2016; The year that was / 2017; The year that will be...

I reckon yearly reviews are always a bit tacky but so am I, so here we go...

2016 was a good year on the bike for me (no doubt about that). There are a few major reasons for that:

• No crashes.
• No surgeries.
• My shoulder continues to recover and get stronger after the two surgeries in 2015.
• A great run with illness (two colds all year, no sinus infections and one minor stomach bug).

This all resulted in minimal time off the bike (except planned breaks of course) which kept my fitness up and I really didn't have to do a big rebuild at any time.

In terms of racing, I participated in 51 different races (road, velodrome and a few team triathlons) across 35 days. I ended up with 3 wins, 13 second places and 8 third places. 24 podiums from 51 starts = consistency, but I would love to be winning a bit more...

To dig into this a bit more, I have divided my analysis up into three categories:

• Very happy.
• Happy but looking for more.
• Not happy.

Very Happy:

Charles Coin Memorial Road Race (Masters A): Very happy to finish 2nd behind a Tim Hoy in red hot form who would go on to take a silver medal in the World Masters Titles (45 - 49 years) not long after, in arguably one of the most important road races on the calendar. 

Queensland Omnium Championships (Masters 1 - 4, 30 - 49 years): As recently reported, delighted to take the win. Can't say much more about this one. A good day out.

Queensland Individual Pursuit & Track Time Trial Championships (Masters 3, 40 - 44 years): I was 2nd and 3rd respectively in these two titles in my first track season for 20 years. Coming into that racing with no strong road season behind me was not ideal so I was very happy to secure the two medals. 

Happy but Looking for More:

Queensland  Individual Time Trial & Road Race Championships (Masters 3, 40 - 44 years): I finished 2nd and 4th respectively, but am very hungry to move up some steps on the podiums. Both races fell in my preparation block for the Australian Titles so I wasn't in peaked form, so am looking for more next year. 

Australian Individual Time Trial & Road Race Championships (Masters 3, 40 - 44 years): I finished 8th and 9th respectively, but a bit like the Queensland Championships, I honestly believe I have better finishes in me. The championships are in Brisbane in 2017 so I am determined to move up more than a few places on home (almost) soil.

Not Happy:

Cunningham Classic (Masters A): I had a planned break only two weeks out from this very important race. My legs were not great and I did have a good crack at it, but it didn't come togther and I faded to a very disappointing 33rd place.

2017:

I am very much looking forward to the racing year ahead. I will have a very similar program to this year. The new additions will be a return to the Queensland Road Teams Series (QRTS) after a two year absence (if selected) and I am considering the World Masters Games in New Zealand. 

I am racing in dual colours next year (not both at the same time, just in case you needed to have that explained). I have officially registered the DRP Coaching kit and I am also racing with the Toowoomba based Colliers International Team (mainly for QRTS). I have also switched clubs, moving from Bikeline Racing (now known as the Darling Downs Cycling Club) to the Toowoomba Cycling Club. 

So all in all, another year like this one would be great. Good health, minimal interruptions and the backing of my amazing wife Nadine Russell and coach Mark Brady. It's a great combination!

Race Report: Queensland Championships (MMAS 1 - 4, 30 - 49 years), Omnium, 13 November 2016

I had finished second in this race last year so was hoping for a good result. The field this year was twice the size (twenty-two riders) and a lot stronger, so it was always going to be a tough day out. Andrew Patten and Robbie Reid were racing and given that both riders had won medals in the Masters World Track Championships previously, I was expecting them to be a handful.

I was not sure about my form as I had had a disrupted run in. Three days off the bike with a head cold three weeks out and then another three days off with a stomach bug two weeks out. The stomach bug had me especially worried as I just 'didn't feel right' afterwards.

The event was held on the brand new indoors Anne Meares Velodrome, which is an absolutely impressive facility and a very, very, fast track. The Omnium was raced in the brand new four race format (as opposed to the older six race format):

Scratch Race

Very early on I saw an opportunity to attack and I took it. I quickly gained half a lap and from that point on was totally committed. I managed to take a lap on the field and won the race. 

Tempo Ronde

This is a brand new event where there is a five lap tempo session and then fifteen laps where the first rider across the line each lap earns a point. It plays out kind of like an 'intense points race'. I took points early and managed to come second. Craig O'Conell from The University of Queensland Cycling Club won that race. He had finished second in the earlier scratch race so at that point we were tied for the lead. 

Elimination

A field of twenty-two meant a forty-four lap elimination which was always going to be hard work. I rode really aggressively on the front and managed to again come second. Craig took the win and the overall lead by two points. 

