World 24 Hour Solo Champs 2010

Waiting five weeks or so to write a race report is nothing but slack. I have discovered that it is easy to write when you are really happy with the result and very difficult when you are not.

Tim and I have decided that there will be another 24 Hour World Solo race sometime in the future - I have unfnished business. I really believed I had a chance at a podium finish in my age group and I am disappointed not to have achieved this.



My preparation was as good as I could have expected given the weather and the very major distraction of being made redundant! There are a couple of things I would change next time but nothing major. I would like to thank Lisa Morgan, my long suffering coach for preparing me so well for the event.

The race started well for me and I quickly settled into a relaxed pace. I can't say I care for le mans starts! I really enjoyed the course with the first ascent to the top being an easy gradient with a few rocks to keep you honest. Unfortunately there were not many places to eat or drink. The descent down the back through Western Wedgetail and Pork Barrell were rocky and reasonably steep. I am pleased to say I rode every section in the light and dark. I put my foot down once, I think, when a lady ended up down a bank in the dark, I thought it would be nice to pull her bike off her!

The 2nd climb to the top was mostly 4wd track, in my practise laps and during the first 8 hours or so this wasn't much fun – it felt very hot. After about 5am I enjoyed this climb as so many people were walking! It is great motivation to give a little more when other people have given up!

The descent back to the pits was fun, the first 3 corners of Rollercoaster got a bit sketchy after awhile and of course the corners on luge were always fun! I think the total descent time was 12 – 15 minutes.

The race fell apart for me early on, after about 9 hours. I just did not drink enough, it was quite hot and with the excitement of the race I just didn't drink. I came into the pits and said to Juliet and Tim that I was in trouble, at which point I was shaking like it was cold. It wasn't cold as both Tim and Juliet were still wearing t-shirts. At this point Juliet and Tim realised I was dehydrated and did their best to get me to drink. After an hour and a half I was back out there, after one lap I felt good however after the 2nd I was back in the state I had been a few hours before. This time it took me longer to get going. I stopped again about 1.30am and didn't get going until 4am. In total I had 5 hours off the bike – easily 2 laps and quite possibly 3 missed. I hate doing these numbers it makes it clear what might have been.

Once I got started again I started to feel much better. I was pleased to be still riding and was determinded to salvage something from what was a disaster for me. I kept riding strongly, and made sure I finished my bottle every lap, I also “paused” at the top at each pass to eat a gel. This strategy worked well and I got 5 laps in between 4am and just after midday.

I am disappointed with how I went, I am pleased that I got out there and kept riding at the end. How easy would it have been to pack up and go home?

A special thanks to the following, R&R Sport, Juliet for being my Pit Crew Manager, Tim for giving up his birthday to support me, my Mum, my Dad, Marc from R&R in Dunedin for tuning the Tallboy during the night, all the other people cheering and yelling and all the people back in NZ watching the event on the net – next time I'll deliver....

Wednesday in Canberra

I arrived in Sydney on Monday to rain. The drive to Canberra led to better weather, and it is sunny right now and was outstanding yesterday.

I am pretty busy doing nothing, it is amazing how much time you can consume by resting, building bikes and going to the supermarket at least 3 times a day! I am just about to do a proper shop - this is where I need to concentrate on what I am buying.

I rode a lap of the course yesterday. It is very dry, you could almost say some light rain would be nice. I am really happy with the course, there is nothing too hard when you are not tired. I enjoy the rocks as it adds a nice dimension and interest to the ride. Pork Barrell is pretty cool but I was say the best part is the descent at the end a good ten minutes of Skyline, Rollercoaster and Luge. The most disconcerting thing is the signs saying "snakes seen recently in the is area!" The climbing is ok, and there is one section on the 2nd ascent of the hill that will become a painful fire road climb

I am unsure how long each lap will be as I haven't yet done a complete lap without stopping, over an hour most certainly. I have a pretty good pit space and with my crew being able to see clearly on the course.

Juliet, my sister, and Pit Crew Manager arrives tomorrow, and Tim and my Mum on Friday. It's getting pretty exciting now and I can't wait to get going.

Five Days to Go

Last time I looked it was August, somehow it is now October!

The last few weeks have been spent organising gear, packing gear and spending endless quantities of money, however I found time to complete my preparation by participating in my first road race for over 5 years. The Wellington Veterans Cycle Club put a great event and fantastic weather in Featherston this year. I opted for the shorter 64km ride, there would have been about 100 people in this event and when I saw the amount of fluro I headed to the 2^nd row of the start.

Pretty soon there was a breakaway of three riders, four to five of us managed to reel them in after about 5 minutes, then we hit the first hill and I promptly got dropped! This left me in no mans land, I could see the first bunch but couldn't quite get there and when I looked back there was no sign of anyone chasing. I decided to put my head down and time trial and wait until I caught. In the meantime I was catching the tail enders from the 80km and I picked up a rider from my bunch who had also been dropped.

