Hard to beat.

So far this year I've had some ok race results. Top 10 in my category in capital punishment, and just outside top 10 for convict. So my goal for three ring circus was top 10 in male masters and top 50 overall. This was my first time doing this race, so I looked at last year's results and figured I would need to go well under 2 hours 30 to achieve my goal. My preparation had gone well - personal best times in my last couple of training rides, and I had one practise ride on the trails at Wingello 2 weeks ago - the stage was set to achieve my goal. So when I crossed the line in 2 hours 36, placing 26th in my category and 73rd overall, at first I was a bit disappointed. I was also a bit confused - after all, I felt like I had gone as hard as I possibly could, so why was I so far off my target? Then it occurred to me. I only ever race 50 km events, and obviously many of the fast guys are riding in the 100k. But at 3-ring there is no 100k, so for the first time I was up against the really fast guys, who would normally be doing 100k distance, as well as the usual 50k contenders. No wonder I was pushed down the rankings. So I'm pretty happy with my top 15% result, and I have a newfound respect for these guys - they are fast. Guys like Dicko who consistently place in the top 3 or 4 in our category, are very very fast, and obviously train very hard to get there. I have a lot of work to do if I want to catch them.

Putting aside goals, this was a wonderful day out on the bike. I rolled into the Wingello event centre at 8 AM having left home at 6. As expected the atmosphere was fantastic. The circus theme really does make it fun, and like all mountain bike events everyone was super friendly. I met up with fellow nobmobbers Floydo and Cambo prior to the start for a quick chat, then lined up a few rows back from the front in the start chute. From the gun the pace was fast, and for the first few kilometres I was sitting among the top 50 or so, but it soon became apparent that the pace was too high for me, so I dropped back a bit and settled in with a group that would become my riding buddies for much of the next 2 1/2 hours.

The blue loop was a great warmup on fire trails with no significant climbs, and as I passed through the first transition it gave me a real boost to hear Floydo and Cambo cheering me on. They were in a team of 3, so weren't out on the track yet. The red loop was absolutely sensational. I loved the singletrack and felt like I was going at a good pace, and I really got into the flow of the trails. Happy days. Through the transition for the second time, which is a really nice part of this race. To ride through as the crowd cheers you on is a great boost, and Huw even mentioned my name over the PA as I rolled through. Cool!

Onto the fire roads of the yellow loop and that long climb. I actually didn't mind the climb at all - I got myself into a rhythm and even though it was hard I found myself catching and passing a few riders. Probably because I do most of my training on similar hills. Once the climb was over the final few kilometres were like a time trial. Not my greatest strength, and I soon lost the positions I had made up on the climb. I felt ok, and was trying to ride in groups that were working together, but found myself reaching the point where I just couldn't sustain the effort to stay with them. My heart rate was through the roof, hovering around 177 bpm and peaking well over 180. So I was reluctant to push any harder, unsure about whether I should be putting my 45 year old heart through this kind of stress.

Finished the race feeling pretty wrecked. I had gone as hard as I could, and had a wonderful day out surrounded by very cool people in a beautiful part of the world. As I stood there with a coke in one hand and a coffee in the other, I decided that mountain bike races are pretty hard to beat.