Points Race

I 'only' finished fourth overall in the points race, but I wasn't really concerned about that. I had a job to do; follow Craig around and take points off him. Fortunately, this is exactly what I managed to do. A point here, a couple there and a very timely fourth in the double-points final sprint of the day, gave me the overall win and the Queensland Title by three points. Peter Nowill (who finished third) has come across to cycling in the last few years from running and actually represented Australia at the 2004 Olympics in steeplechase. 

I was absolutely stoked with this result. My last six straight Masters State Titles results have been 3rd, 2nd, 3rd, 2nd, 2nd, 4th - so to finally crack a 1st was just a little bit awesome!

I am honestly not sure what to make of the new Omnium format. I think at Masters level some of the events are too short to be 'true' endurance events. I also miss not having the Individual Pursuit in there. Given the result here though, probably best to say that the new format suits me!

Looking forward to more track events in the new year...

Turning Left

I have to be honest...I can't wait to get back on my track bike. It all starts on 22 October with the final round of the Chandler Spring Series, which will (I think) be the last time I ever race on the outdoor velodrome at Chandler. I can't help but feel a little nostalgic about that, when I think about how much time I spent at that place in my younger years. After that, the State Titles Masters Omnium is on 13 November (I came second in that event last year) which will be held on the brand new indoor Anna Meares Velodrome. 

The Omnium format has been changed by the UCI. It is now four events in one day instead of six over two days. I really feel that the new format suits me very well. The two 'sprinty' events (Flying Lap and Time Trial) have been removed. The Individual Pursuit has also been removed (which I am not happy about), but it has been replaced with a new event called the Tempo Ronde. This event pretty much sounds like a points race with a sprint on every lap. Like! So the program is now:

• Scratch Race
• Elimination
• Tempo Ronde
• Points Race

Overall, I am hoping for a much stronger track season this year than I had last. Even though I manged a couple of results last year, coming in with basically no road season really had an impact (after recovering from my two shoulder surgeries). This time around though, things are very different. I am looking forward to a fast and fun season with (hopefully) some results. I am considering having a crack at the Australian Championships in Sydney and there is also the Australian Masters Games in Tasmania and the World Masters Games in New Zealand. I doubt I will do all of those, but will see what happens. In any case, as I said, compared to last year, I am ready to go:

	2015 (by October)	2016 (by October)
Kilometres ridden:	10,500	16,000
TSS:	14,456	26,210
Days of racing:	6	29
FTP:	330 w	360 w
Weight:	90 kg	84 kg
Left arm strength as % of right (estimate):	65 - 75%	85 - 95%

Race Report: Australian Championships (MMAS3 40 - 44 years), Road Race, 1 October 2016 & Individual Time Trial, 3 October 2016

Road Race

This was the hardest road race I have ever done at masters level. Our field was extremely strong and included an ex-professional who has raced in the Giro d'Italia, the current world number two in our age group and a big handful of riders from New South Wales and Victoria who are still racing Elite A grade in their respective states. 

The course was a good one for me (17 km completed five times), with a long power climb and strong winds. My form was also on point, so I was looking forward to a good race.

The pace was solid from the start. We lost half the field on the climb on the first lap and by the second time up the climb, amazingly there were only twelve of us left. It was a huge confidence booster to still be in the front group at that point. A quick glance over the shoulder showed me a trail of dropped riders in small groups and solo spread across the countryside.

The group stayed at twelve for pretty much the remainder of the race with plenty of attacks and aggression. Tom Leaper from Victoria (Giro guy) broke clear near the end of lap four and stayed there. Another rider slipped off the front on the last climb and took the silver. This left me in a group of ten sprinting for the bronze. I finished 7th in that group for a 9th place overall. 

An exceptionally hard day out and I was very satisfied to be top ten in Australia:

Individual Time Trial

The ITT included the same climb we used in the road race. The course was basically downhill for 9 km and then (of course) a 9 km uphill return.

I felt good and did everything right. It was blowing a strong wind again so I made sure I stayed locked into my aero position, which I successfully did (even up the climb). My power numbers were where they should be, so all was good.

I did however, make a stupid mistake. The turnaround point was not the simple, single marker we use in Queensland, It was a bit more elaborate and there was actually a car there surrounded by markers. My mistake was that instead of turning around at the front marker, I went around the whole 'set up', effectively adding an extra few seconds to my time. After that 'mess', I remember thinking to myself, 'If I miss a place by a second or two, I'm going to uppercut myself'.

