Ed McDonald: 24Hour Solo 'Recovery' Race

Over the Easter weekend, Ed McDonald finished second at the 24hour Solo National Championships. (You can read his insightful blog of the race here.) Below is his blog about what he did the weekend after: raced and won a solo 7 hour race at Mt Stromlo. On a single speed.

 

Immediately after racing a 24hr, you know a few things:

• Everything hurts, particularly joints such as knees, wrists etc
• You can feel OK on the bike, but you're actually down about 20% in power
• Sometimes the massive endorphin high lasts a while

Backing up for a 7 hour the next weekend is, therefore, probably not the best idea.  But at the heart of endurance racing is a desire to push limits, and I was curious to see how I'd back up after the 24.

One of the other goals was to redefine the racing vibe a bit.  The 24 had been a very stressful race for a number of reasons, so I was looking forward to remembering the "other " part of racing: just cruising around trails in the sun on a singlespeed.

Singlespeed is great for an enforced "fun" attitude in long races.  It's almost impossible to get a good start - especially given the prevalence of overseeding - and you can only go as fast as your gear dictates.  In many ways, the whole concept of racing a single-speed bike is so silly that you have to shrug, grin and toddle around.  Singlespeed racing is a curious phenomenon that has become rather huge, simply because you can find the "Happy Place" easily - and it's great to see Trek recognise this with bikes like the venerable Rig and Superfly Single. 

So, on Sunday morning, I turned up at Stromlo for Round 1 of the Rocky Trail Shimano MTB GP, armed with a box of bottles and a bunch of bananas, and my Superfly Singlespeed.  I rode this race without any clue of race standings, and basically focused entirely on intrinsic motivation (just enjoying the ride) throughout. 

The course wound its way up to the top of Stromlo via the usual climb with 10^6 switchbacks, and then down via the new Pork Barrell descent.  This has some fun jumps and drops, and had me wishing for a 6" duallie for some quality messy hucking.  The course returned to transition via Party Line and Breakout for a fun 13km loop.

I soon discovered that there really wasn't any power in the legs, so it was time to relax a bit and aim to ride to a nice easy rhythm in the sun.  Singlespeed enduro pace is a nice social pace, so it was great to catch up with pinners in the 4 hour such as Paul Brodie, Callum McNamara and Jamie Bailey (1st masters, 1st SS and 4th overall respectively).  Funnily enough - and in contrast to the 24 - I had absolutely no idea about the race situation this time around, and was basically riding around in the a blissful and oblivious bubble of single-speed happy place. 

Coming through the last three hours of the race, I started doing the mental arithmetic concerning the possibility of an 11th lap.  10 seemed like a nice round number.  Having been self-supported all race, I had absolutely no idea about the racing standings, and was happy to hear from Brad Morton (before commencing my last lap) that I was over 20 minutes clear of second.  This meant the last lap could be a fun cruise, aiming simply to keep the rubber side down and avoid any mechanicals.  Having said that, I couldn't avoid the temptation for a few dirty whips down the jumps on the course!

It was great to follow up the 24 with a nice win and a long, stress-free day in the sun on the singlespeed.  Unlike most 7 hour races, this one never really hurt at any point, and it was interesting to see that it's easier to back up with low-intensity, long-distance than with short-distance at high intensity.

A big thanks to On The Rivet and Trek Bikes Australia for the support - doing multiple climbs of Stromlo is made easier by a stupidly light singlespeed! Thanks also to Rocky Trail Entertainment for a great fun race.  Riding bikes is fun!

Two Days, Two Venues, Two Races, One Bike

Ed McDonald is a mountain biker from Canberra who is known for the long miles he racks up in training, as well as being fast racing over long distances, particularly 100 mile and 24 Hour events. He has recently become a Trek Ambassador and rode a Superfly Elite test bike to 2nd in Solo at the Scott 24Hour, and his Superfly SS to 2nd at the Sydney 24Hour. Last week he got his own Superfly Elite, and proceeded to tackle two races on the weekend! First up was the Rocky Trail Entertainment MTB Cruise 100 Mile at Stromlo Forest Park on Saturday, and then a CORC 3 Hour at Kowen on Sunday. Below you can read how he went in his own words. If you would like to read more about his cycling adventures, you can check out his own blog here. (Sorry there's no photos for this one!)

Most mountain bike race reports begin with a heinously early wake up call.  This one is no exception.  Despite being only 20 minutes from the race start, this race start was scheduled at 5am – meaning a 3-30am wake-up call and a severely addled brain. 

The race was put on by Rocky Trail Entertainment at Stromlo, with 33, 66, 100 and 160km (nominal) distances.  The 160km was scheduled to start early to provide the extra dimension of night racing – dodging errant kangaroos, guessing the surface composition through the tacky dew, and peering over your shoulder at a string of bright lights winding their way around the exposed waste lands and rocky outcrops of Stromlo.

