photo:
solo winners Bellie and myself with sponsor Andrew Patten 'Ay up'
Just one week after the Otway Odyssey, I saw myself packing up again. Race no 5 for this year, which is a bit crazy really.
This time I had to fly to Queensland, lucky I wasn’t on my own. Andrew Bell(Bellie) picked me up Friday afternoon and together we started our mission to race 12 hours from dusk till dawn. Ay up lights, our sponsor was so generous to invite the two of us up to race. Thanks so much!!
I finally met Andrew Patten, the brain behind the lights, for the first time and it was good to see the man behind the best mtb lights on the marked! Riders were able to borrow lights for the race; all afternoon he and his team were busy attaching light mounts on helmets and handlebars and giving instructions.
The race wasn’t going to start before 7pm, so we had a couple of hours to kill…..
Bellie had this great idea of doing a practice lap, while they haven't finished to mark the track yet. We ended up going through thick lush bush, water and riding through spider webs, which made me freak out a little bit and letting Bellie ride ahead. There they were, colourful spiders of the size of my hand, sitting in their webs across the track. This is Queensland! I even saw my first Cane toad, apparently there was a snake and a Lizzard too(riding behind Andrew ‘disadvantaged’ me in seeing those creatures).
As most of the times before a race, I get quiet and would prefer to hide under a blanket.
I, myself can never believe that I am going to ride for 12 hours and would rather be somewhere else... As soon as the race has started, those thoughts are gone, luckily! It helps to have a good support team and to not worry about this part. Matt, the ‘Kona’ Queensland representative, was down to take over this part and to look after Andrew and me. All sorted!!!
After a few laps into the race, I knew this track was going to be fun and that I could ride a fast, but still comfortable pace.
Unfortunately I could never quiet figure out how far the second girl, local favorite
This time I had to fly to Queensland, lucky I wasn’t on my own. Andrew Bell(Bellie) picked me up Friday afternoon and together we started our mission to race 12 hours from dusk till dawn. Ay up lights, our sponsor was so generous to invite the two of us up to race. Thanks so much!!
I finally met Andrew Patten, the brain behind the lights, for the first time and it was good to see the man behind the best mtb lights on the marked! Riders were able to borrow lights for the race; all afternoon he and his team were busy attaching light mounts on helmets and handlebars and giving instructions.
The race wasn’t going to start before 7pm, so we had a couple of hours to kill…..
Bellie had this great idea of doing a practice lap, while they haven't finished to mark the track yet. We ended up going through thick lush bush, water and riding through spider webs, which made me freak out a little bit and letting Bellie ride ahead. There they were, colourful spiders of the size of my hand, sitting in their webs across the track. This is Queensland! I even saw my first Cane toad, apparently there was a snake and a Lizzard too(riding behind Andrew ‘disadvantaged’ me in seeing those creatures).
As most of the times before a race, I get quiet and would prefer to hide under a blanket.
I, myself can never believe that I am going to ride for 12 hours and would rather be somewhere else... As soon as the race has started, those thoughts are gone, luckily! It helps to have a good support team and to not worry about this part. Matt, the ‘Kona’ Queensland representative, was down to take over this part and to look after Andrew and me. All sorted!!!
After a few laps into the race, I knew this track was going to be fun and that I could ride a fast, but still comfortable pace.
Unfortunately I could never quiet figure out how far the second girl, local favorite
Prue Oswin was behind me; so every time I came through Transition, I got different information… “you are 18 min up, after another lap it was actually 8 minutes, a few laps after it was 10 minutes, then 15 min and before my last lap it was down to 5 minutes.” ohhh, I could feel my grey hair growing. I just couldn’t get rid of Prue Oswin, a girl from the Gold Coast, which competes ins Ironmans.
I finished 7 minutes ahead of her, I could have done one more lap but rolled into the finish actually before the 12 hour mark…ooops….I thought the race was over. Luckily the race organizer didn’t mind. But to be honest I would have liked to do one more lap and to be one lap up to the second place…
Bellie won his solo race in style, with 24 laps one lap ahead of second place and 8th place overall in the race(and he could have done one more lap)...he is a machine!
People in QLD are a very friendly bunch of people and the race was very well organized. Comparing to Endurance races in Victoria, there weren’t as many serious Elite Teams chasing each other around the track. Over all I had another fantastic race and feel very good about my form in the moment and I am curious how this will translate into my goal race for the year - the upcoming 24hr Nationals at Easter…. Fingers crossed!
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