Nelson Sports Awards - 28th November

After what I'd call a solid year of racing for team Seagate we manged to win Team of the Year and Sportsperson of the year for our efforts at the Adventure Racing World Champs in France. Life got pretty busy after France so it was great to spend a night celebrating the success.

 

Above: Nath and I with the sportsperson of the year award (Soph and Chris couldn't make it)


Click here for Nelson Mail article 

Waikaremoana Classic 2012

It was always my intention to make a late decision as to whether I’d do the Waikaremoana Classic this year. I really wasn’t sure if I’d recovered enough after an intense couple of months racing ending mid-October.  When push came to shove I decided ‘d give it a nudge anyway and use it as a training race. If it all went sour and things got really tough I’d still walk away with valuable race experience and a couple more hairs on my chest…….not that I need any. I was also intrigued about the new course changes and I love the atmosphere at Waikaremoana. There’s no place quite like it.

The first challenge with Waikaremoana is getting there. Theres no avoiding a long journey complete with windy roads but with a good road crew it can be fun travel too. Thanks to Dan Busch and his family complete with plenty of car cricket the trip went relatively quickly.

Day 1: 28km mountain bike, 18km kayak, 20km run, 5km bike

I figured I’d figure out pretty quickly as to how my body is faring up today. Correct. Unfortunately it wasn’t great news. As expected I was still in the depths of recovery. The initial ride involved a 2km steep 4wd section out of Tuai village joining the Waikaremoana road near the lake. Several minutes into the race the pace became too much, lactic acid became king and I was forced to push the bike for a while. I never really recovered from the start concluding that I simply aren’t ready for this kind of intensity. Once on the main road the course followed the Lake round to Mokau bay and the start of the paddle. With Rich starting later due to issues with Elina’s front tyre I managed to sit on his wheel for a while but I was in no form to keep the pace and I was soon solo riding. Into transition and I had lost 6 minutes to Dougal who lead off the bike.

Getting excited about feeling better in the boat I transitioned quickly and got to work. No joy. The arms were leaden. If this was a tempo paddle I’d be happy but for a race I was well off my game. That said I did manage to claw my way back from 5^th to third and again was getting excited about a change in discipline. The past 2 years had seen me do really well on this run, fingers crossed for a repeat.

Dan Busch who had just finished his section in the teams helped me transition smoothly and soon I was off on the track. Conditions were cool and wet underfoot normally my cup of tea. No rhythm was forthcoming, no power crept into my legs. Even small rises slowed me to a power walk. It quickly became apparent that I was in no state to race at this level. I would have no problems finishing but it was slow and painful. The key to this type of fatigue is rest. Sure thing…..but not until the day after tomorrow.

Dougal had completed a great day leading from start to finish taking a couple of minutes lead into day 2. He was now 17 minutes ahead of me. 12 of those minutes came from the run, my strong point!

Day 2: 15km mountain bike, 11km kayak, 23km run, 15km mountain bike

Yesterday was a reality check. It confirmed what I’ve known for weeks but wasn’t prepared to admit. I’m tired and off my game.

So my expectations changed a little. I still aimed to give day 2 a good go, I just wouldn’t contest from the start. Instead my plan was to do my own thing initially and see where it left me. As a result I didn’t contest Dougal or Rich and had a much more positive day. I rode on my own for a while and was gradually caught by Karen Hanlen and another unknown rider. Together we rode consistently coming into transition a couple of minutes behind Dougal and Rich. 

The paddle was cold. Luckily my crew (thanks Mum and Dad) forced me into a sharkskin top (very warm paddling top) because shortly after I fell off my ski. Bibs can be annoying things and with my drinking pipes tangled under my bib I stopped to get them out. All too quickly I was in the lake. Too cool for comfort I jumped back on and got back to work. It had cost me a minute and ad me a little worried I’d lose third spot to Luke Osbourne if he ran well. Rest assured short of a miracle I would not.

In transition I was only 30 secs behind Luke and thought if I could run with him 3^rd would be safe. But he disappeared off up the road out of sight. Slightly concerned I set my mind back on my race rather than those around me. Up hills clearly weren’t going well so instead I focussed on smooth efficient running on the flats and downs. Shock horror I even started enjoying things there for a while! 15km through the run I caught and passed Luke who was struggling a bit and by the time I hit transition I was 30 seconds behind Rich who was also struggling as a result of a hectic race calendar.

In transition Rich had figured both of us were both locked in our respective positions and had no hope of chasing Dougal. So in a strange finale Rich waited for me, we biked the final 15km together sparing the bodies any further punishment. Thanks Rich, it would have been a lonely ride otherwise!

So final thoughts….didn’t enjoy it, glad I did it, can’t wait for my upcoming holiday!

