KONA DIRTY WEEKEND!

When we told our non-mountain biking friends we were going to Adelaide for the Kona Dirty Weekend we certainly got some interesting looks. For our mountain biking friends, they knew exactly what it meant! The Kona Dirty Weekend was held by Bicycle SA on 16^th/17^th April and saw us make the road trip to Adelaide so Al could compete in the 24 hour solo race, with me as support crew. It was awesome timing being the middle week of school holidays meant we did not have to get any time off school and could have a little holiday in Adelaide.

The race started at 2pm, so we made the trip up through the Adelaide hills that morning. Setting up was a little tough as I was feeling a bit green from the windy roads to Cuddlee Creek, and most of the trackside places had already been taken by other support crews. We managed to find a piece of grass on a fairly steep incline about 10 metres from the track, next to a couple Jane and Gaz who were competing in the 24 solo. Looking at their elaborate and organised set up they had clearly done a few of these!! Once setup it was time for Al to eat, drink and put his feet up and wait for the clock to strike 2!! Race briefing at a 24hour feels like there is a nervous energy buzzing cloud in the air, hovering over as many riders prepare to ride their bikes for what seems like an outrageously long time! They would be riding for 12 hours in light and 12 ½ hours in pitch black!! The fear and nerves in their eyes said it all!!

Speaking to a few of the locals, the track had been changed from last year, and there were whispers that the course would be more difficult than the recent World Championship 24hour at Stromlo. Surely not!!!! 2pm come soon enough and the twenty one 24 hour soloists were off. With 114 entrants in total, this event offered something for everyone. A 6 hour, 12 hour (split into 2 x 6hrs giving competitors a chance to sleep through the night) and a 24 hour event had solo and team entrants. The course was 10.9km, which we had estimated would take Al roughly 45 minutes to complete. When I saw the leaders charge through at 45-50 minutes I was starting to wonder if our estimations were a little skew-if. Indeed they were; a course with almost 100% single track would result in lap times being slower than anticipated. The course was described as full of switchbacks and rather technical for a 24hour, but no doubt a lot of fun. Once the riders were off, the event village was pumping to keep riders, team members and support crew entertained. They did a great job with the Torq van providing energy, a mobile cafe serving delicious food and coffee and the red bull tent pumping some tunes which gave the event an awesome vibe.

When Al came through the pit in over an hour, towards the end of the riders, with his number plate hanging by a thread and blood down his arm and leg it was obvious something wasn’t right!! Not exactly the start we had hoped for! About 7 minutes into the race, the rider in front of him had skid out and with nowhere to go Al found himself catapulted over the handlebars crashing badly on his head and right shoulder. Next lap he came back to the pit in an even slower time advising me his right arm had pins and needles down it. He was obviously in a lot of pain but was refusing to stop, and kept saying ‘it’ll be right.’ I went for a walk through the pit crews and found an off duty paramedic who came up and spoke to Al after this next lap, which, by this stage his arm intermittently going completely dead and the movement in his neck and shoulder were fairly limited. Obviously struggling with the decision to ride on or not, we decided it would be best to go to emergency to make sure no nerve or spinal injuries had been obtained in the crash.

Needing to pack up the marquee and all the gear in the dark which luckily my Ay-Up head torch made things a lot easier and quicker. As did the help from our next door neighbour’s support crew, big thanks to those guys!! The GPS sent us on a dirt road for about 20km’s, which was badly corrugated and had Al flinching in pain the whole way down. Worried we were doing more damage by not keeping his neck completely still we were holding our breathes as the GPS took us past some weird looking hillbilly places. The numbness in Al’s arm was a result of swelling in the shoulder and neck pinching the ulna nerve with every small bump or movement and thankfully no permanent damage was done.

