GREAT SOUTHERN RANDONNEE 1200K - OCT 26, 2004

All the riders

  • There were about 20 riders from Australia, Canada, UK, USA, Brazil, and Belgium and I was the only female. In fact, I was informed that not only was I the only female to embark on this ride this time, I was the only female to attempt the ride ever in the three years it has been run, and if I finished, I would be the first female finisher . . . just to add a bit of pressure to an already stressful ride.
click to supersize Scott, Melissa, Rowan, Rob, Charlene
  • First loop started on October 25th at 6 pm and was 189 kms long from Anglesea around to Portarlington, Inverleigh, and back to Anglesea. I was riding in a group of about 8 or 9 people with one particular rider, Ken from Australia, who knew the route and had a carrying voice to let us know which way to turn, etc. That was much appreciated!
  • About 10 kms from the first control, Portarlington (74 kms), my shifters ceased working and I was stuck in a fast spin all the way in to that control. I thought my ride was over, but the use of the "magic spray" (referred to on the Great Southern website) got me going again. Thank you very much to the volunteer who happened to be carrying such a thing in a pencil case with her!
click to supersize Charlene with a light load
  • It was a cold night. I was freezing at all the controls despite the fact that I had anticipated it might be cold and brought more clothes with me than I had on the PBP. Unfortunately breathing in all that cold air while travelling quite quickly caused problems with my exercise induced asthema (which has been getting increasingly worse this year), and by the time we returned to Anglesea, I was hacking up a lung.
  • It was also fast! That first 189 kms took no time at all travelling in a tight group like that. I tucked in behind and hung on. We arrived in Anglesea at about 2:30 am for a total time of 8.5 hours and an average speed, including two breaks, of 22.2 kms/h. Not bad for night riding.
click to supersize Scott is ready
  • After a nice break in a warm tent at Anglesea, David (USA), Scott (Canada), Rob (UK), and I headed out onto the Great Ocean Road. The road was pleasantly deserted, and the sound of the waves below was incredible.
  • At dawn we stopped and took some photos of the sun coming up over the ocean - beautiful! We also saw a koala by the side of the road and stopped to take pictures of him (or her) too.
  • We arrived at Apollo Bay at about 6 am on October 26th for breakfast at the Surf Club, with a great view of the ocean. While I was there I recall the volunteer mentioning that on the return trip, we might be sitting there at dawn looking out over the ocean too; and I wished then that I was already on the return trip, but I knew I still had a long way to go. When we left Apollo Bay we started to climb Laver's Hill.
click to supersize Starting off
  • Laver's Hill was the longest, steepest climb of the bunch and was close to 50 kms in total including some up and down but generally up; and with the last 10 kms or so being the biggest challenge. I was able to ride most of it, thank goodness, but had to walk the last few kms because I couldn't breathe while cycling and climbing. That asthema was just killing me, I was on the verge of hyperventillation and quite dizzy. When I finally reached the top, I wondered if I would be able to survive the ride. I arrived at the Laver's Hill control (312 kms) at about 10 am. My average speed, including breaks, had dropped to 19.5 km/h.
click to supersize Finish at Anglesea
  • From Laver's Hill we (David, Scott, Rob, and I) could see the Grampians where we would be the following day. It was quite a view!
click to supersize 12 Apostles
  • When I descended off Laver's Hill I really concentrated on practicing my descending skills. I can't climb or descend! Following Rob's line seemed to work because I shot out at the bottom of the climb not far behind.
  • Still riding along the Great Ocean Road, we came to the Twelve Apostles, a famous land formation. Rob and I stopped and made our way to the lookout to take photos. I've seen pictures of the Twelve Apostles in books and tourist information and I really wanted to see in person. I'm very glad we took that break. Sometimes on some of these rides, we do need to take a moment to observe some of the local attractions.
  • I got to Port Campbell (362 kms) at about 1 pm and stopped in at a local pharmacy to pick up some medication for my asthema problem. Among other things, they gave me a pretty good sized bottle of cough syrup which I ended up hauling around with me. However the various things did seem to help a bit.
click to supersize Warming up in the cold
  • The road to Cobden wasn't bad, but I ended up walking a hill shortly out of Port Campbell and I think Rob got a bit fed up with me and decided to teach me how to climb.