A big congrats must go to Dougal for a consistenltly awesome race. A long apprenticeship makes a victory all the more worth it. Good stuff mate.

 

Wulong Quest 2012

This year’s Wulong quest was always going to be a bit of an afterthought. It was situated at the end of a very busy race calendar taking in 3 expedition style races and 2 stage races. It was the 3^rd international race for Seagate in 6 weeks. Hind sight is a great thing and had we known what lay ahead it’s safe to say we wouldn’t have gone. But spirits were high. We hadn’t conceded a race this year and in the back of my mind there was that thought that if all went well we could make it 5 from 5. It didn’t. There’s only so much a body can take. I’m several weeks late putting this report up. I’d love to have had it up earlier but between a lack of time and energy I simply couldn’t be bothered!

Prologue, 10^th October 2012

Wulong province had been cold and wet for a month leading into this race. There was plenty of mud about and as usual in China visibility was poor. As with last year the prologue would be held in Fairy Town, down the hill from our accommodation but uphill from Wulong town. It would include a 2km run off the start, 500m of chair carry (where we carry Sophie in a bamboo carry chair), 4km of biathlon (2 bikes between the team) and 6km of mountain biking. Initially all went well. Even toward the end of the biathlon we were in the action but things went sour pretty quickly. Sophie hit a big wall early on the mountain bike. One can speculate as to why but it was most likely down to a combination of factors including fatigue, injury, nerves and a sudden change of intensity (in comparison with expedition racing).  The outcome was a messy ride. Soph had 2 nasty crashes and we limped into the finish. 9^th place and 4 minutes off the pace wasn’t all bad. The real damage was the realisation that we were not in form and the upcoming days were going to hurt!

Stage 1, 11^th Oct 2012

The first stage of racing is always interesting. It gives a good guide as to how the team will fare up against the competition. Today’s racing would consist of a 30km kayak, 5km run, 10km biathlon o(including a rope activity), finishing with 30 odd k’s of mountain biking. Top teams were expected to finish in 5-5.5hrs. All going well we would be a top team.

Setting off at 1 minute intervals (based on prologue results) we left in 9^th position, 8minutes after Rich and his team. The kayak presented a great chance to recoup some time on the teams in front but unfortunately things didn’t work out as planned. I steered a boat with Nick in the front on a down river section of the Wulong. A distinct lack of steering experience not to mention a serious lack of strength following France soon shone through hindering progress. Despite my best efforts I couldn’t steer our boat effectively steadily losing ground on Nath and Soph not to mention the teams in front. It was a disappointing start to say the least. Entering transition I was fired up from a weak paddle and ran well up the 500m climb to TA2 keeping things moving at a good rate. 

TA2 saw the start of a split biathlon. Nick and I would run together while Nath and Soph started on the bikes. With Sophie not feeling 100% it was an ideal chance to keep her off the feet. Before long we were at the ropes waiting for teams ahead to complete a 20m abseil and 20m swim. Four uneventful abseils and the remaining biathlon later brought us into TA3 and a compulsory 15minute rest stop. A chance to catch the breath, refuel and get the bikes ready for the final 30km stage.        

The final stage for me was a quick reality check as to how well recovered I was. Until now I had been feeling good but 45 minutes into the ride it soon became apparent I was going to struggle. Nick and Nath took care of Soph while I took care of myself. The conditions deteriorated to continuous mud and cold drizzle. Without enough warm gear on and being totally saturated made for a chilling combination making for an even more miserable ride. The misery did eventually end with a warm single track descent into Wulong town before a 1km run to the finish. The day had only taken 6 hours but had seemed like much longer. Given our bad start and the state of our recovery (or lack of) it had been a positive day and we now sat in 5^th position overall. If we could maintain this ranking for the next 2 stages it would be a very good outcome.

Stage 2, 12^th Oct 2012

The goal for today was basically to race as hard as we could and see what happens. It would be nice to think we could compete for top spot but the last 2 days made it very clear this is not a predicament you recover from overnight. That said Nick and especially I needed to up our game in the boat. Bottom line for me was that I needed to paddle harder and steer straighter. Piece of cake!

A massed start in the kayaks saw us paddling 8km to the end of a reservoir where we would transition onto the bikes for a 30km bike mainly uphill to TA3 and a compulsory 15 minute rest stop. Nath was concerned about Nick and I staying straight so he tied a rope with some knots in it to the back of our boat (drogue line). I’m a bit inconclusive as to how much it helped but psychologically it gave me a great hand out helping us finish the 8km about a minute back on the leaders. Still feeling weak on the bike I looked after myself on the ride while Nick and Nath assisted Soph. The bike passed quickly and before long the seconds ticked down on our rest stop. Originally this TA would see us head into a cave/ canyon section but cold temperatures forced a course change. The foot section now became a painful 10km concrete run over two laps. Excitement central. 

