For myself this could be months, weeks or maybe just days in Advance, maybe for you it's just hours seconds before the starting horn fires. Sunday the 17th of may 2014 was a day I had dreamt about since November 2013. Far away in my mind I truly switched off any thoughts of racing as well, I don't wish to dwell on what's behind but more on where I want to go, so through the summer on one gear I would commute between up to five different gyms 7 days per week for 4months solid, to fullfil the dream of one day racing again. I had no idea and would frustratingly answer " I don't know " to anyone who would ask when I'm racing next, and quickly change the subject.
Is that all I am? A guy who just rides and races bikes...... From the outset that's what it looks like.. From the core that's what drives me and gives my life purpose. I'm sure everyone at times or on a regular basis is confused on their direction in life and I'm no different. As much as I hate the traffic on Bondi rd outside my local cafe As I write this blog I enjoy being here and what this place offers me in life, see I'm lost in my direction as well. But what I do know, is what ever direction I may go or be going it is going to be a whole lot more enjoyable on a bike.
If the mind is strong the body will follow. The body will do what the mind says it can.
Peoples confidence in my ability to ride the 7hr was high as I just bashed out 340km on a singlespeed in 12hrs just 4weeks prior. But what was my ability to be competitive?
My decision to race the 7hr category at the first round of the CHOCOLATE FOOT singletrackmind series came about a week prior, working in conjunction with Fi and Joe in building a women's mtb development squad would be a great motivator to have their coach out on the battle field come race day. On a day I installed a new saddle and was informed the 3 best 24hr soloist's were racing I ticked the 7hr box and looked for head space to focus on Sundays race.
I may have not have the ability of the best guys but what I do have is a will to suffer until I reach my goals and sweat like a gypsie with a mortgage until the final payment is made.
Resting the legs for the race was the easy part for once, with using a hyperbaric chamber on Friday night really assisting me, getting enough sleep is something I'm failing at big time so I had hoped Friday and Saturday night would be more than 7hrs which would have me feeling great compared to the 5-6hrs I live off.
Saturday morning posed a big challenge, lugging my gear to the north shore.
I managed to fit what I needed for the wknd in a backpack and the tyre sealant in my bottle cage ( I hoped too, but never did get to use) with my only water bottle filled with the energy powder I would use, once I found a few bottles to borrow. The 20km ride to cyclestudio went ok.
After my classes Phil Welch arrives and we loaded up the bikes, 2carbon bikes 0 blankets.(cheap dig) But I guess the weather was warm.
We set off on the adventures of Phil and chops. The beginning was more technical than a mtb track in taree but after we get past chatswood it was smooth sailing on a journey bound for Taree.
Arriving at the track in the late arvo with the assurance that Phil has ridden the track in the dark there was no urgency to get on the bikes, but he couldn't feel how itchy my feet were...
When you are away from the sport you dream of singletrack nirvana, but you forget the social aspect.
We would spend an hour soaking up the atmosphere of pre event rego and reccy lap report just to chat with our mtb family.
10kms of trails I've never seen..... The manning valley trails here we come. I take the lead and with Phil hot on my heels, my theory is to hit the course at close the race pace so really get a feel of what to expect, hence I eject myself from the course quite early. Then Phil misses a corner, but I'm sure that was to just let me ride first.
Once finished we were both happy with our 'Swooping'.
SWOOPING: A Canadian term to describe the technique one must use when riding singletrack in Australia Cory Wallace (2014). Example of Swooping below.
Soon as Dave Bateman took this photo I was excited to see how it came out.
Now Dave has been trekking around races longer than most of us have been racing, I've emailed to purchase my pic at $15each.
Once we completed the reccy lap we became dinner for the mozzies of taree, so we made a move for our motel. The Crescent Motel where I requested a room away from any crazy EPL fans in a non smoking room on the ground floor, so out of the 3 only 1st floor rooms me and Mike hiked our bikes upstairs and went on the hunt for food.
