Sertoes Rally... After day 5 of 10!!!

Hi everyone, just a quick mid-race update. All going well, i managed to stay on the bike for the first half of the rally :-) Tomorrow we have a 682km day. I am slowly moving up in the standing, currently 8th in my category and 34th overall on a 450cc production bike. Great to see people coming up to say thanks from the bicycles they (schools received - one school per day during the route of the rally. Off to sleep for a 5am start tomorrow. CBV

Baja 1000... Thinking about it

In May 2005, out of nowhere I started thinking about racing in the Dakar Rally. Guess what now? I am thinking about racing the Baja 1000 (1600 kms). But not as you think. Most team have 3-4 riders and only a handful of riders have attempted the race alone.

Guess what? this is what I am thinking. Going for 1,600 kms straight, on my own, to be completed within 33 hours!

Next week I am off to race the Sertoes Rally in Brasil, I am not ready physically like I was for the 2007 Dakar, but I used to think during the race that I was out there for 1,000 kms per day. In Brasil, I will think Baja 1000 (miles per day). I am thinking about it... and the more I think ;-)

Sleeping in... water

Ok ok ok... I haven't been very good at posting my training routine. Here are a few things that have happened over the last 2 months:
- moved house (pretty much on my own), this must count for iron lifting!
- currently doing a weird sort of training, which involves commuting 500kms per day 4 day per week to go to work (managing fatigue and dealing with attention levels, in Australia we call that... don't hit the Kangaroo
- working out in the car!
- looking for Dakar sponsors
- making a living to feed the dog
- and last but not least, going for a 2-day trip in a canoe camping in the bush

The last bit was supposed to be fun and a good exercise, and it turned out to be of one these Dakar day when things go from bad to worse. Early in the evening, the rain came, and the tent started dripping water inside. Drips turned into little streams running down the waterproof bottom. Streams turned into little pond... then a few hours later, with pounding rain, I was sleeping in a completely "sponged wet" sleeping bag, wet clothes, feeling water going down my back. In the morning I had 5 cm of water everywhere and pretty stiff articulations.

Now this is what you MUST NOT DO 2 weeks prior a major race, that is weaken your body by getting sick. I managed to weaken the body but I think I have fought away the cold.

In the morning, under the rain and fairly cold weather, still completely wet, I paddled my way back to human land wearing a trash bag around my neck to keep warm, guessing where the land on the other side was!