MONT 24 - 2005

It's time once again to face the monster that is the MONT 24, here is my training diary for the 7 week lead up to the race, with an overview of the amount of riding I've been doing compared to last year for the 12 weeks before the race.

I think it is important to compare to last year as I had such a great time and felt in top shape, so I want to repeat it this year, with the same lead up.
The graphs show the 12 weeks to the race, with the race being at far right.

Diary

7 weeks to go Tue Majura Had laser eye surgery on Thursday, and am amazed to discover trails are made up of sticks and stones other things :) Spent Tuesday at Majura and managed to run the Bat Cave and Auto Alley withouht taking a foot off for the first time ever, was stoked.
At last test, April 2004: vO2max=51 , maxHR=188, restHR=55

Sun Kowen Sunday was my first return to Kowen since last year's 24, and was hard, very hard. We took it easy and I still struggled... wanted to finish on a high, and by the half way it was looking like lap 2 could be a 1:25, it was a 1:31 though, just couldn't find the energy :( Next time... happy to have pulled twin sub 1:35's for my first time back I guess, but I hope I can do better next week. On the down side I had excruciating lower back pain for most of the 2nd lap, and pulled a small one off cramp on the fire road back to the cars, concerning stuff :(

6 weeks to go Tue Stromolo It was wet so we opted for Stromolo, which has no trees (thankyou bushfires), so it dries out fast. Sadly though it is so barron as a result, I headed up from Deeks Campground and climbed Dairy Farmers, it was so bleak the whole way, like a nuclear bomb had gone off... I looked down on the lake from up there and decided it looked far more attractive, so I popped down for a quick lap and PB'd! Which was awesome, a nice feeling, although every time I do it faster I know it's going to be harder to PB again next time ;)

Thu Road Noodled around my local valley for a bit on Thursday to test a new stem, in an effort to reduce my back pain, which has been getting worse, it was nice to hit some bitchumen up, it's so smooth :)

Sun Kowen Went for a double lap of Kowen. We did a 1:33 for lap 1, which really depressed me (my plan above shows I wanted to beat 1:30 both laps, and I had done better last weekend), so for lap 2 I gave the old body a thrashing (for me :)) and Sime an I managed a 1:20, which was simply fantastic, top that with 20'C weather and I was in heaven. No cramps like last weekend either, which was nice.

5 weeks to go Tue Mt Tuggers Stupidly I forgot my clothes for Tuesdays ride at Majura, so I rushed home, changed and went for some hill climb training at Tuggeranong Hill, it takes me a good 30 mins to climb it including "old man breaks" :) Had my first crash in months on the way back down, it was a real reality check to hit the deck with a thud, it was so jarring it blew the front panel off my Polar HR monitor, I won't forget it for a while :(

Thu Road Went for a warm up ride around my local neighbourhood on Thursday, keeping the HR below 120 the whole time, pretty boring run really, but just wanted to turn the legs over for the 3hr on the weekend, in hindsight this Thursday ride was a mistake, as my legs felt sore and tired from the start of the 3hr, and I can only guess it was because of this run.

Sat Race Saturday was the 3hr CORC race at Kowen, the course was excellent, although it did have one 2km long and 50 vertical meter climb in it, which was a steady climb for 10 full minutes for this old man (altimiter log is here), it was quite taxing by the end of the race. Most of the course was brand new track, some of it twisty, and some it very flowing and Sparrow Hill like, it was a great event. Simon and I rode together and did 7 laps, two more than my last 3 hour, which was nice, as I didn't cramp this time, yah! We came 66th and 67th out of 105 solo male entrants, we were staggered with the result, because we didn't overtake anyone (so we anticipated we were coming dead last), it would seem a few people blew up or had technical difficulties.

4 weeks to go Tue Majura Concentrated on Bat Cave and Auto Alley, running each three times or so, turning my fork to low travel mode really does make short work of these tracks, I never believed it would, but I was happy to be prooved wrong as it meant I could finally clean auto alley both ways and making the top two tight steep turns in Bat Cave was just soooo much easier :)

Thu Mt Tuggers Climbed it from both sides, this time making it to the trig for the first time in something like 5 years, such an awesome view I really should come here more often. Last time I came (two weeks back) I had to stop 4 or 5 times on the main climb, this time I was able to make it to the top of that section without stopping, sadly I had to stop 3 times on the final steep climb to the trig, so my goal for next time is to make that section in one go.
vO2max=56, maxHR=185, restHR=52

