My first Adventure race....Anaconda in Lorne

1.9km Ocean Swim
13km Ocean Kayak
11.2km Trail Run
23 km Mountainbike
2.8km Beach Run
= > 6 hours of pain


It was going to be a " just for fun experience" at the end of the year after a long year of successful Mountainbike racing.
The swim was uncomfortable to start with: I was wedged in a tide wetsuit and could barely move my arms.
After overcoming the first panic finding myself in the midst of hundreds of moving legs and arms, my own legs started to cramp one after another and my lower back started to ache. Boy, was I happy when I saw the beach coming closer and closer...
After a 500m beach run to get to the kayak transition, we had to take the wetsuit off, take the kayak and paddle through the braking waves into the ocean... something I had never done before... except of a 20 min crash lesson with Liam the day before(thanks!), which assured me that I will be able to make it somehow. And here you go, I only fell in once but it took me around 45-60 minutes longer than most of the other competitors.
Finally I could put my feet on land! And I love running in the bush. But I wasn't used to jumping big rocks climbing up boulders and swimming across rivers... Overall my most preferred leg(at least before the rock section). I tried to avoid getting wet over and over again, being aware that I wasn't over my cold quiet yet, but here and there we had to swim underneath a bridge or jump into a river...crazy Adventure racers!

By the time I finally jumped on my Mountainbike, the first woman finisher got announced through the loud speaker ... it didn't bother me - I took my time in transition and wasn't worried about the fact that I was probably one of the last to leave for the last but not least leg.
I was a little bit tired by now and it started to rain, which made the tracks quiet sticky and slippery and my clothes wet again!... I was happy to pass a couple of other competitors, but the course offered a lack of excitement.
After a bit more than 6 hours(mostly in wet clothes) I was looking forward to finish with the final beach run. Over all it was a nice weekend with great people and good food and lot lots of sun and water.... I don't know if I 'd like to do it again, I should probably practice the kayak a little bit more...
Now I am very, very sore in every part of my body and have trouble walking stairs .......

A good finish off to my Mountainbike racing season 2007

Kona 24hr - too sick to race...

The Kona 24hr race was a pretty awesome event in a very relaxed atmosphere and great weather at the Forrest footy oval within the Great Otway National Park.
The 3 different trails were fantastic but maybe a little too long for a 24hr race, especially for the solo competitor.
Comparing to all the other 24hr races I have done so far, it was surprisingly easy on the body because it was less technical and less bumpy.

You may ask, why did I go and start after all - having being sick all week?
Maybe because I was looking forward to THIS race and had saved my mind for it by doing less solo and more team racing lately.
And I honestly thought the cold would clear off after a couple of hours of riding.... I just thought I will be fine...
However I wasn't going to be as fit as I wanted and should have been anyway - during the last couple of months I was too busy in other parts of my life.
One thing always seems to happen before all my 24hr races - a deadline at work, that recquires me to work long hours. The same again the week! Leading up to the Kona I just wasn't able to recover from my cold in time as we had a deadline just the day before the race...
The week was anything but ideal for a high performance race and 24 hours of racing needs a little more respect.

Well, after only three laps I had to realize that my body and my mind weren't ticking together and that my body was sending out signals I couldn't ignore.
While I was sweating in the heat, I started to get cold at the same time and to hyperventilate. Trying to ignore it and to calming myself down did only help little.
I had to make a teary and difficult decision to stop and let the race go. I was relieved on one side and frustrated and embarrassed on the other.

For the first time during a solo race, I had the afternoon off and did lots of walking around the Event site and was pleased to be able to socialize so much. Everybody told me that I did the right move.
At some stage I was doubting my decision to stop as I seemed to still have so much Energy. As the hours passed by I felt like I really wanted to go out again and did a very relaxed lap with a friend. Also I couldn't resist to go out later and do two nightlaps because I love the peaceful riding at nighttime. And I wanted to pay tribute to my new sponsor "Ay up" lights. After a warm nice shower I went into the cosy tent where Andy(my moral support) was already deep asleep for a couple of hours.
After a good morning coffee and breakfast I headed out for my last two and final laps and finished second with an embarrassing number of 8 laps.

Jessica Douglas was riding her own race, having no competion behind she still kept going and going and took out Women's solo with a good number of 15 laps. Turi Berg finished third with the same amount of laps as I did. Both of us had a good night sleep!
In the mens race John Claxton smashed out 20 laps and underlined that he is not only fit, but fast. Karri Golding followed with 19 laps and Troy Bailey finished 3rd with 17 laps.
Over all I will look back at a nice and very relaxed, enjoyable event but at the same time at a race where I had to call myself defeated by something that I had no control over.

Great support from the Kona guys, pitching my transition tent up and taking it down again. Thanks to Ay up lights making my nightlaps so enjoyable.

good timing for a cold/flu

Only days to go until the Kona 24 hour race I am brought down by a very nasty cold and had to rest in bed.
It's a bit of a worry and my start at the Kona is still to be confirmed at this stage... bummer!

