The Adventures of Juzzy

Triggered by the decision that I no longer need a big car with just 1 person, 2 dogs and (generally) 2 bikes at any one time, I decided to downsize to a sporty Impreza.  Those friends that have known me since my teens know very well how much I like and know my cars, and I get exactly what I'm after.  Though this affliction always makes me happy with my purchase, it also means I often have to wait for a while to get what I'm after, and/or travel a fair distance to get it.  So my adventure began...

The original plan was to drive to Adelaide to look at the car, sleep in the car overnight on the side of the road, then drive back.  If I purchased the car, I fly over the next weekend (missing out on a race) and drive it back.  A later thought was to take a gamble that I would purchase the car, fly over early Saturday morning, then if I bought it I would drive back to Melbourne the same day.  If I didn't buy it, I would simply book a return flight later in the day and fill the time in wondering round Adelaide.

I realised how tired I was when I got on the plane and was asleep before the plane even travelled forward - I fell asleep before or during the reversing of the plane before taxiing to the runway.  1.5hrs sleep later I woke up as we were descending into Adelaide.

The taxi ride was...interesting.  The driver was about 76 in the shade, and didn't know the street I was to go to, so he asked me to navigate using the Melways/UBD to get us there!!!  Very amusing and you could only expect that in Adelaide, but at least I wasn't getting ripped off by him driving all over the city in the wrong direction.  It was actually comforting.  

The car was in great condition and worth the trip.  The guy was a roady so we talked bikes and cars.  Finance and paperwork all sorted, I stocked up with food for the trip back.  I considered driving to Willunga Hill to have a brief look at the Tour Down Under, but it was 45 mins out of my way - ultimately adding at least 2 - 3 hrs onto my trip.  I knew my mate Macca (who I've known for 15 years from Panther Cycles) was in Adelaide for The Tour and decided that if he was at Willunga then I would make the trip.  I rang him and he was only 5 mins from where I was !!!  A walk and talk up the road to check out a bike shop, and an hour later I was back in my new green machine ready for the 800km drive to Melbourne.  

Macca & myself at bike shop taking me back to my Penrith westie days - a flanny jersey

The drive was awesome - time to think, sing to myself, enjoy my new car, work out how many kms to a tank of fuel, see lots of mallee vegetation and lots of sky.  Thinking on and off how my dad would have been proud of me for confidently making my own plans and following through.  It was him that began my interest in cars - under the bonnet with him holding the light while he worked on the family car, taking the boys and myself to the drags out at Castlereagh - imbedding in me a desire to be a confident, independent female when it came to cars, which is so much a male-dominated interest.  So of course I knew he was with me the whole trip.  

It ended up taking me 9 hrs with breaks, and I was getting 650km from a 45 Litre tank - not bad for a 10 year old car.  (That last bit of trivia took up so much of my time playing with figures and comparisons that I thought it important to include!!)

After lots of sleep on Saturday night, I had an enjoyable and very much fun mtb at Lysterfield with Kylie and Dave.  Kylie came up with the quote of the day when Dave fell off his bike while standing upright and did a commando roll...'And he didn't even stop talking during it...'  Very very funny couple of hours.  Wonderful Dave then offered to drive me to the airport to pick up the Outback after yesterday's flight - or should I say 'his' Outback.  Such wonderful friends and great fun to be around.  

Mt Buller National Round - some photos and some thoughts

What a weekend...the highs, the lows, the hurts, the smiles, the friends, and the people that are now friends.

None of the people at Mt Buller that I interacted with knew any of the difficulties I was facing that weekend, so I was surprised to experience friendliness in its purist form.  My return to racing after 2 years away was hard - the stresses associated with racing, the pressure on myself, the preparation, the lack of training.  Not to mention the personal turmoil of the past year.  But I woke up Monday morning and realised I wouldn't change a thing.  I had to do it all at some point, and I'm stronger for it.  

During the weekend I found things - treasures you might say - some that were there all along, part of me but hidden, others that are new to me.  And it all came about thanks to my riding - that in itself is a treasure that my brother shared with me 20 years ago, and we're still sharing together.  

It was hard trying to concentrate at work today.  Work was just so boring and hard work compared to my fun weekend.  I was seeing things differently whilst driving to work, and it wasn't just the dense smoke in the air from the Gippy fires !!!  

Some photos of me racing below - I'm tracking down the high resolution ones and will post them soon (thanks to Russ Baker).  I'm loving the pink Panther Cycles jersey - it stands out so well in the bush !!

XCP climb up Corn Hill (ignore the bruise on my leg from practice lap) - certainly hurting but still looking good (& happy for the young gun behind to pass me)

XCO - starting the climb

XCO - starting the climb - I didn't so much have a smile by the top!!!

