The official "You're a fricken loonatic" thread.

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0psi

Eats Squid
So you're in the mood to do something silly, want tips, advice or just a hug to reassure you everything will be okay? Here is the place for all idiots to reside, share tips, tricks and experiences about pushing yourself to places the human body just shouldn't go, things like 24hr solo races, Mawson trail enduro, Big HuRT, TNF 100 and my current obsession, Ironman Triathlon (don't judge).
Coming from an Olympic Distance Triathlon background where you're done in less than 2hrs, I've got no idea what my body is going to do once I've been racing for 8+ hrs in an Iron-distance Triathlon. I think I've got a fairly good handle on things. As long as I keep an eye on feeding, carbs, salts etc. I think I'll be okay but any tips from those that have done these silly long kinda things would be awesome.


And if anyone else is doing or knows of some crazy or adventurous races/events please post them up. There are some great events out there that don't get much exposure outside of their community.
 
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steve24

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I entered an 18 race (solo)a few months ago with the best intention of getting a bit fit for the race.
Now only a few days to go it seems my plan has failed miserably.
A hug is the only thing that can help me now...
 
disappearin

disappearin

Likes Dirt
Good thread! Ive just paid my entry to my first 24hr solo race today...
I've done an ironman, found it easier then the 12hr mtb I done! main thing took me a bit to get was not worry about anyone else, if someone passes you let em go and ride your own race. Completely different to short course racing.
The next thing I'm looking at doing after the 24hr is the 3 peaks challenge. Should be easy after a 24hr solo ;)
http://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/general/great-rides/42359/
 
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0psi

Eats Squid
disappearin said:
Good thread! Ive just paid my entry to my first 24hr solo race today...
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Sydney 24hr by any chance? I was tossing up whether to do this or not. I don't know why but in my head at least a 24hr mtb race seems easier than an Ironman Tri. Don't know why but I think races over time rather than races over distance just seem easier for my brain to handle.
 
disappearin

disappearin

Likes Dirt
0psi said:
Sydney 24hr by any chance? I was tossing up whether to do this or not. I don't know why but in my head at least a 24hr mtb race seems easier than an Ironman Tri. Don't know why but I think races over time rather than races over distance just seem easier for my brain to handle.
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Thats the one, Jetblack 24hr in dec.
ironman seemed easier for the simple fact it's broken up into 3 different legs, gave me small goals to aim at. Just focused on my plan for that leg and getting through it.
 
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0psi

Eats Squid
How'd you go with roping in a support crew? This seems to be my major stumbling block with doing a 24 solo.
 
disappearin

disappearin

Likes Dirt
0psi said:
How'd you go with roping in a support crew? This seems to be my major stumbling block with doing a 24 solo.
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I've got a few keen helpers. Luckily for me they are supportive of my adventures and often do some training with me but not yet keen to take part in the long races. I'd have to check with em but I'm pretty sure they'd be cool to help you out if that's all that's stopping you.
 
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jhb

Likes Bikes
Would love to do an iron man but I recently learnt I'm a terrible swimmer. I spend half my life in the ocean but can't swim 1km non stop, so 4 is pretty out of the question right now!!

Have entered the point to pinnacle this year, anyone else in Hobart taking this on??
 
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SlowManiac

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I've run the NF 100 every year its been held. Probably the highest profile ultra but certainly not the hardest. The hardest I've done is the Great North Walk 100 - 175km from Teralba to Patonga. Held in Novemeber temps can reach high 30s. Took me almost 36hrs the first year I did it - thats 36 hrs of running/walking, no stopping except at the 7 or so checkpoints for a quick refuel. That second day of high 30 degree temps along the exposed rock platforms before Patonga - well that was a new low for me!

This year I ran the Larapinta trail near Alice Springs - 240km in 5 days - solo, unsuported (i.e. carried all my own gear, food etc for the whole 5 days).

I want to do a 24hr, but I've got a lot to learn on the bike
 
Mywifesirrational

Mywifesirrational

I however am very normal. Trust me.
SlowManiac said:
This year I ran the Larapinta trail near Alice Springs - 240km in 5 days - solo, unsuported (i.e. carried all my own gear, food etc for the whole 5 days).
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Crickey, I walked the Great South West Walk solo 2 months ago, 250km in 8 days - I could not imagine reducing that by 3 days and turning the temperature up, I did enjoy the time alone especially the emu's mating at dusk next to my tent, but the actual walking pace required meant it wasn't a lot of fun. You have my respect.
 
The Duckmeister

The Duckmeister

Has a juicy midrange
One I came up with several years ago was an extension to the annual Around The Bay In A Day (ATB for short) ride in Melbourne. The official ride consists of a 210km lap of Port Phillip (the 250km option they now have didn't exist then), which is a pretty decent ride in itself. "How does one extend it?" I hear people ask... Well, I decided to ride from home in Melbourne's outer suburbs, into the start, do the lap, then ride home again. That's an additional 110km over the official distance! Of course, a 320km ride needed a title, and working in a shop with triathletes who had just done an Ironman when I began preparing for it gave me the inspiration I needed: Ironbum was born.

The ride took just a few minutes under 11 hours actual moving time to complete, but door-to-door time was closer to 14 hours. Two hours of stopped time can be accounted for by waiting for the ferry across the heads + the crossing itself, and the other hour with a few ride breaks - pre-start, after the finish & a fuel-stop en-route where the family met me with an esky full of cold drink bottles to see me through the second half of the day.
 
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xenocatalyst

Likes Bikes
I cant top that but...

All my friends think Im nuts by riding a 10k loop in Kinross Forest 3 times a week.

I thought i was nuts by riding up Mount Canobolas at Orange, NSW. 6k's long and 400m vertical.

Now all of us say im nuts for going solo in the Ginja Ninja 250 on the 8th of feb.

Roy
 
Mattydv

Mattydv

Likes Bikes and Dirt
0psi said:
and my current obsession, Ironman Triathlon (don't judge).
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My 60 year old dad is doing Ultraman Canada in August :faint2:

SlowManiac said:
The hardest I've done is the Great North Walk 100 - 175km from Teralba to Patonga.
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I was chatting to a bloke in the run leg of an Ironman a few years ago, and he said that the GNW100 was the hardest even he'd ever run. From memory it rained non-stop the year he did it ('07?), and the blisters he had by the end of it were phenomenal.
 
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