lisa morgan

Back to where it all started.  Yesterday was Karapoti Classsic version 6 for me and despite knowing I wasn't pushing for a PB or podium I was stoked to stand at the start with my feet in the (surprisingly warm) river waiting for the countdown, by the end of which I knew half of us would be half way across the river already - it's tradition!

Two goals for me this year - have fun and, given this was my first lap of the 'poti on the Felt 6 Ltd, clean the rock garden on a hardtail.  Being Karapoti and the rock garden, I was confident of both, but not certain.

Still working my way back to full fitness, but feeling better every week, I settled in to a steady rhythm for the whole 50km.  I missed out due to injury in 2009 and around half way up the Deadwood climb I suddenly realised just how much I'd missed it.  This is where I got the bug to really push myself on a bike, it's a hugely iconic event, and it's in my back yard.  I've always felt a special affinity for it and that really flooded back to me yesterday.

Conditions were pretty wet after a couple of nights of rain during the week (including Friday night) and it rained a bit during the event but temps stayed comfortable and I was carrying lube to deal to the horrible noises a drivetrain tends to make out there.

I had an unusually solo-ish ride for a lot of the time.  Crazy singlespeeders were passing me from a little way up Deadwood and along the ridge to the rock garden, and I saw Samara a few times until the Staircase (another growing tradition!) and occasionally saw another girl or 2 up ahead along the ridge. 

As I turned in to the rock garden I was feeling pretty fresh and looking forward to taking it on again.  I've ridden the whole descent a few times now and as I approached the first drop it looked like nothing, smooth and easy, in the bag.  The second drop was the biggest and as I approached it I did some fast calculations in my head and reminded myself I've done it plenty of times before so just went for it - my forks bottomed out with a bit of a ping but having cleared that I was on my way and just had to pick some good lines through a few more sections while maintaining good momentum.  I made a few passes as I bounced on down with a huge grin on my face and caught Sam once again near the bottom.  I wanted to go back up for another run while she just wanted to get the hell out of there.  Unfortunately for both of us out next obstacle was my nemesis, the Devil's Staircase.

As I got to the first big steps Sam cruised on past me (dejavu much!) and I proceeded to slowly and painfully plod my way through the steps and mud and bogs.  By 3/4 of the way up I wasn't having so much fun anymore.  Wow, I really had NO conditioning for this section this year.  What a shocker!  But after about a year I finally emerged at the top and applied a bit of lube to the chain before spying Alexa Peters reaching the top and jumping back on to stay ahead of her.

Big Ring Boulevard Get through the undulations then 'stick it in the dog'.  'Nuff said.  Few more places made up down here.  What a blast.  And then just Dopers to go.  A common climb for chain suck, cramp, total annihilation of spirit, etc.  I have to say it went on a little longer than I would have liked and for the last few minutes it seemed like they'd moved the summit (the price of being a bit slower than in the past I guess), but eventually I found it and got my grin on again for the looooong descent to the finish.

Goals achieved, way off my best time and a long way off my lifetime goal, but still full of drive to get there.

Congrats to Annika Smail who won the womens race and joined the sub-3 club.  The club remained elusive to all other women yet again this year (by a mere 15 seconds for Nic Leary).  364 days to go til we can have another crack at it