Training Log Archive: BIGpete

Had not done any riding for a while so went up to the dell, did some little ovens, some munda biddi, bunch of single track. Knee is still sore from the avon where i smashed it against a rock :(

First paddle session since the avon....my ski is so battered :(

Went on a hunt around from mosman bay to the old bridge in freo for a green molakai....no found.

Got in just before it pissed down with rain :)

Wonder why

More coming later....I finished and damn proud of it.

So heres the log now:

Day 2 of the avon was started with ice on the boat and a screw missing from my rudder. Thank God i checked that before launching as I would have lost the rudder easily. My bodge of a fixup was replacing the screw with a tree stick, snapping off the end and then using about 10 layers of gaffa tape over that and around the tail of the boat to fix it. Gaffa fixes pretty much everything...if its still not fixed you have to use some more.

Start grid 74 was not too bad, gave me plenty of time for the bodge job and get into the water. It was freakin cold though. once I got going it was ok.

Straight into the tea trees and within 200m of starting had to portage around a few fallen trees. Nothing like putting on a good show for everyone at the start anyways. The tea trees were just as chaotic as the start of day 1. People everywhere 1 visible channel and plenty of noobs clogging up the them.

Lining up for rapids was annoying. Everything the PRS stood for in gaining time in the pools was undone waiting for the rapids. A few impatient people portaged around some of them, but it was faster to wait the extra 1 minute than the 3 minutes dragging around.

Made the Emu's checkpoint 10 minutes after my slowest expected time and knew I had to push harder on the pools. Passed many people which normally caught me as i got stuck in rapids with the venturi or bad lines through the non existant rapids.

Kept paddling for what only seamed a few hours but was close to 4 and without realizing it I got to syd's. I did not even recognise the section between lookout and syds that I had done 3 weeks before. I felt a lot better at this point. I dont think i got here until 1pm. I did not have watch so it was hard to tell. I thought oh crap i am going to get cut at bells.

Kept paddling hard and people were loosing hope at Walyunga as the original cut offs had passed. I got to bells only to find out that the cut offs at bells had been extended by 30 mins (i.e. 2pm) and I got through with 15 mins to spare (i think) and then I got to the elbow and hit the wall.

I had run out of water in the bladder for the last hour and had a spare inside the ski, but did not want to waste more time pulling it out. I had a redbull can in my pouch and I downed this as well as the rest of my sugar. I struggled all the way to upper swan bridge were finally the sugar and redbull kicked in. I powered through the trees near amiens and then went as quick as my arms would paddle to middle swan bridge.

Cut offs at middle swan bridge were at 4pm. I came in with 3 mins to spare...phew! I had Amanda & claire (my fantastic support crew) waiting there were I was able to finish without the fear of any more cut offs and spent 5 mins getting more fluids, coke, jelly beans and food into me for the home run. Let about 20-30 pass me during this rest but I did not care.

I paddled my guts off for the last 13kms. I repassed most of the people that went by while i refueled. Got to see my Mum and dad at a couple jetties along the way which lifted the spirits as well.

Once I got to tonkin hwy bridge it was such a relief to be able to see the finish (in what little sunlight we had left) and almost missed the finish line because of pure tiredness and now knowing where it was exactly.

Day after the race my arms are very tired, weak and feel wasted. I'm recovering from a cold I've had for the past couple days (yes I was crook while racing) and hopefully i should see this go in the next day so I can go out for another paddle to loosen up.

C • Congrats!! 8