PIVOT MACH 5's blog

Looks like the training is paying dividends. Took it a little slower in the first 10km as my legs needed time to warm up. Walked the wall hill but rode everything else. 82% average heart. no wonder my quads are so sore today! Looking forward to seeing the photos as there was a heap of photographers on the single track. Went left at your call and discovered a tree across the track so ran through the bush instead of going under and got my one and only cramp that left as quickly as it arrived. Big dog sprint finish to the line. Couldn't help myself... I do love a sprint

My main focus was to ride the first hill as last year i didn't have it in my legs or lungs. This year i did just that... rode all the way to the top at 96% heart rate (180 bpm ). My god that hurts! and for the rest of the ride i felt ridiculously strong (except for a lull in heart rate around the 80km mark).

I started near the front of the 2nd wave and let half of them go ahead as i monitored my HR and warmed up my legs properly. Its funny how many people are in such a hurry to get to the hill and then walk it!

Had my new Cannondale CAAD 9 for almost 4 weeks now and getting a bit more confident in traffic and with general handling etc.
Kings cross to military road- Pittwater rd-West head-Akuna Bay- Cottage point road down and back-Forest way-Wakehurst Parkway and military rd then back to kings cross.
What a beautiful ride! I've been missing out all those years just lifting weights. 117 km's in 4 hrs 37 at 25.3 km's per hour average.

This was my very first oaks up and back. I recall a moment a few years ago of me telling my friend Megan Dimozantos that she was mad and id never do that in a million years. At the time i used to ride twice a year off road. it took that long to forget how hard it was.
And today was an absolutely brilliant ride. i loved every minute of it. and only just over an hour on the train from the city means I'll be doing that more often for sure.
Im feeling ready for the Angry Doctor. and the fling. and...?

I'm getting better at race preparation and now have my breakfast of creamed rice and fruit, 2 calcium/magnesium tablets and 1 ibuprofen. yum.
I'm also learning my shock/fork pressures and tyre pressures. This really helps as i find i can adjust according to how much liquid I'm carrying or what terrain ill be on.
I drink Gatorade mixed with 50 grams maltodextrin powder per litre.

Camped out in the field next to some guy who had a noisy tarpaulin that made crackly noises all night long.Made for an interrupted nights sleep. but then i had done my usual trick of hyper hydrating all day before and had to use the portaloo anyway.
For once i had everything perfectly set up... Suspension, hydration, nutrition and my cornering and general handling was great and i rode all parts of the trail. i was very pleased.