An early start to the day saw Sher andI heading off to pick up the car-load for the 100k or so trip over to the start of the race at Glendo Bay – Wanaka. Sher and I were Newbies to this race and this was to be the toughest one that Sher had undertaken. I had just not got around to knocking this one off the bucket list.
I had spent a fruitless evening trying to seat a tubeless presta valve into my front rim – giving up in disgust and heading off to bed with a tube in the tyre. I really must get on to my gear a little earlier as this pattern of niggly annoyances the night before a race doesn’t do me a lot of good…
All looked great for the start of the race. About 3000 competitors which is big for this part of the world. As usual – only really interested in the onesI know and want to beat or more importantly – not be beaten by!
The race organizers require every competitor to carry a full compliment of kit including 2 tubes, bike tools, a first aid kit suitable for mountain conditions and jackets and thermal wear. I had spent the previous morning showing Sher how to change tubes and break and join chains. As it turns out this little refresher came in quite handy…
I was aiming for a time around 2.15 and the conditions looked good. Very dry with the fords at a reasonably low level. Off the start the pace was fast and my lungs and legs felt it all too quickly. Perhaps I should have dropped the spin classes on thursday afterall… As it turns out I didn’t have to wait long for a rest. At perhaps 3 or 4kms in I narrowly avoided being caught up in a smash. Normal situation of wheels connecting. 4 went down. 3 got up and one did not. After getting him and his bike off the road I spent the next 2 thirds of the race playing catchup.
As I expected – I felt great on the ups being stronger than most this is where I made most of my gains. Resistance training and the type of riding I’ve been doing lately around Alexandra both on gears and single speed paying dividends. Geof and guys know how to push a big gear! Over the top I felt flat. I’ve not been doing a lot of longer rides so this may be an area to work on over the coming weeks. Given that cramp was an issue for many and I had no problems I ‘m picking that the training at intensity is on the money and I will extend my longer rides over the coming weeks.
5k to go and the chain-suck I had been managing for the last 3rd of the race finally got the better of me and I blew the chain. I have never changed one on the go so I was thankful that I had run through the process with Sher the day before. Checking my watch I lost perhaps 5 or 6 mins and I am confident that with practice I could do this much faster.
Sher pushed on through the field and by all accounts had a great race. She is gaining confidence on the downs and is getting stronger on the hills. Perhaps not suprisingly given that she is x-trainig fit from Zumba and Spin rather than from cycling she had some cramp towards the end and her forearms were another area that suffered. A good performance and one to build on for the future.
Alexandra was well represented in the results with Denise (Active Physio @Proactive) winning her category and James from Cycle world securing a 3rd open male placing. A number of others performed well including Spencey who pulled out a respectable 3.15. Good to see him cranking so well. Blair and Jono had a battle with Jono geeting the better of Blair by perhaps 10mins. Better luckc next time Blair!
I came in at 2.25 which given the delays was OK – not exceptional. Reflecting on my performance I am happy enough with how I handled the additional challenges but I know that I could handle some of the variables within my control such as race prep and mechanicals a little better.
MTB Skills Clinics Rotorua Review
A range of instructional courses for mountain biking
Not strictly an ‘equipment review’ – instead of a review of some people who have systems to make all of the equipment a whole lot more useful!
I have had the pleasure of undertaking two of the courses that Gabby, Dodzy and their Team at MTB Skills Clinics provide.
MTB Skills Clinics has grown out of the best place possible – the people who created the systems and provide the training are themselves inspirational, accomplished riders. Team members are based around the country. Three of us headed to a course in Dunedin mid-winter 2010. Our instructor Anya an accomplished downhill and XC rider (2007 Womens National XC MTB Champion) took us through the ‘Phundamentals’ There were eight people on the course and Anya brought a friend to help us get through the initial bike setup. I thought I had my ride dialed in but a number of us got much needed advice ranging from cleat placement through to optimal break and shift lever positions. We proceeded with drills covering the brace position, break control and moving on to body position and skills to clear objects and even an intro to the S turn for faster downhills and berm riding. The S turns were an added bonus and it came in handy to have a heads up for the course I did with Gabby later in the year.
Despite the obvious range of abilities across the participants Anya managed to provide challenges and instruction to meet all our needs.
The bottom line
We can go faster by buying a lighter bike, improving the components on our current bike or spending money on questionable performance enhancing substances! We can train hard, revise our training plans and train even harder!
The often overlooked variable for performance is the skills of the driver of the machine. Sure, we’ve all been riding since the dawn of time but are we sure the habits we’ve developed are helping us move forward or are they holding us back?
