Riding enduro solo, particularly seven hours, takes a special kind of animal. You need to be prepared to suffer both physically and mentally. Any sign of weakness and your opposition pounce, tearing all the hard work to shreds and leaving your race in tatters. Mutual respect abounds between fellow racers, not only for the battering the body undergoes during the race, but for the countless sacrifices made, which go essentially unnoticed during the year. It is interesting to delve into the backgrounds of these riders, which will invariably uncover an impressive resume of previous sporting achievements. Only by entering the world of these strange beasts, can a full appreciation be gleaned of what it really takes to succeed in this punishing form of racing. 

Kevin Wynne-Sythe, Jetblack team mate, was making this very switch, from team to solo seven hours, and was approaching his first race, in this format, with a healthy dose of trepidation. His goal was suitably realistic: survival. I wished him luck, as the race start rushed ever closer.

One minute before the explosion of power, that would signal the start of the race, and I cast my mind back on what must represent one of the most ill-prepared build-ups to any event. A week-long flu, four days off work, almost no riding all week and a mental state that mirrored that of my rookie seven hour solo team-mate: survival. I have to admit, I had prayed (and danced) for rain to postpone the event to allow me the time to recover sufficiently. This would have been particularly cruel on Rocky Trail event organisers Martin and Julianne, but with heavy rain falling all week in the Awaba area, it looked a distinct possibility. Instead, the track had been doused in gallons of water and heavy going and leg-sapping mud seemed to be the order of the day.

To my initial surprise, I managed a fairly decent start and was even weaving past the early strugglers. Soon the fire road merged into singletrack and the race had begun in earnest. Fierce rivals, Jamie Vogele and Ian Bridgland, came past and I knew it was going to be a long and torturous day in the saddle. I looked down at the Garmin and the heart rate was 97%. The body was still fighting illness and now I was shocking my body with intense racing after not riding at all for 5 days. Despite this, I felt much better than I had predicted and so I vowed to toughen up and try and stay in touch with my competition.

The Awaba track was being raced in reverse and this seemed to cause a number of riders some difficulty. I treated it as racing on an unknown track and set about learning the best method of attacking it. The first two hours passed without too much drama but my physical condition was to make the next five hours a solid test of my mental resolve. My fatigue levels were low (due to the enforced rest) and this provided enough fuel to bolster my mindset. I attempted to ride efficiently, and concentrated on my descending skills which I have been endeavouring to improve in recent weeks. I hydrated as much as was possible and gave my body every chance of surviving till the end. After four and a half hours the track cleared and I was able to concentrate on trying to keep the lap times as consistent as possible. 

Ahead on the track I spotted another Jetblack jersey, of which there were seemingly hundreds, but this time it was Kevin. He was suffering from cramping and was visibly doing it tough. 'Welcome to our world' I thought. He told me he had already snapped his chain in the rainforest and lost valuable time and he was later to let a tree get the better of him but he was filled with enough tenacity and vigour to ensure he would complete the seven hours. 

I ploughed on and was driven on by yet another Jetblack rider, young Sara Mills, racing in a pair and posting the fastest female lap for the day. She was doing a double lap and, as she began her second lap, Pete Selkrig came steaming past. I had to let both of them go, the heart rate far too high to maintain for another lap. I was soon sharing turns with another young rider, whose efforts were temporarily ended when he crashed on a tight hairpin corner, leaving me to complete my final two laps alone.

I was tired and starting to make mistakes. My foot slipped off the pedal and scrapped a large chunk of skin from my shin. The mud and sweat sealed the wound quickly, but the effect was to channel my focus until the end of the race. 

To my amazement , I was now informed I had squeezed onto the podium, in third. Ian Bridgland, had ridden a solid race to take second and the incredibly strong Hugh Stodart had taken the win in Masters and an impressive 4th overall in the solo category. I was delighted with the final result, considering the poor build-up I had to the race and, to be honest, I had more than bettered my expectations. Strangely enough, my wife had confidently predicted I would somehow find a way on to the podium, despite my condition. Not for the first time she was right, and I can only presume that, if this was the middle-ages, she would have been burnt alive at the stake for her uncanny vision.

It was great to see Kevin Wynne-Smith complete his first seven hour solo. Armed with the first of many stories of heroics, he vows to back for more in four weeks' time with the Series moving to James Estate Winery for the second round.

Success in sport is dependent on natural physical ability, mental strength and training. Training will bolster the first two attributes, but the nature of the training is key to the degree of improvement an athlete will experience. Apart from training on a mountain bike, I tend to incorporate road riding (including commuting), roller and wind trainer sessions and spin classes. This year, I have discovered the very latest tool in many serious cyclist's arsenal: the Watt Bike.

