MTB Marathon Champs

Well its been over a month since my last post, which is a bit slack but I am now working a real job again so time has been taken up with work. But I thought it imperative to share my experience of the Avoca Marathon Champs.

As we made our way up in the family bus with Jason's camper in tow and Ash and Cam along for the pain we talked shit for 2 and a half hours. After what can only be described as a peaceful and good nights sleep, considering there was a very tall man who can be angry at times inside the camper with us.

The prep had been done the training was complete now it was time to ride. I say ride not race as I think this race was going to a race of survival. 93km and 3500 "high" meters was always going to be tough. So as we toed the line it was just tempo the start and don't blow up, so after a 5km "sprint" we hit the first climb 8km long not steep but constant. I was struggling with the dust and seemed to be having an onset of asthma which I have not had for about 10 years.

But I just kept a good tempo and towards the top of the fire road could still see Ash saw I thought that was good going. The next 30 km was just up down with some fast single track thrown in. As we popped out onto the bitumen I found myself in a bunch of 5 guys, none who wanted to drive but who all wanted to be off the front and dropping the others. So we hammered along for the 8 or so minutes it took to do this part of the course. I was feeling strong and rode along at my pace at the front for a few kilometers and found myself alone as we entered the winery. Probably should have kept that energy for the climbs that lay ahead.

There was some fast single track descents over the next 10 kilometers on a relatively flat part of the course. As we then started climbing again and again I finally arrived the next food station. There was a sign that said 38kms to go. So I figured I had come 52 and was still feeling good. It was this station I met up with Ash and Troy who seemed to have tried everything was available, I was in and out and left 30 seconds after them, on a fast descent.

The ride then started to get brutal the climbs were leg crushers and some of them calf crushers as you pushed your bike up the steep sections. I could feel that my legs were starting to get pangs of cramp no leg lockers but they were coming. Mentally the climbs were starting to wear a bit thin it was just relentless, I was riding just behind Ash when he stopped clipped out and started walking into the bush, I thought for a moment he had had enough and was walking out, but it was just a toilet stop.

As we finally hit the Endurance trail I thought we are on the home stretch, well it was the longest home stretch in the world. Steep descent was followed by impossibly steep climb and invariably a leg crunching switchback. What saved me in this section was a bit of banter, and Ash was up to the task. However he eventually started walking faster than me and pulled out of sight.

Finally we were back onto fire road and ticking off the kms when we headed back onto the endurance trail still with 22kms to go, the last 16km had taken about and hour and half how long was I going to be out here for.

I was getting a headache so I drank a quick full bottle and filled up again and took a water bottle with me to try and hydrate. As we left this transition we headed back onto the Endurance trail, and I had caught back up with Ash after his 3 course meal at the feed zone. However he was soon gone and I rode in silence with a few other guys all just willing the end to come. As I crossed a manned road the guy told me about 12 kms to go, that perched me up as I knew the last 5 were flat as we rode them the day before and there was still a massive water bar descent.

After another 20 minutes of riding I came to the last feed zone with a sign 15kms to go. I had just ridden for 20 minutes and gone backwards 3 kms, now that hurts. So I fuelled up again and went up and over the three sisters with the ugly claiming me! and then it was down and down fast.

I overtook 3 guys at the bottom of the descent and managed to keep them at bay over the final 5kms and finished in 6hrs 35 minutes.

So overall I did not crash had no mechanicals, the bike was on song, I did not lock cramp until I tried to get off the bike and Jas was still packing up when I finished, so all in all not bad.

When I think in the scheme of events I have done and how hard was this, it was hard, really hard physically but the last 30kms was mentally tough as you seemed to be making no progress at all and you were riding so slowly, well I was.

Like all hard things you finish and you say I am never doing that again but as time passes the pain fades but the glow of achievement remains. And to be honest if you finished the race KUDOS as no matter how long it took to finish was an achievement.

So I guess if you see me next Feb or March pushing my bike up steep hills you know what I am in training for!