Knee operation, new LED lights from Nightlightning.

It has been 3 weeks since my knee operation and finally i can pedal a full rotation on the bike. The operation went really well with the ACL but all the lateral tighting they did to the medial ligament has been restricting. It is finally starting to loosen up.

I am starting to go a bit nutty now after 5 weeks of inactivity. Alister from Nightlighting sent me a get well pack of goodies. The new LED lights have some real kick. I can't believe that they still get brighter every year. With the lights looking at me every day wanting to head out on the trails i will have to up the rehab.

Ways to beat the boredom:

Rehab exercises.
Learn a language if only very minimal.
Read lots of books.
Spend time playing with children.
Stay out of mums way.

The future.

It has been pending for some time now, that i would have to back off from riding and racing. With life changing and different priorities i have decided to stop racing and now just ride socially.

I was riding at the nationals this year at Easter and about 8 hours into the race i was feeling good and happy to bee in 2nd. But as in 24hour racing if you think about what you are doing it is over.

I was thinking about a few things one and most important was do i really want this. The answer was no. I never started racing and riding these events to win or to be the best. For me it was all about seeing how far i could push myself and enjoy it. I was lucky enough to be very competitive at the same time. Looking back, last years National 24 hour i found out how far i could push myself. Since then racing hasn't been the same. I now know how far i can push my body and with a young family the risk is to great, i suppose until you do a 24 hour and end up in hospital you don't truly understand.

Anyway new trails are still begging to be discovered and I look forward to some non competitive trail blazing with friends. So here is a list of the best products i have used through my racing life:

Lights: Nightlighting blast. Up datable every year and the more than enough light.

Tyres: Geax Sagauro , the best around tyre ever.

Supplements: Ascend sport protein

Clothing: Skins most comfortable cycling Knicks as they don't stretch over a 24 hour race
and become loose.

Shoes: Shimano custom fit shoes.

Grips: Ergon ergonomic grips. Better control and comfort.

Bike: Giant anthem advance.

So a big thank you to all my sponsors and support network for all you have done for me over the years, they are: Nightlighting, Ascend, Giantbikes, GKA sports, Skins, Ergon grips, Shimano, Jeff Williams (Strength and Conditioning for all.) and Warren Keys(Melbourne Bicycle Centre Clifton Hill.)

24 Hour Solo Championships this weekend.

Has the work/training been done? YES.
Is this the time? YES NOW.
Do you believe? YES BRAVE.

Stay tuned for full race report and what is install for the future.

Chase your dreams.

With a week of turning the impossible into reality i have been inspired. I was reminded of what happens if you never take your focus of your goals, no matter how far out of reach they seem to be. So for all who have lost faith in what can be achieved you too will be reminded of what can be done even when all is stacked against them.

On a riding note a small Giant rider along with Troy Clark turned the Hell ride into a train wreck, shelling all who tried to hold the wheel. It seems the Ascend nutritional assistance is paying off.

Today i entered the 24 Solo nationals so look out for the results at Easter. When night falls and Nightlightning come out to play their will be a train wreck.

Magic moment.

After a light training week and breaking another rear wheel spoke on the Hell ride Saturday, i decided to have a MTB ride.

Up at 3am, it was time to get in some night riding down on the Yarra trails. The ride started slow as i woke the body up. This is when the magic moment happened. About halfway into the ride just before Westerfolds Park time was erased and i woke up back at Burke road. Why is this a magic moment? When you ride your bike for 24 hours your best is always when you loose track of time, i call it taming time or is more widely known as deep in the ZONE. To drop into the zone during training means that it is now on tap, something i have been working on for a long time.

Time management.

I have a few minutes to post an update. Over the last few weeks it has been full on. I have been getting up at 3am and riding for 3-4 hours before work. Yes the Nightlightning lights have been getting a good work out. However this results in some sleep deprivation requiring me to go to bed at the same time as Mitchell and Emma.

Work has had the rest of the day tied up as we have been busy quoting jobs, laying bricks and blocks for various projects. I have been trying to complete as many jobs as possible before Easter because i have booked my knee surgery for the 14th of April. The surgeon has told me to allow 8 weeks for rehabilitation.

Coming up on the 28th of March i will be riding the Owtway road challenge for Ascend who are supporting the event where you can sample some of their fabulous nutritional products.

Owtway oddessy

One of the toughest Marathon MTB races is over for another year and i believe it was the best one yet. A quick update on my week before i give you a race report.

Tuesday night the family and i went to the MTB critt under Burke rd bridge. After a few crashes on the early laps due to my adjusted riding style caused by the shoulder ligament injury, i was able to work into a handy lead to take out the $100 up for grabs in A grade. I am looking forward to a full series of these races around Christmas as Mitchell loves riding the trails down there also.

