State Championships Win!

I've been a little hyped since my win last Sunday.  Totally unexpected, and not an easy feat, but I managed to take out the Women's 40 - 49 Victorian Cross Country State Championship.  Dora Bettridge (3rd) and Wendy Snowball (2nd) made me work hard for it, but it was worth it.  My new stealth Cannondale Scalpel proved itself totally suited to the course.  

Tegan got married. And I fell off my bike.

Tegan and Michael were married on 4th February 2017, so that meant a trip to Sydney.  Though Pippa and Beep weren't allowed in the wedding party, they were pretty girls in their flower girl outfits.  

It was a lovely day, if not a little hot, and we're all very happy for Tegan and Michael.  Next time, can it be a little cooler than 40 degrees celcius?

And, as could be expected, I fell off my bike (twice) in the days preceding the wedding, so I was sporting some pretty awesome brusing and grazes.  Oh well....it had to be either Gav or myself.  But I kept my right hand side clear of injuries for the official photos.

Beep was a little shy in her flower girl dress

Pippa in her flower girl dress

Gavin, mum and myself

 

Tegan photo bombed the selfie Gav and I were taking - great shot!

Bit of an oopsies 2 days before the wedding

Victorian State XCO Rounds 1 & 2 - December 2016

Round 1 was held at Jubber Land on Saturday 11th December and Round 2 at Sedgwick on Sunday 12th December 2016.

I had no expectations, and my race start demonstrated this perfectly!  But as the race progressed I worked with what I had, which relied largely on technical ability, for my 3 laps.  I worked out 10 - 15 min from the finish that I only had 50 min of hard racing in my legs, so suffered hugely but continued to work hard til the end.  A finish in 3rd behind the very strong Wendy Snowball and Dora Bettridge.

Round 2 in Sedgwick was like returning to my old stomping ground.  Though I haven't raced on this course for a couple of years, the familiarity of it helped mentally.  My legs surprised me and I managed to finish in 1st in ahead of Dora (something that won't be happening again any time soon!).  

Round 2 - Sedgwick

Snowies Mountain Bike Festival - November 2016

Gav, myself and the usual Blue Mtns crew returned to have another go at the Snowies Mountain Bike Festival held at Lake Crackenback.  I had a bit of a shocker last time, and though I was no fitter this time, I was determined to just go out and enjoy the riding for what it had to offer.  And the gorgeous surrounds!  

Considering we had snow and 30mm of rain on the Wednesday before the event, the weather surprised us by giving gorgeous sunny days that turned out to be quite hot.  

My times were no faster than last time, but I felt better during and after each stage, and looked forward to the next one.  Both Gav and myself had a great time - Gav beat all of his previous lap times - and we couldn't stop talking about it for weeks.  Ready for the next one in February 2018.  I can only hope that I might actually be fitter for that one.

Snow still above Thredbo

Thredbo River - gorgeous as always

Gavin and myself after final Stage 5 - both buggered but happy

The Blue Mtns crew after Stage 5

Out of the darkness of winter

Emerging from not such a great place during winter and spring, the very lovely (and very fast!) Dora Bettridge invited me to ride with their fun, social group at Bright 24 Hour.  Saturday gave us mixed weather, but Sunday gave us rain!

Golden Triangle Epic 50km Shorty Race

Just a couple of pics - story will follow when I'm not exhausted after work.  But the smile says it all.  

Having a great time racing

Trust Em Parkes to get air off that one....[insert smiley face here]

Long Time Since My Last Update

So what's been happening since October 2015?  Lots of work mostly, a bit of riding, couple of races, and my first Christmas with no Buzz.  I did, however, have a 6 month old Kip to babysit over Christmas which was a real treat for Beep and myself.  

Work?  Well I've got heaps of threatened species burns going ahead this Autumn, thanks to my most wonderful Vegetation Management Officers - thanks guys!

Christmas 2015 with Beep and Kip.  Beep didn't want to share her new toys with Kip, but by the end of the day my loungeroom looked like a teddy bear had exploded (which it pretty much did!).  

