Darkside 18 hour Adventure Race (25k run / 9k paddle / 54k MTB / 20k run / 20k MTB / 2k run)

After two DNFs in my first adventure race forays, there was one goal at the Darkside 18 hour – finish or die. The team events are the most difficult as they rely on all four people getting to the start-line in good shape with the same mindset. By a stroke of luck I had randomly met a guy called Trevor Mullens (yes MTB fans, uncle Trev of the famous Peta) while riding in Daisy forest. His enterprise, Tiger Adventure, is basically Tinder for AR team mates. He’ll match you with people of similar ability to do these crazy events. Why do they make you do it in teams? From what I've ascertained it’s an insurance requirement banking on at least a quarter of the participants to still have the mental faculties to call for help if things go pear-shaped.  So I’m teamed up with Liam St Pierre of Rogue Adventure, David ‘Sloshy’ Schloss and Ray Deetlefs. All guys with serious pedigrees in AR – no pressure then…

On Friday evening pizza was consumed, maps were issued at HQ and the guys set about marking the route we would take to each checkpoint. I watched intently and nodded every now and again as if I had any freaking clue about map-reading. There were several ‘mystery stages’ where we wouldn’t receive the maps and flag locations until we got to certain points on the course. This included the actual start line location and the first four checkpoints.

After a nap in the back of the Jazz, we were on a bus at 11.30pm to be dropped off in the middle of nowhere for a midnight start. I was feeling pretty extreme – “whoa, look at me, up past my bedtime” until I listened to the guy in front of me. He casually mentioned his next trip would be in the first group to traverse a Patagonian iceshelf while towing a 60kg sled and dodging crevasses. Tough crowd.

The start of these races is a bit frustrating. You want to tell your team mate with the tag that you’ve found a flag without alerting all the other teams to its location. After 2.5 hours of running the crowd had thinned and we sat in second spot. I should mention my longest run until this point had been the 12km at X Adventure from which I was still crippled by groin pain. Jogging was OK but anything that required me to lift my legs caused daggers in my adductors. Logs and high grass became my nemesis.

At 9km the paddle leg was token, but it was peaceful with only the doof-doof music from local amphetamine toting miscreants to keep us company. The gentle glow of the occasional burning vehicle had been one of the many highlights thus far, but now we were shelled by bait fish joyfully jumping our boats like dolphins. A few glances off the hands and face until Sloshy ended up with a whiting swimming in the foot-well of his ski. Ahh, the great outdoors.

Finally on the mountain bike, it was great to be chewing up the miles and collecting checkpoints in rapid succession. It was hard to tell from the map whether our selected roads would be fast fire-road or slow overgrown bush track. After making some good route choices we were in the lead despite stopping for a broken chain. Once the sun came up, I expected that dirty ‘after-night-club’ feeling but I felt great, with a bit of help from Red Bull. As someone who turns into a screaming banshee on less than 8 hours of sleep, apparently running around the forest in polyester negates this effect.

Mid-race lube from Ride Mechanic. Yes I shared with my team mates! #lubeenvy

At the next mystery checkpoint we dumped the bikes and were back on foot. As dad of a newborn Liam had been short of sleep and time to train and opted for a brisk walk. As he is also a 6 foot 5 inch giant I still had to jog to keep up with him so this worked out well. It was really impressive seeing master navigators at work. The guys would come to a point, glance at the compass, disappear into impenetrable scrub and return with the checkpoint ticked. Meanwhile, I get lost in shopping centre carparks.

It was brutal terrain and the hours passed slowly. The other team had put 45 minutes on us by the end of that stage and we contented ourselves with holding second place. Surprisingly, we came across them again later as they’d made a couple of big navigation errors. It was very funny experiencing the mind-games at the pointy end of the race. At this particularly hard-to-find flag the rival team had regathered. They claimed to still not have found the marker and said they were going back up the road to ‘check their maps’. Liam started yelling out to the rest of our team as we also needed to ‘check our maps’. In truth everyone was completely bullshitting as both teams had spotted the marker hanging from a tree. It’s all part of the game though and everyone’s friends at the end.

Riding back to HQ with our rivals we got the map for the final two markers. After over 13 hours it would be a 2km sprint around the lake – first one back takes the prize. Everyone gritted their teeth and dug deep but in the end we missed it by about 20 seconds. I honestly didn’t care I just knew the pain was over (until the next day when it ramped up several more levels).

Almost-winners are also grinners. Just looking forward to the free steak and egg burgers.

What blows me away is all the ‘normal’ people doing such an incredibly tough event. The fact that you find enough other insane people to form teams just defies logic. Thanks to In2Adventure for a true challenge, to my team mates for pushing on to the end and my usual sponsors: For The Riders and NS Dynamics – my Liv Lust was A1 as usual, even in the crazy red mud; Ride Mechanic – the travel bottle of lube came in very handy for a mid-race team application; Shotz – gels and tabs kept me going during the dark hours.

