Matt Dog Training

BOgear (bike bling)

2011-11-23T15:07:00.000+10:00

I am always impressed by innovation, design and vision that produces an awesome product. BOgear is a Brisbane based company that ticks all the boxes with its gear.

One of the magical features of their products is they happily customise, modify do whatever is necessary to quickly post out a product that will do what you want and will last a lot longer than only one season.

Check out the BOgear website.

Everything I have ever done has lead me to this moment...

2011-06-27T18:47:00.001+10:00

I recently watched the film 127 hours. In brief, it is a film about a free, adventurous and happy dude that got his arm jammed between a rock face and a large rock that dislodged. Trapping him. 127 hours later he came to the conclusions there was only one way out. So, he broke his forearm bones and cut his own arm off, escaping and was able to get help.

During his time stuck between a rock and a hard place one of the realisations he came to was this.

Everything he had ever done in his life led him to the situation. The rock that had spent millions of years doing its rock thing had been waiting for him and that very moment.

Today is 2 years to the day that everything I had ever done led me to meeting the woman of my dreams.

Kirstie. Thank you for taking such time & effort to put together such an amazing, wonderful & complete woman that you are today. I love the way you walk. I love the way you laugh. I love your smile. Passion, vision, support, dreams, strength, encouragement, sharing. All this & more we fit into one day. I am so looking forward to smashing out this moment, tomorrow & the rest of my life with you.

Until next time...dog

Race Report Merida 24hour

2011-05-19T17:53:00.002+10:00

.

.

During the dark hours of the night a rider came up to me on the trails

and started saying "he has gone to bed, the next rider is however far

behind...etc" I politely said "I don't race anyone else except for myself"

I don't set my goals based on someone else's performance.

Especially in 24 hour racing.

One incident saw me being a lot less polite. A tard over took me on

fire trail then proceeded to chop my front wheel rubbing rubber on rubber!

He felt he was in the right because he told me he was overtaking.

Well let me set you straight muppet! You were in the wrong!

I make no apologies for my barking and growling abuse. You deserved it.

My goal was to punch out 330kms in the 24 hours. I achieved 325 in 22 1/2 hours.

You will read lots of lap by lap reports on this race because there

were plenty of laps done out there.

Here are some of the decisions that made my race so successful.

1. Lots of calories: I know when my legs start getting even the

slightest calorie deficiency. I avoided this feeling all race.

2. A well set up Bike: Shannon at Koiled has built me the most amazing,
custom, Titanium, Single Speed. On Shannon's advice, I am more stretched out.
This saved my back & shoulders.

3. Do it before you need it: I fitted my batteries, leg warmers, put on my merino long sleeve undershirt and ate a burger in about 5 minutes. I did all this about an hour before necessary. I put my warm, dry gear on before I got cold.

4. Stick with day time lines: I experimented with smooth flowing lines during the day and stuck with the good ones all night.

5. Hydration: I managed to catch up on hydration during the night in preparation for the 6 hours of sun at the end of the race.

7. Do it before you need to: As the sun started to rise I took off my sweaty jersey and undershirt. I put on a clean dry jersey. Left my leg warmers on.

8. Motivation: Find it and stick with it...

There are a few other good decisions I made during this race. I won't tell all today. You can always catch up with me at a race. Those that have met me at races or on the trails will tell you that I am willing to share what I know.

Until next time, no excuses, just keep pedalling. Love dog.

.
.

Tailwind Promotions 24 hour xc race

2011-05-17T05:57:00.001+10:00

Almost 2 years ago I did an event known as the Insomnia 24 Hour. It was another mud-fest. Little did I know that this event was the start of a very big change in direction for me.

I met the woman of my dreams. Timing was perfect, location was perfect, the woman was and still is the perfect woman for me.

What does this have to do with the 24 hour race that starts in a few days?

As most of you that have read my blog will understand, I ride my bike by myself, for myself. This weekends race I am riding in celebration of the day I met my life partner.

I picked up another card... (read here for explanation)

...Just when I thought self motivation was enough, I found that with the love and support of another person, so much more motivation and energy is possible.

Kirstie will be riding her bike, for herself just as she was doing the first time we met.

Merida 24 hour race report to follow in the next few days.

Back to Front Report (Tailwind Super Series)

2011-04-20T04:19:00.000+10:00

Lots of racing can mean lots of race reports. Generally they start out with "The lead up to this race wasn't the best..." following on with "I started the first few laps too fast, but then settled in..." moving onto "I passed him, she passed me, the track was good, bad, ugly..." You are all getting the picture here.

I am a couple of races behind so here it is back to front. Tailwind Super Series

10. The three amigos at the end of race 2. These are also the top 3 series points holders for the Single Speed category.

9. Race 2 saw lots and lots of mud, sticky mud, sloppy mud. I even saw the bottom half of someones derailleur in the middle of the trail.

8. A good friend of mine and a very tough single speed competitor Al Cook and I spent the first half of the race attacking each other. I was in front when I got a flat. Grateful I had tubeless tyres I was able to pump it up a few times & make it home. Al passed me in the pits when I was getting it fixed. He then got 'flat legs' surprisingly I caught up very quickly and didn't see him until the end of the race.

This always only makes Al more determined next race. Damn! that's Race 3 the Merida 24 hour. Now that is going to be some serious pain.

7. Pre riding the Race 2 track was very valuable. I was able to pick the right front tyre, the right single speed ratio to use on my Koiled SS. Most importantly, I was able to plan the start of my race. Most of the mud was in the very first 5 minutes of the race. My start plan was to be right up the front to make sure I had a first good lap time. I shared this information with Al and a few others. This proved to be a very good decision.

6... more to follow soon...

dog

LunarC 8 hour MTB.

2011-02-06T18:15:00.004+10:00

Job's Done!

Photo below is of Mark (Left) Dog (other) after 8 hours of smashing it out on our single speeds. Mark is a good mate & work buddy. Better described as an endurance, hard-man. Both endurance mtb racing & Ironman Triathlons

A Big "Thank You" to James from Photo Events

This was my first of many enduros for the year.

I showed up on my new ride. A custom, titanium, single speed, full rigid, 29er. More easily described as a 'sexy work of art'

I popped an 18 tooth cog on the rear & a 32 up front. This was too big a gear for this course. First lesson of the season. If you're going to ride SS this season then pre-riding the course is essential.

The chain line was out a little on the bike. This resulted in the new chain that stretched a little falling off about 2 or 3 times per lap for most laps.

A Big "Thank You" to James from Photo Events

That aside, the bike is easily the sweetest mtb I have ever owned/ridden! It looks good. It is custom made to fit me & it is very fast! If you want something similar ask Shannon. He will build you one.

Nearly 130kms in the 8 hours. This gave me a 3rd in the SS category & 6th in overall solo.

My Ay Up lights with the latest upgrades work beautifully. They are customised too! You can check those options out here... These lights have never let me down. They have always provided me with all the light I need to train & race.

Again, Infinit nutrition was the base for my race nutrition. Customised too! This stuff really works.

What did I enjoy most about this event?

1. I saw my mate Ky have the best race yet. He has been training with Boom Time Boothy. That being said, Ky has had to do the hard work himself. Ky was pedalling smooth, no gravel rash, most importantly he looked comfortable on his bike. Even after 7 hours!!

A Big "Thank You" to James from Photo Events

2. Another inspirational ride by another good friend Nick Westwood. There is a lot more to this man than he lets on ;-)

3. An awesome ride by a dear friend of mine Rachel Edwards. This woman has always been fit & tough minded. She really only lacked in mtb skills & a little confidence. Rach finally got herself onto a decent bike (built by Shan) & some mad skillz. For the first time in a race I didn't catch up to Rach to lap her! Only 12 minutes behind me. Awesome Rach.

4. Sharing the Friday night with my life partner, training partner, adventure buddy & wife Beautiful Kirstie.

She is off her bike for a short period of time.

Good for me because she is an awesome pit manager.

I am looking forward to seeing her getting back out there & smashing out the trails again soon.

5. I have no idea who it was but there was a guy that was clearly more than 120kgs. He was in the hurt locker. I saw him riding, walking, resting but all the time on the trails in some way or another. I love seeing gutsy performances like that!!!

A Big "Thank You" to James from Photo Events

6. Lastly & my all time favourite...drum roll....

My 16 year old son competed as a solo rider in his longest ride ever.

He rode his bike with respect for himself & respect for every other rider.

When asked how he was travelling his response was "I'm ok, I just need a biddon of HTFU...!" ahhhhh...that is music to my ears.

For me, Jax's overall performance was inspirational.

During the race Jax's guts & determination motivated me to pedal that bit harder.

Thank you Jax!

Proud Dad moment.

Until next time:

3 things will make/break your endurance event.

Physical fitness/Strength
Mental Attitude
Nutrition

Want to know more about the essential 3. Ask away.

dog

Have you ever asked yourself...

2011-01-12T16:41:00.001+10:00

The 12 & 24 hour racing format is fast becoming very popular. It has a real social aspect along with great spectator & family enjoyment.

Have you ever asked yourself...

1. How would I stay awake for 24 hours riding a bike?
2. What sort of bike would I need to ride for 24 hours
3. What sort of training would I need to do?
4. What food/drink do I need for a 24 hour race?

Have you ever said to yourself...

1. I wouldn't be able to do it SOLO!
2. I will do a few teams races first before I even think about SOLO!
3. Maybe next year!
4. I am too slow & gumby, I don't want to get in the way of faster riders!

There are so many more!!!

If you have that deep, down, scary feeling you want to do a 12/24 hour race.
If you have never done an endurance race before.
If you use any or all of the above & want to know how to show up to the start line of a 12/24 hour race as best prepared as possible.

If you want me to show you how to 'crack the nut' that is your first, arse busting endurance race then I will make you an offer.

email me mattdogtraining@live.com

I have been very fortunate to have gotten a huge amount out of endurance mountain bike racing & the mountain bike scene in general

I feel it is my turn to put something back in. So often I see the glint of a beginner mtb, endurance rider talk themselves out of the adventure of a life time.

For most, if not all of the races I do in 2011 it is my intention to have room for one more rider under my shelter. Male or Female.

I will give you as much time & advice that I have spare in the days/weeks leading up to the event, the day of the event & a post event debrief.

It is certainly not how good or bad you see yourself as on a mountain bike.

How much? you are asking. There is no charge. This is simply a passionate dog on a mountain bike looking to make a difference.

In summary
1. No cost
2. Fun
3. Passionate
4. Must be first timers to racing
5. I may consider roadie toadies hehehe...Bluuuurrrrrpp.

Until next time..

."Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done."
-Louis D Brandeis

Boom Time Cycle Systems (Boothy)

2010-11-12T05:29:00.003+10:00

.

If you are out cycling on the road or on the trails in Brisbane & you get overtaken by a cyclist & you feel & hear a sonic BOOM! then you will more than likely see this written on their jersey

Boom Time Cycle Systems
Racing Training Coaching

If your interested in making your own BOOM! then check it out. Boothy will take care of you but he will not be gentle hehehe...

.

6 hours of single speeding fun

2010-11-08T17:47:00.004+10:00

Race Report

.

End of lap one: Left crank fell off. Thanks to Rowan for the tool to pop it back on. Better than riding SS with one leg.

Start of lap 5: I thought, wow! not even 2 hours yet

2 hour mark: damn it's hot

3 hour mark: I watched as an aggressive rider tried a crap over taking move on some chick & got stuck in the bushes. I rolled up behind the chick & told her she has right of way & it is well with in the rules for her to say "NO! not yet dumb-arse!" (Ok so I added in the dumb-arse bit to make this report sound better)

4 hour mark: damn it's hot. I am getting tired now

5 hours: hey some clouds it's nice & cool now!

5 hours 1 minute: I wish those clouds would come back

5 hours 57 minutes: If I ride nice & gently the course will be closed by the time I get to the start/finish!

6 hours 00 minutes 4 seconds: oh, darn no more time to do another lap hehehe.... great day out!

Super happy with my ride. I am loving racing on a single speed. I managed 4th in open mens.