Beep opening one of her Christmas presents

Kip all tuckered out on Christmas night

First race of the year was the Snowies Mountain Bike Festival at Lake Crackenback.  Gav joined me for the 5 stage event.  The racing was great, the event really well run, the weather could not have been more perfect, and where we stayed was perfect and peaceful.  Our only complaint?....that it would have been great to have had someone to cook for us at the end of each day of the 3 days!  My other complaint was that I would like to be fitter next time I race the event.  

The stages were varied and great fun.  A minor crash on stage 4 left me with a forearm injury that pretty much knocked me out of stage 5.  I rode 15km of the 45km stage and decided to pull the pin when I couldn't hold the bars anymore.  But I had a great time and was able to cheer Gav and the other Panther Cycles guys on.  And I'm aiming to return to the event November 2016, fitter!

Gav & Juz about to start Stage 1 - gorgeous scenery....pity we had to watch the track!

        

Gav feeding and resting at Thredbo between Stages 2 & 3

Juz at the end of Stage 4 - bit dirty

Big Dog resting up for Stage 5 (45km marathon) - always with a smile

Sasha and Alex - the rest of the Penrith motley crew

Second race for the year was the XCO National Championships held at Bright.  Though no where near as fit as I would have liked, the weekend wasn't about the racing - it was the whole weekend of practice, catching up with people who I've known nearly 2 decades, race, meet new people, catch up with our amazing Em Parkes and watch her race, and much more.  

All my practice laps were done in extremely dry, dusty conditions.  Dust 3 inches deep was building up on the switchback descents and climbs, and the remainder of the course was fast.  Then in the 12 hours leading up to my race it rained.  And rained.  Nearly 30mm in total which turned the course into a red muddy, slippery course.  First lap was pretty sketchy but the second lap the track had dried a bit and was actually quite fast and tacky.  I had no intention of actually 'racing' due to my lack of training, however by the second lap I was in the swing and working hard to hold off another rider.  In the end I just held her off on the climbs where she was stronger, but smoked her on the descents!  I came through only just in front of Dora, who I would have happily and proudly placed behind, because she's just an awesome rider and really lovely person.  Congrats to Donna and Jane - a very strong ride by both of these long-standing racers.  

So what's next?  A local Bendigo Epic (50km) that will be a good 3 or so hours of rolling round local trails.  I don't there will be much 'racing', but a good opportunity to ride with lots of people who love mountain biking.  

The Vic State XC Champs are coming up very soon, and I look forward to hitting up the Jubber Land trails yet again.  And maybe a couple of 3 hr events over Winter.  

Ballarat 3 Hour

Yippee yeehah I actually 'raced' at the Ballarat 3 Hour last week!  Finally I've got legs rather than legs that fade whenever I point them at a climb.  

The course was a great fun, flowy course.  Nothing hard or technical - just a matter of how much speed can you carry down the descents and through corners.  There was a fair bit of climbing each lap - 270m elevation gain over 12 km, with the start lap having 370m elevation gain - which took it's toll on everyone eventually.  As usual, I knew the climbs were my weakness so I hammered the descents as best I could to make up time.  Some of these were so much fun that I couldn't contain my jubilation and just had to let loose with several vocal 'woohoo'.

The first 1.5 hours was spent pushing a bit but not too much, expecting the usual nothing on the climbs.  But when it came to putting in a bit more on every climb on the 3rd lap, I actually had some legs.  Then the 4th lap came round and I wanted to finish with nothing in my legs, so I pushed every climb HARD.  The final 25 mins my glutes were screaming at me, but I just kept pushing on everything - I never gave up.  

It was so good to feel pain again in my legs - to push into the pain and actually enjoy it - rather than just having nothing on the climbs and just having to tap away while my legs just faded.  It was a HUGE step for me - it's been 2 years since I've had any legs, and I'm determined to not lose them if I can help it.  Of course work will get in the way, as it already has, but I'll do my best to keep on the bike and keep up the fun, because I love it so much.  