Sun Road It had rained for 2 days, so on Sunday when I awoke to blue skies (but muddy ground), I headed out for a road trek with Neil and Drew, rode from my place in Gordon to the Aquarium to meet the boys, then onto a Black Mountain climb, where Neil and I used the Polar's to sit right on our AT's, making the top in 18 minutes, which was pretty good for this fat old guy :) Stoked with that, we rode over to Red Hill, I'd never climbed it before, and although it's half as steep and half as high, I managed to find out what bonking feels like, hitting a HR glass ceiling just below my AT (160) and I couldn't pick the pace at all, I watched Neil dissapear off up the hill in front of me, it was frustrating, and in hindsight I should have eaten at Black Mountain. Neil and I then rode over past Woden to his place in Holder where I left him and headed back home, 80kms all up, and by far the longest ride (distance wise) I've ever done since I started the sport. It was top day, sunny and hanging out with the buds. I really enjoyed it. To my amazement I didn't get any back pain at all on this 5 hour ride, I had raised my seat and handlebars and have started doing some back strengethening excersises, perhaps they are paying off?

3 weeks to go Tue Kowen Went out to do a sprint lap of Kowen, the idea was to go as fast as we could. My previous PB was 1:14 at last year's MONT, so we set the bar at 1:15 and tried to break that. Sadly though, I came up short at 1:18. The problem with setting goals is that when you don't make them, it can be pretty dissapointing :( I want to go back and try again, but with the current rain it's looking like that won't happen for another fortnight. Failure here has really depressed me and put me off training quite a bit, I mean, I train harder, yet cannot go as well as last year... :(

Thu Mt Tuggers I had hoped to climb her with no stops to the trig, but I just couldn't cut it, I had to stop twice on the final set of 6 steep pinches, I pushed harder than last week, but I just ran out of air at 180bpm and had to stop. I suppose I should be happy to improve from 3 stops last week, but I'm really not, I know I should be able to do this. Next week I'll try and make it with one stop after the 3rd last pinch.

Sun Road Rode 121kms today, was 50% longer than last weeks "longest ride I've done", it was a tour of sunny Canberra... started out from home in Gordon and rode via Lake Tuggers to Weston Creek MacDonalds for a carbo loaded breakfast with Simon, then we rode north to Palmerston to pick up Drew. From here we rode over a hill in Gungahlin and onto Hall, which felt like I was is a remote country town in the middle of NSW, I'd never been before, prolly won't again :) haha. Then whipped down for a lap of lake Ginninderra, where we bid Drew farewell and headed South for lap of Lake Burley Griffen, after which I dropped Simon off and topped up with a nice ham sandwich before heading back north to Gungahlin. If you'd told me 3 months ago that I would do a ride like this today, I would have hit you with something! :) It was fun though, although I preferred the street ride last weekend as it had a hill or two for challenge instead of just pounding flat stuff all day. All up 6.5 hours on the bike, and ~75% (5hrs) of the time in my target Aerobic zone, a result I was pretty happy with, should help with the endurance for the MONT.
I did feel my hammies tighten up toward the end, and Mel shared some physiology with me over dinner, that this tightness is the muscles being stressed and knotting up, which restricts blood flow, which can cause cramping. Stretching and massage should help that. So I'll keep that stretching up and at the MONT keep an eye on them feeling tight, as it could be a precursor to cramping.

2 weeks to go Tue Majura Did 10 runs of Bat Cave, and evey lap I picked up the HR a few beats and knocked the lap time down about 5 to 10 seconds, all was going great guns and I felt simply fantastic, then I snapped my chain... dammit. 10 minutes off the bike repaiting that and I was cold again... so I bailed on Batty and headed over for a run of Auto Alley and was happy to clean it in reverse at a decent pace. Cool downed with 3 recovery pace laps of Swirly track... a top ride and I am still amazed I could run Batty over and over like that, improving each lap... a couple of months back I had to walk sections of it as it was too hard to make it even once!