Unfortunately our Kona Dirty Weekend was cut short and it was a shame to miss the night’s events and Day Two, which was sure to be quite eventful, especially in the men’s field. The women’s field was vastly underrepresented with only 1 competitor, Jane Hutchinson, who managed a fantastic 15 laps. Awesome effort considering when you come in to pit at 3am and you know you have the event won, it would be quite easy to stop riding, however Jane kept riding through and placed 45^th overall. Super effort!! Come on girls, have a crack!! Steven Lee took out the Solo male category with an impressive 25 laps, placing 18^th overall. Team Orbea had a close tussle with Bobby Dazzler’s for the male 4 person team with a whopping 32 laps. In the 12 hour event, Anne Antrecht and Dean Jones took out the solo wins.

 This event was run superbly, with the event village really pumping and friendly smiling faces everywhere you looked. Suggestions for next year would be to include a bit more fire-trail in the loop to give riders more of an opportunity to eat and drink, as some described the course suited to a cross country race rather than a 24. Perhaps having some merchandise such as tee-shirts would be good for competitors so they have a souveniour of their epic feat, as well as having more room track side for support crew. It was quite a tad annoying having to race down to the track with food and drinks and then have to run back up the slope if riders needed a bike tool or something else. A big thank-you and well done to Bicycle SA, sponsors, volunteers for running a fantastic event!

INTERVIEW WITH A FIRST TIME 24HOUR RACER!!

I reckon there are a few people out there who are thinking about doing a 24hr race solo and perhaps pondering whether they have what it takes to undertake this challenge many perceive as impossible, crazy or just plan ridiculous. I’ve decided to interview Al who this weekend will take to the tracks at the Kona Dirty Weekend in South Australia and attempt to ride solo for 24 hours for the first time. This article will include some words with Al before and after the race and maybe convince a few readers to get out there and have a crack at the 24solo.

How long have you been riding for?

I started cycling in 2003 through triathlon and then about 2 ½ years we bought Giant Anthem Duallies with the intention of doing some mountain biking over winter for cross training but it has turned into somewhat of a cycling obsession!

How many Enduro’s have you done?

I’ve done a few of the Victorian 6hr State Series Enduros, including the Bendigo and Castlemaine rounds. I’ve also done the Surfcoast 6hr, 12hr mixed pairs (Surfcoast and Gravity) and the Woodend and Bendigo 100km events as well as Otway Odyssey. I seem to have had more DNF’s than F’s in the past 12 months with broken ribs, concussion, food poisoning and numerous smashed rear derailleur’s’ have had me walking my bike through the finishing chute.

What’s your ride?

About two months ago I traded in my dually for a 29er Single Speed Lynskey Titanium and it is AWESOME!!! It’s got stylo cranks, ZTR crest 29er tubeless wheels, XT brakes and Rockshox forks.

Single Speed! Surely 24 hour’s is hard enough with gears let alone without? One question: Why?

One of the reasons I got the single speed was to improve my road racing, as riding SS forces me to have a higher cadence and increase strength for the climbs. The other reason I got SS is to eliminate the mechanical issues that come with a geared bike. For enduro racing, I had plenty of offers to help with handing out drink bottles but none who were very handy with a spanner. So for this reason the SS is awesome as all I need to worry about is pedalling, eating , drinking and staying upright.

So does that mean you’re going to grow a massive beard, rehydrate with beer after every lap and grow dreadies?

If it means I will ride as quick as Brett ‘Jebus’ Bellchambers than I’m willing to do or grow anything!!

What makes you want to do a 24hr?

Just to see if I can. Also, I think that contemplating this at the age of 27 when most of my mates are down at the pub drinking and smoking ... I guess it’s a bit of a celebration that I haven’t done the stereotypical thing, as I would much rather ride my bike than spew all over myself being hung-over every weekend.  

What lighting system do you use?

When we first started riding we were keen to get out there and do some night riding so after a heap of research into what would be the best and the cheapest, we got a set of Ay-Up Lights. 2 ½ years later they are still going strong and I wouldn’t recommend anything else. The V4 Adventure Kit includes a handlebar light, head light, 3 batteries, head torch and a range of mounts. You get to choose from an awesome range of colours for both lights which is pretty sweet. PS choose separate colours for each light as this helps you remember which is which, as they have different shaped lenses.

