Sharky's Blog: 'Wet in Warwick'

Saturating wet start and commitment

For those of you comfortably tucked up in bed last Saturday morning at six am you definitely had the right idea. It was a different story for the 37 riders and ten road crew that turned up for the two-day training camp in preparation for this year’s Bottlemart Smiddy Challenge (3-10 September). The whole of south east Queensland was blanketed in a deluge that began on Friday evening and continued through to Saturday night. Impressively all riders fronted up to ride early Saturday, not one rider took the soft option of saying; "Nah it is too wet, cold and dangerous." And on all counts they would be right and no-one would begrudge them for choosing that path. But that is where Smiddy riders are different. Each year we are fortunate enough to attract a group of special individuals where quitting, or taking the easy way out is not an option. My heart swells with pride when I see the sacrifices that these guys and girls make; their selflessness and dedication to help Smiling for Smiddy realise our dream of helping those affected by that dreaded C word- Cancer.

The long haul to morning tea

So with 213 long, wet and extremely hilly kilometres in front of them the riders left the University of Queensland campus at 6am in rainy conditions and got colder and colder as the long drawn out day continued, right up until five pm when we arrived at our destination in Warwick. Our first refreshment stop for morning tea was not until 95 kilometres. Due to the bad conditions, a multitude of punctures, the never ending hills and trepidation within the group that first section was a long and laborious four and a half hours of cycling. In that time we had 15 punctures, one minor fall and two nature stops. I cannot tell you how glad those 37 riders were to see the friendly faces of the amazing road crew and the plentiful supply of yummy snacks they had prepared for us. We were well behind schedule so Captain Kev blew the five minute whistle early and it was time to get back on our bikes and into the wet.

Sharky's pep talk

Prior to leaving our morning tea stop it was pointed out to the group that at our current pace we would not get into Warwick until 7pm, which would have been two hours behind schedule. To finish in darkness is never a pleasant proposal, but to finish in darkness when having been soaking wet for 13 hours is not something any of us wanted. I asked the group to put their trepidation aside, to still ride the hills at ease, but ride the flats and the downhill’s quicker. The great thing was that everyone responded positively, even the riders that were struggling. They thought of the group and elected to put themselves in the van for a short duration. You could feel the momentum lifting and with that momentum the spirits of the riders as well. That stretch from morning tea to lunch, the group rode like the champions that I knew was in them, and that is what Smiddy riders do; they listen, don't take offence, think of the group as a whole and get on with the job. I could not have been prouder.

The tortuous climb up Queen Mary Falls

To get to our lunch at 146 kilometres we had to earn it! What stood in the way was the mother of all climbs; at four kilometres in length with an average gradient of 16 to 18 percent. Most climbs in the Tour de France don't go much steeper than 12%, which will give you an indication of its gruelling nature. On top of that the riders already had 142 kilometres in their legs and were wet and tired. I gave the riders another pep talk at the bottom to gee them up; something like- "get up this no matter what, whether you have to ride, walk or crawl, never give up, you can do it, you are the greatest." The funny thing about this was they all pushed off and I got in the support car! I definitely got a well deserved ribbing for it for the rest of the day, but in my defence I had just returned from Europe after a couple of tough triathlons and a mammoth 50 hours to get home and was suffering from jet lag. Slackness on my behalf aside I am pleased to say that all made the climb, cycling or walking, but definitely no-one crawled. King and Queen of the mountain went to mountain goats Rob Boyd and Lucie Richards. Actually Lucie was so strong that she was the second rider overall to crest the top and into the arms of our road crew.

Lunch and the cold and the second climb!

The problem over that whole day was once you stopped riding, within two minutes, you were shivering cold. For the faster riders up the climb they were a shivering mess, for the slower riders they unfortunately got a shorter lunch break but stayed warmer as the lunch break of 40 minutes was reduced to combat the cold and to get us back on schedule. The great thing was due to the riders lifting from morning tea to lunch we were now a chance of getting in before dark. So after a short break for lunch we bid farewell to our road crew and had in front of us a seven-kilometre descent before once again going up the second climb of the day up to Carr's Lookout at 1061 metres altitude. This one measured 2.8 kilometres and for 1500 metres was back to a 16% gradient. On a full stomach and tired cold legs all the riders traversed this climb -without throwing up I might add- to regroup, at what is normally one of the most majestic views ever to be seen in this neck of the woods, but in this instance all that could be seen was fog and the tumbling rain.

