Mount Buller - future of the national series?

Still scarred by the ordeal that was the first National Round for 2012 I decided to give the format another go, this time in Mount Buller. What swayed me? The reputation of the trails as ‘must ride’; the fact that there would be no ‘Eliminator’ format which was a massive time-waster in the previous round and a desire to learn more about what is really wrong with Australia’s supposedly premier racing series.

I’ve spent a lot of the weekend listening to people’s reasons for attending this round and also a lot of the complaints and compliments. I can’t vouch for the sample size but it seems consistent with what others have shared on social media. So let’s break it down…

1. Interesting trails – The authorities at Buller have obviously invested heavily in their trail network and are now working hard to recoup that money. Events such as Bike Buller have enabled many recreational riders to sample the trails and they have voted with their feet…er…wheels…?

2. Location – MTB in Australia is still very Victorian-centred. Why is this? I speculate it’s because they have a government that is receptive to trail access improvement and developing networks. They also have mountains – big ones. A race in Victoria is guaranteed to attract more people assisted by its proximity to NSW. Being able to stay ‘on mountain’ and within riding distance of the race start is also a massive advantage over other events.

3. Ride time – If you’re being slugged $170 for the weekend (no, this is not a misprint) then you expect a fair bit of race time so the hourly rate becomes reasonable. As an elite rider this round was a definite improvement on the previous round with a Super D of 20+ mins, the XCO of 1 hour 40 mins and a XC Enduro format of a similar length. Compare this with less than 7 mins of racing in Perth in the ‘support events’ and Buller was a hands down winner.

BUT (and there is always a ‘but’), why the hell Masters and Super Masters riders would travel the length of the country to ride 1 or 2 laps as their ‘regulation’ XCO is beyond me! The Masters mens category was won in 37 MINUTES. How is this giving riders value for money, which has been the catch-cry of MTBA thoughout this experiment?

The stage which prompted the most debate would have been the Super D down the Delatite trail. Not technical per say, but as a loose steep fireroad the speeds were such that when things went bad, they went really bad. The body count stands at 3 that I know of, all admitted to hospital for x-rays, observation after concussion and in one case plastic surgery after a spate of facial injuries. As National Coach Chris Clarke said to me, it was up to each rider to judge how fast to ride this stage, which is a fair call. The feedback I received was that this event should have been scheduled for later in the weekend. Many people did not turn up until Friday and so only had one practice run before their race run. As XCO is still regarded as the main event by the elite riders there was also a risk of tiring yourself out for Saturdays event, or crashing and putting an end to your entire weekend. A Sunday scheduling for the Super D would have given everyone more practice time and perhaps a safer event.

Organisation, or lack of it, is still the biggest criticism of the series. In our bag of goodies from rego ($170 and no water bottle??) there were two flyers with the race schedules, however each was DIFFERENT with conflicting start times for events creating uncertainty and a general ‘here we go again’ attitude of riders accustomed to the adhoc management of these events. MTBA officials have complained of riders’ tardiness to start lines and the headaches it causes them. I would say to them that THEY ARE SETTING THE PRECEDENT. When events and presentations rarely run on time this becomes the expectation of riders who then build this in to their schedule actually expecting the event to be a shambles. Riders not being able to get a straight answer about some aspect of the event because the rules are being made on the run does not make for a professional event.

And how many times do we have to be dragged through the saga which is the Presentation ceremony? I’m not a software expert but was really impressed with the onlineresults.com.au website showing real-time race results – fantastic system! Just a question – if I can see a riders lap times as they are happening, why does it take an hour for a MTBA rep to get a printout to work out the final placings for the weekend? And then get it completely wrong and award prize money to the WRONG RIDERS and send the rightful winners away empty handed wondering what went wrong. Not good enough!

It’s time for MTBA to decide if this is a stage race or a series of individual events. If the latter, then do presentations and prizes for each individual stage straight after its completion and forget about the GC. If the former then dispense with the stage presentations (everyone can check them online and Facebook their results) and focus on getting the GC results correct and start instilling some confidence in your paying customers.

(Footnote: For the record, I finished 2nd for the weekend and had a lovely time.)

Training camp and the New Year

Sweltering away in Brisbane humidity the drier, near perfect climate of the Christmas training camp seems a lifetime ago. Why a training camp? Well everyone else seemed to be doing one and I had camp-envy! I’d been considering one for a while as a chance to get out of the CBD for some long uninterrupted riding and prevent staleness caused by the rut of riding the same roads and trails day in, day out. Being away from home you’re also less tempted to indulge in work or spring cleaning so it gives your body a chance to recover and properly absorb the training.