I'm pretty motivated for redemption at Geoquest in June after last year's less than stellar effort. Check it out at www.geoquest.com.au

X Adventure (1500m swim / 12k run / 20k MTB) - Dunsborough, West Australia

If 2016 is going to have a theme, I’d say it would be the year I do things I’m really shit at.  I’ve spent 10 years mountain biking almost exclusively and think I’m reasonably good at it. My previous running history gives me the confidence that, should I put in the time, I could get around a running race in a reasonable manner. Dabbling in some off-road triathlon and adventure events however, has revealed that I am absolutely rubbish at anything involving water. This surprises me as a great deal of my childhood was spent in the water, as you do when raised in balmy Far North Queensland in the days when air-conditioning was a luxury enjoyed by a privileged few. But my speciality was underwater swimming and competitions to see who could dive the deepest and hold their breath the longest. The last formal swimming lesson I had was getting my Dolphin certificate in primary school.

So a variety of events conspired to lead me to enter X Adventure – a swim/run/ride arrangement held in the wine-producing region south of Perth. This was also the concluding location of the Cape to Cape MTB stage race I’d done previously and I was blown away at the time by how exceptionally clear and inviting the water was, although my fear of sharks restricted me to a hip-deep recovery dip at the time. As X Adventure was a Rapid Ascent event I knew it would be heavy on the ‘adventure’ part from my experiences at their other events in Forrest and Alice Springs. 

But the thing that would pose the biggest challenge was the swim. Not being competitive, but just making it to the end of 1500 metres. I joined the local triathlon squad, Red Dog, but apparently this isn’t enough – it really helps if you actually GO to the sessions. Attendance was ad-hoc at best followed by three weeks of panic training where I almost blew my shoulders out with paddles. It’s the first time I’ve engaged a professional to teach me a new skill and it’s definitely the only reason I’m writing this blog today. Every session required maximum concentration to work out where all my limbs where going while I tried in vain not to get lapped by the other people in the ‘slow lane’. At my last session before leaving for WA the exchange between my coach, Trent Patten, and I went:

“Well I guess I’m as ready as I’m going to get. If I don’t drown in WA you’ll have a repeat customer”

“Hmm. I don’t think you’ll drown.”

Great pep talk but probably as optimistic as my form deserved.

After a night of consistent rain, the setting was not exactly what was promised in the event brochure. The big relief was that the winds had moved to off-shore so the sea was pancake-flat. In transition I nervously arranged my running gear and noticed almost everyone putting on wetsuits. Exactly how cold was this water?? And why didn’t I think of that? Envying the butt-floating qualities of neoprene I waded into the water with my seal-like competitors as the gun went off.

I would say the 250m to the first buoy was one of the worst experiences of my life. Four hundred people thrashing around, swimming over me, salt water in my mouth, can’t breathe!  I stopped, seriously thought about pulling out but then looked around. I was now with a group of similar ability. They were swimming for a bit, breast-stroking when they needed to catch a breath and, most importantly, not giving up. I can do this. Even if I have to breaststroke the entire bloody way! After the first buoy I managed to settle into a rhythm (doing freestyle, even) with a group and began to enjoy the swim. It was so clear and the sandy bottom was reassuringly close at all times. I spotted some fish, but thankfully none of the large, bitey variety that WA is renowned for.

Suddenly I was back at the boat ramp with high stoke levels after completing my first ever ocean swim. Okay, so maybe 32 minutes isn’t exactly ‘suddenly’, but that’s not important. Setting off on the run leg I was quickly onto the 4 kilometres of rock-hopping. I didn’t see any scenery as I focussed on not snapping an ankle on the wet sandy stones. Rock running is a discipline of its own. I passed some people, got passed by others, had a few close calls, including one with a fisherman’s hook and line. Finally getting to even ground on walking trails, the 6 ks to the bike transition saw me pick up quite a few places.

You can just see the specks of competitors navigating the rocks sections. Not a bad place for a run!

At the Dunsborough Country Club I got back into my comfort zone aboard my trusty Liv Lust MTB. The legs were pummelled from the run but the MTB course was almost entirely single-track with little climbing which would be Advantage: Me.  I had no idea how many were in front of me so I just pushed as hard as I could and passed a few other competitors by taking the many A-lines while others went the long way around. The rain had made the sand incredibly grippy and I thought “you just can’t fall off on these conditions” yet around me many people were contradicting that opinion. It was nice to finally feel competent at something! The trail network around Marrinup and the Dunsborough Golf Course is surprising in quantity and quality. WA is establishing itself as a go-to destination for mountain biking. This was backed up by our recovery ride at the Middle Earth trail network outside Cowaramup with it's 24km of singletrack with a Lord of the Rings flavour.

In the end it was close but I couldn’t claw back the time I’d bled in the swim and run. Coming in second still exceeded all my expectations and the previous three hours had been a journey of challenge and personal growth (code for ‘struggle and outright terror’). It was a great course and quite the soft entry for a novice swimmer. There is a huge difference between laps in a pool and a mass-start ocean swim. It’s like training for a MTB race entirely on a wind-trainer.   I’d like to spend more time on my swim but now it’s on to paddling for some big adventure races (See previous blog for recap on paddling ability).

Next up: Darkside 18 hour Adventure Race http://bit.ly/1vtPR0d

Thanks to For The Riders, Ride Mechanic, Shotz Nutrition, NS Dynamics, Tineli clothing and Liv Cycling.

