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Too Much Fun
Well - maybe the first 50Km was? 
How hard was that course though? But how much fun too? Think therein lies the problem. Take a look at the MB details (see below) and it's obvious I was having too much fun in the first 50. In fact, I knew this only an hour into the race. As I may have said - not sure how accurate the Edge calorie counter is, but I reckon when it says I'm burning 5-600/hour that's sustainable (although I averaged 830/hour on Dirtworks this year) and when I do 900+ that's just not a good idea. After the first hour yesterday it said 1100 calories and something silly like only just over 10Km. Should have known then to chill out, but thought I was keeping the HR low enough that it didn't matter. Put the high number down to the Edge's slightly dodgy calculation and the amount of altitude that we were doing - oh dear!
So yeah, felt great the first couple hours, 30Km stop came up easy enough, but then began to feel no so good. Bit nauseous, but nothing major. I found myself riding up hills others were walking several times in this half - another bad sign, eh?
Around 40-45Km began to feel really rather bad, but scoffed on some more food and couple Gus and figured it would be OK. Joked with the guys around me about stopping half way, but really was talking myself into doing that as it seemed the most sensible option.
Trouble is at halfway I bumped into Loz, Tien, Buck, Leo, Gonz and other randoms. Ah - peer pressure, gotta love it!
So on we go - there's a bail out point at 52Km which I consider, but the iffy feeling isn't terrible yet and I figure there will be another.
Around 55Km Buck finally leaves me (the others disappeared long ago) and I struggle on. Struggle isn't really the word though - the next 20Km are pure hell. Just look at the HR graph on MB - I'm just completely out of energy and have bonked in a massive way. Have been drinking plenty and ate quiet a bit earlier (2 Organic Food Bars and 4 Gu) but now there's no way I can stomach a thing. Paranoid about dehydration I'm sipping water constantly but the Gatorade/Endura mix in the bottle isn't so good. Several times I have to stop peddling through the feeling of sickness and fight to keep the contents in my stomach. Once I loose a small bit of that battle but force it back down - lovely!
So half walk, half grind this 20Km section mostly alone. I'm wondering where the next bail out point is as my race is done and just want to go home. Put the GPS on the map screen and watch as the start moves further and further away though - bo11ocks! The CBD boys pass me (who I saw after the race and described my condition as 'fried') and bump into a jolly Pommie by the name of Paul who drags me to around 70Km before I loose him in the fun section. Around 75Km I actually begin to feel a bit better and the sickness subsides.
Get to the last water stop and glug down quiet a bit of water. I'd already drunk probably 6l water + 1.5l Gatorade/Endura mix but was pretty much out when I got here. Talked to the medics and thankfully learn there's a small trundle down a hill to the highway and home - this will earn me a DNF but save 16Km of the course. Lay on the ground and feel like cr@p - the medics say they will take me home if I can't ride it - sweet! 
Several riders come and go, although this is clearly near the back of the field (I hear the sweeper MX bikes before leaving here over an hour after arriving). It's quiet interesting really - meet Anna and Craig, Pikey & Heckler. Luckily none of them try and talk me into finishing the course. Several people also bail at this point before I finally decided it's time to sneak home.
It's actually quiet disappointing really - didn't think I had trained that much, but checking MB had done 349Km and 8725m vertical in the previous month. Hmmmm... 
So there you go - bl00dy hard course, but bl00dy fun. Self tips for next time - don't enjoy it so much to begin for more enjoyment later!
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Guess you will coming on a few road training rides in the future hey?
scumming helped, hehe
but then again, is commuting scumming?
Gazza?
Nah... commuting is transport. Scumming is riding on the road for perceived pleasure.
I really don't think scumming would have helped here. The legs are fit enough to do the course, but I'm just too dumb to take it easy so there was no energy left to power them. Think I need to set the HR alarm on the Edge and look at nutrition more closely.
I haven't loaded my profile yet but I had my alarm set at my max of 195bpm and it wouldn't shut up. I stopped thinking it was playing up but as soon as I stopped it started to go down. From then I backed off because I new I couldn't sustain a heart rate over 195bpm for long. I think I was over excited by the awesome track.
Hey Rob,
Sorry to hear of the DNF. At the start line when you called me back to the group I genuinely had every intention of coming back to you but Mick kept on at me that I could keep with that second pack (I'll let him tell you his time, it was a darn sight better than mine).
So like you the biggest mistake I made was going out much too fast. As you say though, it's hard keeping it back when the track is so damn good.
Well done Rob for sticking it out for as long as you did.
I don't know what it is about those races. With the cramping, dehydration (yes poor planning) and buggered knee, I found myself constantly saying to myself "why am I doing this?". And indeed the finish wasn't so much elation but sheer relief. Yet, just seeing familiar faces on the course, and having the random chat with strangers, and exchanging places time and time again with the same 2 or 3 riders, I now find myself, less than 24 hours after the pain, looking forward to next year's race. And what about the course. I couldn't believe how groomed it was. Hats off to those responsible. And Bruce, when you flew past me at the 97 km mark you looked like you were in a time trial. Nice job. I was aiming for under 7 hours and did 7.01 (ouch). Gives me something to aim for next year. Cheers , Mick
Hi Mick,
At 5km to go I realised I was in with a chance to finish under 7 hours so put a little extra effort in to see what would happen.
I missed out by 25 seconds, damn those cramps at the top of the last hill!
Rob, the 705 has an alarm that goes off ever 10 seconds or so when you pass the threshhold, but I think it only does it 5 times in a row then it stops - I think it assumes you know what you are doing.
Your HR numbers didn't appear too excessive, although your were firnly in zone 4 and obviously not cruising. It's a pity there isn't a way to measure what's in the fuel tank and muscle fatique.
Hearing your story and knowing how fit you are then I need to do a lot more training before the Fling.
Paul the Fling will be easier when they said the Doctor would rip your legs off they weren’t lying.
But you cant really do to much training and preperation for a 100km event but you can certainly not do enough and suffer because of it.
The Fling may be easier but it also 10k's longer and I find it hard to get more than 3 hours in the saddle. I'm also hoping that training on the SS and doing the Fling on my Yeti (suspension and 27 gears) will work in my favour.
During the first 100km just make sure you coast for at least 10 of them that way you will have enough in the pedalling bank and do it in 3 hours and the saddle wont be a problem.