Rapid Assessment of the Last 4 Months

I was reminded recently that I haven't updated my blog for some time.  Not much has happened, but then so much has happened.

The 3 hour race at Moama at the end of May ended in 2 broken ribs.  500m from the finish and I crashed - a silly crash that landed me stuck on the side of the track throwing up, then in the St Johns van for an hour, the in the passenger seat of my car for the drive home while Roz drove and put up with me wincing with each breath.  What would I do without friends?  And not only did she get me home safely, the Bradley's also provided me with food for the next few days.  And congrats to Roz on podiuming with a well deserved 2nd!!

The next 6 - 7 weeks passed slowly.  Who'd have thought that brushing your teeth could cause so much rib pain!  I did the occasional indoor session cause I was sick of being in pain and didn't want to deal with the rough surface of road or dirt.  Beep was very patient with her daily walks that were very slow - she's such a good girl and was very careful and gentle with me.  If my beautiful Buzzy Boy had've been here, you could guarantee that if anyone was going to walk over the top of me or jump up on the bed and land on me and cause rib pain, it would have been him....not because he meant to, just because he never felt physical pain so he was unknowing about his actions.  This part of Buzz's character caused many moments of consternation for Beep....'How could you be so careless!!'....and then she'd tell him off, and he'd wonder why.  And I miss him for just being him.  

Anyway, moving on, there was an upside to my injury - driving was too painful for 3 weeks so I spent the most part working in Bendigo for that time, which is a rare occurrence for my role.  

So after losing any form of fitness over June/July, I started out slowly.  Again.  Then July turned into August and I was catching up on field trips and then a fire conference in Adelaide.  And more field trips.  And before I knew it the Bendigo 6 Hour was here.  With no riding in my legs.  Again.  So I entered and rode for 3 hours straight, and had the most wonderful day.  The sun was shining and warm and all I had to do was ride for 3 hours.  Alex Chng even managed to get a couple of shots of me.

Don't laugh at the tongue!

And then the Jubberland Red Bull 12 Hour.  And again I was exhausted and had no riding in my legs, so I just had a great 3 hours riding time rolling round the trails, catching up with friends, and having a great time.  And still managed to be home early afternoon to spend the rest of the weekend with Beep.  It was the perfect weekend.  

I'm on leave for a couple of weeks and timed it beautifully - warm, sunny weather to spend the days in the garden with Beep, riding my bike both by myself and with friends, and relaxing.  So much time to myself is a rarity when you work so much in a demanding role, so I'm taking in the peace a quiet and, excuse the pun, but 'loving the serenity'.

But as I found yesterday there are moments, however brief, when I considered it would be handy to have a hubby around sometimes.  Such a (surprising?) thought was triggered by putting a new, tightly fitting UST (tubeless) tyre to my mtb.  But I got there on my own - fully sealed and seated perfectly, all ready for a ride - so happy.  

Inter-Winter Round 1 - Creswick 3 Hour Race

What an amazing day it turned out to be, even though the start was a bit less than average.  Once I'd dragged myself out of bed, leaving a very sad Beep still tucked under the doona, my day got better once I'd gotten to the start line, stumbled across Brett and Jo, finally found Roz, and decided that all Roz and myself were up for was a fun trail ride on a course that we'd never ridden.  And what a brilliant ride we had in the warm sunshine.  I have a feeling it was one of the last gorgeous days in Creswick until late Spring.  

Roz set the pace, which also set the pace of talking.  A puffing rider behind us kindly asked if we could stop talking, because he thought it very disheartening that we were talking non-stop while he was struggling to just ride.  He eventually passed us further on and had a laugh.  45 minutes later he kindly asked us again to stop rubbing it in that we could yabba non-stop and still ride up the climbs.  He passed us and when we stopped in transition for a bottle we heard 'Aahhh, they've finally stopped talking!' - the 3 of us had a chuckle and he announced he was done for the day.  Roz and I headed out for another 2 laps.  

The course was easy but with (what felt like) relentless climbing.  At the end of the first lap I mentioned to Roz that if her legs were feeling a bit used after only one lap (she was riding singlespeed!), she had good reason because each lap had 250m elevation gain - a fair amount for each 40 min lap.  The descents were fun and the entire course flowed beautifully.  