Thursday i saw the Knee specialist. He was a bit surprised by the MIR scan as it showed that i have completely snapped my Anterior Cushier Ligament in my right knee. This gives me 2 options, leave it and no longer run or do any sport or activity's that involve twisting or sudden turning. The other is a complete knee reconstruction involving about 8 weeks rehab. I took the complete knee reconstruction. It is booked for the 14th of April just after the Australian 24 Hour Solo Championships.

Back to the Owtway Odyssey. It was an early start as i had to register before the start. They had giving me No.13, just what i needed to settle pre race nerves. It was a fast start again as we rolled out of town and then began climbing. One thing i won't forget was looking back down from the top to see riders snaking there way along the road we had just blown our lungs apart coming up. I came into the first drink station in 7th place feeling better than in previous years. The next loop took allot out of me. This was fun flowing single track but with the shoulder injury i found i had to really focus on what i was doing just to hold a wheel. As we started the last loop it showed as we started to climb and i just rode a solid tempo to get me to the finish. In the end i managed 9th place which i was happy with considering the lead up. I will be back next year hoping for a top 5 finish.

Bushfire fundraiser

Congratulations to all who supported the 6 hour race at the You Yangs. Apparently $35,000 was raised and donated to the red cross bushfire relief. To all who organized this great event 'thank you' you make me proud to be associated with the MTB community.

As for the race, it was a great fun event. I had a great start which ended 10mins in when i strayed off line hitting a rock, flipping the bars. After repairing the damage i rejoined at the back of the race. A large lump of fluid appeared on my shin and something wrong with my shoulder i road for another 4 hours before getting another flat. With that i fixed it and called it a day. I saw first aid about my shoulder and it was established that i had stretched ligaments in my shoulder. It seems icing and anti-inflammatory for the next few days and i might make the start of the Owtways this weekend.

Don't forget this Tuesday night $100 is up for grabs if you can win A grade at the critts under Burk rd bridge (Yarra).

Bushfire fundraiser

I had my first hit out since the Scott 24 hour this week. On Tuesday night i took the family down to the MTB critts at the Eaglemont tennis courts under Burke Rd bridge. Mitch was there tearing it up on his walker bike. This was a great fast hit out lasting about 40mins. Next week should be good as there is $100 for the win in A grade.

In other news, this weekends enduro is now at the You Yang with all proceeds going towards the bushfire relief efforts. So for a great day of riding and fund raising, get down their.

The harder you work the harder it is to surrender.

With the heat set to soar into the mid 40's my early morning ride time has it's advantages. Setting out at 3am so i could get a good 8 hour ride in before the heat wave. With hilly races on the horizon i stayed in the Dandynongs to climb instead of going to the hell ride. All i can say is my knee has never felt better after draining the cyst and cortisone. This particular ride was one that i got a distinct feeling that the hard work was paying off. I could have ridden in the hills forever, i even broke curfew i was that deep in the zone. Today Terry's avenue seemed to flatten out and felt just like any other climb. Day's like these you wish you were racing and if your not you must hold back otherwise you will cook it for when you do race.

Tuesday night MTB critts and Knee update.

Well after some long and hard training today i had my cyst drained and cortisone injected into my knee. This will keep me going strong until i can fit the surgery in around the racing schedule. I am off to see the surgeon on Monday to find out what is involved with the surgery. One thing that has help keep my going is the high quality Ascend protein recovery, essential after each training session.

Also on Monday i am having an Eco Stess test at the Epworth to check on my heart. Due to its strange behavior over the years the doctor likes to keep a close eye on it and after having chest pain in Canada last year he is not going to take any chances.

Niggling physical problems like these are just events athletes have to deal with. I have learnt over the years you just have to deal with them the best you can as they are often out of your control. So take measures to have them fixed and focus on what you can control. eg Recovery and rehabilitation.

Skins are a great product to help speed the recovery process after training. Check out http://www.truespiritofcompetition.com/ for a look at skins moments in sport calendar that questions some classic moments in sport.

Riding wise i was able to get out on the Fatties Wednesday night ride. I picked my Giant Anthem up from ProMotion in North Road after a full service. It was great to hop on a fresh machine and smash along the Yarra full noise without it missing beat, giving you the adrenalin rush. If you would like to enhance your MTB skills this is the Weekly MTB ride to do. You should bring lights (Nightlightning) as it gets dark by 8:30.

Racing for me kicks of next Tuesday night at 6:30pm at the Fatties MTB critts. They are at the Eaglemont Tennis club Melway 31 K10 and entry is only $5 either A or B grade.

