In Summary

Enjoy.


Last hit out on home soil, Winter series state XC race at officer, with a ride out via the Dandies, lots of hills in anticipation of whats to come. Look who is lerking in the back ground, our Olympic XC representative, D' Mac, lining up ready to give us all a kicking.

The Lifelounge project finished off just in the nick of time.

All the gear organized.

Bags & Bike boxes packed.

Even made it to the airport on time(thanks Dave) & thanks to Air New Zealand for not stinging us too hard with 150kg of luggage we had between us, only $60 excess charge :)


Arrived with a cycling welcome in Calgory airport.

Pulling into Beautiful Canmore just on sun set, mind you this is 9.30pm.

Jac & I head out to spin the legs out after a long flight in search of the Nordic Centre, where all the action will take place.
Checking out the sights on the way.

We found it.

This course is set in the back ground of both these shots, above & bellow

After moving into the BMC house, is was time for Jason, Joel & myself to go & check out the course.
Lots of rocks,
Lots of roots,
Lots of hills with some sweet single track thrown in for good measure, pitty we have to go up this section.
Oh yeh, did i mention the roots.


So the next day, it was time to activate the climbing legs & what better way to do it, than chasing Mountain Goats.


Billy Goats Accepted
The climb Rewarded with a great shot of this guy & a stunning view back down the valley.



Not to mention the fun we had on the way down, thanks to the local lads the place is littered with awesome trails & fun structures like this one.

Gotta stay hydrated, doesn't get any fresher, GOLD.
Did I mention great trails with breath taking views, just checking.


This train was veeeerrryyy long.


Saw some wild life.

Funny looking Deer with extra large ears.


A bit more technical training, climbing a steep rocky creek bed.


Some relaxation with just 36hrs to go.

Live to ride, Ride to live,

Troy

Hard Not to Ride

Firstly must apologize for the lack of content, I am experiencing some technical difficulties with down loading photos, not wanting to bore you with words as this place is so beautiful & pictures tell a thousand of them.
I will get some really nice stuff to you real soon, I promise!
I also have so many people I need to thank, so a tribute entry will be coming your way real soon too.

Here's a bit of pre race gos to tied you over,

Had a great Aussie team dinner tonight, catching up & meeting the whole crew.

I am feeling quietly confident even though it is a very tough course with ALLOT of climbing, I know I have done the work, (could never have done to many hills for this course) oh well just need to freshen up now & stop riding the awesome trails this area has on offer.

My pit crew will play a key role with Jac taking care of all my nutritional needs, aching muscles & all of the many duties associated with keeping my body running efficiently for the full 24hrs in some of the toughest terrain I have encounted.

I am exited to announce that my ex team mate Simon Wright will be arriving here on Thursday, adding some great race experience to my pit crew, Simon & I have done allot endurance racing together with great success, Simon will play a crucial role on keeping a close eye on my competition as the race unfolds, he will basically be my eyes & ears of race technicalities, not mention keeping my bikes in good running order, making sure lights are all good etc etc..... & keeping me motivated in tough times.


Be sure to check back soon.

PS. Jac passes on her best wishes & wants you all to know she's having a great time.

Live to ride, Ride to live,

Troy

We have arrived

We have arrived safe & well, here in beautiful down down Canmore, Jason , Joel & myself headed out to check the 24hr worlds course tonight for a twilight & night lap, as you would expect for a world champs course, it's a toughy but a goody!
We are all settling in well to the BMC house.
So much to tell, share & show, will elaborate on all of the above & more as soon as I catch up on some sleep.

Live to ride, ride to live,

Troy

Down to the wire

I'm sitting here @ the airport on the pay Internet, whilst Jac is in the queue waiting to check our bags in, will get a post to you as soon as we arrive, as i have many people to thank for the fact that I am able to jump on the plane in less than 2 hrs.

Not forgeting we are going to one of the most picturesque places in the world :)

Live to ride, ride to live,

Troy

NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS

Will get you all updated ASAP, one thing I will say is that it's all coming together.

For all the latest check back soon .

Live to ride, Ride to live,

Troy

Training with 3 weeks to go.

The first question I've been asked of late by(family, friends & riding buddies alike),
Has been, how's your training going?

Plain & simple, the last 2 weeks have shown me that all the long hard yards of training over the past months, are really starting to pay off, this weekend was another confirmation of this.