To the rider that was first to greet me at the finish & brag about beating me by 7 minutes, EADWM + jam. I don't race to beat YOU. I race by myself, for myself to beat myself. Selfish, I know.

On a final note: Big props to my son who did his first endurance race too. He punched out a total of 7 laps! learned a few lessons, toughed it out & smashed out the race all day with respect for himself & everyone around him. That's how it's done dude

24 hour World Championships Journey

2010-10-17T10:49:00.011+10:00

.

To be so focused on a single race or event does not do justice to the journey of getting to the start line.

12 months ago I did the road trip from Brisbane to Canberra to compete in the Scott 24 hour mtb race. I ended up with a very respectable result. This gave me a ticket to race at the 2010 24 hours of Adrenaline World Championships last week.

I signed up & paid for my entry 9 months in advance! Now, time to get training!

This blog does not show how darn busy I have been racing, training, living, adventure racing, working... or maybe it does by the lack of entries. Maybe this photo shows the real truth?

My race plan was very simple. Pedal my bike as efficiently as possible. Because my little bit of fitness was not going to carry me around otherwise.

I had a few other objectives. Finish the race totally smashed. Finish in one piece because I am getting married in 2 weeks. Finish the race with integrity. NO regrets.

I Flicked 2 x gels to riders that were out of steam. I did a bush mechanics fix on a broken spoke for a woman stuck on the corner of the B line. I pushed a rider around the last bit of sealed track for about 500 metres into transition who had broken his chain.

The photo below is the second best 24 hour solo chick in her age group in the world. Both people in this photo are good friends & riding buddies too!

In the early hours of the morning (no idea what time) I was smashed. My lower back was totaled, the back of my left leg was so darn painful it lost all power & desire to pedal. Both my arse cheeks has lost the skin off them too. I had to lay face down on a camp stretcher. As soon as the pain killers kicked in I fell asleep.

About 2 hours later I woke up. Took my shoes off & called it a day. My awesome pit manager & life partner said to me "I'm sorry I let you down"

A little voice spoke up in my head. OK so it shouted at me...

... "WTF dog! how are you going to carry that guilt around? Knowing that by not pedaling your bike & by not finishing this race that your woman feels she has let you down!?!"

That is all it took to get me to put my shoes back on & smash out another 4 & final laps (about 75kms) taking me just past the 24 hour time mark. Finishing up with what I personally feel as a very respectable 17 laps.

I was also very fortunate to have some mechanical assistance in my pit. Jimmy, Pommy & Shannon. Shannon, Koiled Bikes, was a very busy man with a dozen bikes. He is the only person I trust to wrench on my bikes.

Time for the drive home

Until next time....What would Nelson Mandela say...?

"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."

dog

Soul Food

2010-08-10T18:43:00.005+10:00

.

Setting: Private property about 30 minutes inland from the Gold Coast. 8km cross country circuit.

Start time: 7pm. Yes, it was dark
Finnish time: GMT + 3 hours
Finish time: 7am
Duration: 12 hours
Actual ride time: 12 hours 15 minutes
Kms: errr don't know, don't care
Metres of climbing: see Kms:
Race Mantra: Kirstie believes in me, so should I.

The annual Ay Up Dust to Yawn was on last weekend. It is one of those courses that doesn't reward you for climbing well, it just asks you to pedal for every single km. Very little to no resting areas.

The temperature dropped of to a few numbers above 0 deg C brrrrrrr...

I was really excited about racing. I had lots of stored up frustrations after being a spectator at the recent Merida24 hour.

So for the first 3 1/2 hours of the race I started digging a hole. You know the sort of hole I am talking about the one that you bury yourself in. The sort of hole that is very painful yet very satisfying in some strange way.

Don't be afraid of these holes. They are great 'soul food

Mr. Ay Up "How are you feeling Matt?"
dog "Shattered! Legs are rooted, guts are churning..."
Mr. Ay Up "Oh?!"
dog "yeah! but fuck I am having fun & I am not going to stop!"

1 hour later...

Mr. Ay Up "hey Matt, how are you going?"
dog " Oh, man!"
Mr. Ay Up "Wanna coffee?"
dog "Oh yeah!"

So I get a coffee, take my helmet off & get under the gas heater not caring one bit about racing but still loving exactly where i was.

I finish my coffee & wander off & check the results.

dog "Hey! about 40 minutes ago I was in 2nd place, WTF am I doing here & not on my bike?!?!"

So I get back on my bike. Very quickly I found my endurance pace. I had all of my lines dialled in for the course. Just a matter of pedaling smooth flowing lines. I found my Ay Up lights to be TOO BRIGHT in the dust & sand. So I flicked them down to 1/2 power. Ahhh....that's better.

Most people I ride with know that I don't race with a speedo, clock, HR montor or anything. The numbers are too distracting. If I feel good I pedal faster in bigger gears. If I feel like crap I kick into survival speed, eat, drink & just keep moving forward.

So, I don't know how long it took until I saw fast man Anthony Zahra. He was in second. It would have been about 2 or 3am. So I sat on his back wheel for about 10 minutes to see how he was going. Read his blog here for how his race went When antz slowed a little on one of the bends on the last climb before the transition I attacked & didn't look back.

How did I feel through out the race?

I loved every single minute, every single corner, every leg sapping, sandy, grass section. I was singing to my iPod "Fuck I can sing really well!" I barked & growled at other riders to give them a gee up the hills, I gave one of the tough woman of adventure racing one of my race secrets to keep the gremlins away too.

Reader Question: Dear Mr. Dog, how do you manage to stay on your bike for 12/24 hours?

Dear rider. I have a little hole in my soul to fill it I ride MY bike for MYself.

Until next time: Keep digging those holes & never be afraid to bury yourself.

dog

.

Something new from Ay Up

2010-08-03T16:57:00.003+10:00

.

Time for an ad break...

Check out the new, simplified kits that will suit almost anyone...

Still the same awesome, bright, powerful, lightweight, water proof lights only now packaged up so anyone can afford a set of the world renowned Ay Up lights that have an international reputation for excellence.

Until next time: If you don't have chunky bits on your top tube, you are not riding hard enough!

Love dog

.

Me & Mout Mee

2010-07-09T09:13:00.003+10:00

.

It has been a few months since visiting Mount Mee. So off I trundled to check out the view. I started at the top of the mountain this time. I have found this a great trick to get one more repeat in. It's the little things ;-)

It was bloody cold with a strong, icy wind on top of the mountain. It was more comfortable at the bottom. Anyway a few downs & ups the the day was done.

It was a great feeling having my legs smashed to pieces in under 70kms!

Alberto & one other were spotted doing some secret training on the mountain too.

.

Ay Up in the USA

2010-06-25T06:51:00.003+10:00

.

Andy Fellows is ripping it up in the USA. Showing off Ay Up Lights & ripping the legs of everyone he races against.

Check out his latest blog entries. New banner is cool too.

.

Merida 24 hour Tailwind Promotions

2010-06-21T19:43:00.003+10:00

.

Just a quick note: I have just signed up for this race. Last year saw Sean Bekkers rip it up with over 350kms to take out first place. He then went on to Win his age group in the 24 hour world championships in Canmore a couple of months later. Nice work Bekkers!

A few of us did a course recon yesterday. The trails are simply awesome! It is going to be another great race put on by TailwindPromotions.com.au

If you want a really great race, on a great course & get to experience lovely Fleurs smile each time you pass the timing tent, sign up now.

Until next time: Where did I put that 'ball grease' ???

dog

.

XPD...If this is hell, then I am in heaven

2010-06-02T03:58:00.009+10:00

What is expedition racing?

XPD racing very quickly becomes less about racing & more about surviving & experiences. Here is my account of XPD adventures. "It is as much an adventure as a race"

About 9 months ago, I showed a sniff of interest in doing what is easily the longest & toughest expedition length race in Australia. The next thing I know I am gearing up & training for the race with team Ay Up Grylls.

After a 2 day drive from Brisbane to Cairns in 2 cars full of crap (ok not so much crap, more like food, gortex, pretty red adventure racing shoes...) the feeling of "what have I just gotten myself into started pop up.

So much important, race specific details occured in the first few days. But for the reader it would be very boring.

One of our goals was to complete the 700-800kms course. This did not happen. It was becoming increasingly apparent as the days passed that we would not complete the course. (About 20 out of the 48 teams that started finished the course)

One of MY most important goals was to have an adventure of a life time with my partner Kirstie. This did happen cementing a solid reference point in our relationship.

Day one: Start, Dunk Island. A quick scoot around the trails, pick up a couple of check points then the 4 of us got into one of these...

...ocean paddled to a check point jumped out, snorkelled to a couple of markers. We had to do this twice. Back to the main jetty & then again the 4 of us got back into the boat for a channel crossing, at night.

Overloaded, full of water the entire way, swell washing over the sides of the boat. I am glad I spend a few $ on a good dry bag for my pack. Once at the transition area guess what? "We get to go for a ride!" Do you remember how sore your butt was when you first started riding a bike? Well if you have forgotten, pop an xpd pack on, get on your bike & ride.

As with xpd racing, this blog entry can easily just go on & on & on... "are we there yet? are we there yet???

Here is a brief of the next 7 days... Hiked, rode, navigated, sweated, tired, 2 min sleeps, paddled, hauled boats over rapids, walked, ate chocolate, drank river water, slept under the stars, rested, laughed, highs, lows & lots, lots more.

I will let this slide show tell you some more stories.

As much as I loved every aspect of XPD & adventure racing, my passion still remains on two wheels in the dirt.

Until next time: Reward is something you get with effort.

dog

XPD team name change

2010-05-06T17:55:00.003+10:00

Here is the link to the XPD live website.

We have had an official team name change. We are now Team Ay Up Grylls!

Bear Grylls is our team mascot & we are all running the best lights in the world Ay Up Lights.

Comfortable in Chaos. (XPD team Moto)

2010-05-02T04:54:00.008+10:00

COMFORTABLE IN CHAOS. This doesn't mean that chickens are running around with their heads cut off. When your socks are soggy, you have 1000 grass seeds in your socks, you're tired, sick of m&ms, mozzies are buzzing in your ears, leaches hanging off your ankles & a very long 40% gradient, deep rutted, slippery mountain presents itself you feel comfortable in the chaos. Look up, smile & yell at the mountain gods "Is this all you have!!!" I can tell you from first hand experience, this is not "all they have" hehehe... That darn mountain just kept going & kicked up even steeper around the corner.

We were in need of a kit check, team shake out prior to XPD. Liam from the Queensland Rogaine Association put together a "24 hour Adventure-Gaine" & it was awesome! Liam & his team of worker bees set out a great course & organised a great event.

If you were a novice you could achieve a result. If you were a pro you could smash yourself & the course was almost cleared by some of them.

The race was made up of Teams of 2. So our XPD team of 4 signed up & traveled together for entire race XPD style.

It is easy to quickly work out that Adventure racing is not just about smashing it forward. Planning & logistic preparation is a very large part to a successful race. If you pop your shoes in the wrong transition box, too bad.

Caffeine has been poisoning me

2010-05-01T03:59:00.003+10:00

A couple of health issues have popped up recently. After an unrelated visit to a doctor, it was suggested that my maximum limit for coffees should be 2! "What!? do you need me to chop off a few fingers also?"

There is no way I would go from my excessive daily caffeine consumption to zero. I don't care how nice 'cold turkey' is on a sandwich.

Here's the plan. Alarm 3am. Coffee number one. Get on bike. 2 hours+ later coffee number two. That's it for the day!

I tuck into a few decaf coffees during the day. No other caffeine & guess what? My general day to day health is the best it has been in a long time!

2 weeks till we head to Cairns for XPD. I have kicked the caffeine addiction.

Until next time, Smash 'em

dog

Race Day...nearly

2010-04-15T18:11:00.005+10:00

It has been too long since my last endurance mountain bike race. I am feeling like a fat, lazy, slob. I miss the constant tiredness in my legs.