Mount Beauty fit the bill perfectly with its access to the climbs of Falls Creek, Mounts Hotham and Buffalo as well as some very handy singletrack. MTB identities Paul and Neil Van Der Ploeg and Tori Thomas also hail from here meaning it punches above its weight as a breeding ground for cycling talent. Meeting Matt and Laura at a race in Langkawi they generously accommodated me and allowed me to abuse their coffee machine for five days of epic riding. The highlight being the New Years Eve riding where I demanded I be bleeding from my eyes and groveling home. It took 173km return to Dinner Plains and 3200+ of climbing but it was ‘mission accomplished’. Turning out to be quite the adventure it began with one of the group breaking a collar bone descending Tawonga Gap and ended with me running out of water and having to refill at a mountain stream (better than tap water I tell you!). I have no idea how I made it to midnight but the impromptu Limbo comp at the Van Der Ploegs has confirmed that I have zero lumbar flexibility these days.

After a recovery week I am back training and working into the higher intensity intervals to develop speed for the block of racing in February and March which consists of National Champs, Oceania Champs and a World Cup. It’s nice to see the numbers on the Garmin looking better each week as the red-zone becomes more familiar. It sounds sick but I actually love ergo sessions – or at least love what they can do for my form. The key will be not to over-do it and to make sure I turn up to the start line fresh.

Minimum wage for women's cycling

(In response to this article http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/hosking-to-apologize-for-remarks-to-mcquaid)

Hosking’s comments are born of a personal frustration and I don’t believe are helpful to women’s cycling. She should be putting forward reasons FOR a minimum wage not launching profanities at a single person in Pat McQuaid, as he is not the only person complicit in retarding the growth of womens’ sport. This situation is not specific to cycling, or indeed sport, and is a reflection of a society which is still coming to terms with gender parity across the board.

Being paid to ride a bike is, in my view, very much a privilege, not a right as many cyclists (male and female) seem to think it is. We are in the entertainment industry, not saving starving children or curing cancer. Demanding to be paid is like petitioning for a minimum wage for balancing a ball on your head – its only valuable if someone is willing to pay to watch it.

Despite that, the positive spillover benefits of cycling and sport should be used as grounds to trial a minimum wage or basic funding, to produce a high grade competition that will hopefully then be seen to be worthy of increased corporate support. For young women to see cycling as a viable career is the best way to grow the sport and create role models as the Cadels, McEwans and O’Grady’s have done for young boys.

Cycling has been used to great effect to promote causes such as Cancer research funding, Depression Awareness and Child protection as well as general health and well-being in the community. For cycling to lead the way in supporting womens’ sport would demonstrate the power of the sport to change the attitudes of society instead of merely reflecting them.

Pre Xmas scare

Its reminiscent of my running career when I was always pondering “is it a stress fracture…isn’t it…”. The type of injury that hurts, but not enough to stop what you’re doing. My running friends go through this a lot with the calf-niggle, the Achilles-niggle and the pain-in-my-butt-that-I-can’t-quite-describe. The injuries where training is possible but slightly less fun and done with a pall of doubt across your mind when you wonder if you’re actually doing more damage. They are also the ones where you would give your right arm for a definitive MRI result and diagnosis, but rarely get.

After a run-of-the-mill crash on the MTB a couple of weeks ago my hand felt a bit bruised but shaking it off as just that, I kept training and working. I went out on the usual Thursday morning ride with the crew this week and noticed my hand was getting sorer instead of better. It was even starting to hurt during my work doing massage which it had not before. Self diagnosing as a possible small fracture of the 5th metacarpal near the wrist I set about trying to organize the impossible – a doctor’s appointment for an X-ray referral 2 days before Christmas. Most of the MDs I know are already vacationing on islands or shacked up in their ski lodges waiting for the next fall of powder. And the doctors that aren’t – do I really want them assessing my riding injury? Ok, for all the hard working doctors sans-ski lodges, that was a joke, but the bottom line is I’m probably not going to find out before ‘ride week’ in Mount Beauty and I probably don’t really want to know anyway as it sounds very difficult to ride in a cast.

Being Christmas time – the time for excess – I imagine there are a lot of good intentions being thrown away as training is bumped for another Christmas party, shopping or eating. The less-committed let it become another excuse the lose weight or improve their fitness whereas most people I know are looking forward to making use of work holidays doing long rides and runs on quiet roads, quite possibly with a nagging pain here and there because they just can’t let an opportunity like this pass by. I can relate to that.

When dealing with people I can cope with those who lack knowledge but will always struggle with those who lack will.