Do you have a race plan?

My plan is to make sure I eat enough, because in past races I haven’t. I’m thinking it is going to be a good idea to stop after every 4 hours for 15 minutes or so to ensure I get enough calories in. I’m going to pull over and refuel/rehydrate if I feel myself running a bit on empty. I also aim to not fall asleep whilst still riding my bike!

What types of hydration and food are you going to be using during the race?

Nuun Hydration to rehydrate, Endura Optimizer and sustagen for calorie drinks, sandwiches with jam, honey or peanut butter, creamed rice, porridge, torq bars, muesli bars and home made cookies. I would normally have bananas but Courtney was not willing to sell her kidney to pay for them, even though I have told her she only needs one. And I may even eat a geared rider if they get in my way up the climbs.

How much training have you done in preparation for this race?

For the past 6 months I have had some pretty consistent training with a couple of races thrown in. I generally get about 10-14 hours in per week. However as I am a school teacher and am on holidays more than I actually work (according to all my non teacher friends), I am able to put some long k’s over the summer holidays. Weekends generally consist of a long road ride (100-150k) and a mtb, Tuesday’s and Thursday’s I try to get in a quality session whether it be strength or intensity on the ergo and Wednesday is a mtb skills session. At times I do whatever training my mates are doing as this is what I enjoy most about riding, the social side to it.

What is your goal for the race?

To ride 300km’s...... and to finish in 1 piece......and to still have a fiancé when we leave for Victoria.

POST RACE QUESTIONS

How are you feeling?

Pretty sore.  

How did the race go?

Not so good, about 7 minutes into the race I crashed on my head and consequently had to go to the emergency room as I lost feeling in my arm and didn’t have much movement in my neck.

So things definitely did not go to plan then?

Nope, not at all. I was pretty devastated at not being able to finish another race. However, there is always another bike race, there isn’t always another neck though!

Thanks for the interview and good luck for your upcoming races!

I reckon if you’re thinking contemplating doing a 24hour my advice is just do it! You’ll never ever know if you never ever have a go!!! It’s great fun, you get to meet and chat to lots of different people and eat loads of food all whilst riding some wicked trails and doing some night riding.

However, things don’t always go according to plan as Al race has shown.  It was hard for me as support crew to see Al in the state he was, he wanted more than anything to finish this race. He had invested so much time training and preparing for this race, the past 6 months of training had been geared towards this race and it involved a 1300km round trip to be there. However, as support crew it is important to know when a rider is in danger of doing further damage to themselves and if you need to force them to stop for their own wellbeing then it must be done. Al continued to ride for another 3 ½ hours after the crash and each time he came into pit he was clearly in pain and his movement was lessening each time. Most riders are very stubborn and Al was refusing to give up. As support crew I had to seek further medical opinion (a big  thank you to the off duty paramedic who helped us)and we decided if he kept riding he was risking permanent damage. Luckily no permanent damage and no doubt he hill be back on the bike very soon!! 

NUUN HYDRATION FROM MOXIEGEAR!

In March 2008 I made the transition from triathlon to mountain biking, not intentionally but rather through injury and have been absorbed in the cycling world since. In September 08 after watching Craig “Gordo” Gordon smash himself and the field on 24Solo I decided I wanted to race the Kona24 hour in November. I set out to research this somewhat extreme sport and discovered it would be a race of whoever ate and drank the most whilst still pedalling their bikes. After many hours on the internet researching what the best nutrition and hydration products, I came across ‘Nuun’ tablets. I used them in training leading up to the event to make sure they were the real deal. They got me through the 24hour Solo and even into 2^nd place. For those of you who have not used or heard of Nuun, here is a quick rundown of what it is; Nuun Hydration is an electrolyte tablet that you simply pop into your drink bottle to give you all your hydration needs. It’s as simple as “poppin a tab” and combined with eating properly will see you avoid the dreaded “bonk” in races.

