You Yangs Yowie 33km - First Race Back

The plan was to stay with the lead group at the start and see if I could hold on and to see where I am at now with my fitness due to Donna at (www.pcscoaching.com.au/).

There is the start and I get swapped. A junior next to me has trouble clipping in and drifts across the front of me. I had to wait before I can get going. The lead group are already 50 metres up the road before I have moved.

Head down and travelling fast. Too fast. My heart rate is above 90% and I am only 1.5km into the race.

Grit my teeth and ready myself for the first climb. The heart rate levels out and I know I get a chance to recover in a few kilometres when we go over the top. I am reeling people in.

Time for a breather and some single track. Out of Quarry and after a short fire road section past the toilets and car park I enter Vomit Climb. It has an average gradient of 11.4% but there are some parts that are as steep at 19.7%. It is 2:45 minutes of pain and pass a couple of people here. I am feeling strong.

Boulder Track comes and goes, not before I hit The Clam the highest, cleanest and fastest that I have ever hit before and there is still room for improvement. It no longer freaks me out.

Back past the car park which means back up we go. More climbing, you beauty. This time it is Lactic Acid. Whoopsie, the first bit of technical climbing and I stuff it up. Take it as a sign to focus. I clear the next technical section with ease.

Lactic opens onto a fire road and I use the respite to get food and fluids down. Notice that the leg has not given me any trouble. 

Another descent, this time Trav's Diamond. Wooden berm, rock drop, rock berm, rock wall, rock berm and I am through. Smiling. Awesome and the rider compliments me on how clean I rode that section. Thanks Norm (www.mtbskills.com.au) for the skills and confidence. Trav's is becoming a must do.

Drums? Ominous considering they are at the bottom of The Churn. The Churn is a three part rock section that can be painful if you get it wrong, but so much time can be made if you get right. First climb cleared. The hardest section cleared and the rider in front moves aside as I enter the last  climbing section. Done, cleared the lot and head down towards the final major climb of the day.

Idiot! Lose focus and get the entry wrong. Need to loop around. Idiot! now I am in the wrong gear and need to loop around again. Never climbed Cressy's but discover it is a lot easier than the road. That's it, I am now done with what I consider climbing for the day.

There are three distances for The You Yangs Yowie being run and start at different times. One of the elites catches me into the descent into Kurrajong. I follow Duncan and try to match his lines. For the most part he isn't getting too far ahead of me until I muppet one of the tighter switchbacks.

Let the bike run, focus on being clean into the fast section of the course and drive the legs.  Eight kilometres to go and there is someone 700m in front of me and there is a rider the same gap behind so I can ride my own race.

Out of a left hander. "That is strange" The log has been moved across the trail. "Jesus Christ! You son of a bitch" The Yowie took that moment to jump out from the bush. It scared the shit out of me. I continue, laughing hoping that my heart will relocate on its own accord from my throat back into my chest cavity.

I am riding as fast as I can but I can't get the heart rate up. I want another climb to take advantage of my fitness.

Onto the home-straight and I come in at 1:43:15. Holy crap! Got informed that I finished 8th. More than happy with the result. Average speed 19.7kmh

Race Data - Strava

Race Data - Garmin