Thursday, August 14, 2014

Focus on the Goals

Hurting at Ourimbah. Sonter Photography.
Get back on the bike. After a couple of months with very little riding it was the Shimano Grand Prix at Ourimbah that was the returning race. My mind was keen but my body wasn't ready for the intensity and duration of the event. Hitting the wall at 2.5hrs of racing, turned the afterburners off and cruised for the remainder of the 4hr race. Race report is here.

JetBlack MTB Racing team mate Kevlar joins me for a lap. Cell Bikes.
For the JetBlack 12hr my goal was to lower the intensity, relax and get all the other things right. After a great start and a swift sighting lap I wound it back a couple of gears. I ate and drank, having fun on the single-track. In this relaxed mode everything came easy but I always had to remind myself not to push to hard. Very happy with a solid 6hrs and 100km completed, there was plenty more in the tank but this was all about not over doing it. Race report here.


Leading WSMTB's A Grade at Blue Gum. Allen Dinham.
 Next event was WSMTB's XC round at the tight Blue Gum trails. The sighting lap before race start reminded me of last years Blue Gum round and my focus became getting the best start over total race intensity. 2013 Blue Gum round saw me slide out on the first corner, so this year I practised the start loop technique three or four times and visualised the how the strategy would work in a bunch start.

The Racing Ralphs held, the technique worked and I headed into the single-track well in front of the bunch. Keep an eye out on WSMTB's calendar for the 2015 Blue Gum XC round, it is a great little trail  that is spectator friendly.

Rough start. Sonter Photography.
Rocky Trail's Shimano Grand Prix Mt Annan. For the 4hr GP I really wanted to race faster than the 12hr, get competitive, but still get all the little things right. It didn't start well, I was in the back half of the start chute and looking back now gave seven minutes to my competitors. The remainder of the race went well though, only a fleeting moment when I thought my body was about to say, "your cooked", but I was able to power on completing the 4hr with super consistent, competitive laps. Thanks to my team mates for passing bottles and keeping me out on the trail.

Nutrition is a key to consistency. Sonter Photography. 
I find setting goals helps me focus on what I want or need out of an events and training. It also allows for self assessment, giving me an ideal opportunity to evaluate and better my riding. 

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

She Rides Revisited






In May we had a quick look at the first couple of weeks of Western Sydney/Blue Mountains She Rides - MTB program. The program was offering woman a supportive environment to build on-bike confidence, learn skills and ride with other like-minded ladies.

The She Rides program was formally started with words from the local MP and WSMTB committee representative. From there the weekly sessions covered bike maintenance, basic on-bike skills and opportunities to put it all into practice.


Weeks on we revisited the She Rides - MTB group to see how it all was going.

The following video is  from Week 10 with social trail riding, exploring Yellomundee and the challenges it holds.



More smiles and social trail riding from Week 11. Confidence? Fun? Evident.








The Week 12 sign-on sheet, flourished with enthusiastic signatures, grand tour style.

The days social ride and final session would be to complete the Oaks Single-track, riding up the fire-trail then enjoying the smooth gravity fed roll back down.



There was laughter, encouraging words and praise as everyone spun their way along the graded climb. This was followed by screams and cries of delight as the trail narrowed and pointed back down towards the causeway.

At the completion of the trail there were twelve excited woman, all on adrenalin highs, keen to give the trail another go.

From the participants response She Rides has delivered on the social ride environment, all learnt new skills and now enjoy every ride. So many great achievements.

You can find a few She Rides - MTB Western Sydney/Blue Mountains testimonials here.

Well done to all those involved, participants, coaches and assistants. Also WSMTB and the businesses who supported this great mountain biking initiative.

Locations are being finalised for the Spring/Summer series of She Rides. Registrations are sure to open soon, more information on Cycling Australia's SheRidesAu page.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Shimano Grand Prix 4hr – Mt Annan

Words by: Belinda Althaus.

A little nervous and apprehensive was an understatement for this event for me.  Lack of training over winter, a bout of the lingering cold and I wasn’t exactly feeling tiptop shape for a 4hr race.  However I was determined to change my mind set from the past few months and instead of worrying about what I hadn’t done, I decided I was going to think about what I would do.  That would be, “get out and go for a ride”.  So I did. 

The morning was an early one, packing the last few things before it was a two hour drive to the event.  On the upside the drive was really straight forward, so I didn’t have to think which turn to take, or trying to read maps on the trip; this was a bonus and lowered the anxiety.  I arrived at the botanical gardens, got a park close to the start and cruised up to the event centre.  After popping into a few fellow riding friends, I managed to secure a position close by the track to setup my feed station.  I was cruising around having a great ole’ time, until I overheard the microphone advising us that rider briefing was in five minutes with the race starting immediately after….It had come to my attention all of a sudden that the race was starting an hour earlier then I had anticipated!! No time to waste or go for a final nervous toilet stop. I sorted out the remainder of my bottles, stuffed gels in the back and removed any unnecessary clothing.  It was race time.


