2013 Elite road nationals

Friday afternoon myself and Katie flew from Queenstown where we were based with NZXC and headed to Christchurch where Sunday I was having my 1st crack at the Elite road nationals.
I was to do 182km 12 laps of the course that was set with 10 of these laps going up the steepest part of dyers pass road, this is the part of the race where it breaks to peaces every year. Christchurch had put on a very hot day with temperatures in the 30s I was going to be tough.

Photo Bruce Wilson

There was 74 starters in the race and only 20 finished the race last year only 14 finished. I wanted to finish...
I knew it was going to be hard but I can usually climb ok so I thought I should be able to keep up on the hill and the flat would be the harder art for me, however right from the 1st time up the hill I was at new max heart rates trying for dear life to hang on to the top NZ international pro and amateur riders. After 6 about 90km, laps 5 up dyers pass the heat was getting to me (felt like i was breathing dust i was so dry) and my legs were no longer able to keep up I drifter to far off the back and on the decent was left behind. On the flat that lap the pace went on and over half the field dropped out of the race including well known pro riders.

Photo Bruce Wilson

Photo Rebekah Tregurtha

From here most of the riders went back to the party on the hill up dyers pass where it was like the Tour de France with people all over the road with a meter for the riders to ride through. That was an amazing experience. From here the fireworks started happening, each time up the climb less riders were coming up and only the best were left, on the final lap up the hill our good mate George Bennett just absolutely went next level and left the remaining riders to chase him with only 20km on the flat to go we thought George would hold the chasers off but with a few km's to go his Pro tour team mate Hayden Roulston bridged the gap and took the win.

Bluff NZMTB Cup # 1

As most of you know by now this year we got together with Sam Thompson and created a team with existing and new sponsors, we are now under the banner NZXC Racing, Sam Thompson is the team manager, with Myself, Katie, Dirk Peters and Amber Johnston as the riders.

We are travelling in style in a Waiariki van towing a massive 6 meter trailer Sam built, kitted out with all the bikes hanging and boxes of gear stacked round the place.

Bluff was our 1st race as a team. 3am friday morning we drove to Auckland and flew to Queenstown where Sam and partner Lydia were waiting to mission us to bluff.

The track was very cool, one solid technical up, and one rocky mine field decent. My start was fine slotting in behind Dirk and Anton into the head wind this was a smart idea and they lead up the climb. Being a roadie these days the decent had me on the ropes from the top and after the tire buzzing all the way up the hill Anton and Dirk dealt to me leaving me behind instantly. After this none of the elite boys caught up but 2 of the under 19s did, Sam Gaze was 1st but a messy line down a rock garden soon has his rear tire hissing air and his race over. 2nd was young Christchurch rider Ben Oliver he caught me on his last lap and dealt to me on the decent also. Finished up 2nd to Dirk and Adrian Retief 3rd.

This track had a lot of flat tires and Mechanical's I broke a spoke on my 1st practice lap and got a flat tire 15mins before race start, and loads of people hit the rock gardens off line and paid dearly.

As a team we did as good as we could have done this weekend with Amber winning the U19 race and Dirk  and me 1st and  2nd in the elite race. Massive thanks to nzbybike.com for helping us get down to the South Island as a team, and Katie for feeding us and being part of the team even though she is unable to MTB just yet. she is chomping at that bit finding it hard to just sit and watch us.

This weekend I am doing the Elite road nationals in Christchurch, packed around the race I have been doing Intervals and am feeling the strain but hopefully it will all pay off this weekend.

At the bottom of the South

Cheers for now
Carl

Remember to check out the NZXC racing Facebook page and Website  
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2013

Thought it would be fitting to do a new year post as I have not updated in awhile. 

I have had my 4 month Xrays and check up… Turns out I am not a freakishly fast bone healer and it is still yet to fuse on the right hand side. So hoping for some progress over the next two months before my next check in. (it is usually supposed to take up to 6 months – so fingers crossed). Mainly the pain I experience in my back is related to the fact one side is yet to fuse but it is the muscular pain which really gets me. Due to muscular imbalances I have to work twice as hard just to sit with friends or at work and this for me is the hardest part about the recovery, struggling to do and enjoy the simple things. With time all this will come right though but until then I will just have to head to bed when tired, swap chairs for lying on the floor and slowly build up.

My latest Xray

Although I will not be able to mountain bike until hopefully March/April I have been able to road ride outside since the start of December and have built up to 1hr - 1hr 30 rides about 4 times a week. I have also been given the ok to swim so this is progress as for the last 4months I have been unable to rotate and lastly I am able to keep building on my gym work. So although I still take each day as it comes and often need to rest I have definitely come along way.

I will be travelling down south on the 4^th of January to see how NZXC rolls. Over this time I will be continuing with my ‘training’ and support the other riders as they race. 

Gym sessions at the Flat

First Bike Ride - pretty scary