I entered the 100 mile race along with a few of Canberra’s more established endurance riders – most notably, Andrew Hall of Team Radical Lights, and singlespeed legend Brett Bellchambers.  For the past few years, the 100 mile category has become something of a form guide and test run for the Solo 24 Hour National Championships.  I had bailed on the singlespeed category to try out the gears on my new Trek Superfly Elite, but it was still an excellent singlespeed course, with lots of climbing, and probably the highest singletrack proportion of any “marathon” distance race in Australia.  Tricky rockgardens dominated the course – with the treacherous Slick Rock descent combined with the Deep Creek rockgardens and the appropriately titled “Heart Breaker” climb.   The loop featured over 500vm ascent each lap, and took around 1:25 to navigate.

With a loop this long, one of the most important aspects was hydration. Possibly my favourite aspect of my medium-sized Superfly is the ability to fit two bottles in – thus avoiding the inconvenience of carrying and refilling hydration bladders and allowing slick transitions.  There are a lot of things to like about 29er hardtails as endurance race bikes – the Superfly was very comfortable over the distance, with no back pain, and the blistering climbing response of a genuinely high-performance carbon frame.  Combined with a comfy Evoke RL saddle and the superb Race XXX Lite foam grips, I couldn’t have asked for anything better in the bike for a 7 hour singletrack stint.

Appropriately, I tried to put the bike’s climbing pedigree to good use right from the start, and was able to run just a single light with my K-Lite lighting the way into the pre-dawn gloom.  With over 20 minutes of continued climbing near the start of the lap, it wasn’t long until Andrew was the only rider holding the wheel.  We edged cautiously down the descent, and nearly cleaned up about 4 separate kangaroos. 

On the Deep Creek rockgardens, the 29er hardtail showed its prowess.  It’s nice to be able to stomp out of the saddle through the steep pitches, and G2 means you can easily loft your front wheel through tricky uphill rock step-ups. I opened some small gaps here to Andrew, but he shut me down in other areas, and we concentrated on opening a big advantage over Brett. 

Late in the first lap, Andrew got a puncture which allowed me to get about a minute off the front – he fixed it quickly! I quickly swapped bottles and helmets in the pits, and tried to establish a strong rhythm.  With the rising sun and the kangaroos mostly off the track now, I was able to push a higher tempo and began to open a steady gap. Adrenaline was pumping and I was loving the rocky gardens, nasty climbs and swooping berms.

Endurance racing is about controlling your adrenaline though, and making sure you plan ahead.  I focussed obsessively on appropriate nutrition and – most importantly – hydration – to ensure that I could maintain the pace.

The last few hours of the race became very hot – Stromlo is exposed and the white surface radiates the intensity of a burning summer sun straight back at you.  The trails were littered with cramping bodies and exhausted riders pushing their own limits in the challenging conditions on the tough course.  Between the comfortable bike setup and a solid hydration strategy, I was happy to remain consistent, and my final lap was my second fastest.  I crossed the line after 7 hours and 13 minutes, stoked to defend my title and hold off a consistently fast Andrew, who put in another characteristically strong performance for second. 

The following day saw a 3 hour race at Kowen held by Canberra Off-Road Cyclists.  Where a few of us use the Stromlo 100 miler as a test run for 24 Hour Nationals, everyone in Canberra uses this 3 hour as a test run for the Mont or Capital Punishment, and there were over 280 riders in attendance!  On the Rivet in Phillip sponsored this event and everyone enjoyed a great day’s racing in perfect conditions.

This course was the opposite of the Stromlo course in many ways – fast and flowing, with a steady climb through pine forests and native bush followed by the swooping, rollicking flow of the “Rolling Thunder” descent.  Riding 11 laps of this was fantastic fun, and it was no surprise to see 29ers in abundance on this fast and flowing course. 

I wasn’t sure how well I’d back up from the heat and distance of the previous day, but after the chaos of a self-seeded start, found myself in a reasonable position heading into the singletrack.  The previous day’s 100km winner – Dylan Cooper – soon moved to the front and belted out a very solid pace and was flying down the descents at a remarkable pace.  I hung on the wheel for a few laps before feeling the elastic stretch and eventually got popped off.  I managed to keep the gap down for a few laps before the inevitable “flatness” from the previous day’s racing caught up with me, and while I chugged some caffeine in an attempt to fire up some adrenaline, it was clear that I was going backwards.  In the meantime, the trails were far too much fun not to enjoy, and I started chatting to a few riders to roll out the distance and round off a fun weekend.

It was a great start to racing on the new Superfly – the same bike which, in the hands of super XC riders Dan McConnell and Bec Henderson – took two national titles on the same weekend.  I can’t wait for Mountains to Beach, and then the big goal, 24 Hour Nationals. 