4 laps took me to 2hr 45min with 950m elevation gain, and I was happy to finish at that point.  I still had the 1.5hr drive home, pick up Toohey for a 2 night sleep over, do a long walk with Toohey and Beep, feed myself and the 'kids', and prepare for the next week.  

I am now contentedly tired (as are the dogs), having thoroughly enjoyed not just the race but the whole weekend.  I now have a very busy 2 weeks before the next race at Moama - let's hope I manage to get in some k's so that I can actually race a little bit rather than just ride.  

Golden Triangle Epic 50km

Or as I renamed it, the Anaemia Epic.  2 days before the event I got the result of some bloods and found that I am anaemic, which goes some way to explaining my extreme fatigue.  I know that work has been stupidly busy and I've been doing some pretty ridiculous hours and travel, but if anything these results have been the kick up the bum that I really needed.  Firstly though, a run down of the Epic.

At registration I bumped into an old Albury mtb friend Jukka.  After a brief catch-up Jukka ended up crashing in my spare room for the evening rather than his van.  Lots of pre-race mountain bike and dog talk, with the only thing missing being his lovely mtb-ing wife Julie.  

The start time and race location was just perfect for me - 11am just 1 minutes ride from my house.  And guess who was last on the start line?...yep, me!  I was really looking forward to the event simply to ride my bike, socialise and do a 50km mtb that I would not have otherwise done.  The course was in the best condition it could ever have been, and although it would have been nice for the temp to be a couple of degrees warmer than 15 degrees, I couldn't complain - it was still nix and a jersey with underlayer.  

I sat with Jo Lythgo for the first 10km until I started to drop on the climbs, then catch her on the descents.  Eventually her climbing pace was beyond my ability to sustain, so I dropped back to my pace and enjoyed the ride.  I ate and drank as I should do, chatted with other riders briefly, and enjoyed myself.  

By the 35km mark my legs started to say 'no'.  No cramping, just tiredness and breathlessness.  With a greater understanding of my fatigue (anaemia) I was able to accept the level of fitness and strength I had, rather than berate myself for being so unfit.  I started on the carbo shots and continued on these to the end which helped immensely.  

With 9km to go I heard a rock hit the front rim - not a good noise when you're running a tube on the front.  I monitored the front tyre and at the 7km mark I noted that it was slowly deflating and started to panic.  With 6km to go I thought this through - I didn't want to stop and change a tube at such a late stage in my race unless I really had to.  So the only thing to do was put in everything I had to try and get as close to the finish as possible before it went down too much to ride.  I decided at this point that if I had to stop and pump it up enough to get me there I would, but I'd try and get as far as I could before this.  So I passed two people who I'd been pacing, then passed another one in the last kilometre.  The front was gripping very nicely in the corners!  Though I had to take it easy in the rocky sections.  I pushed with everything I had in that last kilometre and right to the end.  The tube hung in there and so did my legs.

What was I laughing at? Beep wanting to join me on the podium - a few seconds later she did!

3 hrs 13 minutes and I was done.  I hung around chatting to friend, rode home on an almost flat front tyre, showered, ate and walked Beep back to the event for presentations.  And in a huge surprise I was called up as 2nd Womens 40-50 age class!  Did not expect that at all - all I did was ride!

A great day - thanks to Bendigo Mountain Bike Club for their time and effort - the volunteers for giving up their riding to make the event happen - and the sponsors for supporting the event.  And to all the riders that were a great, patient bunch out on the course.

Enjoying myself at the GTE 2015

  

When you're in Ballarat for work.....

What else would you make time to do, but ride up Mt Buninyong.  Gorgeous sunset ride - only a short one after a days work and travel but just what I needed to entice me to get on the bike.  Legs pretty slow and sluggish after racing last weekend and not being on the bike since, but the warm evening fresh air and views made the most of a trip away with work.  