  • Highlight of the whole ride: I learned how to climb hills! It isn't as difficult as I had initially thought. I learned how to climb the PBP hills last year, and for them, you shoot down one side, gain enough momentum to get partway up the next, stand and power over the top, and shoot down the other side. Well, for long grinding climbs, that technique didn't work at all. My heart rate would be up around its max, I could hardly breathe, and I'd have to get off and walk about 1/8th of the way up the hill. I've learned to take it much slower and easier and to judge the gear I should be in by my breathing. If I start to pant, I need to change my pace or gear. It's probably all second nature to someone living in hilly areas, but it was a whole new concept to me!!
  • The Cobden control (402 kms) was the local bakery, where we (Rob, Larry (USA), John (UK), and me) arrived about 4 pm, grabbed something quick to eat, and carried on.
click to supersize Charlene & Rob at the finish line
  • It started to rain shortly after Cobden. The road from Cobden to Port Fairy was a challenge for me, not physically, but mentally. It was a long straight road with fields on either side and rain falling. It reminded me way too much of my 1000K, which I did a couple months ago, and which I had no desire to repeat, at least not this soon.
  • As we got closer to Port Fairy, the road got worse - lots of debris and traffic. Then, 6 kms from Port Fairy, just after dark, I flatted. Nothing like a flat on a busy road in the rain. However, one ray of light about that experience came in the form of a passing driver who noticed that we were having some difficulty and who pulled over, stopped behind us, and let us change the flat by the light of her headlights. I don't know who she was, and that's the first time something like that has ever happened to me. I am very thankful she came along!
  • We still got to Port Fairy (489 kms), on the coast, in decent time at about 8:30 pm for an average speed to that point of 18.5 km/h. However we had been on the road 26.5 hours by this time and were starting to feel quite fatigued. This was the second longest consecutive mileage with no sleep I've ever done - the longest was my first 600K brevet. We showered - wonderfully refreshing hot showers, ate, and then slept for about 3.5 hours in a bed with sheets and blankets, not in a space blanket on the grass as I did on the PBP. What a difference comfort and warmth makes!
click to supersize Rowan at the finish
  • The real storm blew in about 11pm while we were sleeping. I recall waking up and hoping the hostel was next to the ocean and that it was just waves I was hearing. It wasn't. When we got up at about 12:30 am to set off, the wind was just howling, the rain was coming down in sheets, and it was cold.
click to supersize Rob (UK), Ken (Australia), Larry (USA), Charlene (Canada) at the completion of the ride
  • We had put our things in the drier the night before and they were much better but some were still slightly damp - ick. However I put on all I'd been wearing the day before, plus some of the other things I had included in my bag drop, and I put a few extras into the plastic bag I had bungied to the back of my bicycle. Rob was doing the ride in sandals and had opted to put plastic bags over his feet to attempt to keep them dry.
  • Rowan, from Tasmania, pulled in just as we (Rob, Larry, and me) were about to leave, and I was very glad to see him because I wondered where he was and if he were making it through.
  • The road from Port Fairy to Hamilton was another challenge, again, not physically but mentally. It was 84 kms of flatness with fields on either side, howling winds, rain, and cold. The only good thing out there was that the wind was a TAILWIND!! If it had not been a tailwind, I'm not sure I could have made my controls in time.
  • And then, shortly after Port Fairy, I flatted again. Gotta love changing flats in those conditions! I had been feeling fairly warm till then, but it took me hours - well into the morning - before I warmed up again.
click to supersize Scott and his beer
  • We arrived in Hamilton (573 kms) at about 7 am on October 27th, feeling quite frozen, but things were starting to open so we were able to find a place for breakfast and to warm up a touch. A woman in the café noticed how cold I was and offered me a warm shower at her place next door if I wanted. It was very tempting but I declined.
  • From there we headed to Dunkeld where we stopped for a coffee and a muffin in a rather posh hotel. I had to laugh at the look we were given by the patrons having brunch when we walked in !!
  • And then it was on into the Grampians. I had been told there was a wall of a hill to climb and then it was up and down after that. With my newfound climbing skills, I scaled that wall with no trouble at all. In fact, it didn't seem hard and my impression of the rest of the way up to Hall's Gap was that it was flat. Thankfully the rain eased up to simply skattered showered so we were being rained on only about half the time.
click to supersize Great Ocean Road
  • It was a beautiful area - very rugged with lots of cliffs which rock climbers use quite frequently.
  • Unfortunately there were a lot of hay-fever-causing black wattles in full bloom which just about ended my ride. I was painfully fighting for every breath all through that area.
