The biggest disappointment ever!

0530 the bag pipes started and continued until we started the race. We had arrived late Saturday night to ensure we got a nights sleep so we would be as fresh as possible for the 167km ride.

0710 race brief for a 0730 start. We placed ourselves three quarters of the way up the field to ensure we got away clean (which we did) as we have about 4km on hard packed gravel then farmland started. Half way through the farmland (this was paddocks with a mowed strip cut into the grass) i was around 100th then on a small climb surrounded by trees 80% of the people in front missed a turn to the right, this resulted in them heading up a hill and fence line rather than right along the face of the hill, I saw this mistake and was one the first on the correct track, then about 300m along the correct track there was a tight bit of single where a massive bottle neck was about to be created for all that took the detour.

0915 arrived at transition 34km in and on target, quickly changed bottles and took in some food before feeding out,
This was to be a long hilly stage of 54km and also the temperature was starting to raise as we had clear skies and little wind. About 10km into this stage we jumped into some neat single track and this is where the elite 100kmers went through flying and they started 30mins behind us. Shortly after this the cramps started in the legs as i was pacing my water (3 bottles for 2-3hr of riding). At one point when I was having a drink in the next single track approx 20km in this stage on a corner and the leg ham string locked up so i ate the dirt a good tumble and drew blood from the left knee. By this stage my bike computer stopped working so i was riding blind so i did not know where i was until i caught another rider or as passed someone that i could ask. The half way tent was in sight and i discovered there was a water drop, but i did not need any of this at this stage as i had passed my water well

12.15 into transition (4hr 40min in 91kms down) Food and liquid in the off out again, generally i was feeling good and ready to keep going. For the next 2 hrs did not see a sole (so had plenty of time to think?) until i passed a big boy who was battling with the 100km distance. At this stage the single track was very packed down the smooth perfect for riding. I was just cruising as i thought i had plenty of time to make the 1530 cut off, but without a speedo i did not know how i was travelling and the volunteers did not know and the lack of distance markers left me in the dark, so it was down to memory and at this stage fatigue was starting to hit in,
Stopping quickly at the half way tent to top up water as i had finished 2+ bottles in 26km compared to 1 on the first lap due to the heat. At this stage I was still on target given this was truly half way? So pushed on and started to feed the body caffeine gels this picked me up even through they would be the worst tasting thing i had eaten all day but they worked. I just keep saying i had to get to outer limits (last identified section) up the hill along the flats and i was in.

Got to the top and started to pick up gears and counting the clock and pushing into the head wind i was teh only person on the road, i hit the 5km marker, then a turn and a guy said 11mins until cut off and you have 4.5km to go, so I grabbed the biggest gear and hammered it to transition (passing around 8 people in the process and none wanted to help)
1531.15 I missed the last cut off by 1m15s (142km 8hrs in), absolutely gutted helmet hit the ground hard and tears almost flowed, a friend (official) came over a gave me a hug and said i can not do anything, even through i know you would gone under 9 1/2 hr completion time.
Only 14 riders got through the 167km course. I am sure if my speedo had not stopped things may have been different as i would have known where i was, as i was just cruising when I should have been pushing, also the volunteers did not know either until it was to late,

I had it in my legs to go under time easy but was saving them for the last 26km home which i never got to. Since then i have worked out all the locations i could have saved a minute!

Redemption Next year!!!!!!

A new hurt box!

This was to be the longest ever kayak race I had attempt and I was going into this under done due to my wife having a baby 6 weeks earlier. Going in to the race we believed we could go around the 10hr as we had been told if you cut corners it was only be 99km not 111km, but I not do not believe this statement. This could have been achievable but I went into a hurt box like I had never experienced. The day unfolded like this

12noon depart springwood heading for Windsor for rego and safety checks, once this was complete we had a couple of hours to chill and eat for the journey ahead, when I was looking at other boats and personnel you could see some had done it many times with bladder systems and food lay outs.
We finalised our plan to push straight through to Wiseman Ferry 64km in and then bring it home, Once the Crew the solo hunk of a man arrived (this being sleep Train) he got a de brief on gear and food, and then he started to get excited about being involved in another endurance event, this made us nervous! As he could run off into the bush and never be seen again! And Mrs Sleep Train was also very pumped and flexed her guns a few times to intimidate others surrounding our boat.

1700 geared up and carried Cyril (the Kayak) to the river removed foot wear (This foot wear would never be seen again,) forgot something sleep train?


1715 in and ready to start and there was no turning back and everyone started to eye each other off. Then we were under way. Boats and blades went everywhere and we all tried to tuck in behind each other to ride wakes.
After 30min or so everything started to settle down and the pace came off a little and next time a checked the watch we were 2hrs and chewing through the km’s, we pulled out of the train of 6 doubles for food. Out the 6 boats we would have had the youngest average age, And the old boys were giving us a lesson how to paddle. There was still plenty of rubbing and bumping as we pushed each other around.

5hr, 35min (64km)in we arrived a Wiseman ferry and the body was feeling good all things considered so sleep train met us and was bouncing off walls and he proceeded to tell us a few times we looked better than most other people through. This picked us spirits but then he went on to advise us he could not get the stew from the can and could not get the gas cooker working (this had an electric igniters?) questions were raised at this point about his bush skills, as I had been told he could start fire with wet sticks?? No problem I can cook our food!


6hr re fuelled and back in the boat and heading east, from this point is was the unknown. We started to pass boats for the hour or so as we keep good pace but then the hurt box began to open! Shoulder was stiff and the right wrist started to give out sharp pain. So out came the nurofen plus and this took the edge off, MH was also starting to have the same issues and chucked some nurofen down.

8 hrs the body continued to hurt and the rain started to fall this making the river very dark as we were not meant to use lights (also sleep train ripped ours off the front of our boat at wisemens?)


9hr 15km to go the nurofen was now not working and the wrist was like running on a broken ankle (I have done this also) Aka a knife being wedged into the moving bones, this meant I could not put power through my right wrist and was lucky to still hang on the blade. Lucky we were running with the tide home. Once finished we worked out that our rights wrist had rotated over 22000 times! No wonder!


10hr 20min We could now see the finish line we had the tide behind us but it was still so far away 3-4kms so we tried to wind it up a little, but nothing was left, then the leading K2’s went through flying, and we wished we had something to give, but then we realised they probably trained for this?


10hr 45min Complete, tried to stand but were wobbled around the boat ramp must have been a little fatigued!

3rd in open Long Rec 2 class, Thanks Sleep train for the support and enthusiasm (a couple of little thing to work on for next time)