The Watt bike is designed to be the most effective method of incorporating science into cycling in order to allow the greatest increase in athletic potential. By combining the parameters of power output, cadence, heart rate and pedalling efficiency the athlete is armed with copious amounts of feedback which will allow for the greatest improvement in performance.

With so many other forms of training available, why would a cyclist choose to train indoors on a Watt Bike. The most obvious reason is the fact that you are training with power. For many years, heart rate has been the main determiner of training intensity. It certainly indicates how much stress is being placed on the cardiovascular system and, simply put, how hard you are working. But it doesn't show if you are improving. Power, on the other hand, measures the muscular force through the pedals - an increase in power will mean an increase in speed and, therefore, an increase in performance. Power instruments can be fitted to a road or mountain bike and this provides excellent feedback on performance, particularly in races. Unlike Europe and North America, in Sydney we are far more able to train outside all year round, making the most of the sunshine, fresh air and the scenery. Nevertheless, training indoors allows for absolute control, eliminating such variables as traffic, weather and changes in terrain. This permits the athlete to focus completely on performance variables such as power, cadence and pedal efficiency.

The Cycle Studio in Balgowlah provides the perfect environment for power training sessions. I have been fortunate enough to have been trained by James Lamb 'Chops', elite enduro mountain biker and all-round top guy. In order to establish the 7 power training zones, it is necessary to do a 3 minute Aerobic Test or, as I did, a 20 minute Anaerobic Threshold Test. My Maximum Minute Power (MMP) was found to be 394 watts. My average Power over the 20 minutes was 272 watts, averaging 41.4 km/h. Therefore, my Anaerobic Threshold Power (also known as Lactate Threshold or Critical Power) is 272, which is the power I can produce for an hour (adjusted by 3 to 5 percent or 258 to 264 watts) before the accumulation of lactate stops the muscles being able to match energy supply with energy demand. A number of interval training sessions are then carried out utilizing the power zones before re-testing 6-8 weeks later to establish the new MMP.

Interval Training on a Watt Bike is, without doubt, one of the most effective ways to train. Preparing in this way certainly emphasizes 'quality over quantity'. In the past, I have been guilty of training long miles, but often riding without focus. Last year, I built a solid endurance base but now I am better equipped to work on my intensity and technique.  Intervals of high intensity, with an associated rest period, can be tough but the shorter duration makes them do-able. Immediate feedback is provided by the Watt Bike, which allows the athlete to concentrate on maintaining the target power output. This would never happen on the road or track where the rider is often unaware of a drop in power and can usually only rely on heart rate or perceived effort. With power training, it doesn't take long before the cyclist feels fitter and stronger and power to weight ratio increases. Furthermore, I can testify that mental strength also increases as it becomes clearer exactly what the body's capabilities are. 

A further benefit of the Watt bike is the ability to improve pedalling technique through the polar view on the bike's computer display. The aim is to generate equal power through each leg but certainly to keep within the range of 48-52 percent. Secondly, the angle of peak force can to be analysed and modified through more efficient pedal technique with the aim to produce the same angle of peak force in each leg. Finally, the whole pedal stroke (shown below) can be monitored for weaknesses and training undertaken to iron out the areas in the shape where the stroke is less efficient.

My pedal stroke is similar to the 'Intermediate' polar view, but I am able to produce the 'elite' sausage shape with focus, which involves activating the hamstrings and glutes on the recovery phase. Obviously, cycling position and proper cleated cycle shoes are critical, with the key to think about scraping back / scraping mud off the sole of the foot at the bottom of the pedal stroke. Initially, changing the biomechanics of the pedalling action produces the feeling of working harder and going slower but, after a few weeks training, this will turn round and result in more speed and power with reduced effort.

One of the benefits of using a power meter is the fact that fatigue levels can be closely monitored. Intensive training produces increases in fitness but also an accompanying increase in fatigue. Without proper periods of rest in order to allow recovery, performance is compromised and can even lead to burnout. A power meter doesn't lie, and I recently noticed that I was struggling to 'hit my numbers' in training. It was clear that I needed to manage my training more carefully and to stop flogging myself on too many long rides. I have, therefore, adjusted my training as a result.

In summary, it is more than apparent that power training has a major role to play in a serious cyclist's training regime but it shouldn't be the only form of training. I recognise the massive benefits from training on a Watt Bike but the sessions are often tough because they hurt. During some sessions my legs burn and my lungs scream. Base fitness and motivation to push beyond the comfort zone are a pre-requisite. Of course, the Watt Bike can be used to train at lower intensities and my wife is one who really enjoys these 'spin' sessions. Watt Bike Australia recommend 2-3 sessions a week with at least a day's rest in between. Other forms of training complete my week, with races dominating weekends. It is in these races I am sure the rewards for my Watt Bike sessions are destined to surface. 

It appears the stars were not aligned from the outset. Leaving Manly at four in the afternoon, meant I hit the mad rush to get home. More like a listless crawl, as I edged forwards one car length at a time along the notoriously busy Military Road. I contented myself with the thought that several people do this every day of the week while I am lucky enough to be able to commute on my road bike and avoid this purgatory. After an hour and a half, I had travelled a whopping 20 km and 300 km of road still lay ahead. Once past Liverpool, I donned the shades, cranked up the ipod and with the rich, hearty tones of Marilyn Manson, my sanity was strangely restored as I hit the accelerator, finally reaching the speed limit and I began to enjoy the freedom of the motorway. 

Once registered, I left Canberra town centre but, as I tried unsuccessfully to tune into the Manly-Souths League game, I found myself driving down a 3-lane one-way street. Luckily, the fast-moving oncoming traffic was in the other two lanes and a catastrophe was averted. On reaching the house my Jetblack team had booked for the weekend, I found that the others had already taken to their temporary nests and, conscious not to disturb anyone, I took the only available spot on the floor under the snooker table. Mosquitoes were eating me alive and when I retreated under the cover of my sleeping bag I soon found myself in a lake of sweat. It was already 1 am, and fearing no sleep at all, I found solace in the laundry room. It was cool and mosquito free. I began to worry about redback spiders, who just love these damp rooms and the scratches on the door, which I had assumed were from a cat, now, in my mind, were from the resident rats. Richard Kuklinski, the Iceman, had fed his victims to rats while they were still alive...Resigned to a gruesome death by spider venon, while rats feasted on my eyeballs, I somehow drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

I awoke at five in the morning, and the events of the night now seemed a distant memory. I checked in a mirror, certain I would resemble a victim of the bubonic plague, but there was not one bite or welt. Perhaps, I was merely a victim of my own imagination.

With no time for a warm-up, I took my place in the first of seven waves, alongside the Big Guns of Endurance Mountain Biking. Elite riders, such as Dylan Cooper, Shawn Lewis, Jason English, Brett Bellchambers and Jenny Fay, but also regular foes Garry James, Mike Israel and Trent Moore. As I had expected, the pace was frenetic from the outset, and I struggled to keep in contact with the main group. A rider came alongside me complaining he had forgotten to take a bottle of water and he was in for a long day. I remember noticing him on the start line and had wondered what insane strategy he was employing. The rider was Jamie Ingram, and he was able to salvage a dropped bottle after just 10 km, thus saving him from the damaging effects of dehydration. Perhaps the rider ahead, who had dropped the bottle, was less fortunate. 

As the course wound its way through the wonderful singletrack of Kowen, Sparrow Hill and Majura Pines it became strikingly obvious that my descending was, once again, holding me back. I was playing tag with Eliza Kwan, who was eventually to finish 3rd in female elite. I was able to move past her comfortably on the flat and uphill sections, only for her to close (and even be held up) on the downhills. I sincerely apologise to her for that, and I know that any improvement in this area will dramatically improve my race times.

After 65 km, the race enters a 10 km untimed section, which allows riders to refuel and recover. To be brutally honest, this really works against me as it takes away some of the endurance element, which is my strength. I waited 53 minutes of the allocated 55, before setting off with Justin Dewhurst on the undulations of Black Mountain. Caution was necessary on this section, as the descents were fast and loose. For once, I was not the only one grabbing large handfuls of brake. Initially, I dropped back from the riders ahead, unable to find my rhythm and power. Like an old diesel, I found my legs, and started to cut through the riders in front. On catching Justin, I took my place at the front and he jumped in my slipstream. After a few minutes, he hadn't come round to do his time in the wind and I knew he was struggling. I kept up the speed and next time I looked around he had popped.                                                                                           

Justin had been three minutes ahead, having started in the second wave, and this provided the motivation to keep pushing hard to the finish at Mt. Stromlo. I climbed the switchbacks with renewed gusto and, as always, thrived on the white knuckle descending along skyline and the luge. I was to take five minutes on the final section to beat him by two. Finishing in 4.08.52, I trimmed 10 minutes off my time from the previous year and placed 96th.

Dylan Cooper and Jenny Fay took line honors in the elite category with Shaun Lewis, Jason English, Naomi Hansen and Eliza Kwan filling the podium. Mike Israel was an excellent 44th, Trent Moore 52nd, Jetblack teammates Andrew Finlayson 32nd and Andrew Fell 69th. Congratulations to Guy Cowan (87th) and Elvio Fernandes (95th), Elvio finally beating me by just nine seconds!

The last couple of days I've felt absolutely shattered. However, on reflection it is not difficult to see why. On Sunday, I had decided to embark on a longer ride and set off with the intention of covering 100 km. Not really that far, but after concentrating on my power and speed training for the past three months, it was a feat I had achieved only four times this year. What is more, the roads were wet and the skies were jettisoning ample volumes of precipitation, making the early going tough and, at times, with speeding cars all around, slightly unpleasant. On reaching the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, the rain and traffic eased and I began to relax and enjoy the experience. If the rain had continued I would have shortened the ride from the intended 100 km. But now, another thought enveloped my cerebrum. Strava had started a new challenge - A Gran Fondo requiring the rider to complete a 100 mile ride. Despite the conditions, I decided that this was now my goal for the day. Six hours later, I had ridden 168 km and climbed 2,500 metres. 

I felt satisfied with the achievement and all would have been fine if I had allowed my body to recover the next day. A recovery day does not necessarily mean a day off the bike, particularly for a highly-trained cyclist, but should be a relatively easy day in the saddle. My usual 40 km commute that Monday morning transformed into 75 km. By riding 168 km on Sunday I had not only completed the challenge, but I was now high up on the Strava Monthly Challenge Leaderboard where the goal is to complete the most distance in that calender month. In fact, I was Top 50 in Australia out of 4600, and 150th out of over 39,000 worldwide. On two of the road sections I had sprinted to earn two Gold Cups for the ride for being the 2nd and 6th fastest rider ever on those sections of roads. Tuesday brought another 50 km of riding and a visit to the Cycle Studio for some Power Training with James Lamb 'Chops'. These indoor power sessions have become a major part of my training (and will be the subject of a later blog) but today I was exhausted. The short two km ride from my home in Manly to the gym in Balgowlah had hurt. My legs were ridiculously fatigued and I knew I would be unable to produce any quality training. 'Chops' was forgiving, but the session was still tough, and I was now seriously questioning my training regime.

As a Sports Scientist, graduating from Loughborough University, the United Kingdom's finest sporting Institution, and with further qualifications in Physical Education and Personal Training, I feel I have more than an adequate knowledge of training principles. With an IQ that has been regularly tested over 140, I don't think that I'm lacking intelligence. But, sometimes, my stupidity beggars belief. I realise I need to rest in order to recover but I'll overide this knowledge by riding further than I should, or attaking a hill when I should be coasting up one. A dark force has entered my psyche, and is infecting my brain cells like a virus. And that virus is Strava.

For the uninitiated, Strava is a social fitness site that connects to a GPS, most commonly Garmin. Think of it as 'Facebook for Fit people'. Cycle rides, runs and walks can all be downloaded with more data than most mortals can reasonably handle. In the past, ride data would consist of a time from origin to destination recorded on a stopwatch. Bike computers brought in speed, distance, heart rate and cadence (leg speed). Now, it is feasible to record, among many other measurements, power, stress levels and GPS data. It can be linked to your friends data to promote friendly competition or you can follow Pros and World Champions. Like status updates on Facebook, riding information is instantly shown on a dashboard and it is possible to know exactly how far and how well others are riding. Kudos and comments are regularly exchanged and the world's riding community is inextricably linked.

I bought my Garmin 510 just over a year ago and, I admit, I wish I had invested in one much earlier. As an information geek, I relish the fact that so much data can be derived from one ride. I sadly admit to downloading my rides as soon as I return home so that I can immediately pore over the mountain of data provided (much to my wife's annoyance when she was in Sydney)! The buzz from achieving a KOM (King of the Mountain) or even a Gold Cup (Top Ten) is priceless. If that wasn't enough, I even download my data onto Veloviewer that analyses the data even further. The positive influence of all this, is I now find myself riding a variety of routes, exploring new areas and generally opening up whole areas I would never have dreamed of riding before. I attack hills with gusto, not unwillingly grinding up them. Strava's rallying slogan is 'Prove It', to show yourself that you can achieve fitness and health and challenge yourself and others. There are millions of challenges out there and Strava has brought those into the realm of millions of riders of all levels. 

However, like all great innovations, there are drawbacks to Strava. Riding can transform from fun to an unwelcome battle against others. The constant comparison means a casual ride no longer exists and every ride is a race against the clock. The desire for Personal Best times, KOM's (QOM's for girls), Gold Cups and bettering others is relentless. The Strava challenges can result in overtraining and fatigue. Most cyclists would be aware of the American rider who died pursuing a KOM on a downhill road segment. Others have endangered their own lives or the lives of pedestrians while trying to finish a Strava section, oblivious to the environment around them. For me personally, I have had to rethink my riding in order to realign my training to allow me to peak for the races that are far more important to me than any KOM or Monthly Cycling Challenge.

Despite these issues, I believe strava has enhanced the cycling experience for almost everyone, and I for one, am really pleased for the richness it provides to the daily cycling experience. Like Facebook and similar innovations, there will always be detractors, and the product itself will have imperfections while other people will continue to abuse or misuse it. Nevertheless, I feel the world is a better place for having Strava.