Chasing the BMMC Boys

Now the body has starting to settle into the early starts and exercising. The big thing this week was increased sunshine in the mornings and spring warmth! Over the week I acquired some new equipment which seem to be firing on all cylinders especially the Road shoes and peddles for the bike. They are like standing on a milk create, more drive and my feet are very solid. You do not move around in the paddle half as much as the MTB SPD peddles. Ay up lights, brilliant just got the new V4 kit for training and racing, simply brilliant for the size as most of the BMMC have now seen. 2XU compression bike knicks another stab in the dark that seems to have paid off as they seem to keep my bun's very tight (plus a great fitting chamois) and they fit my new Stella Italia gel saddle well, the old girl was flexing enough that it would fit the top of the seat on a moderate bump in the road. It was always a good jolt through the arse end that i will not miss. Thanks Kevin for my tax return!

Tues Run 11km BMMC
Wed Rest day
Thurs Forced rest day due to child
Fri Ride 25km, Swim 1.5 (good morning session)
Sat 56km MTB up oaks
Sun 27km recovery ride, Run with TE 13km
Mon 35km chasing TE on the bike
Tues 11km BMMC

Easy to be lasy on cold mornings

Getting back into training is always tough (even harder with 8mth pregnant wife) so the only opportunity i have is in the morning so the alarm now religiously goes off a 5.40am. Therefore putting out of home by 5.45. i have been bouncing out of bed trying not to allow my mind to think about how warm comfortable i am. through on enough clothes to hopefully keep warm. Given latest weather conditions clear and cold it has been around 5-6 degrees.

Since starting back last monday i have not missed a day doing something and i am starting to see results. Now building to Oct/Nov

Mon27km Ride
Tues 11km Run
Wed 27 km Ride
Thurs 26km Mtb
Fri 2km swim
Sat 40km ride
Sun 26Mtb, 15km ride (towing trailer)
Mon 28 ride

Back in action

This week i fronted for the Tuesday session with the BMMC feeling like a fat little brown kiwi who could not fly and had just pulled it self from the confines of hibination. I had been visualing the crisp morning for weeks, but that did not help as the boys were focused on the M7. So I knew this was no rehab run.

I just crusied as i did not want to push the leg, or lungs for that matter but i knew the pace was going to lift at some stage, thank fully it held steady until the dash along the top, which i let them go, still happy to cruise through under the hour.

Since been out running and the leg is coming good! and was on the bike sunday and monday

Good luck boys for sunday!

Rehab centre paid dividends

The doors officially opened on Saturday down in the low lands nestled by the river. It seemed like a good resting place to curl up and die, crisp cold air, the silence as there was not a breath of wind, and no water movement to report as it seemed a like all participants had limited time before they were going to see the light, the addtion of calming influence of the hound to make the transition easier for all involved.

Then reality hit and all that could be heard is a truck 4 inchs from your head as we jogged over the railway bridge, and the dog pulled GPB arm from its socket. Bull ant surged as he had more to give but the rehad member put him back in line. and GPB was just happy to have friends!

Enough long winded stories

A massive weekend! biggest in 5 weeks.
Rehad Run saturday 6km - leg on the mend
Kayak - 20km
Rehad ride - 5km - little stiff

Tuesday - 4km run - feeling good

BMMC comeback is set for next week

the fat is going back on!

At the mo post race depression is setting in as i am racing head to head with Scam to see who can do less training! and it look likes i will take the win.

i have a blown right calf from the bike in the race, towing up a hill for 45mins just straining the poor old legs to much, and today 3 weeks on i have given in and I am seeking medical advice. I could not go straight in as i am a guy, i had to put up with the pain for a few weeks.

But as the BMMC member, i tried to have come back last week and had to pull up sort, and also that did not help the recovery! should have rested it.

Been there done that!

Thursday morning it all started with the packing of tubs of gear into the car, kayaks on the van and bikes on the back as we were about to set sail for Forster. we arrived to discover we had the smallest cabin ever made. so all the furniture went out and mattresses spread out to allow for maximum rest and space for gear.

Friday started slow with plenty of food as we sat around in the sun, whilst continuing to sort gear. Bib presentation and competency testing started at 12noon with kayak paddle and swim, first aid and a prologue for start position a 5 legged race for up a hill and around a tree, we went well getting 11th team off the start. 3pm the course notes were handed out, and the map prep started. The support crew arrived around 7pm and started to absorb information.

We had finished planning our course around 10pm and by the time we got out start gear ready we got to bed around midnight.

Saturday 5am we are up and filling the gut ready for the 2hr drive to get to the start line high up in the Barrington Tops. We arrived just in time as we just got gear on the start brief commenced, and i discovered i had a flat tyre, what a way to start. A quick change and rolled up to the start.

We were 11th off the start with each team leaving 10seconds behind each other in an attempt to prevent a mass pile up on the first major down hill. 9.5km in a 5 team pile up with one guy breaking a collar bone, so much for that theory. This just proved mountain bike riders can not bunch ride safely. We dropped 1000m vertical over 42km to get to the first TA a rogaine (6-8km) which we shot through in the 4th fastest time and started to pull in the leaders, back on the bike for another 30km, the boys settled into the work of towing Super Sal up all hills and flats, at one stage we were drafting with the two boys leading out and i had Super sal in tow on the flats doing 32km/hr and were starting to see a team in front, when sal hit a bump, dropped the tow line and it retracted back into my rear cassette, luckily no damage to the derailleur so 10min later we were rolling again, clipped a check point (CP) where i broke a chain, and back rolling again. Hike a bike time, a 2km push up a rutted old track to the ridge, this is where we started to pass the half geo teams as they started on the rogaine missing the first part of the ride, Nearing the end of the ride we descended through a grassy paddock this is where Super Sal went over the bars and drew the first blood for the race.