Thu Mt Tuggers I intended to make the trig with one stop this arvo, but failed miserably, in fact, I didn't even make the saddle before the steep section. I just couldn't hold onto my LT, and when my legs started to burn, they really hurt, Tuesday must have taken it's toll, as my legs felt tired. My heart wasn't in it today either, I sat at the bottom waiting to start the climb, eating my powerbar contemplating why it is I am doing this, I mean, the fitter I get, the less fit I feel, it's like I'll never "get there" with my fitness, it doesn't matter how fit I am, I still get puffed and tired (albiet at later stages, but it still happens)... Saddened, but not shattered, I piked out about 80% of the way up and headed out for a 1 hour enduro ride round the Nature Park followed by 7 solid intervals on the way home (my best recovery in these sets was 162 to 120 in 41 seconds, which was the highlight on an otherwise downer of a ride). I could do the intervals as they were short bursts, it hurt, but not for long. I just couldn't maintain the long LT pace needed to climb the mountain :( Maybe next week, but I dunno, attitude will have a lot to do with it I think.

Sun Road Gordon to Lake Burley (via breaky at Weston Maccas) for a lap of the lake, then onto Black Mountain, where I started out at an easy pace, but built it up and up, and managed to pull a PB of 17:53, it was nice to improve (after Thursdays failure). On the way back down Neil and I had some fun drafting, I left my last run at him until the steep bottom section where I pulled out of his slip stream and 73km/h to beat him to the bottom. From here we ran over to Mount Ainslie, which I found hard, but not as bad as Red Hill two weeks ago, it took us 18 mins to get to the top, on the way back down Neil got revenge and although I tried to draft him twice, each time I pulled out of his slipstream to overtake, I lost speed an couldn't get in front, what a dirty dawg! We did hit 75.5km/h here, which is new record for me :) Back around the lake, down to Weston and along Lake Tuggers where I pulled 7 fairly average intervals, peaking at 160, it's so hard on the flat, I prefer uphill for these, much easier to hit the peak interval. As I finished this set and rolled home for a recovery spin, I started to feel awful, like I was getting the flu... sore joints and grumpy tummy, by the time I got home I was dizzy and weak, it was horrible! Kyle took me out for pasta for lunch and it soon became evident, the Bacon and Egg McMuffin and Banana I had to fuel me for the ride, wasn't enough, I was drained. I woofed down lunch like a man possessed, then when we got home, I passed out, a couple of hours sleep and was fine again, in fact I felt great. That was pretty weird, I guess I just ran out of energy, dieting and training at the same time is a delicate balance, I dunno how athlete's manage it (better than me, that's for sure :)).

1 weeks to go Tue Mt Stomolo I had hoped to get out to Kowen and try to beat my PB lap of the 2004 24hr course, the weather had other ideas though, rain forced me to go for bitchumen and Drew opted to climb Mt Stromolo. We did three runs, the first and last in my lower aerobic zone and the middle climb a little harder, in my upper aerobic zone. It was a fairly easy effort (never going anaerobic) and just what was needed too cool down from Sunday and recover for Thursday, my final assault on my training nemisis, Mt Tuggeranong.

Thu Mt Tuggers Last week I tried climbing this in one off granny and was bitterly defeated, not even making it up the first stage of the North face climb, I was shattered and it left me feeling depressed for a good day or two. My goal last week was to make the top with only one stop, I couldn't even make it up halfway, full stop.
This week I tried a slightly different approach, slower speed / slower cadence / lower HR, last time I did the guts of the climb above 170bpm had burst upto 180 too fast on the steep section in the final stage of the climb, running out of air, this time I did the first stage below 170bpm, and stayed below 175 the whole time, even up the steepest parts, cadencing around 70 (where I had previoulsy been around 110), it took 20 seconds longer, but I could hold at that pace, and *bing* I made the trig with 1 stop!! I was ecstatic at the top, enough to scream :) It was awesome, I am smiling now just thinking about it. Makes me feel that much more ready for the 24, and I think I learned 175 is sustainable for short while, while 180bpm just is not :)

Sat Road Headed out for an aerobic paced three hour ride, but ended up sitting in the endurance zone for most of the time, just couldn't get motivated enough to push it, and my legs felt tired. Ended up riding from Longbeach to Batemans Bay then back upto Mount Big Bit for a run of the DH course, then over to Muramarang National Park for a little explore, then back to Longbeach. A casual ride, I should have put in a bit more effort though :(

Sun Road Took in a 2 hour enduro pace ride, wanted to take it easy for my last big ride before the race, just rode from Longbeach to Big Bit for a quick DH run and back again, legs felt a little tired, reminding me to get some sleep over the coming week, gee, I hope I am ready for the 24...

