Also click here for a story from the Border Mail about Jeremy's effort
This race is set amongst the picturesque upper reaches of the Murray (NSW/Vic border in the Snowys) on the first Sunday every October. Into it’s forth year, the race has grown in stature and length. This year the mountain bike leg was extended from 29km to 38km encompassing Khancoban Station and some wicked hills.
After being beaten by Jarad Kohlar in the Go-Natural Akuna Bay Race six weeks ago, I wanted to level the score board. But to do this, I would have to string together some longer sessions to deal with the 25km mountain run.
About a week out, I learnt that my mate Jo Zerbst (last year’s winner and a tough competitor) would not be competing. I was disappointed because it’s always rewarding to test your self against the best. However, Jo’s absence opened the door for a new winner and there were several people who wanted it.
Meg and I arrived in Khancoban Saturday afternoon. I decided to reacquaint myself with the fast flowing Upper Murray so I paddled the first half of the paddle leg. The swirling currents, eddies and rapids tend to unsettle people who are flat water paddlers so it pays dividends to get a “feel” for the river prior to the race. I noticed the river was low due to poor winter snow falls and minimal thaw; however, as SnowyHydro is the major sponsor they had been stock piling water at the Khancoban Reservoir and intended to let it out three hours prior to the race! They did, and it was pumping on race day. I registered Saturday evening and was ranked number two behind Jarad with Stu Adams – from Newcastle – ranked number three. I was looking forward to the challenge and felt ready after a seven day taper.
Race day dawned and we were greeted with a typical Snowy Mountains Spring day. Crystal clear, blue sky, brisk but warning quickly. Even though the race started with a ride, I decided to do a run warm-up as I have learnt in the past, if I warm up on the bike I simply roll around and ‘have-a-chat.’ So I set off for a 20 minute run. I felt crap…..really crap, but this was good. I know that the worse I feel during warm up, the better I race, so I was content with feeling crap. Race start was at 7am, so I quickly changed into my mountain bike shoes and rolled over to the start. There were about 150 competitors ready for a tough race in perfect weather.
As per usual, people started like Shane Kelly in a 1000m track time trial. My race plan was simple, ride solidly, mitigate time loss on the paddle and go for broke 13km from home in the run. However, this plan was quickly shelved when Stu Adams and three team riders crept away on the first climb. I noticed Jarad was breathing hard and dropping off the pace. This was a great chance to test him early so I surged and bridged the gap to stay with the leading bunch. For the next 20km, Stu and I, along with two team riders worked hard to open up quite a gap. However, at the 30km mark it all fell apart. One team rider fell off the pace and the other team rider blew a tire on a steep descent. The next corner, Stu and I were stopped in our tracks by truck load of sheep, many of them pregnant ewes. With a cliff off to our left and a steep wall up to our right we were trapped behind what must have been 60 sheep. I felt like we were rounding up sheep on a spring muster rather than racing. Just as we had pushed through the sheep, Jarad caught us and had a little chuckled to him self. For the remaining 5km the three of us rode together with no-one wanting to push the wind so the pace dropped considerably, letting a team rider to ride by and collect the cash for fastest mountain bike time.
Jarad surged into transition, jumped into his kayak and disappeared down the river using the bends to hide. After an hour of solid paddling I eventually caught Jarad and then Stu joined us. We were together again. After the obligatory surges to test each, we settled into a tempo. But within 100m my arms felt like lead and I slowed. For the next 30min – until the end of the paddle leg – I felt ordinary and sluggish. As it turns out, after the race Jarad told me I had collected a small branch on my rudder and they decided not to tell me. Instead they worked together in an attempt fatigue me and open a gap before the 25km run. I entered the paddle to run transition 30sec behind with heavy arms.
After 3hr30mins of racing it was starting to heat up. Jarad had cleared out of the paddle to run transition, whilst Stu and I were content to take a little extra time to re-hydrate. I ran out of transition 40-50sec behind Jarad, and with a slender lead over Stu. The 25km run consists of a 7km flat section, a 5km steep climb, 6km along the ridge and down to a final 5.5km stretch into Corryong with a steep pinch at the end. My original plan was to attack on the climb as I knew Jarad would work the descents, so I caught him within the first 7km, settled myself and then exploded up the climb. He stayed with me for a kilometre or so, and then slowed to a walk. He had popped. It was very steep so walking wasn’t that much slower, but I knew if I could just maintain running form to the top I’d have a couple of minutes over him. And maybe the race won.
I reached the top and was blowing hard. It was hot and I had no water. I ran along the ridge, and down the mountain, and then the shutters went down. I started blacking out; I slowed to a walk and then stopped. Slumped over and apparently wobbling like a drunken man, several things went through my mind. Am I just being soft? Why is this happening? Maybe I should pull out and come back next year. Meg arrived beside me, handed me a flat coke and jelly beans. Out-side assistance (drink and food only) was allowed during the last 5km….thankfully. I scoffed them and concentrated on why I should finish. The thought of running 5km to the finish was far from my mind. Then my mate’s favourite saying dropped into my head, “never give in, and never give up.” I repeated this simple but poignant saying to myself many times. I looked around and saw a figure 400m away and closing in. I couldn’t work out whether it was Jarad or Stu, but it was certainly a competitor who wanted to win. I started walking, then jogging and then the glucose hit. I started running and decided to not look around again……to just run. I started feeling strong and kept accelerating through the ‘2km to go sign’ and onto the finish. I managed to hold on for the win in 5hr32min03sec. Stu came in second in 5hr34min38sec…..and Jarad held on for third in 5hr43min35sec.
Once again, Meg was great support moving boats, bikes, telling (ordering) me to eat, and getting me to the finish. Ben “The Coach” has been fantastic, and it just proves that consistently following ‘The Coaches’ programme pays dividends. And finally, Tridents is a great club to represent. There are a lot positive people all trying to get the best out of themselves and it certainly spurs you on to race hard.