Lake Tekapo MTB race 2010

After wanting to get a few longer rides under my belt over the winter time the 2010 Lake Tekapo MTB race was going to be a good one to enter with a long 90km distance around the lake. On Sunday morning I was up at 4.15am to be ready for the boss Brad Williams, to pick me up and take me to my longest race I have done so far. I was feeling pretty excited about this race but the closer we got to the race the more white the surroundings became-SNOW!!!!! Once we got out of the car and got layered up in gear it was time to hit the start line in the sub-tropical conditions. I was going quite well doing some good work with the second leading bunch I was with concentrating on nurtition/eating while the snow came in but it was the river crossings that really got the body feeling the cold! After the 2 hour mark on the way back my hands and fingers started to freeze up making gear changing a mission on its on so a fair bit of single speeding went on! Unfortunantely while my eating was good up to the 2 hour mark I was not drinking enough due to the conditions and I ended up finishing the race solo after the legs were shot and I had slipped away from the bunch I was with. After just under 3 and a half hours I came across the line frozen, winning my class and about 15th overall. Big thanks to the Pearson family (Fiona) for taking me back to their unit to warm up with a nice hot shower, Matt Bailey (Cycleways/sponsor) and for the nice booties he lent me which are highly recommended as I found out and to Brad Williams for looking after me!