SRAM Singletrack Mind - 8hr - Awaba

2nd Male Solo
14 laps - 8hrs : 36 mins : 18 secs
This weekend was the final round of the SRAM Singletrack Mind 8 hr series.

This event had already been rescheduled twice due to rain, and I was eager for it to be done with!  I was heading into this race with the overall series lead, and just wanted to get the race underway and no do anything silly which could see me lose the series.

This was also the last real race of the season for me, so being postponed another month meant I had to keep some level of base training up - even though Fenner was very keen for me to take a few weeks off.

With the new date, it mean that Jason English could come and race. I was not too worried about this - my race was purely about not losing the series. Racing against Jase it always fun - it usually entails a fast start, a good chat for a few hours and then Jase blasting off into the distance.

My paranoia extended to bike choice. The new Scale 29er hard tail, or my trust Spark 26 dualy. After much internal debate, some practice laps, and chatting with English I manned up to ride the Scale.  The Scale had done me well at the Highland Fling, but I had yet to clock up a full 8hrs of singletrack racing on this bike, and I was worried about how smashed my body was going to get.

The race start was down the bottom of the access fire road. A fast run down a hill and then a steep pinch and off into the singletrack. I got a bad start, trouble clipping in (again). Needless to say, this will be the last time I use the Richey Pro Mountain V5 Paradigm pedals. Although they are lighter then the XTR SPDs, they are tricky to quickly clip into. They also have less support under the foot, and prone to letting your foot bounce out of the pedal! *gone*

Even with the bad start I managed to squeeze past Ed and was about 4 wheels back from English.

The Awaba track starts with some fast flowing singletrack and then makes its way up a series of switchbacks. I was able to sneak back up to Jase's wheel pretty quickly. The Scale is great for climbing and quick to jump around people.  Ed got stuck back in the traffic, unable to make the jump across - his legs reminding him that he had done a 24hr solo only 2 weeks before!

The Awaba track then takes in a rough and fast descent into another little forest climb, and this eventually drops into some rainforest.  This descent nailed my hands. I should have worn my padded gloves. Eventually, it became a challenge to see how little I could use the brakes down this section. With my hands fully on the grips it felt ok - but with the hands on the brakes my palms were getting smashed.

Out of the rain forest the track took in a new steep climb. I followed Jase up this in the 39T (2x10 big ring) for the first 3 or 4 laps, before deciding that probably was not the best idea and started using the smaller ring. Our heart rates were through the roof at the top of this climb!

The course then made it's way back towards the start with more flow, undulations and switch backs. All up, about an 11km circuit.

I hung with Jase for the first 2 - 3 hours, and then I got caught in some traffic. This cost me 2 minutes! By the time I got though Jase was out of sight. Passing through transition, Robyn told me I already had a good 5 minutes on Ed, so I did not bother trying to catch back up to Jase.

The hours ticked by, and I got some good on-track conversations going (thanks Crummy).

I was happy to roll over the finish line, body and bike intact and a great way to finish off this series.

Equipment

The 29er HT was definitely a success. It was smooth, fast and handled well in the singletrack. Aside from my hands getting sore, the rest of my body felt absolutely fine. Pretty impressive to ride a hard tail for 8 hrs and have no back or body soreness.

I ran Scwalbe Racing Ralph Snakeskin tires. These were perfect for the conditions - light enough, fast rolling and enough bite on the corners.

Thanks

A big thanks to Robyn for coming up and looking after me again. Robyn has all the transitions nailed and knows exactly what I need and when. I could not do all these races without her.

Thanks also to ACT Bike Superstore for getting my bikes race ready and keeping them that way!

Thank to all the Chocolate Foot guys and girls for putting on a fantastic series. 

What's next?

I will probably hit up the 8hr in Jindy on New Years eve, and then I will be back into it getting ready for the Audux Alpine Classic roadie, and then the Gravity 12hr the weekend after.

Thanks again to Robyn for all her help this year - in supporting me both at races and in all the training I do.

Thanks to all my great training partners - you make the miles go by so much quicker. Jason McAvoy, Garry James, Ed McDonald, James Downing, Indi Bower, Aaron Thompson...

Thanks to ACT Bike Superstore for all their assistance in keeping me on my bikes.

Bring on 2012!!

Me, English & Ed

Ed and I - series presentation

Optimally #PRO number plate #jdfact

Highland Fling 100 miles

Highland Fling - 100 miles


2nd - 6 hrs 47 mins 37 secs

This weekend was the Highland Fling, based out of Bundanoon in the NSW Highlands.

The Fling is one of those must-do races in the annual race calender. The course has a bit of everything - from fast open fireroads, to Wingello's best flowing single track, to 38% climbs, loose rocky descents and waste deep creek crossings! What more could you want from a Sunday race!

The event draws a big field. Over 2000 riders take on the 50km, 100km and 160km routes.

