So much happening......

It has been a week full of everything happening. Last week I was getting the fibro in for the tiling for the renovation and nailing in 3000 odd nails by hand (nail guns break through the fibro). So I got that ready then I set about getting organised for the C2C III. Packed my gear got the bike perped including swapping to SPD pedals from my time's (all my pedals and cleats are starting to fail) and I was ready to roll. Then the tiler rang "Can I start on Monday" eager to move back into out house I said yes, then thought crap so much to do beforehand. So I pulled the pin on the ride and got ready for painting the skirts, and everything else that needed doing. Really dissapointed I missed this one, I did the first 2 and really enjoy the ride.

So I re-planned and thought I'd do the bakery ride, all good enjoying the ride then my gears started to slip, I dropped to the back of the bunch, and they went again. So I backed off and finished off the ride at a pace where the drivetrain was not going to fail on me. So new parts are ordered and just waiting, hopefully I'll have new running gear very soon.

The reno's are coming along well with some hours going in, and at the moment I'm keen to get some more painting done but with the tile's still wet and still going in, it will have to wait.

So with road crits on tonight I had to find another option if I wanted to ride. So Kendra had been interested in trying a curly bared bike, her Giant CRX is fantastic on the road but she was wondering what the difference is. About 18 months ago I had brought an Avanti Monza specifically so we could have a dedicated bike on the trainer, the bike is on the small side for me and on the large size for her so just fits us both. I paid $400 for it 2nd hand, it had with 100k's on it, bargain. So today I got it back on the road taking the trainer specific tyre off, I put on a new front tyre an older rear tyre. new bar tape, a clean, a slight gear adjustment and it should be ready to go (even put the mount for the garmin on it. I'll plan a nice little cruise with some efforts before crits to get the feel for it, but I'm right to go. It will be ready for Kendra to test out too.

So that is where I'm at, I have not got the training in as I would like but really happy with how the reno's are going. Plenty of work to keep me busy but at least we will be in the house by the time I go back to work. the 6 weeks has gone way too fast but I have got alot done, and alot has happened. Hopefully I'll be back on track with my riding very soon.

Get your entry in Willo Enduro Challenge

James Williamson Enduro Challenge

It has nearly been a year since we lost such a great bloke of our sport. This event will be a great one so get your entry in. I like this video!

Nearly the end of Jan....Already

Since the Rocky Trail 8 hour allot has happened. I did a ride to the coast and back (well not quite back the rain was getting too heavy so we piked at Captains Flat). Kendra and I did the Urban Polaris which was great fun as usual and finished up with a good 7 hours of riding. Plus allot of unstructured training to really wind out the feeling of training, training, training that I had leading into October.

This year has so far been all about short efforts really. I have finally been able to join the ACT Vets cycling Club as I turn 35 this year and have been getting into the different type of road riding. I have been wanting to join for a while now as I was keen to try crits and road racing at a more relaxed and less emphasis on racing than the other clubs in Canberra. It is really good to have a change and I think it can only improve my riding, as it really works on all my weakness's.

So far I don't know how this will translate to the mountain bike, but it is great to get loads of club racing in so far with 5 races I may just build a good tally throughout the year. But with a few 24 solo's to be planned for the year, and a different structure in training it is going to be interesting to see how it all pans out and I'm really looking forward to it. I love the fact that cycling offers so much variation that there is always something that will grab my interest to keep the passion going. I also have some sights in the future at looknig at adding some extra different types of efforts that may include something like this:

But more on that another day :).

So what is happening for the first half of the year, well at the moment renovations and as I type this our new kitchen is going in, and I can't wait to have all the work done. I have had a load of work to do and getting allot done after delaying the work for the World solo efforts. I'm back at work on the 22nd of Feb so no doubt the place will look great by then. I also have a fun social weekend at Nowra, C2C 200 the return of the wandera, Wagga 6 hour, Rocky trail MTB cruise, Escape Cobra mountain 100mile, Mont, Easter 24, and OHV 24. So a fair bit of fun right there. Hopefully these races will give me a good natural build, and with the Vets road racing going to late march no doubt there will be loads of fun and games.