New sponsor!!! Ay up lights

I picked up a new sponsor 'Ay up' lights - the finest LED Mountainbike Lights on the market.

Awsome lightweight, small and very powerful. Forget the heavy stuff that makes your helmet bounce around. For more infos check this out http://www.ayup.com.au/

Thanks to Andrew for his trust in me!

Gravity 12hr - Rosewhite near Mt Beauty VIC

A popular event not to be missed in the most beautiful setting near Beechworth.

It was lovely to race in a not-so-hotly-contested Female-6 and to just hang out and socialize, let the mind recover from solo racing....nooooooice!!

Good to catch up with so many people and still ride some

decent laps in between.
Our winning team TORQ Bar were the 5 of us - Tori, Vinca, Turi, Gen and myself.
While my team mates were all showered and relaxed watching the last hours of the race, I took on the final shift and got back into my solo rhythm and did lap by lap to finish at 9pm.
Thanks to Torq for support and free entry.

(pic by Juliet Morris)

Melbourne Adventure Club magazine October 2007

Win at Rockshox Golden Triangle Epic - Bendigo

I was very much looking forward to do a race, which goes from point to point and not around in circles.
After the start of the race I tried to stay on Sharon Laws’ wheel, I knew she was the stronger rider on the less technical sections.
During the first section of single track we had to pass a lot of riders and got hold up a fair bit. It was then, that Sharon wasn't very lucky and had a puncture just 15 minutes into the race. That meant I had to work by myself trying to get away from Jessica who was sitting not too far behind us.
I had a ball in the single track until I hit the fire road and fire road is no fun for me, especially with high winds.
Getting to the first feed station I had a comfortable lead on Jess and was looking forward to a new bottle and a banana as I was already very hungry but -as always- didn't feel like eating my bars. But to my frustration my water bottle wasn't there. Panic!!! While swearing on someone, who might have taken my bottle I opened the lid of the big heavy water canister, turn it around, trying to get some water into my bottle.
My bike collapsed between my legs and the water bottle fell over emptying itself...
I wasn't happy when I finally got back on the road, noticing that Jess was riding in the far distance in front of me. She must have passed me while I was fighting with the water canister. I was quiet upset about such a stupid mistake and swearing against the blowing head wind I saw her disappearing on the horizon. I was convinced that she must have had the luck of drafting behind other riders by the speed she got away from me.
Along the never ending fire trail/bitumen roads with their sadly dry fields, I was praying for some nice single track to come.
I loved the rain especially when we finally got into the last bit of single track. It was here that felt transferred back to the stage race 'Trans Germany', that I had done mid of this year. Rocky, slippery, technical single track in miserable rain, I just loved it. The rain in my face, the wind blowing, I felt at home!
I turned around a corner in this beautiful natural landscape and saw Jess just getting off her bike walking up a muddy trail. I took my chance and passed her suddenly feeling a drop of energy as if there was nothing left for the last 20kms.
I was happy to be able to make up for my previous mistake and was searching my pockets for my energy gel to get the boost back and to bring the win home.
As for my bottle drama, it was nobodies fault because I had mixed up the feeding stations while dropping the bottles off before the start and didn't provide a bottle for the first station and instead left it at the last one.
I was very happy about the very generous prize money which covered my last week bike repairs that were due after the Scott 24hr race in Canberra.

1st at Kona Surf Coast 6 hour Enduro

Two weeks after winning the 2007 Scott 24hr race in Canberra, I can add another solo win at the Kona Surf Coast 6 hour race(http://www.surfcoast6hour.com.au/)
Unusual race format with a 4pm start, but with the 31 degrees heat during the day, it was brilliant.

I had to learn my lesson in better getting my bike(s) checked in the future after just having ridden a big race like the 24 hour race... After riding up and down the streets in Fitzroy I decided that the bike still works and I will be fine for the 6 hr race.....hmmmmmm
Already in my first lap my chain got sucked between cassette and wheel and it took me some time to find out which gears not to use for the next hours. Unfortunately - while fixing my mechanics - Jess Douglas slipped through and it took me 4 hours into the race to pass her back again and to make time good.
I was very relieved in winning the mini Kona race for my sponsors Kona.
Apart from racing, Andy and I spend a nice relaxing day on the beach on Sunday.

Thanks to Troy(BMC, solo male winner) in sharing his support pit bitch Martin with me.

bloddy cool Scott 24hr video....check this out:

http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=104727

Kiendl calls for a beer after 24 hours

WINNER OF THE 2007 SCOTT 24 HOUR MOUNTAINBIKE CHAMPIONSHIPS

German mountain bike rider Alexandra Kiendl only wanted a Australian beer after she crossed the line at the Scott 24 hour Mountain Bike Championships in Canberra today. The 34 year old suffered from the freezing temperature throughout the night. “I had everything on everything I owned,” she said. Kiendl competed 23 laps finishing 48 minutes in front of nearest rival, Justine Leahy (Coffs Harbour).
http://www.scott24hr.com.au
http://www.corc.asn.au/news/index.asp#882

Trans Germany 2007 - HIGHWAY TO HELL