At TA the clock started we had 3hrs to drop bikes off & drive back to HQ before we could leave in the kayak. So we quickly through our bikes in the river in an attempt to give them a clean and get all the farmers grass out of the gears. (at this stage in 9th overall)

Timbrell went will the bikes to give them a quick service and we went directly to HQ to prep boats, super sal to get warm and rest for what lies ahead.

2.50min had passed we are sitting in the kayak waiting for Marky to be released, he's here and we are off 24km with the tide behind us, we settle in with good pace, until mark realises a little nav off, so the chasing team passes us. But we do not let them get away the vulcans (kayaks) had great pace, and they stopped for food and we got them back to lead them up the river to the next TA.

Back on the bike for an adventure gain leg, 11 out of 14 CP needed to be collected on bike and foot, so 70kms of bike later and alot of towing we get to bulladelah, as our nav was on target. But Marky had crushed a nut on a down hill section and it was starting to worry him. At this stage my arse end had had enough of my bike seat and the legs were starting to become fatigued from all the towing.

From TA we went out on foot with a trek up the nearest mountain where Timbrell completed a rock climb (grade 13), and we were off again, Marky was loving the paracetamol nad walking like he had a rugby ball between his legs, every step you cold see the pain in his face. At this stage i could not see him finishing the race! even the next 10km of this trek. we dropped into a valley were we bumped into another team and got talking about where we were, thus wasting time and putting questions of doubt in my mind. After an hour of circles we are back on track and Marky is chasing more drugs. we climb up a ridge with day break meeting us on the top and a light shower of rain. Now for the long slow decent, 3 CP's and on to the raft.

Arriving at TA we met the crew with hot noodles and Milo which hit the spot while we climbed into wet suits and built the raft for a 5 km paddle across a lake with a portage. we quickly discovered our design we not a speed machine as we had to much drag with the tyres on 45 degrees, but we had no alternative, we did take the opportunity to walk it along the bank when we had the chance to save the arms as the raft was to be followed by a 26km kayak. 3hrs later we got off the raft which was the mentally toughest section of the race, and this is the point alot of teams pulled out.

Into TA, hot creamed rice, dry clothes and into kayaks. As we geared up 2 teams pushed off in front of us. By the 3/4 mark across the first lake we had them both back but another team was gaining on us. Collected the CP and another short paddle to find an exit point to portage 800m to another lake for a 7km dash to finish, we past another team in the portage and pulled back the team who went past on the water. At the end of the paddle they had their spot back they were just to quick in the boats.

TA, we raced the sun as we had to tube/wade across approximately 1.5km wide inlet, and light would help us and be warmer. As we all stood nude on the opposite beach freezing trying to get clothes on for the 18km trek to the final kayak. I could not get my feet dry, we stabbed out tubes, packed our bags and started to walk off under moon light. Along sand and road nav was good until we went bush we got through a section alot of teams had problem but i had not drawn on a road on our maps which was a correction we were give before the start, so we did a couple of circles a wasted a couple of hours, and whilst this is going on Marky's nut sack is swelling super sal is starting to battle the sleep monsters as she is seeing things move that are not there. We get through to Blueys beach clip CP and head for Elizabeth beach up and over a hill and on to seven mile beach for the last part of our trek, by this stage my feet were falling to bits but i did not want to take shoes off so i just did up laces tighter and walked on.

Into TA, i sit down and try to change shoes to paddle shoes, and the remove of the running shoes was agony and blisters were tearing off my swollen feet. but i could not care a paddle to go. we came into TA with another team and i want to get out in front of them and race for home. Which we did Super Sal and I went out on the water first waiting for the boys but Timbrell forgot to clip so Marky ran over to get our release. We are off on a compass bearing to hit our CP which initially we stopped in the wrong bay but this was quickly corrected and then we clipped and pushed on. Next thing i knew Super sal is hard on the rudder yelling we are going to be hit by a boat, no just a river marker, go the sleep monsters. We quickly become tangled in oyster leases and they surround us so we have to go between them, so the goal was to put a 7m kayak down a gap less than a metre wide with a cross current otherwise the boat would get chewed up!

150m from the finish of the paddle another boat pops up and the race is on 43hrs in and it is going to be a foot race, we hit the shore first and dash to the nearest gate but it is locked, they are all over us as we ran with sore feet and tight legs through the gate, they beat us just as Marky could not stride out over the 60m dash due to the swollen nut.

Geoquest 2009 250+km 43.23hrs, 13th

Now the task of clean up and returning to home!

It is time to perform! Bring on Geoquest

After a good week last week i now sit here feeling better than yesterday, and yesterday was better than the day before, so who know what tomorrow will bring. I woke Sunday feeling like i had been hit with a hammer between the eyes, sinus all blocked, headache. Thus i gave the first ever club multi sport race a miss with the focus remaining on geoquest! this now being 3 sleeps away, as we head to teh location tomorrow.

The BMMC has me in good stead as i am running better than ever, especially when i can breath through my nose!.

Anyway no stopping me racing, so track us live all weekend on www.gar.com.au team name www.summitgear.com.au / panther cycles