VSS XC Round 2 @ Beaconsfield

Day started ok, got out there early today to make sure I was properly prepared for the race, all was well, tyres pumped up, chain lubed, had all my gear, made my way down to the start to warm up the legs a bit before the race and just rolled around the first section of the track, chatted to the usual suspects and had my usual nervous toilet breaks before the race.

It was about 5 minutes to the start of the race and I realised I hadn't checked out how many laps we had to do in our sports class, just figured it would be 2 as I rode the track the day before and knew 3 laps would be way too much. So we are discussing it on the start line and Megan tells me it is in fact 3 laps, so I am not too happy with this as it is a XC race and I can expect to race pretty hard for 1 -1 & 1/2 hours maximum but knowing it would be easily 45 minute laps for a sports class rider was figuring it would be about 2 & 1/4 race for me at least! Turns out you could add another 15 minutes to my guess, in the end I clocked up 2 hours 31 minutes which is double what the MTBA states the average for Sports class should be.
Top was unzipped a little too far here, someone remind me of this next time please!
Jane Ollernshaw and I decided to speak up and voice our opinions/concerns on the matter to which the race organiser agreed it was a good idea to drop a lap, only to be told that their timing system couldn't handle it???? Anyway, nothing to do but to just get on with it and try and do the best I can, we take off for the the first lap and I am behind Sharon but in front of Megan, got to the first steep downhill bit and Megan rode down it where I was a bit nervous and decided to walk, this gave her the advantage and she got in front, I pushed hard to get back to her and luckily the practice I had done out there the day before as Megan mucked up over the rocky section and I got in front of her again when she stopped to go over a log, this was right before a killer climb, well first lap was not that bad but next 2 were almost unbearable for me, I knew this is where I could make my get away and just pushed up the hill, I caught a glimpse of her on the downhill section as I was climbing the next hill and that was the last I had seen of her for the rest of the race, I was sure she was right behind me all the time so was pushing as much as I could, before the end of the first lap I had gone through all my water, shit!!! what rider with as much experience as I have now goes in to a race on a 30 degree day with only one bottle of water??? IDIOT! I took off for my second lap and was really feeling it, I was going to pull out once I got through the first half that leads you back to the car park, although I knew I was still in front of Megan so didn't want to but knowing I had 2 laps left and no water I knew I would do more damage than was worth to be able to say I finally beat my arch nemesis, so resigned myself to the fact that I couldn't go on without water and the race was lost, I came through the first section of the track and was heading towards the part of the track that leads to my car, literally 200 metres from my car and ready for a DNF and Ed, Jenni King's partner was there cheering me on and I stated that I couldn't go on as I had no water to which he quickly filled my bottle with his water and sent me on my way, at this stage I was already pretty dehydrated but made me feel better after having a few gulps, I got through that lap ok and finished that bottle again before the end of the lap, luckily Ed was waiting again to fill my bottle for me on way past for my last lap, I honestly couldn't have got through the lap without it and if it wasn't for him I wouldn't have finished the race, I definitely learnt my lesson there and will be better prepared next time, although if I rock up to another XC race and it looks like being more of an Enduro I will probably think twice about doing it, I want to do XC racing and not Enduro's and I can say that putting myself through 2 and half hours of racing at that intensity was not enjoyable at all an lets face it, as much as I want to win, I am really in it for the fun as much as the competitive side and if that is taken away then what's the point?
At least one of us was doing the right thing

So apart from a couple of little stacks I managed to get through the race with no major off's and 26 minutes behind first place getter Sharon and 22 minutes ahead of my friendly rival Megan, now that Megan is off the radar it's time to hunt Sharon down! :)

Struggling up a pinch climb, made it!

I can say that this was the toughest race I have done as far as the conditions, I have raced in hotter weather before but was better prepared and was 1 hour shorter than this race with less climbing, I spoke to a lot of the riders after and we were all in the same boat and looking at the amount of DNF's on the results page it definitely reflects how tough the conditions were, granted some of them were mechanicals I am sure the majority of them were physical.

Brett Henderson in action

Well done to fellow Croydon Cycleworkers Jenni King and Brett Henderson for top spot on the podium in their classes.

Thank you's for today

Ed, Ed, Ed wouldnt have done it if not for him being there at that time, and to all the riders that kept telling me that Megan was not that far off to keep me going.

Until next time Happy Biking

Kat

Kona 24 hour

Saturday 29th of November was the start date of 24 hours of pain to be concluded on the 30th, luckily for me it actually didn't involve any pain, considering it is the longest enduro I have been involved in that was quite surprising.

So Saturday morning Andrew Liu comes to collect me and my bike and 24 hours of food supplies and we head off for the sleepy town known as Forrest, arrive there and it is all very relaxed, had a chat to a few people before getting ready to ride and make our decision as to who in our team of would go first, Andrew myself and Caleb all decided Brenton should go first and considering he was not there to defend the decision it was locked in and he was to do the first lap, adding another kilometer or so to the distance of the first lap, I was second in line, I took off up the short climb at the start line and made it about half way before having to get off to walk, it became the challenge of the weekend for everyone to try and get up it without having to walk it, so the second lap I took off hard at the start to gt a good run up and change gears as I got to the steep part, well I was in too high a gear and went to change gears and a bit of chain suck ruined my effort and came to an embarrassing end on the first corner of the climb, if front of all the riders lining up at transition and the small crowd that had gathered there to watch.

