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First Lap Based Event - not racing for sheep stations!!
So, with a truly last minute leave pass granted at 3pm on Friday (thanks you Mrs. Pyrate!!), I quickly registered on-line for the 4 Hour Solo and started thinking about the logistics of getting ready for the race - what kit was clean? How many gels have I got? Hydration pack or bidons?
I was keen to give this race a go both as a solid training hit out but also to get a feel for lap based events, which I had never done before, as I have an eye on the Chocolate Foot Single-track Mind series later this year.
I struck up a great conversation with a bloke named Steve as we got out of our cars and this set the tone for the rest of the day as the riders were, without a doubt, the nicest bunch of people. I got overtaken ALOT during the race and it was embarrassingly polite and good natured every time. I like to think I did my bit by being as pro-active/preemptive in the overtaking a I could.
As the day progressed, some lines got nicely buffed and some of the corners got sketchier. I was told of at least one nasty stack - bars askew, blood a-plenty - but didn't see anything myself.
My goal was to maintain an even lap time and I was pretty close for the first 5 laps, but was blowing smoke on the 6th. As others have reported, it was pretty much full gas from the get go, with no where to switch off and get some respite. Moreover, this was a training ride for me first and foremost, so with a little under half an hour to go, I pulled the pin. Could have got one more lap in, but wasn't seriously racing by any means and was happy enough with the 6 laps for the effort. It's meant to be fun, right?
A shout out to Fatboy, Hawkeye, Ahein and Siklama. Great to catch up with NobMobbers and best of luck to you at Stromlo!
BTW - I went for bidons, as the weather was supposed to have been much hotter than it got and the thought of a pack in that heat was off-putting. My conclusion is that for lap based stuff I think bidons are a no brainer.
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And most importantly...you wore your black top with the white skull & crossbones making you easily identifiable!!!!
There were smiles all around our gazebo's so clearly everyone enjoyed the day.
You definitely made the right choice with bottles, it makes lap events a lot more comfortable.
I'm looking forward to this new Scalpel coming out that takes two bottles inside the frame - I reckon I might be motivated to do some longer point to point events too.
You did great - six consecutive laps on that course wasn't easy and treating it as a training ride is a good mindset. I'm unlikely to ever threaten the sharp end even in my age category so that's pretty much what they arrrrr for me too.
Being as fit as possible makes those eveñts heaps more fun, and the extra intensity you get from a competitive environment helps maintain capacity which becomes important for staying healthy as you get older.
It's also kinda fun putting guys 15-20 years younger in the hurt box
Chocolate Foot is a good series - Fiona puts on a good event.
As @Hawkeye said, continuous loops of a 'full gas' track isn't easy - good to catch up and see you at the next one