K2 2021 - Weather Bomb!

 ---- Ride Report ---- 

This year's K2 arrived in April, having been postponed from March, having been postponed from October.. due to the Covid 19 virus. The forecast for the day was terrible, high winds and rain.. and unfortunately the forecast was correct. The rain didn't really get heavy till after lunch but the North-Easterly wind was strong from the start. Our build up had been great, with lots of long, hilly, Summer rides and a recce ride in Feb, and I'd also recorded my best 20min power in an FTP test, also in early Feb. However, I had been finding it hard to knock out the hard interval rides in the last few weeks and felt like my form had peaked for the March ride date. BUT, having said that was still confident I could have a good ride and had really rested the last 2 weeks to freshen up. 

Lining up at the start, you could visibly see the numbers were way down (unsurprisingly) and after group 3 they started putting groups together and releasing them.. so it wasn't long before we were off. Carl and I quickly moved towards the front of the bunch and the first major climb of the day, Pumpkin hill was upon us. Our rough plan was to stay with the bunch at least till Whitianga, then take the hardest section of the race, from Kuaotunu to Kereta at our own pace, then catch whatever groups we could from then on. The pace up Pumpkin was hardish but not too bad, I averaged about 258watts and 159hr (according to Strava) and Carl and I crested at the front of the bunch. Descending was slow due to the weather but our group reformed reasonably quickly as we moved onto Coroglen. We made good time through to Whitianga despite the head wind and a pace line would form on the long flat sections which we contributed to. 

As we approached Kuaotunu is said to Carl we might as well stick with these guys as the pace seemed good and not too hard (first 41km @ 29.7kph avg, 181avg watts), and I was feeling fine. The climbs come thick and fast from Kuaotunu, followed by Myundermans, Gentle Annie and Whangapoua. We sat in where we could, ate and drank, and generally tried to conserve energy while still sticking with the bunch. Carl and I climbed Whangapoua together and as "easily" as you can, as the bunch split to pieces. We had had a cross tail wind from Kuaotunu so our pace had been good for the Whiti to Coro section (42km @ 24.7km, 178avg watts, 150avg hr), again going along nicely. Unfortunately on the Whangapoua descent we passed a crash (Joanna Sharpe) but we got down safely. We went past the Coromandel town turn off at 10.44am and must have missed Trace and her K1 bunch by only minutes.

Our bunch was in one's and two's now, so Carl and I took turns on the front, clicking along the flat land before Manaia, without pushing the pace but unfortunately I already had the all to familiar feeling in my legs that cramp was on the way (and we were weren't even halfway around 😕 ). We got up and over Manaia and Kereta climbs holding reasonable power (around 220watts for me) but on the steep first section of Kereta, we had an incident. We were catching some slow K1 riders and as we passed one REALLY big guy, he started to wobble.. Carl was in front of me and the big guy started to veer dangerously across the road and clipped Carl's rear wheel.. he was definitely going down.. the problem was, he was falling directly into my path! I'm not sure what exactly happened next but in my efforts to avoid him, I ended up on the other side of the road, unclipped and laid the bike down. It wasn't a bad crash, but if I wasn't wearing gloves my right hand would have been a mess.. as it was, I only had a light graze on my thumb and a bruise on the inside right knee which had smacked the top tube. My initial thought was "WTF! you bastard!" but I quickly realised it was just an accident and out of his control (once he'd lost control). I was back on my feet and asking the big guy if he was Ok.. but he obviously wasn't.. he seemed dazed and was walking backwards, carrying his bike to the road's edge.. and despite a few of us yelling "stop.. watch out.. " etc he had toppled over backwards off the road hard shoulder and down into a ditch. "Luckily" he was stopped rolling any further by some shrubs/bushes breaking his fall and a couple of other riders that had stopped when we crashed, jumped down off the road to help him up. I decided that he was getting all help he needed so I jumped back on my bike and carried on with Carl. The whole sequence of events only took around a minute and I didn't feel any worse for wear after.. only the thumb was a bit sore.

Once we descended off Kereta we began the long coastal section to Thames.. our pace was still Ok (around 25.8kph avg) but with all but one of the major climbs behind us, a tail wind (down the coast at least) and plenty of flat road to come, we were still on track to break 7hrs. Carl and I worked our way solo for the first 10 - 15kms, passing small groups or solo riders but eventually we got caught by about 4 FFC riders (and a couple of others) and as we rolled turns with them our pace picked up. Unfortunately about 5kms from Thames, one of the FFC guys dropped his jacket out of his back pocket, so 3 of them turned around to get it.. but this split our little bunch and Carl was in the front at the time. I tried to chase and bridge the gap but they steadily pulled away and Carl hadn't noticed (concentrating on the wheel in front of him) so I had a 10min period on my own but Carl's group was always in sight up the road. 