So, off to Pomona for the 000 Emergency Services Charity 12 hour xc race. 8am to 8pm. Only a couple of dark hours of racing. But better than none!

I was very rude in 2009. As a guest rider at the Police Games (Ay Up put up a couple of bike light kits as prizes) in both the road race & xc race I stole first place in both races. I surrendered my places & didn't go near the podium.

I am really excited about this Saturdays 12 hour race. It is organised by passionate cyclists. Funds are being raised for a good charity. Last, but not least, it is 12 hours of xc racing!!! Only 1/2 as much fun as 24 hours hehehe...

Ay Up will have a small presence. We are putting up a couple of prizes in support of the local racing scene & the Emergency Services.

Saturdays race Mantra: "Smooth flowing lines Dog!"

Ride, paddle, walk. 24 hours of fun, fun, fun

2010-04-05T16:09:00.011+10:00

.

In preparation for XPD, 3 out of the 4 team members of Team 145 L-Attitude headed to Noosa for an all day training session. Our 4th team member is still in recovery mode post Port Macquarie Iron Man Triathlon.

Our 'base camp' was on the river in Tewantin. We arrived in Tewantin at about 6pm. Had dinner at the local pub & discussed the plan for the following morning. I should have got the lasagne & chips. Next time.

Before racking out for the night a few kit things needed to be sorted.

Ride 5 hours:

Sunday 3am the alarm went off. A few more food things, a kit check & get on our bikes...with packs. We had the pleasure of having all of the trails to ourselves for the entire ride!

Riding in the forests on the Sunshine Coast is beautiful. Definitely more visits for xc cycling in the near future.

Mmmm....the 3 stages of calorie consumption pleasure

Paddle 5 hours:

Sunscreen on, cycling shoes off, inflate the two person kayak (as used in XPD) & away we go for a 5 hour paddle. The darn thing had an air leak in the left pontoon. There was also a water leak!

Kirstie: "How are you going back there dog?"

Dog: " This would be my least favourite discipline"

I love being on the water. I feel as though I can paddle all day. Just not in the Sevylor inflatable tanks errr...boats.

Walk 10 hours:

This was the epic part of the trip. I know it wasn't on a bike, but this was my favourite leg. We got to try out a new bit of kit. A jetboil & some new flavours of dehydrated meals.

It's not all about training.

We covered about 40kms on the walk. Our Ay Up lights
were awesome all night.

No dogs allowed? Well this dog loves spotting critters in the bush. Especially at night.

My wildlife satisfaction bucket was full to overflowing with some of the amazing creatures we saw on our training session.

We spotted a Tawny Frog Mouthed bird, a kangaroo so darn big that Bear Gryls wouldn't even have considered it food, a very large & beautiful owl. These were easily the highlight critters.

The large owl was easily my favourite spot all night.

We also saw this little dude

After a few hours sleep we popped back into Tewantin & found a sign that said Big Breakkie $10 with a free coffee! After some dog therapy filled out tummies with an awesome breakfast.

Check out the road sign in the top left corner of this photo... "All other destinations"

We had wet shoes & socks for the most of the trip. Cairns will more than likely give us the same treatment. Time to pack up & head home already.

Until next time, Train hard, Race harder.

460kms of hills, headwind, rain, heat, 2 days.

2010-02-25T17:21:00.006+10:00

.

Grafton to Inverell Cyclosportif. This event is run on the same route as the one day cycle classic race.

Why not go for a long roadie ride?!

So Kirstie & I left Brisbane at 1:00am on Friday morning to drive to Grafton. I dropped her in town then continued my drive along the 230 course to Inverell. There was one particularly long stretch where there wasn't any where to get water or food so I did a cache drop at the top of the Gibralter Range.

I parked the car in Inverell, threw my leg over the Look & started towards Grafton. After a few minutes it was very apparent that it was going to be a 25-35km headwind for the next 9-10 hours. It rained on me 5 times too!

The descent was very wet & clouded it. My Ay Up Lights & wind jacket saved the day!

9 hours: 15mins, 230kms & 2700m of climbing later I saw the wonderful smile of my woman waiting out front of our hotel in Grafton.

Food, water, shower, sleep!

Saturday morning: Awesome! my legs feel great...kind of.

We loaded up our pockets & headed to the start of the Sportif Organised ride. There is something very calming about a hotel room with a couple of bikes with numbers on them, riding food, course map... It's the small things in life I love!

Kirstie headed out about 40 minutes before me. 78kms later I found her 1/2 up the 18km climb. Said hello & rode on. The guys I was tapping away the mountain with were riding a little harder than my legs wanted. So when I got to the water station I looped back around, shot down the mountain 3 1/2kms & found Kirstie again. We climbed together to the water station then I took off again.

At about the 160-170km mark I stopped at the local shop & got them to cook me up an Egg & bacon burger!!! That washed down with 1 litre of Coke was quite simply an amazing experience. The small things in life.

8 hours: 38 minutes, 237kms, 3300 metres of climbing, another headwind all day, more than 10,000 calories I was at Inverell.

Phew. Oh, crap I parked at the hotel aptly named "Top Of the Town Motel" Oh well, back on the bike for another few kms up hill to get the car.

About 1 1/2 hours later Kirstie rolled in. She had found a peloton of women to swap turns with after being out in the headwind by herself for the first 1/2 of the ride.

Kirstie not only finished the single longest ride she has ever done in a very respectable time, she also rode with Stephanie Haussler (Heinrich Haussler's sister) Street cred on both accounts! Bloody AWESOME ride Kirstie! You deserve to put your feet up.

Until the next adventure...this weekend...
dog

"Are you guys alright with this still???"

2010-02-09T19:06:00.004+10:00

.

That was the most understated question of Saturday night.

XPD is creeping up on us. Our team is complete. We were all available for a training session last Saturday night.

We found a 42km walk in Lamington National Park. 21kms between Binna Burra & O'Rielys.

Rain was forcasted for the weekend. Nobody knew that it was going to be the most rain this area has had in over 100 years!!!

We started our walk at 6:30pm on Saturday night. The first hour was just a few puddles & clouded in. As it got dark we arced up our Ay Up lights. Then it started raining. It got heavier & heavier. Shortly there wasn't any room in the sky for any more rain.

It dumped on our heads non-stop for the next 9 hours! The puddles on the track got deeper & deeper. Then the trail turned into a running creek.

Each of us would have easily had about 20 or so leaches on us at any one time.

The walk took us 11 & a half hours. Lots happened in that time so here is a point summary.

1. Dog is the new team XMO (executive morale officer)
2. Dogs can sing (not)
3. Poetry is awesome on long walks.
4. Walking while sleeping is possible
5. 5 minute power naps do work
6. Goretex renewing conditioner doesn't work
7. Team 145 L-Attitude is awesome
8. Bike nix are not good for long walks
9. A big breakfast, a bacon egg burger, 3 extra strength coffees is the best recovery breakfast
10. Doing something that takes you outside of your comfort zone is very rewarding.
11. Bear Grylls is our team mascot

Until next time.
dog

.

Compression socks. Do they really work?

2010-01-29T17:36:00.003+10:00

.

Training long & hard during the mornings, spending 1/2 the day on my feet & the other 1/2 on a computer I was finding my calves were suffering the most.

One of the great prizes from the Dusk to Dawn race in Perth last year was a pair of compression pants coupon from Line Break

I didn't feel I would get the use out of a pair of long tights. I don't even know if they will work or not. So I emailed a very helpful & accommodating Barry asking if I could get just a pair of calf socks instead.

With in a couple of days I received my calf socks. I found the measurements on their website to be accurate with their sizing.

So on a day when my calves were smashed from weekend racing & some morning training, now is a good time to see what they can do.

I found the socks gave my calves relief with in about 20 minutes of wearing them. I left them on all day & my legs felt GREAT!

Summary after 2 months of use:

Very comfortable
Look good
I have found they DO work to rapidly assist in muscle recovery very, very well.
Now referred to as my magic socks
A little difficult to put on the first couple of times.
Some of the stitching has opened up a little.
I am so impressed with the results I am going to invest in a pair of the longer leg short, tights from LINE BREAK

Next step, I am going to see how they go 24 hour racing! I am thinking these long, shorts would be awesome for XPD?!

.

Magic Moments

2010-01-17T16:28:00.009+10:00

In 2008 I posted a comment with regards to my lead up to the 2008 Crocodile Trophy

"I would be a fool if I didn't appreciate all that I have experienced leading up to this event. It's not just about the 9 days of racing for me. It is the entire experience leading upto, during & I am very excited about what is to come once it is completed."

With XPD training I find myself again appreciating the experiences leading up to an event. Here are some photos of last weekends hike up Mt Warning about 2 hours drive South of Brisbane. We did a day hike then the following weekend we did a night one to see the sunrise!

I have come to believe that the biggest, most amazing, most memorable moments are made up by lots & lots of very small events. It is only ever possible to experience the big ones by fully appreciating all of the small events that create the most memorable moments.

Day hike

Halfway & the 'puppy' was steaming up the mountain.

A quick drink

A bit more climbing

Summit Fever! Nice work Ty

The mountain was clouded in but it was still an amazing view.

Kevin's fruit cake is awesome food. Thanks Kevin!

One very tired 'puppy'

One week later...Night hike

This is one of those 'never forget magical moments'

Summit fever ;-)

Starting to see results

2009-12-22T13:27:00.004+10:00

.

Steve at U-Turn fitness has been working not only on a cycling program & weights but also keeping an eye on my mental strength/fatigue. "I want you to have a second rest day today dog!" Oh man, that is harder that the most difficult session you have dished out.

As a result of Steve maintaining a holistic approach to my training I had 2 big days on my bike over the weekend & made the comment to him "If I could show up to a race as good as what I felt last weekend & ride as well as I did I would be really, really happy!"

I am starting to learn a little more patience. Especially when I am able to see the benefits. Thanks Steve. I am looking forward to getting my arms & legs ripped from my body again next year when our weighs sessions continue.

.

Full Steam Ahead...XPD is back on track

2009-12-22T13:12:00.004+10:00

After many back & forth emails with, at the time a potential 4th team member, we managed to convince Kreig we were decent group of 3 & talked him into joining our team.

Kreig's current career allowed him enough excuses to become unhealthy & overweight. A few changes, a 1/2 marathon, then a full marathon, now ultra marathons... I have seen these crazy, obsessed ultra marathon runners on the long, undulating fire trails in the Brisbane forest park. They are about 55kg with a back pack on & never stop! He will do just fine on our team.

Welcome to Team 145 L-Attitude Kreig.

.

XPD May 2010 Queenland. Anyone?

2009-12-11T17:30:00.002+10:00

.

My next big adventure is to head to Cairns in Far North Queensland in May 2010. Team of 4 is required. It started out as 3. I signed up making 4. We have since lost one for personal & injury reasons. Post a comment under this title or email me mattpowell72(at)bigpond(dot)com

It doesn't matter where in the world you are, just so long as you can get to Cairns for 10 days or so in May.

Here is a little about our last (my first) adventure race

.

When the going gets tough...

2009-12-10T09:35:00.000+10:00

.

It is awesome to have a champion by my side

Alcoa Dust to Yawn, done & dusted.

2009-11-30T11:49:00.003+10:00

.

Dust to Yawn is just how it was. A 6pm start. It was still too warm to ride off with anything more than a jersey. Oh, I did have nix on too. After a few hours it had cooled so I had to put my magical, long sleeve Icebreaker top on.

The laps were about 17kms long. After 10kms we came past the transition area then headed out for the other 7km loop. I was getting them done in about an hour. Shortly into the second lap I heard a loud, vibrating noise when I went to use my front brakes. It's ok, I have only lost one of my brake caliper bolts. The second one was loose to. The only reason I can think this happened is because I didn't tighten them when I put the bike together after the plane trip. No bike shop mechanic to get grumpy at & blame only myself.

I took the second one out, wrapped the caliper around the other hose line & did the next 15kms with only a back brake. This was a really good thing though. I found that when riding on marbles (pea-gravel) front brakes bring you down. As I came through the transition at the 10km mark I asked my dad (support person for the race) to find me one of these please, grabbed a fresh biddon, mouthful of fruit cake then continued on. The 'old-fella' found one. It took me a few minutes to fit & adjust.

