TOS Stage 2

Worst day on a road bike I have had for some time. At the start I was on the back trying to get my Magellan to work and the flag dropped, me and my team mate were getting swung off the back right away and after 10mins of red line off the back in the convoy we got back on, my legs were burnt up already. After 30 odd k there was a massive 40 rider pile up Myself and Nick mountain bikers modulated our brakes and stopped nicely a few meters from it, whilst the roadies skidded past and plowed into the pile up. 

Ackie went off into a barbed wire fence.

Quickly we boosted around the kayos and got back into the bunch, which then slowed and let most get back in. 

Latter down the road I hit a massive hole and a peace of 4 by 2 that was on the road and no one pointed out,  it blew a hole in my brand new tire whilst doing this my Magellan snapped off and I had a massive ride back through the convoy to get back on yet again and as I got back more cross wind action, 35km from Bluff off the back goes Carl again, this time people were getting shelled everywhere but the main bunch still pulled away.

Photo: Road Cycling FB page
After flat tire on the chase

Bluff hill is a steep wee hill but I was fine on it just a little tired, I caught others in front that didn't like it so much. I ended up losing a huge 11mins 45 and and 90th for the stage and now 90th on GC 

Very pist off about today but ill try get back in the action tomorrow, hopefully a better story

2 stages tomorrow with a 48km morning and 100km afternoon stage up to Te Anau where we stay the night.

The only picture I took today top of bluff. Stewart Island in back ground 

 

Tour of Southland Prologe and Stage 1

Tour of Southland, Here is my team

L-R Ackie, Me, Andy, Brett, Ben, Nick 

Team time Trail I started and started a little hard we were rugged as at the start and dropped Ackie strait away but we got into it by half way and work well together. We were ranked last as we were a rookie team 1st time meeting each other, but we managed to do ok we only lost 34 seconds and we were not last...

Stage 1 160km. Invercargill to Lumsden  

The stage had 19 sprints and 4 KMO's on offer but a break pretty much cleaned up the lot.

The first 20km was fast but very easy then the heart rate got spiked a few times while the break was going off the front, after this it was quite a relaxed day we were boosting along at 75kmph a few times in the tail winds but mainly a day of head and side winds and a very balmy temperature and a we sun burn. The legs still felt the day but are feeling good.    

140km tomorrow with the finish on bluff hill, I'm not sure how I will go up the hill but ill give it a shot if I'm in the right place

Carl  

Magellan Whaka100

Well what a huge week for the 2012 Magellan Whaka100. This track took a lot of marking out and seen as i'm the N-Duro track marker I was very busy boy from Wednesday, myself and Ra were boosting around the forest sort all 3 tracks, the weather turned it on for race day with a was perfect one. 260 entries and 70 ish of them were from Australia, it was all on.

Race day, I was primed and ready to defend my title, it was a frosty morning in Rotorua so I didn't really warm up but 100km is a long way to warm up, I started slowly watching a big group of guys sprint off I left them to be and just rode along at comfortable pace, the group was slowly dropping guys off and after a few km's I was 100meters off the back of them I stay there watching them do there thing for a good 10km after 20km I decided I would test them out and jumped on the front for a few strong pulls, they all seemed comfortable so I just sat back in and we just rode along with mainly myself and Mark Tupalski from Australia doing the turns, not stressing the bodies to much. The bunch was 5 of us 2 Aussies and 3 Kiwis on the 1st major climb up to No Brains I put the hurt on and strung everyone out the 2 other kiwis of Sam Shaw and Brad Jones jumped across to me and that was the last we saw of the Aussie duo. On the descents Sam and myself would get away from Brad and we would let him slowly catch back up but making sure he was working to get there, after the 60km mark I started to think about my race plan and on the long climb to the roof of the forest I slowly picked up the pace and the other 2 boys disappeared I still had 35km to go so I  tried to keep the heart rate as low as I could and the legs fresh as they could be but still attempting to get a lead, I had no one giving me split or anything this time so I completely in the dark to my lead over the last 35km. I ended up winning by just over 2 and half mins to my cousin Brad.

I was pretty sure the race record was 4h.43 but wasn't sure, I knew the track was super fast and when Ra said it maybe a record I look to Scott in the timing caravan and I held up 10 fingers and he said yip, I was stoked as I knew there was a $500 bounty on that bad boy, and I broke Scott Thorne's 4 year old record by 10 minutes in a time of 4 hours 33min. 59.

