From Hawker, we kept heading north for another hour admiring the scenery of the Flinders ranges and especially Wilpena Pound and the surrounding. It was spectacular in many parts and Annie and I were excited to think we would be riding on through here tomorrow. Once at Blinman, we spent the next few hours getting our gear sorted, having a good lunch and finalising our race plans. The guys worked on our bikes attaching any of the additional gear we were required to carry such as a tyre, tubes and anything else that was going to make our camel packs lighter. Uncle Herb also organised for Annie and I have to have a massage that afternoon which we were very grateful for especially my legs which had been feeling achy over the past few days. We had the race briefing before dinner and then had an early night before a 5.15am start the next morning.

After a hot shower and breakfast, Annie and I made our way down to the start line. Our gear had to be scrutinised before we left as time penalties would be given if anything was missing. There was the possibly of it being checked throughout the race and definitely once we crossed the finish line. There was about 40-50 riders at the start line, we knew of 2 other female pairs we were up against but majority of the rest of them were males. Our first 19kms were along a sealed road out of town heading south toward Wilpena Pound. We settled in up near the front and after a few km’s, Chris and Brett made a break and then it was on for one and all. We made good time along this section which warmed up the legs on this chilly 6 degree morning. We turned off onto the dirt track and not knowing were out competition was, I was keen to keep the pace going that little harder to get a lead through the first stage. It was pretty undulating with some rocky sections throughout the first few hours. We crossed through many creek beds which we were dry luckily but full of rocks everywhere. The race organizers had warned us of these sections being “technical” in this first stage so we anticipated it to be harder than what it actually was. Sitting on a speed of around 25-30kms/hour, we passed a few other riders who experienced flat tyres hoping we wouldn’t fall victims like them. I had opted for the Racing Ralph’s 2.1’s which didn’t let me down all race.

Rich met us at the top of small rise to hand us a fresh bottle. We were getting closer towards Wilpena Pound and although I would love to share the images with you all, there was no time for this today! The view of this formation was spectacular and the memories of riding past this sight bought back the memories of a year 9 school excursion, even the camp site hadn’t changed one bit. There was much of the same double track road we traveled along with a few pinchy climbs in there. After an awesome decent on this beautiful fire road, we made another left hand turn towards the base of the pound. This section felt like it went on forever, the ground was slightly soft and felt it was zapping the energy out of you as one tried to ride through what looked like an easy track. It was undulating through here but what felt like more up’s than downs I would say.

We were making sure we kept the snacks and fluids going, the Winner’s bars were going down a treat having almost consuming 2 of them by this stage along with the peanut butter sandwiches. We had predicted that it would sometimes 2-3 hours between changing bottles and were aiming to drink 500mls/hour during day light hours and in this temperature. I was reluctant to have any powders in my hydration pack so I had Rich make up some additional electrolyte drinks using the Zyms electrolye tablets which I had throughout the 20 hours. They were perfect as a quick shot to ensure I was consuming enough electrolytes. We passed through the only section of single track which was all of 7kms but a bit of fun; we wished this went on a little longer! We made it to the guys and had completed almost three quarters of the first stage and were still feeling fresh. It was a 1 min stop here and on we went onto this open plain passing one of the male pairs. This section didn’t last long until we were back out onto the main road for 5kms. Our final section to complete this stage was along a more rocky fire road section for about 10kms but nothing that we couldn’t achieve and ride on through.

There was a slight relief to finish this first section and reach Rawsley Park as it had been described as the hardest part and having had no issues with this, it gave us confidence about the rest of the course. We stocked up on some supplied food at the stage point for the guys and made our way down to meet them towards the main road. By now, the weather was awesome for riding in and the temperature had picked up a few degrees with a slight breeze. Our stop here was only for a few minutes and then restarted along the main road where we noticed the head wind was starting to pick up. We turned off and travel for around 30kms along an unsealed road which was fast and flowing. We were both feeling strong and had been told by the guys we had at least a 25 min lead on the next female pair. After a few turn offs, we eventually met Rik and Uncle Herb for a refuel which intersected with a main road. I said to Annie to tuck on in behind for this 12km stretch along a sealed road which sounds so easy but believe me…..it was tough. We were heading straight into this wind along with doing one of many 2-3% gradient climbs which went for what felt like forever. My heart rate was sitting in the 160’s bpm and I worked hard for that 20 mins or so. We had the film crew filming us and although I could of let Annie have a turn at the front, my determination to finish this off made me power on through. With St John’s ambulance at the next checkpoint directing us left back into the countryside, I knew I would need to back the pace of for a few minutes and refuel pretty quickly. The next sections wasn’t one of the quickest sections as the road was rough with lots of major ruts which you came across pretty quickly and the race directors had warned us about.