My dad commented that one of my lap times was not as consistent. I said "that was probably the one when I head slammed & tree & sat down for a couple of minutes to make sure I was ok. oops, sorry tree.

I was in 2nd place for a short while. On about lap 14 or 15 3rd place caught me. I stuck on his wheel & had a casual chat. He then must have realised it was a 2nd/3rd thing. The pace picked up. I wheel sucked. It got a little faster, I wheel sucked. He then backed off a little, so I attacked. Along came a short climb, so I attacked it hard. I hope he pops soon because I am about to. I then see his lights getting a little further back. When the trail flattened out he caught me again. He was certainly stronger & faster than me on the night. 7kms of attacking each other was AWESOME x 10!

I have made some improvements to my race nutrition & didn't get an upset stomach all night! Now that is a first in a long time. This is one of the major benefits of using Infinit Nutrition I can adjust it to suit.

What is it like to single speed for 12 hours? I loved it. All you do is pedal. If a hill comes along pedal stronger, if it's flat just spin it out a little, if you're going down, stop pedaling & enjoy the ride. The hardtail hurt my feet this race. Other than that & my poor choice of rubber the bike was the perfect assault weapon.

On 3 separate occasions I started working on excuses to quit. This always happens for me at least once. My body wants to stop the hurt & go to bed.

In this interview Jens Voigt says "Sometimes you can hear like your body start talking to you. It says, I can't do it anymore I can't do it anymore! Your mind then goes Shut up body & do as I tell you!!!"

I will track down some more photos & update this post when I do.

Time to visit U-Turn Fitness for a session & get back on track with training.

...

Alcoa 12 hour Dusk to Dawn done!

2009-11-29T12:32:00.004+10:00

.

Quick one. The track was out to smash me. Little round gravel the size & shape of peas. It was like riding on marbles. I set the single speed up with a 32 x 18. for a couple of hours last night I was in 2nd.

I ended up with 3rd in open mens with about 187 kms. I also won the highest ranked single speeder for the race too :-)

Race report to follow once I get back to Brisbane.

Until next time, smooth flowing lines!

Dog

.

Dusk to Dawn Perth, Western Australia

2009-11-27T04:01:00.004+10:00

.

Road Trip. Only this time I am flying & by myself. As I have said previously road trips with good people... I just hope I like myself?

Here is the event link Long way to travel for a 12 hour bike race? Maybe. From what I have heard of the trails & the organising of Simon I am confident it is not too far to travel.

Race mantra: along with the "Smooth flowing lines dog!" especially as I will be on the single speed this race, I haven't worked it out. I do know that I have hours on a plane today so plug in the ipod & the appropriate one will come to me.

What is my race mantra? My very first one for the Merida 24 hour earlier this year was "No Excuses!" I have found that my mind wanders & can often go into dangerous territory. Thoughts that don't do anything to keep the mind motivated to smashing out more kms. When my legs hurt, "No excuses", when I started hallucinating, "no excuese"... you get the picture. I just keep on saying it & the mind then gives up resisting & allows the rest of me to ride!

Until next time "Om Namah Shivaya"

.

Dog Pie Recipe

2009-11-26T20:15:00.003+10:00

Dog Pie

Take 1 dog, roll and ride with it until smashed,

and add the following ingredients:

1 bicycle

1 cup patience

1 cup understanding

2 cups of good coffee

1 pinch correction

1 cup hard work

(1/2) 12 x cups pain

a pinch of praise

Heaps of fun

Blend well. Heat with the warmth of friends until the
consistency is such that dog and his friends are one.

Ay Up End of Year World Wide Sale

2009-11-19T15:05:00.003+10:00

10% off the entire range of kits for any customer, anywhere in the world!

<<<<<<========== Banner Link ===============

U Turn Fitness (Steve)

2009-11-18T14:57:00.004+10:00

I will keep this one short. Steve at U Turn Fitness is the man behind the scenes for my training leading up to some big races in 2010. Including XPD 10 day adventure race. Grafton to Inverell 228km road race. 2010 World 24 hour championships at Stromlo.

Cycling, Nutrition, Weights, Strength & my least favourite, REST.

There is room for more racing too. Isn't there Steve? Please?!?

I will say this, Steve is a professional in every aspect of his approach to smashing me for the next 11 months.

<<<<<================ Check out his website
<<<<<================

100 Mile Fling has been flung

2009-11-11T18:14:00.005+10:00

Well, Huw & his crew again put on a world class mountain bike race!

Early Friday morning I drove to pick up Rhino, Marnie & my new best mate Herbie.

850kms later we stopped for food, sleep, shower & put the bikes to bed. They have a big weekend ahead.

Saturday morning we drove the last 300kms arriving at Bundanoon. This town is about 1 1/2 hours south of Sydney. It is a beautiful town know as "Australia's first bottled water free town" Find out more about that www.bundyontap.com.au

We did the registration thing. We did the Ay Up, sell some lighting systems with a race day special thing. We ate, got most of our race stuff ready then racked out for the evening.

Sunday morning saw a perfect day for a roll around the forest. So here is a race report.

1. Lined up at the front with Rhino. The two Ay Up jerseys looked great.

2. Race is on. 30kms to the first check point & the start of Wingello State forest loop.
As I climbed a slow pinch, Mark Fenner (finished 2nd in the 100mile) climbed passed me. "Hey Mark you have a stick stuck in your derailleur". So I jumped off my bike, jogged beside him, pulled the stick out, gave him a little shove up the hill & jumped back on my bike.

"Hey Rhino, I feel nauseaus" Rhino's reply "Me too! I have already vomited once"

3. 54kms loop of awesome trails in the Wingello State forest. This is when my vomiting started. Quickly turning into dry retching because there wasn't anything left in my guts.

Hey! is that Troy Glennan Rockstar Racing tough guy wheel sucking off me? Sure is!!! Only the 100 mile dudes started 30 minutes before him hehehe... just don't tell anyone. shhhhh...

4. How cool is this, we get to do another awesome 54km loop of the forest! I had the best part of the forest to myself because the 100km riders had left the forest (most of them)

5. There's Rhino at the last check point. "Hey dog! do you want to do the last 25kms together?" dog "fuck yeah!"

6. The last 25 kms Rhino & I hooted up, down, around corners, laughing, hooting & dry retching all the way home. I managed to reel & overtake two more 100 mile riders.

7. Job's done. Australia's only 100mile mtb race. Tick that box. Home in 8 1/2 hours & 9th place.

Craig Gordon took out first place for the second year in a row. ROCKSTAR!

I love road trips. Road trips with good people are simply as awesome as a well executed 'jaman attack'

Road Trip! Highland Fling 100 mile xc race

2009-11-05T16:23:00.003+10:00

Tomorrow Rhino & I are driving for 14 hours South of Brisbane to Bundanoon. Race 162kms. Then drive home. Thank you in advance to Marnie for feeding us.

Road Trip!

Some photos from 2 years ago.

What the Hell's Hells Bells?

2009-10-23T07:33:00.005+10:00

Hells Bells is a 24 hour adventure race organised & run by Geocentrics Outdoor Adventures

The race saw a little walking/jogging, mountain biking, ropes course, abseiling, canyoning/swimming, no sleep & a huge amount of fun.

This was a great 'shake-out' for 3 out of the 4 team members we have for XPD. A 10 day adventure race up in far north Queensland in May 2010

Oh, the person on the left, above is our team captain. That is the look she gives us when we are not paddling hard enough. "Paddle Dog or I'll smash you next time we go for a mountain bike ride!!!"

Once we had reached race HQ, had 2 x egg & bacon rolls, 2 x coffees I was unable to keep my eyes open. Aaaahhhh, that cool, hard, concrete slab right under my feet where I am sitting looks like a great place to sleee....zzzzz

Scott24 hour, jobs done (photos now added)

2009-10-14T07:11:00.007+10:00

Final position. 13th in the open mens. With 18 laps (about 325kms) I did enough laps to secure a position in the world champs next year to be held on the same course.

Spending the Friday night with TR & Rach was a lot of fun. Those guys area a great reality check.

Race Start: 50 mins for my first lap. Smooth, not too fast however not sustainable. I then settled into a more sustainable pace ;-)

After my first lap it was clear the service & seal replacement on my forks didn't fix the leaking problem. They stopped leaking before the sun went down. I would suggest because they ran out of oil. Oh, well. At least I have my eye sight.

At about 6pm I got a small stick that flicked in behind my glasses. The vision in my left eye became instantly blurry. As the night laps went on my left eye vision was fully a blur & I was unable to see out of it. So at 2am I went to the emergency tent, they sent me to the hospital, the wait at the hospital was 6-8 hours! WTF is that about?! I made a self assessment, went back to the race emergency tent, got them to put on a sealed up eye patch so no dust or crap could get in & make it worse. All the while this was happening I was fuelling up!!! 2 1/2 hours later I was back on my bike.

I went out for a night lap with one eye & it was fucked! I finished it but decided I would more than likely axe myself. So I sat back for 20 minutes & waited for the sun to come up enough. I went out & smashed out some more consistent laps. Jason English with 23. Matt_dog with 18!

It was going to be the last lap that TR yelled at me on some of the fastest & most fun part of the trail. "Keep riding dog, there are more hills!!!" I was so cranked up & hungry to eat some more climbingdidn't stop at the transition before heading out for another lap just before the course closed. I simply turfed my empty biddon, my awesome girl saw what was going on & just held out a full one for a hot swap.

When Jason English first lapped me sometime before midnight he gave me some kind words of encouragement (bloody nice guy!) I then told him "Hey Jason, I have been sitting back resting & I am going to put in my attack on you soon!" A little cheeky but a lot of fun when tired. I am sure he had a little laugh too.

Man, that guy rides so smooth. I guess that's how you become the worlds best!

So when you ask “what am I doing in October 2010?” I am going to line up for the world championships! Yeee haaaa….. So get back on your bike so you can smash me up those hills!

Lessons learnt.

My Scott Scale 20 hardtail is a beautiful bike. I now must get a full suspension bike. My legs & head were still strong, my back, neck & shoulders were smashed!

Tubless tires with UST specific rubber are an absolute must for this course. I have never seen so many people sitting on the side of the track changing flats! There were so many, it looked like a hill top crowd on Le Tour!

Pizza is fucking awesome race food!

GU gels are shit in cold weather. They are so thick. Shotz were awesome gels in the cold.

Merino under shirts are awesome! My 2XU jacket saved my race. Easy to zip down when climbing & zip up on the freezing cold descents.

There is always room for one more lap.

A spare bike/100% redundancy is a great idea!

All the stuff I have just typed above is not nearly as important to me as this next bit. My partner, Kirstie, was an awesome pit chick. We both had an awesome road trip & established a new level of mutual trust in our relationship.

Road Trip!

2009-10-07T18:46:00.000+10:00

http://www.scott24hr.com.au

I love road trips. One with a bike race in it is even more awesome.

What did you do on Thursday night?

2009-09-25T20:37:00.003+10:00

Late night shopping? Not bloody likely! Not for Rach, Mark & I.

The three of us headed out for a xc ride. 71kms & 2300 metres of climbing! My Scott Scale20 was getting the forks serviced in preparation for the up & coming races. The next horse in the stable was the Ventana single speed.

There was some hike-a-bike. We saw two sugar gliders, a few possums, many Tawny Frog Mouthed birds, Rach was a bit of an animal at times & Mark pretended to be a gravel dwelling snake after a dive into the dirt as a result of something catching his front wheel on a fast decent.

Mark's Ay Up lights were ripped from his helmet mount, the cable was ripped out of the back of the lights. We picked them up, popped them back into the mount, plugged the cable back in & you wouldn't have know he had just crashed. The lights weren't even scratched.

Summary: Get some lights, push your pedals & not a trolley!

2009-09-19T18:16:00.007+10:00

Lots of training, lots of work... no room for blogging. So I have stolen a few minutes this evening for a breif update.