In the end, I finished up 8th. Another top ten that I was satisfied with. But (prepare for a whine about how much of an idiot I am), that turnaround mess cost me at least one place. I was 0.67 of a second behind 7th place and 4.27 seconds behind 6th. It is hard to not let your mind wander to 'what could have been'. In any case, I will take my 8th (it is a good result):

I would also like to make mention of my two Bikeline Racing clubmates who also competed in Griffith. Richard Macavoy (the masters version of the 'flying mullet') had a very consistent weekend with a 5th in the combined 30 - 39 years Road Race and a 5th in the 35 - 39 years Criterium. Trent West worked hard for Richard in the Road Race and then produced a solid 6th in the Individual Time Trial (in the same divisions as Richard). 

So there it is. The 2016 road racing season pretty much done. Overall, I am very pleased with what I achieved this year on the road. Even more than that I am happy to have had a great run with health and injuries that has resulted in me being on the bike and not in recovery mode. I would also like to thank my coach Mark Brady for his persistence with me. 

Next up I have my Everesting attempt on 8 October and I am really looking forward to getting back on my track bike not long after that.

Everesting Attempt for the Cancer Council; Saturday, 8 October

Inspired by the amazing efforts of students and staff at Dalby State High School in the Relay for Life (major fundraiser for the Cancer Council) each year, I am going to make an Everesting attempt on Markham's Hill, on Saturday, 8 October. I hope to raise funds for the Cancer Council through donations leading up to the day.

What is Everesting? The famous Mount Everest is 8,484 metres high. Everesting involves riding up and down one hill, on a bicycle, in one ride, until you have achieved that elevation. 

Markham's Hill is off the Bunya Mountain Road, roughly halfway between the small town of Kaimkillenbun and the base of the Bunya Mountains. It starts off with a steady gradient of 5 % but that increases all the way to the difficult last section which maxes out at 17 %. The climb itself is 1.7 km long and has a total altitude gain of 112 m.

How good is your maths? That is 76 times up and down the hill. Okay let's round it up to 80 times just to be sure. And.....288 km in total. You will notice I said Everesting attempt! But trust me, I'm going to have a big crack at it!

I am planning on a very early start, well before sunrise and if successful, I expect to still be going in the evening. Dalby cyclists, don't be shy about coming to join me for a lap or two. I am sure I will appreciate the company. I will have a little camp set up at the bottom with spare wheels, plenty of food and lots of water. 

I would love to raise over $1,000.

If you would like to donate, you can do it in three ways:

GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/2ptb6myp

PayPal: druss4@eq.edu.au

Bank Transfer: Commonwealth Bank - Dean Russell - BSB 064 175 / ACC 1026 7737

Race Report: Queensland Championships (MMAS3 40 - 44 years), Individual Time Trial, 27 August 2016 & Road Race, 10 September 2016

I went into these two races virtually smack in the middle of a big training block, as I am leading up to the Australian Masters Championships in a couple of weeks. These championships have pretty much been my target for the year. This meant that I wouldn't be backing my training off besides my standard easy day that I have at the end of the week. I knew this was not going to put me in 'red hot form' for the two Queensland Championships, but I was still confident I had the fitness to pull off a couple of results. Although at the time it didn't quite feel like it, a little way down the track I can now reflect and realize that I achieved that goal. 

Individual Time Trial

The 22 km course at Murwillumbah is a good one for me. Dead roads, a bit windy and a few slight ups and downs. There was a big tail wind out and a big head wind back. I may have slightly overcooked it on the way out, as I really struggled into the big head wind on the way back. I finished in 30 min 32 sec (43.3 km/h average). I heard not long after that I was in second place; missing the gold medal by ten seconds from Rockhampton's Aaron Stewart. I was gutted....

I replayed that race over in my head a million times in the following days and I 'found' my ten seconds every time. Once that disappointment faded, I started to feel a little more satisfied. After all, a silver medal in a Queensland Championship is something most people would be very happy with. 

Road Race

The 95 km Road Race was held on a course I had not seen before at Wamuran. It was a little over 10 km for a lap and the road was rarely flat. It was the kind of course that didn't initially look too hard, but it managed to wear the bunch down lap after lap. The bunch was MMAS 1 - 3 combined, with about forty-five starters. Incredibly, we were all given the same colour number, making keeping track of the race very difficult.

The first few laps, I felt terrible! I was wondering if I would even make it to the finish. Fortunately I felt better as the race went on. It was an interesting race, as breaks were all very short lived. Numbers dwindled lap after lap as riders found the pace and the gradients too difficult.

Ben Manson from the University Club (in my MMAS 3 division) escaped on the second last lap. I saw it happen but just didn't have the legs to do anything about it. On the very last lap, a MMAS 2 rider joined him. They managed to stay there for the win by a handful of seconds. Somehow (as a bit of a non-sprinter not having a great day) I managed to have a solid sprint in the big bunch gallop and ended up 4th. Given how the day panned out and the legs I had, I was pleased with this.

