AUDAX Alpine Classic - Falls Creek 130km

On Sunday 24^th Jan, I participated in my first Alpine Classic event. I only signed up for the 130km which is the route which takes you from Bright – Tawonga Gap – Falls Creek – Tawonga Gap – Bright. There is 3 climbs and the total elevation was about 2500m. The reason why I wanted to do this climb rather than the 140km (Buffalo – Tawonga Gap x 2) or the 200km (Buffalo + 130km) was that I wanted to an out and back route and I thought that the 200km was too much for me to do at this point. Having only done a 150km (with 2900m elevation) only the week before, I haven’t done enough long rides to be able to tackle 200km.

My legs after my Big Ass Ride were fatigued but I still pushed on as much as I could during the week. During the CF Altitude class, it took me a while to get going and only pushed towards my limit the last 20min of the session and during the Art of Cycling (Wattbike) session, my power zones were a bit off but it was the best I could push. I didn’t really do anything after Thursday’s session – just wanted to save my legs for Sunday’s ride.

I drove up to Beechworth on Saturday. I was late for accommodation around Bright and surrounding areas and could only find something affordable around Beechworth. It wasn’t an issue, it was only 45min away and closer to Melbourne. After I checked in, I drove to Bright to pick up my rego sticker and bought a crepe from the French Festival area. I bumped into a few friends and also visited friends who were staying at the Airstream caravan (they were riding the 200km from 4am). I stopped off at the supermarket for a few supplies before I headed back to Beechworth for dinner of leftover roast vegies from the night before and drank about 1 liter of hydralyte before I headed for an early night.

My 130km route started at 7am so I planned on a 5am alarm and arrival at Bright at 6:30am taking into account needing to find parking etc. It didn’t take too long to find parking as most stayed in Bright for the weekend and even more people started at 4am so the only “traffic” were supporter cars and cyclists.

I rode into the starting zone around 6:50am and waited in line for the start. At 7am, we started the event and headed towards Germantown. I stayed on the left as I wasn’t racing and I didn’t want to get caught up. Although getting into a pack would help, this day was about climbing rather than anything.

Once we got to the incline that was the (Bright side) of Tawonga Gap, the gap between riders started to widen. I stayed in my rhythm and concentrated on my cadence. I felt the ride was easier than the last time I rode up in January, maybe because I had plenty of people around me. I rode up the first climb with a PB of 3 minutes.

When I reached the top, I didn’t stop and just kept going….I didn’t need to rest or take photos. I wanted to minimise my rest times as much as I could. During the descent I passed two people (wahoo!) There was a control point at Mt Beauty but I only rode through it for timing. Once again, I didn’t need to refill my bottle, it was too early for a toilet stop and I just wanted to keep going.

The climb up to Falls Creek was good. The day was starting to get warmer but I just concentrated on my cadence. I recognised a friend’s bf during the climb and we rode together for a brief periods during the whole 30km as he went back and forth for several reasons. Overall, my climb up Falls Creek was 7min slower (2:40) than my first attempt in Nov 2015 (2:33). I stopped at Falls Creek for a toilet break, drank a third of a can of coke and ate half a banana. I have never been a “meal” person on long rides so no point trying anything new. I consume my calories during the ride and I hate riding on a full stomach.

I think I stopped at Falls Creek for 15min. I topped up both of my bottles and then off I went. Due to the temp, there was no need for jacket where as I needed a gilet and arm warmers during the descent back in Nov 2015. I was 7min slower this time around on my descent as well, I did slow down more due to so many people passing me at such high speeds (1:01). Once I got to the bottom of Falls Creek, it was a slight incline towards Tawonga Gap.

The climb up the (Mt Beauty) side of Tawonga Gap really hits you in the face. You can see it straight away and wonder how the hell does a bike get over that angle. I tired as much as I could to ride at a good candence and could maintain a cadence of > 60rpm for the first 1km. Then I could only maintain the ride at my tired legs cadence of 45-55rpm. I rode out of the saddle a few times and good practice on tired legs too. Due to the heat, my feet started to swell and the pressure was becoming a bit unbearable. I didn’t want to stop half way on the climb so I ploughed on until I got to the top. I stopped for 5min to undo my shoes, a quick massage and then it was off I go down to Bright.

