VIC 2012 Kona (Otway) Odyssey

cleeshoy

cleeshoy

Eats Squid
nuclear_powered said:
Anyone else still waiting for photos? I notice there's nowhere to go look through unidentifiable riders - I'm guessing my remote seatpost cable obscured my bar code thingy, as I know other riders have already gotten photos.
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I signed up to get the pics automatically posted to my facebook account, but so far I have received nothing. I did the 50km and only know of two riders who did the 50km that have pics of themselves.
 
Beej1

Beej1

Senior Member
cleeshoy said:
I signed up to get the pics automatically posted to my facebook account, but so far I have received nothing. I did the 50km and only know of two riders who did the 50km that have pics of themselves.
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That's two more than me. Funny thing is that I'm not expecting much - I saw a whopping total of two photographers for the 50, and one was on the finish line. Better than nothing I guess. T'would be awesome if they got sportograf in for pic duties in the future.
 
Nath8

Nath8

Likes Dirt
For all of us that don't have or believe in Facebook, how are we supposed to get pics? I've tried entering my race number on the web site but get nothing. Any ideas?
 
quiggs

quiggs

Likes Dirt
Fergo,
I have done a few longer distance races and have hurt in many, but you my friend found a place that I have never been to or hope I never ever see. Total respect my friend and to your kids and wife for seeing the place you were in, knowing the disappointment you would have if you were to decide to pull the pin before the finish and to ensure that you get back out there and soldier on.

:applouse: Sometimes our finishing times are irrelevant verses our goals, its the journey that one takes to reach the end that has greatest feeling of accompishment.

Quiggs
 
S

seb710

Likes Bikes
Fergo,
I copied your story today and sent it to my mates who ride locally but never enter marathons etc. Each one has made a vow to enter the OO in 2013 inspired by your. Great work, time is irrelevant, effort is everything. Your an inspiration.
 
fergo

fergo

Likes Dirt
Very appreciative

All I can say is WOW. BIG thanks to everyone for the kind words of support. I'm sure many people were struggling at the Odyssey or similar events just like me, but didn't write about it. I wasn't too sure how my post would be received, bit like in Gerry Maguire, but thanks. Originally I set out to tell my story, I didn't realise it would become motivation/inspiration for others and certainly had no intention of hijacking this thread. I even saw it pop up as a link on facebook.

As I said, I'm just a guy who races as a personal challenge and rides for fun and spending time with mates. I'm already planning my assualt on next years OO and what has to be put into place so I dont go anywhere near this years effort.

Hope to see you on the trail. If you do recognise me wearing my profile pic jersey or my orange and white Kona dually, say g'day. I'm happy to chat, afterall, its the social times what makes mtb soo different and great. (strava run can always wait till next time!!!)

Cheers,
Ferg
 
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uhuforrest

uhuforrest

Likes Dirt
drfuentes said:
...........................

Imagine if rapid ascent $ and community participation got a singletrack from Lorne to the top of Kaangalang road. It would be used for the Anaconda also and make one of the world's best epics. That would be tourism asset! Do you notice that all day Sunday the GO road is bumper to bumper mtb riders. All the cafes are fulled of scratched, bruised and vacantly staring souls.
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Personally I wouldn't support the building of a dedicated trail from Lorne to Forrest, (there are already several made by the moto's)

"Forrest" as in the community, find any events based in Lorne, (Surfcoast Shire), use our facilities but never add any value, (read: other events currently do this).

I would be more than happy to have single track built from the Ocean Road up to Forrest, as long as the entire trail remains within Colac/Otway Shire and provides a benefit to the community. Imagine riding a 40km SuperD course largely downhill from Forrest to the beach and then catching the bus back up to Forrest!

Regards

Roland
 
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G

GuidePaul

Squid
fergo said:
After hearing everyones great stories and tales of woe so far and them still finishing in 6 or so hours, I thought I might put a different perspective from the tail end of the field. Grab a coffee and hope you enjoy it.

This year was my 5th Otway event. I've done 2 Otway Shorty's starting in Apollo Bay in both 2008 (THE WETTEST ONE EVER) and 2009 - (THE DRIEST ONE EVER) and 2 Shorty's starting in Forrest, 2010 and 2011. Each year my times and placing improved as my skills and fitness improved. After last years 45km race and finishing in just over 3 hrs and 109th, I was wondering if this year I should do the 100 again or aim for top 50 and do another Shorty. I bit the bullet and decided to step up to the seniors and do the 100.

I bought a road bike and started doing longer rides on the roadie. Melb - Mt Macedon and back was a regular trip, Around the Bay 210, Tuesday Nights at Macedon in a rd group etc. The plan was the longer road riding would increase my endurance and set me up for the 100km. Now, I wasnt the fittest or most technically skilled mtb rider (roughly top 1/3 in c grade at FGP crits) and was definitely better at mtb than rd, but concentrated on rd fitness than mtb fitness. I even did the Alpine Classic in Jan from Bright to Falls Creek and back. The theory being if I can climb for 2 hrs up to Falls, I can do the 100K OO.

