Training Log Archive: MTBjen

Event: 12 hour MTB
 

Luckily at the last minute Steph entered the race- it was no fun being the only girl last year and I'd rather come 2nd than be racing on my own. Great night for it this year- not too hot or cold, no rain but just enough dripping mist to cool you off and keep the trail firm.
I had a big bunch of smug hecklers (sorry, i meant supporters) who set themselves up in a tent taj mahal on the edge of the track with bean bags and silly amounts of food (and two types of cake, courtesy of mum who decided to stay in bed and do her support crew job remotely).
Stew raced solo (mostly on his single speed 29er, the nutter) and john/dangerman/dalto of Team Gotta Smash Jen raced as a mens' three.
Actually once the race started they were quite nice, and if i rode past during a boring bit of Top Gear they would cheer.

I was a bit more organised this year so i didn't need to stop so much, which went well.
Started out riding 4 laps straight (3 in the daylight and 1 dark)

43 43 44 49min

Happy with those ones which were quite consistent and i wasn't too far off steph then. Stu stopped after lap 2 or 3 and i caught him briefly but he rode away again. For 2 laps i rode with another solo racer who was wearing tinsel- we were evenly matched and it was good to pace each other, taking turns at the front until he fell off his bike and i discarded him :)
Stopped after lap 4 for about 4min, changed camelback, quick trigger point from john, grabbed food and rode off for another 3 laps.

49 49 50min

Still feeling good and pretty consistent - actually wished I could have done a 4th but had run out of food so i stopped for another 5min. I think i messed around too much when stopped. Lesson for next time is to have food prepackaged to stick in a pocket rather than stuff that you have to stop to eat. A few min did end up making a difference and losing me a last lap (although to be honest, towards the end i was using intentional delay tactics to avoid having to do another lap!)
Went out for another three laps.

50 51 54

Still felt ok but started doing stupid stuff. Initially riding into things on lap 8. Had a big over-the-handlebars stack, which happened so fast that i didn't even put out my hands, just landed flat on my chest. Had a few smaller stacks later on where i swerved and slid out landing on my side but nothing impressive. On lap 9 i started riding into imaginary things. Lap 10 i started having weird blackouts and forgetting where i was. Sometimes forgetting which lap i was on too. Looking forward to a stop now!
Team GSJ finally lapped me at the start of lap 8 (took their time, the slackers- not a smashing yet)
Stopped for 7min this time- this was my stupidest moment when i decided to take spare batteries with me in case i needed them- had been 6hours of dark now. Should have got john to change them there because the first set ran out about 20min later and the nerve compression in my right hand had properly set in, so when i stopped on the course it took me ages of fiddling to change them. Although, when i was stopped i gave some passer-by a drink and later i won a 6 pack of beer for my good samaritan effort! Better than winning the best gumby prize like John did ;)
Anyway. Rode on planning 2 or maybe 3 laps. Really tired now despite 2 nodoz. Not sore due to plenty of nurofen but started feeling a bit ill in lap 12 probably because of the nurofen! I did a lot of counting and realised i might have time for a 14th lap, which I was NOT keen for.

56 54

Sort of wanted to continue on a 3rd but i needed a new battery again and john asked me to stop and look at his arm. Fairly impressive wound which definitely needed stitching but he wanted to keep riding and so did i (and it was 4.15 already) so we wrapped it up and kept going.

3min break to look at john's arm and change battery again.

56

Last lap was just survival. Didn't mind it though, the end was in sight.

Great feeling to finish and even better to find out how well everyone did - team Gotta Smash Jen well, did, although i did 13 laps in 11:11 and they did 16 in about 11:45, and i don't know how much 3 boys need to beat 1 girl by to constitue a 'smashing'. I think they just beat me. Stu had a great 1st effort but looked a bit weary after! Steph was amazing and rode a lap more than me in the same time (she didn't slow down like i did).
We had a nice breaky on the waterfront then a fun adventure at rockingham hospital: managed to sneak john in to get seen to quickly but after the nurse stitched him she ran off to an emergency, john fell asleep, and i fell asleep in the car! Took me a while to wonder where he was, then i wandered in, finished the dressing etc myself (some strange looks from neighbouring patients!) and we finally made it home to bed at about 12.30.
Surprisingly not too sore except a bit stiff in the lower back and (on mon morning) my right hand is still functionless. Hope it comes back soon.

I want to put it in writing that next year i am NOT doing this and want to enter a fun team.

C • Well done on a great effort... 14

To work. Getting bored now.

Home

Easy ride to work. Got rained on. Stupid rain. But can't complain because at least my bike didn't get stolen like the one that parks next to me at work- maybe it's a good thing i never clean mine.

Pootle back home via the bike shop

To work, the absolute, definitely shortest way. I couldn't have made it any shorter unless i'd parked my bike on the other side of the building.

Cruised home. In a world first, i yelled at a driver who tried to kill me at a roundabout. He kind of shrivelled and said sorry, so then i felt bad. Must be Dangerman's road rage rubbing off on me...

Definitely into my rest week now! Made the dog's run longer by throwing the ball a lot.

Shortish UWA/river run with Vera. Reluctant to get up but it was another lovely morning and worth it.

Pretty uninspired commute to meet Vera then to work one. On the way to work two my slowly deflating back tyre reached crisis point so i had to go really slowly around corners. Stopped at the bike shop in the city for a new tyre (after 4 flats in 4 weeks i think it must be the tyre). Was sitting on the footpath outside changing it when my boss walked out of the shop. He is shopping for a $3000 timetrial bike to display in his shed. "Don't you start work in 5min Jen?" "Well so do you, and i'll change this tyre and ride there before you can walk across town". Luckily i did beat him, but i was still covered in grease so a bit late starting anyway. Stupid work, just gets in the way.

Home the long and not particularly scenic way, checking out a new sprint map. Good one too, I am very excited and even getting spat on halfway up Hale road by someone in a car did not disgruntle me. Nice tailwind for 30min then straight into the sea breeze all the way home.

Warmup/cooldown to Floreat and back.
10x1km on the service road:

1.45 1.25 1.44 1.24 1.42 1.26 1.49 1.23 1.51 1.22

A bit windy. And around rep 7 the front came through and in rep 9 it CHUCKED it down, almost felt like hail.

After it rained i crawled home and joined in the windtrainer session instead!
Just in time for 4 of 5min hard, 1min recovery.
Then:
2x(60hard 60spin 60easy)
3x(60hard 60spin)
3x1min each leg
Cooldown.
Dinner
Dinner was good.