Scott 24 - 2006

I decided to solo in this years Scott 24, and needed to do more than previous years efforts of 6 weeks of training. This time I took a more serious approach, to ensure I can handle solo'ing. I managed to maintain my weight over the year (amazing! :)), and do several lead up events, one each month in the 6 month lead up to the big day, and 12 weeks of proper training starting in July.

February Race CORC Sparrow Tour Race. Planned to go out hard and do the 35ker, but it was only for A grade men, I'm barely a Z grade ;) So I went in the 25km middle course, missed the damn start for my category, was too busy yabbering to John who was entered in old farts (I ended up entering in semi old farts, Vets). So I took off after after the others in my category, rode the 17 kilo Spesh with downhill tyres and FR geo for a lark, and tried to stay just under my AT for the duration. Many a young lass and old bastard flew past me and I only remeber passing people changing flat tyres, but somehow I pulled up 19th out of 24 at the finish, and my ride pace was a new PB for me, so I was happy with the result. The goal was to go at my AT and not blow up, and I achieved that, the fact I didn't come last was a big bonus!

Train I have managed to get in the planned intense 2-3hr Sunday XC rides, but not at low gearing and low cadence to build strength, instead I have been my usual slack self and gone for high gears and high revs, I have to change this.

March Train I barely managed much riding at all this month, got out to Googong Dam and did a few casual rides with the boys, I really have to start picking my efforts up :(

April Race Tumut 3 hr Race. Last year I completely blew up at this race, so this time I set out to run it clean, I had aspirations of coming in the top half, but instead I only managed 54th of 95 (56%). Still, better than the 66th (62%) I got last time, and 74th (75%) I got in May last year, so I am impoving slowly, and I gave it my best shot, almost cramping many times on my last 3 laps, and I was happy to make it to the finish knowing I'd given it all I had. The course was the best single track I've ever seen and the pace was great, rarely got caught in traffic either, often times I had 10 minutes of being alone in forrest, which was bizarre. Looking forward to the next one!

May Race Collector Pumpkin Festival 33km XC Race. Went out as hard as I could, held my 160bpm race pace and climbed above it, thought I did really well, but pulled up 30th of 35 (85%) with a time of 2:12, I wanted to come mid field and break the 2 hour mark :( Was a bit shattered as I'd given it my all and really tried hard, I flatted with 1km to go, I was trying so hard that I pushed on and rode on the flat rim for a few hundred meters as I didn't want to loose any places, that wasn't working, then I tried running with my bike, but too many people where passing me, so I stopped and changed the tube, the tire wall was torn, so whatever I hit was big :) I am sore afterwards, so I guess the upside is, I should have picked up some fitness from it, the down side is I really tried and came up with one of my worst placings yet. I'll use this outcome as emotional fuel for next time :)

Train Was planning to work on sprints and increasing VO2max this month, I had hoped to raise my VO2max but really didn't have any training focus at all, just did my usual Tues and Sunday rides and as a result, my fitness remains unchanged, I feel pretty fit though, but no real improvement this month :(

June Train Got sick this month, lost 2 weeks to colds and gastro in the first half on the month, was well for the middle week, then sick again with a chesty cold for the last week of the month. It's been shattering to the pre training lead up, loosing three quarters of this month :( With 2 of my kids at pre school, this is just a prelude to a long winter of more colds and nasties to come. I've reassessed how formal I'll go in training now, I won't go with the formal calendar based program I had put together, because the dissapointment that will come next time I inevitably get sick and can't follow my plan, will be heart breaking. Instead I'll vaguely try to concentrate on the thee main phases (one per month for the next three months) in an informal manner and just ride when I can. When I am well, I'll ride hard, when I am sick, I'll just have to take time off. Such is life.

Race Had planned to compete in the 8hr Working Week Series at Yarramundi (Syders), but sadly got an awful cold and decided to spend the week off the bike to be well for the start of my formal training.

July Train
Climb: 11,625vm
Commence proper training - Phase 1 - Build V02max. I managed to complete this 3 week phase skipping only one session (as it was the day before the 8hr race). I found some of the training hard, but most of it was fairly straight forward. Happy with how this phase went and wrapped to not get sick and be able to complete it cleanly. I took in two Epic rides this month at Mt Coree and a big CORC Social Brindabella Epic, on which I felt strong from endurance perspective, my climbing is still weak as water, I climbed at the back of the pack for both of them.