The wet 14 kilometre descent into Killarney

From Carr's we had the joy of descending 14 kilometres of wet roads down into Killarney. Extreme caution was the directive of the day but still some fun could be had on the safer straight sections. All got down safely, over the slippery cattle grids and into Killarney without incident. A quick afternoon tea stop was dished out here before the final 34 kilometre slog into Warwick.

The tail wind sent from the gods

On the final stretch into Warwick we were treated to two small miracles, one- we had our first tailwind of the day after 180 kilometres of head winds. And two- at one stage, just ten kilometres out of Warwick, the rain actually stopped. Although it started again just ten minutes from Warwick it was still a monumental moment that did not go unnoticed by the group. With the Horse and Jockey -our refuge for the night- within sight, all the riders starting to whoop and yell for joy. The extreme pleasure at arriving at our destination and spot on time at five pm and 213kms down started some worthy celebrations. We were all high fives, handshakes and hugs of joy. We formed the Smiddy huddle with riders, road crew and the few loved ones that had tagged along and the energy within the group was contagious. The cheers and shouts within that huddle were long and hard, such was the joy of finishing one of the toughest Smiddy training days on record.

Celebrations

That night, after a hot shower -for the lucky ones who hit them first- we all assembled in the restaurant at the Horse and Jockey and were treated to a great meal. The proprietors, Jo and Gary, have looked after the Smiddy group for years with discounted accommodation, food, and this year, a donation of $1000! We are most appreciative of their continued support. The night’s festivities wrapped up by 8:30pm and not long after most of us were falling asleep and thinking, "How would the body respond to another 200 plus kilometre day tomorrow?"

Statistics for day one:

Distance: 213km

Vertical Metres: 2327m

Max Elevation: 1061m

Avg Spd: 23.8k/hr

Time on Saddle: 9h 3min

Total Time: 11h 3min

Avg Temp: 11deg

Lowest Temp: 7deg (Top of second section of climb

Day two and the gods are no longer angry

It was a welcome sight to open the door and peer out into the night’s sky and spot a few stars. These first signs were warming to the heart at the prospect of a dry day ahead. The Horse and Jockey also helped warm our bellies as they always go out of their way to treat the riders to a hot breakfast. Considering they normally do Sunday breakfast from 7am it is wonderful what Jo and Gary do for us in getting up at 4am to prepare breakfast for 47 hungry riders and road crew to devour at 5am! Again it is appreciated and we always leave them with a rousing cheer as they wave us off.

To morning tea, the crash and police support

The roll out from Warwick is on good roads and slightly downhill for the first hour of riding. The pace was on right from the start as we were keen to make some good distance while conditions were favourable. The pace was perhaps a little too quick for some weary riders after yesterday’s effort but we soon got that under control. Ahead of a planned nature break at Allora on 29kms we approached a set of railway lines, still damp and slippery from the rain and on a slight angle to the road; a definite recipe for danger to any cyclist. Half the peloton got over safely and then the big fella, Brendan Foster, decided he wanted some deck time! Not happy with his own company on the ground he also asked Peter Sergeant to join him. It shook both of them up but all were okay to continue after a short stint in the van to ensure no lingering problems surfaced.

The rain held at bay and Warwick police escorted us all the way to our morning tea stop at 67 kilometres. By now the sun was just managing to peek out from beneath the low clouds and it truly looked like we would not be getting wet for the rest of this weekend. The support from all the different police regions was surprising and well received. Warwick police have always supported our events, but to secure a police escort through four districts, right up until we left Grandchester at 130 kilometres was most pleasing. This action by the police is always much appreciated by the team as there is something about flashing police lights that make you feel so safe on a bike!