So there it is; two Queensland Championships and a silver medal and a 4th. As I said at the outset, I am satisfied with that, but always looking for more. Next stop, Australian Championships at Griffith (NSW) on October 1 and 3. Can't wait!

Race Report: Cunningham Classic, 6 August 2016

The Cunningham Classic is regarded as the 'biggest' race on the Queensland road calendar and I believe rightly so. It has been running for nearly thirty-five years and when the race conditions are 'wrong' it can be a brutally hard race.

Forty-five of us rolled out of Gatton in Masters A last Saturday, in very mild conditions; a slight head-wind and nice temperatures. I was looking for conditions to be a little dirtier than that, but it wasn't to be. I was unsure of my form as well. I am feeling very fit at the moment, but I had a planned four day complete break that had finished only eight days earlier. The long-term goal of freshening up had been achieved but a break like that can do funny things to your form.

As it turns out, my legs weren't too bad. I wouldn't say great, but I felt like I could 'ride myself in' as the race progressed. That was a little tricky though, as the first hour of the race was aggressive with a lot of moves trying to get off the front. I tried to stay out of that mess and only put myself into a break on one occasion when a move looked dangerous. That move was caught however and we had a full bunch as we rolled into the slopes and twists before the climb of the day.

This is where the race winning move happened; a break of about five or six with the 'right' combination slipped off the front. I watched it closely and saw it had about a ten or fifteen second gap. I could also see that Matt Ryan and Michael Bettany (both Australian Masters Champions) were still in the bunch, so I watched them with great interest.

A minute or so later, those two riders bolted from the bunch to attempt to get across to the break (they would actually go on to finish first and second respectively). I waited until they had established a small gap and then I attacked on my own. I managed to break free from the bunch and gave it FULL GAS to get across to the two riders.

This move took a significant effort and when I caught Matt and Michael I could understand why. They were absolutely flying... In terms of timing, it all went wrong. I had made contact with them almost at the bottom of the big climb of the day. Full of lactic acid and bad manners, I lost contact with Matt and Michael almost as quickly as I had caught them.

I tried to get over the climb on my own before the bunch caught me but it wasn't to be. The bunch split with about twenty going forwards and ten going backwards. I went over the top of the climb between the two groups and stayed there on my own for the next sixty kilometres. I must admit, I didn't even know that the remains of the bunch was behind me until I reached the finish line in Warwick and saw them trailing by a couple of minutes! Anyway, it gave me a nice sixty kilometre solo training ride.

So a disappointing 33rd place in a race I should have done much better. You know what they say; shit happens. If I had my time over again, I am not sure if I would do much differently; I just didn't have the legs to finish the job on the day.

What's next? State Individual Time Trial and Road Race Titles are both in the next four weeks. I am keen for results!

Race Report: Colliers International Kermesse, 23 July 2016

I am right at the end of a long and hard training block and was supposed to be on a nice little four day rest....but....as this was the biggest event on the Toowoomba racing calendar and in support of a fantastic charity, I thought I should suck it up and pin on a number. The event was a part of the Run Ride Race for Research day, which raised a truckload of money for cancer research. The organizers did a brilliant job with the multi-sport day at the new Toowoomba Airport at Wellcamp. 

There was $1,200 up for first place in each division so fields were always going to be competitive. Add to that, some of the fiercest winds I have raced in for a long time:

Left column is wind speed in km/h and right column is wind gust speed; not for the faint hearted!

I was racing in the Division 2 event (Masters A / Elite B combined) and we had about fifteen starters in the six lap, 50 km race. There is only one way to race in wind like that; in the front and in hard! The race didn't disappoint as the first lap was crazy! Multiple surges and attacks and an extremely hot pace. The main architect of the mayhem was 2014 Australian Masters Criterium champion Matt Ryan, who was extremely aggressive. Within a lap the bunch had blown to pieces with small groups everywhere. A group of five rode away and fortunately I made the front split. Tom Gough from Toowoomba was in there to keep me company. I burnt a few big matches to make that front split and to be honest, I felt like I never quite recovered after that point. 

Matt wasn't content to work with the group of five and starting hitting us again and not long after he took off on his own. A lap later another rider bridged across to him leaving two away and three chasing. Except for a lap where Tom attempted unsuccessfully to bridge across, that was how we stayed until the finish. I was genuinely disappointed and frustrated to be unable to go with the front two riders. 

(Credit Matt Hickey for the photo)

Matt Ryan ended up winning the event and I finished fifth, learning very quickly that you need to be in the front position coming into the sprint finish straight at Wellcamp. 