Stromlo National Round - Bec Henderson Report

Round three of the All Mountain Cup was held on my home course, Mount Stromlo! This race was only my second mountain bike race of the season and after a second place in Mount Buller a couple of weekends ago I was hungry to go one better.

I had a very relaxed run into the weekend – getting plenty of practice in on the course over the last couple of weeks I didn’t need to stress about getting last minute laps in. On Friday morning Dan and I took out a couple of Junior riders who are supported by the James Williamson Enduro Fund to practice the course before the team launch in the afternoon followed by the beginning of racing at 4pm.

TV interviews at the Team launch. Pic: Russ Baker

The weather was predicted to be pouring rain on Friday and Saturday and so far the sun was out and burning! At about 3:30 we looked over the top of Mount Stromlo and saw the dark clouds coming. After a 15 minute storm with hail, water was everywhere and I was lucky enough to be hiding under the pavilion waiting for the shuttle rather than being at the top of the hill with the Elite Men.

Prior to the start every rider was required to do a registered practice run after the number of crashes in Mount Buller. My practice run didn’t go as well as I hoped – I felt like I couldn’t get any grip and I was a bit off the pace. This was before the storm though. I started my run fast and only a few minutes in I felt like I was already making up time, and confident that if I kept it smooth I would be safe for the win. Riders left off in 30 second intervals with the highest ranked rider going off last. I was ranked 6th after missing the first round of the series and left 30 seconds after PetaMullens. The track was super sticky and fun to ride and as I got towards the end of the Skyline track I caught up to Peta. Without too much trouble and much cooperation I was able to get around Peta and continue my run. Next was the berms track – the track was quite rutted out but knowing the course quite well I was able to negotiate my way to the smoother lines. Once we were off the berms track there was some fast open descending to go where I caught the rider who started 30 seconds in front of Peta. I rode hard to the finish, but ensuring that I kept it safe and smooth and finished in the time of 11 minutes and 6 seconds. There were only 5 more riders due to come in behind me and I remained in the hot seat. Jenni King, the series leader, was last down the hill and came through with a time of 11 minutes 17 seconds. So it was a good start to the weekend for me taking the win!

On the way to the win in the Super-D. Pic: Russ Baker

Saturday morning came around super quickly and we were on the start line ready to go at 9:30. Six laps ahead of us in the XCO - the main event of the weekend. I had a great start and lead the race into the start loop and kept the pace on hoping to put cracks in the field. It was Jenny Fay who went around me on the fast fire road and kept the pace hot. I looked behind me and we had a gap to the rest of the girls and going into the single track I went around Jenny and took to the front.

I was feeling really comfortable but wanted to start fast to put the pressure on the other girls, particularly Jenni King who has ridden off the front in all of the other races and been unchallenged. I rode hard and smooth and by the time we exited the first single track I was out in front by a couple of hundred meters. I felt good, really good, and coming into the start finish I was leading by just over 30 seconds.

On lap two I kept the pace up but this is when the first sign of things going wrong started to happen. I was riding down the longer descent and could hear my front tyre spurting and losing pressure - I kept it smooth and hoped that It would last until the tech zone. The tyre was staying up and I considered continuing on lap 3 without changing wheels but I thought it would be too risky and I didn’t want to end up halfway through lap 3 and having to put a tube in. I stopped and grabbed a front wheel and had a super quick change. Despite nursing the front tyre in the later half of lap two I still managed to increase my lead and was now 48 seconds ahead of the next rider.

It was a couple of hundred meters late that I realised my rear tyre had gone flat also. While the front tyre had lost a bit of pressure it was the rear causing problems. How did I not realise this? I jumped off my bike ready to change but the rear was also holding some pressure so I got the CO2 onto it and after stuffing around getting the wheel back in, and dropping a chain I was on my way again. After the second stop I had been passed by Jenni King and Katherine O’Shea and was now in third.

It was a couple of minutes until I passed Katherine and was now back in second and still in the hunt for the win. I kept my eyes looking forward and could see Jen in front of me. I was chasing hard but the rear tyre was going down again and I was going to have to stop in the tech zone again. We had another reasonably quick rear wheel change while I slipped in a quick TORQ gel and a drink and was once again back on course. I did my best to stay focused in a difficult and frustrating situation. With two laps to go I was not only tiring physically but mentally and emotionally. I was no longer in the hunt for the win and on lap 5 along the long fire road drag back towards the finished I was passed by Katherine O’Shea again and Jenny Fay.

Leading Katherine O'Shea through a technical section. Pic: Russ Baker

The last lap was one of the most frustrating of the event – I didn’t see my pit crew of Pete, Dan, Dad, Joel waving me down to change the front wheel for the last lap and with half a lap or so to go the front wheel was again losing air. I nursed it on the descents and came through to finish the race shattered and with another flat tyre.