I pulled this guy around the rest of the course, I would do a heap of work and he would come to the front and give me a rest and then as soon as he slowed I would take the lead again. He kept saying he wasn't pulling his weight but it did help me as I certainly would have been slower without him.

In the end we finished in 2.03 and the 2^nd bunch never caught us, though at times I could see them. I had to do an epic 1km sprint at the end as a girl from the 2^nd bunch had bridged the gap and there was no way she was finishing ahead of me. The results aren't up yet, however I am sure I was 2^nd girl and in the top ten to cross the line.

I was really impressed with the roadie seen and might just join in a bit more!

I'm in transit to Canberra right now, by the time I post this I'll might even be there. I feel under control and maybe a little apprensive, whatever happens, it will be fun.

Last big Weekend

In three weeks today I'll be in Canberra putting my bikes together, and in three weeks on Saturday the World Solo 24 Hours Champs start. Time has got away from me and is now moving very fast and there is a lot to do!

Last weekend was my last big weekend of training. On Saturday I headed out for a 10 hour road bike. I was lucky with the weather, it was slighly damp in Whiteman's Valley, a little windy at the bottom of the Akatarawa's and mighty freezing going down. It was warm in the bus stop on the corner of SH1 and Peka Peka Rd when, I was changing a puncture, and calm and sunny behind Te Horo. At Otaki Beach people were swimming and between Waikanae and Paraparumu I needed a sail to take advantage of the wind and then a shelter as I changed my 2nd puncture! I was glad of the wind over the Paekakariki Hill and cursing the wind swirl on the Haywards, and then smiling all the way home. It was a great day out with 230 plus kilometres of riding.

Sunday dawned bright and sunny. I sprung out of bed and headed on my mountain bike towards Makara Peak for a planned 8 hours. At the very top of Makara the rain started, and oh did it rain! This is when I realised I was quite tired, and some mental fortitude would be required. As the rain poured down I really couldn't be bothered with whole thing and decided I was going home. By the time I was back at the Hutt River the sun was out again so I changed my mind, and headed along the Hutt River Trail, over the Kennedy Good Bridge and then home. Once home I decided I was soft and should try and resurrect my ride. After putting on dry clothes and gloves I was like a new person and headed off to Pencarrow Lakes with renewed spirit. It was great to ride in places I hadn't ridden for ages, of course I had forgotten about the evil head wind on the Pencarrow Road. I eventually returned home after 6 hours and 30 minutes satisfied that I hadn't totally given up.

I have a busy three weeks ahead of me getting ready for Australia - best I start now!

Stromlo Forest, Canberra

Last weekend I made a quick trip to Canberra to see what the terrain could be like for the worlds. A couple of months ago I found a 7 hour race that fitted nicely with my plans. My Mother joined me for the trip. We left Wellington at 6.45am on Saturday morning and finally arrived in Canberra about 1pm Australian time - wild life count, one dead Wombat!

After a quick supermarket stop it was off to Stromlo Forest to get a practise lap in. I was really surprised how wet the track was. It had rained all week and the hill was literally weeping - lucky we have had a lot of rain as this didn't phase me. There was a lot of panic from the Australians, an apology for there being mud at the race briefing, and the race marshall's putting wooden planks over the worst of the mud!

The race started at 7am on Sunday, with a very cold 3 degree temperature. The day was sunny but cold. I still managed some tan lines though. The first lap was a total pain. The course headed into single track far too early and there were very polite queues waiting to enter. The standard of riding was very high, everyone was polite when passing or being passed - a refreshing change from the aggression of Moonride or Daynight Thriller.

The course was neat, with lots of variety and plenty of rocks. This required concentration and so the time just disappeared. The course really didn't suit me as in the 10km lap there was 200m of climbing all at once, I am much better with a bit of undulation. By the end of the day the most of the muddy sections were unrideable however the downhill was still just fantastic.

I didn't have a good day and I didn't have a bad day, my head wasn't quite in it, and the early start the day before took its toll. I finished 7th out of 17 women and my only regret is deciding not to complete an 11th lap, if I had done this I would have come 4th. The field was strong with the first 3 finishers all contenders for the world 24 hour solo world title.

We headed back to Sydney straight after the race and I was home by 3.30pm on Monday.

New Sponsor, Taupo, and other stuff

It has been a long time since I posted anything and this probably reflects how pre-occupied I've been. I ridden my bike a lot, been to two 65 birthday parties, completed a lot of house renovation and got a new sponsor. R&R Sport have kindly agreed to sponsor me. I am greatful for this support especially given the present tough economic times. So if you need some new kit (tent for the summer perhaps, some skis, or a new bike) you know where to go!!!

Since the race at Santoft, I've done a lot of riding but no races. I completed my longest ride about 4 weeks ago - twice around Lake Taupo and a few deviations.