The descent down to Bright was slow for me – about 5min slower than my PB. Then it was a 5km ride back into Bright. I tried to TT it back to town but I wasn’t able to sustain it as my legs were so tired.

Once I got back into Bright, I stopped for about 30min. I picked up my shirt after they sent me a text reminding me to pick it up during the event, ate some fruit and an icy pole and then it was back to Beechworth. The total distance according to my Garmin was only 121km, not close to 130km at all. 

My drive back to Beechworth was not great. I was yawning constantly. I took a shower and laid on the bed for about an hour before I packed my bags for the drive back to Melbourne. Driving back to Melbourne wasn’t the smartest idea on tired legs but it had to be done as I needed to get back to work on Monday. I didn’t drink any caffeine as I needed to be able to go to bed once I got home so the drive back was 4 hours of yawning.

My legs post ride are feeling the effects of over 7 hours riding. Luckily, they are not injured or anything like when I was running. Just tired.

I am looking forward to next year’s event already – I will either ride the 200km Sunrise event or the 250km. I really enjoyed the pace of the event and the support along the way. I have about 6 weeks left until 3 Peaks. I am more confident that I am able to finish within the 13 hour limit but I really do need to work on my descents more and climbing at a better cadence. As I am moving house on the 5^th Feb, I won’t be heading back to the mountains until mid February. I still would like to ride the back of Falls Creek before 3 Peaks. Like I discussed with a friend, I don’t want to go through the entire day stressing out about it. 

Big Ass Ride...

According to one of the advice from a coaching program I am following for my Falls Creek Peaks Challenge, I need to be able to do a big ass ride comfortably in preparation for the event. One of the routes they recommended was the Warburton-Lake Mountain route. I originally signed up for the Lake Mountain Classic held on the 9^th Jan organised by the same group who organised AUDAX. The entry was much more affordable than other events ($20) but the aid along the route was minimal – all you really need is water stops. The day finally came along but I decided to not do this event due to the following reasons:

1. -          We need to move house and had about 6 houses lined up for inspection that day.
2. -          I had a Hen’s dinner which started at 6pm at the Docklands which meant that I needed to finish 150km by 3pm (impossible) on my speed.
3. -          I didn’t sleep due to cramps all through Thursday and Friday (they are so bad sometimes they actually wake me up).

I then decided that I would do this ride on my own the following week – we didn’t have too many houses to inspect (we did inspect up to 13 houses during the week already), I didn’t have to deal with cramps anymore and the wedding is on the Sunday (for the friend who had the hen’s dinner).

I had planned the route according to the climbs I needed to do and the drink stops along the way – utilising cafes and bakeries. So the plan was to ride from Warburton along Reefton.

I started my ride at 7am and there were about a dozen guys at the same parking area as me. I figured they would be riding Donna Buang instead of my route as they were all talking about the chilly descents.

The temperature hovered around 5 degrees when I started but as I was climbing out of Warburton, I opted for no arm warmers or jacket as I do warm up very quickly during climbs. I just rode in my Fondo jersey and my Rapha knicks. I was pretty cold when I first rode out of Warburton but it wasn’t unbearable.

I decided the route for the day would consist of climbing out of Warburton and then ride into Marysville. I remember from the Giro della Donna that I had gone through 1.5 bottles of hydration by the time I had climbed out of Reefton and at the T intersection of the Lake Mountain climb. This also meant that descending down to Marysville, I would not be running out of hydration before the climb back up to Lake Mountain summit. As it was not as warm as the Giro day, I had gone through one full bottle of hydration and only about quarter of my 2^nd bottle by the time I reached Marysville. This was perfect as it gave me a chance to fill up my bottle with a more electrolyte concentrated solution for my Lake Mountain climb. I bought a juice first at the Bakery but also opted for a coffee too which made my break longer than needed.