Unfortunately I cannot blame the tyres, only my tyre choice and the sealant that I put in them – which was not my regular sealant either. Rather than using the more reliable tubeless version I decided to race on the lightweight tyres which would normally be fine, only Stromlo is a very rocky and harsh course. Yes I should have known better but I have also learnt a very valuable lesson.

After a bad start to the day things did improve with Dan taking the win in the Elite Men’s race and Luke Fetch, who was staying at our place, won the Under 23 Men in a sprint finish.

While it was very hard for me to stay happy - thanks to the positiveness, smiles and our team environment - I was able to put the cross country race behind me and focus on getting a good result in the Point to Point on Sunday.

Sunday morning came around extremely quick – we spent Saturday evening cleaning up bikes, putting tubeless tyres on and eating special pizza recovery food. With another early start we were all up at around 6:00 eating breakfast for a 9:00 start in the point to point. Dan, Dad, Fetchy and I all rode out to Stromlo for a warm up, it takes about 40 minutes and then the boys checked out the start loop.

When the gun went off I had another good start – again I lead into the first corner but this time riders came around me sooner and I decided to sit in the group. I knew the start loop was a little longer than in the cross country and it was going to be important to be conservative in the early minutes of the race. Jenny Fay hit the front of the bunch again with Katherine O’Shea and Jenni King and I sitting right on her wheel. Jenny Fay looked over her shoulder but no one was willing to come around to the front of the group so Jenny attacked. Katherine was now left to do the work chasing and Jenni King and I sat in behind her patiently.

The fire road turned left and headed up a steep slippery fire road and we caught Jenny Fay with no problems. The pace was quick and I tried my best to be relaxed. Jenni King went to the front and I knew I had to keep in contact with her so I dug deep and pushed over the top of the hill. The course then turned another left and headed down a fast fire road descent before entering the first single track. I knew that if I wanted a chance to win the race today I needed to be first into the single track.

Jenni King was riding a little quick for my liking in the early part of the race and with the home tracks being so familiar I was hoping I would be able to lose her through the single tracks and get away. It wasn’t to be, while I lead the entire trunk trail single track climb Jenni wouldn’t drop the wheel. I knew I was probably going a little slower than she would have liked but I wasn’t prepared to go any faster so stayed at the front.

By the time we got to the top of the hill we had made a sold gap on the rest of the field. 3rd place was out of sight and we started the descent to the back side of Mount Stromlo. Next thing we see an orange blur in front of us. Katherine O’Shea had managed to make a mistake out on course with a wrong turn taking about a 2 minute short cut. We caught her quickly and I was a little tense as I had just opened up a small margin to Jenni King. With this margin being one of my only chances to get away from Jenni I was desperate to get around Katherine as quickly and smoothly as possible. Unfortunately this did not happen as I could not convince Katherine that she had taken a wrong turn, and while mistakes happen I really didn’t care – I just wanted to get around and continue racing.

Coming into slick rock I was able to pull a somewhat dodgie but good enough manoeuvre (almost taking out Russ Baker who was taking photos) to get around Katherine and still held my tiny margin on Jenni.

Overtaking maneuver on the downhill section. Pic: Russ Baker

I entered the single track which begun the windy rocky trails around the back of Stromlo. As the course U turned I could see Jenni had now managed to get in front of Katherine and she was chasing me down. The next 15 minutes were on fast, technical trails. Constantly changing direction with obstacles and rocks always there to catch you out when you lost focus. I thought that I would be able to increase my gap to Jenni through these trails only she wound me in and by the time we got to the fire road leading into the feed zone Jen decided it was her turn to ride on the front and put the pressure on.

Straight out of the feed zone was a steep and long hill. I was not expecting this in the race and continued to follow Jen’s wheel. She increased the pace and I had no choice but to counter attack – I wasn’t in a rhythm going at her pace so I only had to push a little harder to make her hurt just as much. The climb went on longer than I had hoped and I was so glad that she couldn’t see my face. I was in the world of hurt and had no idea if she was still in touch with me or if I had opened up a gap. I couldn’t look back – it would totally give away the fact that I was hurting. If she had of passed me on this climb I would have been in big trouble.

I kept the pressure on through the single track as we started to head towards the finish. I knew there was one climb to go before we hit the skyline trail into the finish. The tracks wound around and I pushed harder and harder – not wanting Jenni to get a sniff of the front again. I was starting to put a couple of seconds into her but she wouldn’t completely lose touch. Every time I came around a corner I could hear her breaking into the one I had just exited.

I finally got on to the last rocky and technical climb before the finish and I put in everything I had. Again I had gained just a few more seconds and I kept the pace high on the descent into the finish. I dared not look behind, concentrating on riding smooth and mistake free I made it to the finish and was so happy to finally get a win on the board. 33 seconds later Jenni came through to take second.