  • The stop at Hall's Gap (671 kms at about 2 pm) was in a lovely little cabin, right on the edge of the national park, where the volunteers, Pam and Grant, cooked up some very good food. While we (about 10 or 12 of us) were there, we all stopped what we were doing to watch a large kangaroo hop by the picture window.
click to supersize Charlene near the end
  • Then we had a fast out and back to Moyston (701 kms), the home of Australian Rules Football, or what was supposed to be a fast out and back. The wind was pretty strong, slowing everyone down, and I couldn't breathe.
  • This ride continually threw me off mentally. Not only was I struggling with the fact that it reminded me of my recent 1000K through the prairies of Canada, and I think it was too soon to do a similar ride, but also because of that initial 189 km loop, we were still riding out to the farthest extent of the ride when we reached the 600K halfway point. Usually at the half way point there is a big feeling of relief that I've made it that far and I'm heading for home. However on this ride we didn't really "head for home" until we reached Moyston at 701 kms. The 600K point came and went without a second glance.
  • Back at Hall's Gap (731 kms @ about 5 pm), I ate more and then napped for about 20 minutes. I needed that!
  • Night fell just before we got back to Dunkeld, and my Lightspin dynamo, which had been working amazingly well till then, even through the rain, suddenly ceased to work on a fast descent. I was reduced to riding by my battery lights.
  • Dunkeld was pretty much closed up except for the pub so we stopped there to warm up a bit and get something to eat. Quite a few riders converged on that pub just then.
  • Rob had put his socks on the grate to warm them up, and ended up burning a hole in them. Nevertheless he still put them on! And the rest of us added layers too - it was a very cold night. I was wearing absolutely everything I had with me.
  • And we continued on through the dark and cold to Hamilton.
  • Here is where I think the event could be improved. We rolled into Hamilton (829 kms) at about midnight and there was NOTHING open but for a petrol station. There were about 7 of us riding more or less together just then and I think most of us would have liked to take our sleep break there, but we couldn't and it was another 84 kms back to Port Fairy. Two of the riders, (Nick from Australia on a 1000K version of the ride, and Larry) made a brief stop then continued on. Three of the riders (Ken, Ian from Australia, and Adrien from Belgium) opted to nap on the floor of the petrol station, and Rob and I carried on after trying to doze a bit.
  • Despite the fact that there were no facilities in Hamilton, I must mention that the two guys running the petrol station were hilarious!! They could have a career in comedy!
  • Off into a very long, long, long, long, long night. I don't seem to struggle with sleep on these rides very much. So far I can manage to keep going on very little sleep, but Rob needs more sleep and he really struggled out there. What should have taken us 4 hours during the day under decent conditions, took us closer to 7 hours. It might have been easier if it were dry and we could have napped in the ditch, but it kept raining on and off all night.
  • Altthough I wasn't dozing off on the bicycle, I was hallucinating pretty badly during the night. The best though, had to be the Statue of Liberty and other statues I saw - such incredible detail! There also seemed to be a lot of other things flying around - I'm not sure if they were there or not. And one of the oddest hallucinations was a shared one. Rob pointed off into the trees and asked if I could see the house there. I could. It was a two story white house with lights on in some of the windows. Then he told me it wasn't really there. We had quite a heated discussion about it for a few minutes until I realized that he was right. It wasn't really there.
  • We finally rolled into Port Fairy (916 kms) at 7 am on October 28th. I showered because I was developing quite a rash from all that riding around in the rain, and then I ate before finally collapsing into bed for 3 hours. Rob went right to bed and got a little over 4 hours sleep.
  • I eased my way out of Port Fairy toward Cobden. I was in pain (both knees had really stiffened up and my chest hurt from all the coughing), I was tired, and I was ready to be done this ride, but I was immediately faced with that long flat road with fields on either side again, more mental toughness (and some painkillers) required.
  • I was cheered up when I go to Cobden (1000 kms) at about 5 pm. I inhaled a huge hamburger and chatted with the lady running the shop. Because that shop was the designated control all the way through, she had the chance to observe all the riders and noticed that I seemed to be the only female. She asked me if that were the case and I confirmed that it was. She was so encouraging and supportive, I left Cobden in quite a good mood.
  • We were off to Port Campbell (1040 kms) which didn't seem to take long at all. Shortly before Port Campbell we were met by the sweep vehicle checking on us to make sure we were OK, and then we were warmly welcomed into the control at about 8:30 pm.
  • There were quite a few people at the Port Campbell control and they were all very supportive - providing us with what we needed in food, and encouraging me to get out there and finish.