Back on the bikes for another 30km ride back to the kayaks and the mud took its toll. My back wheel hub started to seize causing a raft of other problems including faulty gears and rubbing brakes. The mud didn’t stop there. Flicking into every crack and crevasse possible our eyes were the next to falter. It became like looking through pin prick holes and made descents all the more entertaining. Luckily we all stayed on the bikes and rolled into transition visible only by the whites of our eyes and teeth. A wash awaited, for the imminent rope section abseiled off a bridge leaving us to free fall the final 2 metres into the reservoir and swim to the side. It was welcome relief for the body but bliss for the eyes. 

Before long we had transitioned and paddled the 8km of flat reservoir back to the stage 2 start line. Next up…..a stair climb gaining 200m to the road above and 1.5km of running through a tourist cave to the finish. It’s fair to say we grovelled our way along but had finished the day in fifth again. Not bad for a team in survival mode. 5^th was ours to defend tomorrow.

Stage 3, 13^th Oct 2012

If we didn’t already have enough of a handicap! Overnight Nick had succumbed to a violent tummy bug and was barely moving come breakfast time. Had it been an individual race Nick wouldn’t have left the hotel for stage 3 but team racing is nasty in that it demands all members to finish (provided you want a ranking and therefore prize money). So against a suffering body Nick dragged himself into action. Given that Soph had been suffering all week the poor bugger probably didn’t get much sympathy from his roommate! I’ve since heard this isn’t much different to normal. Such is the life when your partnered up with NZ’s toughest female multi-sporter….

Anyway, stage 3 as it unfolded:

Off the gun we sprinted off the start, annihilated the opposition and snatched a stage win…..not today. Reality is that if we had been racing defensively then today was last line material. Nick, our one fresh recruit for this race was now in trouble, Sophie our legendary female had been ill from the start (fatigue etc), leaving Nath and I who despite not at our best needed to keep the stage happening. If there wasn’t a target on our backs from 6th and 7^th it certainly felt like it.

Slipping and sliding are fond memories from the initial 20km run. Mainly downhill with technical slippery single track the section kept us on our toes, and butts for that matter. The Americans were also in trouble due to sickness today and we managed a decent enough paddle, catching and overtaking them on a short reservoir section. Next up was another run. The guide book stated it was 10km and would be completed in 20minutes. This was clearly a miss print but by how much we’d just have to find out the hard way. Hard definitely a fitting description as the stage stretched out to 2 hours. Soph entered an even darker place than she had travelled the last 2 days in. Nick battled with the rugged slippery terrain one stage falling off a 3m bank. Things got a bit grim out there. The much awaited TA came and went, as did a 50m abseil that was welcome relief to running. Ten minutes of running spat us out of a gorge/ cave system and into the final TA for the race (incorporating a 15 minute compulsory rest).  These rest stops are a good guide to how teams are ranked and the time between them. It was obvious that unless we had an amazing final ride we had lost 5^th overall to the kiwi R & R team and looked likely to lose 6^th to the Australian Nuun team.

I remained optimistic. Anything can and usually does happen in these races and if nothing else 6^th was worth fighting for. The fact that they were Aussies further fuelled my flame. Unfortunately the anything that could and usually would happen, happened to me. My already seizing rear hub completely crapped itself as I left transition. With no bearings there to support one side of the wheel it scraped and wobbled itself from one side of the frame to another. Gear changes became a luxury and I could only watch as my brake rotor bent itself back and forth.

Fortunately:

-          Nath was again pedalling strong and assisted Soph on the 600m of climbing to the finish.

-          I was feeling good and could keep an eye on Nick as we climbed (without any food we were worried he would bonk too close to the finish for comfort.

-          It wasn’t raining or muddy for once

-          The final stage was shorter than expected

So after what had been an epic and challenging 3 days of racing we ran over the finish line. The finish brought rest, recovery and above all relief that it was all over. It was far from our finest hour and far from our dream result but we had finished against the most challenging of circumstances. Nick had a great first race at this level. Unfortunately sickness prevented him from finishing the way he started. Soph went through some of the toughest mental challenges I have ever witnessed in a legendary performance of mind against body. Nath was unbelievably strong for the entire race given our lack of recovery. My performance was like the course itself; up and down and my focus quickly became motivated by Burger King on the way home (nothing against Chinese food!). As a team we always knew this race would be a wild card. Wild it was – a little too wild in fact.

Wulong finished what has been my most challenging yet successful year of racing to date. Given we won 4 from 5 of our races for the year Wulong doesn’t in any way detract from what’s been an amazing ride with amazing people.

Bring on 2013!