Mt Buller Day 4 - Point to Point

Today's race thought: 'I may not be with you in person, but I am always there' - a message from my dad that came to me last night.

The Point to Point was shortened for Masters Women to a 20km loop out to Howqua Gap and back via the steepest, rockiest singletrack that they could find.  

The race start was very casual - Sharon, Flip and myself in 3 separate categories having a chat and laugh on the start line.  Funny how each of us were set to win our own races - all we had to do was finish.  Halfway up the road climb we'd already sorted out the order in which we would enter the singletrack descent so as to not hold each other up and risk not enjoying the descent to its fullest !!!  

The climb from Howqua Gap was hideous for me - 25 mins of non-stop hard climbing...steep, rocky, transverse tree roots and never ending.  But that's when my thought for the day came in handy.  Dad has been dead for over 30 years, but he was with me today.  Dad loved the outdoors and nature, and he would be proud of me racing well and loving doing it.  

The climb finally came to an end, and I was happy that I had mastered all but one of the tight switchback climbs.  The descent was welcomed, though it was very rocky and difficult to see through corners due to the regrowth from the base of the Snowgums after they were burnt in 2007.  I nailed the final descent from Corn Hill, only to have Chris from work (who was marshalling) tell me that I had to do the XC climb back to Mt Buller Village.  Damn...Chris is so being demoted when I get back to work tomorrow....

I finished in 1hr 30min - placed 1st in Masters Women (Jenny was a DNS due to stitches from a fall in the XCO).

Master Women National Series Leader - got a new jersey out of it !!

Back in my room - dirty faced but still recognisable, unlike some of the Elite Men

Thanks to Panther Cycles for getting Luke Brame (U17) and myself on awesome Cannondales and kitted out

Mt Buller Day 2 and 3 - XCE and XCO

The Eliminator event went as planned.  Except for the spewing up after my Time Trail.  But I rode hard and qualified, then rode out the heat I was in against Kathryn O'Shea, Lindsay Gorrell and Melissa Anset.  I had no interest in even trying hard against these girls, and I really don't enjoy Eliminator events.  

My aim for the Cross Country event was to get on the start line and finish the event.  The morning started as most race mornings of many years have started...I don't want to race...I can't do this...and a new one, I will just pack up and drive home and not race.  So what got me to the start line?  Something my mum gave me when I dropped the dogs off a couple of days ago.  It said: 'Even in darkness, light dawns for the upright.'  So I wrote this on my arm to get me to the start line and through the race.  You have no idea how relevant it was.

Warming up, I was laughing while looking out at the smoke-filled valleys south of Mt Buller.  Yesterday I'd had a phone call from a DSE friend who'd just finished a 24 hour shift as IMT Ops Officer - he needed a friend to talk to where he could offload the past 24 hours of stress, then get a good laugh with me talking about crap that really means nothing.  This put us both in a great mood - me to go and race, him to go and sleep before the next night shift.  So as I was warming up, I was chuckling - the smoke offering a very tangible reminder of the silly laughs from the day before.  What a great way to prepare for a race.  

I got a good start - I think my very first good race start EVER.  I happily announced this to the crowd standing by - I was so proud of myself.  Philippa and I had a good run through the singletrack descent together - Flip flowing beautifully and I was happy to follow.  The climb separated the two of us, with Flip riding away from me.  I struggled with the climbs each lap and enjoyed the descents.  And when I was struggling I would say 'Even in darkness light dawns for the upright'.  This also started to come out while descending - a bit of a dual meaning there, being that I was hoping to stay upright on the bike for the descents, being that so much was at stake if I came off....narrow singletrack with a steep drop on one side that was fast and rocky.  

In the end I finished 1st Women Masters, didn't come off the bike, and only had to walk the final pinch of the big climb on the final lap.  Bike is clean, I'm feeling surprisingly good, and kind of looking forward to tomorrow's 25km enduro.

Series Leaders plate (they gave me the wrong class, but will fix that tomorrow)

Em Parkes (Torq Nutrition) and myself - together again on bikes

Mt Buller Day 1

I headed out for a practice lap Thursday morning.  I got 3min 45sec into my lap and sliced my front tyre, rolled the tyre off the rim and came off.  A 15min walk back to the lodge to change bikes, then had another hit out.  

The XCO course is awesome, but it will certainly claim some riders.  I'm pretty sure I'll be one of them.  Flowy, rocky, fast, dry and powdery, then a horrible long steep climb that is rocky and powdery.  Not sure how many laps I'm doing, but hoping only 3 - I may just have 3 laps in my legs, but not much more for that amount of hard climbing.  