John Claxton & I just about to head off for hell ride.

Sticking to the road this weekend to concentrate on leg speed & bringing my fitness up another notch, starting out early on Saturday morning with the hell ride(one of the quickest bunch rides in Melbourne) getting a quick 120km by 9am, doing my fair share of work off the front early, on the flats & climbs to get the heart rate(HR) up, then hung around up the top 10 of the bunch whilst the pace hotted up on the way home, keeping the HR up with good leg speed gains.


Sunday was to be a little different with even better gains, a moto pace session with John down to Sorento & back, 200km at an average speed of 39.8km per hr & my average HR spot on what I was chasing, 80% of my max, very happy with that.


So to answer your question in plain & simple terms, I am very happy with my training & the way my form is coming up at this stage.

With thanks for your interest.

Live to ride, Ride to live.

Troy

PS. I have some good news related to Canada, will elaborate further when I have a spare moment.

PPS. Less than two weeks before hopping on the plane, the LifeLounge project we have been working on for the last couple of months will be ready for them to move in before my bum is in the seat, just in the nick of time.

Coming along nicely.

LAZER Helmets come on board

It is with great pleasure that i can announce, LAZER helmets have come on board to support the BMC Aussie Contingency heading over for the worlds, of Jason English(Aus Solo 24hr Champ), Joel Donney(World U25 Soio World Champ) & Myself .



Check out the LAZER web site for there great range of stylish helmets.

Dirtriders Winter Series XC Race

With a very good turn out for a winter series XC race, Dirtriders course out at put on yet another AwesomeBeaconsfield, never leave disappointed, it's got some of the best fast, flowing & technical single track going round.

The race for me on Sunday was all about having a good hit out of intensity,

That's exactly what i got, with the legs feeling pretty good on the steep pinchy climbs, with the climbs certainly helping me get the heart rate up along with some very competitive racing.

You can see by my facial expressions, there was no holding back.

Head down over the finish line in 3rd place Overall for the day, even though the result was not important, it's always nice to finish on the podium.

I rolled around for 20mins so I wouldn't cool down too much whilst waiting for presentation, then it was time to mount up the trusty BMC Road racer for the 3.5hr solo journey home, climbing up over the Dandies in some very blustery conditions to say the least.

All in very happy with the day of training, close to 8hrs in the saddle with some good intensity, climbing & endurance all in there.

Had a good 2hr ride this eave to roll the legs out, they actually felt pretty good thanks to Leisl at PULSE for the very beneficial massage in my lunch break.

Chow for now.

Live to ride, Ride to live,

Troy

You Yangs 3 stage Mtb Race Report

With the time trial up first, basically consisting of an all out 6 minute effort, starting with a hill climb which went well & ending with a fast switchback descent, ending being appropriate as seen by this sequence of pics, with the heart rate right up, getting a little exited hitting this corner with a tad too much speed,
In all honesty, I took my eye off the corner for a split second to glance at the photographer who got these shots, just like a footy player taking his eye off the ball, you pay & we live & learn.


Washing the front out resulting in a commando roll through the corner, what style & grace.


Suppose I better go back & get my bike, still managing 10th overall in the time trial, with no points awarded for my ballet moves.


The line up for the start of the XC race.


What a hoot it was, with some really pinchy climbs, rewarded with,

Fast &
Fun descents, bringing me back to my old motocross days.


Then finishing off the racing for the day with an all out effort of 15mins + 1 lap(approx 1min) in the crit.
Yet again, thanks Stephen for the pics.

So plenty of intensity to be had, which is exactly what the doctor ordered at this stage of my training to help bring the form up! Not forgetting the extras between races & 2hrs after, totaling 6.5hrs for the day, Intensity mixed in with Endurance, Perfect at this stage of the game.

Even though the results are not important in these races for me, i managed to finish 6th overall for the day, you can check them out here.

With the volume of training hrs backed off last week, as the trend goes when peaking for an event, adding more intensity, therefore more recovery time needed between efforts to gain the full benefit, more on this a little later.

Recovered from my mid week threshold session, with a couple of 2-3hr easy roll outs, another great day of racing was had at Beaconsfield upper today, picking up 3rd place in A grade, results here.
With another solid day in the saddle for me riding out & back over the Dandinongs in some very blustery conditions, totaling 7 + hrs, as I mustn't drop the endurance element out completely.