It was a great race to be in and I couldn’t believe I had won it on the climb. It was awesome to cross the line to see that Dan had won the Mens race as well. A few minutes later Rich our Anytime Fitness team owner came through to take 5th in the Masters Men with a race time just one second quicker than mine. Dad also won the Super Masters so smiles in the Anytime Fitness Trek tent were not hard to come by.

On the top step of the podium for the Point-2-Point. Pic: Russ Baker

While it is hard to forget the negative situation I found myself in during the Cross country race on Saturday it is good to know that my form is good coming into the National Championships where I hope to defend my Under 23 title before heading to New Zealand and South Africa in early March for the Oceania Championships and then round 1 of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup where Olympic selection begins…

I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who have continued to support me through the good and bad times! While mountain bike racing is an individual sport it cannot be done at the Elite level without the support of my major sponsors Anytime Fitness, Trek, Shimano, CCS Facilities Maintenance, and also the support of my family and close friends (you know who you are!) – so Thankyou!

Buller National Round - Dan McConnell Report

Not to be outdone by his team mate, Dan McConnell has sent us his race report from the Mt Buller National round. You can read it below.

You can also keep up to date with the Anytime Fitness-Trek MTB team on their Facebook page.

Dans report:

First Win of the Season!
After a few months of little mountain bike racing it was time to hit up the second round of the All Mountain Cup in Mount Buller, With the new three race format it was going to be a full on weekend of racing.

We arrived at Mount Buller on the Thursday with gave us plenty of time  to learn the tracks and to enjoy the picturesque view that the mountains have to offer. It was also our first race as the new Anytime Fitness Trek team so it was great to spend some time both on and off the bike with the team.
 
Friday was the Super D, Saturday the Cross Country and Sunday the point to point.

The Super D was fast and purely made up of 100% fire road that consisted of water bars, loose corners and a lot of bridges. With the high risk element that came with the super D I decided to take it conservatively, pushing the pace when it flattened out or headed up hill but making 100% sure I kept it rubber side down. I had a smooth, worry free run and recorded the 5th fastest time which I was very surprised with. 

The Cross Country is still the main event of the weekend and I was really looking forward to pushing myself in a race and seeing where my form is in the early part of the season.

Photo: Russ Baker

Having not competed in the first round of the All Mountain Cup my start position was 24 which wasn't too bad but with the start heading straight up a rough fire road before a long section of single track it was going to make the start pretty important.

After a solid warm up I hit the line warm and feeling good, I jumped off the start and after the first 100m was in the top 5 but I was off the race line in the rough which saw me loose a few positions as we headed in to the single track.  I was in 11th position and it didn’t take long until the lead group of Van Der Ploeg and Taberley were out of sight.  So only 5 minutes into the race I had to change my race plan from a starting fast and testing the legs of my competitors to a more conservative race which would hopefully see me ride my way towards the front in the later laps.

I kept with that plan and spent the first 3 laps conserving as much energy as possible (which I found quite a hard thing to as I basically watched the leaders pull away from me) making sure I was not punching over the top of any hills or pushing a bigger gear than necessary.

Photo: Russ Baker

With 3 laps to go I started to wind it up, I was feeling as though I had not even started racing yet and was doing it pretty easy.  It also helped that the early leaders had only opened up a 45 second gap.  On the fourth lap I worked my way into 3rd position and cut the gap in half.  By halfway through the 5^th lap I had the two leaders of Van Der Ploeg and Taberlay in reach.  I made contact and straight away Taberlay attacked to see how my legs were, I was able to respond and we came though the finish line with 2 to go as a trio but this didn’t last long as Van Der Ploeg attacked through the rough rocky fire road.  Then there were two.  I sat on his wheel and let him set the pace early into the lap, on the last climb of the lap I put in a surge and opened up a bit of a gap, I took it smooth and easy on the final descent and by the bottom we were back together again.

On the last lap I gave it everything, still feeling strong I tried to exert every last bit of energy from my body and recording the fastest lap of the race I crossed the line in 1^st, 30 seconds in front of Paul with Blair jumping Taberlay late in the race to finish 3rd.

Photo: Russ Baker

I was very happy with the days racing, with no Mountain Bike intensity I still have a lot to improve on!

Sunday was the point to point on the well renowned Stonefly track. I was leading the General Classification for the weekend so today was pretty straight forward.  I had to mark Andy Blair who was the only real threat to the overall lead.

I had not ridden Stonefly before but it certainly lived up to its reputation.  Flowy single track that just keeps on going, it was a great trail, although this did make racing difficult as passing on the tight single track was an issue. Paul went off the front early in the stage and we never got him back in sight, I sat in the chasing bunch and tried to enjoy the tracks although this was made harder by the fast pace at the front of the bunch.