Australian National Mountain Bike Championships

My race nerves quickly dissipated  once we'd gotten halfway round the start loop - I was at the back of my age category by this stage after a good start off the gun (very unlike me).  So my race was MY race.  I enjoyed the toughness of the course - the climbs were short, hard climbs and the descents were mostly technical, tight switchbacks.  The fast, flower middle section was so sweet.  3 laps was plenty for me!  Yes, I could have done another one if pushed, and I would have likely caught a minute on 3rd place in front of me, but I was definitely happy when the climbing was completed on my 3rd lap and I knew it was all downhill and flat.  Only one 'off' when a Junior fell off on a drop-off switchback in front of me and I had to quickly make a decision to either ride over the top of her and her bike, or stop mid-switchback and fall off because of the steepness of the corner.  So I gracefully fell, managing to not land on the poor Junior who was still lying on the ground.

I've had a fantastic social few days in Bright with some good riding, good (slow) racing, and after racing I could relax stress-free for the remainder of my time in Bright.  And I was so proud watching my protege (even though she's not mine anymore) Emily Parkes win the Under 23 Australian National Championship title by 0.1 second!  Both Em and myself were teary as we hugged and celebrated her win.  Em has worked so hard over the last 4 years, and I get great pleasure in seeing her grow in the sport and herself.

Finished the race - thanks Hel for the photo

Quick National Champs Update

I'm in Bright having a lovely relaxing race prep. The course is not what I expected but I'm getting used to it. Not too much climbing each lap, but the climbing there is is hard climbing. Nothing too daunting technically, but I did have to rethink my entry speed Into one of the drops. Looking forward to tomorrow's racing.

I RODE SLATEY !!!!!

I know this doesn't look much in a photo, but 'Slatey' is a Castlemaine Piney's legendary section of trial.  Though I haven't ridden this trail many times, I have (until today) only ridden it twice.  Today is the third.  

I actually thought that we'd missed Slatey - that it was further up the trail and we hadn't come across it.  I was having an awesome technical day and didn't think anything of it as I rode into this, and looked for a line as I approached it (yes, there is a line there!).  It wasn't until my front wheel rode the first section of slate that I realised where I was, and that I was riding it!  I had a brief moment's thought of 'Don't fall off and hurt yourself 'cause you're racing next weekend' as one of my wheels slid a bit, but I didn't falter and made it though seamlessly.  

An awesome, awesome day at the Piney's with Roz - lots of hard descents, hard climbs, off-camber tree roots all typical of the Pineys.  So nice to ride some hard, physically demanding singletrack that keeps you moving on the bike with the need to read the trail and technical bits with speed as you approach them.  SO GOOD!

Roz struggling to climb up Slatey

I Love You My Buzzy Boy

It's taken me 2 months to be able to put this blog together - to put down in writing saying goodbye to my Buzzy Boy.  

He was big in every way - size, smile, teeth, heart, life. He made me laugh hard every day for 9 years, just being himself.  He didn't try to be funny - he just was.  Right up until the end, Buzzy lived to the fullest of life and didn't hold anything back - if he had energy and he was awake, he would play and have fun.  

The photos capture just a small party of who he was and how much he meant to myself and Beep.  Buzzy Boy you have left a huge hole in our hearts and our life - the house is so empty and quiet without you - I realise that although you were only one of my two babies, you were 3/4 of my two babies.  Beep has lost her best friend and big brother and is now a very different dog without you.  You will always have our love Buzz, and thank you for giving me so much in life.  

Two of a kind - so different in personality but so reliant on each other

Buzz's  tongue poking out while he slept always made me laugh

Buzz feeling vulnerable and in need of a hug

Christmas Day 2014

Buzz's funny, sleepy face - and Beep close as always

Even towards the end Buzzy's tail was still wagging whenever he was awake

Buzz in Coffs Harbour end of 2011 (6 yrs old and very handsome)

Buzz 12 months, Beep 6 months - Busted having a hug (really they were playing but it looks so cute)

Bendigo Summer Series Race 2...or 3...or something like that

I really can't remember a lot of what's has happened over the last month or so.  Work was stupidly busy beyond the first week of December, which is when I calculated that it should slow down.  

