Failure is a just another term for "I'm not finished yet".

Failure on the Mountain

Well my Everesting days are finished for the time being (never say never). I tried and didn’t succeed. It was a case of “a hill too far”. Feeling pretty gutted today. 2 attempts, 2 x DNF’s. This is not an easy gig. Gives me even more respect for those who have attained such lofty heights (pun intended).

I got in almost 3000m and felt sick as a dog, asthma kicked in and I never recovered from there. The cold mountain air does nothing for my asthma and once that happened I quickly tired and lost any sense of completing this quest. It’s hard enough to try something like this when you can breathe, let alone when you can’t! Try climbing a 20% hill breathing through a straw and you’ll understand what people with asthma go through. But still, I’m not putting that forward as an excuse, there are none – I just wasn’t up to the task.

The first few laps were hard but not insurmountable and I felt that despite the effort, I could do it. However as my breathing got worse, so did the exponential increase in difficulty, particularly the first 200m of the segment which are pretty horrendous no matter how good a cyclist you may be.

So today I got to work and found it hard to focus on anything except my disappointment. That was until my brother in Sydney, who’s always been opposed to such a boring and repetitious activity (and could never understand my obsession with Everesting) told me I should try Bobbin Head West, a far, far easier climb (2.9k’s, 5%, 165m), with amenities at the bottom of the climb, set in a truly magnificent area. He even decided he might ride support or do an Everesting as well.

Now my brother rides with the “A” groups in Sydney, won the Mont 24hr Team Championship a couple years back, and is (in my opinion anyway) a superbly fit athlete. So having him along on my continued journey was a bit of a watershed moment. So maybe I’m not washed up after all. Motivation started seeping back into my brain.

For now though I’m going to put this Everesting business to bed, and “let sleeping dogs lie” for a while. Cycling for me has always been about just “being”, enjoying the scenery, the hills, the effort, new discoveries and the solitude. So I need to rediscover that before I can move forward again.

Thanks for reading this epic tale over the last few months. All the best to find your own “Everest”.

Jeff

Time to Summit #2 (attempt)

E-Day Approaches.

Well, finally, my hand has been forced and my Everesting will happen Monday/Tuesday next week. I got a job offer back home in Brisbane earlier in the week, which I've accepted, meaning I have no choice really but to do it - a case of now or never.

The Hill

It's been a long 6 months since my first failed attempt, and I've seen many friends do multiple Everests in that time. I don't want to fail this time around. I know I need far more miles in my legs, better endurance, better "lots of things", but that will have to wait. I've just got to put my head down and just keep going and going. The lure of "Up" is just to strong to wait any longer.

I bought a new 12-30T cassette for the bike on Wednesday and I'll trial this tomorrow when I return home to Brissie. I need some lower gearing for the climb ahead. It's bloody steep and pretty unforgiving. There are thankfully plenty of places to stop and get my breath back on the way up.

Since I'm now in "get everything done before I leave" mode I'll only have Monday and Tuesday to make this happen. My Everesting will start about 5pm on Monday afternoon, and (hopefully) be completed sometime in the following afternoon. Riding through the night will be an experience, but the road should at least be quiet during that period allowing me to use all the road and avoid the steep camber coming up the climb. I just hope that rabid mongrel dog (that tried to eat me a few weeks back) is chained up. That's one dog that needs to be put down (and I'm a dog lover...).

A few weeks back I did an all day ride on a local climb (Clear Mtn) to test myself a little (and maybe Everest) and see how it'd go. It turned out pretty disastrous as that climb involved two very steep (+20%) climbs that after the 8th repeat proved just too tiring to ride up without putting a foot down. My endurance, despite not putting in many miles these days was pretty good, I felt fine - I just didn't have the horsepower to get over the climbs. So after 3150m I decided this wasn't the ideal place and my original "hill" was to be "the one". Besides that, it was well over 30 degrees Celsius on the day and stupidly humid. Yep, so I "caved" and decided to lick my wounds and gear up for the final push on November 2nd. A "make or break" scenario really. 