Carl and I regrouped in Thames but without the FFC guys taking turns our pace had dropped, however we had made good progress.. making the turn to Kopu our avg speed was up to 27.2kph. BUT as soon as we made the turn into the wind and started the Kopu climb, I knew it would be a struggle.. I just couldn't get any reasonable power out of my legs, cramp was a constant companion and I definitely had a few bouts of tourettes 🤬 watching my avg speed slowly dwindle down. 50 punishing minutes later we finally crested Kopu, which gave us just over 50mins to get to the finish, about 27kms away.. again, by itself, that equation from the top of Kopu should have been doable but every time the road went up (those three or four forgotten rollers after Kopu) I would slow to what felt like a crawl.. and then the heavens opened in the last hour, just to finish us off. Ironically, my legs found some power again with about 10kms to go, so I did some stronger turns on the front (which Carl was probably hating me for..) and we'd picked up some other riders who were taking the odd turn but the 7hr time ticked by with 3km still to go.. final time 7:07 (avg 25.9kpm, 166w, 145hr).

So I guess I should be happy to have completed another K2 (my 10th) in horrible conditions and staying (mostly) upright for the day but I can't help but be disappointed with the result. There's lots of different excuses I could try.. but sadly I just didn't have it on the day. Looking forward to just riding my bike now, without targets or intervals for quite a while.. next race for me is TDR in October. 

And a big thanks to Carl for being the ultimate wingman on the day.. a true professional as always 👍

Fred Ogle Memorial Ride

With the postponements K2 and Taupo, we were looking for another ride to do this year, having only ridden the 100k Flyer at the start of October (postponed from it's original date in April) and Trace and I rode the TDR in January. I found the Fred Ogle ride on Facebook and with it being located up near Whanageri and only $65 entry, we decided to give it a go.

From the Website: 

The Fred Ogle and Lynley MacDonald Ride Events have taken place since 2008 and are a key event in the Northland cycling calendar and each year the focus of the event is to bring renewed road user awareness to cycling safety. 

The ride is mostly on backroads, in reasonable condition apart from some fresh seal and the odd rough cow crossing sections. Forecast was good for the day but when we arrived there was some very light drizzle in the air but this didn't hang around long and the day quickly warmed up. 

I started the ride with Trace and Carl and it was a neutral start behind a car rolling at 20kph (i.e no waves, just one mass start). No-one seemed to know when the flag would drop, and when it did at about 4km in, we were on a slight rise and the bunch split to pieces. Carl and I got across any gaps but Trace didn't, so that made for long day out for her with not many good riders left to work with. Our bunch split again on the first big hill 20kms in and Carl and I got into the 3rd group on the road containing about 20 riders. 

We rode with this group till the end, picking up a few stragglers from the groups in front. I felt great until the half way turn around, when the day was really warming up (avg temp 21, max 25). I thought I could cramp at any moment from this point but whenever I needed to dig out an effort on a climb or rolling a turn on the front, I managed it. 

The group mainly worked well together but the pace was up and down... high pace on the hills and some real easy moments on flat sections (which was probably what saved me from cramping). With about 10kms to go, a few riders clipped off the front, going solo for glory but I was definitely content in the bunch. The usual sprint finish started early with a downhill last 2kms but generally our group came to the finish all together. Carl put in a strong sprint to move up in the last 500mtrs and I sat on his wheel ;-) so it was great to finish another race together. Don't know our actual finish positions etc as we didn't have timing chips, only race numbers on the front of our bikes... but I'm guessing around the top 50 places. 

So in summary, Nice course, good weather.. would definitely do this ride again. 

Taupo 2019 - A star is born

After the disappointment of 2018, of not getting Trace around under 5hrs, I had vowed that I would return this year and have another crack at that elusive Sub 5hr ride with her (if Trace was up for it? and she was 😃 ). One of the main issues with our 2018 attempt was the weather (which obviously we have no control over), but being wet, cold and windy made for a very difficult day out and not conducive to fast times. This years forecast was much better, and if anything looked like it might get too hot but only light Northerly winds and no rain. Trace's training had gone much better leading in to the ride so we were optimistic of our chances.

The DOC group was quite similar to last year, containing quite a few strong riders but the key ingredient to getting any cohesion from the bunch is their Captain, Mike Conza. Despite last years weather, a lot of the DOC bunch did go Sub 5 so I knew that Mike was very keen to help Trace achieve her goal this time around. Also meeting us at the start point was Tim, Phil and Ian, who were going to ride their own races but it's always nice to see familiar faces and the longer we could stay together the better.

As we lined up in the start gates, the weather was very pleasant 14 degrees (which is warm for Taupo at 7.30am in November) and before we knew it, we were off. Most years the first hills are always ridden pretty aggressively and this year was no different and it felt like a fast pace from the start. Also it seemed like a particularly big group, which we were in the middle of. Maybe around 10kms in, a major split happened occurred, with about 30 riders going up the road but we were happy with our pace and position and didn't try to bridge across. Most of the DOC guys were on our side of the split but importantly Mike Conza, Trace, Craig, Tim, Ian and myself were all still together (unfortunately Phil had started dropping back and I didn't see him again... but considering he had only done 4 or 5 weeks training coming in, the fast start did him no favours).