I'm pretty sure I missed a teams fun race end of November while I was in Traralgon with work.  I spent the next week in Mallacoota with the amazing Veg Management Officer Chris Lewis.  Though Chris shared storms, rain, sunshine, beach, coastal vegetation, wonderful landholders, and ticks with me, I didn't get much bike time!  And after traipsing through the bush all day it was difficult to get enough energy to hit the road.

I made it to Race 2 of the Summer Series.  I was SHATTERED even before the race.  But I turned up, I got to the start line, and I rode 5 laps of the course.  I was hoping for 3 laps.  All the laps were simply 'ridden'.  No 'racing' occurred bar the last half a lap.  My legs had a certain amount in them to ride each lap, but I didn't have anything more than that!  With 4.5 laps down, no-one had passed me for a while so I thought I'd better put a bit in.  Thankfully my 'bit' was mostly flat or downhill.  I commanded the fast line on the final descent from a guy that was desperate to pass me, due to me going so slow, but I knew I had the good line and that I would nail it.  Sure enough he followed me through my line and congratulated me at the end on such an awesome run down the descent.  I'm not sure who this guy was, but he rode a mighty fine descent too.

A week later was the last race for the year - a teams relay short course of 3 laps each.  I was teamed up with a guy I didn't know, and next time I will make sure that I take more note of what he looks like so that I can recognise him when he's coming through to transition!  I was climbing up the long paddock climb slowly, but then I got into a rhythm on the windy, rocky single track.  I unfortunately (stupidly) flatted on the last lap and had to run the last few hundred metres.  There's a reason why I ride a bike, and that's cause I can't run.  But my new Shimano mtb shoes were perfect (for the ride, not so much the run).  And I was very happy that mtb fashion has gone back to black-styled shoes rather than the silly idea of white....who thought white mtb shoes would stay white for long!  Next lot of racing photos will show swanky black/pink mtb shoes.  

Bendigo Summer Series Race 1

With local racing so close to home every Tuesday evening fortnightly, why wouldn't you race?  The 'Welcome' race was held at Spring Gully on a freezing evening 3 weeks ago.  I was glad to start riding hard just to warm up.  I haven't made my body hurt for a while, so it was quite a shock on the first of 2 laps.  The second lap I got into the swing a bit more and pushed a bit harder on the climbs rather than riding up them at a comfortable pace.  

Had a great time and met Jo from Bendigo Cycles again and we had great laughs.

The first actual race was held a week ago.  3 laps with a handicap.  First 2 laps I was in agony with a food allergy reaction, but it wasn't only my tummy that was sore - my legs and my lungs were killing me.  Oh I am so unfit.  But I had a great time, it felt good to push my body to hurt, though I ran out of push on the last lap and just rode the climbs.  

I had a great time again, even though I ended up with an exercise induced bark and a growling chest for the next 24 hours.  This is what happens when you let yourself get unfit.  Grump grump it's going to be a long way back....

Textbook cornering - photo thanks to Open Shutter Photography

 

A Weekend in Nowra

I wouldn't choose to drive 8.5 hours each way over a weekend, but a wedding in Nowra, the opportunity to catch up with good RFS mates, and the opportunity to take the roady and enjoy some different riding made the trip all worth it.

Mick and Jamie entertained me on and off during the drive - they were driving from Coffs Harbour to Nowra at the same time I was driving from Bendigo to Nowra.  'Fire' jokes started early on with regular references to flight following, incident response, SARS (Search & Rescue), and the list went on.  And on....

The dogs were regretfully dropped at the kennels, and the drive was uneventful (thankfully), but long.  Mick and Jamie were experiencing 37 degree temperatures and windy, and I was 14 degrees and raining - I think I got the better drive.  They had cars breaking down on the side of the Pacific Hwy from overheating, I had cars crashing on the Hume Hwy in the rain.  We eventually got to Nowra, where my motel room door had been kicked in the night before.  A quick change of rooms and I was settled.  Lots of laughs and catching up went on, and it was just like old times working in the RFS Coffs Harbour Fire Control Centre.  