                                      

I am yet to find another product on the market that works as well as Nuun.  Here is a list of reasons why I use Nuun:

-          They offer a great range of flavours: Banana, Tri-berry, Lemon-Lime, Orange and Ginger and Citrus Fruit. This is essential when racing an endurance event as you soon get sick of the one flavour. I rotate flavours throughout the race to continually stay hydrated.

-          The small waterproof canister allows you to carry it easily and conveniently in your camelback or jersey on those long training rides or marathon races.

-          No sugar in the tablets means no sticky mess or mouldy Camelbak bladder! I often forget to empty and clean it and I can leave Nuun drink in the bladder for days and it still tastes just as good and more importantly doesn’t wreck my camelback!

-          The taste. It’s all well and good to say just drink a drink, but it’s simple, if you do not like the taste of something, you won’t drink it. That’s why I rank taste up there as the number one factor in choosing a hydration product. Obviously it needs to replace electrolytes and do all the scientific stuff, but at the end of the day when our slugging it hard out there you need to like the taste of what your drinking, or you won’t drink it.

Now for those after the scientific reasons as to why Nuun works (jump on www.nuun.com for further information)

-          It is a hypotonic solution, meaning there are no carbs in the formula. This allows for your body to absorb Nuun faster and is able to restore the electrolyte balance your body needs quickly and efficiently. Having no carbs is also good for people who are being conscious about their carb intake. (Personally when I am riding for an hour or less I want no carbs)

-          Nuun has 700g of sodium per litre, which as we know sodium replacement is critical to minimise dehydration.

-          Per tablet, Nuun has 25mg of magnesium. Perfect for defending you against cramping. I sip on Nuun in the 3 days leading up to an event and I have not cramped once in a race since using Nuun.

-          Nuun tablets also contain Vitamin C, B, Calcium and Potassium to ensure optimal fluid replacement and hydration.

It was my absolute delight when we stumbled into a triathlon expo the day after we had competed in the Otway Odyssey to meet Darren and Briana. Darren and Briana are keen cyclists and adventure racers (both are competing in the XPD World Championships later this year) who are distributors for Nuun Hydration, through their company “Moxie Gear.” I had explained how as much as I try not buy products overseas on the internet, preferring to support local businesses, I had been purchasing Nuun products for two years from overseas as it was the only place I could find them. They explained how they had only started distributing Nuun and were able to offer more flavours that weren’t allowed to be shipped through the internet, drink bottles and socks.

 Loaded up with Nuun gear and their business card in hand I was very pleased we had accidentally stumbled across this triathlon expo. Darren and Briana have set up an easy to use internet site, offering Nuun products and SipStream (a bottle hydration system for cyclists). As soon as I get home I jumped online as my partner Al, and I have three 100km marathon mtb’s and a 24hour solo race each coming up in the next few months and I wanted to make sure we had enough Nuun to get us through all of those races and the large volume of training. Once online, I discovered Moxie Gear also offer a discount if you purchase more than one canister of Nuun’s, making it the cheapest place to buy Nuun products. I was amazed when our package arrived the very next day! Nuun is a fantastic product that will compliment your hard work on the bike and make sure you all your hydration needs are met!

                                              

Head to www.moxiegear.com.au to check out the Nuun tubes, funky socks and drink bottles designed perfect for racing.

TATHRA ENDURO RACE REPORT

When Craig asked if I was keen to race the Tathra Enduro on March 26/27^th, my plans for writing the race report were a little different to how it’s turned out. I had been looking forward to racing the Tathra Enduro since I had heard about it;  was a new race on the calendar, it was only 2.5 hours drive from our hometown, and the Youtube race preview clips the club posted on Facebook got us keen as mustard. However, I am currently sitting on a camping mat, in the back of our ute, typing this, as 71 males and 4 females have headed out on the King Nelba 100km. An injury has put me sulkily on the bench (literally as we are at the local football oval), and therefore I will give you a race report from a spectator’s point of view mixed with my partner, Al’s point of view who is lucky enough to be out there tearing up the trails. My only wish is for him and his bike to come back in one piece, as this has not been the case with one or the other breaking in his last couple of races.