From here, the DOC guys took control of the front of this new group and we tried to rotate turns but it mostly consisted of Mike setting the pace, with me giving him a break now and then... and also random efforts from Rupert or Allan Haggo but consistent pacing isn't their strong points. Ian was also well placed and often right at the front. Mike would sometimes drift back in the bunch to check on people and when he disappeared the group would lose it's momentum but we were still making good progress and completed the first 40kms at just under a 30kph avg, which was ahead of schedule. Tim, Craig and Trace were riding smart in the wheels and well placed near the front of the bunch, without getting on the front.

Sometime not long after the Waihaha climb, both Craig and Ian dropped their chains and I didn't see either of them again on the ride... Craig unfortunately had bent his chain trying to ride it back on and had to DNF, whereas Ian did get the chain back on and chased but couldn't close the gap to us (but looking at the Flyby, he got very close a couple of times). Our bunch had also been catching the group in front and before Kuratau we had formed a massive group. However the group in front had cars "in" it which were having difficulty passing and things really broke up from here.

While being held up with the cars and the bunch merge, Mike decided to stop for a nature break, but Trace, Tim and I carried on. We were nearly at Kuratau now, so I said to Trace to ride easyish, climb at your own pace and Mike will catch us. I think I was wanting some easy riding too, as I could feel cramp coming, the sun was out now and it was getting hot. We probably only got halfway up Kuratau when Mike caught and passed us. We had agreed to meet/stop at the water station at Waihei so I assumed Mike was pressing on until that point to wait for us there. A couple of kms later, Mike sat up and waited.. (he must have had a change of mind?) then starting pulling Trace along. It was great to see Trace riding so well... but I really struggled to keep pace here and slowly got dropped by 10 - 15 metres. Luckily for me a faster group of about 4 came past so I jumped in with them and they towed me back to Trace's wheel. Tim was dropped here as well but didn't make it back and we didn't see him again.

We stopped briefly at the Waihei drink station, as I needed to top up my bottles, then Trace and I rolled down the descent on our own, knowing that Mike was now behind us. He was waiting for other DOC riders to catch up before carrying on. Once on the flats I again said to Trace, lets ride easy and let them catch us.. but be ready to jump when the bunch does come along. A huge group did catch us about half way to Turangi and we jumped in (assuming that Mike and others were in this bunch.. which they were). If you look at the Flyby, Ian and Tim were somewhere at the back of this bunch too but I never saw them and it looks like they dropped out just before the turn onto the main road.

We made great progress with this big group, and by asking a random guy, I found out it was the Hot Cycles guys leading the way... but they had plenty of passengers (including us). Unfortunately a big guy about 3 or 4 riders ahead of us lost the wheel in the pace line, and no-body went around him.. so a split opened and the big bunch sailed off into the distance. Mike was clearly not happy about this so went straight to the front and started chasing... which caused another split (the big guy wasn't giving up... but wasn't keeping up either) so Mike rode off with one other guy on his wheel. I was cramping on and off pretty regularly now, so I wasn't that unhappy for the pace to drop and as we were sitting on just under a 31kph avg, I enjoyed a couple of minutes of easier spinning, thinking we're still on target time.

It didn't take Mike very long to realise we weren't with him, so he sat up again until we caught him.. then he picked us out of the group, calling out "you, on my wheel... you, on my wheel... you, on my wheel.." as he rode back to the front again 😄 and we did as we were told. NOTE: at this stage there was only Trace, me and another guy called John (and maybe one other guy Allan?) left from the original DOC group. There was a few stronger DOC riders up the road but they were too busy racing each other to wait for anyone else.

It was on the flat run to Hatepe (maybe about 120kms in?) that I saw a familiar but very unexpected sight and called out to Trace.. "that looks like Carl ahead of us!" and surprisingly it was. I instantly started scanning him up and down as we approached, looking for signs of crash damage but saw none. As we past, Carl called out "How are you guys tracking?" and we had time to say "Good" but didn't get time to ask or hear what had happened to him (I'll let him explain what happened if he wants.. but the good news was he hadn't crashed or had bike problems).

Once we were all back on Mikes wheel, so began a superhuman effort from him.. he basically towed us the last 40kms without any help, into the headwind. Now and again, Mike would look over his shoulder and swing off slightly so I took this as my queue to do a turn, but I would last a couple of minutes max before cramping and letting Mike take over again.. and each time my contribution got smaller. There was also 2 or 3 other guys that would help now and again when Mike's pace slowed.. but when they realised how hard it was at the front, they would drop back and push in in-front of Trace or myself... which got a little annoying (and dangerous, as one guy would always come up the inside, then cut across in front of you 😠).

