Nice track, ordinary ride

Preparation for this race was abysmal, with 3 weeks overseas without a bike or even a hotel gym to work with. Got into Sydney at 6.00 am Wednesday after an overnight flight, so dealing with jet lag and lingering gastric problems from some dodgy seafood in Singapore. Quick spin on Wednesday after a nap, then up to Ourimbah for a couple of laps on Thursday, because I hadn't been there for a few years. Felt OK, so got my entry in. Went for another spin on Friday morning and felt really flat. Put it down to the fact that it was really cold and started raining just after I went out.

Warmed up OK before the race, but decided to take it easy. Slow first lap at the back of the pack, then a clear run for a while before the leaders started coming through. Sat down after two laps for some food and a bit of a rest. A few pedal strikes and a couple of bar ends into rocks and trees on the next lap told me I was getting a bit ragged. Stomach was starting to feel a bit off as well, so I stopped again after lap 3, checked the progressive results and saw that my only other competitor in the over 60's 4 hr was 30 minutes up on me, so I decided that discretion was the better part of valour at that stage and packed it in and went home for a sleep....

Ourimbah is a really nice track. Not too much climbing and plenty to keep you on your toes, even in the relatively flowy sections. Would have been nice to enjoy it a bit more!