ADVENTURETHON - ALBANY (16k paddle, 22k MTB, 15k run)

I’ll start by telling you what Adventurethon is NOT. It’s not one of those namby-pamby ‘lite’, ego-enhancing outdoor events, where you can do zero preparation and still feel like a hero at the end because you’ve ‘done’ adventure racing. Adventurethon (especially the Ultra version) is a serious challenge that will find your weakness and grind you down. When I first scoped out the MTB course with legend racer Jarad Kohler I thought “whoa, this is a pretty techy course to be sending jo-average down”. It made me happier as this would be the one leg when I actually got to pass other competitors and felt completely in my element, but I was predicting a long day of walking for some of the other less confident riders. 

MTB course has some pretty cool features

 Organiser Joel Savage, is not a complete sadist though, which is why he invited Jarad and I to run skills sessions for the Adventurethon-ers in the days leading up to the event. Busy with my MTB sessions I did manage to fit in my second ever solo ski paddle under the expert tuition of Jarad. It went reasonable well until I fell off, climbed back on, immediately fell of the other side, rinse and repeat, while getting uncomfortably close to the rocks. It was about this time that I started getting quite worried about completing the Ultra event the next day which involved heading out of the protected bay and into the open ocean.

Walking is the default option for many things. If you’re running and get tired, you walk. If you’re mountain biking and it’s too technical, you walk. There is no ‘walking’ option for paddling in the ocean, unless you class coastguard rescue as the default. The race paddle start was very relaxed and we headed out to round the SS Cheynes II shipwreck. Only falling off twice (I was not the only one) it was the getting back in that I was having trouble with and I figured I only had a few of those in me before I couldn’t hoist myself back on again. After rounding the wreck it became delightfully calm-ish and I started to enjoy the ski for the first time.

First turning buoy on the paddle leg (credit Lex Porebski)

Following the crowd I pulled onto a beach for a 2k run around the headland. During the run we passed another beach where competitors were coming in, with large waves and sideways / upside-down boats. Feeling lucky to not be them I quickly worked out that I was supposed to be them and I’d landed on the beach for the Enduro (shorter) course! What to do? I jumped back on my ski and headed out into the channel to complete the longer course, spent 20 mins being tossed around by the open ocean swell, assessed my chances of survival at less than 50% and headed back to transition.

Still having fun on the first run leg (Credit Lex Porebski)

Feeling a little despondent to be out of the race so soon, there was still no question of pulling out and I figured I’d just do the Enduro + the bit of extra kayak time.

One of aspects of adventure racing I had to learn is the logistics of what equipment I needed to take on what legs. Violating all transition-zone etiquette, I had gels, shoes, towels and compulsory first aid equipment strewn everywhere. Having rubbed the skin off my feet in a previous off-road triathlon, I was very meticulous in wiping down before putting socks on for the bike and run leg.

Using a combinations of walking tracks, the Albany downhill course and taking in various monuments to Albany’s military and whaling past, the mountain bike course would satisfy any red-blooded rider. The athlete who podiumed at this race would have to be the complete package and not just a road rider who dabbled on fire breaks. As a MTB specialist I looked forward to smashing this leg, but my quads were absolutely shot from tensing up for two hours on the ski.

The bike leg was over far too quickly and I found myself back in transition staring at a rat’s nest of gear, know that I had to take some things off, and put some things on, but not really making the connections. I didn’t leave for the run leg wearing my bike helmet and my life jacket so I must have sorted myself out eventually.

When I race MTB, my Garmin and heart monitor are my tools. They allow me to monitor what my body is doing and pace my effort. Not possessing a multisport version I was racing unencumbered by either heart beats or time. I had no way of knowing if it was time to take a gel or how far I had to go or who I was racing. It was quite liberating at first but I was almost ready to make a sundial at the end just to figure out how long I’d been out suffering.

Having 3 weeks notice that I would be competing, I’d only managed a handful of training runs with the longest at 8k. Completing a 13k mountain run including 3ks of rock-hopping Albany’s rugged coastline would be about putting one foot in front of the other.  The bouldering section was when I felt like a true adventure racer. Negotiating towering rocks smattered with ocean spray, clambering on all fours like the numerous local skinks, focusing on shreds of blue tape while avoiding plunging to a painful end.  I’ve always enjoyed to simplicity of the outdoors with just a pair of running shoes.  This is where I had some of those bonding conversations with fellow fatigued and cramping competitors.

Not looking down and Shotz bottle between the teeth. All limbs needed to hang on. Guy behind me was have a cramp-fest. Not sure how he made it up! (Credit Lex Porebski)

Cresting the summit and looking across the town, it was literally ‘all downhill from here’. But, unlike cycling, running downhill doesn’t seem that much easier than running uphill and my thoughts turned to next week when walking down stairs would become a form of torture.

Crossing the line was a bit of an anticlimax. Yes, I had my medal, but I’d set out to do the Ultra course and didn’t quite make it. Was it ambitious with my complete lack of preparation? Absolutely. I used to shake my head at people who entered MTB events obviously undertrained. For me, the challenge is in the training while the event is the execution of those hours of commitment. Racing is the reward. So I guess it’s time to earn it and teach this highly specialized pedaling machine to adapt. I’m sure it will be quite frustrating at first (as riding used to be), but it’s also a bit exciting.  Now I just need to make room in my garage for a couple of new toys….