So in any case, I had a solid ride in awful racing conditions and have to be content with that. As I said, I am at the end of a tough training block and now it is time for a little rest. I have a four day coach-imposed break before getting back into the swing of things.

Next events on the calendar are the Cunningham Classic, postponed State Titles ITT and the State Titles Road Race; wish me luck!

Race Report: Charles Coin Memorial Road Race, 17 July 2016

The Charles Coin is arguably one of the most important races on the Queensland calendar. It is a race I have always enjoyed as the course suits me pretty well.

Funnily enough, this was only the fourth time I have ever done a Masters A road race. I know that sounds incorrect, but I was largely racing Elite A until July 2014, and due to a lot of the things that prevented me from racing at the end of 2014 and for most of 2015, there were not many Masters A road races completed. So to the race... 

Thirty-five or so of us headed off on a windy afternoon in Mulgowie to complete six laps of the eighteen kilometre circuit The first two laps I stayed very quiet, trying to hide as much as possible. A crash on the third lap caused a split. Luckily I was in the right spot by the end of all that mess, but between riders being dropped early, the handful who crashed and the other handful who missed the split, we were down to between twenty and twenty-five riders. 

On the fourth lap, a pretty serious break formed. Tim Hoy from the Gold Coast, Ben Manson from the University Club, another University rider and me, managed to get away and very quickly built up a good lead. The problem with this break was that the three teams with big numbers in this race (Mainline, Tineli p/b Crazy Lemon and QSM) all missed that break. They worked hard and pulled us back about fifteen kilometres later.

In the middle of the fifth lap, I had been staying near the front and keeping both Tim and Ben close. Tim had been very active at this point. About halfway through the lap I thought that the bunch looked very tired, so on a small downhill section when everyone was sitting up, I bolted off the front. I had a fifteen second gap pretty quickly. Tim Hoy came across to me and we worked together absolutely flat out on the difficult end section of that lap. 

Tim and I worked very well together and by the middle of the last lap had over a minute lead. Tim is a current Australian Masters (MMAS4) champion and he was in great form. I was worried about him on the last hill of the race, less than two kilometers from the finish. He hit me very hard on that spot and I couldn't stay with him. We stayed like that to the finish with Tim winning by about ten or fifteen seconds. Ben Manson managed to escape the bunch and finish third on his own, over a minute behind. 

So all in all, a performance and a result I am very pleased with. I have had a long period of time now with no crashes, surgery, injury or anything more than a sniffle and I think the benefits of that consistent time on the bike is starting to show.

(Credit Michael Owen for all the photos)

Race Report: Toowoomba Cycling Club Travel Medicine Alliance 2-Day, 9 & 10 July 2016

The Toowoomba Cycling Club hosted this great two day event a week or so ago. They did a superb job of running it and deserve plenty of kudos for the innovative concept and the slick management. I would also like to thank Travel Medicine Alliance for sponsoring the event. That gesture was much appreciated by all who competed. Around fifteen riders lined up in A grade which was the biggest local field I can remember for a long time. 

Day 1 was a 40 minute + 2 lap criterium at Glenvale on the full circuit. I had good legs and rode aggressively until a winning break finally stuck around halfway when Tom Gough (fresh back from the Australian Junior Championships where he finished eighth in the Individual Time Trial) came across to me. There was a third rider in the break who conceded that the pace was too high and sought permission to sit back and take third. Tom and I gave each other a bit of stick but were left together at the end to sprint it out. I led out hard but Tom came over me and won by about a wheel. 

Day 2 started with a 9.2 km time trial at Bunkers Hill that was basically downhill on the way out and uphill on the way back. I felt pretty good and clocked 13 min 18 sec to come second behind Tom Gough again. The overall classification was calculated on points so I was obviously second overall at this stage. 

Day 2 concluded with a 55 km road race on the Bunker's Hill circuit. Both Tom and I rode aggressively all day but there were still fifteen or so riders left as we approached the final pinch of the day. Tom then hit us with an extremely hard attack and there were only six riders left contesting the finish. The sprint started very (very) early and Michael Curley had positioned himself perfectly as he took the win. Tom followed him in to second and I was third. 

So I ended up second overall after the three stages. I didn't come in to this weekend with fresh legs so I am especially happy with my form. 

(Credit Peter Trezise for all the photos)

Race Reports: Murwullimbah Club Race, Gold Coast Club Criterium, 2 & 3 July 2016

I am on holidays at the moment and keen to race, so spent the night on the Gold Coast so I could do the two days of club racing on offer. It was a great weekend and well worth the trip.

