Marathons and stage races have an underlying theme of adventure. While not all races are point to point, chances are they will take you somewhere far away before bringing you back again. You won’t pass your car, support may be minimal, and sometimes there’s a good chance you will cross national borders – multiple times. This constant adventure and personal exploration is what compels me to find challenging marathon and stage races around the globe. But I also like racing bikes. And you can’t always jet off somewhere to get a good hit out in.
Australia loves a good ‘Enduro’ race. Some wouldn’t like to hear it, but it’s essentially a regular cross-country race, except you can take turns at the laps with your mates, and nobody thinks it’s strange to stop. Or wear fairy wings either, for that matter. Enduro’s do have a lot less pressure than Olympic distance XC, and that’s why they draw a crowd all over Australia. We have a dearth of 3, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24 hour events throughout the year.
Somewhat uniquely, The Spring Fat Tyre Festival taking place in New South Wales, Australia this weekend runs for eight and a quarter hours – mostly for bragging rights. However with free coffee at the start, spot prizes all day, good cash prizes and free beer at the end, it draws a crowd. Taking place about 1.5 hours north of Sydney, there are plenty of people who want to attend, and it sold out again this year. Thankfully I found a solo entry.
But this is new for me. I haven’t completed a solo 8hr (or thereabouts) before. Sure, I’ve managed to make various marathons take more than 8 hours. But if I was physically able, I would have completed them in less time. It’s a long time on a bike, after all. In fact, it’s a long time in general. I could fly to New Zealand for some ‘fush and chups’ and be back within that time. Or just ride around in 10 kilometre circles. And this is where I’m stuck – from where will I draw motivation to carry on each lap? With a deck chair and a cold drink beckoning from where other mates in teams will be setup, will my competitive instinct be enough to drive me on, or will I crumble at the 3 or 4 hour mark? I need the time on the bike – and this is an efficient way to gain it. And I think it will have to be goal setting and competitiveness that get me through. Typically I race this style of event in a team of two. And as much as you’re racing with a mate, you’re turning yourself inside out every time in an effort to be faster than him or her.
So tomorrow my goal will be to lap with fast friends. Chase team riders, ride with them, joke with them, and pass them if I can. Pacing myself for eight and a quarter hours ins a foreign concept. Like in a marathon, I’d rather start hard and see how that pans out. At least if you get into trouble, you’re up the road with a reasonable gain over where you would be otherwise. That’s not to say it is sensible – but it’s exciting. And pacing is boring.