I, like most of these competitive guys, don’t like or want to come second, to lose, or to be beaten….. and especially not by a girl!!

They call it ‘being chicked’!

Some would make excuses, swear, rant, rave, hide, or hang up their bike forever, but for the past 3days, I have just learnt to live with it.

Where have I been for the past 3 days, I’ve been in the box, that’s where!

A perk of being the VIS women’s cycling team mechanic is that I get to ride my bike while on training camps, but the downside is I have many extremely talented and fit chicks ripping me up!

A 4 day training camp based in Apollo Bay has seen some quality rides through the beautiful Otways, with plenty of climbing.

It’s been a hard few days on the bike, but also very enjoyable. I don’t mind ‘being chicked’ by some of our country’s best female bike riders!

Keep you posted,

Ryan

This quote gives a nice little insight to the mentality of a cyclist.

Via Après Vélo:

To be a cyclist is to be a student of pain….at cycling’s core lies pain, hard and bitter as the pit inside a juicy peach. It doesn’t matter if you’re sprinting for an Olympic medal, a town sign, a trail head, or the rest stop with the homemade brownies. If you never confront pain, you’re missing the essence of the sport. Without pain, there’s no adversity. Without adversity, no challenge. Without challenge, no improvement. No improvement, no sense of accomplishment and no deep-down joy. Might as well be playing Tiddly-Winks.

-Scott Martin

So true!

Keep pedalling, and I’ll keep you posted,

Ryan

Winter and early spring have not been kind on my training, in fact they have been brutal, as 1 or 2 short rides a week is no way to stay fit, let alone get fit!

Survival was my aim, while enjoying the beautiful Anglesea single track, and clocking up a long ride.

There is just one problem, as some of you may already know, I’m just a little competitive, and you see there was a number on my bike, a start line to stand on, and a finish line to aim for!

A couple of laps in (40mins per lap) and my expert handler/ pit crew chief (aka: bottle thrower) Charles ‘chuck’ Swanton (the name says it all), let me know I was running 3rd in solo, so it was on!

Any endurance event requires you to judge you effort, manage your nutrition, concentrate on being efficient, but maximising your speed. A 6 hour race is perfect for this, as you can almost go flat out the entire time!

4 hours done, still in 3rd, 2mins behind 2nd, 6mins behind 1st. I was quite happy with 3rd, but it’s a race, 2 hours to go, time to push, 3 laps to be raced.

The next lap I rode every climb as hard as I could, I halved the gap to 2nd, and on the following lap, moved into 2nd, taking 4mins back off the leader. My mate Tim, now in 3rd, I felt for, as when you ‘crack’ and someone is chasing you, you feel somewhat helpless, and by trying harder you just make things worse.

The final lap I wasn’t able to make any more gains on the leader, the gap held at 2mins and that’s where we finished.
What a fantastic race, only minutes separating the pointy end for the entire 6 hours.

Very sore, very happy, 2nd was as good as a win for me. It’s amazing what we are capable of when we don’t put too many expectations on ourselves, but head out for a good time!

Thanks to ‘Chuck’ and everyone who gave a cheer or words of encouragement.

Keep you posted,

Ryan

(Pics to come)

This class…. New technologies like.. WordPress!

The past few weeks have been one huge gear fest, with preparations for my up coming (still 3months away) mountaineering trip in full swing. Of course I could provide you with all of the ‘reasons’ why I ‘require’ all this new gear, but who am I kidding, it’s all about ‘want’!

In all seriousness, mountaineering can be dangerous, so safety equipment is needed, the weather can turn bad, so technical clothing is required, and of course I’ve not been mountaineering per say before, so there are other items that are essential.

New gear acquisitions:
• Alpine pack, 70L. (Mountain designs – Epic)
• Gloves, double layer (Mountain Hardwear)
• Mountaineering boots (La Sportiva Nepal evo GTX)
• Crampons (Black diamond cyborg)
• Snow picket (MSR)
• Outer shell (Mountain designs – Nimbus)
• Ice hammer (Black diamond – Venom)

I’m sure there will be a few more ‘must have’ items!

Mmmmmmm…….. Gear!

Keep you posted,

Ryan

The past 5 years I have wanted to take the next step in new adventures, and in search of my goals in the mountains.  It has been a slow Progression, but come December that should change, as I will be spending 9 days on a technical mountaineering course  with Alpine Guides, in New Zealand’s Mt. Cook National park.

After being helicoptered into the high NZ alps, an alpine hut will become our base while we learn how to safely and effectively move on a mountain.

Course topics:

• Glacier travel and crevasse rescue
• Snow and ice climbing
• Belay systems and techniques
• Modern rope techniques
• Route finding
• Emergency shelters
• Mountain navigation, weather and forecasting
• Avalanche hazard evaluation

Once these skills have been learnt, they are put into practice while bagging some peaks later in the 9 days.

It should be a great learning experience and launching pad for further mountaineering.

Oh, and I’ll be spending new years high in the mountains, what better way to start 2012!

Where will your next step take you?

Keep you posted…

Ryan

What is it that makes the events of our lives take a turn in a particular direction? Is it just our perception of the unfolding events and situations, or more that our emotion breeds more of itself? Does positivity breed positivity, and therefore the same for negativity?

Whichever it may be that causes this situation/feeling, there seems to be a pattern. When we’re up, we’re up, and likewise when we are down. Is it Karma, or just balance? Without the bad, do we know what is good? Contrast appears to be a good thing.

But what I would really like to know is if we can stimulate, give a helping hand to the positivity?

Perhaps…

We can often spend many hours a day, day in, day out with a loved one, taking them for granted, disrespecting them, and not expressing our feelings for them.