  • On a climb just out of Port Campbell I had the worst asthema attack of the ride - full hyperventillation. I had to stop riding and really focus on calming my breathing or I would have collapsed. I had discovered that I was OK while cycling, but when I stopped everything in my lungs loosened up and it took about 10 kms for it all to settle down again.
  • We were on the Great Ocean road and the ocean in the moonlight, which peaked through the clouds now and then, was lovely.
  • Then we started climbing back up Laver's Hill. I did all right for a bit, and then about the time I started to struggle, I caught up with Nick and Pete (a recumbent rider from Australia also on the 1000K option). Nick was walking and so I walked up Laver's Hill with him, riding bits when I could, but walking most. It was nice to have the company on that climb. Even though I now have an idea how to climb hills, I find climbing in the dark very difficult.
  • Got to Laver's Hill (1090 kms) by 12:30 am, quickly ate a bit even though I didn't feel at all hungry, and slept for about 45 minutes. It felt as if I had just fallen asleep when I was being wakened, and it was so hard to get up and get back out onto my bicycle in the cold again. I don't know how cold the actual temperature was, but when I'm exausted like that I tend to feel colder.
  • The descent off Laver's Hill was challenging. It was dark, I was descending with a little battery light, and the storm of the previous day had blown a lot of debris all over the road. Fortunately Ken rode behind me with a brighter light. Again, that was much appreciated! He also walked with me up a steepish section and once again it was nice to have company while walking. That doesn't happen very often - I usually walk up hills alone.
  • Unfortunately I had to walk quite a bit through there because I discovered that I was getting quite dizzy and nausiated on every little, tiny climb. When I climb, my bicycle sways a bit from side to side and when it did that my light also swayed from side to side leaving me with the visual effect of a ship on high seas!
  • Just as the sky was lightening I experienced a recurrance of an old concern, my shifters starting acting up again. I settled into a middle-ish gear range and hoped for the best.
  • Finally the sun came up and I was able to ride quite speedily, aided by a descent and a tailwind, into Apollo Bay, so speedily, in fact, that I overshot the control by a km or two!!
  • And there I was, sitting at Apollo Bay at about the same time of day as I had been 3 days before - it was about 6 am on October 29th. Only now I was on the return trip. That felt very good!
  • I ate a lot at Apollo Bay! I had hardly eaten anything since Port Campbell the night before and was on the verge of bonking. Then I napped for about 15 minutes. Coming into Apollo Bay I was feeling quite awful, but by the time I left I was feeling much better - energetic and ready to finish the ride. While I was there, the volunteer also took a look at my shifters and I'm pleased to report they continued working right to the end.
  • Rob and I roared out of Apollo Bay and kept up a good pace along the Great Ocean Road, pausing only briefly to take a few photos, and in Lorne to grab something to eat. Rob got it into his head that he wanted to be in by 11 am, and so we pushed the speed right to the end. I tucked in behind him most of that last bit and hung on!!
  • We hit the gravel road leading to the finishing area, shot across the grass, and arrived at the finish minutes before 11 am to a crowd of cheering people!! I have to comment on the support on the ride. It was fabulous! The people at the controls were wonderful - running around helping us out, and getting us what we needed. The food was good and varied enough so that there was something appetizing at every control. They were also very supportive all the way through. Well done!! A few other comments:
  • About eating - on the RM1200, I ate practically nothing and kept going by drinking 13 cans of Ensure along the way. On the PBP, I did much better with the eating. I ate at every control right up to about 900 kms and then I couldn't handle food anymore and finished the ride on very little. On this ride, I was able to eat all the way through, and I was putting away large plates of food and often a number of helpings. I only struggled briefly at the top of Laver's Hill both the night I arrived there and the morning when we set off. I did manage to eat a bit, but it was a fight. I'm not sure if my body is getting more used to doing these rides, but I am very pleased I can eat!
  • About my saddle - I rode the Great Southern with my Brooks Saddle which I just bought this past summer. I had done a number of shorter rides on it, and my 1000K at the beginning of August. By the end of the 1000K, the saddle was broken in, but I was in a fair amount of pain too. However, I spent the three weeks leading up to the Great Southern touring with that bicycle and riding the saddle just about every day, and I had no saddle problems on the GSR at all, other than the "rain rash" developed because of the weather conditions. Who would have thought a hard-as-rock leather saddle could be so comfortable!
