Every year I get a warning about entries opening for the Odyssey and every year I don't wanna miss out on an entry. So I go ahead and enter well before the event, with the plan to be stronger and faster than the year before. But a plan is just that... a plan.
Expecting to be at the 'pointy end' of the results is a big ask if one is getting 2 training rides a week, maybe 3 if lucky. There certainly hasn't been any lengthy training rides over the last coupla months (apart from the Baw Baw ride a few weeks ago). So racing over 100k's through the climbs of the Otways is gunna hurt ya (or me as it was).
I felt quite relaxed about the actual race beforehand as all the kids and partners were in tow this year and my focus was primarily on them. If they were all sorted then I'd have time to think about the race. The 'brothers delicate' (Deano and I) rolled down to the start on a warm and windy morning to meet up with the bears (Mum and Dad).
At 7.15am, off we all went with the usual panic as if it was a 30minute crit race.
Left onto Wild Dog Rd, and race on up the climb. After many, many, many, climbs, creek crossings, descents, bitumen roads, fire roads, single tracks, grass tracks, log hops, berms, etc, later, I crossed the line in 6hrs12mins, saw my beautiful wife to be and just stopped short of bursting into tears from back pain, aaaaaaaarrrrggh... But so relieved to have completed another, albeit 20mins slower than last years time and 109place overall. Maybe the only outstanding achievement of the whole race for me was my timed descent, missing out on winning my category by 1 second.
We've all got excuses why we didn't go better and yeah they're probably valid for most. Going into this race with the resurgence of my back problems worried me but what else can you do but race anyway. My back did send me insane during the race with the only relief being from handfuls of Voltarin gel at transition and some periodic off the bike stretching during the race.
Complete neglect of core exercises and stretching over the last few months has resulted in an unsatisfactory result for me. Let that be a lesson young man and lets look forward to the Tour de Flavour crit in Mansfield, Mont 24 in Canberra and the oooo, Baw Baw classic!!!
Congrats AJ on winning the mens event and international road star Judith Arndt for the women's.
Well done all competitors who completed the race, in itself a huge achievement.
And better luck next year for all who couldn't finish, among the list of DNFs were some good riders.
look after yerself BK & we'll have some fun in Can-berrrra!
ReplyDeleteTim