2015 Convict 100

After a 1 year absence from the Convict I was eager to get back to St Albans. I ride up there a lot and I really enjoy it. I had ridden reasonably consistently over winter but I wouldn't really call it training. I had done a couple of club races at Ourimbah so that was a nice bit of intensity.

I also had tonsillitis the week leading in but that mostly cleared up and I lined up feeling pretty OK. (haha ok that's all the excuses!)

Numbers definitely seemed down since I last rode the convict and I lined up in a fairly small crowd in wave 1. Off we went down the road and I sat in comfortably at the back knowing what was ahead of us - Jack's Track! Riding up Jack's Track was fine though, there are a few short pinches and I just spun my way up. Stayed together with some other riders and together we worked our way along the ridges and down onto the road. The pace here was pretty good I felt.

Onto the road and I was in a nice group that worked nicely together till the kayak bridge. No challenge at all riding across this bridge this year but it was still cool.

I probably went a little too hard up Shepherds Gully but it's a fairly manageable climb. Onto the technical sections of rocky steps! I love this section, the technical climbing sections really float my boat and I ride it often. Went pretty well along here but maybe not as well as I thought as a guys on a SS hardtail was keeping pace and eventually pulled away. I also passed the winner of the ladies along here (though she would later catch up again).

Down to Clares Bridge and up the other side and the race was beginning to take it's toll. Was starting to feel quite tired and I knew how rough and overgrown this section was. Managed to mostly keep it together though and turned off the Old North Road.

Now I was feeling the effort and it really felt like my bike was riding me rather than the other way around! I felt like a passenger and not totally in control. A quick break at the 75km feed station and I was caught by a few other riders. This helped lift my mood somewhat (or maybe it was the coke) but I rode off with the leading lady on my tail. This section could be best described as 'undulating'. Truth be told I was not expecting the amount of climbing still to be done and each woop inducing descent would be followed by a nice steep climb. But I was motoring along quite nicely and we finally made to the final descent to the valley. I had a REALLY close moment here on the first big water bar which had a nice ditch in front of it. My rear wheel got kicked high in the air and I just managed to hold on.

Down into the valley and along the road - again we swapped turns with a few people who we picked up on the way and made reasonably good time. As we came into St Albans though I was done - could no longer hold a wheel and I fell off the back. I'd done a lot of work earlier and luckily I just made it to the finish before I imploded.

Was super happy to finish under 5hrs. Really enjoyed the race, the volunteers were really friendly and the whole thing was extremely well organised. I hope more people support the event next year!

Oh - my 2c - the technical section seems to have more of an uphill flavour riding the course this direction - so maybe that's a bit harder. I'd like it if they alternated the direction each year, they are both fun!