Massive thanks to Joel Savage and Adventurethon for having me over for the event. We got great feedback on the skills sessions and hopefully it made the race more enjoyable and achievable for some. Albany is a stunning location and Adventurethon is the perfect excuse to come over and check it out. Jarad Kholer – what a great instructor and top bloke. I have a lot of tips to work on over the next 12 months. Check out Peak Adventure’s sessions if you need to upskill for any of the multisport legs. Liv Cycling, For The Riders, Shotz nutrition and Ride Mechanic – without these sponsors I wouldn't be able to have these adventures.

Jarad Kohler being at 'one with nature' at Bluff Knoll 'recovery' hike

Wow! What a month! This year will not be noted for it’s logical and uninterrupted training blocks. In the past I’ve hated turning up to races unprepared but I miss the atmosphere so much that I can’t be too picky about form at the moment. It’s the only time I get to catch up with the crowd before I jet off for another MTBA junior camp. I’m spending a lot of time on the bike at camps but, sadly, track standing and popping wheelies doesn’t really prepare one for long distance racing.

It’s been a festival of QLD events and I have enjoyed racing in my home state. Here’s a recap!

GIANT 3 PLUS 3 – HIDDENVALE ADVENTURE PARK

Strangely, I hadn’t raced this event before. It started as a December event but was consistently rained out so it’s now become ‘Christmas in July’ for mountain bikers, complete with delicious roast meal on Saturday night. The format is a Saturday afternoon 3 hour race and a late Sunday morning 3 hour on a different course. Changing the course up was a nice option and the Hiddenvale park definitely have some fun and challenging trails to choose from.

I’m not really a camper so chose the 1 hour drive back to Brisbane to sleep in my own bed. For those who stayed it was an exciting night with a small tornado sweeping through the village with icy westerly winds. Once the registration tent was rescued things went smoothly for the following day of racing although a few more layers were required. We can’t complain about our very mild winter in Queensland though and more southerners should make the trip up for a fantastic event.

Campers keeping toasty warm

The biggest appeal is the family-friendly nature with a kids event, jumping castle and wide, safe, open spaces for children to roam. My (non-riding) daughter pointed to kids on bikes and asked if they were racing. I said “No, they’re just riding – that’s what some kids do!”
I felt surprisingly good on Saturday and did enough to get a lead on second place, conscious of saving something for the following day. Not really having the fitness to back up, Sunday was a struggle but I still managed to take the win, and a bottle of Moet for my troubles. After surviving the loose trails I then almost did myself an injury hoisting the enormous perpetual trophy.

It's heavier than it looks!

PALUMA PUSH

I raced ‘The Push’ in 2012 and managed to win over local, and former road team mate, Ruth Corset on her home course. It would be a battle with her again after her honing her MTB skills in the intervening years.  Currently leading the National Road Series she was definitely not lacking in the fitness department.
The main reason for travel to Townsville was for assist local club coaches to develop their junior squad and skills sessions so we were kept busy for the two days leading into the event. Townsville has some great MTB parks close to town such as the Pallarenda trails and the Douglas Reserve where there is also a skills park complete with pump track and see-saw.  Having trails close to the city is vital for young riders so they can ride often on familiar trails. It encourages the parents to get out too and I saw many families out shredding together.

Tim got me out super early but it was worth it - Pallarenda sunrise

The best thing I did for my race form was to have no time or desire to train since the 3 Plus 3 so freshness was on my side. Feeling pretty comfortable after two hours I finally got a gap on Ruth. I didn’t attack as much as the guy who had been blocking me on the singletrack for the entire race finally got over his ego and he let me pass. Riding that section of freshly cut, loose, off-camber at my own pace helped me keep the gap which grew to 4 minutes by the finish line.

This race has really grown and sold out with over 700 riders. Apparently there is room to open it up to more entries but the club are not sure how many more they can handle without getting swamped. I hope they do allow more entries as it really is a top course now and I hope more riders travel from outside the area to have a go at The Push.

Rockwheelers Junior program is pumping!

MACKAY MOUNTAIN MARATHON

Mackay is like a greener version of Townsville – flat in the immediate area but with sizeable bergs about an hour from town where they like to hold their major race of the year. With almost 2500m of climbing in 80k the Mackay Marathon wasn’t going to be easy. Turning up fatigued and then spending two full days on the bike running a junior camp definitely didn’t help matters. But that’s the main reason I was there and the race was going to be a bonus and one that I hadn’t done before.

I told fellow camp coordinator, Peter Lister, I wanted two things from the weekend – to ride through the tree featured on all the race websites, and to see the platypus the area is famous for. He came good on both counts and it took us around 15 seconds to spot our first monotreme and I got to see the second close up on the viewing platform.

Starting the junior camp at Mackay Christian College I was able to cut loose on their skills park. There’s nothing like the pressure of riding your first see-saw when 12 year old kids are doing it. Moving up to Eungella for the remainder of the camp the riders camped while I was treated to a cabin with the most incredible lookout. I could imagine coming up for a weekend without having to suffer through a 4.5 hour race. Apparently some people do that.

Now secretly addicted to seesaws

It’s always disappointing turning up to a long race completely cooked and knowing it from the first ten minutes. My legs were telling me I’d done too much in the lead up and then I put them through several more hours of damage. It was great to see Ruth Corset in her element with the relentless rolling fireroads and take the win over a strong Sara White while I grovelled to 3rd.

