PREPARING FOR THE THREE PEAKS CHALLENGE FALLS CREEK WEEK 12 to WEEK 9

T-12 Weeks to Peaks Challenge Falls Creek

I’m currently reflecting on 2016, and about what 2017 is going to bring me. One thing I have committed to, is the Three Peaks Challenge, this time with two functioning hamstrings. I’m committing to journalling about the experience as I hope that it will make me a better journalist/writer when I graduate university at the end of the year.

(Liz’s 2024 notes: I was half way through a Grad Dip Arts, started because my injured leg was making it difficult to practice exercise science)

T-11 Weeks to Peaks Challenge Falls Creek

On a long ride with a coaching client this week, I was commenting about how every ride contained a newsworthy story. Indeed, that particular ride contained some unforgettable elements of adventure for both of us. Today’s ride provided another unforgettable story which involved some steep climbs, a pile of dirt, and an over reliance of the Apple Maps application. 

Training for an event like Three Peaks requires the participant to become a proficient, strong climber. This is not my natural state of being as a cyclist, which is probably why I choose to aim for the events that stretch me to the limit. Luckily I have the guidance of Liz, who is one of the best climbers in the business, and knows exactly how to get me ready for the task. When she mentioned riding up the Toowoomba range via Flagstaff Creek road with friends, Anne and Nicky, I jumped at the chance. Secretly I was a rather apprehensive about the climb, however compared with what was ahead, it was a relative non issue. 

We set off from the small town of Helidon, winding our way towards Toowoomba, along the Helidon Spa Road. The road surface was dead and unforgiving, which mimics the roads in Alpine Victoria rather nicely. Still feeling apprehensive about the climb ahead, I decided to give thanks for the opportunity to improve my resilience in challenging conditions. The climb itself, whilst challenging, also included a few flatter bits where I caught my breath before attempting the next steeper part. We reached the top of the range and surveyed the spectacular view from Picnic Point, refilled our water bottles, before turning around and rewarding ourselves with a quick, winding descent off the range.

Riding towards Gatton we were greeted with a stiff headwind and we all took turns at doing some tempo work on the front. I was delighted when after a good hard turn, I could drift back and enjoy the draft the other girls provided. I always joke that this is equivalent to “checking into the Hilton” – you have those the front providing “room service” and making the stay at the back of the peloton an enjoyable experience! Once in Gatton, via a quick detour to Ma Ma Creek, we enjoyed the country hospitality of a local coffee shop where meat pies, milkshakes, and scones with jam and cream were the order of the day, accompanied by plenty of coffee.

At the coffee shop, we pored over Apple maps , trying to determine the best way of riding from Gatton back to Helidon. Unfortunately it was at this moment, I decided to lead everyone astray, choosing a route that on “Maps” seemed to be quite direct – after all, how hard could it be to hit it out to Helidon on a road that mostly ran parallel to the highway? We set off, buoyed by the prospect of having to ride only twenty kilometres before our work was done for the day. I was puzzled, however that the app was stating that it would take us well over an hour to ride. I decided to rationalise that oddity down to the app developer having no clue about what legendary (and speedy) riders we really were. 

It started well, as we dipped under the highway and found the route, running alongside the highway, just as the app had predicted. Our direction meant that we were enjoying a crisp tailwind and I began to feel a slight sense of smugness – not only were we flying down the road, it also felt like a we were riding slightly downhill – what a lovely treat after the first eighty kilometres being so hard! 

We rounded a corner and started up the slight dogleg away from the highway as the app had predicted. Suddenly we were faced with two choices – “dirt road” or “no through road”.

“We have to ride the dirt,” I stated. “It shouldn’t last too long, I hope,” I offered, beginning to feel like Gandalf on his quest through the Mines of Moria. 

Whilst I have ridden on gravel roads before, they’ve usually only lasted a few hundred metres and have been relatively smooth. Things started off reasonably flat, but soon we were on undulating terrain and that’s when things started becoming a tad hairy. Both Anne and I had followed Nicky through a bit of really soft sand and our senses of balance had started looking perilous. Both of us remained calm and kept our bikes upright, preparing ourselves for the next climb. The other girls had moved ahead when suddenly Anne stopped and uttered a few choice words – not fit for writer’s consumption. We were at the top of a gravelly steep descent and both of us looked at each other with horror. How the heck were we going to get down this sandy monster of a descent? By this stage, we had ridden too far to turn back. With trepidation I made my way down the hill, trying to keep my weight steadily over my bottom bracket to control the fishtailing my rear wheel was starting to indulge in. After about ten seconds, which felt like a lifetime, I had made it to the bottom. I was quickly followed by Anne and as we traversed the other side of the hill, all we could do is look at each other and shake our heads in amazement that we were both still alive. We caught up to Liz and Nicky who were waiting for us and we all agreed that riding dirt descents on road bikes was just a tad terrifying. We checked the app for the hundredth time – surely this wasn’t the route? 