After seeing Rich, we tackled one of the biggest climbs of the race which was rock heaven. One rider in the whole race had achieved getting up without walking this so we weren’t disappointed in knowing we didn’t conquer this one but Annie and I gave it a good go! We knew this part of the course as this had been where we had been out to it on the Thursday. Hawker was so close but yet felt like forever getting there. The body was ready for some real food which was waiting for us. Knowing the direction we were heading in, we were hoping the wind would eventually die down once the sun set as we were heading straight into it a fair amount of the way to Melrose.

It was around 5pm when we arrived into Hawker, the end of the 2nd stage. That stage which was 91km had been longer and possibly tougher than anticipated especially with the deceiving head wind we faced. Here we planned to have a good 10 min stop to change over clothes for some warmer ones and put our night lights on. The crew filming the race also put a camera on my handlebars which I am sure caught one or 2 funny sights along the way along with a few hours of endless road! The dinner went down so easily and I was amazed to think of how hungry my body was for fuel but cautious of not over doing it, I was feeling too good! We set off on our way to Quorn thinking it would be another 4-5 hours of long flat road. I was glad when the sun went down and purposely only put my helmet light on the medium setting so I couldn’t see to far ahead. I can’t say I have lot to write about this section of the race in terms if scenery as it was full of false flats, a head wind and from what I remember from the car trip, nothing real exciting to look around at. We both had our iPods on just to keep us amused and possibly awake although neither of us was feeling tired at this stage.

We met the guys a few time along this 112km stretch making them as brief as possible as both of us were starting to experience asthma like symptoms every time we stopped and then starting back up again. I thought it was only me but when I made the comment to Annie who said she felt the same. A few puffs of Ventolin to the rescue from the race doctor along the way which helped us for a while but challenged our breathing capacity once back doing any climbing. Like any 24 hour race, one has to do some mental talking to one’s self and the first part of this stage was where I had to draw from that inner strength. It didn’t take much or long to get that positive vibe going again. Annie herself is such a positive person so I probably did a bit more talking with her to keep the spirits going.

The undulation kicked back again after powering through some flatter unsealed roads for about 20-30km. I eventually succumbed to having some caffeine around 9pm downing some coke. Rich was doing a brilliant job at keeping me hydrated with all the right stuff although by this stage our requirements weren’t as high as normal due to the weather and nature of the track. There were a couple of pinchy climbs to finish off this section which our lungs definitely knew about. At Quorn, we were met by a crowd of people who cheered us on as we came on through the show grounds at around 11pm. The stage racers were camping here with their final day of the race happening the next morning. It was starting to get foggy out there and our clothes were damps from perspiration and the mist in the air. We had another quick change of the under tops and put my long pants over the knicks and leg warmers. I got to see Ed (Jen’s partner) who was there full of praise and cheer along with the race organizer and the volunteers who bought out hot veggie soup with rolls which yet again went before we knew it! We were onto our final stage, my legs were still feeling fine but Annie had some tightness in her hamstrings which Rik gave a good dose of deep heat to. Keen to get back out there, I only got 5 mins out of town before wanting to go to the toilet…..oh what a pain with all these layers, plus lights, plus back pack!

The end was now in sight but still there was a bit of work to go before we crossed the finish line. We had another few pinchy rock climbs to get through plus more undulating terrain for 30kms or so before the track eventually evened out and we were back on what was main a flat unsealed road. The guys met us twice full of encouragement to get Annie and I to our final destination. We had an hour’s lead now and were feeling somewhat excited at knowing we were probably going to win the female category but didn’t want to get ahead of ourselves. Those final 20kms were long and I tried to avoid asking Annie to many time how much longer to go as she had the GPS unit on her bike. It was cold, the fog was thick in parts and breathing was tough at times. We got to the main road and knew there was only 7kms to go. Annie tucked in behind me and we powered on home see the flashing lights of what was the finish. There were 2 official and our 3 support crew members there to greet us, it was a slight anticlimax but we didn’t expect a roaring crowd at 3am in the morning! It was hugs and high five all round for all 5 of us – Annie and I completing the 367kms and the guys for being an awesome support crew.

After hot showers and some food, we made our way down to the camping area in Melrose and reclined in the van for some sleep before the sun came up. After not very much sleep, we went up mid morning to the main street for some food and catch up with the other riders and support crew people, many of whom are 24 racers. It was a good time tor chat and reflect on the race with them. Annie and I were interviewed for the documentary that is being made about the race. We had some lunch out later in the day along with presentations. The day was capped off with a dinner with some good mates followed by an early night in bed. The trip home to Melbourne the following day for Rich and I was full of reflections of the race and how successful this was. For me personally, it reinforced my fitness and mental strength along with the practice of my nutrition plan for these ultra long endurance races.

Another fun road trip away and another successful race and win under the belt for both Annie and I. There are many people I yet again need to thank for helping it be this way. Thanks to my bike shop sponsor, Andrew at Kaos Custom Bikes for his support and making sure my BMC Speed Fox and Four Stroke were both ready to go for this race. Thanks also to Sean at Kaos Custom Bikes for assisting with the maintenance of my bikes. A big thanks to my other sponsors, Winners bars and gels and Zyms electrolyte drinking tablets – these all went down a treat once again over the 20 hours – and Schwalbe tyres which were once again ever so reliable out there amongst the mix terrain we covered.

A huge thanks to our support crew! 5 days of their time they gave to Annie and I which we know they really enjoyed but had to endure yet again another sleepless cold night whilst us chicks pedal around out there in the day plus night. You were there at every check point possible even if it was for us to only dump and collect a fresh bottle. Your navigation and timing was spot on, by those last few hours it was always a relieving sight to see you. I would like to especially thank Rich for looking after me and my needs throughout the race and being there with all the good stuff when I need it plus all his ongoing support and encouragement. Thanks to Rik and Uncle Herb as well, you guys were great and I will never know how I demolished those egg in bread and toasted cheese sandwiches in 30 seconds! I know both of us appreciated your dedicated time and support before, during and after this event.

Thanks also to my coach Jenni King for providing me with the right training programs and all her support and encouragement she gives me with me riding and racing. Well done to her for winning the solo females stage race.

And I can’t foget my riding buddy Annie, thanks for sharing such a wonderful experience with me. You are such a positive, enthusiastic person and doing this event with you was so easy from the moment we decided to do it. As we said several time, if you are prepared and have everything planned, this makes life a lots easier and one of the biggest and most essential components to completing any race. Thanks for your dedication, time and energy and I look forward to doing some more with you!

Coming up on the racing agenda is a few local races with only 14 weeks til the big one in October. We understand there is going to be a 1 hour documentary made about the Kona Mawson Marathon which will be screen on SBS on weekend over the coming month so keep an eye out for that one. A link to this will be posted on the Kaos Custom Bike web site once this is finalized.

It was predicted to be a nice chilly 4 degrees overnight and after leaving our over night spot and having had a good nights sleep, we headed out to the course watching the temperature on the car screen go from 1 to 3 and back down to 1 degree again. At the track, it wasn’t anymore than 3 degrees but despite this, most of us headed out on the course MINUS the arm and leg warmers. There was over 250 riders participating in this race and the starting line reflected the numbers and we would later be joined by the 3 hour solo riders at 1pm. The course was longer than last year – around 10.8kms - with some new sections included in it which were very fresh and dusty. I unfortunately got stuck towards the rear of the field when the gun went off as we headed out along the firetrail. We soon entered on to the single track along skipping the first section of the course. Rocks has never been my favourite terrain so I kept my calm and inside focused on using my power to ride on through these sections knowing what good practice this is for October in Canberra. I surprisingly felt strong especially on the uphills which required the riders to use their strength plus force to get over the obstacles in the way. There were several climbs on the first part of the course that by the 2nd and 3rd lap had riders walking up.

The undulating nature of the track made up the majority of the course. There were a limited few spots to grab a drink out there although I had picked a spot or 2 during my practice lap. The course had several off camber sections with some tight rocky corners providing us with a challenge especially along the new sections of the track which were still fresh and sketchy. This was one area I was improving on along with the steeper section of the track and letting go of those brakes allowing the wheels to roll over the rocks with a sense of confidence. The last section was along the side of the mountain with more ups and downs to keep the rider going as base camp was in sight just across the paddock. There were many berms in this area to which weren’t all that smooth in spots. Overall, I found there was more climbing but as many rock as I can remember from 12 months ago with some sections that flowed and others that didn’t as well. Another focus of my race plan keep going through the pits area with minimal stops and to avoid the dreaded nausea which was frequently occurring during my races. David kept me rolling on through passing me a new bottle each lap along with my favourite Winners bars throughout the day. I kept that momento going for the first 3 laps and only stop at this stage as the chain was in need of some lube. I took a different approach of not consuming any gels in the first 4-5 hours of the race. I knew I could get away with no caffeine for this amount of time which worked a treat and not one sign of feeling sick did I experience.

I went out on my forth lap and towards the end of this lap I heard the hissing sound of my rear tyre which was a common occurrence for many riders out the throughout the day. It was disappointing to put a halt to this lap as I had settled into the course and felt mentally focused on the race. Mechanicals like this throw your momento and concentration; I had rarely experienced it in my 18 months of riding and racing but felt I could regain this again. It wasn’t going down too quickly; I pulled over and rolled the wheel around hoping the stans would reseal it. This did slow it down a bit but being so close to home, I pumped in some gas and pedaled my way back swapping onto my BMC Fourstroke for a lap. I lost some time both out on the track and also back in the pits area and David informed me that I was now in 4th spot. I remained here for the rest of the race. With now being the training bike and on my 5th lap, I knew I was keen to get back on my BMC Speedfox which provided me with a much smoother ride.

I came in after having done 7 laps with 15 mins to go before the 6 hour mark, I didn’t stop and just grabbed a bottle to produce one of my better lap times. My lap times remained consistent throughout the duration of the race although the official results reflect a longer lap or 2 where I had the flat tyre. Overall, I was happy with my race today and felt I have become better skilled in many area of the riding techniques which for me racing has made me do compared with when training. I conquered everything out on that course and felt I had improved with picking my lines through the track and patches of rock sections. I worked and focused on climbing especially getting out of the seat more which got me through some of these sections.

I would like to thank a few people for there assistances and support with this race. Thanks to Andrew at Kaos Custom Bikes for his support and servicing of all my BMC bikes. Thanks also to my sponsors Schwalbe tyres which I ran Racing Ralph’s on my Stans wheels this weekend and Winners nutrition bars and gels for their tasteful and easy to eat products. Huge thanks to my friend David O’Dwyer for coming up to Bendigo for all his time, fantastic support and encouragement throughout the weekend. He provided me with the all the goods to keep me going out there. Thanks to David’s sister for the brief stay at her house, for her hospitality and providing me with a very warm and comfortable bed on such a cool night!

Next up in just over 2 weeks away is the Kona Mawson Marathon that comprises of a non-stop 367km race along the Mawson trail in South Australia which I am doing with another 24 hour rider. I have been doing some long endurance rides over the past few weeks and now have only over a week of training to go before tapering begins for this. We are feeling confident with achieving this in around 20 hours and hoping our 24 hour experience will be an advantage in keeping us riding through the day…..and night!

I had around 3 or 4 riders behind me that had been plugging away through the night like myself, i was indeed circulating with the eventual winner of the womans 24, Bell Chamberlain for a couple of laps it was great to tow and be towed through a few k's..

By morning i had actaully made it down towards the top 20(not sure eveything was a bit vague at that stage), what i do know is that i must have held a consistent gap on the competitor behind me of around 20 minutes to Half an hour!

Ah the sunrise looked great! and we could see through the dips and valleys to the lights of Adelaide city! with the sunrise came warmth!and the time to get into cooler riding gear again!

One thing that was an eye opener was the emu`s! they were huge and their beaks were at human head height, and on one corner only a few feet away which was of a safety concern!

I was still circulating fairly strongly until about 11.15am It was about this time i thought i would try and stay with some people that i knew who were holding just that little bit better lap times than i was!~ ha that was a mistake,, i did do a nice time of around 55 miutes or so(good for me at that time of the event)!,but that ruined me for my next and final lap!i will learn from that:) My race concluded at 1.30pm! i was happy!!! and also not enthusiastic or energetic enough to try for another lap!!

At the end of my race i was handed a beer by my pit support, and informed that i had made the top 20!! 18th infact!

I was wrapped! most things went to plan, the magnificent BMC performed well with no serious mechanical issues,all the flash new bits from Kaos worked nicely,an most importantly the rider never fell off either!

Cheers Rohan Richardson.

We made tracks mid morning out to the campsite on Saturday morning to do our final set-up and preparations for the next 24 hours of so. I was feeling fresh and ready to go, the body was ready for the long pedal around the forest. This was a special race for many riders and one in remembrance of James “Willo” Williamson who had recently and tragically passed away whilst competing in South Africa. It was here at the 2008 National 24 Hour Solo Champs I first met Willo. Although he wasn’t participating at this event, he was out there doing what he loved and being a part of the atmosphere. A few months later, I saw him race and cross the line first at the World 24 hour Solo Championship in Canmore, Canada. You would never hear a negative word about Willo; he was a happy, friendly, approachable, gentle and talented guy in many ways – both on and off the track. We did our first lap in remembrance of him which was a good time to reflect on life and remind ourselves what it’s all about it. I did continue to have thoughts of him throughout the 24 hours for some inspiration when a lap would feel a bit more challenging!

There was a good vibe amongst the girls at the starting line and I was up the front row with Jess (Douglas) and Claire (Graydon). I wanted to get into my own zone quickly and knowing the course helped with this. As mentioned, the track was pretty bumpy with lots of roots on both the uphill and downhill sections. The first part especially had plenty of corners, one after the other which felt never ending some laps. I felt a lot more confident rolling over the rocky sections especially with the tubeless Racing Ralphs . The one “hill” – if you would call it a hill – in the course was one of the 3 sections I wanted to challenge myself on this year in terms of being able to ride more frequently throughout the 24 hours. I felt stronger and knew I could once I had picked my line – that was the key to this climb. It got pretty slippery last year due to the rain so I know we were hoping that would stay away this year.

Many people have asked me how I get through the 24 hours mentally. One tactic I adopted in my first 24Hour race was to break it up into 4 6 hour races. Funnily enough, I have always found the first 6 hours to be the toughest whilst attempting to get in the zone early and settle into the track allowing the field to spread out. This time as much as I felt in a zone, I had to entertain and motivate myself as it felt really quiet out there on the course. There wasn’t much chatting happening amongst the rider, it was a strange feeling but maybe there were a lot more first time 24 solo riders who were wanting to qualify for the Worlds in October. I had done this and knew I was fit enough to get through the 24 hours having different goals than them – I had never not pulled out of one despite how bad the conditions ever got! By the 4-5 hour mark, I was hanging out for darkness to come around and to bring on the lights for some night riding as something new. I had barely been stopping each lap with dumping and grabbing a fresh bottle each time I came through. Once the lights were on, we also experienced some light rain that settled the dust on the track. The crew reassured me this was only a passing shower, a 3rd 24 hour race in the mud and rain wasn’t what I felt like doing again!