View from my cabin at Eungella

I’ll be honest and say there is A LOT of fireroad but it does finish with 10ks of rainforest walking track with is closed to walkers just for the race. It really is spectacular and offers some of the best views and a true taste of the area.
The camp was fantastic and the riders fronted up to the shorter races a little fatigued but rode really well with their new skills and race tactics. It didn’t seem to hurt Zac Larsson or Kiah Dumigen who took out the 38k and 15k respectively.

Slightly cooked group - big 3 days!

UP NEXT…

So I’m about to fly to Europe for a month on Saturday. People keep asking me what if I’m packed and I start laughing hysterically.  Being responsible for the Australian Under 19 team is a lot more stress-inducing that traveling for my own racing but I’m looking forward to helping the young riders perform on the world stage. There might also be some early rides on the cards for the coach.

THANKS: Liv Australia, Shotz, For The Riders, Ride Mechanic, NS Dynamics, Maxxis, Mackay MTB Club, Townsville Rockwheelers Club

Some thoughts on why more women don't race MTB - by a woman who does

I don’t really have time to get drawn into the ‘why don’t women race mountain bikes (MTB)’ debate. But then something pissed me off. In case you’re catching up the long running issue was again highlighted in this well-considered article http://bit.ly/1Lgyh7l . It explores the way sporting products (including MTB) are marketed to women. It was pretty much spot on and something that British Downhill is trying to counter by mandating that 50% of event promotion images must contain female competitors. Whether that will be successful remains to be seen.  You will have to find that article yourself, I know you can.

So back to being irked this morning when hearing about a female competitor contacting a race organiser to establish whether I was racing a certain event. Apparently if I was she would not enter the same category as the prize was obviously already determined. W.T.F? Are you for real? Sadly this is not the first time this has happened and it got me thinking. Not thinking about how men and marketing companies discriminate against women who race, but how we are frequently ostracised BY OTHER WOMEN.

I’m all for encouraging more women to be active and ride bikes. But if you want to race then it’s because you have set yourself a challenge to be the best bike rider you can be – the fittest, the most skilled, the fastest they are personally capable of being. Guess what? Other women also set that challenge. Do not expect me to gift you a race by not turning up. If you want to win a prize at a bike race then you do that by training harder and riding faster and hopefully on the day the winner is you. But sometimes other people are faster and that happens to everyone – me and world champions included.  Everyone has bad days. But how are you going to find out when mine is if you don’t enter? How are you going to know you’re improving if you don’t front up and compare your performance? For every woman who changed categories when they found out a woman they perceived as ‘faster’ was racing – you are part of the problem. It overjoys me when I hear guys say that placing in their age group has bored them and they want to race against the elite guys. I rarely hear that from women.

Maybe I’ve just never got the women’s mindset. I started riding with a bunch of guys and it was a sometimes brutal initiation. You get your tyre fixed once if you forget a tube or don’t know how to install it. After that, you better start walking. I rode stuff that scared the life out of me just because everyone else was doing it. If I was the slowest one on the ride and always being waited on, I went away, trained my ass off and came back when I was faster. I didn’t whinge about the ride not being ‘inclusive’.  Did I have doubts about my ability? Of course. But I turned up and kept turning up and that’s how I got better.

There are, I believe, deeper societal issues at play as well. At 12 girls start with the game of “You’re prettier” “No YOU’RE prettier” as if being better than each other in any realm means they can’t be friends. There is a subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) undertone that competing against another female is somehow violating the sisterhood and how we should all be united against common enemies like men and patriarchal society etc. How does this result in less women racing MTB? How the hell do I know? I’m not a demographer/sociologist. This is just what I think about on my long rides when I’m feeling guilty about not spending time being ‘motherly’ with my daughter/working on my career/tanning at the salon so I can finally hook a doctor husband (please note sarcasm). Even when taking women’s rides I am told to ‘tone down’ my competitive image and to wear baggy shorts instead of lycra so I don’t intimidate anyone. Those of you who know me will have guessed I wear whatever the hell I want.

Looking at event start lists, the longer an event is, the lower percentage of women enter. Don’t women like long events? Or is it because they still do the bulk of housework and child-raising while holding down jobs and don’t have time to do the long k’s it takes to make 100km MTB even vaguely enjoyable?

Why should I care that more women don’t race? If women are riding and enjoying it and buying bikes so my sponsors are happy, shouldn’t I just take the prize money and shut up? I want other women to race because it makes the event better for me, for girls who come to watch their dad race (but not their mum??), for clubs who love to see families all getting involved. It makes the whole sport look great. Talking to one of my under 17 girls who won a race last week, she lamented that she was only one or two entrants and then the other girl broke her chain. She WANTS to compete and is likely to learn more about bike racing and herself from all the races she doesn’t win. If girls don’t want to race then that’s fine. But if they DO want to race but are being discouraged or conditioned to think it’s not a ‘feminine’ thing to do then that is NOT FINE.