A lovely Sunday morning brekky with the 2 slightly hungover boys, before my ride.  I had planned a route that had a bit of undulating, but mostly flat.  I must have taken a wrong turn, cause I ended up climbing consistently on 10% climbs, interspersed with climbs that went to 15%.  I eventually got to a saddle in the landscape where my option was up or down.  I chose up.  And it went up, and up.  15% climb; 18% climb; I stopped acknowledging that I'm not fit enough, but then as I through my leg over the bike again I looked up the hill and decided to give it a go.  This process happened one more time before I committed to riding until I could find a good spot where I could get a photo to show how far I had climbed.  Finally after one final pinch I was a a switchback that gave me the perfect view.  Photo taken I then descended back to the motel for what ended up a 1hr 45min ride, with a bucket load of climbing.  

No idea where I was, but I was definitely 'up' after starting at sea level

Got back in time for some food, a shower and then the wedding.  It was lovely to be there for Paul and Tracy's wedding, and we wish them the very happiest of future together.  Of course more laughs were had until the end of the evening, and the end of a great weekend away.

Another uneventful drive home to pick up the babies.  Once home, we all relaxed and cuddled up.  I had been concerned for Buzz with his heart condition and hoped that the stress of being in the kennels wouldn't take too much of a toll on him.  24 hours later, though still very tired, he's happy to be home and sticking very close to me.  Beep is much the same, though she'd prefer to stay on the couch that stick close (cheeky girl never changes).  

The gang back together again - Jamie & Mick

Bendigo 6 Hour

After my disastrous attempt at Jubber Land 2 weeks ago, I was hoping for a better day on the bike at the Bendigo 6 Hour.  Not great preparation for the day due to work demands (sitting for 12 hours on Wednesday, then standing for 6 hours on Friday) and dog demands, but that's life.  

I started the event with the plan to ride somewhere between 4 - 6 hours, depending on what my legs had.  I started not too bad, but soon realised that I should have ridden my bike before the event after having my front fork serviced.  I think Aido must have thought I was looking like a bit of a heifer on Facebook, cause the fork was pretty well ramped up for someone 10 - 20 kg heavier, which meant I had very little front suspension on such a rugged course.  It kind of took away some of the fun of the Sedgwick course that I love so much.  Also, now that I have my full travel back rather than the reduced travel pre-service, I think I might need to go another 5 degrees negative on a new stem - the front seemed very upright compared to my sweet race bike that I'd been riding for 2 weeks.

  

The day was truly gorgeous - sunny Sedgwick was at its best for the first 3 hours, but clearly my body thought it was a little too warm to be trying to eat and ride, and 2 hours into the event my body was rejecting any food I put in.  Fluids were fine, but anything food-like tried to bounce straight back out again.  This is a familiar endurance race response that my body has exhibited since 2006, but after not racing for pretty much 4 years it appears I have softened, because I just couldn't deal with dry-reaching with every mouthful of food for any longer than 2 hours.  

What's with the ugly photo faces these days???

Stomach problems aside I was lapping pretty well but fatiguing all over as the day progressed.  Sedgwick is a pretty demanding event on the whole body, and eventually my hamstrings were killing me on each climb and I realised I wasn't enjoying the event too much anymore.  So I happily pulled the pin at 4 hours and had a great time.  

I managed to get home, shower and return to the event with the dogs for the presentations.  Buzz thought he'd join me on the podium, and Beep was trying desperately to get her body up there too.  

Also, it was so good to see Roz Bradley out there lapping on her singlespeed for the 3 hour - a tough climbing course for a tough chick.  And also congratulations to Carrie Edney for placing 3rd in the solo women's 3 hour.

Rocky Rider Chicks - Carrie Edney, Justine Leahy & Roz Bradley

Solo Women's 6 Hour Podium (plus 2!)

One of the last climbs on my last lap - the face says it all.....OUCH!!

Other riders made this corner look so hard - me?....I'm enjoying a laugh with the photographer!