LunarC 8 hour MTB

Jobs 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 youre 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

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 didnt 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 "Im ok, I just need a biddon of HTFU...!" ahhhhh...that is music to my ears.

For me, Jaxs overall performance was inspirational.

During the race Jaxs 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

Read More..

Race Day LunarC 8 hour

.

Dear reader

I hope you are still out there, somewhere?

What is the LunarC?

• Well, the race starts at midnight on Friday night. 
• 9.5km circuit. 
• Do as many laps as you can in 8 hours (130 mudfest kms for me last year).
• Ride/race with good friends.
• Catch up on missed sleep with a couple of hours sleep on Saturday. 
• Then head out for another training ride on Sunday. 

Sounds like a near perfect weekend!

I am happy that I blogged this race last year. I was able to check out the mistakes I made. Most importantly, I have a slightly easier gear on my single speed. Only one gear easier, but this should make a race of difference.

New jersey, new team, same old legs. However, Jens Voigt is always an awesome source of race motivation...

Jens Voigt doesn’t complain about what suffering does to him… but suffering constantly complains about getting picked on by Jens Voigt.

.

Read More..

8 Things to Consider Before Getting a Dog

Most of you who have been visiting my blog probably already have a dog but for those of you who dont and are thinking about one or are considering adding another doggy addition to your family, first take these things into consideration

1. How much time do you have for a dog? - Dogs require a lot of exercise and mental stimulation. Make sure you have enough time in a day to spend with your dog so they arent home alone all day and night. When properly taught dogs can learn how to live in their own company while you or your family is at work but it takes a lot of training for a dog to know right from wrong and be trusted to be left by themselves.

2. Where will you be 5-10 years from now? - Life can be a crazy twist and turn of events if you are not already settled down, will you be able to take the dog with you if you move across states, or into a new rental property? Consider all the moves you might make and different life event that may happen and if your dog will be able to be by your side through all of them.

3. How much activity do you do during the day?- If you are a physically active person who goes on walks daily anyways then that is great! It might be nice to add a furry companion to your walks. If you do, however, do a lot of activities where your dog cannot join you then you should also take that into consideration. If you simply dont get enough exercise in the day either you can always consider a dog that doesnt need as much physical activity during the day, but be sure to not get a dog with the intentions of this may "make me get out of the house and go on walks more often" chances are you will do good for a few days or weeks and then fall back into the norm. Look for the dogs whose activity level best suits your own.

4. Do you take trips often? - How often you take trips would be a good thing to consider before getting a dog, will your dog be able to go with you on these trips? Do you have anyone who can watch him if you cant take him? Can you afford to budget a kennel into your trip expenses if no one is able to watch him?

5. Do not buy a dog based on how cute or fluffy they are - I say this in the sincerest way possible, do NOT buy a dog based solely on how they look. They might be adorable as a puppy but how big will they get and what is their breed behavior standards? Take the husky as an example. Huskies are absolutely gorgeous dogs and that makes them desirable for many people but Huskies can be rowdy, unruly and problematic if not given proper stimulation, not properly trained or not properly exercised.  Do some research about dog breeds to find one that will suit you or your family Every dog breed has a different characteristics so there are many different types of dogs to choose from. Do your research and follow the guidelines on a reputable website and pick a dog breed that is a better suit for how you live on a day to day bases. 

6.Take extra costs into consideration - Does you family have enough money to afford to add a dog into the family? Can you cover important vaccinations and any emergency type of situations that may happen with your dog? There are also food and treat costs,  toys, spay or neuter, pet insurance, training, registration fees (depending on if your state requires them), dog beds and kennels, proper supplies such as collars and leashes. Dogs cost a lot and the unfortunate truth is I sometimes see situations where people cant afford to even feed themselves but have multiple dogs, to this I say if you cannot take care of yourself month to month without a little extra on the table then you should not own a dog.

7. If you have kids or are planning to have kids will you take the time  to properly socialize you dog and teach your kids how to properly interact with them? Even other dogs? - Dogs need a lot of socialization to be able to know how to properly interact with other dogs and people especially kids. Will you have enough time to take your dog around other dogs and people and teach them how to properly interact? Sure problem behaviors due to "lack of time to teach your dog these things" can be modified when it becomes a problem but that is just going to set you back cost wise and also why would you wait until it becomes a problem if you can prevent it before it happens? When it comes to your children you also need to remember to teach them how to properly interact with dogs. Dogs that are not use to having kids pull on their ears or tail are dogs that are more likely to bite so remember to also teach your human babies how to respect animals.

8. Consider adopting from a shelter - If you read through this and think that another furry friend will benefit your life and are ready to take the next step then consider stopping by your local shelter first. Shelters can offer a wide variety of different dogs to choose from, from pure-bred to mutts, big or small. Most shelters get incredibly overpopulated and its important to do our part to help keep them out of there and also remember to spay and neuter our pets!

If you are considering adopting a (or another) dog then you should consider fostering to get a feel for how things will be with a (or another) furry friend around!

Read More..

8 Hour Enduro eat some dust

What a totally awesome day. It was a warm day, with the potential to be a lot hotter. Low to mid 30s 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 wasnt 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.

Read More..