I’ve always admired how men can race against each other then go have a beer or recovery ride together afterwards. Even in my riding group competition is permitted and trash-talking encouraged. You know THAT guy is the top dog and then THIS guy is second. This guy is a good climber, but THAT guy has the maddest skills. You don’t become the Top Dog by tearing that guy down personally and not turning up on rides because ‘it’s not fair’. If you want to be the Top Dog you get out and do an extra rep of your local climb and you get up in winter when its dark and you get fitter and stronger.

Do I believe that men are naturally more competitive than women? I’m not sure. Anyone on a bunch ride will tell you that’s absolutely the case. I’d say boys definitely have more confidence than girls, even at a young age. They’re a lot quicker to overrate their ability with absolutely no evidence, than a girl. But I know some very competitive girls. I’m not going to say we’re all great friends and spend time braiding each other’s hair when we are not racing. I don’t have to like them all, but I do RESPECT every one of them who put their arses on the line week after week racing the best riders they can find. So to all the women bemoaning that we are faster than you, content yourselves that you probably have higher salaries, more sex, cleaner nails and more girls’ margarita nights than the woman that just toweled you at the race.

If you want to know about racing hard and not winning, go race world cup. It’s about adjusting your goals. First you race to just not get lapped by the winners. Then if you get better you try not to get beaten by more than 15 minutes, then 10 minutes…I’d rather do that that win another set of men’s XL gloves in a race of one. But maybe I’m weird.

When I enter races I try not to think about winning or prize money. I don’t control who turns up to a race but, yes, sometimes my heart sinks when there’s a hitter on the line who I didn’t expect. I consider the condition I want to be at on that start line that would make me happy, and then work out if I am willing to make the sacrifices and put in the time to get myself to that level. If I’m satisfied that I’ve worked hard and smart, then the result is what it is. I don’t get angry at the person who beat me, I get angry at myself for being lazy or making poor choices in my preparation if that’s been the case. Or just accept that someone was better despite me being in the form of my life.

Well this has turned into a bit of a ramble. I’m not sure it’s answered many questions about women who don’t race, but it is a bit of insight from one who does and sometimes feels like other women would prefer she didn’t.

GEOQUEST 2015 - HAWKS BAY, NSW

It takes a lot to crack me, but Geoquest 48 hour adventure race succeeded. There were a few rookie errors from the start. There is no way I intended to race for 48 hours. Looking at the distances we had calculated on a 36 hour race, just in time for a steak and beer at the pub. It didn’t pan out like that.

I certainly feel the race was undersold to me by team captain ‘Tayles’ who had done three previous editions of Geoquest. It sounded like if you could paddle a bit, run a bit and not fall off your bike you could get through the race. I’d done a few 10k hilly runs a week and a whole five kayak sessions on the serene Brisbane River. To say I was a touch underdone was an understatement.

Each Geoquest varies in the relative time spent on each discipline. On Friday we got handed the race plan and maps and there was precious little mountain biking and a lot of time on foot. Having been a runner in a previous life, I relied on muscle memory to get me through, but there is no substitute for time on your feet, even if it’s just hiking. I also made the mistake of panic-buying new shoes before the race thinking my Nike Pegasus wouldn’t handle the rugged trails. Yes, I gave thanks for my extra-grippy and water-resistant Salomons when we were scurrying over rock cliffs and through mud puddles, but for running on firetrails they were too stiff to be comfortable and after the 24k rogaine my Achilles and my right knee were on fire and my feet felt like they had been crushed.

Ticking boxes from the start, it was also my first ocean kayak experience. With blue skies to start the race it was quite exciting punching through the waves to reach the water. But despite seeing dolphins and rainbows at the beginning, things soon changed to a vicious 3m swell around the point. My co-paddler, Andy C, issued instructions with calmness so I thought the conditions were fairly normal. It wasn’t until we reached shore that he confessed there were quite a few nervous moments. Not as nervous as our members in the other kayak, Andy M and Tayles, who ended up upside-down in the huge waves. Quote of the weekend went to the volunteer at the first checkpoint:

Volunteer: “Are you having a good time so far?”

Andy M: “No, not really”

Volunteer: “Oh well, it could be worse. You could be that guy whose bag was floating around the ocean”

Andy M: “I AM THAT GUY”

How not to start a kayak leg: upside down boats are bad

Fighting the cold was a constant battle, so having all Andy M’s clothes soaked due to a dodgy boat hatch and ‘no-so-dry’ dry-bag was suboptimal. Luckily we had a long beach run ahead to warm us up. The clothing I brought was perfect for the conditions with a couple of light long sleeve thermal tops, Liv cycling vest, arm warmers, undershirts, beanie and rain jacket. A late purchase of some 2XU tri shorts was essential for forest toilet stops without the need to completely undress that comes with wearing bib-nicks.

As long as we kept moving I was pretty comfortable, however we were guilty of stopping too long in transitions when we should have grabbed and run. The winning team were fed on burgers and pizza and foods that could be consumed while moving. Spaghetti Bolognese, while delicious, was less portable. The length of the race meant we weren’t working at maximum intensity so I went with some low GI foods like peanut butter and honey sandwhiches and salty crackers with some medjool dates and Shotz gels to perk me up if the blood sugar was bottoming out. Instant coffee meant a lowering of my usual standards but it was purely about caffeine delivery for the night stages.

