Cabin's 2011 ride: Sneak peak

So I've got a new deal for next year, and a sweet new ride. All will be revealed next week, but as a sneak preview here are a few pics. The MTB is Carbon, it has big wheels, and it rides REALLY nice. Stay tuned for details.

CabiNic Racing @ SSWC 2010

So SSWC are done and dusted and Nic and I are World # 2 and 4 respectively. Does that make us the Worlds fastest SS couple?!

Huge event. Massive festival, and seems 99.9% of people had a great time (save for a couple of sad sacks who complained about the start). We had pretty "mint" starts in around the 400-500's.... I had planned on being crafty, but got distracted by the circus on show that is SS'ing and kinda missed the start a bit!

Pre-race and at a whole 5ft Nic "Tall Beast" Leary makes a fitting tribute to SS officiando Andrew Durno of Head Like a Hole.
We had plans of both going HLAH styles, but as Mr Durno himself pointed out that to make an accurate "booga" I would have had to probably wrap Nic around my waist and that may have made riding a bit hard. So having described SS'ing to the newspapers as the Punk of MTB mid week I made an attempt at Iggy Pop. Although even I'm not quite skinny enough for Iggy (I think I'm the late in career, made some money, and can afford to eat Iggy.... kind of like fat elvis?)

On a bit of a charge, trying to get back up the field. Apparently got to 3rd and 30sec off lead late in lap 1 before my legs cried enough (I was running 34-18 on the 29er if anyone was wondering) and my speed rapidly diminshed. Highlight of my race was a back and forth battle with legendary Moto GP/Superbike star Ben Bostrom. It was ironic that I would have been one of the few in the event that knew him and was excited by his presence.... although at the time I was just impressed that someone had dressed as Bostrom.... I realised at the finish.

Pushed pretty hard on the descents as I tried to show JHK and Ben Bostrom my mad skills. Did a few hucks and made the most of any slight whip opportunities. Stayed upright, but fork started feeling a bit floppy on the 2nd lap. Saw this at the finish so guess that was the reason?

Tall Beast Leary put in a huge charge. An early race crash and subsequent rapid air loss from tyres saw a few interesting moments. Reports had her about 3min30 down at one point mid race before an inspired charge got her to within 20sec at the finish. For those interested in such things Nic was on a 32-17 gear.

Tall Beast and eventual winner Heather "Fun Police" Logie

Awesome weekend. Can't quite believe its over and everyone has gone home.Kind of odd rolling down to a World Champs from your house in the morning. I'm just stoked everyone had a great time, enjoyed some sweet trails, and equally sweet weather. Apparently Ireland has the hosting rights next year. Will we be there? Hmmm. Not sure if I could handle guiness on the shortcuts. Will leave that as a maybe.

We knocked the bugger off...

Looking determined? Some serious pain and fixated on the finish.... just 1km to go...

The Super Light Nic Leary SS weapon

60km through Sunday's Whaka 100, my ever changing plans for a costume for SSWC seemed finalised. Ed Crossling was nearly 4min ahead, I was already cramping badly, and it seemed the often joked about bridesmaid's dress was going to have to be used next week.

Just like the Karapoti fairytale this one shouldn't have happened. I hadn't even done a base ride longer than 3hr30 since January, and no MTB races since July. I didn't really want to race until I was somewhat guilted into it by this article with massive 2/3 of a page pic in the NZ Herald

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10680837

I'd even left the bail out option of entering Nic and I as a relay team (her doing the 2nd 37km leg) also, so if trashed I could pull out. I very nearly did. By the time I reached Old Chevy I was smashed. I'd been on my own for almost 2hr. But after a bit of fun (and the step down gap jump on Old Chevy) I figured I was so smashed what would another 40km do?

So I took a feed bag, handed the team transponder to Nic. Smashed back a few jelly dinosaurs, guzzled some water, and headed on my way in 2nd (with Nic leading the teams race).