However, after more dirt, a bitumen reprieve and yet more dirt, we arrived back in Helidon – dusty, exhausted and yet, strangely triumphant. These epic adventures epitomise the magic of riding a bike. They create long lasting bonds and friendships like nothing else can. I am certain we will remember our “dirty” Boxing Day riding adventure for many years to come. 

T-10 WEEKS TO PEAKS CHALLENGE FALLS CREEK

This week it feels like I am racing towards the 12th March and I am very happy to report that our week of high mileage, aka, “riding like a pro” was possibly the best week of training that I have achieved in a very long time. I managed to complete 550km, which is probably a weekly distance record for me. 

After our epic dirt adventures in Helidon, the mid week challenge was a trip up to Mt Nebo and Mt Glorious on tired legs and in super steamy conditions. Again, it was a ride where I marvelled at how one’s state of mind affects performance and as our “awesome foursome” trundled out toward the base of Nebo, I was wondering whether I had the intestinal fortitude to complete such a ride. However, after some thought and rather than focusing on feeling fatigued, I focused on aiming for a sub threshold effort with my power meter. Personally I have found a power meter to be a great investment in learning how to pace myself better on hills. My task was to hit it out relatively hard to McAfee’s Lookout, to take the remaining hills to Nebo at a conservative clip. Then the goal was to push the effort up towards Mt Glorious. By the time I had reached the Malala cafe, I had forgotten that I was tired, rather I was feeling great about what I had achieved. The descent proved to be a ton of fun, with plenty of screaming down the hills with the other girls and trying to beat each other up the other side. We were having so much fun that I barely noticed my aching muscles. However, the last thirty kilometres, done solo, were challenging as it seemed no matter where I rode, I was greeted with a rather warm headwind.

To celebrate the arrival of the New Year, we decided that a road trip to Maleny was in order. It seemed a tad strange to be riding at 4am, watching all of the NYE revellers trudge home. However it proved to be an excellent decision on ride organiser, Liz’s behalf, as temperatures began to soar with the arrival of daylight. Expecting to be tired, my energy levels surprised me. I managed to achieve a second best time riding up Mt Mee and even chased super climber Nicky up a hill at Samford – that there was a decent downhill prior to the rise was most helpful! We stopped in Woodford where we ate, drank and generally refreshed ourselves and then it was onto the Peachester range. The girls did a spectacular job rolling turns at the front and I enjoyed my stay in “the Hilton” when I could. Finally we reached the top of the range and suddenly we could see the signpost directing us towards Maleny. 

I had been warned by Anne that there was a 1km long super steep climb to get us up to the Hinterland. Filled with trepidation about what I was to encounter, I made my way to the base of the climb. There was a familiar looking road sign, “caution: steep climb ahead”. I willed myself not to look at the gradient and went for it. Yes, it was every bit as nasty as I had imagined it would be, but I was so pleased to have mustered the strength to conquer it. Naturally, once I was at the top of the hill, I had mentally begun to tell myself that this was it. Despite being warned, I was not prepared for the thirty kilometres of rolling hills that followed! Again, the power of the mind is a strange thing because I am sure that by allowing myself to get into a slightly negative frame of mind about these rolling hills was doing me no favours. I decided to grit my teeth, ensure that I was drinking plenty of fluid and electrolytes, and keep on. At this stage I have to thank Anne, who quietly encouraged me to keep at it and when I was starting to fade, dragged my sorry arse over a few hills. 

Finally, we reached the right hand turn towards Landsborough and were rewarded with a screamer of a descent down the mountain. I am afraid I was going too fast to enjoy the spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean, however, the nature of five kilometres or so of downhill made the climbing agony worth it! Once in Landsborough, it was time to quickly smash some food before catching the train back to Brisbane. I think after that ride you could have fed me anything and I wouldn’t have cared, I was THAT tired and hungry. I’ve never seen a group of women polish off bacon and eggs so quickly either! All four of us were rather delighted to catch the train back home as well. Though we were feeling pretty stiff when we arrived at our respective stations!

To sum up, it was a week of training where the right attitude and the right fuelling were the keys to success – not to mention good company! I commented to Peter (dietitian) that it was nice to be just tired after an epic day on the bike, rather than tired and hungry. It seems quite strange to be eating so much, especially on the bike, and in a world where a “careful” mentality is the norm where it comes to food. Again, it’s another clear case of choosing to change my mind (somewhat nervously) about food. My skinfolds are dropping and I generally have good energy. Winning in life and on the bike!

T MINUS 9 WEEKS TO PEAKS CHALLENGE FALLS CREEK

This week, my Three Peaks countdown moved into single digits. I concentrated on putting my foot forward, one pedal stroke at a time. After doing a record 23 hours on the bike the previous week, how well I would recover was a relative unknown. However, I’m pleased to report that I seemed to adapt well to the added load. The front end of the week, consisted of recovery riding and mid week saw the return of some undulating terrain, with a ride out to picturesque Brookfield. Things got a little more serious with some Coot-tha back repeats on Thursday. Thursday’s session was hard work and I put my head down, determined to get the job done. I focused on pushing hard. It hurt like crazy, my legs and heart feeling like they’d explode, yet,it was weirdly exhilarating at the same time to be throwing caution to the wind and giving it my all! It was a real thrill when I noticed that I had recorded my fifth best time up the hill – my last “personal bests” were in 2013! Perhaps the old duck has a bit of quack left in her yet! 