August Race 8hr Working Week Series at Sparrow Hill, Canberra. Went really well in this race, went out to test pacing and fueling, not race. Spent 75% of the race in my target HR zone (aerobic) and maintained my target 15.0km/h pace for the first 7 laps, on lap 8 I found I had plenty to spare, so I was able to open the taps and lay down a quick lap (for me) and finished feeling strong and felt I could have kept going to my surprise. Feel like the 24 is a doable proposition now. I came 36th of 103 (34%), which is my strongest race result yet, first time I have finished in the top half and I nearly cracked into the top third of the field. Am really lifted by how the race went and excited about what's to come!

Train
Climb: 15,720vm
Training Phase 2 - Raise AT. Another 3 week phase completed with no sickness! I did miss a couple of sessions due to being busy with work and family, but all in all I got most of them done to plan. Really happy with how I went and come the final week I felt really strong and was cracking out some speed I've never had before, my climbing has certainly improved in the last 3 weeks, I've stripped 3 minutes of my Mt Stromolo time and on the long group rides I'm often at the front feeling strong instead of crawling at the back gasping for air, and that's been a pleasant surprise. I did more big rides this month, alomst climbing the equivalent of Mt Everest twice! Epics included Mt Ginini, Googong Dam, Camel Back and a huge 150km 3400vm Brindies Loop which have should kept my endurance in check.

September Train
Climb: 8,965vm
Training Phase 3 - Endurance. Rounded off my training with a few tips to Kowen and generally cutting back on the amount of time on the bike, found I got really really tired and spent many a night going to bed bed when the kids went to bed (8pm)! I figure this was recovery from the last few weeks of training, because after that week of tiredness I was able to go out to Kowen and pull laps like I never had before... one Sunday I rode in, did 3 * 1:15 laps then a hot 59:18 lap, then the next weekend I did three sub 1:05's in a row... this was freaky stuff for me, previously my hot lap time would have been 1:15 and I could never have done 3 of them in row. I'm 30% faster than I was last year and amazingly, pushing 10% less average heart rate during the laps. Althouh my v02max and AT numbers have not changed, my results certainly have and I feel ready to race, I'm in far better form than I imagined I would have been, the training really has worked!

Race CORC 3hr, went out with Dan Isaacs and he paced my first 3 laps, I felt pretty good and having doine the 8hr, I knew I could push it for the last 2 hours (like I did there), so I opened the taps a little and sat in a racing HR zone, which I had never been game to do before (fearing a blow up like last years April 3hr). It paid off, no blow up and I came 28th out of 156 (18%)! A new race position PB and a real shock as I usually come around 60th in these, I expected an improvement, but not by this much, am absolutely elated with the result and keen to come back and try even harder next year!