Trace was still riding really well and was hanging tough on the climbs.. and once we had crested Hatepe with our avg still sitting at 30.5kph we just needed to bring it home. Again, Mike waited for us over the top and proceeded to tow us right to the finish. Trace was making some interesting noises up Airport hill and at the sharp little climb with about 5km to go.. but was soon back inline and cracking along in the wheels.

As we entered the finish straight, I sat up and waited for Trace thinking it would be nice to finish together but she obviously only had eyes for the line and shot straight past me! She was finishing strong 👍 Final time 4:56:31. Super proud of Trace and very happy she got the result she's been chasing (and capable of) for the last couple of years.. only bad luck and bad weather had been holding her back. Getting a Sub 5 at Taupo certainly isn't easy and is an achievement to be very proud of.. but now that Trace has cracked it once, and knows what it takes.. I can see her doing it again in the future.

Mike Conza was an amazing road Captain, and completely defined a selfless, sacrificial ride... leading by example all day. I was happy to go under 5hrs again myself, especially in that heat and that takes my tally to six Sub 5hr rides out of 11 laps of the lake. Ian had a really good ride too considering his back issues leading in and would have probably finished with us, if it wasn't for the chain drop. Tim finished at about 5:20 and Phil just over 6hrs but by completing, Phil has now done 10 laps of the lake and will get the bronze plate next year. Well done mate.

Next year will be Nate's turn to try for the Sub 5hr... and I'll be keen to try to help him.

2019 - K2 - Underdone

Coming into K2 this year I was feeling a little underdone but still optimistic that I could get a good result and with a bit of luck maybe sneak a Sub 7hr ride. We'd had a 3 week family holiday to the USA in September which was great and we had an excellent time, but it only really gave me 2 weeks of training (plus one week of taper) once we arrived back home to try and get some fitness before K2.

The weather forecast was looking really good for the day (dry, warm and calm) but if anything a little too hot for my liking. The spring winds that have been relentlessly blowing for the past few weeks were predicted to drop, which would be a blessing. The day itself dawned exactly to forecast, dry warm and calm and around 14 degrees at 8am. 

I set off in group 7 (6.20 - 6.30) and deliberately sat right on the back of the bunch on the flat section to Kopu. My number one aim on this year’s ride was to NOT start too hard which has been my undoing on multiple occasions, including last year. The pace was easy enough and even on the start of the Kopu climb, the tempo was reasonable but a couple of guys broke away. I could see Mike Page near the front of the group and I thought he'd be a good guy to follow as I knew he was riding for a couple of friends, pacing them around (as he usually does). The bunch did split in the steeper upper sections of Kopu but I kept my discipline and didn't try to jump across any gaps or put myself into the red. Unfortunately Mike Page was about 30 seconds ahead of me as we crested Kopu but I knew there was plenty of riders behind me that I could ride with so didn't chase Mike (but didn't see him again). The other thing to note was the wind had really picked up at the top of the climb, it was cross-tail at this stage, which was helping now but I thought this could be nasty later...

For the rolling section after Kopu, I sat up, rode at my own pace and waited for a bunch to catch me, which they did around the Whangamata turn off. Leading this bunch was Roman Van Uden! (ex pro cyclist and former winner of Lake Taupo CC, at least once). I found out later Roman was pacing a couple of ladies around, whose son was coached by him and somehow they'd talked Roman into being their domestique for the day). RVU was setting a great pace (not too hard) and before long the group had swelled to around 20 rides all sitting in his wheel. When we hit Tairua my average speed was 29.3kph so pretty much bang on track for a Sub 7hr ride (from my calculations).

It was pretty obviously now that if I could climb as well as the 2 ladies that RVU was pacing around that I could get a sweet ride sitting in on the flat sections.. so that's exactly what I did. Up Pumpkin, then the Coroglen bumps, Kuaotunu hill and then Myundermans all when the same way... me climbing just ahead (or just behind) those ladies, then Roman returning to the front on the flats towing the group along (he did get a little help here and there.. but not from me). The section from Hot Water Beach turn off to Coroglen, which is usually fast and flowing, today it was anything but...  the wind was right in our face and it was hard work, even sitting in the wheels. The other thing of note was the heat.. I was pouring water over my head and onto my legs from Pumpkin hill, trying to keep the body temp down. On the plus side I was keeping up with my hydration and nutrition and I was feeling comfortable.

After Gentle Annie the ladies in the bunch were starting to struggle up the climbs and I found myself drifting further ahead of them, but was thinking Roman will soon come past, towing the group at any moment.. but as we got nearer to Whangapoua they hadn't come back, so I decided to press on, not pushing hard but certainly doing more work than I had sitting in the bunch. I was still climbing OK, and got up Whangapoua, Mania and Kereta at my own pace but I was always expecting a bunch to catch me but it never came. The only guys that did pass me were K1'ers that were going way too fast. When I got to the bottom of Whangapoua my ride time was just under 5hrs, that gave me 2hrs to get to the finish, so I was still in the hunt.