I was also confident I could do the OO as I had ridden all of the 100 course over the years except up Thompsons from the top of sledgehammer to the moto singletrack start. I had just never done it all at once. Thursday arvo before the event was quiet at work and I spent hours looking at previous times, similar riders times and estimating my time gaps and where I should be by when etc. Probably over analysed, but still totally engrossed on the preparation. Race plan was 8 hours with a bit of a push to be in Forrest 67km by 5 hrs. As I said, 09 was the same course and I did just under 4 hours, so I hoped I was fitter and technically stronger and would be at the bottom of red carpet in 3.5 hrs. Planned to do 456 in under 1.5 hrs and then giving me 3 hrs to do the yaugher loop and the final 13km.

Talking with mates who had done it, the most common advice was dont blow it on the first climb. I knew this as I'd done it before. The race starts and I carefully start up the hill and work my way through the field till the u-turn at Busty rd. I'm mostly overtaking people on the lower flatter slopes and then when it went up, I went backwards. Heavy blokes dont climb well at the best of times, especially with 95km to go.

Over the top in what turns out to be 428th pos - mid field. Pretty happy and a few minutes faster than the last time I climbed it. Safely down the rd - avoiding the blackberry bushes on that sharp RH corner - and into the private property. Walked with the rest when we had to and eventually came out onto the rd in the logged pines. I wanted to push on the rd given the training I had done and made up quite a few spots. Climbed the slippery ferny hill and crested Mt Sabine. 2 hrs, 25km and most of the climbing done at Mt Sabine so I was feeling good about my time. Cleaned the cleats and then proceeded to West Barwon track. I was confident on this section and have ridden it a few times, so I knew what was coming and everything was going well. Passed a few going downhill and then crossed the creek. Climbed and climbed and was satisfied I didn't walk any of it - 1 guy did walk next to me for a while!! Paused at the uturn to noonday and warned a few riders nearby about the descent. Saw one guy ride off the track into a run off with complete brake fade and another guy caught me at the bottom and thanked me for the warning as he recon it saved him from a very serious accident.

Started noonday ascent and was walking in seconds. Got to the top of the first hike-a-bike and resumed, only to be off at the next, and the next and maybe 1 more too!! I was also starting to feel very lethargic and being surprised I couldnt go faster. Legs were starting to feel heavy and I was walking more than previous times up this hill. I was going backwards in the field FAST. It wasn't till the water staion at the top I realised my suspension was still full open from the descent!!! Bit of a rest and then down red carpet, passing 30 or so people (according to the timing). I only counted 5. Climbed the dam and cramped big time at the top. I couldn't move and was in sooo much pain. The look on my face, you thought I was giving birth!! I wanted to quit there and then and it was the start of the rot. 10 minutes later, I could just move my legs and tried to spin the cramp out. My pace had slowed to a crawl and heading for the 456 trails was not a pleasant thought.

These trails just got slower and slower. Corporate ladder was a torturous nightmare and the 3 other guys with me were just in a world of hurt and exhaustion. All of us were suffering and wanted this race over. I remember thinking of ways I could damage my bike so I could blame a mechanical for quitting instead of giving up. By now, any time goals were out the window and surviving to 67km was the goal and plan to quit. On the dirt road near the base of red carpet, I actually rode off the road. I was so tired and mentally shot I was looking at my cranks going round, head down, shoulder slumped and given up, that I veered off the road! I rolled into the footy oval a broken man. Not sure how to tell the wife and kids that I was done. Feeling like a failure and letting them down. Not looking forward to the rest of the year being ribbed from my mates for not finishing. How do I tell my 6yo son he can do all things, when I've just given up riding a bike. I'm normally the guy who encourages people to keep going and never give up. It was the darkest place I've been and was not enjoying it at all.

I entered transition and looked for my gear. I heard my wife yell out and then my kids started cheering and waving signs, "Go Daddy" and "You can do it" and it took everything in me to avoid losing it. I couldn't do it. I told her I was done and she didn't believe me. It wasn't until the she saw the two tears emerge from under my sunnies and make 2 clean stripes on my face that she realised where I was at. Her first reaction was "what food do you want and what do you want to drink". I said "nothing, I'm done, finished." "Have a rest and something to eat and drink and then go out later" "Nup. Im done. "

I did take her advise and started to eat and drink. After 45 minutes, and lots of encouragement from her and the kids, I dragged myself out for the 20km loop. It was only 20km and the single track wasn't too hard. First climb, I thought WHY did I come out again? A friend passed me and I told him "my wife sent me out again". He said "that I'll thank her at the end", I said, "I'm not thanking her now!"