Week of the race Tue Road 1 Hour recovery lap of Lake Burley Griffen
vO2max=60, maxHR=184, restHR=50

7 weeks to go	Tue	Majura	Had laser eye surgery on Thursday, and am amazed to discover trails are made up of sticks and stones other things :) Spent Tuesday at Majura and managed to run the Bat Cave and Auto Alley withouht taking a foot off for the first time ever, was stoked. At last test, April 2004: vO2max=51 , maxHR=188, restHR=55
7 weeks to go	Sun	Kowen	Sunday was my first return to Kowen since last year's 24, and was hard, very hard. We took it easy and I still struggled... wanted to finish on a high, and by the half way it was looking like lap 2 could be a 1:25, it was a 1:31 though, just couldn't find the energy :( Next time... happy to have pulled twin sub 1:35's for my first time back I guess, but I hope I can do better next week. On the down side I had excruciating lower back pain for most of the 2nd lap, and pulled a small one off cramp on the fire road back to the cars, concerning stuff :(
6 weeks to go	Tue	Stromolo	It was wet so we opted for Stromolo, which has no trees (thankyou bushfires), so it dries out fast. Sadly though it is so barron as a result, I headed up from Deeks Campground and climbed Dairy Farmers, it was so bleak the whole way, like a nuclear bomb had gone off... I looked down on the lake from up there and decided it looked far more attractive, so I popped down for a quick lap and PB'd! Which was awesome, a nice feeling, although every time I do it faster I know it's going to be harder to PB again next time ;)
	Thu	Road	Noodled around my local valley for a bit on Thursday to test a new stem, in an effort to reduce my back pain, which has been getting worse, it was nice to hit some bitchumen up, it's so smooth :)
	Sun	Kowen	Went for a double lap of Kowen. We did a 1:33 for lap 1, which really depressed me (my plan above shows I wanted to beat 1:30 both laps, and I had done better last weekend), so for lap 2 I gave the old body a thrashing (for me :)) and Sime an I managed a 1:20, which was simply fantastic, top that with 20'C weather and I was in heaven. No cramps like last weekend either, which was nice.
5 weeks to go	Tue	Mt Tuggers	Stupidly I forgot my clothes for Tuesdays ride at Majura, so I rushed home, changed and went for some hill climb training at Tuggeranong Hill, it takes me a good 30 mins to climb it including "old man breaks" :) Had my first crash in months on the way back down, it was a real reality check to hit the deck with a thud, it was so jarring it blew the front panel off my Polar HR monitor, I won't forget it for a while :(
	Thu	Road	Went for a warm up ride around my local neighbourhood on Thursday, keeping the HR below 120 the whole time, pretty boring run really, but just wanted to turn the legs over for the 3hr on the weekend, in hindsight this Thursday ride was a mistake, as my legs felt sore and tired from the start of the 3hr, and I can only guess it was because of this run.
	Sat	Race	Saturday was the 3hr CORC race at Kowen, the course was excellent, although it did have one 2km long and 50 vertical meter climb in it, which was a steady climb for 10 full minutes for this old man (altimiter log is here), it was quite taxing by the end of the race. Most of the course was brand new track, some of it twisty, and some it very flowing and Sparrow Hill like, it was a great event. Simon and I rode together and did 7 laps, two more than my last 3 hour, which was nice, as I didn't cramp this time, yah! We came 66th and 67th out of 105 solo male entrants, we were staggered with the result, because we didn't overtake anyone (so we anticipated we were coming dead last), it would seem a few people blew up or had technical difficulties.
4 weeks to go	Tue	Majura	Concentrated on Bat Cave and Auto Alley, running each three times or so, turning my fork to low travel mode really does make short work of these tracks, I never believed it would, but I was happy to be prooved wrong as it meant I could finally clean auto alley both ways and making the top two tight steep turns in Bat Cave was just soooo much easier :)
	Thu	Mt Tuggers	Climbed it from both sides, this time making it to the trig for the first time in something like 5 years, such an awesome view I really should come here more often. Last time I came (two weeks back) I had to stop 4 or 5 times on the main climb, this time I was able to make it to the top of that section without stopping, sadly I had to stop 3 times on the final steep climb to the trig, so my goal for next time is to make that section in one go. vO2max=56, maxHR=185, restHR=52