The advice and focus of a motivating, experienced specialist rider is not generally easy to come by. The skills clinics cost little more than a decent tyre and the benefits last much longer.
I suggest that you allocate the small amount of money and time to improving your riding skill in the relevant, supportive, structured environment of a MTB Skills Course.
It’s also a hell of a lot of fun!
Bannockburn Classic
Hill Profile for the Bannockburn Classic
Blue skies saw race temperatures reaching the respectable mid twenties. Organiser Bill Godsal of Sport Otago noted on numerous occasions post race that ‘it was hot out there.’
After some work at the gym in the morning involving keeping the music going for those working out, some exercise instruction and a reasonable amount of much needed paint going on the reception walls, we headed the 30k through the gorge to Bannockburn. My brother Stu was over from Oamaru and after the horrors of the Gutbuster he looked like he had something to prove. Perhaps that explains how quiet he got on the way over in the car…
Sher was down for the Sport ride – a little shorter but nasty enough if you didn’t know what was coming. Damianne was down for her first event in the sport ride too – definitely a challenge from the local river track and rail trail. The other usual suspects were there with Blair Jono and John going head to head. The battle for the middle of the field placings would prove fierce.
Upon arrival we met up with Ian McDonald. Traveling alone and looking all business, Ian would go on to be one of the overall top 10 and second Vet home. He always performs.
I was keen to put in a good time. Last year I managed a 1:36:25 for a 6th place category. I had a great battle with another local and have been pushing to get the better of him. Today was to prove no different…
On the line I got a reasonable spot to the right of the start. Tim from Oamaru was there and I did my bit to encourage him to give it everything. This race start is one of the tougher ones with the shorter distance encouraging the young-guns to push a big gear off the line. As always, the start tends to determine the end. Heart rate at the ready I waited for the gun! When it went Tim was off and I never saw him again until the end – somewhere he had been 5 or ten minutes before I got there!
The push up the start hill is tough and the main front bunch splintered a number of times. I picked up a few places and was picked up as we all tried to find our rhythm. I was quite distracted by the harsh sound of somebody sucking air at a death defying rate – until I realised it was me! The first little downhill gives back some of the energy expended on the way up leading on to the sealed push up the valley. The tail wind did little to disguise the steady, brutal nature of the climb. The air sucking dropped to more manageable levels though and I settled into a rhythm.
The push to the top and the middle-ish point of the race was steep. As I was climbing I noticed somebody getting off there bike and thought it was odd to see at this point in the race – then I saw the lack of a derailer – bloody single speed! As much as I enjoy mine it is always disconcerting to see a single speed ahead when I have all these gears and I’m struggling!
I was looking forward to the elation of the down hill but – annoyingly – it never really came. The wind was punching up the valley taking the edge off the drop. On a number of occasions I felt the urge to stop and see if I maybe had a pucture in the rear tyre but of course I didn’t.
I spotted Sher at the mid point of the Sport ride where it connects back to the Classic course. Later she relayed what many that have done that course would agree – the mid section has some challenging drops and deep ruts that would catch out those with less experience. Not an easy ride by any means! Might try it next year:-)
I pushed on up and over the last big climb in what felt perhaps a little easier than last year and by the last little push up through the single track to the pub finish I was feeling probably the strongest of the race.
A number of locals like James from Cycle World were already in. The general consensus was that everyone felt a little off their game. I take this to mean that the conditions were reasonably challenging with little benefit derived from the wind direction and the feeling of being cheated out of some of the races normally high points by the same wind. Perhaps we were all feeling a little the worse for wear after the excesses of xmas!
For the future?
1. This race again highlights the importance of a good start and the challenge faced as the top end of the heart rate drops off with age. Training for the next month will focus on improving this. Back to the gym and pushing sustained intervals for longer periods on the bike. time to break out the heart rate monitor.
2. Xmas is not good for performance! No excuses – my time was slightly faster than last year but I believe I was slower up the hill and possibly faster down – the result of a focus on performance from skills courses and riding with people a lot better than me! (Thanks Geof and other Wednesday night riders) The likely slower up points to a temporary performance drop. A good xmas and tiring schedule refurbishing the gym have taken away from training and recovery.
Conclusion:
This is not an ‘A’ race for me but I do like to feel better while I’m out there and this was what was missing for me this time around. Great people to hang with, a great course and a great day all up – just hard to be firing every time out!
Roll on next year!
Results:
The battle for the mid field by Team Blair was hard fought with the guys all putting in PB’s. Great effort!