This morning, Friday, is relax, maybe do a lap of the XCO, then practice lap of the Eliminator Course, then I race the Eliminator at 3pm.  My aim?  Get eliminated early to save my legs for Saturday and Sunday.  

Thursday night was topped off with sunset just below the Mt Buller Summit.  The alpine environment is one of my favourite - and this weekend it is my refuge.

I sat on a patch of Poa sp. in alpine grasslands 

Billy Buttons at sunset

My Journey

My journey began over 6 months ago - it's just that I couldn't really enjoy the ride to start with.  

Now I've hit big chain ring and am way down the cluster, and I'm embracing every bump, boulder, climb, drop-off and switch-back.  I'm choosing the 'A-line' (the hard way) rather than the chicken shoot/'B-line' (easy way), and cutting my own trails.  I'm feeling strong enough in my head and heart to deal with aspects and happenings of the past, so that I can make my future and enjoy it.  I know there are a lot of riding analogy, but if you're reading this blog then you'll know how much bikes area a part of my life.

My journey this week alone has been a ride and a half.  Well, technically not a lot of riding as such, but the emotional journey has been huge, with my outlet being actual riding.

I saw a very good friend of mine after many years.  It was great to see him looking so well and healthy in mind and body.  It will be some time before I see him again, but that doesn't stop us sharing our daily lives through letters.  And as he so cleverly put it, I have a 'captive audience' whilst he is reading my letters !!!  Very clever.

I spent some more quality time with my mum.  She really is amazing.  And especially amazing as she is looking after my dogs for 5 weeks so I can do 2 races and be at uni for 2 weeks.

I finally went though my chest of draws that was still at mum's place.  I had never made time for this job, and until now I didn't realise that I wasn't ever ready to go through it either.  Old stuff, photos, letters, special jewellery, stuffed toys, handbags (yes, I used to own handbags when I was a girl and worked in an respectable bank job!!).  A very emotional couple of hours while I shared some notes that I had written 20 or so years ago. I chose the hard road tacking that chest of draws, but I feel better and stronger for it.

Amongst all the hard stuff was some joy in picking up my new Cannondale Scalpel and making modifications to my 100mm Scalpel.  Between Gav and myself we spent a day getting both bikes set up perfectly.  Can't wait to take it for a spin tomorrow on the trails of Mt Buller.

And that brings me to my 'fun' 4 days of race prep and racing.  More to follow once I do a practice lap tomorrow, but in the mean time the photo tells my Mt Buller story - Outback, Scalpels, and Snowgums.  Life is good.  Only thing missing is the babies, and missing them I certainly am.  The 9 hour drive was very lonely without the babies in the back seat.

And here I was thinking there were fires in NSW...

But my first ride back in the Blue Mountains and it bucketed down !!!

Gav and I headed out for a Marge's and Elizabeth's Lookout mtb ride, just like old times.  I guess you could say, back to where it all began.  We were chatting and sharing stories, while we shared the trails.  Gav handled a 'controlled' slide very well, possibly with a bit more arse than class, but still made it look good and stayed upright.  It was great to be out and about on old and new trails, comparing sections of old trail and whether it had held together or changed much over the past 20 years.  It was awesome.  

Not far into the trails and it started to rain - we were actually thankful for the cool feel of the rain.  But then it just got heavier.  Gav took a new easy line on an old descent - I took the old line that has had some modifications in recent times.  But in the wet I just didn't have it together and fell off, laughing hard.  It's not the first time that section has gotten the better of me, but it was so much fun being back there.

Gav and I went our separate ways after the descent and we each rode home in the pooring rain.  But what a great hour of riding, on trails that are the basis of my mountain biking and my skills.  There are many a sandstone rock on those trails that took skin and left bruises - but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Returned drenched and grotty

The dogs found their spots at mum's place

Early 2013 Racing Plans

I may not have any fitness, I may not have any strength, but I'm planning out the first half of 2013 racing.  I need to start somewhere after not racing for so long - it's too easy to tell myself I'm not fit enough to race.  The hard thing is actually getting to a race and getting on the start line.  So I'm prepared to enter races, turn up knowing that I'm going to come last, start the race knowing it's going to hurt the entire time and wanting to pull out half-way through, but finish each race fully fatigued and happy to celebrate my achievements with myself.  

18 - 20th January Mt Buller National Series Round 1

2nd February Bright 12 Hour Solo

24th February Lake Mountain 4 Hour Solo

15 - 17th March Bright National Series Round 3

14th April Wombat 100km Woodend

28th April 100km Epic Bendigo

11th May 6 Hour Beechworth

So I may not be fit or strong now, but having racing plans and getting to these events will help me in more than the physical sense to achieving my goals.  And, as my mum reminded me recently...I've got dad on my side - all I have to do is ask for help.