Billed as one of the toughest events on the mountain bike calendar the 100km epic from Apollo Bay to Forrest came under the new name Kona Odyssey. This year my focus was a 30 minute time improvement.
Having ridden the event the past few years in varying weather conditions, 2012 promised to be a lot warmer and drier as I set off with my goal split times. The initial climb was met with the usual enthusiasm as fellow Topgear riders Gareth Syme and Chris Wallace led off into the distance. The next fast, gravel road descent once again managed to catch out a few over-ambitious riders before the hairpin into the first narrow track of the day. I felt good and was happy with my position as I started into the private property tracks with not too many crowding the trails. This kept the momentum constant as we all tackled the steep, greasy climbs that dominated the section. Emerging onto the next section of sealed road I noticed a few riders heading in the same direction so jumped on. Chris and I found ourselves at the same point of the race and looked for a pace to hold. We were soon joined by a few others to form a train of 6 or 7 riders tackling what would otherwise be a long, lonely bitumen climb. We veered right onto the unsealed national park trails. It was becoming clear that the day was going to be quite warm yet there was still plenty of moisture in the ground and some hub-deep wheel rut puddles to negotiate.
The descents were fast and the climbs were still holding their Odyssey reputation. The two creeks on the profile came and went and I set in for the long climb to the first drink station, arriving with Chris.
After some fast single track and another road climb it was into one of the most enjoyed sections of the race, the 4 or 5 km Red Carpet Timed Descent. It was fast, and the surface was perfect. I picked past a couple of riders and was spat out at the end with over a minute and a half taken off my previous best time for the section. The climb to the dam wall that followed started to highlight how hard I had been working as the first signs of cramp shot through my upper legs.
Riding the magic of the Red Carpet
With the first 50km behind me the tempo of the event took a new turn. Single track followed as the main component with some rapid drops and steep, short pinches through some of the best of Forrest's trails on offer. The surfaces changed from clay, to leaf-littered hardpack, to some sketchy loose gravel over the undulations of switch back climbs and bermed descents. They were generally dry and fast, with a couple of wooden bridges thrown into the mix. One of the highlights was a rapid descent through a series of high faced berms that flip-flopped down into each other. I felt I was making good time as I approached the climb back toward the road looking for an opportunity to squeeze in some more nutrition. It wasn't long before I was on the road in a bunch headed for the Forrest oval. This would be the first of two passes through the oval where I would refill my bottles and restock any food.
As I exited the oval I recognised several of the riders surrounding me. It was becoming clear that some of these riders were strong on the open road and some were strong in single track. During the first couple of kilometres from the oval I chatted with a rider I'd been to-ing and fro-ing with since the first asphalt section back at the 20km mark. It was refreshing to share some thoughts about the day's riding and other past races we had both completed. Our pace was solid. We were caught by a faster rider at about the 70km mark and then jumped on his wheel for the next 5km or so. A train of four or five of us drifted through the popular section known as Mariner's Run, twisted around grass trees and soon ticked off another 5km as we tried to straighten out the switch backs within the perfect single track. I had managed to stay on top of any cramping but the result of consistent exertion had started to make its presence known. From this point I knew there was still plenty of work to be done so I refocused on keeping everything as smooth and efficient as possible, getting the most of recovery from any descent. Out on my own as I had lost the wheels I was previously moving with I aggressed the last couple of pinches that took me closer to the second pass through the oval. The bottles were as good as drained, though whilst focusing on the single track I had left it a long time between food. So I refuelled for the final leg, keeping in mind the long step-up climb known as Brittany's Meltdown.
Drifting through Mariner's Run
From this point there was no question about whether or not I had pushed the limits. The gravel road seemed a lot steeper and longer than I remembered. As I watched another rider slowly slip further into the distance I kept my mindset on top of any fatigue with thoughts that each crest put behind me was one less to climb. Every gear on the bike was getting a workout and by that stage the legs were grateful for the easier ones! I caught a rider as we got to the top of a 100m single track climb where he let me pass and into the downhill run that lead to the final rider’s nemesis, The Sledgehammer. At the foot of the climb was Gareth in mechanical strife. His rear derailleur had been damaged and what should have been a routine repair had escalated to unmanageable with only a multi-tool and replacement hanger. After a quick discussion I hiked the last of the steep climbs. The return road to the oval and finish line was a welcome milestone, the fatigue seemed to evaporate as I grabbed the dog and wound up the rubber band for home. Gravel became bitumen, then bitumen lead off to more gravel on the oval’s perimeter before heading across the middle to the finish gate.
As with most events a lot of training had gone into this one. Previously I had used the Odyssey as a training event on the way to other goals but this time the Odyssey was the main goal. There was plenty to learn and everything to gain by following a well structured training plan so I sourced some coaching from qualified cycling coach Jenny King. Over the lead-up months Jenny set my riding programs and through regular contact we monitored the direction of my performance. Meanwhile, Jenny was consistently winning national cross country rounds and has just won the green and gold jersey at the Australian National MTB Championships. To understate the obvious, I was confident that my training program was in good hands.
I crossed the finish line in Forrest 5 hours 45 minutes since leaving Apollo Bay, faster by 31 minutes, I was pretty well wrung out, but above all extremely happy with my achievement, but as always, there's room for improvement.
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