Sher performed well and has realised that she can out-ride many of the guys – they better watch out!
For the overall results and to check out the pointy end of the race check out the results on the Cromwell Summer Series Site.
Beaumont Station 40 and 60k XC MTB
This event was held for the first time on Saturday December 11, 2010.
After a good dose of rain the day and night before the day dawned fresh and clear.
The turnout of local people keen to support the event was great to see with a number coming through from Dunedin and further afield. New events are great with competitors keen to get their names in the top spots.
Grant Lyons, Geoff Blance and Malcolm Mcleod were the ones to watch out for in the longer, 60k race with a few others such as Paul Berg and myself aiming to upset the order if possible. Kath Kelly was going to be strong on her home turf and Denise Blance was likely to put in a consistent performance as usual.
Sher was down to to do the 40k, this being Sher’s first proper XC race. Fresh off the steep learning curve of the Masters games in Timaru, Sher was ready to take on the challenge of a longer – tougher race.
The briefing was brief (always good) but thorough. A few warnings about the potential for sliding into bridges and the likelihood of it being a little boggy in spots. The rapid elevation changes provided some hairy downhills with a few surprises to keep the heart pumping. Apart from a couple of small incidents – one rim damaged, some bumps, scrapes and bruises, there were no major injuries.
The start of the inaugeral Beaumont Station 40 and 60k XC Races
The 3 or 4k push along the flat served to warm the legs up – riders happy to cruise knowing what was soon to come. The road climbed perhaps 15k – the front bunch of 6 making a handy lead that was to last the entire race. Towards the top of this first push the top 3 held and extended a small lead.
I was please to have held with the first 3 until close to the top of the first push and spent the remainder of the race predominantly on my own, ever hopeful to pick up one of the 3 ahead but this never eventuated. Not looking at the profile prior to the race I was a little surprised at the length of the push along the river and may have put a little bit more into the run to the end. Not that this would have changed the result, the damage being done on the earlier climbs.
Beaumont Hill Climb (Photo Shelby 2010)
I picked up Sher toward the end of the climb for the 40k. She was looking strong. After finishing I rode back to catch her and was pleased to see that she was not very far behind. She must have made great time on the downhill and was pushing 30k on the flat to the finish. A great effort.
Overall verdict for the race?
A tough race suited to crazy people with hearts like clydesdales and calves to match – in short – perfect!
Results?
Me 3rd Vet – 4th Overall. Pleased to have met my race plan of pushing harder from the start. Ready to take it to the next level in the upcoming Bannockburn Classic in 3 weeks time.
Podium – Here I come!
Bannockburn Gutbuster 2010
Elevation for the Garston to Bannockburn Gutbuster
One of my favorite events – the Bannockburn Gutbuster covers 75kms through the Nevis range from Garsten to Bannockburn. It is one of many events sometimes referred to as the pub to pub as there is a pub at either end. Not that anyone is thinking of a beer at the start but by the end there would be few not thinking of one!
I wasn’t particularly confident with my buildup to this event. After spending time at the world single speed champs and the weeks riding in Rotoruas spectacular mountain bike park my focus had waned. I was still taking my regular spin classes and regular resistance trainig sessions based on James Wilson’s excellent Ultimate MTB Program but the long rides on the weekend and Wednesday night rides were inconsistent. In the weeks leading up to the race my training plans went out the window too many times. I had expected to have a long ride on the weekend before the race but the kids ballet performances took precedence. Not great for training but I was very proud of my beautiful, talented girls!
Guilt and fear of failure spurred me to add a road loop to the end of my Tuesday morning spin class. Less than 30k and no hills to speak of and my legs felt flatter than flat! Not a great sign…
The day dawned with a beautiful blue sky. A quick check on the metservice website indicated the day would be hot with favourable SW winds and a chance of showers later in the day. That usually means it happens in the evening. Perfect!
My brother Stu and his friend Tim were over from Oamaru. We picked up John and his wife in Bannockburn and headed on to the start of the race. Driving towards Garston with the Remarkables range on the left always makes me yearn to fly – the problem with having multiple passions is always one of finding the time to do them!
I had given quite a bit of thought to my preparation. In the couple of days leading up to the race I consumed higher levels of food with an emphasis on elevated sodium levels to aid water retention. I hydrated well – I am notoriously bad for not drinking adequate water particularly when training is sporadic. I had been testing the dydration requirements of a few people at the gym and this refocused my attention on my own needs. Over the morning prior to the race I consumed around two litres of Powerade. Apart from stopping once on the way in the car and the usual nervous pee just before race start the urge to go did not return until a couple of hours after the race! I opted to carry only one bottle and to get a second at the bottom of duffers at around 2.5 hrs into the race. My bike will only hold one bottle and I didn’t want a bag on my back. This was why the pre-race hydration strategy was so important.