Training: Wednesday mornings have become my Mount Nebo mornings. Camp Mountain is my little treat for being a good dog & getting out. It is always a spectacular sunrise on the decent.

I love xc night riding. So about a week ago I headed out on my mtb at about 5:30 in the arvo. Crusing through Brisbane Forest Park, down to Lake Manchester & climb, climb, climb all the way back out again. Home by about 11pm. My Ay Up lights are just the best for these rides. I didn't have to change my batteries all night & still had full light!

Last weekend, Saturday saw me ride in the Queensland Police Games Road Race as a guest. Criterium style at the Mount Cotton Driver Training Centre. Awesome racing!

Then on the Sunday was the QPG cross country race at Old Hidden Vale. The single speed was able to put some hurt into the field on that morning!

Earlier this week saw a friend of mine in a coma for a short period of time after face planting a car windscreen. Even though he is still in hospital & will be for a couple of weeks yet he is healing quickly. The rumour is on a training ride he did so many repeats on one hill on his mtb that he flatted the hill!!! I believe it too!

October is a tough racing month. 10/11 is the Scott24. Road Trip! 17/18th is Hells Bells a 24 hour adventure race. 24/25th is the TwoWheelPromotions 24 hour xc race at Canungra.

This will be some good base kms in time for the Highland Fling 7/8th November. Road Trip! Then a 12 hour on the 21/22nd Nov then off the Perth Western Australia for their Dusk to Dawn 12 hour. Huh, maybe October & November there will be lots of racing.

Ok, time to hit the hay before a Sunday of xc kms

Cyclogaine, Peachester Queensland

2009-08-31T19:58:00.006+10:00

So 3/4 of our 2010 XPD team loaded up our bikes, map boards, sense of adventure & headed north of Brisbane for 45 minutes & ended up in Peachester.

The first control point was our most challenging. A bit of a warm up one. Then we just smashed the rest. After my other two team buddies reeled me in from the bottom of an awesome fun decent. We continued on.

There were awesome views like this all day! I am taking about the mountains Al, not your legs.

We arrived in enough time to pick up our maps. Seen above is our team captain. We just call her Butt kicker Kirstie' ! Don't let the georgous smile & stunning legs fool you.

Seen below is our 2IC. We call him Al. We are yet to decide what Al is 2IC of.

No GPS or bike computers "Use the skills you were born with" was the comment on the rules sheet. It was agreed that when we were born we could only pee, poop & scream. This might just work!?

The trails were sweet! Some of the fire trails were so steep & technical many walked on the downs. The worst part of the day was having to put the brakes on for a nav check part way along an awesome decent or bit of single track. Oh well, it is a navigation ride after all hehehe...

I took the Ay Up race machine on it's Sunday outing. The single speed, Ventana 29er built by Black Sheep Imports here in Brissie was the perfect bike for the day.

It was agreed by all that as a team we had acheived all of our objectives, & a couple of check points, so we headed back to town. Someone say food!!! Show us the way Al.

The event was well organised. The catering! After we got back to the community hall in Peachester we were greeted by an AMAZING spread of freshly baked scones, cakes, there was icecream, soup, fresh bread, quiche, more cakes, slices... Mountain bike race organisers have a lot to learn!!!

Next Adventure...Expedition Style

2009-08-22T04:27:00.002+10:00

No, I haven't taken up riding a time trial bike in speedo's. An adventure racing team has accepted my expression of interest to join. So, 2010 XPD, here we come.

When: May 2010

Where: Far North Queensland (Meet in Cairns)

Why: Because we can

How: Drive to Cairns with all of our crap & just do it!

Disciplines: MTB, kayaking, walking, archery (wtf?) & what ever else Craig & his awesome team at Geocentric Outdoor Adventures can squeeze in to punish our minds & bodies!

Check it out for yourself http://www.xpd.com.au/

Ay Up in the UK & Europe

2009-08-14T06:35:00.003+10:00

Here is the link to the brief itinerary for Mr. Ay Up's trip to the UK & Europe.

4 months of travel, riding, racing & some beer drinking too I suspect ;-)

One of the major reasons for this trip is to reassure our existing & potentially new UK/EU customers that we are continuing to drive forward in support & supply of these awesome lights.

Mr. Ay Up is also supporting/sponsoring local mountain bike & running events as a way of putting some back to where it came from.

So if you are nearby any of the events or competing, be sure to keep your eyes open for the Ay Up banners & cruise past say G'day.

Religious experience in the mountains.

2009-08-09T13:41:00.003+10:00

I found that if you drag out the picture it makes the mountain look steeper.

I was looking for a group ride today. Everyone I came across was going for a flat ride. I wanted to head to Mt Mee. So, as with many of my training rides, it was just me. On the way down off the mountain I sped past some of the awesome QSM dudes & dudettes on their way up. So I finished the decent & headed back up again. One climb turned very quickly into 4.

I was cruising along the flat towards the bakery with Michael & we were talking about the mountain. He then said "I like this mountain. Come to think of it I like Cootha too. Oh, one more I like ....mountain" I said to Michael "I like your attitude dude!"

So after spending a religious, Sunday morning at the Church of Mt Mee, giving praise to lactic acid, giving myself to the god of two wheels, praying for smashed legs & attacking mates, watching the moon set over the promised land of mountains I have fed my hungry soul that feeds on altitude & two wheels.

12 hour Dusk 2 Dawn MTB race in Perth

2009-08-08T05:35:00.007+10:00

I will fly to this event given it would take 5 long days to drive there.

New trails, new people & a bike race, sounds like a perfect trip to me already.

http://www.wa12hour.com.au

In the 3 years I have been racing I have noticed there are event organisers & then there are event organisers. Been to awesome & not so awesome events.

I have exchanged a dozen or so emails with the organiser of this event & I am confident it is going to be an awesome one!

See you roosters & hens there!

New Ay Up Website (& new Ay Up Bling)

2009-08-02T02:50:00.002+10:00

I will let the new Ay Up website do all of the talking

www.ayup-lights.com

Now time to pack the car, put the bike on the roof, drive to Canungra for a 4 hour xc race organised & run by TwoWheelPromotions. This is where they will be hosting their 24 hour race in a couple of months. A great opportunity to get a few recce laps in.

Russell Worthington is BACK! Back from going for a little ride somewhere outback. Check this crazy shit out!

Nutrition tip: Porridge & Nutella with chopped strawberries is AWESOME!

One of Australia's up & coming XC riders

2009-07-18T13:22:00.004+10:00

This is what I saw when I looked over my shoulder!

I was going for a smash session around Bunya this morning & looked over my shoulder to see this little dude wheel sucking! It didn't take me long to recognise him as a podium finisher at the junior, short course race that Tailwind Promotions ran in conjunction with their Merida 24 hour. Ty (Tear Their Legs Off) Powell

Needless to say I had to stop & have a breather. Ty pulled over & I asked if I was ok. What an opportunity. "Can I get a photo with you Ty so that everyone will believe I went for a ride with a legend?" After a telling me I should "Toughen up princess & keep riding!" he agreed to a photo.

After the photo opportunity, Ty gave me a few pointers on how to attack on the climbs & suggested I read the Jaman book of tactics if I wanted to learn how to rip legs off other riders.

Thanks Ty!

Noosa Enduro 100k..."How good was that!"

2009-07-16T16:48:00.004+10:00

2:00am Alarm
2:15am leaped out of bed
3:15am car packed, driving north
4:30am got the best carpark in Pomona
5:30-6:28am saw jaman, got a hug from Meg, saw the Rockstar boys...

So far all of this has been done with a shit eating grin...

6:30am GO, GO, GO... doof doof tunes rocking, legs cranking lets tear this race to pieces!

I pedaled, smiled, whooped & yeeehhaaarrd down almost every decent with a shit eating grin. Knowing I had a fan at the finish

Every climb was awesome. Even the grass ones (Yes Pete, even the grass ones!) Yeah sure the occasional one hurt but that makes it all the more fun.

Good deeds for the day: I quickly turned back to give another rider my little tool box for the chain tool & quick link, gave another rider 1/4 of a biddon of liquid cement "suck it up girly man!"

I was asked by lots of people "what time did you do?" reply "Errr... dunno. I was having too much fun to give a fuck about the time!!!"

Every decent was exciting, fun, fast! The views were awesome. I had a perfect race!!! My biggest fan was at the finish with a smile & a hug.

A few good friends & I sat on the grass watching everyone roll into the finish while drinking coffee, coke, coffee, eating burgers & more. We shared some stories then headed home.

After a few days I had a quick look at the final results. They still don't matter.

Love from Dog

Who Dare, Wins

2009-07-11T07:03:00.005+10:00

Regardless of any possible outcomes, conquering your fears & taking a leap for something you passionately believe in means you have won...who dares, wins.

Time to start ramping it up again!

2009-07-06T18:45:00.006+10:00

How is this! It was cold, damp, slippery, foggy. It was just an absolute perfect day for a classic Mount Nebo Ride with a couple of close friends.

I have been resting. Riding 1-3 times a week & only at a casual pace & not for very long. At first it was very frustrating. Then, I started to see the sunrises again, I can smell the Aussie bush again, I can appreciate the cold wind on my face. I have again, found the reason why I started cycling. Phew!

I found this random dude & dudette. They reckon the recognised me from Big Brother 2006 & wanted a photo taken.

Our own Rach is gearing up to tear some international legs off in Canada in the 24 solo womens elite category.

Just over one week ago was the Insomnia 24 hour. 3rd year & each one has been a total, gear destroying, slop fest! The year being no exception. After some solid riding in the first part of the race a mechanical was a great excuse to sit down & call it quits. My legs were strong & chewing up the mud easily. The truth of the matter is, my head was tired & mentally I had had enough. A couple of mates helped out by working on the race machine. Thanks Jezza & Neil.!

All was not lost. In fact I found a couple of gems as I continued to ride the occasional lap. 3 of which weren't counted because I just popped of the track to talk to people & forgot to pass by the timing tent hehehe... I rode some laps with friends. I even stopped at the top of a couple of the little hills on the course for a chat! I don't think too many people saw me though.

As I sat down & chatted with Lesley & Warren (two of the loveliest people you will ever meet) during the race I found more than just a gem in the mud at the Insomnia!

The most recent card picked up: When not looking for the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow it is easier to find.

Happy Dog

2009-06-16T18:51:00.005+10:00

Picture this, about 12 deg C just warm enough to roll the arm warmers down, clear blue skies, good friends, a new single speed 29er, single track, lots of climbing, single track, pancakes & coffee..the list was just perfect.

Picked up a 'card'

2009-06-14T04:29:00.003+10:00

As I continue to smash everyday as best I know how I am very concious of my game of 52 pick up.

As with most days/weeks this one wasn't any different in the way of presenting challanges. I found that not picking up a 'card' has been more satisfying than picking one up.

Insomnia 24 hour. 2 weeks to go.

2009-06-13T17:38:00.003+10:00

This will be the inaugral race for the new Ay Up racing machine. A huge thank you to Pete from Black Sheep Imports for putting this 24 hour 29" SS racing machine together.

After I have put it through it paces on a few rides I will post up a ride report.

Dirty Dog, Dirty Dan & Icecream

2009-06-08T05:22:00.003+10:00

One of my favourite riding areas is through the Brisbane Forest Park. All of the single track was closed after being smashed by storms. So a fire trail ride is a great way to get a dirt fix.

"What a stunning morning, will I need my wind vest Matt?" "No!"

As we crested one of the many climbs on this ride there it was. A wall of thick, dark, sky to ground cloud! "Good thing you brought that vest Dan" Now how do I gutter ball Dan & steal that vest?

We got wet, muddy, the wind picked up & the temperature dropped as we got to my favourite cafe at the top of Mt Nebo.

It is a well known fact, when training a dog you must reward it when it is good.

Awesome ride !

Lost Dog (Reward when found)

2009-06-04T18:24:00.004+10:00

So, it would appear that forcing my way into the 28 days isn't working. I am now really paying for not staying off my bike while being really sick. That's ok, it gives me something to work towards again.

