Disappointing Fling

I was so keen to do well at The Fling. My aim was to do 5:30-5:45 which would smash my pb of 6:25. I've been training well and have been coached for 4 months now by my mate Gordo who has won the event twice.

It all turned upside down after last weekend when I took my better half Liz to Derby Day in Melbourne and after a hot day we kicked on with a small group into the night and had dinner outside as the weather turned cold. Melbourne... I gave Liz my jacket (last time I'll ever be a gentleman) and froze. Ever since I've had an infection causing blocked nose and razor blades in my throat.

I started the race with my mate Justin who has done the last 2 Flings in about 5:30 so made sure I stuck to him. I lost him when I got jammed against a gate but rode 42mins with him in sight then flatted my rear tyre. 13mins later after a stuck valve I was going again.

At transition I was in a flap as I decided now to carry 2 spare tubes and hadn't really thought how I'd fit them so Liz & I frigged around way too long and I took off without lube. Doh! Soon into the next stage my chain was grinding as I had ridden in the water on stage 1 and then I began sliding out on corners and realised my rear tyre was losing pressure. Instead of stopping and fixing which I was scared about after my 13 min episode in stage 1 I pressed on and smashed hard to make up time. By halfway feedzone I was totaled having turned myself inside out riding on a semi flat tyre trying to make up time. The rest of that stage was a very black place. And of course when you lose time and go hard trying to make it up you tend to go faster than those around you so I rode the fast fire road sections at the start and finish of Wingello in the wind all on my own.

Got to next transition and as I wasn't doing any good took my time changing into warm clothes as I was cold & wet. This time I lubed and took off warm and riding a bike that felt great so rode a pretty good stage considering by then the 50km field and half the 100km field had gone through and turned it to slop.

In the end I finished about 10 min slower than last year but took away the positive that I finished without fuel in the tank as I always finish regretting I could have gone harder.

I feel Liz has squared away her debt now from last weekend by following me around today in miserable wet conditions and 8 deg temp.

As I write my infection has spread to my chest so I guess I'll be off the bike for a bit.