Friday saw me catching up with my friend Deb, who I shared a room with for my first Three Peaks Challenge in 2015. We shared some wonderful memories on that first trip and we have built up a great friendship that started with us underestimating the gradient of Tawonga Gap! Saturday? Washed out due to rain.

However, this gave me more time to think about the ride that was planned for Sunday. This ride involved heading to Canungra and riding up the back of Beechmont, onto Binna Burra, back down to Lower Beechmont and towards Nerang and then back to Canungra. Just to make sure I was going to get the requisite amount of kilometres and elevation in, I decided that a side trip to O’Reilly’s was also in order. To be frank, I was feeling a little bit daunted by the prospect of the Beechmont climb. I had remembered descending down it during my first Three Peaks preparation thinking, “it’s so steep, I’d hate to climb up this way!” In my mind, the gradient had become steep to the extreme and I wondered how I was going to cope. Luckily, as part of the “Awesome Foursome”, I had company to distract me from the impending task ahead! I’m pleased to say that I triumphed and at the summit of the climb we were rewarded with the most spectacular views over the Gold Coast Hinterland. Training fuel consumed, it was off to tackle Binna Burra, which has a bit of a steep pinch at the end. The rainforest canopy that closed in above us, cooling us down, was breathtaking, and it seemed that we were admiring the view from the teahouse in a matter of minutes. 

The descent towards Lower Beechmont provided some laughs, undulating terrain, and some candid pictures of us frolicking in the daisies. The descent towards Nerang was perfect, long sweeping corners, accompanied by the stunning backdrop of Surfers Paradise and the sea in the foreground as we rode. The girls decided to go for gold on the climb back up the hill. I had suddenly remembered my impending jaunt to O’Reilly’s and decided that I should go a little easier. Nicky, who is one of the best climbers in the business, swung back to accompany me up the final part of the climb, breathlessly suggesting that Liz, who is also one of the best in the business, had smashed her up the mountain. Finally, at my pace, we regrouped, and we commented that it was pleasant to be back to “civilised climbing”. I think I nearly fell off my bike snorting with laughter as by that stage I felt like I was suffering just a tad! Nevertheless, despite my “complaining”, I think they’re amazing women, schooling girls half their age in what it takes to rock a good gradient. 

After a smashing descent down the back of Beechmont which was definitely worth the climb for, we found ourselves back in Canungra, hoovering eggs on toast and milkshakes at one of the local cafes. My additional jaunt to O’Reilly’s was beginning to lose its appeal. I excused myself from what had been a delightful breakfast and looked for the sign that read “O’Reilly’s Plateau – 35km”. Immediately I found myself on a bumpy, unforgiving road. I had not even traversed two kilometres when the thought of turning back and rejoining the girls at the cafe started to feel like just the right thing to do! I thought of the road between Dinner Plain and Omeo on the Three Peaks course and how similar it was to this one. I was going to need all of the mental grit I could summon to get through it. With every steep descent, I winced, knowing that I was going to have to climb the gradient on the way home. Reaching the base of the mountain, I negotiated a couple of cattle grids and then started to wind my way up. Unfortunately the road is quite exposed and I was getting very hot. I sipped water from my bottle, wondering where I could stop for a refill, as inevitably in the heat, I was going to run dry. 

The actual climb reminded me of the poem, “Up-Hill”, by Christina Rossetti:

“Does the road wind up-hill all the way?
Yes, to the very end.
Will the day’s journey take the whole long day?
From morn to night, my friend”.

Twenty kilometres had passed and the water situation wasn’t looking good. Lots of drivers were passing me probably thinking, “annoying cyclist”, whilst I was puffing out my chest and thinking, “intrepid adventurer”! I managed to stop a very friendly milkman, who advised me that the Alpaca farm was “around the corner” and that I could source water there. I was sorely disappointed to find that the Alpaca farm had closed for the holidays and I thought to myself, “I’ll Alpaca more water next time!” (I’m always up for a good “Dad” joke). In the meantime, I had entered the rainforest canopy and it was beautifully cool, so I thought I’d explore a few final kilometres before turning towards home and calling it a day. Once back in Canungra, I rewarded myself with another vanilla milkshake and a fruit bun as per Peter’s (dietitian) recommendation. It was great to feel just tired, rather than hungry and tired. I had done it – 150km and nearly 3000m elevation! With each climb that I achieve, my confidence continues to grow so that I’m believing I’ll be able to complete the ride within the cut off period of 13 hours. This week brings the focus back to long endurance and I’m looking forward to reporting back next week on that!