2 July: Murwullimbah Club Race (A Grade) - 4th

It was only a small field of seven riders, but there was some absolute talent in there including the current under 23 Australian Criterium Champion and last year's New Zealand Elite Road Race & Time Trial champion. The 60 km course was flat at first and then undulating. I can't remember a harder 60 km for a long time. The first 20 km felt like a team pursuit ! The race broke up just after halfway and it ended with two in a winning break and I was in the next group of three. As hard as it was, I am very happy with how I rode. 

3 July: Gold Coast Club Race - Nerang Criterium (A / B Grade) - Bunch

I love the Nerang Criterium course, which basically involves climbing up to halfway and then descending down the other side. There were six in A grade and eighteen in B grade, so it was a combined race, with A grade chasing down a one lap gap to B grade. This was really hard work but we managed to close the gap just before half way (the race was 55 minutes + 3 laps). My legs were definitely tired from the day before but I was still riding okay. I must admit that the last lap of the race didn't go to plan. I was in the wrong spot to follow the winning break of three that slipped off the front and then in the bunch sprint I had to take some serious evasive action to avoid having my front wheel taken out from under me. Anyway, it was a great hit-out and I ended up around 8th or so (not sure).

(Credit - Andrea Abbassi for the photos)

So all in all, a great weekend of Gold Coast Club racing. The Toowoomba Cycling Club is holding the Travel Medicine Alliance Stage Race (Criterium, Individual Time Trial, Road Race - over two days) this weekend, which I am very much looking forward to. 

Race Reports: Various (it has been a long spell between blogs!)

Well...it has been a while. Life is crazy-busy as per usual. The good news is (touch wood) I am having a lengthy period without any surgery, injury, crashes or sinus issues. This means I have been able to train hard and race well and to be honest...I feel the best I have on a bike for a long time.

9 April: Tyalgum Cup (Masters A) - DNF

This was a tough day out for me. A hot day on a course with plenty of long climbs and I wasn't confident about my form at all. There were two big climbs on each of the two laps and I was hopeful I would at least make it over the first two. It didn't go to plan and I was dropped on the second long climb. 

30 April: Club Enduro Criterium (A Grade) - 3rd

This was a 90 minutes + 2 lap criterium, which is right up my alley. I tried to ride aggressively when it was warranted and had a few good opportunities off the front. It came down to a sprint and I had one of my better finishes on the Glenvale circuit and ended up 3rd. 

14 May: Murwullimbah Club ITT (A Grade) - 9th

This was a long way to drive for a club time trial, but I really wanted to check out the course, as it is being used later in the year for the State Titles (has been postponed). It was a very competitive field as is standard for Murwullimbah. I didn't have the best of rides and ended up 9th of the fifteen starters. I was in the middle of a big time trial training block and blame that for my heavy legs (excuses, excuses).

15 May: Toowoomba Club ITT (A Grade) - 3rd

What a difference a day makes! I thought I was getting too old for PBs, but managed to produce one by five seconds on the Wyreema course with a 27 min 31 sec effort. I was very (very) happy with this. Averaged a touch over 44 km/h and averaged about fifteen watts more than the day before (go figure).

29 May: Metropolitan Titles Road Race (Masters A) - 12th

This was the most pleased I have been with a road race for a long time. It was on the very difficult Kalbar course, which is not suited to a tall and long and fella like me. Lots of riders were shelled out the back and it ended up in three groups. I finished near the front of what was left of the main group. Very happy with this one. Best I have gone uphill for a long time. A sign of things to come I hope. 

12 June: Gold Coast Club Race (A Grade) - 10th

Another pleasing finish in a high quality field of about twenty-five. Plenty of NRS riders and good Gold Coast riders. I stayed active the whole race and was regularly off the front in breaks. It all finished together but blew up on the last hill about 1 km from the end. 

19 June: Toowoomba Club Handicap (Combined) - Fastest Time

Today was supposed to be the State Titles ITT, which was postponed due to the weather only two days earlier. As a result, it is not a surprise that I had pretty good legs. I rode in the scratch group with three of the Colliers Team riders (Pete Collins, Trent West, Richard McAvoy). We gave it a really good go on the Goat Hill (Goombungee) circuit but didn't manage to close the 17 minute gap. I started out feeling a little rough but came good big time by halfway. It was just me and Westy left by the end and I managed to shake him for fastest time (not sure he tried real hard in the finish!)

So what's next? Still waiting on a rescheduled date for the State Titles ITT.  Charles Coin Memorial is also on in a few weeks. Might sneak down to the Gold Coast for a club race in-between and there is also a Toowoomba Club two day tour in a fortnight. Plenty there to keep my busy. 

Race Report: Crowe Horwath Dalby Triathlon, 6 March 2016

The Dalby Triathlon is a fantastic local event which is well supported by the community and superbly run by a committed committee. It is a day that I always look forward to. 