Tathra is a small coastal town about 5 hours south of Sydney and 2.5 hours south east of Canberra and lucky for us only 2.5 hours from East Gippsland. This race came to fruition when the environmental group Clean Energy for Eternity collaborated with the Wilderness Coast and Snowy Mountains MTB Club to bring about one goal. The goal: to run an event that would not only showcase some wicked single track in Tathra but to also raise money to go towards making Tathra the first town to run solely on solar power. 

As we drove into the township of Tathra we embarked down a ridiculously steep hill and the worried look on Al’s face said it all. The cliff face we stared up on from the township confirmed the rumours we had heard about the race being hilly. Saturday we headed to the Tathra Country Club for registration and to watch the 10km time trail and the 2km kids race. This was very entertaining and no doubt there were some future Australian mountain bike champions in the making. The next event was a 10km prologue that showcased some of the best single track Tathra had to offer, with Jason English beating 40 other competitors in a cranking time of 29:31. The race hub was in full swing, with the Trek Demo guys displaying some awesome bikes, with the tunes pumping and the Lions Club frying up a bbq to raise funds towards the Clean Energy Community Project.  

Sunday morning soon rolled around and our caravan park was a convenient 5 minute ride from the Race Hub. We arrived to find the MC and the music blaring had everyone fired up for race start and then came race briefing, which perhaps went a little too long for nervous competitors keen to go, provided a hilarious and informative insight  into how the trails came about to be in Tathra. A helicopter doing doughies in the air had us all entertained as people wondered whether a kamikaze parachuting mountain biker was going to dive out. No such luck but an added entertainment factor to make this a unique event.

The King Nelba 100km course saw competitors head straight into single track so a Le Mans start was decided upon, seeing 71 riders lining up in the middle of the oval and running to their bikes was quite a spectacle. Same went for the 50km Goat Knob Race which had over 120 competitors, with the highlight being two guys wrestling in the middle of the field to stop the other from getting to their bike first, but most likely resulted in both heading into the single track last! I think the Le Mans worked well, however if this event continues to grow and numbers increase, organisers may need to look at making the run longer or having some fire road before going into single-track. A 16km single track circuit at the beginning of the race gave spectators the opportunity to see riders came through the Race Hub about after 16k, and then again at the 90km mark.

                                

The Tathra Enduro was a fantastic event, especially for an event that is in its first year and one that was run by a handful of volunteers. It had the feel of a local club event and I believe this gave it an awesome vibe, I can see this race getting bigger and bigger in the future, and I hope it can still maintain that relaxed feeling. Riders described the course as “bloody hard” and Jason English said he believed it should be considered for the National Marathon Championship Race next year.  There were some organisation aspects that are to be expected with a first time event, and I’m sure these will be ironed out for next year. Feedback from riders included the competitor show bags being a little light on with goodies and minimal nutrition at aid stations for an event with a $100 entry fee, a clock at the finishing shoot, on occasion some organisers seemed unsure of where riders should be or what to do.

What made this event truly special was having so many locals involved and the local support, it seemed every single business in the town was behind the event. The Royal Lifesaving Club, the local supermarket, the Lions Club, Emergency Services, the local fish and chip shop, newsagent and Tathra Beach and Bike Shop to name a few. Also, the local indigenous group needs to be thanked for allowing these awesome trails to have been built, the MTB club, Stacey George and all the volunteers who set up the drink stations, chopped the watermelons, and encouraged riders to the very end.