My thought process now became, "once over Kereta any bunch that comes past I'll jump on and hang in as long as I can", and actually some guys passed me in the Kereta saddle so I sat on their wheels on the descent and a bunch of 4 formed on the flats. I basically needed to average around 31kph for 30kms... and the first 10kms went well but I was starting to struggle, cramp was starting to set in and I couldn't stomach any more food or drink (and didn't have any gels either, which I usually do). I lost that group but then I must have got on a least 3 or 4 bunches, but the time I could hang in with each was getting shorter and shorter and when I was riding on my own into the wind, my speed would drop to below 25kph. It was painful to watch the avg speed creep up towards the required 26.5kph but it just wasn't enough and I finally blew completely at about 177kms.. then grovelled in to the finish. Official time 7:03:31 (avg speed 26.2kph)

Overall, I'm pretty happy with the ride.. I stuck to my plan and didn't go too hard too early.. I didn't blow up or cramp on any of the climbs.. and I enjoyed it for most part (until the last hour). I'll definitely remember to take an emergency gel or two (as I usually do but didn't on this ride) as running out of energy in the last hour wasn't fun. And for the record, Roman and his group came in 3 minutes after me.. so if I had stuck with them I wouldn't have gone under 7hrs either.

Taupo 2018 - 10th time around the lake!

It was a strange feeling for me coming into this year’s Taupo ride. It would be the first time that my ride target wasn't to go as fast as I possibly can, and try to better all previous times. As this was going to be my 10th Taupo ride and the fact that last year I had achieved a ride time better than anything I ever expected  (4:18 in case you’ve forgotten 😉) , I decided that I wanted to do something different this year.

The 3 options I came up with were :

1) Ride a Tandem with Trace

2) Ride as domestique for Trace (and the DOC Sub 5hr group)

3) Ride the double lapper

The Tandem idea didn’t work out, which was mainly my fault, as I always put my K2 training ahead of it.. and after one ride of the Tandem, which was fun but stressful, I pretty much made up my mind that riding a it at Taupo wasn’t going to be an enjoyable experience for either of us, so that was scratched. The double lapper is still something I think I might like to try in the future but riding domestique for Trace was an easy decision, especially after she crashed at last year’s ride and the fact that Trace ended up helping me complete K2 this year.

The DOC Sub 5hr group is really gathering momentum with Mike Conza at the helm, is well organised and planned out. They had some strong riders to contribute to the pace setting and I thought I could help do some work on the front when I could, if Trace was going well. The forecast all week for Saturday was pretty terrible but the day itself dawned dry, calm and not that cold… but you got the feeling that the rain was never far away. I think a lot of us were deceived by the early weather and didn’t put enough warm gear on when we left for the start line (myself included). Sure enough by the time we started, so did the rain.

Tim and Phil had joined the group for the day, and I knew plenty of the DOC guys, so that was nice change to be surrounded by familiar faces at the start line (whereas it’s usually only Carl and I, versus the world 😉). The DOC guys made sure that Trace started near the front of our bunch but I was happy at the back, knowing that I could move up once things settled down. Mike had said pre-ride that he was aiming for a consistent effort not speed, so the start was very evenly paced up the first hills out of town. When the road flattened out for the first time after about 5km, I started moving up the bunch, checking on Tim and Phil (they were going well) and finally Trace who was still excellently positioned at the front.

I always love the decent on Whangamata Road, so sat in near the front of the bunch, helping pull the group along. Once we started the ups and downs on Whangamata Rd, Trace started to slide back in the group a little. Some of those climbs are quite pinchy and the descents the same, and as it was raining and cold, neither were enjoyable and it was easy to lose the wheel in front. When we got near the end of Whangamata Road, I decided it was a good time to move up the bunch, so with Trace on my rear wheel, we moved out to the centre line of the road and I towed her back to the front. As a group, the average speed was just under 29kph for the first 40k, so we were bang on target for a Sub 5hr ride.

As we all know, the road is consistently up and down for the first 80kms of Taupo, and if your legs aren’t good, then you’re going to struggle… and unfortunately Trace wasn’t having a great day and kept sliding towards the rear of the bunch. Each time I realised she was no longer near the front, I’d drop back and find her, wait for a slight downhill or false flat and tow her back to the front again (which occurred about 3 times). Soon enough we were approaching the longer Waihaha climb and I wanted to put Trace in the best position possible, so off to the front we went again and we started the climb in first wheel. I stayed on the front of the bunch tapping out what I hoped was a steady pace and as we hit the halfway point of the climb (where it levels off) I looked around to see how Trace was positioned. I couldn’t see her in the first few wheels so I dropped back to find her.