I rolled across the line in 5th and held onto the win for the Weekend.

It was a really great to start the year and a good sign of what is to come!

A big thanks to the Anytime Fitness Trek team for a great weekend, my coach Donna for getting me to this form so early on in the year and my family for their ongoing support!

Photo: Russ Baker

Buller National Round - Bec Henderson Report

The second of the MTBA Australian MTB National Series, or All Mountain Cup, was held at Mt Buller last weekend. The Anytime Fitness-Trek team were in attendence and racked up some impressive results. Unfortunately Ben Henderson is still feeling the effects of an illness so wasn't racing but Dan McConnell made up for it by riding his Superfly Elite 29r to a win in the Mens Elite XC and the All-Mountain overall for the weekend, while Bec Henderson raced her Elite 9.9 to a 2nd in the Elite Womens XC and 3rd overall for the weekend.

Here's a detailed report from Bec of her weekend:

After a roadie style beginning to 2012 round two of the All Mountain Cup (Australian National Series) meant it was time to put the road bike to the back of the shed and see how I am going compared to the rest of the Aussie mountain bikers.

Bec Henderson attacking during the Elite Womens XCO. Photo: Russ Baker

I missed the first round of the series back in November as I was only just starting up training again after the World Championships but Jenni King – the winner from Perth was definitely the hot favourite for the weekend.

MTBA have completely changed the style of the National rounds – turning them more into a stage race and taking away the emphasis of the cross country and more about the three stages for the weekend. The first was the Super D – a 12km descent from the top of Mount Buller, the second stage was the Cross Country – Olympic format and the third a point to point around the trails of Mount Buller.

We arrived to Mount Buller in the Anytime Fitness ‘truck’ on Thursday afternoon and headed out for a couple of laps of the cross country course. Exactly the same as last year – only dry the vibes around the Anytime Fitness camp were positive!

On Friday morning we decided it was important to have a practice run of the Super D. We took it fairly steady – luckily as there were many sketchy sections which would more than likely claim a number of riders. The track was just an open rocky fire road descent with unpredictable water bars and other obstacles to be expected on a mountain bike course. The problem was – the course didn’t necessarily require as much skill as it did guts. Many riders were riding outside of their comfort zone, and ability level but were unaware until they came unstuck.

Despite what MTBA have tried to do with the series – the cross country is still the main event in my opinion so the Super D was just about getting down safely. At the start of the Super D stories were going around about all the crashes in practice which left us all a bit edgy.

I got down the hill safe and sound – trying to ride within myself and push myself on the climbs. My finishing time was 3rd in the Women. After some awesome dinner cooked by the team Chef (wife) I was all recovered and ready to go for the Cross Country race on Saturday morning.

For the 2012 with Olympic selection in mind I decided it was important for me to race in the Elite category for both the competition and comparison against the best girls in the country.

Bec on the climb during the Elite Women XCO. Photo: Russ Baker

With the training I have been doing in the lead up to the race I knew I was going to struggle with the pace set early on in the race but hoped to ride into the race and finish strong.

The gun went off and my prediction was correct. I had an awful start which went straight up a fire road drag and the power houses of the race took to the front. I sat in the group hoping that the girls in front of me would hold the wheel in front and I would not loose contact with the front of the race.

At about the halfway mark the course opened up and I managed to make a few passes and get closer to the front but the girls at the front were not letting up. I got into third wheel going into the big descent before the start/finish but unfortunately race favourite Jenni King was first wheel and Katherine O’Shea was in between us. With descending my strength I found it frustrating as Katherine dropped the wheel and Jen rode out of sight. It was not until Katherine got a rear flat that I managed to get around her.

For the rest of the descent I was going hard and managed to close the gap a little – I came through the start finish about 8 seconds behind Jenni.

Lap 2 of 5 was the toughest in the race for me – the pace was still a little quicker than I wanted to go but Jenny Fay and Jodie Willett were still chasing hard. Jenni opened up a bit more of a gap this lap and as I was riding through the last single track I could see her coming up the fire road in the opposite direction. She was looking strong!

By the third lap I started to feel a little more comfortable and stopped worrying about the girls behind. I was starting to ride into the race and feeling strong on the climbing sections. Finally the torturous road kilometres were starting to pay off. This lap I actually mad a bit of time up to Jenni but not enough to make an impact.

The fourth and fifth laps were relatively uneventful I tried to stay in a rhythm as best I could and do what I could to close the gap to first but the latter didn’t happen. I crossed the line still happy with 2nd place in my first official Elite race. A number of steps ahead from where I was this time last year I am confident I can have a good season.