 Al would also like to thank the two 10 year old girls who were perched on a hill set up with a table and water jug at the 35km mark offering to fill riders drink bottles. When Al asked if they had any “Torq powder” he was met with the reply “umm...we don’t know what that is, we just carried the table, ice and water up by ourselves from our house.” It was this community spirit that made it such a special event and it he whole community has got behind this event and I urge mountain bikers to get behind it next year, it is well worth the trip. Well done to Jason English who won in a cranking time of 4 hours and 46 minutes, and Amanda Sanderson was the first female to cross the line.

Well done and a big thank-you must go to the Wilderness Coast and Snowy Mountains MTB Club, Clean Energy for Eternity, local businesses Tathra Beach and Bike Store, all sponsors, volunteers, locals and all involved on providing such a fantastic event that helps support the environment and clean energy campaign. I’ll be hitting the Tathra trials throughout the year as it is an awesome holiday destination and can’t wait to write next year’s race report AFTER the race in my lycra!

                              

Being Injured…… SUCKS

Last year was a very topsy turvey year in terms of my training and racing, trained flat out for the Red Centre Enduro after having 2 months of not very good training due to a knee injury and then 2 months off after it due to an arthroscope, moved to three different towns, got a good 6 week training block under my belt then competed in the Worlds 24hour solo in October. A lot of people I know had about 2 months off after that race, they had blown themselves apart both physically and mentally. I on the other hand, was rearing to go due to my time off before the race. Loved every minute of the race and had about 2 weeks recovery before racing again. But it seems it all eventually catches up with you. School holidays started shortly after and we thus began a 6 week block of living like elite athletes. All we had to do was worry about riding, eating and sleeping and we absolutely loved it! Racking up 400-500k’s a week on the bike and feeling fit.

About 5-6 weeks ago on Saturday long road ride, consisting of 150k’s of hills, I developed a pain in my left glute muscle that was there form start to finish. It got worse as the ride went on and by the last 50k I was struggling to lift my left leg up on the pedal stroke, and needed help lifting it over the top tube to get off. I rested the next day, stretched and iced and hoped for the best. The next weekend I raced in the Otway Odyssey and once again it hurt from start to finish, up out of the saddle descending over any bump and climbing were agonising for the entire 7 hours. Perhaps a strength in some circumstances and a weakness in others, I am very stubborn and have never not finished a race and stopping was never an option. A bit of a recovery week and the hip flexor region seemed to be getting a little better, but not 100%.

Got a few massages and this helped but each time I rode it then ached for the next 2 days, all day long even when I wasn’t riding. I still continued training and refused to let it stop me from doing the training I needed to do. Capital Punishment 100k, Tathra 100k, Bright 6hour Enduro and the National 24hour solo were races all booked and paid for. A trip to the physio last night provided a diagnosis of psoas tendinitis (pain around hip flexor region). A rest off the bike completely and ice massage is the only way to get over it. It could be 2 weeks, 4 weeks or 2 months. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, I should have had more time off after the Worlds, I should have had a rest 6 weeks ago when it first started hurting instead of continuing to train even when it was sore. Hopefully a lesson learnt for the future.

So, after a few hours of self pity and anger, I am trying my best to focus on what I CAN do, rather than what I CAN’T do. It is hard though, as I have been training hard and super pumped about those upcoming races. I know I’m going to be a pain in the ass to be around as mental health is so intrinsically linked to physical health. I am wondering what an earth I’m going to do to fill the time instead of riding. Perhaps I’ll get all those things done which I never have time to do. E.g the thankyou cards from our engagement party 2 months ago which are still sitting on the table! I daresay dinners over the next month or so will be a bit more exciting than the usual stir-fry as I’ll have more time to explore some new recipes. I need to see this as an opportunity to work on the things I usually ignore due to time restrictions and let my body recover fully. It's really not that big of a deal to be injured in the scheme of things, I mean Ive got 2 legs, 2 arms and a heartbeat, and if abit of tendonitis is all thats bothering me then Ive got nothing to complain about. Getting injured is just part of it, it's part and parcel when you spend 12-20hours a week exercising and I've gotta take it in my stride. I'll be focusing on upper body strength so going to the gym,  boxing,  kayaking, surfing and lots of stretching!