Unfortunately when I got back to Trace, big gaps had opened up to our bunch and they were steadily pulling further ahead as we climbed the second half of Waihaha. Trace was trying as hard as she could but it just wasn’t going to be her day. Around this point Phil had been distanced from the main bunch as well and was riding happily with us (actually he was happily swearing away, while riding beside us 😉 ). Tim was still with the group and going well. So Trace, Phil and I formed our own group and continued on. At this point our ride avg speed was still around 29kph, which remained on target for Sub 5, so my plan was to set a steady pace that Trace and Phil were happy with, they might be able to recover and their legs come good and we can catch the next faster bunch that comes along.

NOTE: it was not long after the summit of Waihaha that we saw that poor guy on the road side, having had a heart attack ☹  Trace asked me if she should stop but there was already 10 plus people around him, so I said “no, lets keep going”. Ride Captain Mike had dropped back to check on Trace as well, but having just completed a first aid course the day before (including resuscitation), he pulled over to see if he could help.

We rode mainly as a group of 3 to Kuratau and started the climb together.. I really needed to go to the loo, so I rode ahead a bit and pulled over. One long nature break later, I was back on the road and chasing my ride companions, and caught Phil first. I happily sat in front of him and we made our way back to Trace. Our ride avg had dipped below 28kph now and we had just clicked over 3hrs. I knew we wouldn’t be able to make Sub 5 from here (as we were still about 8kms to the Waihi drink stop and you need to be there under 3hr 10min to have any chance). I chatted to Phil coming up to the Waihi drink stop, asking if he wanted to stop, saying it was no problem as we had no chance of breaking 5hrs, so stopping wasn’t an issue. He agreed and needed water so we stopped. While stationary I blurted out to Trace something like “well, we’ve got no chance of breaking 5 now, we needed to be here 15mins ago” and she burst out crying. Trace later said she wasn’t sure why she was crying, but maybe just the effort, the cold and pre-ride expectation, was hitting home.

Being the caring and sentimental guy that I am, I suggested we get going and hit the decent as that “should clear your eyes”… nice one Tony 👎. From here onto the flats of Turangi and lake front, it was the 3 amigos, me leading the way and jumping onto passing trains when we could, hang with them as long as we could.. then rinse and repeat. Coming into Hatepe, Trace had moved ahead of Phil a little, so I dropped back to check on him. I said we were happy to wait for him at the top and for him to ride the climb at his own pace, which he did and we were only waiting 30 sec’s or so at the top. The wet weather had returned now and it was truly miserable descending of Hatepe into the driving rain.

It was more of the same all the way to the finish, we picked up a faster groups (or single riders) now and then but mainly it was simply knocking it out at a pace we could all hold. This was definitely the least enjoyable part of the ride for me, as the constant headwind and rain was starting to wear me down (more mentally than physically). We got to the finish line all together and in a total time of 5:28. So definitely not the result we were wanting but a memorable ride all the same.

Overall I enjoyed the experience of being a domestique for the day, just a pity Trace didn’t have the legs she had 12 months ago (and that the conditions weren’t like 12 months ago). At this stage, my thinking is this is unfinished business and I’ll be back in this role next year, giving it another crack at getting her under that 5hr mark...

K2 2018 - A return to form

But not the sort of form I wanted.. ☹

Coming into this year's K2 (according to Strava stats and my own anecdotal evidence) I've never trained harder, done more climbing or ridden more distance, than any previous year of training. I'm also as light in weight as I've ever been, I had a good strong taper, so mentally came in with plenty of confidence (maybe too much?).

As always, I had a rough plan and targets for the ride, like how long I should I stay with the first bunch and time check points along the route. Carl and I had agreed to ride together but also said if either of us was feeling especially good (or bad) then not to wait for the other. The first plan was to hang onto the bunch up and over the first 2 climbs and get a good tow down the coast to Kopu, then play it by ear from there.

The weather forecast for Saturday had been horrid all week (although improving) but race day dawned surprisingly warm, dry and calm. So we lined up in normal cycling jerseys with no warmers required, starting in group 5 (6.10 - 6.20). Our target was sub 6.30, having done 6.41 last year. The pace from the gun was easy until the climbs up Manaia and Kereta. The climbs were ridden hard but it didn’t seem too hard, Carl and I made our way towards the front of the group. Climbing out of the Kereta saddle (after that small decent at the top) I got the first signs that my legs weren’t happy but I put it down to having just done two relatively hard 10 minute efforts and that the legs had just cooled on the decent. I let myself drift back a little in what was left of the group, knowing that I’d close any gap on the main decent.

Hitting the coast I was on the very back of the bunch, trying to recover as best as possible while the group sorted itself out. But try as I might, my HR wouldn’t come down as much as I would have liked.. and any rollers in the road would see the HR going above 160 (and with hindsight, I should have sat up here and waited for a slower group and rested.. but I didn’t). Soon enough the bunch had some order and was rolling turns so I did my bit.. but this obviously didn’t help me recover and it also seemed like the bunch pace was increasing as we went along.. (which our Strava segments along the coast indicate that was indeed the case).