Mentally it was a grovel. I felt I was creeping and had to keep reassuring myself. Really I was just trying to beat Nic to the finish, who was smashing it on the hilliest part of the course on her Singlespeed. After grovelling to Billy T I let rip. 1/2 way down Roller Coaster to my surprise I caught Ed. He seemed pretty blown and I figured he'd be regretting the beer he'd turned down the night before, as clearly those extra carbs were now to my advantage.

Climbing Direct Rd it was simply a matter of will power. Ed was blown, but so was I. I just tried not to show it and attempted to make my riding posture look strong and composed when in reality I was cramping badly, really uncomfortable, and starting to see stars. Getting a good gap I hammered HotXBuns. I grovelled Lions Trail, and Katore Rd climbs. Dizzy with blurred vision I actually tried to throw up... I couldn't. Tokorangi Pa was misery, and the finish couldn't come soon enough.

It did... and with it the win. The time? 4hr50 which in the conditions, on a modified and tougher course, riding largely on my own was a complete surprise. I guess I was going fast.

And Nic? She appeared a mere 10min later. Having smashed the course, she very nearly caught Ed also, and left us 3rd overall, taking a huge 38min off the team race record. Not too shabby.

So I knocked the barstard off. Think I'll happily spectate the Whaka next year, and no more bridesmaid either. So better start finishing off those alternative SSWC costume ideas.....

October already? We really should do some training...

Daylight saving has kicked in and it’s as if while changing the clocks over someone remembered to turn the crappy weather switch off finally. Literally overnight things have warmed up, and the sun is out. Just in time really as the carnage in the Forest from weeks of wet and wind was starting to look pretty grim. Suddenly the forest is buzzing again with riders/walkers/runners. The tracks are riding fast, and it’s only all the extra firewood and saw dust (the remnants of some great Chainsaw work by Murray Avery clearing the mess) that hints at the mess that existed just two weeks ago.

For us we’re back into things again after most of September off on rest and recovery (well…. Recovery for Nic. Me? Just lazy rest really). Thanks to UCI and their convenient timing of Worlds, our garden is now looking pretty mint. Nic gets bored not training so has attacked the garden with vigor… just in time for spring.

We’ve resumed training with a pretty simple training plan. Our MTB’s have been Singlespeed converted so no need for efforts. We just ride the Singlespeeds. My gear is kinda big. It hurts. But I figure we’ve got SS Worlds in 3 weeks…. And I may as well go big or go home. Convenient really… because if and when I crack I really can just go home. It’s only 10min ride from the course and the fridge is waiting.

For “training” when we’re too wrecked from SS’ing, the road bikes are there to give us the wuss out option of gears. And there’s also the easier and more convenient running option. Remembering that I’m supposed to be a Triathlete this summer, and that Nic is XTERRA NZ champion….. it’s quite handy to throw the odd run into the mix (and the odd swim… but I do hate doing laps of pools and the lake’s too cold for open water swimming yet so the volume is pretty low).

The long absence from racing ended on Saturday when we jumped in the Tikitapu Trail Run’s on the weekend. There was a ½ marathon, but I took on the awesome 19km adventure run. A very hilly run that was based on the ½ course, with a couple of mint shortcuts completely off track through the bush. I loved it. Apparently ran alrite too as I won by 4mins and clocked the fastest split through Tuhoto Ariki (4.5km of tech singletrack) of all the runners (1/2 and adventure run) by a considerable margin. Nic was 2nd overall in the 10km event to XTERRA Worlds bound Junior Man Oli Shaw. Guess we can keep our New Balance sponsorship a wee bit longer?

Still haven’t satisfied my dirt bike urges. Need to scrape up a few dollars yet. So if anyone wants/needs a new Road bike or MTB give us an e-mail. Currently up for grabs to clear our garage are…..

2010 Malvern Star Oppy C7 roadie (56cm)
2010 Cannondale Flash 29er (M)
2009 Avanti Team Competitor (S…. 2010 frame)
2008 Jamis Xenith Team Roadie (XS)