Kona 24 Hour MTB Race...in case you were wondering???

Just in case you were wondering… 

Kona 24 hour – Forrest – 29/30th November 2008

AAARrrggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…..

The aftermath of doing a 24 hour race SOLO is bad enough, but add in your own personal decision to lose a race you could have won…well then the pain is double.

A race I could have won so very easily was lost so very easily. 

I want to tell you all that the first 12 hours were awesome. I had so much fun and was really in great spirits the whole time, talking to people, singing and eating quite well.

I also want to tell you that I was wholly committed to winning and riding 20+ laps. Which was entirely possible given that with 6 hours to go, I was on 16 laps.

However…what I need to tell you is that come 6am, after nearly falling asleep numerous times and feeling really quite sick and tired of racing, I had already planned to pull out.

Just like that.  BOOM. 

It was the last 20 minutes of riding on double track and rail trail that took me to a place that allowed me to focus on my pain and suffering.  I was able to conjure up all the excuses in the world to quit now. 

In a nutshell, yes I was suffering.  But who wasn’t?  I was tired. I was sick.  I was feeling hurt everywhere. I was struggling with eating and drinking.

Something went wrong this time.

I don’t know if it was just complacency, home town advantage, lack or planning, going through the motions, or just too tired and overworked?  A mixture of all of the above I suspect.

How is it that for 18 hours you can be happy as a pig in sh#t…and then quit?

So I have spent the last 24 hours analyzing my psychology and putting in plans and strategies to prevent this from ever happening again. 

I am pretty excited that I have a clean slate to work with.  A friend reiterated to me today this simple quote:

The greater the adversity the greater

the lessons learnt.

 
I know I have let some people down…mostly Norm, my husband, mate and support crew for all my races.  I did not trust him and ignored his best advice totally.  I will never to that again.

On a brighter note, our wonderful MTB Skills Race Development Squad member, Jac Connell, won her first 24 hour solo event and is pumped to attend the Nationals and the Worlds.  Go Jac, really proud of your perseverance, hopefully you will inspire other women to race and do what you have just proved is possible.

Well done to Gavin who is also a MTB Skills RDS member.  First solo 24 hour, and completed an awesome 16 laps and finished in wonderful form.  This has given him a new sense of self belief of what can be achieved through changing your mindset and having trust in other people around you.

 

Top effort Kirstin Single Speed Dirt Diva who rode her goal laps of 10 on a 29” Rigid Single Speed with fish net stockings to go with it!  You are a true inspiration Ms.Honey.

Sorry to hear that Phil had a crash, another RDS member.  He too was travelling around in fine form until the night time crash put an end to that.  You and I better bury our demons at the next race!

Thank you to all the people who still believe in me:

Norm my husband and Saskia my daughter. My parents.  My friends.  My clients.  My confide in cycling - Donna Rae-Szalinski(always says the right things)

My bestest sponsor and wonderful friend – Lorenzo Moro at Torquay Cycling Factory(and Leah)

My other sponsors – GIANT bikes, Jet Black products with Nite Rider lights, TORQ Australia, and good ol' Rob Eva from SRAM. 

...and all the other wonderful people that are happy to support me and surround me with positive energy and fun loving times!

You are all so wonderful and are understanding that "every dog has its day"…good and bad. 
I will return to serve you all well.  Thank you all for your kind words and of course faith in me as a person.