In all class we headed for the waterfront although they were booked out, plan B was to follow their directions to the manning hotel, via picking up Timmy and supplies from Coles.
Before to long we had followed the road out of town, and clearly lost we made a detour through a hotels drive thru, where I suggested Mike to stop for directions.
Two young ladies where having a drink probably their 10th and a durry out the front, purely for my own entertainment I asked for directions. Between them mainly arguing who knew how to get there better, and constantly repeating the same directions to the nearest roundabout and fumbling over pronouncing "Mals toy shop" (men's toy shop) so they had a good drunk laugh about that, soon their conversation was drowned out by 3 elite endurance riders stomachs growling and we made tracks before being taken in my the charm of the wildlife.
Finding a pub that has their main beer on tap (XXXX) sign brighter than their own sign does make it a challenge to find, alas we ran in for some country tucker and a spot of pool. The finesse of team Turner & Hooch made it for some intense battle for chops and Timmy. But when Tim has the skills to make Sports Tonight PLAYS OF THE WEEK, it will be a night we won't forget.
RACE DAY
The first race since the HIGHLAND FLING 100miler and to be honest the first race my own bike in 12months, through the great help of Keedan owner of BIKE BAG DUDE, I've been hooked up with the first HT MTB since my first ever entry level bike in 2003.
A MERIDA BIG NINE is an unbelievable bike! 
Race briefing is underway while my head is thinking my legs are not warmed nor have I visited the loo, it's the 1%'s that make for a great day, I roll down to the start calmly chatting with Lloydy and Mike was kindly enough to donate his front row position and I nervously awaited the starters horn.
Sitting next to Guy Frail gave me confidence in having a super quick wheel to follow, with in seconds my heart rate hits 95% max but I felt amazing a dropped a few more WATTS on the ascent up to the singletrack and tucked into 5/6th a true surprise to myself but a huge confidence boost. Now to implement "let's stay under 85%MHR" 2hrs go by and I barely seen it under 85% so as Gary James came cruzing by his suggestion of let's stop sprinting was music to my legs, Taree was just to much fun to go slow.
At 2hrs in nutrition and hydration plays a big role if you want to race 7hrs strong, so I could not of achieved this race without PHIL & MIKE bottles and food was always ready on my table, it was quite guess work for them in regards to how much powder to run my bottles with.
Now the next 5hrs is truly a blur, this is what happened.
> broken bottle cage
> tyres losing pressure
> my back was giving me hell
> free hub body shat itself
> The person who suffers the most will achieve the most
> rode 500m on the rim
> kudus to Laura and Luke who came to my rescue to fix my tyre and screw my cassette back on after it fell off.
Now with just one hour to go after wanting to know my position for hours I was 5th, my goal for the race.
Lapping around knowing I could squeeze a third lap in if I had an hour to go, with the amount of cycling I'd have to do the next day I opted out on that idea.
Taree makes it impossible to just roll around to waste away time, so it was BALLS OUT on the final lap, just for the hell of it.
So I came in just under the 7hr mark, not something I normally do but I didn't get lapped by the English bullet train twice so that was an added bonus.
What a great race, yeah i went through hell. That's the beauty of endurance mountain bike racing.
The more variables you can conquer the more you achieve and the greater you feel from a hard day on the bike.
The CHOCOLATE FOOT team really put on a great presentation, I was there to take pictures of PHIL, you know the only guy at a mtb race carrying around a stuffed toy? and MIKE as they finished second in pairs but first in our race.
Packing up was the 'Goodbyes' to the mountain bike family until the next Sunday get together and then a roadtrip back to sydney with PHIL.
It's great to be back
Content and very happy, well until post race depression blues kicked in.
See you at Round 2
Thanks to
MAGELLAN for continuing support
Bike Bag Dude for helping me with a race weapon
Chocolate Foot for a great days racing and for using CYCLE-STUDIO to train their development team.
JUSTCHOPS :)
IG: JUSTCHOPS007
Good stuff Chops. I love the passion you have for mountain biking.
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