I've even decided not to book any accommodation Monday night to ensure I have nowhere to go other than that "hill". This way I can't back down and wimp out. There will be no contingency plan.

Beginning in November will also allow me to get the Strava Challenge done for the month, something that hasn't occurred for awhile.

I'm looking forward to being back in Brisbane though. It means I can go back to commuting by bike everyday, and also get my old morning mountain bike rides in too. Win-win all round really.

Bring on Monday afternoon.

Almost Time - Counting Down

This Everesting business has taken up so much of my thoughts from the last failed attempt in June. I don't think an hour has gone past that it hasn't crossed my mind. Yes, I want it that badly. I've layed awake at night thinking of the past attempt and why I should've just kept going back then and ignored the world.

It's proving to myself I can do this.

The second thought was that I'm not going to succumb to pressure this time, nor guilt (from being away from a family sitting at home waiting for me to come back) nor the elements. Having no support crew will be the toughest part once again....

A third thought it that "is this possible on so very few kilometres per week?". No longer do I have the luxury of multiple rides of varying distances every week, nor do I get the extra long rides in on the weekends, preferring to spend that precious time with my kids and wife. I know how hard the climb is (350m in 4k's with 1k of that being flatland), where the worst parts are (everywhere!), and where I can spin and get my breathing under control.

And a final thought. The road is dangerous and very narrow, full of hairpins and blind corners, not to mention a dog that wants to rip my legs off every time it sees me. How will this pan out in the middle of the night, and then how will I go when the traffic starts coming up the road in the morning?

When things get hard and harder

I might actually bring up my Niner hardtail up to start off during the night as this will be safer in the dark on the very rough descent, climbs pretty well, isn't too heavy, and I can smash down the descent easily and in much greater control. I'll save the roadie for later when the sun comes up, and won't then have to worry about taking off lights etc.

No time to worry about that stuff now! Too late for worrying, time for action. I know the hill (it's stupidly steep), I know the length (pretty much 216k's), I know the downhill component (108k's) and I know this is going to hurt like nothing else!

It's going to be a very long day, and I have to remember to just be patient, enjoy the ride, the scenery and to just take my time and conserve my energy (no use smashing out the first couple repeats only to collapse after 5 or so is there?). And finally, don't stop till I reach the required number of laps and elevation! 

I'm going to watch this youtube speech before I start and maybe then record it to play over and over when things get crazy...

Eric Thomas (it’s long but absolutely worth listening to over and over).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFGWnqNf6t0

Everesting checklist

I've put together a list of everything I can think of to get me across the line on this second attempt. have I missed anything?

I brought my MTB up last week and while the climb was easier, it was much to slow - although it may still be an option at the end when I'm completely shattered.

Think Light!

1. Bike clothing - bibs, jersey, socks, jumper
2. Heart rate monitor
3. Bike x 2
4. Helmet
5. Shoes
6. Sunglasses
7. Pump
8. Gels
9. Hydration (10 x drinks) + water
10. Food - sandwiches/banana's etc
11. 3 x battery packs – test these don’t reset the Garmin’s
12. 2 x Garmin bike computers

Marginal gains I've thought about which are worth thinking about as I ride.