As expected, the 100km elite mens field was fully stacked with Australia's best XC guns. It was surprising that over the last few weeks of rego that the 100 miler was going to put forward a very stong field.

Included in the mix was World Solo Champ Jason English, and well known enduro and marathon racers Andrew Fellows, Mike Blewitt, and Graeme Arnott.

English swapped from the 100km option to cram in some last minute training for the upcoming Jet Black 24 hr. Fellows was fresh back from the Tour of Langkawi, and Blewitt and Arnott were fresh off top results at the Croc Trohpy. This would be no easy race! Arnott was also defending 100 miler champ from last year.

For me, it has been 5 weeks since the Scott 24 hour. My knee has healed, but I have been in a recovery / low volume training. So I was feeling pretty stale and not 100% sure how I would go.

This would also be the first race for my new 2012 Scott Scale 29er RC - my 9.5kg 29er weapon!

The start line was the usual chaos of the "self seeded" start. The 100 milers were starting with the Open 100km. Luckily, we all got a clean start - and Blewitt set the pace early towards to first paddock crossings. Our lead group quickly became smaller with the first little pinch in the paddock crossing.

English, Fellows, Blewitt, Arrnot and I shared the pace setting - along with a couple of the open 100km guys. Blewitt appeared to already be starting to struggle - but Arrnot looked very comfortable and solid on the flats.

We made good time to the first transition- under 57 minutes. Blewitt took little of the 5 minute transition period and went straight out. The rest of us waited and headed out onto the road to Wingello forest together.

Fellows and English fought for first into the single track and set a cracking pace. It was frustrating to be stuck behind some 100km guy who could not keep up with English but would not let us by. The idiot even tried to block us when we got to the fireroad! Luckily this first little hill saw him disappear very quickly.

The pace up the climbs was high and a rotating pace line on the flats meant a constant high heart rate.

Heading into the main section of single track, English got in first and turned on his after burners. Arnott fell off, and I could not hold Jase's wheel. I let Fellows past and I figured at this point I was racing for 3rd.

I came out of the single track alone, and set off at my own pace. Arnott eventually caught me - having worked with some other 100km guys, and shortly after we came across a pooped looking Fellows.

With the 3 of us and another 2 100km guys we heading along the road back to transition. I could tell that Fellows and Arrnot were struggling, so I hit the gas just before the transition area and got in and out real quick. Thanks to Robyn for a super fast transition.

I got out onto the road back into Wingello forest and was quickly out of sight from Fellows and Arnott.

The first part of this lap was tough. I had lost a drink bottle about 1/2 way through the previous 50km stage - so my fluid intake was way too low. So I smashed a full bottle and counted on finding my dropped bottle this lap and grabbing it.

The plan worked, and having 3 bottles in that 50km loop worked wonders. I was also very happy with myself for riding "The Wall" on both laps.

The final 30km back was good fun. A mix of rolling paddock climbs, tight singletrack with some nasty pinches, and the constant thought of just X km to go! It was also the section were I came across friends - such as Adam and Kendra. It was great to see them pushing along.

I kept the pace up and eventually finished about 9 minutes up on Fellows, and easily broke the 7 hr mark.

Looking back through everyones times, if you take out my 100km sections - I would have got 13th in the 100km elite group! We sure were setting a cracking pace for riding 160km.

Nutrition


Nutrition wise I ran;

• 7 x bottles - 2 - 3 scoops of Torq Energy + an extra electrolyte tab per bottle
• Some extra water in the transition areas
• 1 x torq bar
• 2 x Clif Shot Bloks (extra sodium ones)
• 10 x torq gels

I think for next time, don't lose a drink bottle! That hurt.

Gear


The new Scott Scale 29er was brilliant. Light and fast in the climbs, fast on the fireroads and paddock crossings, agile in the single track and bombed the sketchy descents.

The extra flex in the rear end was brilliant - I did not miss my rear suspension at all.

I was worried that the 39T-11 would not be big enough for the course, but it actually was fine. The SRAM XX worked well - nice quick shifting, even when shifting under load. I did not miss any of the extra gearing from my 3x10 setups.

I ran Scwalbe Racing Ralph (snake skin) tires. They worked very well. The Ralphs are a great all rounder tire. They are low profile enough to be fast on the flats, but do hook in well in the single track and on the fireroads.

Thanks


A big thanks to Robyn for looking after me this weekend - as always you know exactly what I need, and you sort out my transitions quickly.

Thanks to ACT Bike Superstore for getting my new Scale race ready. It was a pleasure to ride.

Thanks to the Wild Horizon guys for putting on another great race - well organized and super fun.

Thanks to McAvoy, Garry, JD and Ed for all your pre-race encouragement - tis really appreciated! Well done to McAvoy, Garry and JD for their respective Fling results - all top stuff!