2009 - Careflight Woodford to Glenbrook

Category: 30-39

OVERALL
I’d not ridden for 2 weeks due to health and rain. Struck down with the flu two weeks ago, I was sure I’d be fine by this event. I started to feel much better 1-2 days prior but am still far from 100%. My race time of 1:03 is faster than last year (1:07) but not close to my easily achievable goal of under 1 hour. If you divide my position (324) by the total active riders (578) and multiply by 100 you get 56. Which means I came 56/100. That’s a significant worse than last year (34/100). My ranking has slipped by 22% effectively.

I know I can get under 1 hour easily because I know that this year I was much faster on downhill runs, and heart rate data indicates I was running higher rate than ever. My fitness was about 20 bpm higher all the way through.

CLOTHING
This event really seems to stump me with the clothing. I started this year with a jacket and long sleeve Katmandu Merino shirt under a Dry-Fit shirt. The jacket I packed easily in a 2 litre hydro pack with less than 1/2 of water. I got the long sleeve shirt off and into the pack about a quarter the ride in.

EARLY ON
Got there much earlier than 2008. I warmed up in a side street and this worked well. It also relaxed me immensely and I felt great at the start. Attached the helmet cam to the seat post and faced it backwards.

DURING
I walked 1 hill. Eventually 1 section at towards the end of the hills there was one where you think it’s over, you round a bend and there is just more and more. Eventually up that one I figured I’d give the heart rate monitor alarm a rest and walk a little. Last time we rode the Oaks we didn’t walk anything so I’ll blame my ailments again.

LATER SECTION
I got tired and my body wanted a rest but I was trying to push on. Just died in the arse at about 8 km’s to go.

LEARNINGS
-1 muesli bar is enough (for the end)
-Some snakes or jelly babies might be handy for the later part
-Just under 1 litre of water is enough to even ride back to Glenbrook. Particularly grabbing a drink or two from the Fire Volunteers.
-Disposable track pants from Salvo’s for $6 were a hit at the start line.
-With the helmet-cam do arse cam 1st half. Change battery and card quickly at Helipad and move it to bar cam for the last section. Put a "smile for camera' sign on lower back t get people to show off and do things silly, dangerous (for themselves) yet amusing.
-Try it without pack, no jacket, just thermal shirt + DryFit shirt

SETTINGS
Tires F: Kenda Small Block 8, 2.1 at 28
Tires R: Kenda Small Block 8, 2.1 at 33
Shock R: 145
ProPedal: 1 and on
Shock F: 90
Low Speed compression: 4
Rebound: 7
Lockout Blowout: 7
Seat: Full forward 12
Pack: 2860g (includes 800ml, thin jacket, thermal shirt)

Video I put together of sampled footage. I pretty much removed the slow uphill bits where I was more likely to be overtaken. It's pretty much the downhill faster bits.

http://youtu.be/B69aamXYClk