Blogs

I've been entering MTB half-marathons for about 10 years now. When I started I was stoked to finish in the top 50%, but today I was stoked to finish in the top 4%. I've certainly stepped up the training over the years, but it's only the last 9 months that I feel like I've started learning how to "race". The real change started when I actually got some coaching - just one weekend (the Fling training weekend with Anthony Shippard and Kyle Ward), but for me it was the start of understanding racing vs riding in a race. Today I felt like I raced.

The Otway Odyssey is one of those must do events. Like the Highland Fling it attracts the best riders from all over, but being in Victoria some of the best riders south of the boarder also make their way to this event.

This is a great race, and a great addition to the new Maverick series. Awesome trails, wicked location, stacks of accommodation options and fantastic village atmosphere.

Read all about the highs and lows at:

http://sxcracing.com/otway-odyssey

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Was really looking forward to this, my first real race, having built up some fitness and skills over the last 18 months. Unfortunately 'he who never gets sick' started feeling lethargic and sore in the days leading up to ANZAC day - an ominous sign.

We arrived at James Estate Winery just after lunchtime on Friday. What a stunning place for a winery let alone a MTB race - surrounded by the rock escarpments of nearby national parks.

This event was an opportunity for us to leave the kids behind after spending 2 full weeks of school holidays with them and spend a weekend away with some friends. After entering the race we booked our Hunter Valley accommodation in the vineyards. On the way up on Friday I get a text from Gordo "mate, we are staying 2 hours from the event". WTF! A quick check of the event details and duh! James Estate is a loooong way from the wine region we are used to visiting...

I decided to do this at the last minute. Had been toying with the idea of going down to Victoria to do the Giant Odyssey and rack up a few more Maverick Series points, but a bit of work, family stuff and imminent travel pushed it into the too-hard basket.

Checkout this photo journal of our @AbsaCapeEpic campaign

http://vimeo.com/92369230

I feel as though I've been run over by a cement mixer this semester with my load of university work. This is due to having happened to have chosen subjects that are a) badly taught, b) have lots of work or c) are difficult. No semester in an electrical engineering degree is straightforward but this one for me has made life more difficult and hectic than I ever guessed. Every minute of the day must be spent wisely so that the rate of having assignments set doesn't greatly exceed the rate that I am completing them.

Well, most minutes.

After a wet and soggy week in Sydney this event was in real danger of being postponed. However we got the word on Friday that, after consultation with NPWS, the event would go ahead as planned which was great news and finally broke my run of bad luck I had of entering events and having them not go ahead due to, in the first instance, horrendous fires last October for the Kanangra Classic, and then more recently the awaba rocky trail 4hr at the start of the month due to over 120mm of rain two days before.

Single track was damp but improved throughout the day. The firetrail was quite sketchy and very wet in places.

Made for a great race.

Thanks to all involved for organising and thanks to Staffan for the tyre, I'm going to leave it on for a while, I quite liked it.

Made a late call go down to Wingello on Sunday morning for this, as they were taking late entrants on the day.

Decided to use it as a learning process with the new HRM in a race situation, so went with the Garmin HR zones easily visible on the screen. Spent much of the first lap in zone 5, including hitting 6 a couple of times on the climbs. I didn't think there was a 6! I hadn't been able to get there on the only real training ride I had been on with the HRM, despite putting in a few hard (albeit short) efforts on hills.