Stu, Tim and John had not done the race before and were suitably nervous about the profile. There was much discussion of the relative merits of going quieter at the beginning to conserve energy for the sharp push up Duffers saddle at the end. To each their own as they say but the reality is that unless you go hard all the way you’ll never make the best time!
A number of the usual suspects were on hand at the start line. Bill Godsell freash off a recent hip operation was ensuring he remained one of the few to have raced in all of the gutbusters from day one. Don, Earl and Ritchie were looking ready as ever. This race suits them – they are tough bastards who regularly push big distances at speed. Don is not the youngest guy out there but his times don’t suggest that!
About a minute to go and Shaun popped into the line. He has been going well with a win of the 150k rail-trail race and being part of the winning 24hr adventure race held a couple of weeks earlier. I must be getting a little too relaxed on the line as the hooter sounded and I wasn’t even clipped in. Focus, focus, focus…
First hill came on hard. Felt like I expected it to. I seemed to making OK time though and crested the top at about 55mins. First guys including Tim were well ahead.
Over the top I put the power on and was pleased at the way my l recently aquired light wheels and racing ralphs were moving along. James at the bike shop had suggested that a tweak of the newly rebuilt rear wheel spokes would be a good idea before this race but It never happened. I heard his voice in my head a number of times as I picked my way through the rockier areas of the track…
The fords were quite full. There are a number of them and they got the better of a few people along the way. the race across the valley went well. Caught up to a few blown people throughout the last two thirds of the race.
About half way across the valley Shaun came up. He looked strong as always. We hit a few fords at speed. I usually slow down more but I have been pushing myslef to hit these harder. After going through three or four Shaun was unlucky and ended up taking a dip. Climbing out the other side I decided to give it a bit of a push and see if I could open up a little distance on him. After a few minutes I glanced back and couldn’t see him.
Excellent!
As time went on I formulated the plan that if I could make the start of Duffers – a serious 8k – 800m climb I should be able to hold him off on the hill and perhaps beat him to the end.
The valley flew by and approaching the drink station I glanced over my shoulder – no Shaun. I threw my old bottle aside and collected a very important fresh bottle that I proceeded to down as quickly as possible as I began the ascent.
Felt OK going up. Picked up a couple of stragglers. One guy said I was the 3rd to pick him up and that he thought he must have been slowing down. He looked so dejected I had to point out that maybe he was Ok but that we were picking up speed. Not sure if that helped…
Gaining a little height I saw Shaun coming up. At various points he appeared to be gaining and at others I seemed to be opening a bigger gap. Towards the top I took another look back and noted he was much closer.
Bugger!
Two or three pinches from the top and Shaun pulled up beside me. He surged forward and I countered. I decided to make the race about getting to the top and then see what we could do on the down. We crested the hill together and pushed on down. It quickly became clear that we were similar on the down. I got in front and pushed out a small lead.
Down off the hill and on to the sealed road. Only 3 or 4k to go. Shaun came up beside me an surged past. As I pressed the pedals harder I felt cramp in my quads and pulled back. A few moments later and all was well but I could not seem to spin my legs fast enough to catch him. I began thinking that his gearing must be different to mine – then I relaised – I had another gear to go! I pushed but it was too late. I made ground but not enough.
Oh well – next time!
RESULT:
Great battle with Shaun which he won at the end and all over in about 3:16 (previous year 3:32)
A full list of results can be found on the Cromell Summer Series website
6th Vet
Stu learned that this race really is a ‘gutbuster’ and will be rethinking his strategy of carrying water for 5 people on his back and then not drinking it! (Well done Stu – It is a tough ride – your first of this type)
Tim smoked in 2 mins ahead of me. His bike is a shocker! God help us when he gets a decent bike!
John took his 29er over in a respectable time. His rival Blair better watch out!
Conclusions for next year:
- Go faster up the first hill! I was only passed by Shaun over the entire race from about 10mins in. The difference in the times came on the first hill within the first hour. The race leaders stayed the race leaders!
- Super-hydrate pre-race and add one further bottle of fluid carried perhaps in my shirt or on the back of the seatpost (Had 2 over race)
- Ate well. 10 squeezies (calculated 12 but had plenty of energy)
- Give more thought to electrolytes during the race. Sodium in particular. Made a difference this time.
- Go hard or go home!