The Mudfest that was Otway Odyssey

Since joining the mountain biking fraternity a little over two years ago, there has been one race that has been the most talked about, on the top of many riders bucket list, and dare I say the most feared on the race calendar.  A race that I once heard a lady say she had found “harder than giving birth.” It was no wonder the week leading up to Otway Odyssey I was waking up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night!

“...I once heard a lady say she had found “harder than giving birth”

In the 6am complete darkness I attempted to warm up my legs and elevate the heart rate when just 5 minutes before race start greater priorities hit, I thought I had lost my credit card, $20, and our only set of car keys, as well as realising I had about 5psi in my front tyre! Needless to say this sent the heart rate through the roof.  Lesson two: even when you think you are prepared, you are not. The Elite women set off 30 minutes before the main race start in a bid to stamp out pacing by males. This proved to be very advantageous as we experienced no bottle necks and the track would have been in better condition for us.

“The winds at the top of the climb were ridiculous, and I even heard that one guy got blown off the edge!”

The climb up Wild Dog Road proved long and arduous, with the peloton spread out from top to bottom. The winds at the top of the climb were ridiculous, and I even heard that one guy got blown off the edge! Finally after what felt like an eternity of bitumen, largely due to the wet weather course redirection, we hit a 4wd track.

Initially uncertain about how to approach the massive puddles that the track lied beneath, I soon discovered that bottom back, closing my eyes, clenching my teeth and hanging on as I flew through them was the best option. This worked 90% of the time. The other 10% saw me fly head first into knee deep puddles. Oh well, at least the landings were relatively soft! Being hesitant through the puddles only spelt a certain plunge.

Soon enough came the first real muddy mudfest of mud. What felt like about a 500m descend of pure clay brought many riders, myself included literally stuck in mud. A quarter of the way down and both wheels had locked up with an exuberant amount of mud and what felt like half of Forrest stuck in my front forks, rear triangle, chainstay and every other component of my bike. I fell over no less than 10 times just trying to walk my bike down the hill. Looking back up was hysterical with rider upon rider scrambling, sliding, nose diving, ploughing and doing anything they could to themselves and their bikes down.

After scooping about 10kg of mud from my bike I continued on and made the decision to stop at the next creek crossing and spend a good 5 or so minutes cleaning my bike, wiping and re-lubing the chain before embarking up another unrideable claggy mess of a hill. This decision proved wise as I passed at least 6 riders over the duration of the race cursing their bikes for not having a working granny gear. The mud definitely added another dimension to the race, with riders either loving or loathing it. Some riders went passed squealing and whooping in sheer excitement and joy, whilst other were cursing and having tantrums, it seemed to really make or break the riders.

At the 40km mark I stopped to fill up my Camelbak with a supplied CarboShotz tablet and some water and saw a guy eating the tablets on their own. Yikes! Suggesting he might want to chase that up with some water, we proceeded on our way and he spent the next 10km doing the most impressive and disgusting burps I had ever heard in my life! The next 40 or so km’s were predominantly single track and I found myself experiencing some low times here, too stuffed to enjoy the sweet flowing corners, log rolls and drop offs I must admit I was feeling very defeated and sorry for myself.

This all changed however when I go to fang through epic berms at Mariner’s Run. Put a smile on the dial and I managed to find some much needed motivation to get my butt back into gear and finish the race strongly. Coming back into Forrest Football Ground at the 89km mark gave me a new found confidence and desire to finish off strongly. My coach JP had outlined the game plan of taking the first 50km easy, eating lots, drinking lots and taking time to clean my bike in order to finish the last 25km strong.