	Sun	Road	It had rained for 2 days, so on Sunday when I awoke to blue skies (but muddy ground), I headed out for a road trek with Neil and Drew, rode from my place in Gordon to the Aquarium to meet the boys, then onto a Black Mountain climb, where Neil and I used the Polar's to sit right on our AT's, making the top in 18 minutes, which was pretty good for this fat old guy :) Stoked with that, we rode over to Red Hill, I'd never climbed it before, and although it's half as steep and half as high, I managed to find out what bonking feels like, hitting a HR glass ceiling just below my AT (160) and I couldn't pick the pace at all, I watched Neil dissapear off up the hill in front of me, it was frustrating, and in hindsight I should have eaten at Black Mountain. Neil and I then rode over past Woden to his place in Holder where I left him and headed back home, 80kms all up, and by far the longest ride (distance wise) I've ever done since I started the sport. It was top day, sunny and hanging out with the buds. I really enjoyed it. To my amazement I didn't get any back pain at all on this 5 hour ride, I had raised my seat and handlebars and have started doing some back strengethening excersises, perhaps they are paying off?
3 weeks to go	Tue	Kowen	Went out to do a sprint lap of Kowen, the idea was to go as fast as we could. My previous PB was 1:14 at last year's MONT, so we set the bar at 1:15 and tried to break that. Sadly though, I came up short at 1:18. The problem with setting goals is that when you don't make them, it can be pretty dissapointing :( I want to go back and try again, but with the current rain it's looking like that won't happen for another fortnight. Failure here has really depressed me and put me off training quite a bit, I mean, I train harder, yet cannot go as well as last year... :(
	Thu	Mt Tuggers	I had hoped to climb her with no stops to the trig, but I just couldn't cut it, I had to stop twice on the final set of 6 steep pinches, I pushed harder than last week, but I just ran out of air at 180bpm and had to stop. I suppose I should be happy to improve from 3 stops last week, but I'm really not, I know I should be able to do this. Next week I'll try and make it with one stop after the 3rd last pinch.
	Sun	Road	Rode 121kms today, was 50% longer than last weeks "longest ride I've done", it was a tour of sunny Canberra... started out from home in Gordon and rode via Lake Tuggers to Weston Creek MacDonalds for a carbo loaded breakfast with Simon, then we rode north to Palmerston to pick up Drew. From here we rode over a hill in Gungahlin and onto Hall, which felt like I was is a remote country town in the middle of NSW, I'd never been before, prolly won't again :) haha. Then whipped down for a lap of lake Ginninderra, where we bid Drew farewell and headed South for lap of Lake Burley Griffen, after which I dropped Simon off and topped up with a nice ham sandwich before heading back north to Gungahlin. If you'd told me 3 months ago that I would do a ride like this today, I would have hit you with something! :) It was fun though, although I preferred the street ride last weekend as it had a hill or two for challenge instead of just pounding flat stuff all day. All up 6.5 hours on the bike, and ~75% (5hrs) of the time in my target Aerobic zone, a result I was pretty happy with, should help with the endurance for the MONT. I did feel my hammies tighten up toward the end, and Mel shared some physiology with me over dinner, that this tightness is the muscles being stressed and knotting up, which restricts blood flow, which can cause cramping. Stretching and massage should help that. So I'll keep that stretching up and at the MONT keep an eye on them feeling tight, as it could be a precursor to cramping.
2 weeks to go	Tue	Majura	Did 10 runs of Bat Cave, and evey lap I picked up the HR a few beats and knocked the lap time down about 5 to 10 seconds, all was going great guns and I felt simply fantastic, then I snapped my chain... dammit. 10 minutes off the bike repaiting that and I was cold again... so I bailed on Batty and headed over for a run of Auto Alley and was happy to clean it in reverse at a decent pace. Cool downed with 3 recovery pace laps of Swirly track... a top ride and I am still amazed I could run Batty over and over like that, improving each lap... a couple of months back I had to walk sections of it as it was too hard to make it even once!
