Done and Dusty.

It only comes around once a year and it ain't yo birthday or Xmas people. Yep I'm talking bout' Nationals, where everyone is willing to hang out in the hurt locker in search of a green and gold stripy jersey. Canberra played a fine host, and actually in other exciting news got the bid for 09' World Championships at the Mt Stromlo venue too, so hell yeah, bring some rainbow love down under for sure. The best description of the course I heard was like riding on the moon, and with absolutely zero shade to speak of it was pretty frickin' exposed to the wind and sun. Add 50 odd lycra clad guys at max heartrate and you got a pretty good recipe for a suffering spaghetti. After a full days racing on friday the powder dust course got pretty chopped so it was definitely ASR time for me.



Photo Credit- Shelley Flood

With a second row grid position I got off to a pretty good start which was complete carnage as it always is. The battle then begun the first couple of laps to keep it together on a pretty tough course full of a least four thousand corners full of powdery dust.

Photo Credit- Shelley Flood

Hmmm its kinda funny how you brain erases memory painful events, but I do recall having a super cool battle most of the race with local hero Dylan Cooper who was smokin' the descents with all the right lines before I'd hook back up on the climbs. Coming into the last lap I caught Coops on the main fire road climb and gave it a little gas to get a gap heading into the last half of the lap.

Photo Credit- Shelley Flood

With a solid gap coming into the last km I started to cramp up in both legs pretty bad. Kinda not a good thing when pedalling equals forward motion so I started to get pretty worried! Managed to limp it over the line and keep position. So my goal this year was to crack the top ten and I managed to do this slipping home in 6th place in Elite (9th Overall). Pretty happy in my first season outta U23.

Perry busted out for last spot on the box on the Sat.

So STXC I was pretty keen for to say the least. After coming home with a medal last year there was no doubt I wanted to repeat or better. But with a race like short track, 20mins of cactus swollowing pain if you aint got it then its hoop time. So after a crappy start and pretty ordinary legs it was day over for me. Expectations blown. Wasn't all bad however, with Rowney showing us all why he has a few NORBA STXC medals on the mantle piece, schooling us all for the big W in a damn exciting race.

Photo Credit- Mark Gunter

The veteran still has it! Do I smell a comeback??

The pro doing some secret underground car park training...




The post race team tart tradition couldnt have come sooner...

I gotta give a big shout out thanks to everyone for the cheers on the course over the weekend, much appreciated, and to Shelley for roaming the course with my camera for the pics,
! Cheers y'all, Winston.

Dust Captial.

This post comes live all the way from Hotel Yeti in ye olde Canberra town after an pretty solid session in the burg dog yesterday, including the traditional tart stop at Holbrook. Perry was pleased. Actually it was a pretty good drive up with the Green bringing some sweet two way radios so it was "10-4 big rig" the whole way as we convoyed.

Cut a few laps today of the track today and despite being in the sun the whole time I rate it hey. Dusty as all hell and sweet for the ASR so it should be the goods

Gotta say this year the accommodation level has stepped it up a few notches, complete with a fridge in what looks like a cupboard and fancy liquid soap on tap in the shower...don't get that shit up the Nongs...out, cw.

Professional Tracksuit Time.

It's official, the Nongs have slipped back into a mid August fog fest right now..pretty funny for mid Jan to be trying to dry wet shoes. Managed to avoid the rain today for another crack at Glenvale trying to get some intensity happening for next week. In a coupla breaks but nothing special in the legs but whatever...its road racing...everyone knows its better doin' it in the dirt. One of these days I'll get a result down there..hopefully.

So some news that I've neglected to mention of late comes in the fact that I have a job for first term. Yep, would you believe, a real full time PE teaching gig. Only for term one which is perfect to earn some solid arthur ashe that will go towards some big random adventures planned for this year.

Can't stop listening to Kings of Leon at the moment. Damn southern country fried rock is so frickin' sweet....double denim and boots all the way....Catch you in detention...Mr Winn.

Drop The Hammer...

Ahhh the week before Nationals...one of the best times of the year where a million lines of doubt run through your mind mixed with doses of fleeting confidence that this year is going to be better than the last. Not that last years championships went badly- okay yeah I totally sucked ass for XC on the sat riding round like a small child, drank some beer and got a little rowdy on the saturday night then managed somehow to take a bronze medal in STXC the next day...this gig never ceases to amaze...

One thing for sure is that with the word of total three trees on the course it will be a complete brain melter if the sun is out....nice..dont forget the dust mask...chowder, cw.

Hot Off The Press

Big thanks to Jordan for these schweet racing pics from last week at Beauty...

Photo Credit: Jordan B

Photo Credit: Jordan B


Photo Credit: Jordan B

Respect The Elders.

Man today was one of the best rides ever I think. 6.5hrs of pure back country fun out to the Ada Tree, which used to be the tallest tree in the southern hemisphere at 120m, now stands at 80m but still impressive nonetheless. I mean this thing is almost 300 years old.... incredible.

Some of the nicest singletrack sections I've ridden too, in fully lush cool temp rain forest. Hell yeah!

Eva showed us some cool camping huts on the way...came stock with pretty nice outdoor furniture too..

Can't argue with the truth...so did i mention how impressive this thing is?..nature at it's finest kids...look after it cause it's the only one we got.

A Fresh Start....

A new year. Sweet. Okay so this blog has been a little quiet of late...but hey, its the holiday season and well, time has been better spent riding the bike and other various adventures rolling into one day to the next. Spent a good weekend up Mt Beauty with the crew actually. Highlights?? Epic back country ride featuring some aquaduct training time and a sweet hike-a-bike hill from all the fallen smoked trees. NYE was spent getting up at sparrow's with Trent for some freshwater trout fishing time...unfortunately nothing on the hook...except my enthusiasm to cast the rod again in the near future so that was sweet. And therefore the turning of the calender from six to seven was spent catching z's..but hey thats the way she goes sometimes.

Hit up the Carnage Crits which were pretty amusing as always...140 dudes going hellcat style into every corner equating to more chops than an Iron Maiden record. Managed to keep it rubber side down but pretty much rode like a small child for the most of it. Not even riding the only SRAM Force G-set in the bunch could get the legs firing..on the tarmac anyway. Day of rest and it was off to Mt Beauty once more for round 2 of the state mtb series. Hello dirt time. Finally felt decent for the first time since the 24 and got the last spot on the box for third. Good feeling to know that the most important one is working this time of the year.
Happy Dayz... Keep it real, cw.