February	Race	CORC Sparrow Tour Race. Planned to go out hard and do the 35ker, but it was only for A grade men, I'm barely a Z grade ;) So I went in the 25km middle course, missed the damn start for my category, was too busy yabbering to John who was entered in old farts (I ended up entering in semi old farts, Vets). So I took off after after the others in my category, rode the 17 kilo Spesh with downhill tyres and FR geo for a lark, and tried to stay just under my AT for the duration. Many a young lass and old bastard flew past me and I only remeber passing people changing flat tyres, but somehow I pulled up 19th out of 24 at the finish, and my ride pace was a new PB for me, so I was happy with the result. The goal was to go at my AT and not blow up, and I achieved that, the fact I didn't come last was a big bonus!
February	Train	I have managed to get in the planned intense 2-3hr Sunday XC rides, but not at low gearing and low cadence to build strength, instead I have been my usual slack self and gone for high gears and high revs, I have to change this.
March	Train	I barely managed much riding at all this month, got out to Googong Dam and did a few casual rides with the boys, I really have to start picking my efforts up :(
April	Race	Tumut 3 hr Race. Last year I completely blew up at this race, so this time I set out to run it clean, I had aspirations of coming in the top half, but instead I only managed 54th of 95 (56%). Still, better than the 66th (62%) I got last time, and 74th (75%) I got in May last year, so I am impoving slowly, and I gave it my best shot, almost cramping many times on my last 3 laps, and I was happy to make it to the finish knowing I'd given it all I had. The course was the best single track I've ever seen and the pace was great, rarely got caught in traffic either, often times I had 10 minutes of being alone in forrest, which was bizarre. Looking forward to the next one!
May	Race	Collector Pumpkin Festival 33km XC Race. Went out as hard as I could, held my 160bpm race pace and climbed above it, thought I did really well, but pulled up 30th of 35 (85%) with a time of 2:12, I wanted to come mid field and break the 2 hour mark :( Was a bit shattered as I'd given it my all and really tried hard, I flatted with 1km to go, I was trying so hard that I pushed on and rode on the flat rim for a few hundred meters as I didn't want to loose any places, that wasn't working, then I tried running with my bike, but too many people where passing me, so I stopped and changed the tube, the tire wall was torn, so whatever I hit was big :) I am sore afterwards, so I guess the upside is, I should have picked up some fitness from it, the down side is I really tried and came up with one of my worst placings yet. I'll use this outcome as emotional fuel for next time :)
May	Train	Was planning to work on sprints and increasing VO2max this month, I had hoped to raise my VO2max but really didn't have any training focus at all, just did my usual Tues and Sunday rides and as a result, my fitness remains unchanged, I feel pretty fit though, but no real improvement this month :(
June	Train	Got sick this month, lost 2 weeks to colds and gastro in the first half on the month, was well for the middle week, then sick again with a chesty cold for the last week of the month. It's been shattering to the pre training lead up, loosing three quarters of this month :( With 2 of my kids at pre school, this is just a prelude to a long winter of more colds and nasties to come. I've reassessed how formal I'll go in training now, I won't go with the formal calendar based program I had put together, because the dissapointment that will come next time I inevitably get sick and can't follow my plan, will be heart breaking. Instead I'll vaguely try to concentrate on the thee main phases (one per month for the next three months) in an informal manner and just ride when I can. When I am well, I'll ride hard, when I am sick, I'll just have to take time off. Such is life.
June	Race	Had planned to compete in the 8hr Working Week Series at Yarramundi (Syders), but sadly got an awful cold and decided to spend the week off the bike to be well for the start of my formal training.
July	Train Climb: 11,625vm	Commence proper training - Phase 1 - Build V02max. I managed to complete this 3 week phase skipping only one session (as it was the day before the 8hr race). I found some of the training hard, but most of it was fairly straight forward. Happy with how this phase went and wrapped to not get sick and be able to complete it cleanly. I took in two Epic rides this month at Mt Coree and a big CORC Social Brindabella Epic, on which I felt strong from endurance perspective, my climbing is still weak as water, I climbed at the back of the pack for both of them.
August	Race	8hr Working Week Series at Sparrow Hill, Canberra. Went really well in this race, went out to test pacing and fueling, not race. Spent 75% of the race in my target HR zone (aerobic) and maintained my target 15.0km/h pace for the first 7 laps, on lap 8 I found I had plenty to spare, so I was able to open the taps and lay down a quick lap (for me) and finished feeling strong and felt I could have kept going to my surprise. Feel like the 24 is a doable proposition now. I came 36th of 103 (34%), which is my strongest race result yet, first time I have finished in the top half and I nearly cracked into the top third of the field. Am really lifted by how the race went and excited about what's to come!
August	Train Climb: 15,720vm	Training Phase 2 - Raise AT. Another 3 week phase completed with no sickness! I did miss a couple of sessions due to being busy with work and family, but all in all I got most of them done to plan. Really happy with how I went and come the final week I felt really strong and was cracking out some speed I've never had before, my climbing has certainly improved in the last 3 weeks, I've stripped 3 minutes of my Mt Stromolo time and on the long group rides I'm often at the front feeling strong instead of crawling at the back gasping for air, and that's been a pleasant surprise. I did more big rides this month, alomst climbing the equivalent of Mt Everest twice! Epics included Mt Ginini, Googong Dam, Camel Back and a huge 150km 3400vm Brindies Loop which have should kept my endurance in check.
September	Train Climb: 8,965vm	Training Phase 3 - Endurance. Rounded off my training with a few tips to Kowen and generally cutting back on the amount of time on the bike, found I got really really tired and spent many a night going to bed bed when the kids went to bed (8pm)! I figure this was recovery from the last few weeks of training, because after that week of tiredness I was able to go out to Kowen and pull laps like I never had before... one Sunday I rode in, did 3 * 1:15 laps then a hot 59:18 lap, then the next weekend I did three sub 1:05's in a row... this was freaky stuff for me, previously my hot lap time would have been 1:15 and I could never have done 3 of them in row. I'm 30% faster than I was last year and amazingly, pushing 10% less average heart rate during the laps. Althouh my v02max and AT numbers have not changed, my results certainly have and I feel ready to race, I'm in far better form than I imagined I would have been, the training really has worked!
September	Race	CORC 3hr, went out with Dan Isaacs and he paced my first 3 laps, I felt pretty good and having doine the 8hr, I knew I could push it for the last 2 hours (like I did there), so I opened the taps a little and sat in a racing HR zone, which I had never been game to do before (fearing a blow up like last years April 3hr). It paid off, no blow up and I came 28th out of 156 (18%)! A new race position PB and a real shock as I usually come around 60th in these, I expected an improvement, but not by this much, am absolutely elated with the result and keen to come back and try even harder next year!