Open Teams (750 m swim / 20 km bike / 5 km run):

This was a Dalby State High School team of me, Jason Caruso (Deputy Principal) and Charlie Ford (year 12 student). Jason had a smoking swim and gave me a good head start. I was very happy with my bike leg and Charlie finished it off nicely. We won by a good margin. The actual distance of the bike leg was a little shorter than advertised at 18.5 km and I managed a 26 min 43 sec time for this (this was my actual ride time, it was officially 27 min 12 sec with transition added). This was an average of 41.8 km/ h, which I am pleased with, given the technical course (left turn, right turn, u-turn, u-turn, u-turn, u-turn, u-turn, left turn, right turn). There was also a significant headwind on half of the course. 

The thing I am most pleased about though, were my power numbers. It has been a long, long (long) time since I have been able to produce numbers like that. This is hopefully an indication that I am getting close to being where I was before my two shoulder operations this time last year.

My ride also won me the Greg McVeigh Memorial Prize for the fastest bike leg by a local. Greg was a very keen Dalby cyclist who passed away some time ago. I am honoured to have won this prize:

Business House Challenge (300 m swim / 7 km bike / 2 km run):

This event is a lot of fun and is hotly contested each year. This year there were twenty teams entered; all representing local businesses. Dalby State High School had two teams and mine was the same as in the open event, except that Bronwyn Henschell (Sport / Physical Education - Head of Department) did the run instead of Charlie. All team members need to actually work at the business that is entered. Jason again had a great swim and I went full gas on the ride. Bronwyn had a very slick run and we managed to win with a couple of minutes to spare. I must admit that my legs were a little cooked in this one (we only had a thirty minute rest after the end of the open event) so my time was not blistering. For the 7 km I managed a 9 min 54 sec time (again, my actual ride time, it was officially 10 min 19 sec with transition added). 42.5 km/h average on a shorter version of the same technical and windy course. It was a great team effort and the trophy is now proudly on display in the school office:

Junior Event (100 m swim / 2 km bike / 400 m run):

The Junior Event was a big deal for me for two reasons this year. Firstly, because my new coaching business (DRP Coaching) sponsored the event. Secondly, my two little girls, Megan (8) and Hayley (7) were competing in their first ever triathlon. They were two of the youngest in the Under 10 years field and did really well to get through it. Very proud dad!

Credit to Paul Renner from the organizing committee for all the photos on the day.

Race Report: Masters State Track Titles, MMAS 3 (Men 40 - 44 years), 5-6 February 2016

Happy, frustrated, satisfied, dissatisfied, annoyed, motivated...all words I can use to describe the racing just gone. Allow me to explain...

Team Pursuit

We lined up with a different squad to the one that won the elite state title back in November (Rob Walker out and Matthew Sander in). Matthew Locker and Tom Galbraith completed the Bikeline racing line-up. We started on a fairly quick schedule and were looking good, when it all went pear shaped. Matthew Sander had an issue with a wheel that had pulled a little. He washed off some speed coming into a very windy bank and I was caught ever so slightly under his wheel (my stupid fault). This forced me down the track a bit and I ran over one of the pads at the bottom of the bank. These pads are supposed to be to stop you taking a short cut, but they are not supposed to puncture a tyre and crack a Zipp disc wheel, which is exactly what happened. On the aero bars at pace, on the bank of a velodrome, with a punctured rear wheel, is not an experience I would recommend to anyone. I managed to not crash, but the team was in disarray and went on to qualify last of the six teams. This was extremely disappointing. We were a realistic shot at winning that state title.

Time Trial (666 m)

This is an event that is more for the sprinters, but I have reasonable speed endurance over a minute so I was keen to have a crack. I rode 48.8 seconds, beating my time from the Omnium last November by a full second and snagging the bronze medal. I was very happy to get a state medal in an event not really for a slow-twitch enduro like me. 

Individual Pursuit (3000 m)

After a million rain interruptions (yes, a million, I counted them), we finally started the qualifying rounds. I rode a pretty well controlled race in extremely windy conditions (it was a block headwind coming up the home straight into the bank). I qualified against the current state champion and managed to put three seconds into him, in a time of 3 min 50 sec. I was really wanting to get a few seconds under 3 min 50 sec, but in the ugly conditions it was tough, and qualifying in the last round, I knew the time I had to ride to make the final so I was maybe just a touch controlled in the closing stages. I did qualify in second place overall, behind Robbie Reid who rode a 3 min 47 sec. Robbie has won the Australian MMAS 2 pursuit title before and won a silver in the World MMAS 2 points race in 2014. He goes alright!