Full report on today's activities to follow.

Thanks for dropping by.

Live to ride, Ride to live.

Troy

Rest Assured

My Apologies for no detailed report from the weekend & lack of content this week,
Rest assured I have been absolutely flat out training, working & organizing logistics for Canada, 3 weeks till we head off, it's going to go down to the wire to fit everything in, Confident It will all come together, always does!

Will give you the run down of what I've been up to Sooon!!!!

Live to ride, Ride to live,

Troy

You Yangs 3 stage Mtb Race

Whilst Melbourne was getting rained on, the sun shone on the You Yangs for what was a great day of racing had by all, the new format of a time trial, XC race & crit was well received & made for some no holes bared, flat out racing.

With me continuing to cut laps between races & couple of extra hrs after everyone went home, totaling 6.5hrs in the saddle with some solid threshold efforts thrown in for good measure on the climbs during the races, lets not forget some of the funnest, berm railing, gap jumping descents going round.

Full report to follow with pics for your viewing pleasure.

Live to ride, ride to live.

Troy

The week that was

Its time to start mixing in some intensity with the strength & volume training I have been doing,
To kick things off, last Saturday I competed in my first open road race out at Creswick near Ballarat, this race in renowned to be very tough, It certainly didn't disappoint, 130km of true rough surface, undulating country road with some very exposed cross wind sections.

Even with the upgrade of my road bike with these super fast Zipp 404 test wheels from the shop, my day was to be a shocker, with all the volume & strength work I have been putting into my legs of late & with the pace of this race being up in the high 40s in these conditions, my legs simply didn't want to play.

Drop in to see Andy at KaosCustomBikes to test ride these wheels, you'll be surprised just how fast these wheels really are!


So it was time to head home for a nice hot Epsom salt/radox bath to try & get the knots out of my legs in time for Eastlink race the following day, this is a good trick to ease sore & tired legs, especially if timing doesn't allow a massage.



With the legs feeling a bit better, I managed to stay on the lead bunch for the Eastlink race, as mentioned previously in brief, was a shambles of a race, fast never the less.

Sending 500 racers off at once with no grades bunches, using just one side of the freeway, then putting 4ft high traffic bollards in the middle of the road as a divider for us to go up one side & back on the other, with 20 000 recreational riders on the other side, after we turned.

Just imagine for a second 500 riders starting 4 lanes wide, then about 2 km up the road with the bunch getting up to speeds of 50+km per hr, bollards start appearing every 50m in the middle of the road trying to funnel us into 1 & half lanes, with no rider briefing telling us so, just one guy in the lead car yelling at us waving his arms.

There was a crash in very close proximity to AJ & I, taking down about 50 riders due to a rider hitting a bollard with reports of a few others as well, hope these guys are ok as we were doing close to 50km per hr at the time.

There are many words to describe, Shambles, Joke, Debacle, Ludicrous, Chaos.............. the list goes on.


Tuesday night Kaos crew

To a more positive note & run down of the week,

• Monday 1hr Recovery ride & massage, at PULSE to help get the legs back.
• Tuesday night with the Kaos crew 2hrs,
• Wednesday with the Fatties on the Yarra trails 3hrs, cut a little short due to a crash, deciding ice to the left knee would be more beneficial than the extra hr on the bike.
• Thursday a very blustery, cold & rainy 4hrs.
• Friday recovery & massage.
• Saturday an easy paced 3hrs in more cold wet & windy conditions in order to save some legs for tomorrow.
• Sunday/tomorrow 3 stage Race in the You Yangs, check back soon for the race report.
• With a big week of kms planned for next week.
  

Not forgetting a busy week at work, with the Lifelounge project going from this,

To this!

Thanks for stopping by,

Live to ride, Ride to live,

Troy

Busy Busy cont.......

As any good athlete will tell you!

Recovery,
is just as important as all the hard work you put in, if you are benefit from it that is,
therefor with another long, very busy day on site, straight into a pretty solid 2hr training session, a good stretch for close to an hour, cook up some good food, not to mention the thought of 3-4hrs session on the yarra trails with the fatties tomorrow night, backed up with 4hrs on thurs, a few more hours on Sat, with a 3 stage race on Sunday at the You Yangs.

