2014 Highland Fling

[Shrekmeister]

2014 Highland Fling

Entries open tomorrow morning...

Number 10 of 10 :bounce:

 

[Shrekmeister]

http://www.wildhorizons.com.au/events

:llama:

 

[Shrekmeister]

two weeks to go....yet all is quiet....no love for the fling...???

 

[SlowManiac]

Well I'm excited, number 3 for me. Gonna try sneak under 6hrs but not sure what the new course will mean for times.

Woot!

 

[tubby74]

also going for a third fling, first time attempting the full though

 

[Dippo]

It will be a 6th half fling for me. Last year in masters class. Not ready for retirement yet

Rode Red and Yellow tracks last Sunday and they are in fine shape.

The new single track is great but it will be testing.

 

[notime]

It will be a 6th half fling for me. Last year in masters class. Not ready for retirement yet

Rode Red and Yellow tracks last Sunday and they are in fine shape.

The new single track is great but it will be testing.

Is the new single track the new big bermed gully in and out that was part of the 3 Ring this year?

 

[SF Trailboy]

Is the new single track the new big bermed gully in and out that was part of the 3 Ring this year?

That is the some of the new stuff for the 100km yes. There is also a bit of new stuff been done in Jumping rock (the last section of single track on the private property) as well I believe. Other than that unless they have some well kept secrets, they are the only new bits I know of.

 

[JD26]

A little harder than normal....this race is always up there on the level of Epicness!



My thoughts here if you have a couple of minutes
http://pin-it-you-muppet.blogspot.com.au/2014/11/2014-highland-fling.html

 

[tubby74]

well that was painful. hot and humid in Wingello, managed to run out of water only halfway through to the second checkpoint despite having a 3 litre pack. I always run at the back of the field but got very quiet when about 5 guys around me decided to bail at the forest or Wingello oval feed stations.

got to say the 100 milers, apart from being incredible riders, were without fail polite passers and offered encouragement as they went past, a couple slowing to ride with me for a little while to help along. it gets lonely at the back where you can go an hour or more without seeing anyone else so it definitely helps.

 

[SlowManiac]

Was pretty tough indeed! The hills!! they just kept coming. Feeling pretty ordinary today, tired but satisfied.

 

[SF Trailboy]

Managed to pull some poor unfortunate soul out of the creek in the new section, poor bastard fell about 2m off the side and thinks he broke his ribs. He did ride back to the Wingello station before pulling out.
He was following along my shit house line.

Wasnt a bad race and was well organised, seems to be getting a bit expensive for so much pain.

 

[bloodpuddle]

A little harder than normal....this race is always up there on the level of Epicness!



My thoughts here if you have a couple of minutes
http://pin-it-you-muppet.blogspot.com.au/2014/11/2014-highland-fling.html

Great write-up. Very interesting to see the perspective from the front of the field, and supports the old saying that "it doesn't get easier, you just get faster". You guys make it look so easy when you go past, but obviously it's still a killer!

 

[tubby74]

has anyone got a handle on how much the course changes added to times this year? I figured about 10-15 minutes longer into Wingello oval.

 

[Shrekmeister]

Nice recognition for those having done all ten was presented to us on the saturday evening...

 

[notime]

has anyone got a handle on how much the course changes added to times this year? I figured about 10-15 minutes longer into Wingello oval.

I dropped 20 minutes on last year's race after expecting a sub 5 hour time this year. I rode a similar time into Wingello Oval but all that fast extra climbing came back to bite me later. I sat in around 30th position overall for the entire 112k. No one came past other than elites and we only picked off a couple riders and most of those where from mechanicals. I was with some quality riders and it was a real grind out the last 30 odd k's with only one having the legs for a good break.

 

[flamin'trek]

Longer distance by my measure. Up from 109 to 114km with Garmin. (I know everyone gets a slightly different distance). By the end of the wingello stage I was also reading 5km further than expected. For 5km adds 20min when averaging 15km/h over the race.

I was underprepared, didn't drink enough and got severe cramping in the back km half of wingello stage, continued on into the third stage too. A very tough day on the saddle. I'm one of the back markers too and it was very quiet out there for a lot of the last half. I enjoyed the single track though and like to think I'm tough enough to enter again next year, but will have to prepare a lot better. Since 2008 I've done two half and four full flings, missed 2012 and really enjoy the event.