  • About sleeping - I managed about 8 hours of sleep on the GSR which is pretty good for me. In the 24 or so hours before the GSR, I slept a lot - probably about 12 to 14 hours - and I'm sure that helped. And then after the GSR was finished and I slept 15 hours straight through getting up only once briefly!!
  • About my clothing choices - I don't regret a thing I brought with me. In fact, another thermal layer and better gloves would have been nice. On the coldest night - that bit from Dunkeld to Hamilton and on to Port Fairy, I was wearing my shortsleeved jersey, my arm warmers, my long sleeved wool top, a shortsleeved top I'd brought with me, a vest, and my waterproof jacket. I had my shorts on with full-length leg warmers and knee warmers pulled on over top of them. On my feet I was wearing socks, my neoprene ankle braces, shoes, and booties. On my head I had my headband, my balaclava, and my helmet topped with my helmet cover to keep the rain off and warmth in. And on my hands I had full fingered mini-gloves under my regular cycling gloves. So much for Australia being a hot, dry place as I'd been told!
TownDistance
(Km)		Total
Distance
Km		Arrival
Time		Depart
Time
Anglesea00 6:00 pm
Oct 25
Point Londale5555  
Portarlington2378  
Geelong31109  
Inverleigh27136  
Winchelsea21157  
Moriac21178  
Anglesea242022:30 am Oct 26 
Apollo Bay742766:00 am 
Laver's Hill4832410:00 am 
Port Campbell5037412:49 pm 
Cobden404144:00 pm 
Warnambool60474  
Port Fairy295038:12 pm1:45
Macarthur48551  
Hamilton365877:00 am Oct 27 
Dunkeld28615  
Hall's Gap6568012:15 
Moyston32712  
Hall's Gap327444:28am5:45
Dunkeld65809  
Hamilton2883712:00 midnight 
Macarthur36873  
Port Fairy489217:00 am 
Warnambool29950  
Cobden6010105:00 am 
Port Campbell4010508:30 pm 
Laver's Hill50110000:30 
Apollo Bay4811486:007:00
Anglesea74122210:58 am 

Total distance: 1222 km
Total time: 88:58
Average time: 13.74 km/hr
Amount of sleep: about 8 hr.

1225 km Great Southern Randonnee
NameGenderCountryFinish timeOverall TimeResult
Paolo BagatiniMBrazil  DNF
Charlene BarachFCanada10:58am88:58 hrFINISHED!
Jorgen BobenkoMVictoria  DNF
Ian BoehmMVictoria  DNF
Rowan BurnsMTasmania11:43am89:43 hrFINISHED!
Allan DicksonMSA3.17am81:17 hrFINISHED!
John EvansMUK7:05am85:05 hrFINISHED!
Scott GaterMCanada8.45am86:45 hrFINISHED!
Robert GrayMUK10.58am88:58 hrFINISHED!
Peter HealMACT3.17am81:17 hrFINISHED!
Ian HumphriesMACT9.54am87:54 hrFINISHED!
Shaun KinnaMVictoria12.18am90:18 hrFINISHED!
Lawrence MiduraMUSA5:28am83:28 hrFINISHED!
Ken MorganMVictoria9.57am87:57 hrFINISHED!
Leigh PatersonMVictoria6:20am84:20 hrFINISHED!
Matt RawnsleyMSA10.02 am88:02 hrFINISHED!
Mal ShawMVictoria9.25am87:25 hrFINISHED!
David StrongMUSA  DNF
Adriaan TopMBelgium10.42am88:42 hrFINISHED!
Paul VlasveldMUSA8.48am86:48 hrFINISHED!

1000 km Great Southern Randonnee
NameGenderCountryFinish timeOverall TimeResult
Nick DaleM NSW 9.46am  FINISHED!
Hans DusinkMVic8.45am FINISHED!
Don HaltonM Vic   DNF
Leon MalzinskasMVictoria  DNF
Peter MatthewsMVic 9.49am FINISHED!
Richard NivenM ACT   DNF
600 km Great Southern Randonnee
Stephen ChambersMVictoria  DNF
Melissa FriesenFCanada  DNS
400 km Great Southern Randonnee
Suzy JacksonFNSW9.46am FINISHED!
Raymond LelkesMVic  DNS
Robert LubbockMVic10.33am FINISHED!
Tony McLellandMNSW10.25am FINISHED!
Gary SkeersMNSW  DNS
300 km Great Southern Randonnee
Gareth EvansMVIC9.45pm FINISHED!
Carl LeahyMVIC12.18am FINISHED!
Keith McCullochMNSW  DNS

     
Modified: