RR: 6hr MTB team challenge @ kooralbyn

[Tamyka Bell]

I'll do a full report on my blog sometime tomorrow (I need sleep!) so if
you're interested, check http://blindrapture.blogspot.com/

I entered the 6 hr race with my mate Kurt, who guided me through the more
technical bits of the cycle epic, and wheelsucked when we hit the roads.
It's been pissing down rain in Brisbane for a few days and this morning
was hot and rainy. We joked about cancelling, but as we arrived in
Kooralbyn, the sky miraculously cleared.

We each did six laps, first a single each, then a double lap each (during
the heat of the day, which was incredibly stupid, and next time we will do
the doubles first - good for course familiarisation) and then finishing
with a single each. Kurt did 33-35 minutes per lap and I did 38-41 minutes
per lap; a hell of a lot better than I expected and placed us 5th in the
mixed category. (To make us sound cooler - first and second place went to
pro adventure race people and to Guy Andrews... and we were only a 10
minutes down on 3rd place.) I have only been on my MTB once since Epic and
I really wasn't expecting to ride so well.

The course was awesome - a bit scary in places but nothing that I
couldn't do, and the climbs were challenging but do-able. I liked riding
past people up the hills and some of the spectators cheered me on heaps
for this. Then I let people ride past me on the lead up to some technical
bits because I'm a bit of a gumby.

I caught up with some people from the MTB marathon back in ?March? When I
was checking out times, the guy from Gap Cycles recognised me from the ADF
road champs earlier this year and said, "Not bad for an Army roadie..."
and I said, "Hey, I'm not even a real roadie yet, I'm still on the
conversion course from triathlete." He thought that was an even bigger
achievement.

Heaps of people were taking it very seriously, but then again there was a
guy with spokey dokeys (woohoo!); only one guy was rude on the course and
everyone else was really supportive. There were some incredibly
impressive riders, including my good mate Hamish who came 3rd and one
girl who was incredibly fast but made really weird grunting noises as she
rode.

I saw a guy come in running with his bike, rear derailleur hanging free.
After he'd dumped it and passed the race number to the next guy, I asked
him how far he'd run... it was about 4.5km - from the furthest point of
the course. I suggested conversion to adventure racing but it turns out
he's a triathlete. (Obviously one of the good ones as he preferred a MTB
race to the Noosa tri-to-rip-everyone-off-lon.)

I have to give a huge thanks to Lotte who, as most of you know, is a great
MTBer and trained me up for the Epic. Apparently some of what she said has
sunk in

 

[Peka]

On Sun, 6 Nov 2005 21:11:21 +1000, Tamyka Bell
<[email protected]> wrote:

I did have intentions of finding you to say gday, but I got nominated
to do the start and from that point on I was either caning myself
stupid on the track, or sitting next to my fridge refusing to move
until it was my turn again.

I was nominated to do the start because apparently neither of my team
mates can run. I watched all these people sprinting for their bikes
and wondered how long they'd last up that first hill when their legs
were already burning before they even got on the bike. I think I
overtook at least 10 people on the way up that hill and was pretty
surprised that the leaders were still in sight. They disappeared
pretty quickly though, but according to my team mate I was in the top
15 after lap 1 The first to finish lap 1 did a time of just under
24min for an 8.7km lap. My first lap was around 30min.

After my 2nd lap I checked the time on my speedo - 28:43 !! I was very
happy with that, and then found out we were in 8th position for the 3
man teams. The 3rd lap I sprinted halfway up the hill from the
start/finish and I'd worked out that if I didn't want to get held up,
I had to go bush to overtake people. Which meant getting out of the
seat and sprinting uphill over some dodgy terrain, but it paid off
with a 28:17. Could have been sub 28min if I hadn't been held up a bit
in a few spots where it was impossible to overtake.

My 4th and final lap was a 28:48. I might have been able to do a bit
better than that but I thought I might get a 5th lap in if my team
mate could get to the finish before 3pm.

We thought we held off another team for 8th but they ended up getting
in front and we finished 9th for the 3 man team, 22nd overall - that
put us in the top 13%.

I've only been back on the bike for 3mths after >10yrs break. My mate
Adam has only been riding again for 5mths after ~5yr break and was
doing 30min laps. Our 3rd team member we met on the day, he had just
posted on the forum that he would like to ride in a team. He was
consistent but another couple of mins per lap slower than Adam. So, if
they had been lapping with similar times to mine, we would've been in
with a shot for 4th or 5th, maybe even 3rd at a stretch.

This was my first MTB race and while I knew I was fit, I had no
expectations at all, just wanted to have some fun. To finish in the
top 10 with the lap times I did was unexpected to say the least.

The course was awesome. The first half mostly uphill, second half was
much easier going but with another couple of climbs thrown in. The
single track in the second half was really good fun hooting along at
25-30kmh.

My kickstand got a few laughs, but the only guy who gave me **** about
it was faster than me so that's ok

> Tam said: ....and one
>girl who was incredibly fast but made really weird grunting noises as she
>rode.
>

Yeah I remember her, heard her coming up behind me for nearly half a
lap, lol. She was certainly quick though, after she passed me I
couldn't stay with her but she only got a couple of hundred metres
ahead before the end of the lap so I was happy with that.

I felt pretty good today. I don't think I could have gone any harder
while I was on the track, I was pedalling and breathing so hard during
each lap I didn't even think of drinking from my bottle. I think I
could have kept up that pace for a couple more laps.

Started my new job at Flight Centre today. Company gym with some cycle
trainers, and encouragement from my boss to use it during work time.

So look out for the speeding kickstand at the next MTB enduro race

 

[Tamyka Bell]

On Mon, 7 Nov 2005, Peka wrote:

<snip>
> I felt pretty good today. I don't think I could have gone any harder
> while I was on the track, I was pedalling and breathing so hard during
> each lap I didn't even think of drinking from my bottle. I think I
> could have kept up that pace for a couple more laps.

Tell me about it! After my first lap, I ditched the bottle and stuck with
the camelbak - I barely had time to but the bite valve in my mouth, let
alone hold a bottle for a few seconds. On my 5th lap, however, I guzzled
about 1.2 litres. It was pretty damned hot out there!

Taam

 

[Peka]

On Mon, 7 Nov 2005 21:53:14 +1000, Tamyka Bell
<[email protected]> wrote:

>On Mon, 7 Nov 2005, Peka wrote:
>
><snip>
>> I felt pretty good today. I don't think I could have gone any harder
>> while I was on the track, I was pedalling and breathing so hard during
>> each lap I didn't even think of drinking from my bottle. I think I
>> could have kept up that pace for a couple more laps.
>
>Tell me about it! After my first lap, I ditched the bottle and stuck with
>the camelbak - I barely had time to but the bite valve in my mouth, let
>alone hold a bottle for a few seconds. On my 5th lap, however, I guzzled
>about 1.2 litres. It was pretty damned hot out there!
>
>Taam

I didn't really notice the heat. I did my best lap in the middle of
it. Not surprising though, I grew up in Townsville and prefer the heat
to the cold anyday. I was well fed & hydrated before the start and
drank and ate plenty between laps though....

 

[Tamyka Bell]

On Mon, 7 Nov 2005, Peka wrote:

> On Mon, 7 Nov 2005 21:53:14 +1000, Tamyka Bell
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 7 Nov 2005, Peka wrote:
>>
>> <snip>
>>> I felt pretty good today. I don't think I could have gone any harder
>>> while I was on the track, I was pedalling and breathing so hard during
>>> each lap I didn't even think of drinking from my bottle. I think I
>>> could have kept up that pace for a couple more laps.
>>
>> Tell me about it! After my first lap, I ditched the bottle and stuck with
>> the camelbak - I barely had time to but the bite valve in my mouth, let
>> alone hold a bottle for a few seconds. On my 5th lap, however, I guzzled
>> about 1.2 litres. It was pretty damned hot out there!
>>
>> Taam
>
> I didn't really notice the heat. I did my best lap in the middle of
> it. Not surprising though, I grew up in Townsville and prefer the heat
> to the cold anyday. I was well fed & hydrated before the start and
> drank and ate plenty between laps though....

I suppose it helps being the fastest in a team of 3. I was the slower of
the pair - I only got half an hour rest and felt so **** after my second
lap I had to send Kurt out on a double. Which bit me in the bum because he
was so smashed after his double that he sent me out on a double. I think
my biggest struggle with MTBing is the high heart rate... on the
downhills... because I spend so much time freaking out!

Hey, well done! You'll have to go solo for the 24hr one...

 

[Peka]

On Mon, 7 Nov 2005 22:13:57 +1000, Tamyka Bell
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>Hey, well done! You'll have to go solo for the 24hr one...

ROFL, I don't think so! Maybe the next 6Hr - I knew I could have done
6hrs solo yesterday, but nowhere near the pace I did it in a team....

 

[hippy]

Taam

Slurring your own name?

Payback for "ans"

hippppppppppppppppppppppy
"hehehe"

 

[Tamyka Bell]

hippy wrote:
>
> Tamyka Bell Wrote:
> >
> > Taam
> >
>
> Slurring your own name?
>
> Payback for "ans"
>
> hippppppppppppppppppppppy
> "hehehe"
>
> --
> hippy

b!tch.

Ta<insert as many a's as you damn well like>m

 

[hippy]

> Slurring your own name?
>
> Payback for "ans"
>
> hippppppppppppppppppppppy
> "hehehe"

b!tch.

Ta<insert as many a's as you damn well like>m

hahaha

*victory dance*
*big raspberry at you*

hippy
"need sleep, too damned hyper!"