Training Log Archive: Wally80

Well, even getting to the start line on this one was a challenge. After Andrew injured out with 6 weeks to go we were really lucky to pick up Robbie, until he injured out the Monday before the race. By Wednesday Karen had put us in touch with Mick, a guy who had claimed not to have trained since XPD.

So it was Jill, Louise, Mick and I lining up on the start line. With the team mate woes we had downgraded our expectations to merely finishing the race, hopefully without being short coursed. The pre-race prep was remarkably civilised with everyone following the tasks we split up before the briefing. I once again managed to avoid contacting maps so that they were readable. I did however managed to mark just one leg of the bike course with a pink highlighter I found in my bag. I was going to regret that later.

After the briefing and the announcement that there would be two busses we made an all out effort to get on the first bus. No way did we want to be last in line to select boats. We managed to get two good-uns that held air (and not water) then lined up for bumper boats.

Despite what most people said I thought the start was great and really enjoyed the mayhem. Mick and Jill got the jump on us early in the confusion before we overtook them when they got sandwiched. Whilst there were a lot of boats I can confidently say that we were never more than 100m apart the whole way. It really isn't a hard thing to do and I would like to see race organisers get more serious about it. We saw teams that got separated at the start and never saw each other again until the TA.

The paddle itself was OK up until the bridge. After the bridge I turned the map over and realised that we still had ages to go and there was no way we would make our 3pm estimate. Good to hear that it was longer than we thought but that didn't help us when we were struggling through the last half hour. I did learn some new British curse words though so it was not all wasted. My left wrist started to ping in a reminder of the Avon pain and we were all glad that there was to be no more paddling legs in the race.

Transition was a shiverfest until we got some warm clothes on. Some person that was in no way related to our team did not help us by pre warning about the rope crossing so shoes were left till off, damn my toes were cold. The rope crossing was a good addition to the race even if we had a bit of a wait for our turn. I am back on a diet this week after Lou went across before me and only got her feet wet, my knees were almost under water as the rope sagged under my prodigious weight. The rope was apparently slowly loosening so I am curious how the last teams went. I was only slightly concerned as I got on the rope since the Ranga?s were in the queue behind us. I certainly didn't waste any time getting across in case they decided to not play nice. It was certainly not the last time we would see these guys for the race.

We started the first trek in a very civilised manner walking along the rivers edge, after a chat about our intended pacing and result (who said that should be done before the event) we started "trekking at an advanced pace" not running. Definitely not running. Found the nav on this leg fairly easy, we chose to go cross country up to 2, down the gully to the track before 3 and then after 4 to the track into TA. Found a team that had left a team mate out on the track as they went in looking for 4, not technically against the rules since it was less than 100m but still not right in spirit. And just plain stupid since they had to go get him and then follow the track around whilst we overtook them going cross country.

In to the TA we were most looking forward too to find our chocolate stop! But no bikes. Whoops. Muz gave some lame excuse and promised to stop the clock but since Mikes bike gear was taped to the bike he couldn't get ready. We didn?t actually lose any places through this but still lost time. Slow transition here made all the worse for Mike by Rach ignoring him on her chocolate round.

Finally reunited with our bikes and took off, Lou said before the race that she hadn't MTB'd at night before and we never found time to take her out so it was probably not the best time to learn. She struggled on some of the early dips and then when I took us the short hilly way to 5 (yes, not the best) she was off and walking down the hill. Jill and I rode down??. Until the bit where we fell off. So Lou probably had the right idea.

Back out and off to 6 when the map stopped making sense. We went too far down one ridge without seeing any side tracks and then the track we eventually found heading in the right direction looked nothing like the tracks on the map. The situation wasn't helped by the awful pink highlighter I had done this section with so that I had to stop fully every time I wanted to make sense of the map. We followed the ridge along the best we could until we had the opportunity to relocate by riding to the top of a hill, once there we just followed the spur down to the rocky knoll ignoring the trails on the map. We had slightly overshot 6 at first which meant that we had discovered the unmapped trail down the back of the ridge, Mick wandered down it a bit to see if it was passable then I wheeled his bike down to him. Tip for new players. When wheeling two bikes down steep, slippery hills you can't use the brakes on either to help you slow down. Mick came and picked his bike out of the tangled mess that used to be me and my bike then we attempted to ride down the track. Excursion over the bars #3 ended my attempts at riding down so we walked to the bottom.

Went up to 7 from the south east, after our troubles with 6 we weren't overly concerned by the trudge up the mud slope until about 1/3rd of the way up when we intersected with the nice smooth track that we thought we were on already. Whoops. Rode about 30m of this climb and trudged the rest. Mick was feeling the effects of his lack of training on this hill so we were really slowing down.