I was keeping very consistent lap times which did slightly increase once the sunlight went down. This course was ideal in terms of having some good eating and drink spots available for the riders to keep their energy and hydration levels well stocked up. I had gone out with the plan of having a gel each lap and sandwich or half a bar coming through the feed zone. These Winner’s bars were going down a treat and it was good to have the variety of flavours to choose from over the course of the race. I was mindful of being diligent with the fluids and aimed to get through a bottle of either a carb only or a carb/protein/electrolye mix each lap. At the 6 hour stage, I started to feel nauseated so I had a lap or 2 on just water and stuck to some ‘real’ food rather than the gels. This feeling unfortunately came and went throughout the rest of the race which was frustrating to say the least and I’m sure it made hard for Rich and Dave to know what to feed me. The pasta at 8pm was heaven and that helped for few laps along with the few quick spoonfuls of porridge with a coffee at 4am. The Winner’s gels and coke came out in full force around 2am onwards which kept me going – the Berry Burst Winner gels were definitely a winner for me being very palatable gel and easy to get down. I wanted to see that I at least kept hydrated enough so I weighed myself before I left home and upon returning after the race. I knew I had definitely stuck to that part of the plan when I came in at 3+kg over the pre-race weight. I also felt like a blown up whale (especially my legs) after finishing so I achieved that goal!

It felt like a long night indeed. Despite feeling unwell at times, I started to more enjoy myself out there and was knocking over the laps in consistent times. I was going between 4th and 5th position to my surprised which gave my confidence a boost to keep me going. I was informed around 11pm that my friend Annie had fallen off her bike sustaining a nasty injury probably requiring sutures and resulting in her having the pull out of the race which I felt sad for her as she was in good form. I had David and Rich each lap coming up into the forest and meeting me as I road along a short straight section of track. They were able to see what I wanted for the beginning of the next lap plus give plenty of words of encouragement. They would have 10 minutes to get back to camp and get things organised for me to come on through. I am sure most laps they got a response out of me but there was the occasional grunt of despondence from their rider as she pedaled on past!

As morning broke, I was actually feeling good and pretty fresh for 18 hours on the bike. The light bought about another change in scenery. I was going well until around 9am when the wheel started to feel wobbly – not literally though! Mentally I was trying to push my way through this lull as I knew I had the energy there. Only 2-3 more hours to go, this was the stage when all you start to feel is fixated on how many more times you have to go through each of these sections – basically, you begin calculating how many more laps to go!! I made the calculation of 2 more laps….it always comes as a rude surprise when your pit crew correct you on that thought and tell you that’s its not 2 but 3 to go! OMG!! That third last lap must have been a pretty slow one, I distinctly remember having a Winners Berry Burst gel close to home with Rich handing me a Lemon and Lime gel to start my 2nd last lap and feeling suddenly alive for that lap. Leaving the feeding zone with a huge cheer from my family and friends, I apparently did a cracker of a lap only to then loose it in the last one. Just wanting to get home safely with the coordination not feeling like it was 22 hours ago, I ended this last lap having a brief lie down in the bushes at one stage and needing a hand from a rider to get me vertical again because of the way I had landed! It was during these last 2 laps I was pasted by Belinda and Jacqui to come in over the line with a big cheer from the crowd in 6th position (out of 25) 15 minutes after the 24 hour mark. It was the best I had felt after any 24Hour race I had done.

Overall I was pleased with my ride and achieving many of my goals. It was a worthwhile event to do and all good preparation for the World 24Hour Solo Champs in October which I have qualified for several times now. Whilst recovering this week, I have had some time to reflect upon a few of my race strategies and document these down as to where I need to change or work on. These are mainly to do with how I get myself those last 3-6 hours of the race. There are many people I need to thank in making this another positive race experience, an although you are out there riding solo, this doesn’t happen without the support you have around you before, during and after any 24 hour event.

Thanks to Andrew at Kaos Custom Bikes for his sponsorship support and assistances with my bikes, especially with the new SpeedFox 02. The upgrade was noticeable and I enjoyed the ride, it handled the rough parts of the tracks real swell. Special thanks also go to Sean for his help with setting up my bike and doing some extra work on my BMC Fourstroke.

Thanks to my other sponsors Schwalbe Tyres for the supply of the Racing Ralphs and Noby Nicks for this race - awesome tyres and a good choice for this course – and Winners Bars and Gels – as mentioned, I love the variety of flavours with the bars (especially the choc almond fudge and Cadel Mountain mix) and their naural ingredients. Both the bars and gels are very easy to get down whilst racing and provide sustaining energy.