(Footnote: The fantastic staff at Cavendish Road clinic made room for me and just rang through the result – all clear, phew. Just a ‘day in the life of’.)

10 Weeks

The week before Christmas tends to encourage reflection of the year just gone. What a ride! Wins at the QLD series, State champs, Dwellingup and Saipan being highlights. I’d rate my 3rd at Langkawi International MTB Challenge as my ‘ride of the year’ (actually probably ride of my career) and certainly the most fun I’ve had for a bit. Once I’ve finished pursuing my goals in XCO I’m definitely getting into more stage racing – its got travel, riding and socializing all wrapped up in one neat package.

So the big goal for this coming year, unsurprisingly, is Olympic selection. If you are really interested the selection policy is here http://www.cycling.org.au/default.asp?Page=8021&MenuID=High_Performance/20012/0. Trying to work out a viable way to jump through all the requisite hoops is a struggle at best. I’m trying to remember the last time I wasn’t drowning under a mound of debt – oh that’s right, BEFORE I discovered cycling. The help I’ve had over the last 5 years I am incredibly grateful for, and am very lucky to have had. Reducing the costs of competing has been the only way I’ve managed to stay in the sport and all I hoped for ( I certainly never expected to make a living out of it). While its scary as hell I’m ready for one last throw-down – one last year of living and racing beyond my means so I can look back and know that I gave myself every chance to do something extraordinary. No, I won’t retire from the sport, but doing races for fun and experience will feature more than chasing points or fulfilling selection criteria.

Coach Donna of PCS and I have been working on a slightly different approach to training, fine tuning after a few months of seeing what works for me and what doesn’t. I’m definitely doing less overall time on the bike than with previous coaches but at times have never been so smashed. What it lacks in volume the program sure makes up for in intensity. There are so many schools of thought when it comes to training and I look forward to delving in deeper now that I am coaching a bit myself. My tendency to do too much is apparent and something I need to get a grip on. Having to report on each session, how hard I felt it was, did I enjoy it, what did I think about while I was in the pain cave – these all make training conscious and purpose driven which I think is important.

The excitement of a countdown is also a new thing and also a way to stop the time sneaking away from me. This time in 10 weeks I will be in Adelaide racing the National Champs – 10 weeks to do everything I can to be standing on the top step of the podium. Strangely that is only the start of craziness which then rolls on to Rotorua, South Africa and Belgium. But that is all still a bit daunting for me to think about this weekend! I’ll be blogging more frequently about training which I hope some of you will find interesting and helpful. Its time for me to start planning another adventure – ride week in Mount Beauty. It will be my first time and am looking forward to some crazy climbs and new trails. Say ‘hi’ if you’re down there.

Hell of the Mariana's - Saipan

What did we do before Facebook? Seriously. I made a passing comment about needing inspiration which was spotted by fellow MTBer Les Heap and through a six-degrees-of-separation type phenomenon I had accepted an invite to race in Saipan despite not really knowing where it was. A friend told me that even Google didn’t know where it is because when he searched for it there was just a flag in the middle of the ocean just off Taiwan. I told him to zoom in…closer…closer…closer…there you go.

The journey went Cairns-Guam-Saipan and we were escorted to the Pacific Islands Club resort where our host Kieren Daly had previously been Manager for 10 years. The Hell of the Mariana’s 100km road race was started by Kieren and is now in its fifth year – the first year he has been hands-off since moving to the Gold Coast with his family. I am mystified how he managed to tear himself away from the resort as I was definitely ready to set up there permanently. The water park includes a body surfing wave machine which is great fun until you stack it and the current almost rips your bikini from your body – when the attendant told me board shorts were a good idea, I really should have listened. Water slides for the kids, the grown-up ones too, and the resort is absolute beach-front for snorkeling and kayaking. Humidity, temps in the low 30s – I’m getting used to this.

I wouldn’t normally bother with a course reconnaissance for a road race but Kieren highly recommended it due to some interesting ‘features’ of the race – namely the steep climbs and road surface. With pinches kicking up to 15% and a shell-composite road surface which comes with a ‘slippery when wet’ warning, it was starting to feel a lot more like mountain-biking. We did a practice run of the last couple of climbs including Suicide Cliff where the Japanese soldiers and civilians jumped to their deaths when cornered by US forces during WWII. The race is a tour of the island which conveniently starts and finishes at PIC resort which meant the 6.15am start was going to be a 50m roll from our accommodation. This turned out to be just in time for sunrise as its technically winter in Saipan despite the balmy conditions.