I was quite relieved when we hit Thames and the pace dropped.. and I had already decided that the next time the road went up, I’d let the group go. I was sitting just behind Carl, so I moved up and told him I was pulling out of the bunch but if he was feeling good he should push on (and happily he did). At this stage our ride average speed was just over 33kph so we were well ahead of schedule (I had expected about 31 – 32kph). I managed the Kopu climb fine on my own and kept the HR at 160 and under but had the feeling I was in for a long day and was already in damage control. A few small groups came along after the Kopu decent and I latched on, only to let them go again whenever the road climbed more than a roller. This pattern of holding and releasing groups, repeated all the way to Tairua (with twinges of cramp in both legs coming and going) but I still was making reasonable time, reaching Tairua with an average speed of 29.5 and about 3.5hrs gone (for 104kms).

Just before Pumpkin hill I got that horrible soft bouncy sensation at the back of my bike and sure enough I had a rear puncture. I was certainly getting that old feeling that K2 just isn’t my race. In the 10mins that it took to fix the flat, a few bunches came past but I was soon on my way again, resetting my goals to still hopefully Sub 7hr. From Pumpkin to Whitianga I rode mostly alone, as the groups passing me were K1 fast guys which I had no chance of hanging onto them. From Whitianga to the finish it was simple survival, every rise in the road causing more cramp, each downhill a blessing where I could spin the legs out. Not long before the Kuaotunu climb, Trace and her K1 DOC bunch caught me.. I told her I wasn’t having a great day and she should ride on.. but she was having none of that and wanted to ride together (and I’m sure I was great company ☹).  

Not much to tell from here to the finish, other than I had the odd good patch where the legs came back briefly but mostly it was just turning the pedals over as best I could. Trace was trying hard to tow me along where ever possible and for the first time in my life, I was wishing she was a foot taller and 10 kilos heavier so I could get a better draft 😉. Climbing Whangapoua wasn’t pretty (but it never is) and I nearly fell off the bike a couple of times when my legs locked up with cramp but eventually made it to the top.. leaving me about 5mins to get to the finish to achieve a ride time of Sub 7hrs. Needless to say I didn’t make it and missed by 1 minute.. which sums up my day.

So a disappointing result but certainly not my worst. Was it just a bad day or the classic ambition over ability? I’m not sure…but I certainly paid for going too hard, too early, for too long (a lesson I should have learned already? History repeating? The definition of insanity, repeating the same process and expecting a different result? )

I’m now looking forward to Taupo, especially as I’ve agreed to be domestique for the day to help Trace and the DOC bunch achieve a Sub 5 hour time.. and hopefully we’ll have a great day out and it will be nice to pay Trace back for all her hard work.

Taupo 2017 - The FFC train

I jokingly sent this ride report to Carl last Thursday, "Rode smart, stayed in the bunch, beaut conditions, got a PB" and that's nearly exactly how it played out but that's getting ahead of myself.. lets start with the weather.

A week out the forecast was looking good "warm and overcast with a light Nor-Easterly wind, possible rain around or after lunch" and that forecast really didn't change all week and when we arrived on Friday it was sunny and hot. Luckily the day itself was true to the forecast and it was overcast but around 14 degrees even at 7am. I'm pretty sure it's the first time ever I've arrived at the start line with only one layer on, no warmers, shoe covers or vest... just bibs and jersey and the usual headband to mop up the sweat.

Carl, Gus and I said goodbye and good luck to Mondo and Tim and lined up at the back of group 1C. I noticed there was a large number of FFC kitted guys around us, a small group of Lone Star riders and coach (former Pro cyclist) Tim Gudsell just in front of us. Carl mentioned that Gudsell was in his bunch last year and was a calming influence, advising the leading guys when to back off etc. I took that as a good thing and hoped he might take the lead of our bunch today.

Soon enough we were off and the pace wasn't too hot, we slotted in near the front of the bunch about 6 to 8 wheels back. Carl's wife Vicki had brought the kids up to the intersection of Acacia Bay Rd and Poihipi Rd and they shouted out plenty of encouragement as we rolled by. When we turned on Whangamata Rd the pace still felt fine but as we took the first long descent I noticed a fair few of the FFC boys riding to the front. Once we started the peaky rollers of Whangamata Rd the pace definitely hotted up and although I was staying in the bunch, a few spilts appeared which I had to ride around and the legs started feeling the burn. Gus was sitting well up in the group (as he did all day) and Carl was 3 - 4 wheels ahead of me.

The turn off to Tihoi Rd means you've almost travelled 40kms (1/4 race distance) so is the first major check point. We were already averaging 32.5 whereas last year my average to this point was around 30, so I knew we were definitely on for a good time... if I could stay with the bunch. Around 50kms in Carl remarked "We've picked the right group, we're catching the bunch ahead" and sure enough they were coming into sight. When we hit Waihaha (the first of the 3 longer Taupo climbs) our group swamped the bunch ahead, and Phil was in it.. we gave him a quick shout out as we passed by. The first half of the climb was quick, as we made our way through the different paced riders but the second half of the climb settled down as the bunch took it's shape again.