Massive Thanks to Ra and Paris and Tony from Magellan for supporting me and the Whaka100 event I have some very cool new toys. Everyone that broke a record yesterday got a gps from Navman worth 450 bucks each, bloody good of the sponsor if you ask me, If your interested in a Switch up or any GPS for that matter (They are very good for chasing strava records as most of you know ;p) or a very flash little liquid image camera check out their website or a store that stock their product they are off the scale of cool.
I had an awesome day out boosting around the redwoods with Paris the Magellan poster boy, Scott Green and Steve Turner (while his bike lasted) in the rain today followed by 3 hour of laxing out and eating a mean lunch at the newly renovated Zippys.                 

Off to the deep south on Saturday for the Power net Tour of Southland wish me luck, I think i'm going to need it down there, Ill keep the blog updated every day hopefully, I might even make a video diary of each day with my new little liquid image ego camera :)

Cheers
Carl

Motu 160

I haven't been keeping up with the blog updating, but here is a write up on the Motu 160 raced last weekend.

The 2 times I have attempted Motu 160 alone I have just come off resting from the international season, had no form, and its been snowing and I have pulled out after the mountain bike with hypothermia, not ideal. Last year I teamed up with Katie and we won the mixed. I got a lot of shit leading in as she finished individual 2 years in a row taking the win once and second the follow time and then finishing off our team race so everyone was on my case about finishing.
This year I was ready for it, Im in full swing of training for the tour of southland so 160km wasn't a hard ask. Once again the weather was average 130kmh gusting winds and rain in the forecast and warmish not snowing...

But you never know when you’re up in the motu, so I kitted up leg warmers, jackets and thermals.
On the first climb is where things usually happen but the flat road leading to it was really rough and very hard going so the bunches formed early and I was relaxed into the climb, I’m usually the one to attack on this climb 1st every year but I held back till half way up, everyone knew it would come but again tempo was enough for Cabin, my cousin Brad Jones and myself to roll off the front. On the 2nd climb Brad attacked from myself and Cabin I chased for 30 seconds, worked out he was going pretty quickly, we were all doing different races, and I had 130km togo... so I sat up and ate a banana and watched him disappear form here I was on my own the hole race.

The final decent on the mountain bike was a block head wind and very hard just about harder than riding up the hills I rolled into the transition the freshest I have ever rolled into motu but with 100km still to go it was still a long day.

The first 15km of the road bike I had the 130kmh winds behind me no complaints but as soon as it went side wind my new deeper than normal rims were pushing me all over the road.

The ascent up Trafords hill was straight into the wind, I was on my heart rate threshold thinking shit should I walk up here. I latter found out over 75% of people walked for a part of this hill. Its not a very hard hill but the wind was incredible.

The decent was just as bad I have seen people been blown off over the top, and I was one of the riders to be taken for a ride out of control all over the road into on coming car only for the wind to let up with second to spare throwing me back to the other side. At the time I had my legs up as high as my ears trying to get back to the right side of the road.

Once in the Waioeka Gorge I pinned my ears back and kept the hammer down. The driving rain and wind wasn't worrying me anymore and I was feeling very strong, until 5km to go I blew pretty badly and the gaps were closing fast with 3km to go a rider shot past me very fast, I was gutted 157km alone to be past with 3 left, but I had to keep fighting as there was another rider closing fast.

Luckily I finished 2nd as it could have been worse everyone was bunched up and chasing me down. Peter Murphy was the guy to smoke me is a Vet roadie and very good at Time Trailing where he is nationally ranked and one of the best in the country, I will be up against him again down at the tour of southland in a few weeks.

This weekend I will try defending my Whaka100 Title and then start a tapper for Southland starting on the 28th

Thanks to Wilson and Katie, Evan and Mum and my grandparents for supporting me they drove at 30kmh behind me for 70km haha

 

Last 3 races

I haven't done an update for a while as lots has been going on. Big hours on the bike and pretty much a full time worker at the gym in the evenings.

I have done 3 races since the last update

Day Nighter was 1st on the 15th. Earlier in the week I had decided I should do the 6 hour as a solid training ride because the weather looked like it was going to pack in, I needed to get these hours in so this way it was forced into me, but I ended up having to push a little harder over the 6 hours than I wanted to and it kinda turned into a race not training, Bevan Spratt from Tauranga pushed me for the lead for a while. In the end I managed to slip away and win by a few minutes, way closer than I was hoping but it was good to wake me up.