Thanks also to my coach Jenni King for preparing my physically over the past couple of months for this race and her ongoing support and encouragement with my riding. I went into this race feeling fresh and never once felt my fitness let me down during the race. Thanks to my fab pit crew David and Rich. You guys were awesome; I can’t fault anything you did. You listened to my needs and met them and were there every lap and even during each lap up in the forest. Your encouragement and words of support and advice every time I came through was great. I appreciate your time and dedication in making sure this was a positive experience for me not only during the race but leading up to it and afterwards as well. Thank my family for their support with my riding and racing and especially my parents for having my crew and I come and take over the house for the Easter weekend. We appreciate your hospitality and providing a comfie place to stay with lots of good food. Lastly I would like to thank those riding friends of mine who come out with me for my training rides, especially David, WAK and Jack and the other riders from the Kaos crew.

Next on the cards is a trip to Canberra to go do some practice of the Worlds 24Hour course at Mt Stromlo. Although the course is not set in concrete, rumor has it will be similar to that of the Scott 24 hour course. I have teed up with a few locals to show us the way around over the weekend to get some practice and knowledge of the course in before October. There are a few local enduro races coming up which I plan to use as training rides during May and then a friend and I are giving the Kona Mawson MTB Marathon a crack…..a 367km 3 day stage race…..although being 24 hour riders are opting for the non-stop duo option! All good prep for October.

I had David O’Dywer there for the day supporting the Kaos riders and made sure he bought his BMC Trailfox down for a pedal out on the track. Having completed this in around 30 minutes, my thoughts were that this was going to be a day of fast laps and lots of them in the 6 hour. The line up at the start was about 1 km away from the main camp and with 200+ riders in this race; I made sure I was up the front for a good fast get away. The beginning 500 metres was along a fire road and I opted to go for the power fast get away which was something I hadn’t done in the past. Once completing the fire road, we headed back towards and through the start/finish area and headed out onto the track for the first lap.

The first section of the lap heading out of the campsite area was on a slight incline which by the 12th lap and being in the big chain ring, I was happy not to be riding this section of the track again. The rest of course was fully of sweeping corners and some tighter ones plus a couple of good berms and small humps along the way where a lot of air was seen from some riders. There was confusion on the first lap or two about the track slipping off before getting to the big humps which was disappointing not to be riding over for a bit fun! There was also a longish flat fire road just before the half way mark which gave us the opportunity to grab drink and bite to eat although there was this subtle headwind we road into making this not the most easiest of fire roads.

I was feeling focused and calm and got into a good tempo early in the race. It was a good opportunity to focus on my cornering skills which I had been working on over the summer along with some other specific skills. Throughout the 6 hours, I had 2 very brief 20 second stops to lube the chain throughout the 6 race otherwise David did an awesome job ensuring he had my bottles and “food” ready for me each time I came through the transition.

It was around the 3 hour mark he informed me that I was in first place. I knew I had made some distance on one of my competitors after the end of the 4th lap but didn’t know who was ahead of me. It was here on in I thought I couldn’t let this now go and had to ensure I maintained my lead. I had another rider (Ryan) do about 4 laps with me and at one stage David had said I had 20 minutes up on 2nd place. Coming through on the next lap I was told 2nd was now 4 minutes back – both Ryan and I were both a bit confused as we hadn’t slowed down the pace that much! I also at stage had Norm Douglas arrive at track and he is always one person who gives me a push along with some strong words of encouragement to keep me going and get the fire burning a bit more inside. The gap over the next few laps grew out to 8 to 10 minutes with an eventual win of 15 minutes over 2nd spot. I was joined by David for the final lap to spur me across the line.

Overall, it was a good day out and a good start to the enduro season with Mt Beauty next on the cards. Thanks to Andy at Kaos Custom bikes for taking care of my BMC Fourstroke bike. Huge thanks to David for his time, support and energy in giving up his day for us. Thanks to my coach Jenni King for all her support and encouragement over the past few months especially with giving me the flexibility with my training during this time. Well done to all the other riders out there who participated in the event and had some fun out there.