Knee problems.

I got confirmation today from the doctor that i have what is known as a Baker's cyst. This is a sack of fluid behind the knee that swells up when irritated. I irritated it Sunday night doing box jumps. This is good news as i now know what is causing it to swell up every now and then. It is also what happened in Canada at the 24 hour worlds. What it means is surgery at some time to have the cyst removed. I have decided to have it done in April after the Marathon champs due mainly to the down time after surgery. Until then i just have to be careful not to irritate it.

In sport and life nothing ever goes perfectly. You always have to manage injuries and setbacks. This is all part of the journey. Stay focused on the goal. Adjust your plans to accommodate the injury or setback. By accepting the setback and adjusting your plans you are still moving towards you goal and have taken action to get back on target instead of floating in no mans land waiting to get back on target.

Fast/hard, night/day riding.

This Saturday morning i was up and out the door by 3am thanks to Mitchell who had finally gotten so tired he fell asleep. This left me wide awake so instead of going to bed myself i went for a ride. Strapping on the trusty Nightlightning light, I spent the first few hours in the Dandynongs then headed toward the beach. Along the way i met the Ivan and Chris heading toward the Hell ride. We also found Bellie in his new bright yellow shoes ( the Wasp known for its repeated stinging attacks.).

The Hell ride was a spacial one with a strong cross/tail wind. When it is windy you must stay up the front or you will be left behind. So when the ride rolled out at 50+km/h and then didn't drop below 55km/h i was not surprised to find that only a handful remained by Frankston. It pretty much stayed like this all the way back as we picked up the main bunch who took a short loop.
By the time i made it back home i was toasted but excited by such a worthwhile experience.

Riding tip: When their is a cross or tailwind the bunch is most likely to split, so stay up the front. If it does split and your down the back at speeds of 55+km/h you can't push any faster so you will never see the front bunch again as it is imposable. At these speeds you also must be able to push a big gear. This requires strength which is the foundation for riding at these speeds for any length of time. Suggested you work in the gym for this followed by Ascend protein to recover faster.

Missing Ascend

This is the first week that hard interval training has taken place combined with full time work. This is always tough at first as the body adapts to the load. One thing i am noticing towards the end of the week is the legs don't have the same amount of ping. The main reason i think is i ran out of Ascend protein recovery. It probably was a bad time to see how much it helps. Anyway the way i feel right now i could do with some to get me back on track fast.

How to balance Family, work and riding.

I'm back from holidays and straight into laying bricks. What a week to start back with temperatures into the mid 30's. It was a good time for a rest from training only light riding for the week. Saturday morn was early again as other fellow MTB riders [Andy Bell, Jason Jackson Epix, Jeff Williams, Matt and Ben Randal showed up today, interesting] are now joining me for a tour of the Dandynongs. This ride is been dubbed the dads ride, due to our family commitments and unwillingness to stop riding. We go in the wee hours of the morning while everybody else is sleeping.

Tip: if you love riding and also want to spend time with your family get your arse out of bed early and have the best of both worlds.

Back to bloging

Happy new year. I am now back from holidays with the family. Due to my body being totally exhausted i have had a good month off the bike to let it repair the damage i have caused it over the last two years. Anyway i have settled back into riding again and all is going a bit to well. Since i have had some time off my body recovers supper fast. It may have something to do with Ascend's range of recovery products in fact i am sure they assist. Basically i will be training up for some racing in February and March and will then assess where i go from their depending on performance. My inspiration for the year is based on these words ' Failure is very often the fertilizer for success.'


Mitchell has developed a fetish for trains. seen here tyring to break into the Bright train museum.

My first ride back from a break was to check out the Marathon Championship course for 2009. With plenty of climbing and fire roads it is sure to be a hard fun day of racing.

Emma is now crawling. She also has started her core training.

This is Jeff trying to fix his flat. What he didn't realize was the rim had a massive dint in it. His new Giant Anthem descends to fast for him and he can't see the rocks.

Jeff was put to the test when i took him out for a 50km MTB ride. It had over 2000m of climbing and pinches that were over 25% grade.

Jeff and Brad on another challenging MTB ride off the side of Mt Hotham

Emma modeling for Skins.

The view from Mt Buffalo

Along the flat part of Mt Hotham. You can still see the damage from the 2003 bushfire's.

Looking down CRB hill on Mt Hotham it is a casual 15% grade.

Looking from Mt Hotham over too Mt Feathertop.

That is an update on what has been going on. I am looking forward to the year ahead and will be updating my blog regularly again so stay tuned for more training tips, long adventures and great products i use and test.