Distance, or separation from these which we love, whether by force or by choice, can be character building and provide perspective of a relationship.

After the past months, which have been marred by sickness; gastroenteritis, viruses, and more viruses, my feelings are stronger than ever.

It’s not just you I have missed, but the long rides, winding roads, spectacular views, nice people, and great coffee that we share.

Road bike – I love you!

I can tell you now, if you like riding your mtb where it should be ridden (single track) then you should make you next cycling weekend/ holiday in the beautiful town of Bright! I loved this place long before today, but now after riding just a small portion of the trails I can’t wait to come back!

The course for today’s 6h was well conceived, and quite relentless, making sure that it pushed everyone! After a couple of soft weeks in the pedalling department it was hard to know how my race would pan out. I was a little dubious about my 2:1 gear ratio selection on my Baum singlespeed, as there was only one real climb, and plenty of faster flowing trails it was always going to be a compromise.

I could give you full run down, but basically it was 6h30m of pain and suffering over some fantastic trails, especially the sections between the pines, and along the creek!

After all that, I ended up 5th in solo… Not bad, accept for how smashed I’m now feeling!

6h27mins, 193 max HR, 171 avg HR, 6234kcals burnt, and 1890m vertical gained.. About 120km.

Big thanks to the other Baum guys (Steve, Jodie, and David) for handing me bottles etc. And to BigMak for a good weekend!

Until next time,

Keep you posted.

Ryan

Running is a relatively new activity for me, having spent so much time cycling. But a few years ago I found out that my bone density was a bit on the low side (common for cyclists), so I started running for weight bearing activity. After randomly deciding to go running off road with a friend… I had found another love!

The ‘Bogong to Hotham’ is a 64km foot race from the base of Mt. Bogong, across the high plains to the summit of Mt. Hotham. If the distance isn’t enough, the trails are rough, and there is 3500 vertical meters of mountainous terrain between start and finish.

A 5.30 start, just as dawn is breaking, the outlines of trees and surrounding mountains are made visible. A mass of runners mill around the start area anxious to get under way. There is a strange feeling, a quiet, as the runners minds are trying to prepare for the race.

It’s hard to describe the effort that is required to undertake such an event, hence most would say that you need to find out for yourself.
The anticipation is building, everyone just wants to get on with the race, the sooner they start the sooner they can tackle the many physical and mental challenges that lay ahead.

3.. 2.. 1.. GO!

On my back I have a small pack, two hydration bladders, one with water, the other with electrolyte. I also carry an assortment of food (bars, gels), mandatory safety gear (map, compass, whistle, space blanket, jacket, thermal), plus some other essentials. All up about 4-5kg, but I don’t even notice that it’s on my back.

As everyone scampers up the first section of trail there is only the sound of footsteps and breathing. I think everyone was thinking the same as me.. “What have you got yourself into here!?”.

Before long the trail turns and the first climb of the day begins, Mt. Bogong: 5.1km of single track with 1400m of vertical gain. By the time most reach the summit, 2 hours have past, yet only 8.1km’s have been covered, which on the flat would take me about 32mins!

A quick moment to enjoy the view from the highest mountain in Victoria, then it’s along the ridge, winding through some of the most amazing parts of the high country, and then making a long steep descent down to Big River (18km check point). The river is fresh, and you enjoy the feeling on your legs as you wade through.

This respite is soon forgotten as the second climb of the day starts up to the Bogong high plains, another brutal ascent of 1100m vertical at 20%. When you reach the Ropers hut check point, you have gained 2500m vertically and covered 23km… Only 41km’s, a regular marathon, to go! It had taken me 4.5hours to get this far… It was going to be a long day!

A relatively flat run across the high plains takes you past the half way mark, and to the first major check point, Langfords gap. 35km done, this check point is the first place your support crew can meet their runners. A good friend of mine, Sooze, was ready and waiting with supplies and plenty of encouragement. It’s quite funny that you can be powered for hours by just a few words!

A short section of 6km takes you to the Bogong high plains road check point, the point of no return, and the last time your crew will see you before the finish. Last year this was the point at which I could go not further, but this year all was going to plan. A matter of fact food and water stop, a quick chat to Sooze, and then back to it.

At different points along the trail you spend time running with other competitors, chatting, sharing stories, and encouraging each other. It’s the chunks of time that you spend alone, hurting, pushing yourself, managing food, hydration, mental state, and effort.
At the 45km point I started cracking. It wasn’t just the lack of energy, but the level of continued concentration as well. The trail between 41km and 53km’s is extremely rough, with a mixture of alpine bog, volcanic rock, and tufts of tough grass… A really inconsistent and very draining section. During times like those you question “why am I doing this?” and make rash statements of “I’m never entering another event of any type ever again!”. But of course this is just coping mechanisms your brain employs to allow you to get through the self inflicted pain and distress.

The final 12km’s consists of a steep descent, yet another nasty 20% climb up Swindlers spur, a total of 1000m vertical up and around the ski resort of Mt. Hotham, to its summit. This section I shared with a few other runners, all of us walking, with short sections of running, pushing each other to keep moving. This was by far the most pain that I have endured during physical activity.

The final 4km’s are something that I will never forget, and will inspire me to challenge myself again. I used every thing I had left to push myself to the summit.

The feeling of reaching that summit was like nothing else I have every experienced…

Special thanks to Sooze for crewing, Eliza for maintaining my body, my training buddies, and everyone that gave me support, encouragement, and that I got to run with that day. truly fantastic!

11hours, 64km, 3275m vertical gain, 8977kcals burnt, 153bpm average heart rate, massive amounts of pain, unbelievable satisfaction.