At the 90km mark I breathed a sigh of relief, only 10km to go. However, upon reaching ‘Britney’s Breakdown’ I soon had flash backs to the Ingerrekke Red Centre Enduro whereby I’m certain the Rapid Ascent team had deliberatly made the final 10km of the race the most physically and mentally challenging. Got through Britney’s Breakdown, up Sledgehammer and then down some extremely boggy and slippery single track to finally reach the finish line. I was absolutely wrecked but already super keen and excited for next year’s race, I was stoked with the 7 hours of muddy awesomeness that was the 2011 Otway Odyssey.

 To finish off I would just like to share with you the race report of my partner Al, who for those of you who’ve read my other entries will know he hasn’t had much luck in the way of his last few races, which have included broken ribs, concussion, 2 broken derailleur and food poisoning.

We were sure the Otway Odyssey was going to finally be his race, how wrong we were. At the top of Wild Dog an almighty gust of wind blew him across the road and into another rider, sheering his rear derailleur in half and rendering it useless. Instead of giving up, he decided to turn his dually into a single speed (about a 32/16 tooth) and continued to ride on for 50km’s, breaking his chain along the way. Still convinced he was going to finish the race, he quickly fixed it with a powerlink and continued on. However, dually’s aren’t meant to be a single speed and at around the 60km mark his bottom bracket packed itself in as the bearings had been crushed by his interesting little setup. This resulted in his cranks falling off, and with steely determination he walked the 9km back to the Forrest Football ground, bike in hand, cranks in the other.

Lesson learnt: don’t ever give up unless you don’t have a crank set on your bike.

Friday rolled around a little too quickly and at 3pm we set off on our 8 ½ hour car trip from East Gippsland to Apollo Bay. Lesson one: Get time off work when race start is 6.45am the next day and you’re not going to get to bed until 11.30pm that night. Waking up during those brief hours I did manage to sleep, all that could be heard was gale force howling winds and rain. Which I must admit did bring a smirk to my face as I knew this added challenge of the elements would make it a tougher race both mentally and physically, defeating a few people before the race had started.

Chick and Bib Knicks

Whilst out riding the East Gippsland Rail Trail on the weekend and for the third time needing to stop for a ‘nature break’ after having held on for as long as humanly possible, I was cursing myself for wearing Bib Knicks. I have found myself in this situation plenty of times in the past year so have decided to post a blog about this issue in the hope that other female riders will come forth with ideas/suggestions/stories about wearing bib knicks! I also hope it may bring to light in the minds of males the dilemma we females face when wearing bib knicks. For the past 3 years I have had Al in my ear about wearing bib knicks, “how can you not wear bib knicks? You’re missing out on so much comfort by not wearing bib knicks, you’re crazy for not wearing bib knicks, once you go bib knicks you’ll never go back” were the constant lines I was hearing every time I kitted up to go out for a ride. Finally, at the beginning of the year I cracked and put a pair of bib knicks. Well, as much as it pains me to say it, you were right Al. Bib knicks rock my world. Yes they are loads comfier, yes I never want to go back, yes I was crazy for resisting bib knicks for so long. However, being a mtb endurance racer, how do you propose I wear knicks on long rides and most importantly during 24hour races? Throughout the year when kitting up to go on long road rides I have often thought “hmm..wearing bib knicks is loads comfier, but what if I need a nature break?” and nearly every time I choose the comfy option only to regret it 3 hours into the ride, when I am sitting behind a tree (especially tough in the Ballarat winter months when I have to unplug my ipod, take off my helmet, take off my long sleeve jersey, then short sleeve jersey) absolutely freezing both top and bottom. It is quite the ordeal and on more than one occasion I have been busted and yes it has been very awkward indeed. So with the Worlds24 coming up, I am unsure as whether to wear bib knicks as obviously I want to be as comfy as possible, but will probably lose a hour or so of nature break time having to go through the nature break bib knick ordeal. Any suggestions greatly appreciated!!! Now that I have converted to bib knicks Al is trying to get me onto this chamois butt cream but perhaps that’s a whole other article I will have to write about.....