The next day (16th) was the R4 road race from Rotorua to Whakatane and it was pelting down, it was the worst weather I had seen for years and I had to go out in it. The race started and boy it was wet. Within second it was as if you had jumped in a swimming pool, ever bit of you was soaked to the bone.
Right from the start I was struggling I didn't like holding wheels as I was getting a hell of a spray off the wheels in front, I soon just sucked it up as it made my ride easier. A small break went up the road early and we all just sat back until Hells gate at the foot of the Tikiteri hill I lead the pace over the top but my legs were hurting and my knees were killing me but we managed shrink the group down to 15 odd.
I made it all the way to the Whakatane side of the Rotoma's then got swung off the back in a side wind, not what I wanted but my legs wouldn't take any more. I rode for 10km on my own and then the 2nd bunch caught me and for the last 20km I had a hell of a time to even hold on to them. Worst day of riding in my life never been so wet and cold and tired all at the same time.

Last Saturday was Taupo to Napier, this race is hard it has 3 major climbs in it with KOM primes at the top I was keen to get some of these I had freshened up through the week, however my race ended very early 25km into the 140km race my tire blu and as we were changing it my derailleur hanger just dropped out. Before the race I had noticed my tire was deformed with a little wobble not a cut or anything so I thought it would be ok, I didn't have any spare road tires so just run it. Turns out bad idea. and a lack of TLC for the road bike cost me a lot. its now its at the shop getting the TLC.

What's next for me. I have sent an entry down to race the Tour of Southland I haven't had confirmation as of yet as to what team i'm in but i'm just been put in one with other individuals.
In the lead up to this i'm doing as many road races as I can and the Motu 160 and the Whaka 100

Ill update after the weekend
Chur
Carl       

Recovery Update - Katie

Today was my one month (actually 3 weeks) post surgery meeting with the surgeon so it seems fitting to update everyone on my progress. I have been staying with my mum and grandma in Auckland getting well looked after. It has been a great environment to focus on myself and get this right as there is only this one chance to get it right.

So I better start from the actual surgery (Spine Fusion)… I arrived nervous as ever, the surgeon sat down with me for some reassurance.Surgeon – you look nervous. Me – I am. Surgeon - I'm not. Me – that’s great news. Surgeon – well I'm off to do the curtain opener then you’re the main event!

At this point 2hrs out I thought ok that was not helpful at all time for a sleeping tablet. Dosed up I dozed off and was snoring before my anesthetic... Classy.. I woke up in a room – asked oo is this where you operate, the answer was yep, I replied - crazy and then that was me again.

3hrs of operating and I came back around surgery was done and I was over the moon none of the incredibly bad potential outcomes happened. I was kept in recovery smiling away to the nurses until I was taken to my room. Carl and mum were already waiting.. poor Carl had to rest on the ground for a bit I had some attachments and the one which drained from the wound had Carl instantly. They stayed with me for a bit. The first night was pretty quick I was monitored pretty intensely every ½ hr so slept with my arm getting pumped and the most friendliest nurses ever visiting!

Smiling away to Carl and mum – no wonder you cant eat they leave you lying flat like that as you cant prop the bed up with the spine needing to be kept straight.

The first day was bed rest. Its hard not being able to move yourself I even had to be helped to rollover. You would think you could with the amount of pain relief being pumped in. I had epidural – a pain blocker consistently streaming into my back, long and short acting morphine, tramadol, and panadol. Along with three different anti-nausea medications, unfortunately they didn’t work enough and I was incredibly sick this night.

The next day was mobilizing day. My epidural was turned off and I sat for the first time. When you sit it is common to pretty much pass out or get a little off colour. So up I went and a minute later my blood pressure hit rock bottom and that was me, time to be put back down. From here things went a little pear shaped and I had very sore nerves through my quads. On went the epidural again and I spent another night on this. That evening I sat up again, and did some walking exercises! Was very stoked with that.

Overnight we continuously dropped the dosage on the epidural and by the morning they were able to turn it off. And from here I got better and better at mobilizing, I seemed to have temperatures a bit and a bit of gunck to the chest so they had to monitor this as its not ideal but I was pretty happy with the iceblocks I got when I had temperatures.