The climb towards Lake Mountain was tougher this time around compared to the first ride on the 15^th Nov. I guess 60km in the legs with 50km of climbing didn’t make them the freshest. The first 4km of the climb was tough as the average gradient was around 8-10%. I couldn’t keep my cadence > 40rpm and I trained on riding out of the saddle half a dozen times. I met a couple of guys at the Marysville bakery also rode up Lake Mountain. They had come up to Marysville via Acheron Way rather than through Reefton. They both rode passed me in a flash and they would have also started 30min after me too.

After the first 4km of the climb and the gradient levelled out more towards a more manageable one around 4-6%, I could keep my cadence around 55-65rpm. The temperature also started to heat up and I could see little bubbles of tar forming along the road which “popped” and “crackled” as you rode over them. Some of the tar would stick to the tyres and made the climb (felt) slower than usual.

The second half of the Lake Mountain climb, although an easier climb, I felt like it went on forever. Maybe it was due to the heat as it was around the middle of the day, maybe because by then, I had about 80km+ in my legs and already climbed over 2000m in elevation. The climb took me nearly 20min longer to do compared to the one in November. I started to cramp at about 12km mark of the climb and that was when I decided to utilise my more “salted” hydration solution and the cramps went away.

By the time I reached the top, I was tired. I stood at the entry into the resort for about 5min before I decided to get off the bike and bought a coke! I am not a big coke drinker, especially from a can so it took me about 45min to get through half a can of coke. I decided that I really need to scoot along before it was too late.

The descent down to the main roads didn’t take too long. I stopped half way to take off my wind jacket. I have decided to ride with a wind jacket instead of gilet and arm warmers as I only had to carry one thing rather than 2.

The rest of the ride down via Reefton back to Warburton felt like it took forever! Although most of the distance was a descent, there were a few short and steep climbs and rolling hills which sapped the energy out of the legs. Each slight incline felt like another mountain climb. The last 5km from Warbuton East to Warburton was the worse…I was so slow and it was nearly 5pm.

By the time I got to my car, the bakery had closed and I was hungry. I quickly got into my car and drove to the nearest McDonalds (sorry!). The funny thing is, whenever I have a big training day like this, I crave salty savoury food but I actually don’t have much of an appetite.

I finally got home around 7pm but just took a shower and went straight to bed. I was just dead to the world and just didn’t want to think for the rest of the day. The next day, I had planned on doing a recovery ride but I opted out of it and just enjoyed the company of my partner whilst we had breakfast down at Black Rock, met a friend for her 32rd Bday cake sharing and then got ready to head in for our friend’s wedding.

I am glad I did this ride – it gave me confidence that I was able to get myself through the big ride. I only felt “over it” when I stopped riding. If I had ridden Donna Buang at the end of the ride, it would have made the equivalent elevation to Peaks Challenge but not quite the distance.

In terms of nutrition – I am pretty satisfied with that I consumed. I would just add the salted solution from the start rather than during the middle of the ride to prevent cramps. I would also refrain from stopping at aid stations for too long. Just a quick one to fill up water is all I need. I do need to change my music or even incorporate podcasts or audiobooks in my rides just to break up the repetitiveness of the music I have been listening to on my long rides since October.

This weekend, I have the 130km AUDAX ride and then it’s a few more weeks before the big event in March.

Looking Ahead - February 2016

February will be a stressful month for me. It is the last month at which I can do any more training for 3 Peaks, I have planned on tackling Mt Baw Baw to finish off my 7 Peaks Challenge, I have 2 weddings to attend and there will be a big chance that I am going to be moving house (if it is not done by the end of January).

Due to double wedding on the weekend of 12^th – 14^th February, I am not able to head back out to Bright for the training camp but I have signed up for Mt Baw Baw with the Domestique group. I do have a wedding at 3pm around Gisborne and the ride doesn’t start until 10am, I may have to get this ride out of the way early before the crowd hits or the day after the wedding.

There are no more events prior to 3 Peaks so it is just a matter of putting in as many hours as I can on the saddle and putting as much stress on my legs as I can in training for the big day.

