First and foremost, I still can’t believe I’ve raced at a World Championship! WEMBO has been a dream since 2019, and I’ve spent most of this year steadily working towards it.
Training was going well (not perfectly, but well) until a month beforehand, when Dylan & I took turns in getting sick. Frustrated, I backed my training off, took double-dose multivitamins & finally started to feel better. I started training again, crammed in some last-minute intensity sessions, and then felt worse. “Control the controllables,” I reminded myself and rested as much as I could. Dylan kept checking whether racing was a good idea, while I ignored his questions and focussed on trying to keep my building nerves in check.
Fortunately I recovered in time to race, but was worried about how my just-recovered body would hold up. I wasn’t sure I’d recovered enough to finish the race, but I wasn’t giving up the opportunity to start! I was excited, but also very, very nervous. Far more nervous than I’ve felt at any other race. I thought I was hiding it well – but when I told him that, Dylan laughed out loud, so maybe my nerves did show after all. Once the pre-race formalites were over & the starter’s gun fired, however, I breathed out, smiled, & settled into “race mode”. It felt good to be out on course! WEMBO banners fluttered, spectators cheered, music blared, cowbells rang out and the TAS cheer squads made everyone smile: this race was something special and I made sure to take it all in.
Always strong, Michelle Woods set a cracking pace from the beginning and after some early tussles with Anne-Marie Kehres, I settled into second place (in our age category). Torn between keeping pace and playing the long game, I opted for the latter. I knew I had to ride my own race but also hoped to close the gap to Michelle as the race progressed. I had a blast, watching the elites & super-strong masters storming up the hills and flying down the descents. I was in awe of Cory Wallace’s speed through the poplars (& elsewhere), of Kate Kellet’s determination, of Chelsey Magness’s composure in the face of mechanicals, and of Jason English ‘s cheerful banter at pace. I also enjoyed seeing the other riders whose journeys I’ve followed out there smashing their own goals, and I especially enjoyed riding with Johnny O Leary , exchanging banter with Geoff Moon , seeing Ronel Cook challenge the Elite women, watching Michelle Newstead ride with grit and grace, sharing in Rebecca Stone ‘s final 24hr, and observing Michelle Woods’ strong performance throughout.
I felt like I was riding well, I was in a good headspace & at some point during the dark hours I started to close the gap on Michelle. There was a long way to go and anything could still happen. Encouraged, I pushed harder. Then something did happen – and not something I either wanted or had foreseen. A sharp, hot, pain shot through my right knee. Ouch! Then another. And another. Then it extended from my knee into my Achilles. This was not part of the plan!! Slightly panicked, I worked out a plan B. Can’t put power through the pedals? Spin an easy gear. Walk up Hamburger Hill. Just keep moving. Can’t land a jump without another stap of pain? Roll them. The gap to first widened and the gap to Fiona Mathews in third narrowed. My spirits faltered. “Control the controllables,” I reminded myself, “Do what you can do, and you CAN do your best.”
My best wasn’t good enough to hold off Fiona, who passed me at the start of my 19th lap, but it was good enough to hold onto third place. Knowing this, I stopped after approximately 23.5 hours, riding 278km and 5065vm of elevation. I’d wanted and intended to complete 20 laps but on my 19th lap I decided not to risk my knee further, simply to fulfill my own personal goal. It was the sensible decision – but it’s also eaten away at me since.
My post-race recovery has given me time to reflect on this. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved, especially after being sick and with the knee/Achilles issues I experienced during the race. But I’m nonetheless disappointed that I didn’t meet my own personal goal of 20 laps. My decision to stop after 19 laps was the sensible and safe one, I’m convinced of that, but it’s also made me hungry for more: to keep training, keep learning and keep improving. I’m excited to see what this means for 2024, but I’m also very happy to have some downtime first!
My heartfelt thanks to Dylan Rhymer for everything he did before, during and after this race. This was definitely not a solo effort! Huge thanks also go to Jason Cheshire and Rach Cheshire of Infinit Nutrition Australia for their ongoing support. As always, Infinit formed the foundation of my 24hr fuelling strategy with 14 bottles (grape, salted caramel & mocha flavours) consumed over my 19 laps. And, finally, a massive thank you to Dylan Cooper and Ride Technics for continuing to build my skills and confidence on the bike. With 22,800 corners ridden during my race (1,200 per lap, so I’m told) those cornering sessions paid off!