Rode away from 7 down the west trail. Well, I rode until excursions #4 and #5 then self preservation won, everyone else walked from the start. Met the short boys at the bottom and as they were deciding to leave their bikes behind for the hike up. Good move. Started heading north to 8 and met Danger and Dalto coming south? This was pretty consistent with the last two controls seeing teams heading in all sorts of weird directions while we went WTF? 8 was navigationally pretty easy even if the hill pushes to get into them were pants. (see, British curse words. They come in useful.) Caught another team before 9 then they rode past the control, one of them was smart enough to see us punch and called his team mates back. A nice downhill after 9 lead to excursion #6 but I was well practiced by now and I landed on my feet without dropping my muesli bar. Finally a killer uphill that was actually not too steep to ride meant that the riding muscles copped some unfamiliar punishment. Ow.

TA3 was uneventful, we were a little slow on all transitions during the race. Heading out on the rogaine we had decided to do the 5 control loop picking up 20-24. went north first and it was a damn long trudge to the first control, easy to find and then another long trudge down the hill to the next, Lou was concerned that I was straying off the bearing she had set into the control until I picked up a path again and avoided the worst of the bush, she trusted me more after that I think. I realised at this point that we were well behind pace to actually make any time on this leg and considered heading straight back but the team decided that since we were out here we may as well collect the original plan. I think the time incentives would need to be almost doubled before we would have considered doing any more.

Heading in to the control near the landing strip we met some poor pathetic stragglers wandering lost in the bush. "Never fear!" said I "For I will lead you to salvation!" They were most ungrateful and insulting when we popped out onto the admittedly small and easy to miss AIRSTRIP 40m later.

Following one on the fence corner was easy and we had started trekking expediently again as everyone was feeling good. Then the typical Muz-made blackberry scramble to get the last one.

Back into TA and then into the Maze, if this had been just a bit further on when sleep dep was kicking in it would have been a lot more interesting, as it was us tall blokes could see most of the maze anyway. Nice diversion though. I wonder which team didn't do it?

Out onto the last ride a chilly downhill lead to another long push. This one was technically rideable but just hard work, Robin overtook us on this hill but then had to wait for his team mates to walk up. We a fair bit of this leg in the company of the Shockers, we also had the pleasure of meeting the Ranga's and short boys trudging back up the hill to 25 after they overshot it.

We lead the pack into 26 then tried to burn them off but the shickers stayed with us until the rail, we lost them in the confusion dropping down onto the actual rail trail (the crap one, we never saw the nice one). Met Adamantium on this trail then discovered another burst of energy when Mickey made a grab for the tow rope. Followed these guys into 27 then got past and had a clear nose into 28. It was still early at this stage so we made the call to collect the rest, then promptly overshot 29, I think I was getting pretty tired around here.

Enjoyed the downhill from 29, even though I fell off again. I really don't know why I am falling off so much the last few months. It is getting painful. The leg into 30 was one of the most demoralising of the race. So much bike pushing for so little gain. It was nice to start riding again after 30, even if we had our eyes closed through all the bushy bits. I was getting really blasé about the map not matching the trails at this point and we could have gone horribly wrong but I just kept an eye on the compass and kept us heading on the right bearing. The last bit along the road to TA was tough as the legs were pretty dead by this stage. The horizon was just starting to light up as we got in for a rest.

The last leg on the Bibbulmun was a slog. We felt pretty good at the start so were running the flats and downhills, Jill had been struggling with eating all race and it was really starting to take its toll on this leg so we slowed down towards the end. This leg destroyed me pretty successfully as well. I felt great at the start but by the end my knee, hip, glutes and feet were all sore. I was fairly happy to see the finish line.

Happily went to sleep on the hall floor after the race until I was woken up bu a scary man hugging me. I really need to find out who is writing my name on the toilet wall since that was the third time that has happened this week!

A good race overall and we were all stoked with our 4th place, there was no way we could of beaten Hageby's but we just did enough to stay ahead of 5th and 6th place.

C • Team Tubby Bitches 5

C • Could of? 2

Event: Espresso 24hr Adventure Race
 

Day 1

Drive to Perth. Sit on arse all day. Drive home.

Not conducive to a good nights sleep. haven't been sleeping well all week. Combination of really busy at work not allowing time for de-stress training.

Paid my fee to become a part owner in Wait Awhile today!

at least now I can claim my recent bludging as "Mental Conditioning" for another big summer of training.

C • The libs are auctioning the State? (Again?) 2

another run around the inlet after another late day at work.

Bugger.

Got a call from Robbie saying that he had blown out his achillies. now we are back to three with less than a week to the race, any suggestions?

C • Suggestion 18