Rolling out, the day was going to belong to those who hydrated well, stayed upright on the slick roads and had a bit of luck in not getting flats as there is no official ‘spares’ vehicle. I was regretting bringing tubular wheels as there was no plan B but it was a case of ride what you brought. With 150 riders total the field broke up quickly on the first climb with the lead men’s group pulling away. I cobbled together a few stray guys to form a grupetto to help each other on the flats between the hills. Being conservative on the descents I could only gasp at how fast some of the local guys were taking the corners. I never came close to crashing but there was a bit of excitement on a cyclo-cross-like section where road works became dirt littered with shallow pot holes – cue: stray dog with a penchant for cycling shoes!

With the tough first 50km behind me I started to feel a bit more confident. The field was strung out in ones and twos so there was little chance of being caught by another female in a larger group. I had been working with Pete, a rider from Guam, in the middle section of the race as it helped to have at least one person to swap off with in the gusty conditions. As the last 25km was a dead flat drag back to the resort I was hoping to maintain the situation but unfortunately he was hit by the dreaded cramps just before the turnaround. He apologized profusely for his recalcitrant legs and dropped off to continue his suffering alone.

We were virtually promised a tailwind on the way home by Kieren and I was cursing him all the way as I time-trialled solo into a cross wind for the final haul. I kept looking back, praying for someone to catch me but with 15km to go I decided to just get on with it. Crossing the line for my first international win I even remembered to zip up my jersey – what a pro – although I resisted the temptation for the two arm salute lest I crash and knock myself out two metres from the finish line. Every rider falls straight into the healing hands of the team of Thai massage therapists who sort out the kinks from the last few hours. I nearly fell asleep and regretfully got up at the conclusion of treatment, only to have both my hamstrings cramp, much to the amusement of others still receiving their rub.

Finishing the day with official presentations at the buffet on the beach it was time to kick back and enjoy the rest of the weekend. Watching the sunset over the Pacific with a glass of red wine in the company of locals and visiting riders from as far away as Russia, it capped off what came close to the perfect day. Yep, I’m getting used to this.

Many thanks to Kieren Daly, the organizers of the Hell of the Mariana’s and PIC resort for your amazing hospitality. As always a shout out to my sponsors: For The Riders, Santa cruz, Shotz, Sram, Schwalbe, Adidas Eyewear and PCS Coaching.

All Mountain Cup - Perth

A bit of a funk set in after leaving Langkawi. On such a high after a big performance and a top event there were a few post-race blues. I lined up for Noosa crit simply because it is a big event and one of the few times we get to race in front of a crowd (no, a proper crowd, like more than 50 people). After getting worked over by the teams I finished in the bunch while Olympic road champ Nicole Cook won the sprint in the break.

I hopped back into regular training but soon started to feel a bit hollowed out. I rode Karingal 4 hour with team mate Kylie Maduna and we won convincingly, beating most of the guys too. Locked in a battle for pride with 4 cross world cup champ Jared Graves and Kylie’s boyfriend Shaun, I ended up working a lot harder than I wanted to. I’d like to say I learned some skills following Jared on the single-track but in truth he disappeared in a cloud of dust.

Travelling to Perth for the new All Mountain Cup I was still feeling a bit flat. Bad news for me since Jenni King brought her A game (as usual) and gave me a flogging all weekend. Its now common knowledge of how disgruntled I am with the new series format but I did enjoy the XCO track – appropriately brutal! Ironically my only crash was in practice on the least technical section when I clipped a rock with my pedal and punched a hole in my forearm, lost skin from my hip to my shoulder blade and mangled my seat. A just punishment for riding with my head in the clouds. It was hard to find anyone who wasn’t sporting Fixomul by Sunday afternoon including Olympian Sid Taberley. I was happy to come away with a second place for the weekend and an oath to brush up on my cornering skills before the next race.

Despite my scathing review of the event the basics were there with interesting trails and an enthusiastic club. The XCE track would have made a fantastic short track race with table tops, doubles and rock drops. Likewise with the Super D – awesome track, we just didn’t get to ride it enough times and spent too much time in our kit, standing in the sun waiting to be told what the hell was going on! I think the point of having the extra events is not to elevate them to the same ranking as the XCO but to encourage people who don’t want to race the XCO to participate in the support events. Trying to grow the series by forcing the current pool of riders to enter ALL events is the wrong solution. The way forward is to bring in new blood and tap into the thing that makes events like the marathons and the 24 hour events such sell out successes.

Thanks to Perth MTB club, cycling legends Jo and Tim Bennett for putting me up, and sponsors ForTheRiders, Sram, Shotz, Adidas, NSDynamics, Schwalbe and PCS Coaching.