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Dirtworks Post-mortem
A very satisfying (for the most part) and somewhat eventful weekend at the Dirtworks. Plenty fun I think, although personally, I'd rather not experience this again (which is no-one's fault but my own).
My MB profile is here:
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/2662125
If you have a profile or time and want to share please do - I'll slap a table up, we had some cracking times so well done all!
For me, as I say on MB, "First 50 looking good, around 70Ks beginning to falter, last 20Ks - pure hell! Didn't eat/drink enough to keep the early pace going. Doh!"
More talk about that in my blog - Dirtworks Disaster. OK - perhaps not, but could have been close to.
Anyhow, it's all good now and I'll even go to work today.
Cheers!
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All I can say is, I'm glad you're ok now.
Hope you can take it easy for a bit Rob.
Evan
I had a few sore parts but not for public consumption... feel surprisingly OK today after a good nights sleep.
I think I got about 6.40, have to wait for the results to go up to check, any idea when they post them?
Hats off to Whisperer and Steve who both had cracking times and Bruce for soldiering on with the mechanical, must've been a b1tch knowing you had all that grindy stuff to come... Anyone heard from Caro??
Ta,
Matt.
Caro txted me last night after dropping Rob off. I'd imagine she is having a sleep in.
Evan
Thanks to all who turned up on Sunday.
The camp site was awesome and we had a great little NobMob community happening.
A big Congrats to all that finished the 100km and congrats to those who did the 50km.
It was an awesome weekend and I'm already planning for next year.
Evan
wow, what an event. Long, long course. My event was pretty uneventful for the most part, bike was good, no flats or breakages, no stacks too which was good. Had 2 majore leg cramps, 1st was going down shepherds gully, had to pull up half way down the hill and rest for 7 or 8mins, then another at about the 80km point, again a quick rest and was back in action.
First 50km was feeling good, around 3hrs for the first 50, then the next 20km i found very tiring, great north road despite being a great section of track really takes a lot out of you reqiuring lots of concentration to negotiate the best lines over the larger boulders and rock faces. The river crossing was interesting, heard a few fell in, i walked over very, very slowly. Stopped at the 70km drink stop for 10mins where i chatted with Rob and Bruce. headed off, i found the next 15km really tough, hills that just didnt stop and there was lots of walking in this section, was very relieved to hit the downhill at about the 90km mark, wow what a great descent, the last 10km was done at a slow and easy pace, finished at 7hr 18mins total time. Was hoping for under 7, but was not too be. Need to crank up the km's during the week i think and do many more long weekend rides. All up i am happy with my effort, i know where i need to improve and will work on that.
I dont have a motion based profile as my edge turned itslef off for some strange reason 3 or 4 times so i lost bits here and there. Will do it again though thats for sure.
Don
results are up, http://www.maxadventure.com.au/dirtworksclassic/...
i came in 357th at 7hrs 18mins
Don
Hi guys!
All good over here, I just needed a sleep in
.
(So glad I organised to take today off!!)
Thanks for the great weekend everybody, I had such a good time!
What a ride!!!!
Far out!! That was by far the hardest thing I've done so far.
Loved the first 50km (3.43 hrs), was ok until 75km and absolutely cursed the hills until the downhill at the end.
Total time was 8.16hrs so not too bad but I think I will have to become faster (somehow?) it is just too painful to ride for that long
.
So while I was pittying myself walking up the hills at the end I was thinking how lucky I am not having to drive home, funny that
Miraculously after crossing the finish line I was sort of ok again, I think I was just sooo glad that is was over. Thanks Shane and Lee for being there, I was a bit disorientated and didn't quite know where to go?
So no dramas driving to Gosford.
.
The Dr. was really great and when Rob started reading the new AMB discussing lights with me I new he was his old self again
Thanks to Bruce and Evan for guiding the way to the hospital and for hanging around. I think we eventually left at 22.30 and I was home by midnight. (%&$§/&%!!!)
Thank you Sam, Simon and Shane for packing everything up, that was awesome, I hope it didn't take you too long to cross the river and get home.
Reading that you are already back at work Rob I am not surprised that your body hates you and throws in a spanner every now and then
. Wellcome back!!
What a weekend!! pewww....
Carolin
P.S. Evan, give a couple of days, I can't think about next year yet, amnesia hasn't kicked in yet
P.P.S. I did get new tyres on the finish line too! Amazing!
Jesus. All of these posts make for cheery reading.
Come on Ditty, you know you want to share in the pain... erm... camaraderie next time
Actually, don't get the impression it was bad - I feel fine today despite the little hydration mishap - it is a really worthwhile experience.
Looking at the results it's amazing to see the spread of times - kindof humbling to see what the speed freaks can do when we don't dawdle along with them!
Maybe - I will think about it. But I would need to be okay with a few 60-80 km rides under my belt as practice first. I have never been one to waltz into action without thinking things through first. It is one of my character faults.
Any yes, Rob, you do sound cheery, all things considered. You must be a fast recoverer. Shame no-one pushed you up some of those hills!
Well done though to get it done. You don't have to like it, you just have to do it. And that is obviously better than me. 