From here until Kuratau climb (and 2nd big climb) the bunch settled into a good rhythm but the road is repeatedly up and down, not large climbs but repeated short hard efforts and I seriously wondered how long I could keep this pace up. At the base of Kuratau, Carl and I found ourselves behind a split and had to jump across a gap to the bunch. I totally expected the hammer to go down on Kuratau but we soon found ourselves safely in the bunch, climbing with the leaders... so had they sat up a bit or was it just one of those good leg days?

After cresting Kuratau still in the bunch, I started to reaccess my drink strategy. I totally expected to have been dropped by now and my plan was to stop at the Waihi drink stop and refill the bottles (as I've done every time I've ridden Taupo). I only had 2 bottles on the bike (full of Powerade) and a 400ml pump bottle in the back pocket, full of Redbull (the boost to get home ;-). I had around half of one bottle and hadn't started the Redbull but quickly decided I couldn't stop now... I'll push on and if I fall apart, so be it... but also reasoned that we were so far ahead of schedule that if I did blow up I could still go close to a PR. Carl asked me what time should we have at the Waihi drink station, last year I did exactly 3hrs, this year 2:45!

The biggest descent of the day, down to Turangi flats went without incident (or cars slowing us down) and the bunch settled into a strong but steady pace (around a 40kph avg 😉)  I found a good wheel to follow and was surprised how fresh I still felt. After about 20kms of flat, I turned to Carl and asked him how he was feeling, "really good" he replied with a smile and I said "I don't want to jinx it... but me too". As we hit the rollers just before Hatepe I could fell a bit of cramp creeping in so did some riding out of the saddle, took a large swig of Hotshot (the cramp stop stuff that I use) and that seemed to keep it at bay. I also stuffed most of my remaining food and drink into me, at least as much as I could handle.

Before we knew it, Hatepe hill was looming large (the last big climb of the day). Again for comparison, last year to this point 4hrs, this year 3:40. As soon as we hit the climb, Carl took off towards the front of the group, in pursuit of Gus (who was having a great day at the front of the bunch, we hardly saw him but knew he was up there). I settled into a rhythm that I hoped I could hold and latched onto a couple of the FFC guys. I was thinking if I can hold their pace at least I'll have guys to ride to the finish with. One of the FFC guys had a boom box in his back pocket and was blasting out some Shihad, which I appreciated. The climb went as well as it could (no cramp, yay!) and I crested with a couple of FFC guys behind me but the main bunch was already 500mtrs up the road. I pedalled easyish for a bit and soon enough a train of FFC riders came past, surprisingly about 8 - 10 of them and they were honking. I quickly got back up to speed and jumped onto their coat-tails.

As we dropped off Hatepe, I got myself into a good tuck and hit my fastest speed of the day (just over 80kph) and moved up in the bunch, just behind FFC who were taking turns on the front. I could see we were reeling the main group back in and soon enough it was "grupo compacto", so I positioned myself near to Carl to let him know we had come back. The last small obstacle of the day is the airport hill. In the past this bump has nearly broken me, and cramp almost always arrives... this year I hardly noticed it as the bunch powered on up the slope. By this stage we knew that we had smashed our PR's and no matter what happened from here, we were going to be well under 4.30. Then disaster.. about 5kms from the finish we saw Gus pulling out of the bunch, looking down at his crank and chain.. I yelled some encouragement as we sped by. Somehow he had shipped his chain and had to pull over to get it back on. Luckily it only took a minute to do but by then our bunch was gone. It would have been great to finish together and was a shame as Gus had ridden a perfect race all day.

In the final handful of kms, a few guys were dropping out of the bunch (or we were picking up slower riders and spitting them out) so we had to do some weaving to keep ourselves near the front. Carl said to me, "if we keep in the bunch, we'll go sub 4.20" so I thought right, lets gets some of that.. and made a final push along the water front. Luckily the bunch seemed very sensible heading into the final corner and there was no way that I wanted to try to sprint for the finish, having never seen the front of the bunch all day. But apart from that, what better way to finish than side by side with your training partner (for the 2nd race in a row) and that's exactly what happened, side by side with smiles for the camera (as Vicki had position herself and the kids perfectly just after the finish line, for the money shots ;-)

Final stats, time 4:18, avg speed 35.4, HR avg 152 max 175.

Obviously it couldn't have gone any better for us but the day was deflated with the news of Tracey's crash.. the only good point was she didn't break anything. I never thought a time like that would be possible for me, I was realistically targeting 4:35, a sub 4:30 was a stretch goal and I honestly would have been happy with anything under 4:40… so “happy” with the performance doesn’t quite cut it 😉