Having no great expectations except to just get out and go for a ride, I held back in positioning in the pack.  I had never ridden at Mt Annan, and hadn’t managed a practice so I was aware to try not getting in the way of the fast riders.  The race started rather calmly.  It was a nice cruise around the car park which unfortunately didn’t split the pack up and then a bottle neck into the single track.  This could be a slow first lap, but I was happy because this gave me a nice opportunity to check out all the twists and turns, pinch climbs and descends, hairpins upon hairpins and an approximate timing of each lap.

I knew who some of my competitors were but I hadn’t seen them before the race and therefore I didn’t know how I was going in position.  I kept my pace consistent and my second lap was remarkably quicker then the first.  This can be a positive thing but then again a negative as it means you have more laps to do….Either way 4 hours is 4 hours, it beats doing 7hrs (compliment to all those 7hr riders, you’re an inspiration!).  Around the 3rd lap I came across another female rider.  She was consistent.  Many times I passed on the climbs, and then she would catch me on the downhill rock gardens.  I figured by the end of the 4th lap this was a fellow competitor and put the foot down to make a clear gap.  Three hours rolled around and the hands were a little sore, the legs were yelling a little at me, and I was questioning myself “why hadn’t I ridden a little more recently…”  This wasn’t the time to question however, it was time to dig deep, grimace a little more and just get the job done.  So I did.  The fire inside had ignited and I was happy being out riding, pushing out of the comfort zone and just having a GREAT DAY OF RIDING.


I came through the finishing chute after 7 laps, more then spent but proud of my efforts.  I passed on the beer, this was not the time…After a quick clean up and a feed I checked out the results, and was surprised to see that I had made it to the bottom step of the podium.  I was a clear lap behind 1st place rider Brooke Rowlands and 2nd place rider Wendy Stevenson, but considering my lack of preparation this was to be expected, not to mention these girls are masters of the game!
Mt Annan is a great track.  The trails pack their punch in challenges and I was more then impressed with its flow.




Well done to all the ladies in the 4hr Elite category, and to the many other fellow riders.  Many thanks also to the great team at Rocky Trail Entertainment for another stella event and to Berry Mountain Cycles for their continued support and assistance in keeping my bike running top notch.

Saturday, August 2, 2014

JetBlack 12hr at James Estate

The JetBlack 12hr has always been the mid year event for us where preparation, or the lack of, comes to the fore. It gives some indication on where and what needs to be concentrated on for the remaining years events, especially if there is a solo 24hr involved. Previous results at the JB12hr (2013 19th, 2012 15th, 2011 7th).

We had a bike ready, trimmed with some nice bits for hours in the saddle and it was a scenic drive via Putty Road north west of Sydney to the Upper Hunter Valley. It was Friday night and the JetBlack Racing team met for a pre-race meal and festivities close to the event location, in the township of Denman.

Arrival at James Estate, the event centre was smoky and alive with bikes.

JetBlack Racing team-mate, Kevlar, leads me through a section of singletrack. Photo: Cell Bikes
Race start was a flurry of clips and crunching gears, as we worked our way out of the grassy transition area and onto the open, sandy trail towards the single track. Our last visit to James Estate, April 2013, we had a really good start, entering the single track in the first group, it was a must again. Working hard to hold the back of the leading group we were rewarded with a smooth entry and run on the 
single track.


With the aim of clocking up some good racing time on the bike and practising all the needs of endurance racing it was only the first lap that was committed as a fast lap. After completion of lap number one it was essential to wind it back a little and enjoy the ride. Eat, drink, relax and have fun on the single track. Out ahead, team mate Phil Welch was storming along solo and somewhere just behind was my other solo team mate, Kevin "Kevlar" Wynne-Smythe. 

During a couple of laps and it was good to have some familiar, consistent  riding company as Kevin had worked his way up to us.

Photo: Sonter Photography
It was easy for the hours to fly by, past the 2.5hrs where it was a struggle during the last GP, then onto completing 4hrs. My team mates were great support as they in the transition area for their own laps, offering bottles and food every time I passed by. 80km, 90km, the riding was still fun, the focus became completing 100km of solid race training, doubling my average training kilometres for the week. 

Very happy with the spruce-up we gave the On One, the 9spd converted clutch derailleur worked a treat quietening the rear end of the bike. Racing Ralphs, supported by wide carbon rims, rolled fast and smooth over the mixture of terrain. And the silicon foam grips? We have already raved about them before.

A great day out at James Estate with Rocky Trail Entertainment and JetBlack MTB Racing Team.

Photo: James Estate Winery