There were some spectacular moments on the first day. Clambering along rugged coastal cliffs while coasteering then coming upon sand dunes at Anna Bay complete with camels which could have seen us in a Saharan desert race. It would have been worth attaching a Go Pro to my backpack to capture some amazing scenery. The late addition of the snorkelling leg I thought was going to be an absolute chore, turned out to be one of the most fun. While not tropical, the conditions were sunny and looking for checkpoints underwater was a great way to see the fish and coral and make a mental note to come back to that spot for a summer holiday. As a tourist advertisement for the area, Geoquest was a massive success.

I'd definitely come back here...in summer

Less successful was our rafting leg. Originally a body boarding stage, the organisers switched to inflatable craft a week before the race due to safety concerns. Crews had to leave racers uninflated craft of choice in the transition zone along with a pump. Andy C had managed to secure a raft which allegedly was fit for 4 people. Perhaps the two adults and two small children pictured on the front of the box may have comfortably traveled in it, but our whole team plus packs required a version of twister just to all get in and resulted in a lot of paddling in circles with the toy oars. Trying several different combinations led to the two rowing members kneeling in a manner similar to the stress-positions they use to torture inmates at Guantanamo Bay.

Arriving cold and frustrated into transition we were greeted with the joyous news that the race-provided canoes that were to be used during the river crossing had not been delivered and competitors would be required to swim the 50 metres across. Given that we would be hitting the crossing at 10:30pm and the ambient was around 8 degrees this posed a problem. For an hour of hiking I wondered if this was the leg which would bring me unstuck. Could I voluntarily get in water that cold for the sake of a race in which we were coming last?

So that’s how the four of us ended up naked on the bank of a river in the freezing dark putting our gear in garbage bags to keep it dry. I approached it like ripping off a Bandaid – just get in quick get it done and deal with the pain later. It was compounded by the fact that we weren’t even sure where we were able to get out on the other side so just aimed for a large tree we thought we could climb out on. I started paddling briskly as I entered the icy water, one arm holding my gear on top of the water, the other engaged in a sort of side-stroke. Halfway across the frigid water started to slow everything down and I wondered when they found my nude corpse clutching a garbage bag of perfectly good clothes, whether the coroner would be able to piece together the circumstances of my demise. Finally reaching the other side, climbing through some mangroves and up onto the bank we all descended into fits of laughter. Did that just happen? Did we really just do that? I felt oddly revitalised and even warm once clothes had been donned and we were back on our way.

A photo of me with camels because I'm not posting one of me swimming naked

The lack of sleep and long hike took its toll on Andy M and at 19 hours we made the decision to leave him with the support crew at the transition and continue as an unranked team of 3. Placing was not a priority at that point and at least we could finish the race. Pushing the kayaks out onto the river I was looking forward to seeing the sun rise on the water. The Lakes region did not disappoint with the first rays hitting a thick layer of mist on the water’s surface. It was fairy-tale stuff. Opting for some rented double kayaks and skirts it was surprisingly warm until we were required to land on an island and run up to the top of a hill to look for a checkpoint. The two night river kayaks were some of my favourite legs of the race – so peaceful, just the stars and the soft splashing of paddles.

Having done a 24 hour MTB I knew the energy restoring effects of sunrise and felt pretty good for the next leg where we were finally on the bike. I’d had a couple of micro-sleeps while paddling but was sure the trail action would keep me awake. On paper it looked like a fairly straight forward 57km ride and after driving it for the first hour and a half and knocking of 30ks we were hopeful of getting through it quickly. The next 90 mins only chewed up 10k though as we rode up a rocky water course and negotiated long fireroad climbs that were too muddy to ride. Fatigue was setting in, we were having silly crashes and one of the bikes suffered a snapped rear derailleur cable.

I’ve suffered through some tough MTB races but there was always the reward of a great view or fun singletrack descent. There was nothing rewarding about this pointless foray through the bush and I was pretty jack of the whole thing by then. We arrived at the start of the next rogaining leg in the afternoon with the second night looming and an estimated 12 hours of hiking, paddling and riding left to reach the end. I just couldn’t face another night without sleep and it wasn’t something I had expected to do. Completely cool with being wet, nude, sore and lost and it wasn’t that the legs were empty as we were the second fastest team overall on the MTB stage. Two nights of sleep deprivation is just not something that I could get through and I couldn’t think of a good enough reason to keep going given we were out of the running to even get recognition of finishing as a complete team.

Unfortunately there is no option of continuing as a two-person team due to safety rules set by the organisers. We called our support team to pick us up and grabbed 30 minutes sleep by the fire while we waited for them. I felt terrible for Andy C and Tayles for bringing a premature end to their adventure. I’ve run through a dozen scenarios wondering if there was anything which could have got me through that patch. Maybe a short sleep? Can of Coke? Foot massage? It’s misleading to look back and think there was something left to give, when at the time you’re just out of answers. I also found it disconcerting watching your team members deteriorate, hurt themselves due to extreme fatigue and struggle to string a sentence together at times. Looking at my teammates, they were in quite a state (as was I) but I knew they wouldn’t stop if I didn’t and I wasn’t sure if I was OK with that.  Geoquest was a very strange experience in that way. We really must look insane to other people!

Would I do it again? Absolutely. But I would train my arse off, especially for long distance running component. If you’re cool with sleep deprivation, go ahead and amble through Geoquest and enjoy the journey. If not then go hard and get it done so you can spend Sunday night celebrating.

