, 2 bananas and also mix up a bottle of Endura recovery drink whilst driving (with no powder on my lap – my major achievement of the day)

My beautiful fourstroke fs03 performed excellently as always, aside from the squeaky rear suspension; this could have been fixed very easily but without Andy super-mechanic at my beck and call, I just left it making noise and pissing off myself and undoubtably everyone around me. Duallies are essential on rocky courses like that and four inches of travel means comfort (to an extent; even a leather armchair would hurt after 6 bumpy hours) but still speed enough to slam around corners and up short climbs. I was also very impressed with my new Louis Garneau carbon soled shoes; they felt really efficient and were so comfortable! And while I’m on the topic, I cannot go past Schwalbe Racing Ralphs. Try them, love them.

Immeasurable thanks to Andy for his amazing support and keeping my BMC working tremendously, to Leigh and Nick for their support even while kicking ass in Male Pairs themselves, and to Bendigo MTB Club for a fun course and great event. My brain somehow worked to gloss over the pain; almost as soon as I finished there were still enough endorphins to stimulate thoughts about the next event…

* Images courtesy of Stephen Rowe Images - good luck Stephen we have our fingers crossed for you.