The 6 hour day / night enduro that is part of the Surf Coast Mountain Bike Festival kicked off at 4pm in Anglesea. A controlled start led us away from the start line on single track that opened to much wider vehicle track where the pace began to lift. I could see a group of three setting the pace up ahead, whilst the group of four I sat among steadily approached the first of the day's view of the coast from the cliffs. At this point one of our group (the guy in a yellow jersey) surged forward. past a couple of glances over the shoulder, and powered on to stay in touch with the lead trio. Just under three kilometres down and we hit the next section of single track to continue the next couple of hours of yo-yoing, the gaps would close up on single track and then stretch out again as the track opened up. Mid way through the lap it was becoming clear that a couple of pairs racers that must have started a little further back were, if only momentarily, part of our group. At the turn of the lap they changed with their team-mates and the fresh riders began to slip away.
The pace with the other two riders was consistent. They both wore the same Mitre 10 kit and were constantly comparing notes on their progress. One seemed stronger on the open sections whilst the other always seemed more comfortable on the single track. At one stage I was between them and noticed the guy in front moving away. He kept a gap for about half a lap but gradually we caught him. As we hit the next slight climb I figured he wouldn't be able to continually hold the gear he was using for the effort he needed to sustain and within the next kilometre or so the order had changed, his compadre led us and began to slip away. Riding almost wheel-to-wheel, at one point during the next lap I wondered if the guy in front of me might have been baulking me to allow the other rider ahead to gain a greater lead, I noticed again on another climb that the heavier gear he pushed was starting to take its toll. Passing him on the final climb of the lap I then descended the approach to the timing point, also passing by the other Mitre 10 rider as he stopped for a fresh bottle.
I spent the next lap with a relatively clear track, keeping my pace up in the sections that I had previously found myself being held up by anybody else, and pushing through any other areas that I found were my weaker points. Where ever the track opened up or offered a view of the trails behind I could see there was still a good gap, in a few spots it seemed like I might have been the only one out there. At about the four hour mark, in the second half of the lap, I started closing in on the yellow jerseyed rider that I hadn't seen since the first kilometre or so of the opening lap, and his body language was indicating that any climbs were hurting. After passing him I expected he might try to hang onto my wheel, he did stay for a while but by midway up the next longer climb he had slipped further behind.
As the light faded through dusk there was a period of riding the flow of the trails by feel and memory. The head light didn't have enough brightness to light up the track where the fading sunlight was also limiting what was visible. It wasn't until darkness had fallen that I could see or read the progressive results screen when passing through the start line, and even then all I could notice was how many laps I had completed, but I couldn't pick up anything indicating my position or pace. It was also difficult to identify others on course until they either passed or I was close enough to pass them so I decided the best method to continue attacking the course was to continue riding at the limits I had found were achievable.
Now a few years old, my light was satisfactory when I was out on my own but whenever I was within reach of another rider I noticed how dim it was in comparison to their more recent products. At one stage I gained on another rider with lights so effective that the trails and periphery lit up like daylight. After passing I had to double check that my light was still working as the flood of light from behind dominated. There are some fantastic lights available on the market, mine was a great light when I bought it but has been, dare I say, eclipsed by newer technology.
Another lap down gave a chance to check my lap count and I was confident I would post 10 laps, so long as I held my pace. A factor I had been keeping close tabs on was nutrition throughout the race, and more so as I entered into the last couple of hours. The plan seemed to be working as I pushed through any fatigue and worked away any signs of cramp. With 5 minutes remaining of the 6 hour period allowing riders to start any laps I crossed the line, closing off Lap 9 and continuing through to put Lap 10 on the board. Not knowing where I was placed I figured it would be complacent not to continue as the next rider could have been within a minute or two of me. There was plenty of ache in my body but the last lap always has an elixir of rejuevenation. During the second half of that lap I got a glimpse of another light covering the trails I had just ridden, this also spurred me on to find any reserves of energy that had somehow escaped untapped. I took the last chance to attack any climbs and enjoyed the remaining flowing descents. As I turned into the final climb I got out of the saddle and stamped on the pedals knowing it was the last climb before the chute down to the finish line.
The plan to keep the body fuelled had worked, three pairs teams were the only ones in front of me, also on 10 laps. the next solo rider placed behind me had completed 9 laps, and any feelings of cramp or fatigue were soon forgotten! To win the solo category outright was beyond how I imagined I'd finish,
The going did get heavy a few times during the race, but I figured it was not a patch on what anybody going through any health struggles would be enduring. In the forefront of my mind was a good friend, Sue. Sue's world was recently turned upside down when it was diagnosed that she had a cancer battle on her hands. I dedicate this win to Sue, and wish Sue the best in her treatment and recovery.
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