Some “big day climbs” I might add to my training schedule in February include:

•           Super Crucifix x2
•           Donna Buang x 4
•           Bright to Hotham x 2
•           Mt Beauty – Falls – Anglers (and return) and Towonga if possible.

Just writing this post is making me nervous for 3 Peaks. I don’t have many weekends left for training and I can’t avoid not moving house within the next few weeks. STRESS!

(Not Quite) The Crucifix - 1st Attempt

One of the cycling “routes” to do around Melbourne is the Crucifix in the Dandenong Ranges. What is deemed as the Crucifx? Many people follow different routes and the order at which the climbs are to be taken but pretty much you complete the 4 “climbs” around that area forming almost like a cross and riding all 4 climbs (not repeats). Variances of the climb may or may not include Sky High, both (of the Devil’s) elbows and Inverness Road. There is no official route but the gist is that you do the following:

1)      1 in 20 (West)

2)      The Wall (East)

3)      Inverness Road (North) – although some people choose not to do this climb but use the main road instead.

4)      Devil’s Elbow (South) – variations of this is the One Tree Hill detour for the 2^nd elbow.

I have never done “The Wall” side of the crucifix nor have I ridden up the infamous Inverness Road at which others say to ride as much as you can before attempting Mt Baw Baw. I had the opportunity to try and complete the crufix during my work holidays but due to the extreme weather conditions before both Christmas and New Years, I report that I didn’t complete the Crucifix and only did 3 out of the 4 climbs…and the below is the report.

On the 28^th December, the day after my Bday, I decided it would be a good time to take myself out to attempt The Crucifix. I wanted to ride Inverness Road and the Wall as my main priority for the day. I had researched on the different variations of this climb and stuck with the one which I knew would include them both. I didn’t include Sky High in these climbs as I was also short on time.

I started from The Basin and that was my first climb – up the 1-in-20. A climb on (not warmed up) legs was not ideal but I didn’t really dwell on it too much, I had a long day ahead. Once I reached the top, I turned left and headed towards Montrose. I have never done Inverness Road before and it is a road which is branched off the main Mt Dandenong Tourist Road but I missed the turn so I ended up riding down to the end and then turned right on Canterbury and then right along York Road and then started my climb up Inverness. 

Because I hadn’t done this climb before and was told that it does feel like death, I took it slow and steady. I tried not to look up as much as I could as the gradients just seemed to be ridiculous! The hardest part of the climb was by far the last few hundred meters – it was so steep, I practically held my breath and grasped for air when I reached the top! 

I had a small rest at the intersection, composed myself and then continued the climb of the 2^nd part of the crucifix. Once I reached the top at Olinda, it was a left turn along Olinda-Monbulk Road which is the 3^rd part of the crucifix know for “The Wall”. To be honest, I didn’t find this too hard to do. I think having just tackled Inverness Road and having done 6 out of the 7 Peaks and the Donna Buang, The Wall was just another “climb”. I found the difficult part of these climbs were the descents especially with cars using these roads alongside cyclists.

Once I finished this climb, I had hit the 3 hour mark for the day and I was getting tired. I decided to not finish the 4^th climb (having done it before) and just decided to descend the 1-in-20 to head home. It was a warm day and hovering around 35 degrees when I finished.

The entire crucifix is something which I want to complete in its entirety before I hit 3 peaks. Maybe I can program it in somehow in between the Alpine Classic (on 24^th Jan), several weddings, supporting commitments (friends racing their first half Ironman triathlons), squeezing in my 7^th Peak (Mt Baw Baw), heading back to the mountains to ride the back of Falls Creek (the 3^rd Peak of the 3 Peaks Challenge) and the most time consuming thing of all – MOVING HOUSE!! Yeah, we have to be out of our current house in 3 weeks.

I can’t really add any concluding words into this report as I didn’t quite finish the Crucifix. It took me nearly 3:30 to do 3 out of the 4 climbs. I also didn’t include any Sky High climbs either. Maybe as part of the training, I will include the Sky High climb. I didn't do any photos for that day, so here is a snap shot of my Strava.