Is it any wonder why this little black duck needs to go to bed!

Rest assured I will get some material you can sink your teeth into soon!

Last & far from least, a Big HAPPY BIRTHDAY goes out to my Sister Jo xo

Live to ride, Ride to live,

Troy

Busy Busy

Must apologize for the lack of content this week, one thing i can assure you of, it's been nothing short of flat out all week & weekend.

On a quick note to those who survived the opening of the Eastlink road race today, Congrates to you all, as I feel like a very lucky man to have, I chose to ware my KaosCustomBikes kit as it matches my road bike colour scheme, certainly fitting, as the race by coincidence was complete & utter CHAOS.

I'll fill you in on all the gory details ASAP as I'm a tad tired right now & have an early start to keep things rolling on site, pardon the pun.

Live to Ride, Ride to live,

Troy

THE LONG WEEKEND

That it certainly was,

With 6hrs, 180kms & 2200m vertical on Saturday, Starting with the hell ride, from Black rock to Mt Eliza, then off to Arthur's seat & Red Hill, dropping 2hrs off my plan as I had to get back to work to give one of Carpenters a hand.

Given my line of work, thought this shot was some what fitting,

As I left work behind me on Sunday for a DATE WITH DONNA, yep that's her in the back ground.


Up we go,


Where's Jack? Oh there he is, nice one mate & thanks for the Company,


All 9hrs, 220kms & 4370 vertical metres of it, with 1200m in one hit over just 17km, nice!



And what a cracker it was, to jag Donna at this time of year as clear as this, GOLD!

Yep that's the Dandies in the background, from which we have come & where we are headed.


Today to top off a great weekend of Training, not content with Recovery just yet, I headed out with John, Jason & Co for a lap of King lake & Yarra Glen, not a bad lap I must say with another 5hrs, 150kms & 1816m of climbing under the belt, mind you with the legs feeling like concrete & riding with a pair of Mountain Goats (over my left shoulder in this Pic, "whilst I get another protein bar down") they were certainly some hard yards, thanks guys.



All in all very happy with the weekend, definitely feeling like some very positive strength & endurance deposits made,
Totaling 20hrs, 550km & 8386m Vertical of climbing.

Might have to lay off the concrete for a couple of days & gear up for next weekend.

So be sure to pop back soon to see what's in store.

PS. As promised, I have posted a couple of pics in the Race report below.

Thanks for dropping by,

Live to ride, Ride to live,

Troy

Mid week update

As I'm in the office this morning, before heading back to site thought I'd slip a quick entry in.

A fairly easy week this week, with a massage & day off the bike Monday, A very special mention needed, goes out to Leisl at PULSE, without this little lady there is no way I could be putting my body through the riggers I do without her magic fingers & treatment, especially to my lower back of late, thank you so much Leisl, you are a true Gem.

Back to training, a nice 2hr recovery roll with the Kaos crew last night, 2-3 hrs on the Yarra trails tonight, hopefully with the fatties, if I make it in time as a busy day on site awaits, another 2hr easy roll Tomorrow, Day off the bike Friday in preparation for a long weekend where most people have a break!

Me, I'm planning on 24hrs on the bike spread over the 3 days.

Be sure to check back soon for some pics & see how I fair over the LONG weekend.

Live to ride, Ride to live,

Troy

Mission Acomplished

7 weeks to go,




As mentioned in my last entry, I am right in the middle of a Strength/Endurance faze of my training, so going hard today was definitely on the agenda.

So with a nice warm up ride of 1hr 20 on the road bike & limits set on the heart rate monitor, it was time for 6hrs of fast & flowing single track at Listerfield with 400 of my closest friends.


For the first time in I cant remember how long, I got through the whole race mishap free, kept the heart in the required zone & as the title reads it was mission accomplished, oh ye picking up 2nd place in the process behind Adrian Jackson who is coming off a very strong win at the Bull Rider Stage Race held in Alice Springs last week, so well done to AJ, he is certainly in blistering form, check results here.

Almost forgetting a nice recovery ride home as the sun was setting to round up almost 9hrs in the saddle.

Pics as promised, thanks Stephen.

To add a bit of colour, I will post some pics as soon as I can get my hands on them.
So be sure to pop back soon for a bit of viewing pleasure.

Live to ride, Ride to live,

Troy