So anyway the day laps went smoothly and I was feeling good, time for the night laps, this was my first time really riding at night, the only other time was when Andrew and I did a short night ride along a bike trail, hardly the same as riding the tight singletrack at Forrest, so I took off for my lap and went ok for the first part of the track that I had previously ridden in my day laps but quickly started losing confidence as I was veering all over the track, the lap seemed to take me a long time, I had no idea how long I had been out there for but it seemed like hours, I made it out on to the fire trail and was going along for a little while and accidently took a wrong turn as only I could do, anyway luckily a few riders came past and I noticed their lights going in the opposite direction to me so I turned around and got back on track, I reallyy had the sooks at this stage, I didnt like riding in the dark and the lap seemed to be taking ages, I was going along again on my own for a while and thought I had taken another wrong turn so just stopped and waited, a minute or so later I saw a light heading towards me so knew I was on the right track still so took of for the home stretch and made it to the finish about 10 minutes later, pulled in to transition and was not a happy camper, Andrew Wade and Brenton were there to welcome me back, I didnt say too much, just that I didint like it and I took off back to the tent, turns out it was an hour twenty lap so not quite as long as I thought it had taken me but still a long time out there in the dark. Caleb had pulled out and I knew there would be a few more night laps ahead for me, got back to the tent and had already decided I didnt want to do any more night laps but was still going to go ahead with it, once Brenton came back in, he had told me that Andrew's knee was not feeling too good so thought I might be in with a chance that we might pull the pin on the night laps, once Andrew came in I said I was not too keen to do another night lap and he was the same, so off to bed for me, bed being the back of Andrew's car that is, froze my butt off just walking from the tent which actually had the luxury of a heater in it, grabbed my trackies and headed straight to the showers, usually I would be a bit shy about nuding up in front of other people but there was no room for modesty in these showers so had to walk out of the shower starkers and there was another chick in there who started up a casual convo with me about random stuff with me, had a bit of a chat then headed for the comfort of the 35 buck sleeping bag purchased in a mad rush the night before and the back seat of an Alfa Romeo, was laying there wide awake and wondering whether I should go back to the tent and enjoy the atmosphere that comes with 24 hour racing, mmmm nah, the sleeping bag is nice and warm and all clean now, I will just get up early I tell myself, so try to get some sleep, just not going to happen, break out the mobile to play some solitaire and hopefully that will get me tired enough to sleep, still no go, so just layed there until I eventually fell asleep, i reckon it was 4.55 am when I finally managed to fall asleep and it was 5.01 when I woke up again! I was pretty excited about the day laps today as Marriners run was among the tracks used for today so got out and put my gear on, went and grabbed a toasted sandwich and a coffee, (the best coffee ever by the way) not the best pre race food but filled the hole anyway. Got to the tent and unlocked my bike and took it upon myself to nominate myself for the first morning lap, no arguments there, Marriners run was awesome as to be expected seemed to be a long lap again, turned out it was, I was really taking my time on this lap, after the last climb I headed back in to transition one hour and 40 minutes after I took off, Brenton took off for his lap followed by Andrew, I was hoping Andrew would not get back in till after 11am then I wouldn't go out for another, still an hour before cut off but that was crazy mixed up rule I had, a few of the other riders around were hounding me to go out and I told them my cut off time and that if Andrew didn't come in before that I would not go out, I was waiting with nervous anticipation and staring at my watch every 2 seconds, well, 10.28, 2 minutes before my suggested 'cut off time' Andrew rolls in to transition, to delay it even more I rode via the toilets for a quick pit stop and to decide whether I really wanted to go out for one more lap, yep just go for it, so took off for my final lap and got back in with 2 minutes to spare so the annoucers were hounding me to go out for one more lap, no amount of convincing would get me out there again, had really had enough, ended up 20 minutes quicker than my first lap, passed a solo rider that had ridden right through, as if that is not tough enough he was on a singlespeed, he really looked like was doing it tough, pretty inspirational really, when you take my 5 laps for the whole 24 hours and look at what he had put his body through it certainly doesnt make you feel like you have acheived much that's for sure, ut for my first 24 hour race I was pretty happy with my performance and apart from the night lap I think I did ok.

So the question is now, will I do another and the answer, well I dont know that yet, ask me next year.

I did have a great weekend though and was actually pretty relaxing, the atmosphere there is fantastic and had great company for the weekend.

Thank yous for the weekend

Thanks to my race pals, Andrew, Caleb and Brenton, race competiton and tent buddies Marissa, Ben Andrew and Stephen, official photographer Sandy and all the race goers there that offered encouragement throughout the weekend.

As always Croydon Cycleworks for their continued support.

Until next time happy biking!

Kat