On Sunday morning we had the Point to Point – a day to hopefully back up but have a bit of fun as well with the serious day of racing behind us. The race was a 25km race going up one big mountain before coming back to do part of the cross country course and then added an extra couple of kilometres of bumpy switchback grassy single track to finish off.

Again I started slow – really slow and the front group was well out of sight. The major climb suited me though – it was technical and steep in parts and I settled into rhythm. Slowly I caught the girls in front but again Jenni was fast off the start and had formed what I assumed was a significant gap. As I caught the girls most of them were all fair with their passing and I continued to chase down the next in front. It was just before the top of the climb that I caught Katherine O’Shea. With some tactics and blocking coming from here I eventually managed to find a suitable place to pass and pushed on.

At the top of the hill one of the spectators yelled out to me “15 seconds” and I thought what? Impossible? I descended as quickly and efficiently as I could catching some riders from the other categories. On a couple of the switchbacks I saw this orange flash – it WAS Jenni. Maybe she had gone out too hard?

I caught her on the next climb and managed to make a pass. I could tell she was suffering and after a few more minutes I was putting time into her. Feeling strong and now slightly more determined I pushed harder and knew I was getting away. We were also well past halfway and I knew if I stayed strong I would be right to win the race – which could also put me in contention for the All Mountain Cup this weekend.

Unfortunately though, it wasn’t to be and I flatted before the final climb. Gutted! I jumped off my bike and pulled my XTR wheel out – I had a fairly efficient change but so close to the finish the race was gone. I tried to ride hard for the rest of the race but was disheartened and frustrated.

I finished the stage in 5th position and third overall in the All Mountain Cup (only three seconds in front of Tory Thomas!) It was a good weekend of racing and the form and endurance was there so I finish the weekend looking forward to the next round on home soil – Stromlo!

Thanks to all of my sponsors and supporters who make it all happen! A massive thank you to Anytime Fitness who took care of us for the entire weekend and I look forward to having a good season on the new team!

Team Manager Richard Peil on his way to 4th in the Masters Men XCO. Photo: Russ Baker

Trek Commuting Giveaway

Here at Trek we love riding bikes. Whether it is on the road, on the trails, or on the bike path. We also love riding bikes for transport, and what better way to do that than riding to work!

Commuting comes with many challenges, but the rewards are also great. Going for a ride before a hectic day in the office, or clearing your head on the way home, can bring unquantifiable benefits. Sometimes it just feels great to be on a bike instead of behind a wheel.

We pretty sure we’re not the only ones who are like this, and want to hear your stories and see your photos!

We’re giving away a fantastic Bontrager ‘commuter’ prize pack to the best commuting 'story' submitted via Twitter.

Follow us @TrekBikesAust and use the hashtag #TrekAUCommute to give us a story, photo or video about your commute. Get creative!

Entries have to be in by midday on Thursday December 22^nd 2011 and we will giveaway:

• Bontrager Rollbar 8 multi-tool
• Bontrager Airpack
• Bontrager Pro Pack 50 seat pack
• Bontrager Ion 2/Flare 3 light set
• Bontrager keyed cable lock
• Bontrager RL Fusion GelFoam gloves

Jez loves the Remedy...and Bontrager tyres!

Venture Cycles is a Trek dealer in Noosa, on Queenslands Sunshine Coast. Jeremy is the owner and manager of the store, and he loves riding bikes. Jeremy recently got a 2012 Trek Remedy and sent through this short review along with a few photos:

Just like last years Remedy this bike is the jack of all trades, but with the DRCV fork and the slacker geometry it handles down hills even better, it’s just rock solid in corners and soaks up more of the big hits than a six inch bike should, all without sacrificing its ease of how it pedals up hills…….My session 88 is getting a complex.

Check out the photo below for a bontrager tyre shot….. Bontrager MTB tyres…What is keeping your face out of the dirt???

Cheers
Jez

Perth National Round - Report from Henderson

Ben Henderson of the Anytime Fitness-Trek MTB team checks in after the first National 'All-Mountain Cup' Round of the season in Perth:

The week began normal enough. Relaxation and recovery from the Highland Fling, two sessions of Pilates and a blood test which read… “parasitic infection”??? That was a new one! It seemed Malaysia was having a lasting effect. Add that to the current course of antibiotics for a chest infection and I was raring to go.

The first day of practice revealed a tricky riding surface. The locals call it ‘pea gravel’ and it was darn slippery. Asides the gravel there was plenty of flowing trails, rocky descents and short, steep climbs. A really challenging race track. ‘Anytime Fitness’ team mate Cam and local friend and guide Adrian showed me how it was done. I literally couldn’t keep up with them. Not a good feeling two days out.

The MTBA National Series has adopted a different format where several races count towards a cumulative overall time for the round. In this case the first race was the usual Olympic Cross Country, followed by the new Eliminator and Super D the next day.