I started at 4am in a relatively mild Taupo, I had so many layers on I could hardly move. As I got close to Kinloch I rode into a freezing fog. I knew the road was a little frozen and so was exceptionally careful and also very slow. It was pretty cold and tough to drink and I was kind off my drink because there were "chunks" it - I was questioning my bottle washing ability. When it got light I realised it was ice and my drink was semi- frozen. It was so cold any moisture on me, on my jacket, gloves, shoe covers, cables and lights had frozen. It really didn't melt until I got to Turangi.

I stopped to top up my food at the Motel in Taupo and headed out for my 2nd lap. This seemed to take forever and I was pleased to finally reach Kuratau Hill. Near Pukawa I had a chat to a chap out on his road bike. He asked where I had been/was going I mentioned I was riding around the lake, he commented that I was looking good and riding well. If only he had known it was my 2nd lap! Just outside Turangi I got a puncture and managed to limp to the BP where I bought a pie and a hot chocolate, and fixed the puncture.

After Turangi I developed a severe dislike of the rumble edge strip used on SH1. Between Turangi and Motuoapa there has been two attempts at placing the edgeline. The first attempt has been ripped up and the next set placed slightly further into the lane. Unfortunately the actual "rumble" is has not been removed and so the ride is super uncomfortable.

Just before Hatepe Hill, a car cruised by, and I realised it was my car, out jumped Tim and Belle, with tonic water, sharkies, and Red Bull. It was fantastic and I flew up the hill I really hadn't been looking forward to. Tim also mentioned the rain in Taupo. Up until this point I had been very lucky with the weather.

When I reached Taupo I decided to call it quites as it was raining and of course dark again. After 15.5 hours, about 380km and 3000+ metres on climbing I was pretty happy. Tim had chicken and salad waiting as well as a hot spa and red wine.

The next day I dropped Tim off at the start of the W2K track and drove around to Kinloch to meet him. I felt so good that I managed a 2 hour walk with Belle!

It has been two months since I've raced and I'm really looking forward to my adventure this weekend...watch this space sometime next week

Wet, Windy and Muddy Weekend

Nothing very exciting has happened since Moonride 2 months ago. There has been a lot of kilometers ridden, a lot of rain and a lot of wind. Sometimes, as much as I like training, I get sick of it, and this is when I know it is time to find a race to do. It is fair to say that in the last two weeks I have been well and truely over getting wet, getting sand blasted by the wind, and of course the mud, so on Sunday I decided to head to Bulls to the Santoft Sizzler 5 hour event.

Santoft was on Sunday, so what better way to enjoy a particularly vicious southerly storm than to go and ride in it for 5 hours on Saturday. For some reason I decided riding to the top of the Akatarawas would be a good idea, I am particularly good at poor route choices! The road was closed for an unknown reason, and I made it to the top enjoying the lack of traffic. The ride home was a slog straight into the southerly. It was so windy I nearly didn't make it around the corner into Point Howard. All character building stuff. Did I mention how windy and cold it was?

The poor weather continued all day and all night and Sunday did not dawn bright. During the drive up to Santoft the weather didn't seem to improve. It was ;ucky the trails were in a very sheltered area. The canpoy of tree cover protected us somewhat from the from the wind and rain. Thanks to Shane I got a great park and elected not to do a warm up lap, instead I idilly chatted and watched the dirty riders come back from their practise laps.

The race started bang on time and I couldn't see Jude. It turned out she kind of missed the start and got stuck behind some people who proved very difficult to get past. I had to ride faster in the first lap than I really wanted to as I was constantly being held up. Once I got some clear track ahead of me I found my rhythm and rode a consistent pace.

The course was awesome and considering how wet it was it held up very well. There were losts of pinch climbs and no long climbs and so playing to my strengths. The course was swoopy and lots of fun. As the day wore on the laps got longer and longer as the track got chewed up and porridgy. The last couple of laps were really hard work with the track being a super mudfest. It seems that the Santoft mud is special and is super glued to my bike! I need to have a 2nd attempt at cleaning it.

I was so impressed with everyone who participated. It was very relaxed with people pulling over to let me past before I even got close, kids keeping out of your way and faster people calling early and being cheery. The event had a great spirit and is maybe reflective of the attitude of the Manawatu Mountain Bike Club - they certainly seem to attract a neat bunch of enthusiastic people.

In the end I completed 10 laps in 4hours 45 minutes and achieved all my goals for the day. My I really wanted ride consistently and not hold anything back and I did this well. I was first female, Thomas Lindup and first male (I am pretty sure I was the next rider after Thomas), Jude was 2nd female and Shane and Ken came third in their category, so all in all Wellington riders did very well and took home a selection of nicley sprayed painted pine cones.

As I had hoped a hard race has blown on my cobwebs and I am ready to get my head down and focus on some quality training days. In fact, I'm fizzing :)