It wasn't until J2 that I started to feel alright. The last guy to pass me wasn't quickly getting away from me and I was now riding in the middle ring instead of the granny. I was getting better and feeling ok and now actually keeping up with the guy infront. Right off track 14 onto the single and into the footy oval, it was the first time I hadn't had to walk up those rooty bits and the log near the fence. I rolled into transition ready to take on the last 13km. Again, this kids and wife cheered and gave me the nutrition I wanted. The Warnambool guys gave me some ice for the camelbak and a mate emptied a few waterbottles over me to cool me down. With a kiss and a push, I was off for the last loop.

My research said it was only 5km to the top of thompson track from the bridges at the bottom and then the sweet moto single track Id ridden in 2010, a short push up Sledgehammer and then rolling to the finish line. I was relieved to see other riders still going out too and that I wasn't the last guy on track. On the early stages of Thompsons rd, other riders were coming down. They all had the biggest smiles I'd seen. Did I look funny or did they know what I was in for? I rode most of Thompsons, with a couple of stops and then a massive smile appeared when I saw the left turn sign to the moto track. Id conquered the infamous Britney's Meltdown without having one myself.

Down the moto was fantastic, no crowds holding me up, free to roll at my pace and not feeling like a car stuck in a que behind a caravan on the Great Ocean Rd. The terrifying sledgehammer was insignificant as it was no different to any other hill I'd previously walked that day. Over and into the single track and caught a total stranger as we emerged out of the sandy single track onto the final road. A brief hand shake and congrats for finishing the race and we descended to the footy oval.

I now knew what those smiles were. It was done, finished and I'd achieved something pretty amazing. Into the finish gates and the event was being packed up, no music, no announcer and a lone photographer taking finish line photos. Random people were still next to the fences and were cheering. The biggest cheer was from my 2yo as I crossed the line.

I hadn't JUST ridden 100km - I'd gone further on a road bike many times. I'd faced the lowest point in my life - and with the help of my wife and a few mates - come out the other side! My time in the end wasn't important. The record shows it was 9 hrs 20 mins. The final 33km, 3 hrs, just as planned. Ride time, under 8 hours. Hindsight says I didnt drink or eat enough in the first 40km and I ran the preverbial tank dry. I didn't have any crashes or mechanicals or see anything really spectactular. The crash was inside.

The reason I completed my first Otway ODYSSEY was my wife grabbed my hands and pulled me out of the hurtbox and sent me on my way to finish what I'd started - and I did thank her at the end.
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Well done Fergo on the race and what has to be the story of the year. Cracken me up and also bringing a tear to my eye.
 
C

casnell

Likes Bikes and Dirt
uhuforrest said:
I would be more than happy to have single track built from the Ocean Road up to Forrest, as long as the entire trail remains within Colac/Otway Shire and provides a benefit to the community. Imagine riding a 40km SuperD course largely downhill form Forrest to the beach and then catching the bus back up to Forrest!

Regards

Roland
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For sure ! From Kennet river would be the go, easily doable.
 
Beej1

Beej1

Senior Member
uhuforrest said:
Imagine riding a 40km SuperD course largely downhill form Forrest to the beach and then catching the bus back up to Forrest!
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I also daydreamed of such a setup once in the past and using Google's terrain maps you can see a few really long ridgelines running from the 540m ASL point of Turtons Tk above Wild Dog Ck, near where the track intersects with Apollo Bay Forrest Rd, all the way to the rolling hills behind AB.

So basically there's the potential to make a largely downhill track all the way to Apollo Bay - approx 15 - 20km.

The Downieville Classic DH trail largely follows ridgelines like this, and is one of the most awesome trails I've ever ridden.

But anyway ... we digress...
 
Anarchist

Anarchist

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nuclear_powered said:
I also daydreamed of such a setup once in the past and using Google's terrain maps you can see a few really long ridgelines running from the 540m ASL point of Turtons Tk above Wild Dog Ck, near where the track intersects with Apollo Bay Forrest Rd, all the way to the rolling hills behind AB.

So basically there's the potential to make a largely downhill track all the way to Apollo Bay - approx 15 - 20km.

The Downieville Classic DH trail largely follows ridgelines like this, and is one of the most awesome trails I've ever ridden.

But anyway ... we digress...
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But what a digression! Sounds like a great idea. Potential MTB classic in the making.
 
uhuforrest

uhuforrest

Likes Dirt
nuclear_powered said:
I also daydreamed of such a setup once in the past and using Google's terrain maps you can see a few really long ridgelines running from the 540m ASL point of Turtons Tk above Wild Dog Ck, near where the track intersects with Apollo Bay Forrest Rd, all the way to the rolling hills behind AB.

So basically there's the potential to make a largely downhill track all the way to Apollo Bay - approx 15 - 20km.

The Downieville Classic DH trail largely follows ridgelines like this, and is one of the most awesome trails I've ever ridden.

But anyway ... we digress...
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To digress further.......................

There is an even better one from the top of the Fire Tower down to Skene's creek

If you turn right off the bitumen at the end of Sunnyside road it is all downhill until you hit the G.O.R at Wongarra, then a pleasant 5km along the G.O.R. into Apollo Bay where the return bus already runs

Roland
 
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