Under a crystal clear, blue sky with temperatures around 30, the race got underway. After a clean start it was straight into a super steep fire road climb. It was of course covered in a nice layer of gravel and tyres skidded and elbows bumped as everyone tried to grab a good position as the single track at the summit loomed.

I crested what I’d later refer to as the ‘oven’ in around 7th position. Far from where I wanted to be but it was already clear that today was not going to be wholly satisfying. I accepted this and got on with the job of getting the best out of a body, which at least seemed capable of producing some power compared to previous days.

As the race wore on and the heat really set in, I continued to work hard. I was determined to get the best result possible and finish knowing I’d given my best. The course was really demanding and required non-stop focus. That I could do, and by lap 5 of 6 I’d moved into 4th position. With weary legs I finished what I’d set out to do and was rewarded with a solid 4th and a few important UCI points for this years World Cups.

Up ahead Andy Blair had taken out his first National Round win ahead of Sid Taberlay. Andy was on top of the world and I was very happy for him, a well deserved winner.

Sunday morning commenced with the Eliminator. First up was a time trial of the course to post a time for the overall and determine grids for the heats. I half held back and half gave what I could, and was fully smashed accordingly. I was a good 15 seconds behind on the two minute course. This had me lining up against the fastest guys straight off. I rode well and spent what energy I had when I needed to, making it through to the semi final.

The course consisted of an almost BMX style descent followed by a solid climb back to the finish. It was at the lowest part of the course where I managed to snap my chain. Still in 2nd position I instinctively started to run. I looked back and no-one was coming. Sid Taberlay and another rider had crashed. I ran more. I could see Sid coming now. With 400m to go it was tortoise and hair, cat and mouse, mouse not good at running. It was down to the final pinch and Sid was coming fast as I scrambled my way up. Had it been another 30 meters longer I would have been watching the final from the side line. I made it.

The final comprised Andy Blair, Pete Hatton, myself and Josh Carlson who had been untouchable all morning. He got into the start of the single track decent first, I second. I just mirrored Josh’s speed through the jumps and berms. It was ridiculously fast! By the bottom Josh pulled out a small lead and there was no way I could pull him back on the climb but the hair raising run down the track had left me with a comfortable margin behind, and I took second place.

Next up was the Super D, an individually timed downhill run usually with a few ups to get the lungs working. I found myself riding much faster and closer to the limit than I needed to. This track was essentially a four minute downhill and the Superfly felt super stable through the various rock gardens, loose corners and jumps. I was loving every second. I came down with a time good enough for another second place and to hold my 4th position overall, capping off what turned out to be a rewarding weekend.

For now it’s just time to get healthy and build the fitness back up again over Christmas. Hopefully come the first few months of the new year I’ll be prepared to tackle the big events with confidence.

Thanks to the ‘Anytime Fitness Mountain Bike Team’ and it’s supporters, Trek Bikes, Bontrager, TORQ, Shimano, Fox. Also my personal supporters in Stromlo Forest Park, Pete from Capital Bicycle Hire, my super coach Mark Fenner from FTP Training and the staff at Pilates Canberra in Erindale, all of whom put together major pieces of the performance puzzle.

Follow Ben on Twitter: @henderson_ben

Australian Trek Triathlete Update

As well as Trek supporting the global Trek/K•Swiss triathlon team, Trek Australia supports some of the best triathletes on the domestic scene as well.

One of these is Ollie Whistler who is supported by Clarence Street Cyclery. Ollie has spent several months in Europe this year and recently returned to Australia to compete in the Yeppon 70.3. He made his return to Australia worthwhile by winning the race!

It was a hard-fought win, but a credit to Ollie and the effort and training he has been putting in. You can read his race report on his website, here.

You can also follow Ollie on Twitter as he prepares for the upcoming 70.3 Shepparton and 70.3 Canberra.

Another triathlete Trek Australia supports is Cameron Good, from the Northern Beaches of Sydney. Cameron is supported by Renegade Cycles and has also been competing in Europe over the last few months. Cameron competes in the shorter sprint distance events, and, while ranked 4th in Australia, has been finding it tough going in Europe, trying to find the form he knows he is capable of.

He is aiming for selection for the Australian team for the London Olympics, so follow him on Twitter as he trains towards that.

Trek District, customised

The Trek District is a fantastic bike for many different purposes. It's built light for speed, practical for commuting, is easy to maintain, and the sharp looks set it apart from the crowd. The belt drive means that you don't have to continually lubricate a dirty chain, and it runs almost silently.

However, some people are never content and love to customise whatever bike they ride. It's one of the great things about owning a bike! Gran Prix Bicycles recently helped a customer convert their District from a single speed to an 11-speed with the addition of a Shimano Alfine internal geared rear hub, still run from the belt drive!

Check out the photos below, and feel free to comment with some of your favourite ways to personalise your bike.