The mother of all descents and getting to lunch

From morning tea we had an immediate and enjoyable descent of some 20 kilometres. We pushed off with the call to go at your own pace and to regroup at the bottom. The roads were close to dry and the lads, and a couple of the girls, were chomping at the bit for some downhill fun. Everyone got down safe and the grins and chatter at the bottom reflected that all riders would have welcomed that descent to last all the way back into Brisbane! Lunch was at 145 kilometres and after that descent the hills started again and kept on coming right up until we hit Rosewood for a well deserved lunch break.

The never ending punctures and an afternoon tea to die for!

From Rosewood it was a further 43 kilometres to our afternoon tea stop at Brookwater, where Jimmy from the Thai Emperor hosted the riders. Into the break it was either up or down and a few of the riders were feeling the pinch of what it takes, not just physically, but mentally, to cycle back-to-back days of 200 kilometres. By now the puncture count for the past two days was at 40+ and we had run out of tubes and were borrowing spare wheels from the riders that we doing van time. Anthony Khoo was the puncture king with five and counting! That afternoon tea stop was like a full on dinner. Jimmy went all out and supplied a Thai feast of chicken satay, rice dishes, curries, spring rolls, curry puffs and it just kept on coming! We all rode off with full tummies and quite a few of us were reminded of that great feed each and every time a burp presented itself!

The final slog home

32 kilometres was all that remained of what, for all involved, will be a memory that will remain with us for a very long time. It truly was an epic weekend of riding and each and every one of the riders who participated now has an understanding of what it takes to do eight of these days in a row. It is something not to be taken lightly and they know that if they come into the September event not fit that they will suffer like a dog with no hind legs. With six weeks remaining time is on their side to still get those kilometres into their legs. The final run into the finish at the UQ went without incident. The huddle at the finish was huge with loved ones joining in. Like road crew member Shane Craig said, "The ride is always a success when we get everyone home safely and in one piece." I could not agree more with those sentiments. Please see below for our thank you list to some pretty important people.

Day two statistics:

Distance: 220km

Vertical Metres: 1755m

Max Elevation: 581m

Avg Spd: 27.3m

Time on Saddle: 8h 6min

Total Time: 10h 36min

Avg Temp: 17.9deg

Lowest Temp: 9deg (about 1 hour into the return leg)

Thank you to our amazing road crew, who also suffered themselves standing around in the cold, wet conditions on day one, always waiting patiently for us to turn up to each break. To our drivers who kept us safe from the front and the rear, to our caterers who kept our tummies full, to our photographer Wybrand who took over 2000 photos, and to all of you guys who pitched in and helped throughout those two very long and hard days.

Cathy Conway
Richard Watson
Christine Richeux
Peta Rounsefell
Kevin Enchelmaier
John Cleeton
Lisa McFadyen
Shane Craig
Karen Williams
Wybrand De-Toit
Ken and Lesley Gordon

Special rider mentions:

All Smiddy riders are special but a few I would like to acknowledge here.

Natalie Gordon: Had her third baby in May yet rode the majority of both days.

Tim Limmer: Bike accident ten weeks ago left him with no bike and no training for that period, yet still completed both days in their entirety!

Sue Stevenson: At 60 years of age but looking 50, Sue is our oldest ever female participant. Sue managed 300 kilometres over the two days, an amazing effort!

Wayne Smith: The big bloke with the huge heart struggled on day one but smashed day two. A force to be reckoned with come September.

The Parkinson Family: Andrew, Elizabeth, Kathryn and Aaron; all part of the one family and all proved this weekend they have what it takes to get this amazing family to the finish at Townsville.

The CYC'D Boys: Brad, Damien, Gavin and ring in Jason, for their team effort to protect their captain Kent Beasley and then making sure he got some van time for a supposed puncture. These lads deserve huge congratulations for their fundraising efforts to date with a combined $35,000 raised between them!

Peter Lavery: Completed the weekend knowing that his father Glen begins his own battle fighting cancer when treatment begins this week.

Lucie Richards: For just loving the bike so much that she smiled the entire weekend. Not even the wet on Saturday could dampen her spirits. OK maybe a little…

Lastly I would like to acknowledge all the riders who helped out throughout the weekend, lending a hand to push tired riders, words of encouragement and just for being so positive, which in essence is all of you!

Take care; train hard and I will see you in four weeks for training day number three.

Sharky