Massive thanks to our incredible support crew Tanya and Rob. It was such a relief to see you guys and you did an amazing job anticipating everything we could conceivably want. Support crew duties are an event in their own right. Also thanks to Liv for my Lust 27.5 which has become my ‘do everything’ bike and For The Riders for preparing it for the onslaught of conditions; Ride Mechanic for the Bike Milk and Moonshine to make sure both my bike and body were free from friction; Shotz nutrition for their gels and recovery bars to keep me going; Maxxis Tyres for the Ardent Race and Ikon combination that proves itself again. And finally to my team mates. We didn’t make it this time, but just taking the start line was a win. Until the next one!

Anna Bay Sand dunes - keen for some sand boarding!

A QUICK CATCH UP...SORT OF.

I imagine when I die, my blog and Facebook page will be like the cardboard boxes of previous generations, which my kids and (perhaps) grandkids rummage through to find out what I actually did with my life. I like to keep it current so here's a quick catch up:

JANUARY

New proper grown-up fulltime job with MTBA as development coach. Feel both privileged and pressure of such responsibility. Realise that bulk of job involves getting kids excited about mountain bikes, riding with kids on mountain bikes, planning camps on awesome MTB trails. Not all bad really!

Daughter also starts high school. How the hell do I have a kid that old? Feel need for more naps.

PEMBERTON NATIONAL ROUND

Score a silver and bronze at the XCO double header riding off bulk Xmas/New year k's. Learn how much work goes in to events behind the scenes. This should be a competitive category it's own right as it's just as exhausting.

SNOWIES MTB FESTIVAL

Arrive a bit worn down by lots of work travel, social drinks, late nights and eating out. Have a great time with mates ripping the Crackenback and Thredbo Valley trails though while Jenny Fay gives me a spanking. Finish 2nd after a Day 2 cramp-fest.

This is the first year for this event. Great concept and well run, but not quite enough trail to justify 4 stages (prologue, mountain climb, descent that has A LOT of up-hill, 70k marathon). Five laps of the marathon was a little unnecessary and boring. I hear there is more trail planned for 2016 so it's worth checking out. Hot tip - it's very rough and lots of sitting down so a dual-sus bike is best. My 27" hardtail was like bringing a knife to a gun fight.

NATIONAL XCO CHAMPS

Ok, so I'm at MTBA events to work but have a great boss so I can sneak a 90 min race in. I discover that the week I had off training post Snowies has not been enough. I can't say it was really a recovery week- a few late nights, running around working at Oceanias lifting heavy things, 5k run each morning, running laps of the track filming junior riders. I then had a moment of self doubt and stupidity, smashed a 5 day uber training block and put myself right back in the hole. I'm much better giving training advice than taking it.

Surprised to make it on the podium in 5th with my heart-rate tanking and legs stuck in 2nd gear. Thoroughly enjoyed the track and chatting to many people about the future of the sport though.

GIANT ODYSSEY - FORREST

I really wanted to be in good form for this, but knew I wasn't. Thought about not starting, but didn't want to miss the trails. During the race I thought about not finishing (really easy as you pass back through the race start twice) but I don't want to get into that habit. The only race DNFs I've had have been in ambulances. There was nothing medically wrong with me, I'd just stuffed up my prep. Besides the trails were too good to miss, even if I had the grovel up some climbs to get to them. It was a typically Rapid Ascent race from the first descent down a forest gutter trail which looked as if it hadn't been ridden in years. I thought I'd missed a turn then remembered the rules for a RA event - if you think no race director would send you down there, you're on the right trail. True wilderness riding.

The last time I did the Odyssey it started in Apollo Bay and had about 1000m more climbing that the current version. It's still very tough but a lot more fun for those not racing for a paycheck. Most of the bitumen and uninteresting fireroad is out of the way in the first 20k leaving you a combination of sweet flowing bedded-in singletrack, some raw trail that appeared to have been hacked out fresh that morning and a couple of moments of "WTF is the trail??". Creeping around at training pace, I actually still enjoyed the race which is not often the case when I'm so results-focused. This race just made it to my 2016 list so I can give it my best effort.

We finished today with a couple of hours at the You Yangs MTB park today. Our guide, Cam, was very patient as we spun up the hills. I couldn't resist pushing it on some of the net DH tracks though. What a great place and reinforces why I race - to have the opportunity to ride MTB trails all over the country and globe.

UP NEXT...

I've been a bit goal-less with my riding as I try to adjust to a new lifestyle. After a couple of weeks of letting my body recuperate, I now have to find my way around a kayak and dust off the runners. Geoquest - 100k kayak, 160k MTB and 80k run - is on in June. I'm in a team with 3 hard ass adventure racers and I'm the token female necessary for a mixed team. We have 48 hours to complete it which doesn't sound like a lot of sleep. I would regard this as my biggest challenge to date and it probably won't sink in until I prove how thorough useless I am at paddling. I needed a serious challenge though - not wondering how fast I can go, but will I even finish? I guess I will find out soon.

Thanks to my sponsors: Liv Cycling AUS, For The Riders, Ride Mechanic, Shotz Nutrition, Maxxis Tyres, Rudy Project