At the moment I am playing '52 pick-up'. If you don't know what 52 pick-up is. This is a game where someone has in their hands a neat, organised deck of cards (my life) they then throw this neat & organised deck of cards of a high, windy cliff face & yells, "52 pick-up!"

The wonderful thing that is coming out of being a lost dog & playing 52 pick-up is it is a great time to put the deck of cards back in the order I want them. I might even choose not to pick up some of the cards because they no longer belong in the deck.

So far only one or two of the cards that lead to the lost dog have been found. What an awesome adventure!

Day 1 of 28? Huh? what happened

2009-05-23T18:37:00.002+10:00

Well, this one is really quick & easy to explain. I fell off the wagon.

So, today was Day 1 of 28 again. A quick hit out this morning. It included 2 mountains, rain, thick fog, a little sunshine, rain, one tosser driver & 198kms later I was home.

My favourite cafe, on the top of Mount Nebo, is closing down for 2 months over June & July. The two owners are traveling overseas. They had a management team organised for the 2 months but this just fell through a few days ago.

No decent excuse to stop for a rest on top of this mountain now :-(

Oh, while I type about my not so important day there are many in SE Queensland & Northern NSW that are getting smashed with a huge amount of flooding due to rain, strong wind damage & to top it off there is a very serious warning of a huge tidal surge that will more than likely cause much more damage & flooding along the coast. Keep safe everyone!

Day 3 of 28

2009-05-16T17:00:00.002+10:00

Today is day 3 of 28 days in a row. Why? because I read somewhere it takes 28 days to learn a new habit. I have been so slack & out of routine in the past 2 months I am disappointed in myself.

It is time to "get back in the saddle' in many areas of my day.

Merida 24 hour...Race day!

2009-05-09T07:52:00.005+10:00

It is my belief that I am always ready to ride a 24 hour mountain bike race. Sometimes I am just more ready than others. Upon reflection, I don't know any race I have ever been as ready for as I wanted to be.

I work a 40-55 hour week, have the pleasure of having my two sons 1/2 the week every week, I get sick, occasionally sleep... & amongst that lot & much more I squeeze in between 10-20+ hours of training a week. I kind of figured a 24 hour race had me covered for a few days off the bike this week hehehe...

I arrived at Hiddenvale in SE Queensland on the Saturday morning. This is one of my favourite things about racing, I caught up with lots of really good people & met some new ones.

As I was wondering around I saw Tim Bennett. What a great surprise. Then Jo Bennett...Nick Both...Adrian Jackson...Paul Traynor. It was awesome to see these guys again. It is the same crew that I met & did a small amount of peloton time with on the 2008 Croc Trophy. A really good team of people. They were very supportive of me on the 2008 CT & continued this support on the track for the Merida 24 hour. Thanks everyone!

I am not too much into long winded, lap for lap race reports.

My 9 yr old son was my support person. My pre-race breifing to the dude was "Hand me a biddon & some different food each time. Here is some cash, be sure to get yourself some dinner, breakfast from the BBQ & as many hot chocloates as you like from the coffee van. Brush your teeth..." you guys know the rest.

I rolled through the transition at about 11pm & past my marquee. Ty was all tucked up asleep on a camp chair in the very cold, damp evening air. "Ty, wake up! go to the tent with the matress, sleeping bag, doona, pillow." Off he went. He toughted it out for 11 hours & was that committed he was still trackside! I didn't see him until the sun popped up the next day. Then he started his job again. He was a legend of a support person. Not one winghing word all weekend.

Needless to say, it was only natural he shared the second step of the podium with me. Proud Dad moment.

Tailwind Promotions Peter Creagh (aka Cranky) Hayden Brooks (Kiwi) & his lovely wife Fluer along with the others I don't know put on an awesome event. It had a really good feel about the event all weekend. Nice work everyone.

Excuses

2009-05-02T05:16:00.003+10:00

I had a fascinating conversation with a woman that is doing her PHD on what makes athletes crack under pressure. It brought to the surface an area in my training that I can improve. She has competed at National & International level Kayaking & continues to be a 'smash 'em' adventure racing athlete.

How many times have you showed up to a ride or race & asked someone "so how are you feeling today" then it starts. Also, how many times have you been approaching an event & your training partner say about 1 or 2 weeks out, "my knee is starting to play up, training too hard, still doing base miles, injured, sick, tired, haven't been training. The list is endless.

It is my belief that we place pressure on ourselves & these reasons/excuses are a back door escape route in preparation for what we believe to be non-performance on the day.

So here is an open invitation, send the reasons/excuses you have used or heard. I am looking forward to compiling a list of them under this heading. I will keep updating this heading as they roll in. Not just pre bike race ones, these reasons/excuses extend into our everyday lives. I am keen to hear them all.

The feeling of winning is very short lived.

2009-04-27T18:54:00.005+10:00

For the past 2 years (since I first started road racing) I have been racing Masters B grade. One DNF, mostly I just finished with the main peloton.

One week ago saw this change. I used the little bit of experience I have gained in the past 2 years & made it to the top step of the podium of an Open B Grade 84km road race.

The feeling of winning is very short lived.

Racing with integrity against/with good people, maintaining & forging new friendships lasts a lot longer. Then, at the end of every race, regardless of the result that winning feeling lasts a lot longer.

Ay Up Lights (Customer Complaint?)

2009-04-23T20:00:00.005+10:00

I get to process anywhere upwards of 80 emails a day. This customer complaint arrived from New Zealand this afternoon. I felt it necessary to share it.

Quote from some crazy Kiwi...

Hi to the Ay Up Team.

I wish to complain about the light system I have just received.

Firstly: when the courier bloke arrived and I signed for the delivery I thought there was some kind of mistake. The package was so small and light that it must have been the first of 4 or 5 packages, so after 20 minutes of nagging the courier … I was wrong.... You Aussies need to stop this king of practical joke and make a decent 5kg light system like your competitors.

Secondly: Us Kiwis are used to carrying around 8kg lead acid motorbike batteries while riding. The Ay Up batteries weigh less than the light cables on my old system. This is ridiculous. How am I expected to do weight training while riding? Mate- I don't know how you did it but I’m the laughing stock of the Wednesday night ride bunch – with my small bulge in my bike top.

Thirdly: These lights need a warning. They are way too bright, it’s downright dangerous. I know that Kiwis go around in the dark with their heads in the ground, but you need to make a special Kiwi version with one tenth the light output. I have been wearing welding goggles while night riding just to make things tolerable. When riding on the road I have caused 3 car crashes by blinding oncoming traffic, and that was 5km away. I’m thinking of using the lights as laser cutters to burn through steel they are so bright. Half our nocturnal wildlife has become extinct through starvation as it never gets dark enough at night with these lights being used. The local conservation core is outraged. I’ve lost my job and my girlfriend has left me because I have developed a sleeping disorder due to confusion over what is night and what is day. I will be sending the bill to you once my eyesight has returned to normal.

Lastly: Then there is the lights themselves. When I undid the packaging the light was so small that the wind blew it onto the ground and it became lost through the cracks in the deck. I had to rent an electron microscope to find it again. This has caused significant cost and embarrassment. The light is so small it actually fell through the vent in my bike helmet and became lost in my hair, requiring a knit comb to recover it. The light on my handle bar is smaller than my bike computer. Please rectify this problem. I suggest using some of those XXXX beer cans as the light body would be better.

I hope this valuable feedback will enable you to produce a New Zealand version of the Ay Up light system.

I would be more than happy providing feedback on your future designs.

Yours

Max R.

p.s Great Lights.

It made my day, week, month...

GAR 6 Hour Enduro

2009-04-10T17:42:00.006+10:00

Saturday saw enough time in the afternoon to drive out to the course to do a pre-ride. Sunday morning was 'Race Day!'

I popped upto the front of the start group. I started out a little fast. Not nearly as fast as Jeff Toohey! He smashed out the fasted lap of the day!

The first lap was a little muddy. After a couple of hundred bikes had been over some areas it quickly got better in some areas & a lot worse in others. There were 3 sections on the course that ended up being quicker to walk/jog as the race went on.

I had some help in the pits from Kal. He gave my bike a couple of 'de-mud' sessions that allowed my Scott Scale to continue on. Chain & cassette were thown out after this race. They were chewed to pieces.

I don't race with any speedo numbers I can see during timed races like this one. I occassionally check out the time. I have no idea how many laps, kms... This really works for me. I just pedal as best I can until they closed the course.

I saw many, many riders giving this race their all. It was very inspiring. At the end of the day I managed 14 laps & 3rd place.

On a slightly different subject. Rock Star racing rocked the Mont 24hour in Canberra. After a very hard fought battle, these rockers stood a top of the podium.

24 hours in Rotorua

2009-04-04T13:51:00.009+10:00

Although the 'on-the-board' results are a little poor. They are not a reflection on how good my 9 hours of racing was. I achieved most of my goals for the race. I tried to only use Infinite Nutrition in my biddons & nothing else. This was not successful. It's just too boring. So I will back the calories off in the mix to allow for some real food to go in.

Road Trip! This 6 berth camper gave the 3 of us a double bed each.

A huge thank you to lovely Robin for feeding/caring for all 4 of us.

Beautiful place to ride. It got down to 4 or 5 degrees on Sunday morning.

Andrew Bell, 3rd in Solo mens.

Mark (makes & tests your Ay Up lights here in Brisbane) got 3rd in the Single Speed category.

Who brought this dude along?!

NZO 24 hours at Rotorua

2009-03-30T08:52:00.002+10:00

A quick race report with photos & more details to be added later.

Weather: Sunny & pleasant during the day. As soon as the sun went down it was damp & darn cold. 4 or 5 deg C in the morning!

Track: Can only be described as awesome, fun, fast, flowing, demanding 16 kms long. If you don't like single track then this is not the course for you hehehe...

Race: Mind, bike, body all ready to go. They all came together. I found a really good pace. In the early part of lap 3 is when I tried to find a nice smooth line to use later on in the night to avoid some body rattling bumps is when it all went very wrong. My front wheel washed out on a fast bumpy down hill. In the crash somthing has driving into the top of my chest.

Another 6 laps (9 completed laps in total) & just over 9 hours of non stop lapping I decided to have a little fed, jersey change, leg warmers on stop. This is when the pain started crashing down on me.

I got checked out & it wasn't good news. My race was over. At the end of the race I finished in 8th place overall in the solos.

The people, track, town, weather...everything has been awesome. Definately an event to add to your race calendar.

"Why do you do it?"... "Just because I can !"

2009-03-20T20:07:00.002+10:00

NZO 24 hours at Rotorua

2009-03-17T04:36:00.003+10:00

Next race, 24 hours. While watching some great bike racing at Crestmead (Qld.) a couple of days ago with Steve at U-Turn Fitness I asked the question "How I am going to ride for 24 hours?" His reply was "Ride a little slower"

24 hour race plan

1. Nutrition: I have customised my infinit nutrition biddon mix. There is enough of everything in it to do the race on biddons with out the need for anything else.

2. Skills: Smooth, flowing lines. With out the help of Roadie Rob I would probably still be a 'pedal, pedal, pedal...brake, brake, brake...' style of rider still! I used to be a lot harder work until Rob slapped me in the face & showed me some of the most basic mtb skills.

3. Pace: Start slow, medium pace in the middle & finish the day with a solid pace!

4. Rest: This is kept for before & after the race. A 30 sec - 1 min put my feet down every lap or two. This works out a lot better than sitting down for 10-20minutes a couple of times.

5. Fun Factor: I love my racing. There is a lot of time for things to go rough in a 24 hour race. A lot has to go right for a successful ride. Keeping a smile & a sense of humour even when things have gone to shit is what it is about.

6. Motivation: I have seen this pop up in a few discussions over the past couple of weeks. Personal integrity (don't bullshit myself). When I hear an excuse inside of my head that distracts me. I ask myself "Self, are you crapping on?"