Regrettably, the rain kicked in big time and the final was postponed. Robbie and I both lived out of town (Robbie had travelled from Gladstone) so the commisaires let our result stand from qualifying without riding off a final on Sunday. So it was a silver medal for me. The rain 'thing' is standard for racing at Chandler and this will hoppefully be the last time it happens as the new indoor velodrome nears completion. I think Robbie and I both had faster rides in us and it would have been nice to have a good crack at it, but it wasn't to be. I will take my silver medal though thanks! 

Scratch Race (10 km)

I was down to race this event, but as it was postponed to the next day, I didn't stay around to race it when it was decided I wouldn't be riding a pursuit final either. 

Bikeline Racing members had a great state titles also, with Rob Walker, Karl Morris, Megan Stevens and Matt Locker all coming away with medals. Thank you also to club member Laura Brazier who gave up her weekend to come down and volunteer by helping with the running of the event and by supporting her club mates - thanks Laura !

So there it is, two individual events and two medals. If you throw my Omnium silver medal from November into the mix it is three medal from three events in MMAS 3 state titles this season. Given that this is my first season back on the track for eighteen years, I have to be pleased with how this all went. I still have some physical deficits in terms of what I need to be successful, but my coach Mark Brady is doing a great job of helping me iron those out. My dodgy left shoulder is also still running at about ten to twenty percent weaker than my right one, and that hasn't helped at all in some of the high load situations you find yourself in on the track (especially standing starts). That situation is improving all the time though and I am hoping it is corrected before long. 

So what now? The calendar is pretty quiet for a while so I will get back into some basic training. The state individual time trial title is not until June but I will have a crack at that. One of my big goals for this year is to get my body ready for track season next year. I will get this arm right, sort out my standing starts and work on my power in the one to five minute ranges. Also looking to have a decent road season as a foundation for next year; something I was sadly lacking this time around. I am very keen to race the track state titles again next year and then the track nationals in Adelaide.

There might also be a state madison title to have a crack at with a willing partner...

Race Report: Rockhampton Cup on Wheels, 8-9 January 2016

Getting back on the track after an eighteen year absence has given me a lot of 'first time for a long times'. One of these is carnival racing and the Rocky Cup on Wheels would be my first track carnival for exactly twenty years. Rockhampton is my hometown so the carnival would give me an opportunity to race on the track I spent hours and hours and hours racing and training on under the watchful eye of Ken Tucker Senior (Reggie) all those years ago. It would also be a great chance to catch up with many old friends. To be honest, seeing mates who I hadn't chatted with for ages was probably the highlight of the weekend. But enough of that sentiment, on with the racing! I was originally in the program as Combined B but there were a handful of late changes with some riders going up and others going down, so I raced the weekend in Combined A. This was an absolute challenge as that grade was full of eighteen year old rockets who were in red hot form. There were thirteen or so of us in Combined A (this number did go up and down over the weekend).

15 Lap Scratch Race: A nice and fast way to start the carnival. Finished in 7th.

5 Lap Handicap Heat: I just followed wheels and made it into the final.

5 Lap Handicap Final: My group didn't make a lot of progress and I finished nowhere. 

50 Lap Scratch Race: This was an extremely fast and aggressive race. Only five finished and I was in there for 5th. Very happy.

3 Lap Handicap: My group didn't make a lot of progress and I finished nowhere. 

Elimination: Very frustrated with this. Was positioned well but a moment's inattention had me out in 7th.

Rocky Cup on Wheels 5 lap Handicap Heat: Had a good race after being forced to lead out and came 2nd (with $$ !).

Rocky Cup on Wheels 5 lap Handicap Final: Had a good dig at it but ran out of distance and finished nowhere.

6 Lap Keirin: The men's divisions were cut from top to bottom into groups of six and I ended up in Division 3. I finished 3rd, which I was happy with, given that I was almost put onto the grass at 200m to go (with $$ !).  

24 Lap Points Race: My best race of the carnival. It was supposed to be fifty laps but it was almost midnight so it was reduced. It was a very aggressive race and I ended up in a two man break with a young guy from Townsville. We were eventually caught but I had another attack (unsuccessful) with two laps to go. Ended up 4th (don't worry about the official result on the CQ website - that just shows where we crossed the line in the last sprint). Very happy with this ride and given how my legs felt I wish we had the fifty laps. 

So there you have it, a great carnival after a twenty year absence. An awesome weekend overall and I am very grateful for all the Rockhampton friends who came out to support me.

From a 'big picture' perspective, this weekend does give me some confidence that my return to track racing is on track (pun intended). It has still been less than three months since I got back on the fixed wheel and I am hoping that this weekend just gone is a sign of good results to come. I think my coach Mark Brady is all over this!

Me and Rockhampton rising star Bailey Goltz: