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Rocky Trail Shimano MTB 7 hour GP - Round 2 - Awaba

19/4/2015

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Developing Mental Toughness

I've been involved in competitive sports for long enough to know that physical ability is not the only element necessary for success. When athletes share similar physical attributes and skills, the deciding factor will be psychological. The well known adage 'when the going gets tough, the tough get going' is particularly relevant on the endurance mountain bike scene, with competitors regularly riding through pain and adversity. Prior to the race at Awaba, I had read a Training Peaks article on developing mental toughness and it seemed appropriate to apply this knowledge to my most recent experience at Rocky Trail's 7 hour event at Awaba Mountain Bike Park.

1. Commitment

A week ago, I noticed a strange lump in my groin area, which was soon to be diagnosed as an inguinal hernia, where a small loop of intestine pushes through the abdominal wall. Initially, I was shocked and lost the desire to train and was definitely not going to race, but once I was assured by a specialist that I could cycle, as long as there was no pain, then I made the last-second decision to race at Awaba. Instead of quitting I decided to welcome the challenge of racing, using this adversity to build strength. I was determined to finish on the podium. This was the goal I had set beforehand and I was committed to succeeding. The hernia was just another road bump in a year that had started with a broken wrist. I had almost fully recovered from this mishap, and I would persevere in the face of my latest challenge. Setbacks are temporary but success is permanent. Of course, I knew that if I experienced pain I would immediately withdraw, as a strangulated hernia can be life-threatening.
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Sitting on the back of the lead riders after the usual ballistic start

2. Focus

After the obligatory explosion of speed on the uphill fireroad start in the eternal quest to enter the singletrack in a decent initial position, I settled into a more sensible pace and soon started to slip down the field, in the knowledge that many of these riders were in teams or riding for just four hours. I was aware that the stage winner from Round One, Troy Thomas, was in a different league and would be virtually uncatchable, but Clayton Locke, David Stevens and Ash Turner would be my main competition for the other podium places. On the second lap, the blue shirt of Clayton Locke came past me and steadily increased his lead. This was not in the original plan - Clayton was riding much stronger than I had expected but I ensured I remained focussed on my own pacing and nutrition, which allowed me to stay calm and confident despite this temporary setback.

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After the recent rain the track was perfectly tacky but did have a couple of added water features

3. Resilience

This year has thrown up a couple of major setbacks so far, with a broken wrist keeping me off a mountain bike for over nine weeks and the hernia. After the broken wrist, I vowed to make it a positive by developing my power output and speed on an indoor bike and by attempting to strengthen my core strength through pilates and returning to indoor bouldering. Obviously, this development needs to continue so a repeat hernia is not forthcoming - I've been informed that because our bodies are symmetrical, a hernia on my right side is more than possible and I am determined to do all I can to ensure this does not happen.

Anyone who has ridden the Awaba course will know that the Camelback climb, a 40 metre climb with an average gradient of 14%, is the section the majority arrive at with trepidation.  For most it is an obstacle, but I like to think of it as an opportunity. If I could keep riding this hill stronger than Clayton, I would continue to close the gap that, with two hours to go, had opened to over four minutes.

4. Attitude

I calculated I had three laps left to catch my rival ahead. I have to admit, I suddenly felt strong and I was really enjoying my time in the saddle. I felt so lucky I had been able to continue riding, the hernia was behaving and my guts were staying internal. I also realised the caffeine I had ingested at transition was kicking in and my body responded. My eighth and ninth lap were progressively faster. I kept checking ahead for Clayton's blue shirt and I visualised the gap closing. I knew I was able to stay consistent and I could grind my rival down. Would he be feeding properly and could he maintain his faster pace throughout?
As I entered transition to start my last lap, I saw Clayton and I powered past him to enter the singletrack for the last time. He immediately jumped on my wheel along with a team rider from Jetblack. So this wasn't going to be easy. I kept up a faster pace but Clayton clung to my wheel like a leech, hoping to suck the oxygen from my blood. I cast my mind back to a round of pairs racing, where I had the same situation with the second place rider clinging to my wheel. That time I had prevailed, ironically passing Clayton to establish an unassailable lead. I also knew that, having passed Clayton, I was the stronger rider and the psychological advantage was firmly in my corner. The Jetblack rider came past and I used the situation to make my move. I jumped on his wheel and he started to tow me away from my rival. Unfortunately, I suddenly lost traction on a tight corner, the bike hit the ground but I managed to stay upright. I looked around to see Clayton closing fast. I remounted, brakes and gear levers all askew but determined to re-open the gap. Powering up Camelback, I looked back but the blue was not in sight. I powered on determined to not let him glimpse me in the switchbacks and give him any much needed motivation. I crossed the line with my second fastest lap of the day. Clayton was to finish five and a half minutes back.

This was a psychological victory - I had overcome adversity pre-race, focussed on achieving my goal, and sheer determination had brought me the result I was striving for. The fact I was able to produce my second fastest lap of the day on the last lap shows the power of the mind when mental toughness is served as the main course. Congratulations also to Jetblack's Andrew Finlayson for his overall victory in the seven hour solo, taking the scalp of Ed McDonald in the process. 'Finno' also read the article on mental toughness and claimed he used it as inspiration during his final two laps.
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Sharing the podium with Clayton and race winner Troy Thomas
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Chocolate Foot STM Round 1 / Evocities Wylde MTB Park

13/4/2015

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Experimenting with a Threesome

MA 15+ Includes implied sexual activity, drug use and violence

Since my sick addiction took hold, I've always been happy to do it solo. I frequently find myself alone and master of my own destiny. It's dirty, sweaty and hard but the intense and concentrated effort is frequently rewarded with a satisfactory ending making the physical flogging all feel worthwhile. But I'm also open to experimentation and when the Jetblack Team put out an invitation to join a threesome, I felt obliged to accept.
I'm not totally innocent, as I have dabbled in the 'menage a trois' before but only in the dark hours between dawn and dusk when others would be none the wiser. This time I would be seen, and many onlookers were to express their utter shock and disbelief during the course of the day.
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Nelson, Huxley and Queen Elizabeth were all partial to a menage a trois
Historically, I was in good company. Admiral Lord Nelson had indulged in a threesome, as had writer, Aldous Huxley. Even Queen Elizabeth was rumoured to have spent time together with Catherine Parr, widow of Henry VIII, and her fourth husband Thomas Seymour. Armed with the knowledge that even the rich, the famous and the powerful were partial to such shenanigans, I set off to the appropriately named 'Wylde' to explore new boundaries.
Not quite knowing what they might ask me to do, I greeted Michael Brown and Dave Pickles under their shady marquee. Neither seemed too keen to go first. Browny was complaining of a cold and Pickles was feeling somewhat tentative. I needed to disappear into the trees to see if I was truly up to the task of facing up first, but once I had got the juices going, the blood pumping to the vital organs and the sweat rolling from my forehead I returned to their den ready to get the business done.
As is customary at the start of such couplings, the pace was fast and frenetic. There was plenty of bumping and grinding and I needed to wrestle with those around me to keep upright. I found myself having to squeeze through the smallest of openings as we moved into the singletrack but soon settled into a more organised pace with the occasional pumping required to continue the momentum as we straddled our steeds through the constant rises and falls and twists and turns.
I clawed my way past Briony Mattocks, eventual winner of the 4 hour female open, who had shot out of the starting gate, and then followed the train through the remaining sections of the course. Andrew Wells, came past me near the end of the lap and I was able to close up behind him on the descent into the transition area as he was held back by the tiring participants ahead. I handed over to Browny, who made short work of the 12 km course, posting the team's fastest lap of 31:29 minutes. Pickles was quick to rise to the occasion and shot round in 33:14. By this time, we were comfortably ahead in our Masters category. To keep it interesting, we decided to focus on trying to keep pace with WSMTB's open Male threes who were currently sitting in second. This was to prove somewhat premature as we had expended too much energy too early and there was not enough left in reserve to keep the same intensity for the full seven hours.
I was enjoying the downtime between my 34-35 minute exertions, giving me approximately an hour to refuel, rehydrate and refocus. I was able to really get to know my two sparring partners, while watching the orgy of pain unfold on the track in front of me. Jason English, once again, reigned victorious, with Ed McDonald, Callum McNamara, Ondrej Slezak and Michael Kafka filling the podium and taking home the events major prize money. Other soloists grinding out the long hours alone included Master's Jamie Vogele, who was to cramp late in the day and lose the top step to Jason Morgan on the penultimate lap, fifth placed Dave Langley, who looked completely spent, and young Sara Mills, whose late crash opened up her septic knee and required emergency Ibuprofen to continue. 
My teammates were done for the day as I climbed the grassy hill to begin my final lap. The course was now very quiet and the chaos of the first four hours was a distant memory. My right wrist, which I had broken weeks earlier and which had hampered my solo efforts of late, was now helping to flick me smoothly through corners and around the tacky berms which had greatly benefitted from the short downpour of rain. I crossed the line to finish in the midsts of Browny and Pickles, two laps ahead of our nearest opposition. We vowed to do it all again in Wingello on the 28th June. Without doubt, I would recommend the threesome format to everyone. It's great to be able to break up the sessions of intense effort with longer periods of downtime but, most importantly, it's a hell of a lot of fun.
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All smiles on the Masters 3's Podium
race Results & Reports
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    Author


    ​Level 3 Road & Time Trial Cycle Coach with British Cycling (BC) & the Association of British Cyclists (ABBC)

    National Master Wattbike Instructor


    Cycle Strength & Conditioning Coach 

    ​Cycle Trip Leader

    Sports Scientist (Honours degree in PE & Sports Science - Loughborough University)

    Postgraduate Teaching degree in PE & History (Loughborough University)


    Silver Medalist in WEMBO's World MTB 24 hour 40-44 solo at Finale Ligure, Italy, 2012 

    Silver Medalist at the Australian National MTB 24 hour 40-44 solo, 2012 & 2013

    I have completed several of the World's biggest stage races, including the Crocodile Trophy in Australia, the Mongolia Bike Challenge, the Sudety in Poland and the Andalucia Bike Race

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    Significant Results

    Stage Races
    • Crocodile Trophy 2013, Australia - 5th
    • Port 2 Port 2014, Australia - 4th
    • Sudety MTB Challenge 2014, Poland / Czech Republic - 15th
    • Mongolia Bike Challenge 2014 - 6th

    24 Hours
    • WEMBO World 24 hour Solo, Italy, 2012 - 2nd
    • Australian National 24 hour Solo, 2013 - 2nd
    • Australian National 24 hour Solo, 2012 - 2nd
    • Scott 24 hour Solo, 2012 - 1st
    • Sydney 24 hour, 2011    - 1st

    7 hour Enduro Series
    • Rocky Trail 7 hour Series, 2013 - 1st
    • Chocolate Foot STM 7 hour Series, 2013 - 3rd
    • Chocolate Foot STM 7 hour Series, 2012 - 3rd
    • Chocolate Foot STM 7 hour Series, 2011 - 1st

    12 hour Enduros
    • Sydney 12 hr, 2014 - 1st
    • Sydney 12 hr, 2013 - 1st
    • Sydney 12 hr, 2012 - 1st

    6+6 hour Enduros
    • National 6+6, 2014 - 1st
    • Sydney 6+6, 2013 -    1st
    • Sydney 6+6, 2010 -    1st

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