I was unable to eat until pretty much my last day of the 5 I spent in hospital, but managed to ditch my walking frame and get some independence and be on my way just in time to check out! Wahoo. Oh and don’t worry none of the amazing food went to waste Carl was there to take care of most my meals.

Rocking the walking frame, dressing gown and mean socks with my nurse! Had to wear the mean socks for two weeks after leaving the hospital! 

Boosting look at that distance!!

So summary my body hates pain medication, and my back was absolutely stuffed all the risks were worth it as I had no improvement ahead without the surgery according to my surgeon who saw first hand. Losing the feeling in my leg recently was only the start of the downhill spiral. The surgeon was pretty stoked to get in there explaining I had a very very angry nerve. He just hopes now it has been released that it can recover for the damage already incurred. I guess that’s a result of ignoring pain for so long! So fingers crossed for complete recovery! Come on nerve.

Thanks for the visits :)

During my stay at Ascot I had a private room, lots of visitors, great nurses, my surgeon was awesome and it was almost scary to leave. However things haven’t been bad since leaving and I have progressed walking wise. Starting with the 5minute shuffle twice a day to now being able to walk for 45minutes! My meeting today with the surgeon went great, its just nice to see that you are on track and to get a little more guidance of what I can and can’t do. The cant list is definitely bloody long but… I can walk, do very easy core activation, drive myself short distances, and I am able to go to Samoa I just have to stand heaps on the flight. So you guessed it I am off to Samoa next Saturday, for some sun and recovery before finally heading on home to Rotorua to get back to a bit more of the norm. Cant wait!!

Out for a walk with Carl – Rep'n Waiariki in Alks (got my garmin in hand. I'm taking this walking very seriously).

Carl has let me know he is doing a weekend of double racing.. Sounds hard I am sure he will have an update after the weekend. Thanks to everyone for all the support, still a long way to go yet but progress :-). 

Galaxy Travel N-Duro Race 3

Hey guys here is an update from my weekend. It was the final race of the Galaxy Travel N-Duro Race Series and I was out to try win all 3 races. The previous 2 races had some of my main competitors but this race it was just me battling the juniors so should have been the easier race... At the moment I'm sticking to a pretty strict and strenuous endurance phase and Saturday I clocked up a 5 and half hour ride, so I was going into this race a little tired to say the least, but the previous week I did a road race on the Sunday after a 6 hour ride Saturday and an engagement party into the small hours and felt alright, so I was quietly confident I was going to recover over night.

The track I had designed for this race was 15kms of gravels to start off with so it was a bit of a bunch ride, on the 1st climb I let my cousin Brad Jones set the pace and he was going quick enough to pull myself and him off the front, I lead into the No Brains decent a very technical never ridden decent, I hadn't been down it for a year or so until this week I had a few laps of it. I pulled a gap down here and into the next climb I just rode at tempo until the bunch of boys caught back up to me, as they me caught I had had time to refuel the tanks and put in a big attack going off the front and after a few mins I had lost sight of the others and soon lost sight of Brad.

It was a long way to the end from here only half the race had gone by and I was off the front with no idea how close anyone was, With 15km to go I started to fizz out and feel the last 3 weeks catching up with me, on the last climb up Direct road one of the steeper climbs in the forest I looked back and noticed Brad so once again I had to put down the hammer to secure the win. Stoked to win all 3 races at the end of my 4 week training blocks this last one has been big and i'm bloody tired now, rest week on its way.

After the race Ra introduced me to Tony and Paris from Magellan GPS these guys have come on board with N-Duro events as a sponsor and after talking to them for a short time they offered me a Magellan Switch Up GPS its a bike, running and Swimming GPS its off the scale I haven't stopped playing with it since they gave it to me. I cant thank them enough for my new toy.

Check out their website

Big thanks to Ra for running such a cool winter series cant wait for the summer now.

A quick update on Katie, She is doing well after a little bit of a set back, some thing happened to the nerve in the operation and her legs just wouldn't work very frustrating and upsetting for her. She has weened off her morphine but is still popping a shit load of pain killers a day, every day is roller coaster with the ups and downs. Today she rang me to tell me she walked 1 km down the road and back :-) but mainly hangs out in bed the rest of the day. She will be back :-) its just taking some time as we expected with such a big surgery, I'm heading back to Auckland next week to see her and her progress.  

Cheers

Carl