1. Bike – keep everything off that’s not necessary. Take bare minimum tools if at all
2. Water bottles and food at car – drink and eat there and on the way back down
3. The start of the climb and the second pinch are the hardest – take these slow and easy – keep HR low – don’t start off hard and fast or you’ll run out of puff after the first few repeats
4. When possible (probably in the dark) keep to the high side of the road for easier pedaling as the road slopes downhill in the “S” bends (the inside line is much steeper and an energy waster)
5. At the top of the first pinch, take it slow and recover (road flattens). No need for speed. Get your HR down and breath back
6. The second pinch is tough. May have to stand near the top – take it slow and keep HR as low as possible
7. Up to the top of Flagstone – grind it out as easy as you can maintaining low HR. The “S” bends are steep – go steady and just push (seated). Don’t waste energy standing up
8. Rowbotham pinch – gets difficult half way up. Steady as she goes – may have to stand the final 30m or so
9. Exit roundabout and start the trip down
10. The Rowbotham/Flagstone intersection is dangerous. Stop completely and check the opposing mirror for oncoming cars from the right
11. The descent is rough, narrow and can be potentially dangerous. Take it slow and just cruise down – don’t be in a hurry to start the next repeat. Just get down the climb without face planting the bitumen! 
12. Wind will also be a factor. 
13. Be careful, look out and listen for cars both behind and oncoming. The road is narrow.

Anything I've missed here??

Getting Closer

Interesting times ahead.

I've decided to try and Everest a very tough, but very short climb for my next adventure. Managing a very limited amount of riding these days due to work commitments, and where I work away from home, it's increasingly difficult to think of doing an Everest involving a significant distance. Thus I've decided to "bite the bullet" and try a very tough but more (I think) manageable Everest. The climb itself scales 350m in just over 4k's, and the all up distance will be around 220k's. That's roughly 25 repeats of one very brutal climb! 

The "Everesting Calculator" says it's only 20 repeats and 386m's, but I'd dispute this one. My Garmin yesterday showed only a 350m gain including a full up and down to the start.

This week I brought the Lapierre up. Probably not a good thing as it has a 27t on the rear, not really small enough for a climb involving some extremely tough ramps. In hindsight my TCR which is both lighter, and has a 28t on the rear would have been a better idea.

I'm also going to experiment with my mountain bike, a Giant Anthem on the climb next week. It has both a triple chain ring, and significantly, an extra small gear (I purchased a long time ago). The descent of the climb is quite rough and patchworked, and with traffic it's not a really good place to be.

So, a mountain bike with dual suspension may work out. Guess we'll see how that pans out. It weighs in at 11.7kg's, so while not light by road bike standards, it may actually work out to be a better choice over the day's journey. Like I said, it's all experimentation at present to find the best way to make this dream a reality.

Yesterday afternoon, after work, I did two repeats, meaning I climbed 700m in (just over) 17.5 kilometres. That's a pretty significant elevation gain in my books! Despite the wrong bike, I felt OK doing just those 2 repeats, trying to find the "marginal gains" that will help on the day, the best part of the road, where the hardest parts will be etc.

The lower 1.4k's is just brutal and will be the hardest to get up after the first 5 repeats. It's very tough, with a really steep initial section for the first 100m, before flattening off, and then kicking once more. After that there's another very steep ramp, and once over that, it's just a slow hard slog to the top of the climb. I don't think anyone could call it "fun" :-)

So it's all going to happen soon. Just logistics to work out including days off work etc. I'll do this ride on my own, up here in Toowoomba while everyone is at work. Starting in the middle of the night will give me a good chance of some easier riding without traffic making it's way up the climb, and also involve (I hope) some cool and calm weather. 

I'm actually full of nervous energy, and this ride won't happen for about 2 weeks yet!

Stay tuned. I'm hoping this ride will be the one that's gets me that grey jersey which I've been coverting for months now since my first failed attempt. If anything I'm a stubborn bastard and I hate failing! So this time, with a full day on my own, without interruption, I'm hoping I can do it finally.

Remember - stay upright! Until next time.

The Loop

The Southbrook Loop Ride

After being sick for weeks now with a bad sinus infection I finally went to the doctor yesterday and got some antibiotics. Deciding that they should work whether or not I do some exercise I decided to go out riding anyway, and head out towards Southbrook and do the loop I created some time ago in Strava. I knew I'd be fatigued and tired from being sick, but I thought I'd be OK since it was only 70k or so.

That was a big mistake in my thinking! It turned into a really hard ride, with an average heart rate of 153, but I’d imagine once I put it into Strava it’ll show as “Epic” as my HR alarm spent a fair bit of time beeping cause I’d hit the upper limit and I couldn't get it down despite slowing and "relaxing". 

