RACE REPORT: MERIDA HIDDEN VALE 24HR (2023)
Do you have a voice inside you head that whispers to you of unspoken dreams and ambitions that are too big to speak aloud? I do.
It’s a voice that has quietly, persistently murmured to me about riding a distance of 300km in a 24-hour mountain bike race. A goal so big that it seemed unattainable, and yet the voice in my head wouldn’t be silenced. Ever so slowly, that voice grew louder and more insistent until I finally acknowledged it to my coach as a “one day” goal.
Not in my wildest dreams did I think that last weekend would be my day.
Dylan & I arrived at Hidden Vale on Friday afternoon to set up camp and ride a reccie lap of the 18km course together. After heavy rain earlier in the week, we were both impressed with the condition of the track and enjoyed the descents that followed each of the climbs. With almost 300 vertical metres per lap, there were plenty of climbs! Based on my 2022 result, we expected each lap to take me about 1:45:00 and knew that “slow and steady” was key to achieving this consistently. I tried to ride my reccie lap at race pace, but it was hard to ride that slow!
After a restless night, we woke to a cool & cloudy Saturday morning – perfect conditions for a bike race. I fought my nervous desire to be busy and instead forced myself to lounge in our new (very luxurious) camping chairs for as long as possible. Pit lane was soon bustling, however, and then the 24-minute kids’ race was quickly underway. I love this race and enjoy cheering on kids of all ages, from the older racers out to get as many laps in as possible, to teeny tots on balance bikes relishing both the crowd’s attention and their well-deserved chocolate Easter bunny prizes.
And then it was my turn. Unintentionally finding myself near the front of the pack on the start line, I calmly watched most of the field ride past me as I deliberately kept my heart rate low along the dirt road to the first of the trails. Once we reached singletrack things became more hectic, however, with 4-hour and team riders jostling for position on crowded trails, but I mostly kept to my race plan and only fell prey to ego for one attempted sprint into pit lane. After the first lap things settled down and I felt good: I kept to the plan of riding steadily up the hills and racing down them. I felt fast on the descents – but I also know that ‘fast’ is a relative concept!
As the afternoon turned into evening, Dylan warned me that my lap times were significantly quicker than expected and suggested I slow down. I was confident that I was riding within my capabilities, however, so I kept fuelling and kept riding at the same consistent pace. Out on the trails, I enjoyed the company of possums, bandicoots, kangaroos, a rufous bettong, and two phascogales through the night. There are benefits to riding in a wildlife refuge! Returning to pit lane each lap, I was boosted by multiple calls of “Go Emma!” as I made my way to Dylan and then back out again. I also got to enjoy riding with Corinne Dolan, one of the roving medics on course, and together we timed the sunrise lap perfectly: hitting the top of Plane Sailing with the plane wreck lit up by party lights and then riding eastward as golden sunlight emerged from behind the horizon.
At this point of the race, my sleep-deprived mental calculations hinted that maybe, just maybe, 300km was an achievable target. I hardly dared to voice this out loud but, buoyed by the encouragement I was receiving from other riders and their pit crews, I told Dylan I wanted to give it my best shot. I set off determinedly but pushed too hard and felt slight waves of nausea rolling over me: I settled back into a pace I could maintain comfortably and accepted that anything faster would likely be my undoing. The concept of time transforms during a 24-hour race and once the sun is up it feels like I’m nearly done – but with 6 hours still to go, things can unravel pretty quickly. So I stuck to my plan and counted down the laps as the clock counted down the time to midday.
As I set off again just before 11am, I knew this would be last lap. My body had held up remarkably well, but it was tired now. My wrists and lower back were especially feeling the pounding they had received from the rocky course and complained loudly now the end was close. I slowed down and focussed on riding my last lap cleanly and safely. Up the ramp to the bridge one last time, and I was home: Dylan was waiting at the finish line, and Element Photo and Video Productions captured my finish line smiles.
In 24 hours and 31 minutes, I had ridden just over 300km and climbed approximately 4850 metres: a result that placed me as first female and 15th overall. I was, quite simply, ecstatic.
The encouragement I received by so many different people during this race was incredible: from riders, spectators and support crews both on the trail and in pit lane, and I was both moved by it and grateful for it. Several 4-hour riders stopped by to wish me luck on Saturday, and others checked in with Dylan while I was out riding. Keith Louie and Craig Walker both helped Dylan throughout the weekend, in between looking after their own riders, which was also much appreciated by us both. Friends sent Dylan messages of support and the crew from Trek Northlakes travelled down to support Dylan and I after they finished work on Saturday.
Wow.
Mountain bikers really are some of the best people, aren’t they?