A Picture Worth Ten Thousand Words...At Least..

Changing Lanes.

Spending the last three days in the wilderness hiking up to Lake Tali Karng was perhaps exactly what I needed. A short time away from the bike riding world and hit the refresh button. Something I haven't done for quite sometime really. Putting life into perspective through exploring nature is an incredible feeling. I guess it feels like the last month has been one filled with so much compromise against the one thing I love doing the most and it hasn't been that fun beating myself up over it. So having the opportunity to get away somewhere completely new and clear the head has really opened my eyes in the way I live my life and what makes me happy. There is something about the isolation of camping mixed with the amazing natural beauty of the area that is pretty cleansing for the soul. Being completely out of any real sort of routine and schedule is something I haven't done for what feels like forever.

I must admit it took some getting used to walking singletrack at a slow pace rather than having
the brain digest and compute lines and obstacles at a million miles an hour...but the simplicity of one step infront of the other in the crisp mountain air was awesome. The lake itself was simply amazing, drinking pretty much the purest water you can get , making Mt Franklin taste like its come straight outta test tube. So with time away comes a new enthusiasm for a new beginning and some pretty big life changes that are just around the corner. I have just two days left until I finish the whole 17 straight of education and step into the real world no longer ruled by attendance records and homework.

I've always believed that the less you have in your life the more efficient you are at the things you do have. Beauty in simplicity I guess....and I can't wait...out, cw.

Expect the Expected. Rnd #1 National XC Series.

Not pretty.....and really not too much to say either... with almost 2 weeks of the bike with a post 24hr lung infection and on antibiotics, a solid ride was pretty much outta the question for the first round of the National series for this little black duck. Pretty much went backwards from the start as expected really on half a lung and that was all she wrote, riding around like a small child for the rest of the race not being able to get my hr past 150bpm and feelin' like someone had turned the dimmer switch down... Sweet course but, nice 8km loop of tighty singletrack, perfect for the ASR. Didn't plan for my forks to blow on the third lap and cease the usual stock standard bounce action, leaving me with about 10mm of non existent travel and some way harsh bottoming action out down the rock chutes for the last three laps....not to mention the fun trying to steer the thing... Ahh well, that's racing I guess and if that's the only mechanical problem I get all season then I guess that was a pretty good day to have it...in the end still managed to roll over the line 20th and get some points at least. Major props to Captain Cannondale Lefty for taking out the big W in a tight sprint finish over a flyin' Coops, and much respect for Flemo filling the final spot on the box the day. Not much else to say really, other than...NEXT!!!! Over and out, your 99.9% qualified teacher....

The Yo Yo Effect.

So from the high of the taking out the 24hr last week, to now feeling like I've been hit by a truck all this weekend. Consequently from breathing in so much dust up in Canberra has left me with a nasty lung infection, and first the first time since cocky was an egg on antibiotics...too funny. So with the first National Round this weekend things are gonna be interesting but nonetheless it's bike racing so i'm looking forward to it either way..lung or no lung..( although I've heard they're kinda important though..!)

8 days till the end of uni life...over and out, cw.

The Shape Of Things To Come

This week has gone where..?? Post 24hr week can go either way, usually for me its downhill fast..but then i think if i'm in the box, what about Willo? What a legend... and what about Gordo's efforts at 24hr Worlds?? Incredible...Officially the hardest man I know... and suddenly I think well, damn, i'm as fresh as a daisy people...ahh perspective, its an awesome thing...

And in the theme of incredible human feats, I watched "Touching the Void" last night..holy shit...talk about inspirational...may be on my pre nationals viewing agenda...although its hard to top watching 'Young Guns 2' before an Eildon Nationals a few years back..."Regulators... LETS RIDE!" Fookin' schweet, gives me chills just thinkin' bout that bit.

A dusty ASR- SL proto rear end may or may not have been under testing at Kowen Forest by the loosest guy I know...

So this week I have been back in the tracksuit and trying to stop the youth of the nation from getting fat...been pretty good actually, especially the all day canoe trip I had with my Outdoor Ed. class. Pretty happy to let the legs sit there for once and let the arms do all the work. Although cycling arms and canoe paddles dont go so great over a few hours. All training attempts this week have involved riding around like a small child AC style, and have not been pretty to say the least..but hey, you get that on the big jobs. Lator, cw.

Capital Punishment

Well its three days after the Australian 24hr Champs and the thick fog of fatigue has not lifted..in fact i feel worse than I ever have I reckon... And to make it even more fun my final set of teaching rounds started on the monday morning and the brain and the body certinaly do not have the capabilities right now to function normally let alone try and convey knowledge to the youth of the country...ahh the joy. So this year marked my fourth time pinning the pine forest singletrack at the nations capital, and no matter how well the preparation this event just never gets any easier...lining up as a the Yeti/Gu race team there were a few new faces on board for the event with everyones favourite Olympian Tabs and Ben Mather lining up alongside the smartest guy i know. With a solid history of some pointy end results in the last few years, we were super keen to keep it that way, but knew the challenge would lie predomintaley from the Scott/Flight Centre boys, who were obviously looking to take out thier own sponsored event...

After a super run effort from Ben we took an early lead in both the 4 man pro team catagory and outright..and...well... the rest of the 23hrs..we pinned it and hurt like hell, eventually blowing our lead out from the 2nd place Scott boys to almost 30mins at one stage. Everyone in the team rode like a demon and it was by far my best 24hr experience, running smoothly and eventually taking the big W. I think in an event like the 24hr, support crew is critical, and with an excellent massuse on tap curtosy of Gu, and Green spinnin the wrenches and Rowney behind the sizzle plate we had it made...thanks boys, your effort was supreme..

Well as I said the brain is stil pretty fried, so I think I just let the photos dictate some of the many moments from the weekend that was...lator cw..

Pez reaps the rewards of the Team Yeti Holbrook Bakery tradition..freshly baked from the Corolla oven

Another Canberra tradition in the form of pre race mixed grill... MG: 1 Green:0

The first race of the season also meant delivery of my new ASR-SL complete with 07' Fox parts...another level..



GU supplied the team with some 'blackbox' gels...i'm still floatin'

The Green styled things up big time...didnt that suit win a 'best dressed' comp a few weeks back...versitility people

Yes, it was that frickin' dusty out there!


Rowney kept spirits high with his superior singing skills sunday morning...has confirmed support slot for Steph MacIntosh National Tour 2007....sky rockets in flight....afternoon delight..



The last known shot of the mullet...i'm back in millitary now...c'mon, the 80's only lasted so long!

Like A Duck...

Calm on the surface but legs going crazy underwater...thats what October feels like..that transition between uni semester finishing up and trying to get everything organised for the start of the mtb season. Yes kids it is finally here, this week in my diary marks the official start to my mtb season, hopping aboard the domestic traveling circus bus...and hopefully my blog posts will get a little more interesting than "uhh, i rode my bike today for 6hrs, it was fun..ummm" because sometimes there just aint that much going on, especially during winter kms!! But this week has been a good one already....finshing up uni classes..forever! I still have 3 weeks of teaching rounds to fully complete my uni degree, but as far as lectures, tutes and all other associated 'on campus' guff its done...lator...pretty rad feeling.

The last few years I have parked out the back of campus where all the construction guys park who are working on new buildings...gives me a 3minute walk but has saved me a few hundred by not buying parking permits..suckers...a dusty burg dog goes pretty stealth alongside trade utes...probably my proudest uni achievement..

JP Flack Esquire..been an honor and a treat...where's the e.coli? Ahh the memories..