I think the problem is that the section of the GNR between top of Western Commission and Finches Line is awesome - even after 52Ks or whatever it was that came before. I love that stuff and was pounding away up most of it. All fun and no stopping for food makes Rob a very tired boy
What a ride!The hills just kept coming one after another my legs where really feeling it around 70ks going up that steep never ending climb to the ridge top.How about the river crossing riding across that was very difficult as it was moving up & down side to side making me very nervious not wanting to fall in,it was such a relief to get of it.The downhills were a bomb so much fun.Hope Robs feeling better take it easy mate.
My MB profile is here
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/2654655
Mate, did you ride up that first hill? I also heard you rode the pontoons, are you crazy? I felt bad enough walking that!
Of course the dot race puts me to shame (only works in IE - FF users should us IE Tab extension):
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/race...
I'll add more to this if people 'fes up with 'em - it's amazing.
was a killer ,there was know way to ride it as ther was to many people in front walking but even with a clear pasage up the hill it was just to steep to long & to sketchy.My calves with stinging just walking up it.I rode the pontoon that was intense so hard great to get to land safely
Hey Steve!
How are you today?
Goodness riding up that first hill AND riding across the river! I wish I had seen that. I would love to know how you do that but I think Imight ask again when I have been riding for a few years maybe I have a chance to understand then
Well done!
Yeah, I did the 100km too, ended up with a time of 7hrs 33min. Which I was quite happy with since I'd never ridden more than about 50km off road in a day, or 70km on road.
First few km where cold and my legs started to feel it, so I took it quite easy. I was nicely warmed up by the time I had pushed the bike up that first massive hill!
My first stop was at the 50km stop, I had already gone through about 2 liters of water by then, tanked up and had something to eat. I went through about 2 more liters before the 70's stop, and about 1.5 litres over the final stretch. So about 5.5 litres all up.
During the race I had two powerbars, two sandwhiches, some glucose tablets, a few almonds and about 5 oranges.
Not long after the final stop of the race I started to feel quite overheated/exausted which slowed down my pace, but I felt good after the downhills started, and I had an ok pace on the final road ride to the finish.
Was nice to bump into a few Nobmober's along the ride, including AR_Junkie, 9-lives and leximack. I arrived at St. Albans pretty late on Saturday evening, so didn't see you guys around... I heard you guys went to bed pretty early. I think I got around 5 hours sleep, had a few buckwheat pancakes for breakfast, with maple syrup and plenty of orange juice...
Ohh, yeah, I started to ride that bridge, but jumped off after a few meters after feeling wobbly...
Overall, the race was a good experience, there where a few spots I asked myself what am I doing here... but after the punishing hills were conquered the sweet downhill trails made it worth the effort, and the area had some stunning scenery.
Anyway, looking forward to doing some social rides!
Hi all,
I found a little square plastic tub with coffee between all my stuff when I got home.
Suspect it is yours Garry? I will bring it on Sunday to give it to you or anybody cause I won't be riding till Canberra after that.
Cheers
Caro
Well done & thanks to everyone for a great weekend. Glad to hear that your back in the land of the living Rob.
Race day was so much fun, probably one of the best rides I can remember in a long time. Thanks Matt for riding with me for the first half.
Before the race I had set myself a goal of finishing anywhere in the 6hr bracket & was totaly stoked with my results of 6.56:05 including a good 1/2hr stop to fix my bike & myself after getting a stick through the front wheel resulting in me going otb & braking 2 spokes.
Cant wait for next year! guess Coffs, the fling & ottway will have to keep me occupied till then.
At last the Dirtworks has been and gone for another year...
It was my first and I suspected it was going to be a big one...even if I only did the 50km.
From past experience the 50km was brutal at best (Brindabella 2005) riding time of 5hrs.
Coming back from a couple of months of knee damage and then flu the week before the ride I was anything but confident, that was until we did the Marramarra expedition and I thought should be easy after that...and it was coming in at 3:04 which was well ahead of my raceday prediction of 3hr20min. and smashed my last 50km race time by almost 2hrs.
It was an excellent ride but there could have been more.. the ride on the road doesn't really do justice to the event.
Well now we just have to wait for Coffs and buckle down for some good winter training!
Thanks to Rob for providing all the mod cons...movies under the stars...thats civilised camping!
See you guys n gals out on the trails again soon!
Shane
Well what a weekend, many thanks to all for the good times and laughs along the way....after seeing the state of some of the people who completed the 100kms I am truly glad I took the SOFT option...
I am sure though that next year I will be determined to complete the 100km....
The 50 was good fun with some cracker downhills at speed and some nice views along the way but Shane hit the nail on the head...too much road!
Still am happy with my result 2:58 cant really complain as I was planning on possibly doing it in 3:30.
Can't wait to get back riding again this week sometime.
My MB is here to have a look at http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/2664979
It begins about 200-300m from the start as I was concentrating on not knocking anyone down at the start.
See you all soon.
Sam
Here's a dot race for us 50km softies.
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/race...
Rob - still pretty stoked with a class win!