BigBlog

With for weeks to go I'm now going to try and take the training a little more series. I will be trying to get back on the duallies. I havn't been on the duallies since the Dirt Works so it is time to get use to pedaling these bikes. I have a slightly different set up between the road bike and the duallies so it is good to get use to the position I'll be pedaling for 24hrs. I havn't had a moutain bike race for a couple of months so I'm not sure how my fitness is right now. I'm going to head to Melbourne for a 6hr next weekend to find out exactly how I am going. This is going will be a tough race with lots of serious riders making a show.

Well, when I should have been out doing stupid long kms I decided to sleep in and do a lazy 100km and spend the rest of the day on www.jasonenglish.info and it is starting to look ok. I still have a lot of work to do and the picture files are massive as I'm still playing around with what works. Please email me with feedback before I put more work into it. 

I'll be heading down to Appin next weekend and I'm not sure what blogsite I will be using to throw up a race report as I really want to carry a consistent theme between the website and the blogsite. I might actually host one from my current internet providers free hosting area!

Well it looks like my Telstra Contract has come to an end. If this site goes down in the next couple of days I'll try and get the www.jasonenglish.info site working again. Not as convenient, but I'll hopefully be able to throw heaps of pics on. I'll use it as a bit of a demo site for my year 7 and 8 students....

Otherwise just google Jason Enlglish and I think the www.jasonenglish.info site will come up. Its not worth checking for a while yet!

Well it has been a while since the Awaba 10hr. 2 weeks I think. Since then I have been trying to work out if the Telstra Bigblog sponsorship will continue or if I will be moving to another blog hosting site. I have really enjoyed the convenience of the wireless internet which has meant the option to post updates from anywhere in Australia. It has been great to switch on the laptop and check what is happening on the mountain bike forums on the way to a race and comment on the race as soon as it finishes!

 So my aim this week is to determine where my blogs will continue. I would hope Telstra would like to renew the contract considering the site has been attracting over 1000 hits per week. Thanks guys!

 Anyway back to the Awaba race.

 I guess I went into this race a little nervous as I tried to figure out the rules. The advertising and rules of this race is nothing like I have done before. I was reading on the website that serious looking riders would be penalised laps, what could I do to make it look like I wasn’t serious. A race is a race? I took down my single speed fixed wheel bike just in case this was a way to make it look like I wasn’t too serious but when you have the comfort of a 4 inch travel bike that is almost 2kg light it hard to ride the single speed.

 The race started with a run which I suck, right now as I write this I am recovering from a 45min run yesterday. I think I will still be recovering from this run in a weeks time. Either way I was glad it was only a few 100m and I tried to take it easy as I know how high my heart rate goes running!

 Onto the bike and I think I managed to get into the single track first. After doing a practice lap on the fixe I notice there aren’t too many places to put the hammer down as the track is so windy. Any extra speed you put down in quickly taken off around the corner. It was a bit of an art to pick the correct speed for each corner. I would love to go back and fix up a few corner with berms or a wider approach and exit to help maintain a faster speed around the track.

 There were some excellent section of the track that I really looked forward to and by the 3^rd lap I put down a few faster laps to try and catch up to first place. By the 10^th lap I was thinking I should almost put lights on but it was only 2.5hrs into the race and 2.30 in the afternoon. It seemed like time was going fairly slowly. I think this had something to do with the 16min lap times and a little bit of repetition.

 I was keen for the night to come and with it out came the Niterider Trinewts and the opportunity to blind all the locals with some serious lumins.

 I was quite amazed with the awesome bridges and how well some of the sections linked together. This was actually the first enduro race run at the new Awaba track and I am expecting big things from this track now they have the basic route in place.

 The single speed crew were keen to see me take out the green single speed for a lap and with lap after lap of heckling I gave in a busted out a couple night laps. I gave these guys a chance to tinker with my bike and they did a great job, I was surprised how well the bike actually went. I think I did a 18min night lap on it!

 The whole time I was riding around I was looking out for something called treasure. Apparently for people who have done this race before treasure looks like a purple dinosaur and if you find one and take it back to transition you get extra laps awarded or a prize.

 Bribes were also another way to earn laps with one of the single speed riders Dreggsy being awarded heaps of laps for taking down a shot of tequila each lap….Prizes seemed a little alcohol focused with 1^st place in each category taking home a beer mug and 3^rd place a shot glass….

 A great track, a very lay back event and efficient use of resources. I actually like the whole number on the forearm. I’m actually hearing rumours of a single speed race at the same venue and I’m keen!

Dirt Works 100

I was really looking forward to a hard race at the Dirt Works 100km Classic after getting a great result at the BMC 100. This race also coincides with 2 years of racing with BMC and it is always good to perform well at the sponsors events!

I had been feeling really fit leading up to this event but I wasn't sure if I would be able to stay with the hill climbers up the first major accent.

The race started at a reasonable pace but it wasn't fast enough for Troy Glennan who made a few attempts to bust away from the group in the first 10km before the first climb. At the base of this hill I was sitting in the top 15 and planned trying to keep the lead guys in sight. Matt Flemming and Shaun Lewis were the first to the top with Brett Anderson slightly behind them. Moving across the top of this climb a small group formed with Troy and Perren Delacour helping to wind back some lost time. A few kms later the three leading riders were caught and we had a sizeable group.

Leading up to a sharp pinch, I tried smashing some big gears to see if I could open up a little gap. I quick glance over the shoulder and I was stoked that Matt had come across with me and I put the hammer down to see if we could create a significant gap.

Working with Matt was great, he is a super strong rider and we seem to have very similar ability. We swapped off turns to try and maintain the lead we had started to develop and I was feeling good being mindful of nutrition especially at the intensity we were working at.

Looking at the lap splits we had around a 1min 30 sec lead at the 50km mark which would have been helpful to know during the race. We continued the charge and made the most of the clear canoe bridge and both rode across. I had completely forgot about the wrist bands that we were supposed to get and charged pass the officials, doh! I wasn't too keen to turn back and get it at this critical stage in the race however.

After the canoe bridge was about 3km of tar before the last big climb and the 25km to go drink station. We swapped off along the tar and I wasn't feeling confident about the outcome of the race as the legs were starting to feel the pace we started at.

Heading up the climb to the drink station I thought I would give the remote lockout a go and felt a renewed strength riding off the seat and pushing a harder gear. With about 20km to go I checked with Matt to make sure he was still felling ok, he assured me he was feeling great so I clicked it up a few gears to kept the chasing group away.

Looking over my shoulder a few minutes later and Matt had dropped back a little. I wasn't going to slow down and ask questions and just gave it everything.

I managed to pick some great lines in the sandy creek crossing leading up to the road back into St Albans and did a quick watch check. I had 7 minutes left to make it back into town to sneak under the 4hrs. I threw it into big ring, flicked the lockout and emptied everything I had left.

Coming across the line I knew it would be close and after a quick check of the computer was told I did a sub 4hr! I was stoked to win my first 100km race. Maybe there is more to life than just 24hr racing...

I really need to give a big thanks to Dirt Works for supporting this event but for also looking after all the Dirt Works riders. The bacon and egg sandwiches were a great way to finish a race and the accommodation ensured we could get to the line on time.

I am really enjoying the Shotz products and think I am onto a winning formula for the 100km distance.

I also need to thank Gordon Street Cycles for keeping my bikes in working order.

Matt Flemming also needs a big thanks for pushing me on and aiding me to achieve this result.

check out this site for full results: 

http://www.maxadventure.com.au/dirtworksclassic/default.htm