	Thu	Mt Tuggers	I intended to make the trig with one stop this arvo, but failed miserably, in fact, I didn't even make the saddle before the steep section. I just couldn't hold onto my LT, and when my legs started to burn, they really hurt, Tuesday must have taken it's toll, as my legs felt tired. My heart wasn't in it today either, I sat at the bottom waiting to start the climb, eating my powerbar contemplating why it is I am doing this, I mean, the fitter I get, the less fit I feel, it's like I'll never "get there" with my fitness, it doesn't matter how fit I am, I still get puffed and tired (albiet at later stages, but it still happens)... Saddened, but not shattered, I piked out about 80% of the way up and headed out for a 1 hour enduro ride round the Nature Park followed by 7 solid intervals on the way home (my best recovery in these sets was 162 to 120 in 41 seconds, which was the highlight on an otherwise downer of a ride). I could do the intervals as they were short bursts, it hurt, but not for long. I just couldn't maintain the long LT pace needed to climb the mountain :( Maybe next week, but I dunno, attitude will have a lot to do with it I think.
	Sun	Road	Gordon to Lake Burley (via breaky at Weston Maccas) for a lap of the lake, then onto Black Mountain, where I started out at an easy pace, but built it up and up, and managed to pull a PB of 17:53, it was nice to improve (after Thursdays failure). On the way back down Neil and I had some fun drafting, I left my last run at him until the steep bottom section where I pulled out of his slip stream and 73km/h to beat him to the bottom. From here we ran over to Mount Ainslie, which I found hard, but not as bad as Red Hill two weeks ago, it took us 18 mins to get to the top, on the way back down Neil got revenge and although I tried to draft him twice, each time I pulled out of his slipstream to overtake, I lost speed an couldn't get in front, what a dirty dawg! We did hit 75.5km/h here, which is new record for me :) Back around the lake, down to Weston and along Lake Tuggers where I pulled 7 fairly average intervals, peaking at 160, it's so hard on the flat, I prefer uphill for these, much easier to hit the peak interval. As I finished this set and rolled home for a recovery spin, I started to feel awful, like I was getting the flu... sore joints and grumpy tummy, by the time I got home I was dizzy and weak, it was horrible! Kyle took me out for pasta for lunch and it soon became evident, the Bacon and Egg McMuffin and Banana I had to fuel me for the ride, wasn't enough, I was drained. I woofed down lunch like a man possessed, then when we got home, I passed out, a couple of hours sleep and was fine again, in fact I felt great. That was pretty weird, I guess I just ran out of energy, dieting and training at the same time is a delicate balance, I dunno how athlete's manage it (better than me, that's for sure :)).
1 weeks to go	Tue	Mt Stomolo	I had hoped to get out to Kowen and try to beat my PB lap of the 2004 24hr course, the weather had other ideas though, rain forced me to go for bitchumen and Drew opted to climb Mt Stromolo. We did three runs, the first and last in my lower aerobic zone and the middle climb a little harder, in my upper aerobic zone. It was a fairly easy effort (never going anaerobic) and just what was needed too cool down from Sunday and recover for Thursday, my final assault on my training nemisis, Mt Tuggeranong.
	Thu	Mt Tuggers	Last week I tried climbing this in one off granny and was bitterly defeated, not even making it up the first stage of the North face climb, I was shattered and it left me feeling depressed for a good day or two. My goal last week was to make the top with only one stop, I couldn't even make it up halfway, full stop. This week I tried a slightly different approach, slower speed / slower cadence / lower HR, last time I did the guts of the climb above 170bpm had burst upto 180 too fast on the steep section in the final stage of the climb, running out of air, this time I did the first stage below 170bpm, and stayed below 175 the whole time, even up the steepest parts, cadencing around 70 (where I had previoulsy been around 110), it took 20 seconds longer, but I could hold at that pace, and bing I made the trig with 1 stop!! I was ecstatic at the top, enough to scream :) It was awesome, I am smiling now just thinking about it. Makes me feel that much more ready for the 24, and I think I learned 175 is sustainable for short while, while 180bpm just is not :)
	Sat	Road	Headed out for an aerobic paced three hour ride, but ended up sitting in the endurance zone for most of the time, just couldn't get motivated enough to push it, and my legs felt tired. Ended up riding from Longbeach to Batemans Bay then back upto Mount Big Bit for a run of the DH course, then over to Muramarang National Park for a little explore, then back to Longbeach. A casual ride, I should have put in a bit more effort though :(
	Sun	Road	Took in a 2 hour enduro pace ride, wanted to take it easy for my last big ride before the race, just rode from Longbeach to Big Bit for a quick DH run and back again, legs felt a little tired, reminding me to get some sleep over the coming week, gee, I hope I am ready for the 24...
Week of the race	Tue	Road	1 Hour recovery lap of Lake Burley Griffen vO2max=60, maxHR=184, restHR=50