How it panned out

Things started out ok but by the half way mark I was dead with fatigue (no doubt from being sick for weeks). Figured rather than go back the way I’d come (which had some pretty decent hills thanks to the "heavy" bitumen) I’d keep going in the hope that there’d be no more of them. After swinging south from Southbrook I then had to negotiate 20k’s+ of badly corrugated dirt roads with hills! That slowed things up considerably, spending half the time going back and forth across the road avoiding potholes, water and corrugations, and by the time I hit bitumen again I was shattered and had nothing left in the tank. Crawled home at a snail’s pace totally dead with fatigue. The "wall" never looked so big when you're an hour or so away from your bed! It was a tough ride back and it was a case of just turning the pedals and ignoring the constant thoughts of stopping and walking.

Cobbled Classics bike

The Pulsium more than earned it’s stripes last night. Despite the terrible road it was still smooth, quiet, and pretty fuss free. I was hoping against hope I wouldn’t get a puncture! And I woke up this morning without a sore backside too! I couldn't imagine taking my TCR down that road. Those wavy forks certainly do suck up the worst the road has to offer. Seems every time I ride that bike it reaffirms my decision to buy it instead of an Emonda or Domane.

On the bright side, the countryside was gorgeous. Never seen it in the half-light before since I do almost all my riding in the middle of the night, and it was really great. Amazing what you miss in the dark. I did have some rabid cattle dog come at me too, but I yelled at the mongrel and the owners came out and called it back (thank God! It was foaming at the mouth!). 

Joys of cycling…

Stay right side up and stay safe.

Step Ladder to a Grey Jersey

An "Everest" (and that bloody grey jersey I want so badly!) is still at the foremost of my mind, despite the distinct lack of riding I've been able to do while based up here in Toowoomba.  

It's certainly going to be a difficult adventure and, as usual, done on the least amount of riding and training. I have no choice as this is "life as we know it Jim" and "it is what it is". I don't have the luxury anymore of riding every morning etc. On the weekends I prefer to spend my time with my wife and kids as I don't see them for days at a time and I value that family time more than riding. I'll still try and get out when I can, but with football, house and garden duties, cleaning etc it all adds up time wise.

So my main objective is to try and get in quality over quantity rides while I'm up here during the week, and definitely no junk miles. Every ride has to have a purpose and an outcome of some sort, be it climbing repeats, or a distance ride to some out of the way place in the middle of the night.

This week, my objective was to do hill repeats up to 3000m (1 ride) in elevation (or roughly 120k's) on the hill I intend to Everest. I see this as a stepping stone to my future endeavours and it'd be a good indicator of how I'm going, and where I'm at physically. 

I got halfway into it when my Garmin decided it'd had enough and let me know it was out of charge. Bummer. It's an older unit and I had (mistakenly) thought would have lasted the distance (pun intended). It was almost fully charged (I thought!) so I was a bit peeved when I got the warning message after only 1500m, or about 65k's into my ride. It has always lasted far longer (6hrs at a minimum) so it was definitely an unwelcome surprise.

Never mind thought I, I'll just swap over to my phone and finish the ride that way using the Strava app! Of course Murphy's Law prevailed and it too said it was out of power. At this stage there were several expletives uttered and I decided that was the end of that for the night. Not happy at all.

I hadn't brought up any spare battery packs this week as I hadn't thought I'd need them. Lesson learnt once more - have a backup plan for every issue that could crop up.

So, the plan for the rest of August is to ensure I get a 3000m climb in, followed next month by a 5000m climb and then the following month, the Full Monty.

I felt really good the entire ride, and spent most of it working on finding a good and easy pace in which to do the full ride in the future. So I varied things from reasonable to slow (I don't have a "fast" at all).

I'll upload the garmin data shortly as I don't have access here in Toowoomba.