7. For me endurance racing is about myself. So many opportunities are presented to learn.

Catch you on the trails sometime.
Dog

I wanna be a Rockstar

2009-03-08T15:51:00.007+10:00

Rockstar Racing I don't ride for them. The jersey was a gift, post crocodile trophy last year. I love the graphics. Given the quality of riders on the Rockstar Racing team I am sure the jersey has some "smash them" magical powers hehehe...

I love my new ride. I picked up the frame & fork 2nd hand. I then picked up an Ultegra SL groupset from Velo.net.au & built it up myself.

This weekend saw lots of great criterium racing. Saturday was an hour & 1/2 ride to Nundah for 40 minutes & 2 laps in B grade. This photo says it all. It was a fast, furious, full (60 riders!) race.

Today was a drive south to give Race 3 of the Sizzling Summer Series a hit out. My Natalie has now done the first 3 races of the series. I have been mountain bike racing each time. I was able to enter this one at the last minute.

The course is fast. A couple of easy going corners that require a little fore thought with positioning. This was one of the hard working people of many that have made this series a great event. "Hey cookie, your egg muffin burgers are the best!"

Cheeky & all round nice guy, Pat "The Tank" took out the win in my race, Masters B peloton today. I will find a photo of this dude somewhere.

Blacksheep Imports Blog

2009-03-07T04:07:00.002+10:00

Pete & I never organise to go for ride with each other, however quite often we seem to 'bump' into each other on the trails or at the top of Mount Nebo, Boombama Cafe.

Pete is one of the local, Blacksheep Imports dudes. He has started a blog to keep us in the loop.

Personally, I know very little about the bikes he imports. What I have seen of each & everyone of his machines is they are exceptionally well built, with the utmost attention placed on detail & finish. They are beautiful machines. Lots of photos please Pete!

Singapore photos

2009-03-04T09:50:00.006+10:00

Firstly, my trip would not have been possible with out the complete support of Mr. Ay Up

Below: New trail closure initiative. WTF?!

Mmmm...coffee...

This is my all time favourite photo from the trip. After having numerous chats with Tinker over the course of the weekend I am now officially a huge fan. He is a darn nice guy, down to earth, easy to chat with... well he is a mountain biker after all.

The Scott was a perfect bike for the race.

eneloop race registration. Some of the fast track in the back ground.

Singapore 100km night race

2009-03-02T10:21:00.006+10:00

Friday 5:30am: Land at Changi airport, Singapore, grab my bike which made it in one piece, breeze through customs, buy a cup of morning coffee & I was in a taxi by 6am on my way to Gillie's house.

I have never met or even spoken to Gillie & Rina. Only a couple of emails. Both have been very generous & accommodated me for the 4 days I have been staying in Singapore. Thank you Gillie & Rina !

10:30am: Bike is built & the guys have organised a pre-race recce ride on the course. It was that hot & humid I broke out in a lather of sweat just putting my shoes on! "This is going to be great"

Course description: 10kms, some wide trails, lots of tight twisting single track, some rough, technical climbs with rough down hills. Overall a tough trail with potential to be even better with more riders & work. The final km or so of single track into the transition area was just awesome.

During the casual ride I had the pleasure of meeting a few of the local riders & some from the Philipines. The Phillipino riders dominated the race results in solo & teams.

Saturday (RACE DAY): So the race is due to start at 5pm. Cut off time 2pm. Distance to finish 100kms. Solo riders about 95. Weather: looks like it could rain a little.

I spotted Tinker Juarez kicking back so I walked over to say G'day. A really down to earth, genuine, nice guy. We just talked cycling shit for a bit then I had to go for a warm up ride.

Warm up ride: This is an interesting concept as I am sweating my butt off just putting my helmet on. As I was rolling around I pulled up beside some dude on a Twenty-9 full carbon hardtail. "Hey Gary, that is a sweet looking ride!" Gary Fisher replied with an evil kind of laugh & mentioned that it still needed to be pedalled & he was completely unprepared for the race.

As Gary & I rolled up to the start line it was already thick of starters. I looked at him & said we needed to get up to the front of the start. A few "maaf / excuse me's" later we were up the front. Phew.

Mountain biking has such a passionate following in this area. The race atmosphere, energy & smiles in the staring peloton was one of the best I had experienced. I felt honoured to be a part of this race with so many passionate mountain bikers!

3hrs into the race: A really bad arsed electrical storm smashed the course. Within minutes of the rain starting there were water rapids on the trails. Lightening strikes came in rapid succession & so close there was more than mud in my nix.

3hrs:30min: Race cancelled :o(( I managed to be part way around my 7th lap. I told Tinker I was about to put in an attack & that he was saved by the storm hehehe... He has been sick for a couple of weeks & still smashed out some awesome lap times.

Summary: Even with the race being cut short due to safety concerns (which I agree was a very sensible decision) it has been well worth the time & small amount of effort to participate. I would love to be a part of this race & festival again next year.

I will have a few photos once I get back to Oz.

Ty Racing!

2009-02-21T10:26:00.004+10:00

Pictures tell the entire story of this mornings racing.

Ty 'rubbing shoulders' with one of the big boys of racing (Rhino is one of Ty's heros) for some great pre-race motivation.

A big thank you to Terry Bourne (Lockstock) & HPRW cycling club. They have always been so welcoming every time I attend their club racing. Today Terry allowed Ty to pop into E grade for his very first roadie race. 30 minutes + 2 laps. Ty was lapped only twice.

Ty finishing with with an out of the saddle sprint finish & a lunge over the line too!

Proud dad moment

Dear Mum

2009-02-21T03:53:00.004+10:00

My mum had to phone me the other day. Why? Just to say hello because I haven't been updating my blog. Oops, sorry mum.

I am getting excited at going to Singapore next week. I have made my commitment to racing 24 hours in Rotorua at the end of March. Tickets booked & entry in. As you would expect there will be some big hitters racing in NZ.

My new 24hr racing machine is easily the best xc bike I have owned & ridden. The Scott Scale 20.

On the subject of new bikes I have been very patient in keeping an eye out for a road bike for my 9yr old son. I came across a 650c bike with an extra pair of bling racing wheels! It took him all of 2 minutes to work out the clipless pedals & cycling shoe thing. He loves it! I am about to see if he also loves the early mornings for training sessions in about 5 minutes :o)

My oldest boy is making wonderful progress through his early teens. He is learning to make good decisions & quickly knowing & learning from his not-so-good decisions.

My dear sweet Natalie is getting back on her two wheeled horse after being bucked off it a couple of times.

Every day is an awesome day, only some are more awesome than others!

Thanks mum
Love dog

Singapore Mountain Bike Festival

2009-02-07T06:01:00.004+10:00

Like many of us I am a keen follower of Tinker Juarez. I was reading his blog & I came across a mountian bike festival in Singapore. One of the races is a 100km night race. The first xc night race every organised in Singapore.

Given Ay Up lighing systems sells lights all around the world this appeared to be a great opportunity to send a sponsored rider along to support the event & for some exposure.

So, my race entry is in & flights are booked.

12 hours...dusk to dawn

2009-02-04T20:14:00.004+10:00

How awesome is this... Andy Fellows, currently the world champion in his age group for 24 hour racing & Andrew Bell is not shy of the podium either!

This is just two of the big hitters that will be racing this weekend at the Ay Up Dusk2Dawn 12 hour enduro.

There is a surprising number of solo riders in this years event which is always great to see.

I have my personal goals set for this event. They include a total km goal, nutrition goal & a technical/skills goal.

I am looking forward to getting out onto the dirt again for a race. Too much racing on tar lately ;o)

Quote for today: “By prevailing over all obstacles and distractions, one may unfailingly arrive at his chosen goal or destination.” Christopher Columbus

What's that noise

2009-01-26T06:01:00.004+10:00

I hadn't taken my xc race wheels (tubeless Mavic Slr's) for a spin for about 2 months. As I roll off there is a noise inside my tire. Go a little faster, it's gone now. Slow down, back again.

After the ride I have a look inside the tire & here's what I found.

These amazing structures created from liguid latex. The one on the left was about 5cm across.

I must remember to check the latex in my tires more often ;o)

europcar are untrustworthy & ripped me off

2009-01-24T16:53:00.006+10:00

I may get some interesting feedback on this one. The reason I haven't made this crap public until now is because I had given them the opportunity to fix this crap up.

This is my experience & how I feel as a result of how I was treated.

About 6 months out from the Croc Trophy last year I secured a sponsorship deal with europcar. Quite simply they were going to provide a 4wd vehicle for the period of the race & a couple of days either side.

Once a month leading up to the event & every week for the last 3 weeks up to the event I contacted them to ensure everything was good to go. The feedback was always yes, everything is good to go. Even when picking up the vehicle they were aware of the sponsorship deal as it was typed into the notes on my booking/account.

A few days after I returned the vehicle in immaculate condition (the comment made by the europcar staff in Cairns was "This is clean enough for me to hire out straight away") the farkers charged my credit card for the hire of the vehicle.

When I contacted them to ask WTF is going on, they tapped danced & said that things had changed.

Velo.net.au

2009-01-24T16:33:00.003+10:00

So I drove down to The Grange to see the brand new Velo.net.au bike shop.

Let me start this story by giving you a little insight. As some of you are aware I worked at this awesome bike shop for a period of time.

I became aware that Shayne in his meticulous manner, spent his every waking hour (& I am sure sleeping hours too) plan every nook & cranny of this shop.

A comment he made to me one day "this shop will stand up to any bike shop in the world"

I walked into the shop & WOW! Even knowing that it was going to be something special I was still very surprised & impressed.

So if you are a South East Queenslander, pop in for a visit & let Shayne & his staff know what you think.

Dusk 2 Dawn 12 hour xc race

2009-01-22T06:47:00.005+10:00

I love doing the dust2yawn. 2 1/2 weeks to go. It has all of the required boxes ticked.

Mountain bike riding
Riding at night
12 hours of cycling
Eating breakfast on my bike

I have a sweet new bike, great lights, lots of kms in my legs so the fun factor will be awesome!

Quote of the day

2008-12-12T06:26:00.001+10:00

Unknown Author

The only thing wrong with doing nothing is that you never know when you're finished.

Living the dream

2008-12-02T06:36:00.005+10:00

This is a statement/comment often made. What is YOUR idea of living the dream?
I am coming around to the possibility that I am living it. I don't have much $, I don't own a house, things go wrong, I crash my bike, I get really tired...everybody knows what I am saying there.

But get this, I have two beautiful sons, a couple of sweet bikes to ride, time to get out & ride them, a great job, a very decent person to work for, an awesome girl friend...the list can go on.

Cycling is one of those special hobbies. I continually meet many really good people (& obviously the occasional tosser)

Last weekend saw a 3 1/2 hour drive north of Brisbane. Best I take my roadie with me. After some internet networking during the week I found a Sunday morning peloton to ride with.

Sunday morning: I had a road bike & tight lycra so I was accepted by the 'alpha rider' into the group ;o) Thanks to the guys in Hervey Bay for the guided tour. One question though, Is there always a smashing headwind up there? If so I am keen to visit again soon.

Everyday is awesome, some are just more awesome than others.

Sunday Morning Ride

2008-11-24T06:01:00.004+10:00

I do almost all of my training either by myself or with my partner Natalie. So group rides are few & far between. Yesterday saw Natalie & I meet up with a few Ord Minett & QSM riders. All great people to ride with. A majority of the peloton were in Velo.net.au kit!

I have a new job! I now work for Ay Up Lighting Systems. Great location, great team, awesome product. Now I just have to work out if some part of my financial expenses for 24hr races are tax deductable ;o)

Forced Rest

2008-11-14T06:06:00.003+10:00

Last Sunday I took the 45min drive north of Brisbane to "The Big Kart Track" near Australia Zoo. Why? because the Sunshine Coast Cycling Club (SCCC) have secured a 12 month deal to use the track for Criterium racing!

The course is awesome. Lots of corners, slightly rise to the finish, plenty of parking & the cafe is open shortly after we get there.

Young (not yet 15yrs) Nick Schultz was the top place getter on the day. He worked hard, continually attacked & took the points & the money. Nice work Nick. Now just get bigger so we can draft of you.

Where does the forced rest come in? well I made a silly mistake & clipped my pedal on a fast, sweeping corner. Next thing I am sliding, sliding... along on my side.

A few injuries, minor repairs needed on my bike & I shreaded my Velo jersy & nix.

I am keen to get down to Nundah for the Hamilton Pine Rivers Wheelers regular Saturday morning criterium racing tomorrow.

Until next time, remember there are only good reasons for being here.

Biddon Fuel

2008-11-05T18:07:00.004+10:00

For many months leading up to the croc I spent just as much time cycling as I did working on my nutrition plan for the race. I was fortunate to come across Infinit Nutrition.

I have been able to adjust the amount of calories/carbs/protein/electrolytes...etc for each biddon until my stomach & legs were happy.

The stuff tastes great. I used it in almost every biddon on every day of the the croc trophy. Cramping was never an issue either. Not even a twinge! At the end of a long training week I used to get cramps in my calves when in bed in the early hours of the morning. Since switching to Infinit Nutrition this has disappeared.

So you are aware, Infinit Nutrition is not a sponsor. Peter gave me a discount due to the large order I placed for the croc.

Should you have your cycling nutrition sorted out stick with it, should you not have it sorted, Peter is very helpful on the email & phone. Contact him, have a chin wag & sort it out.

Happy cycling.

Registration day

2008-11-03T06:44:00.002+10:00

Well, rego was 2 weeks ago. More than just showing up & getting your race number goes on at the rego. We saw Naomi Hansen slip into Dream Team racing kit, we met Darren O'Grady & Craig Gordon.

Considering myself an endurance cyclist, I am a huge fan of Craig Gordon. Subsequently, to meet the guy on registration day & have a conversation with him really made my day.

One more sleep & guess what???... RACE DAY!

Race day everyday for 10 days. That is just awesome!

Back home

2008-11-01T15:41:00.003+10:00

I am back in Brisbane tomorrow. I will write a few stories & put some pictures here to. Thank you to everyone that has viewed my blog & passed on good lucks & congratulations. I am looking forward to smacking up some trails with you all again soon.

I see there is some criterium racing at Nerang tomorrow? Who's keen? 7am

Thank you Virgin Blue Airlines

2008-10-19T16:12:00.002+10:00

My wheel bags travelled with cabin crew luggage so that they would make it to Cairns safe & sound. My bike made it to Cairns in one piece too! :o) I am so relieved. The wonderful staff memeber was able to do some creative checking in & I didn't have to pay for any excess luggage.

Only one airline to fly with when travelling in my book now.

Europcar are awesome! They have provided an almost brand new Pajaro 4wd for the duration of the race & a couple of days either side.

There are a few mtb cyclists out & about today. I haven't been able to get into the 'holiday mode'. We are staying at some lovely holiday apartments .

Until next time GGF & have a great ride.

What's in the inspiration "tool box"

2008-10-16T05:55:00.004+10:00

I am sometimes asked "how do you manage to ride for 12 or 24 hours?" & "What do you think about when you are on your bike for 6-8 hours?" & "How do you get up at 3am most mornings to train?"

There are a few others, however these are the most common.

When we read Andrew Bell's story about the recent Scott 24 hour he talks about pain. Not just leg cramps that a some water, food & stretching makes better. He is talking about the sort of pain that not only physically hurts, but the sort of pain that grinds you down mentally especially when you know you have over 20 hours to go that makes you doubt your ability & makes you think you want to just throw your bike into the bushes, walk home & never ride again.

There is a very deep hole (I am starting to think it is bottomless or has a leak) inside that I need to fill. Committing to, training & preparing for & completing the crocodile trophy 12/24 hour races are some of those things that fills the hole.

Through out 2008 road & xc season I have stood on the podium steps a few times. These are not the moments that I remember or mean the most.

I remember fast corners, awesome single track, long-slow-tough-ball busting climbs.

One of my most vivid & exciting racing memories for this year was race 3 of the Inferno Series. 80kms or so long. Awesome 'Jaman' & I were smashing out rough single track, wheel to wheel. With in sight of each other for the entire race. I tell the story of this race often.

I have my own personal demons. They are well camoflaged day to day. So difficult to find. The best way I have found to flush them out of their hiding place so I can smash them is phsical & emotional stress. Go & do an endurance training ride or race. Find them, them smash them.

What have I done?

2008-10-08T18:21:00.004+10:00

I should mention that the two photos used in this post are taken by John Flynn. John is not only an awesome photographer, he also rides a bike! Check out some of his stories
So, about 2 weeks ago when asked how I was feeling about doing the croc trophy, I described it as "I am at the stage of I wish it was tomorrow but I also wish it was still 3 months away!"

Today, as I write a few things in my diary, realising that I fly out at the end of next week I now have the feeling "What the flip have I gotten myself into?"

Then I look back at the many other occasions I have made that same comment.

I committed to completing the 2008 crocodile trophy nearly 9 months ago. There have been so many changes in that time. Many simply falling in behind my croc goals.

With that in mind, I would be a fool if I didn't appreciate all that I have experienced leading up to this event. It's not just about the 9 days of racing for me. It is the entire experience leading upto, during & I am very excited about what is to come once it is completed.

8 Hour Enduro...eat some dust

2008-10-07T08:13:00.004+10:00

What a totally awesome day. It was a warm day, with the potential to be a lot hotter. Low to mid 30's I think. There was a lot of dust. The course was fast.

Our little campsite was in the perfect position for quick, easy pit stops. The campsite was made up of a handful of other great people that love their bike riding. Some of them have even turned into 'racers'

I started at the front of the race but was happy to let the speedy team riders take it out & I wasn't interested in anyones elses pace other than my own.

Big Mistake: The course was so fast I was back in under 30mins for the first 4 or 5 laps. I finished 600mls of fluid (240 calories) & a GU gel (100 calories) 340 calories in 1/2 an hour, 1360 calories in 2 hours. That is 2 times my maximum intake. No wonder I said to my pit crew "there is something wrong"

So for the next 1 1/2 hours I downed just water with the occasional swig of electrolyte. Everything started to feel a lot more comfortable.

I took my two sons out to the event. They did the kiddies race & soaked up the race atmosphere. Both of them love riding their bikes.

Attack!...Attack again & again "Kapow!!!"

2008-10-01T14:43:00.004+10:00

Mount Nebo interval session with some well established climbers. Nice guy, Andrew Patten (4th in Grafton to Inverell 228km roadie race Div3) showed up & dished out some pain also.

To describe the ride would be simply to say it was a rapid succession of attacks for 37kms.
Post session coffee is a real treat.

I had a few things bothering me this morning & got a little distracted. This is what resulted. Bit of skin off my butt too.

Reminder: Why do I ride?

2008-09-30T07:54:00.004+10:00

On the rare occasion, I manage to get down to the Brisbane River for the Monday night noodle ride.

Here is a quick description of the ride. Meet up, talk crap, ride off, spin a yarn, ride, laugh, attack the occasional hill, sprint, ride, stop, eat cheap noodles, talk more crap, ride home while burping.

Given the training I do, last night I was asked, "So Matt, what is this ride for you?"

I responded by saying that it is an awesome reminder of how much fun cycling is. The group is honest, fun & they are simply there to ride their bikes.

Before I met up with the guys I had a quick catch up with 'Hubcap' Andrew Handyside. Smiling, riding & keen to smash out an awesome race this Sunday. Hubcap shared his goal for Sunday with me & I will be sure to call him on it.

4 laps, burger & a coke

2008-09-28T18:54:00.005+10:00

Mt Crosby xc racing this morning. Again a great atmosphere & I am letting as many xc dudes/dudettes how much fun it is & to come on down for the next one.

Next Sunday is the 8 hour enduro organised & run by GAR As much fun as I had for the 51 minute race today, my passion is the longer races.

The GAR 8 hour enduro will be day two of a 3 day session. This will be the tail end of my loading week. Then onto a 2 week taper.
p.s. Man, that bald spot is spreading ;o)

Take the next step

2008-09-27T19:41:00.002+10:00

I consider myself an endurance cyclist & not a fast one. At the very last minute Natalie & I went to the Balmoral Cycling Club hosted, Saturday morning criterium racing.

I have been riding B grade for a while now. I managed to be in the right place at the right time with a little extra kick in my legs & ended up with a couple of podium finishes. Having to start work at 9am, A grade was the only option if I wanted to feed the 'racing-bug'. So step it up dog!

Big peloton, awesome fun, great cyclists, will be there again.

Must go to bed in preparation for the some short course, club, xc racing tomorrow morning.

ATTACK JAMAN!!!

Crunch!!!...now I need a new helmet

2008-09-22T17:12:00.005+10:00

A little reminder for me today. It only takes a small lapse in concerntration & things can go wrong very quickly.

I always look forward to a skills session with Roadie Rob. Tearing along a short bit of single track, I didn't take the first part of the 'S' wide enough & ran out of room for the second part of the 'S'. There were two trees, one on each side of the trail. The angle I approached the little bend presented what looked like the trees side by side with no gap in the middle.

I went from fast to stop! One of the funny things was my head hit the tree so farking hard that my glasses shot off my face & just kept going.

A little 'trail shy' for the remainder of the session. I am finding more aches & pains as the day goes on.

Great Helmet. Will be replacing it with the same one.

Sunday Racing

2008-09-21T18:43:00.010+10:00

A Saturday evening phone call to Rhino..."What cycling are you doing on Sunday?"

This ended up with Natalie & I meeting up at Peloton Cycles with Rhino, Tom & a handful of the guys from Peloton Cycles (& a great bunch of guys to ride/race with) all in their shop kit. We then headed to Synergy Park industrial area to race a criterium very nicely organised by Ipswich Cycling Club.

I forgot how much fun criterium racing is.

Saturday morning saw Natalie keeping the B grade men honest at a HPRW criterium at Nundah by racing with them.

A reality check yesterday. It was pointed out to me..."only 2 more training weeks before the croc" The past 7 months since I first entered this event have flown past.

Mount Mee

2008-09-18T08:57:00.008+10:00

What an awesome day it was for cycling. I was to meet up with Rach & TR at 6am. I did a few kms first, had a gumby stack in the carpark while waiting then rolled off for a blast into Dayboro.

Bakery stop, biddon fill up & I kept going up over the mountain as Rach & TR had to turn around & head for home.

A short conversation with Rach brought up the subject of excuses. By the end of the conversation it was clear that excuses (& there are too many to mention) are another way of saying "I am not willing to make the necessary sacrifices"

My passion is for 12/24 hour racing. When setting training, racing, nutrition, family ect... goals, sacrifices will always have to be made. Some easy, some not so easy.

Other sacrifices that occur when having a clear intention & focus on a goal are the ones that you don't immediately realise. They just happen. I turn around to have a look & something has gone.

One thing is certain & that is change.

Some beautiful places to ride in Brisbane

2008-09-14T04:38:00.008+10:00

This is only 10 minutes from the city.

Brisbane River

Sandgate foreshore. We busted a friend of ours picking up their Sunday newspaper as we cycled past. So we stopped & got a free coffee :o))

No two days are the same.

2008-09-13T03:25:00.003+10:00

Here is an example of what generally occurs in a dog's day.

3am: Alarm goes of. Weatbix, hot chocolate, gear up ready to ride off at 4am. This is when my Ay-Up lights come in very handy.

5am: Part way around the 75kms of Tour de Redcliffe loop.

6:30am: Visit favourite bakery for post ride carbs.

7:00am: S...S...S

8:00am: Start work

4:00pm: Finish work, pick up one of my boys from Volley ball training, go home, cook dinner, surf internet, catch up with the "So, what happened at school today?" conversation with my boys.

A few domestic duties, share more time with Natalie.

7:30pm: Nearly ready for bed.

8:30pm: Zzzzzz....

When I write it down like that, the day appears so short & simple. Maybe it is, but some days feel long & complicated. Others are as simple as they read.