Rocky trail 8 hour

What a load of fun. A week before the race I had no idea what I wanted to do, 8 seemed a bit too much, 4 I was keen for but really lacked some motivation to be honest, and I have been lacking that a bit since Worlds. But I had a call from Anne who was keen for a pair, and it was just the kick I needed, team Radical was go.
I must admit we were a little relaxed arriving thinking it is all good I got my bottle's, food what else do I need. Quick chat to Kylie head over to Andrew and Robyn who had an awesome setup and we were lucky enough to be invited in. Little did we know how much we would need that shade later on. Next time it will be my turn to bring it, as long a Bailey still comes, got to love having a dog around :).
I was up first and I was a keen for a good start. I had not done a pairs for a long time but I was keen to get some speed into the legs, knowing I'd get a break. So I headed off with Gaz and I trading a few places it was pretty fun not feeling like I needed to be conservative. It was a fun track and really happy it was not a repeat of the Worlds tracks, but really surprised as I expected the tracks to be a little more worse for wear. After putting out a good first test lap I was happy to come in and hand over to Anne.
This repeated several time's and it was heating up, I kept the intensity there and on my 4th I felt some twinges of cramps but kept them at bay. Into the finish and Anne tells me to go again, and it is all good and I ease it off a little and I knew it could be a long lap if cramps set in. They did on and off, with the muscules rolling in my calves I got the rest of my fluids in but rode it through. But after coming in I knew I'd only 1 more lap to go and it would be all over....maybe.
So the last lap and I was cruising, not wanting a repeat of cramps I was happy to roll it out as we did not have much chance of catching 1st and 2nd was practically cemented. It was pretty quite on the track but still enjoying the flow. After Willo's link I decided to put a little more effort in as I knew cramps would not stop me now. Back to the 4x track over some humps and pssssssssst. Awesome with this being the last lap it did not matter with a roll down to the finish, to let Anne finish it off.
I was pretty surprised the cafe latex did not fully seal the hole, it was not small though, made a real mess of the bike with a skin layer mix with dirt ;).
All in all pretty happy with the effort with 3 laps all being within 3 seconds :). Plus a huge thanks to Anne for helping in my decision and getting me the motivation into the race. Andrew, Robyn and Bailey for letting us share your shade and company (Bailey did make me pay in the form of sharing my TORQ bars), and everyone else who provided the good times and fun.
On the test I had a Garmin 800, loved it and still playing and working it all out. Yep my first Garmin, so it is taking a while, if only I can get it to talk to my powertap......Review to come.

The roller coaster

Lately my riding has been a little like this. Last week feeling good after a good couple of sessions I headed to the crits. I opened up my matchbox and they were all burnt. I had nothing someone put the rev limier on and I was not riding like I should have, I completed B grade and I was like a diesel truck....fully loaded. I also did a few extra laps with the other grades but I could tell it was not right so pulled the pin on them. I have no idea why but everyone has bad days. Saturday I went for a little ride just a little tester to see what I would have for the Fitz’s.......I rolled the dice and got a 1, legs were not responding.


Sunday the Fitz’s 165k challenge, I woke up with raining weather, checked BOM, and although there was a heavy band I knew it would not last and thought I should roll the dice again and see what my legs can do. Well I got to Stromlo and watched a Commodore nearly get bogged, I did the rego, got ready and waited. The weather felt like it just turned itself off, and we were on the start line, with a quick brief and go.

I jumped to the front of the pack to hopefully avoid the wheel spray and roll down to the cotter. On the other side was the first challenge, to stay with the group up the first climb, wahoo my legs responded, and the group dropped to about 10. Each climb was a test each one getting harder but surviving....till got close to my work, and simple little climb and I was dropped legs were feeling limited but I could maintain a solid pace which held. I kept plugging away mot losing any ground I got to the short Birragi climb. I was close and felt like I could jump on the train, and just as I got close they stopped....rain jackets were coming off. Yay, I was back this time cruising behind the front 2 riders. I knew all I had to do was 1 more effort to stay with them till Fitz’s, and that was just out of Tharwa. This train was not stopping at the Tharwa check point straight through and onto the climb. I held my top end pace which was slowly dropping, I was dropping back through the group about ¾ of the way up the last rider went past but I held his wheel to the top...just. I was happy, it does not seem like much of an accomplishment to most but I was happy a little goal in my head was achieved.

We got to Fitz’s hill and I was off the back doing my own ride. It seems my diesel was now plugging away up at a similar pace as a few of the others that had blew off there steam. At the top some riders go for a little recovery but I’m happy to carry through and take the advantage. This was pretty much how it went for the rest of the ride, I plugged away overtaking riders at checkpoints and sometime's being overtaken on the roads etween. I was starting to enjoy it, things were looking good. The head wind was strong and nobody seemed to be working in groups. Plugging away now 30k’s to go I started to come alive again the end is near, so I slowly ramped it up. The pushing up Mt McDonald seemed really good still a little headwind but really hoping it would soon turn to a tail when I hit the sister’s. I throw the dice and hit the sisters as hard as I could, the tail wind was there, and it felt great to come home strong, the sisters had never felt so easy. So back to Stromlo feeling a little smashed like I had finished a short XC race with the tired leg feeling of a solo 24 hour, I was done and I left it all out on the road.

So after this effort I took it easy, I knew it would have taken its toll. Also with some bad planning on my part it seemed difficult to get the rides into work or home like I wanted. But Wednesday I got the ride home and it was great I had some fire in the legs, and rode home with some workmates, with Clayton pushing and testing my limits, and Tim keeping us very honest making it hard to get the recovery in. So all was good.

Thursday crit day, well this one was going to be different, I headed home from work due to a support later that night. The weather was miserable, my plan was to get some sleep wake up at 4:30 and get ready and go. I woke up with about 1.5 hours sleep and felt like a zombie, motivation was low to get organised and drive. So the easy option it is I did not want to roll that dice, plus the thought of muddy conditions again was a real turn off.

So the past week I feel like I have been on the coaster with some great up’s and some down’s not knowing what is coming. Don’t really know why but hopefully this afternoon after a little nap those matches will be restored to the full packet to light it up. Sometime's really we feel like this for a reason, just half the time we don't know that reason.