G'day,

4.29am Sat....alarm goes off....hitchy sits bolt up right in bed...this is it!...todays the day!...Oh *****!!!!!.....Everything packed & ready the night before...convinced I've forgotten something...double check...very nervous & aprehensive...a quick prayer to the cycling gods!....brekky, a good pooh (thank god the body is awake enough!)..out the door. Arrive at the start in plenty of time...feeling good.....very, very nervous.....see 'lotto', FDjuex, columbia, Aussie champs, & numerous other jerseys warming up...trrying not to think about them....talk to a few familiar faces, wish a few luck, getting lots of encouragement from everyone....Commissaire tells me I may well be the oldest 1st timer, ever to finish....if I do!.......warm up...takes away a few butterflys....got the food, last instructions to the 'support crew'!...see ya at warnie!.....1 minute to go...some guy prattleing instructions over the PA...couldn't tell you a word he said...absolutely *****ting myself now!.....geez i could do with the 31st p!ss of the morning as well....30secs...holy *****....a rental bus has pulled across the start line & is unloading the whole Irish team!...bikes in pieces everwhere!...will they hold the start?...NUH...we're off.!......pace not to bad, we're under 'control' for the first 8km...but last year they were doing 50kph under 'control'....abit more sedate this year, probably waiting for the Irish....people everywhere, clapping & cheering...coppers on bikes, horns, 20 language variations in the bunch, commisaires on PA's...this is amazing...I had to keep reminding myself that i was a competitor not just an onlooker!.....I didn't see the red flag drop for the start...but the sudden increase in pace gave me the message...1st sprint only 2km into the race....55km an hour down single lane roads...feeling awesome...remember to drink!....into werribee...people everywhere...65km sprint, spot the 'support crew'...give em a thumbs up.....sitting in the middle of the bunch...."g'day ruba marin, owya goin'?"....english isn't his strong point!.....theres henk & willo...how good is this?...oohh bit o' crosswind here...managed to stay covered.....50kph but feeling comfortable...just staying outta the wind & outta trouble....bit of drizzle...blokes have started doing the 'pro p!ss'....getting pushed by their mates....can't believe they need a P1ss already, we're only 40km in...hope thats drizzle on me face!...don't lick the lips!......sprint into lara.....still comfortable with the bunch...here the commissaire saying 2 away, willo & some other bloke...no ones chasing so the pace is comfortable at 45kph......turning into Corio....*****...they're sprinting!....caught in the wind....HRM....175....177....gotta get cover....65kph.....180...struggling......67kph .....53-12 ......115 cadence...HR 184 MAX..MAX ...MAX...can't push.......gone...hitchy has detonated....off the main bunch at 65km...ah well, hopefully, I'm not the first off.....look around.....blokes scattered everywhere behind me....keep pushing.....try & form a group...picking up blokes coming off the bunch as well...ahhh the first hill climb....I was always gunna get dropped here anyway, so it happened pretty much where I thought anyway....don't panic....climbed well...can still see the main bunch...but don't harbour any ambitions to get back.......where's these blokes behind?...are they coming up or what?......1 bloke comes up & says heaps have pulled the pin!....bloody wimps...makes my job harder too.....5 of us form up......1st feed at Inverleigh...feeling good...trying not to think about the 200km remaining....pick up a few more stragglers...8 of us now...abit better although only a few are working.......150km feeling ok...has been a head wind all the way...a couple of these blokes are soft pedalling at the front......another bloke gives them a serve.....we take the pledge to stay together if possible & keep working.....Cressy......feeling abit crap now......cross wind off lake corangamite taking it's toll.....still heaps of people stopping & clapping.....I yell, "are we there yet" & get some laughter from the bunch......boys are tiring now...turns are shorter & ave speed has dropped....we have picked up our own commissaire...he's a good guy...giving us plenty of encouragement....180km...P!ss stop!...we all lay down the bikes & bolt into the bushes....a few drops...must be dehydrated a bit....keep drinking & eating...I'm never eating a 'snickers marathon' bar again....making me feel sick...shoulda diluted the gatorade as well!.....on..on....200 km down.....feeling 'shouse' now....push thru it...give it another hour & see where the bodies at.......left knee is swelling up...fantastic...thats the 'good' knee....right calf is sending 'cramp imminent' messages...WARNING WILL ROBINSON...WARNING...WARNING!....oh *****...a fall....1 guy has ridden into the wheel of another.....gone down real hard....think he's broken the collarbone......lost plenty o' skin....the whole bunch stops to wait & see...he's up...1 guy in the bushes having a spew!....I'm not good, but I'm better than that.....off we go.....actually the 2 minute rest has revived me a bit...feeling a bit better....bike is perfect...can't imagine doing this on anything other than carbon....last feed.....hear that Will walker has made a break with 8km to go...Go willy!.....hmm he's at 8 to go & we're at 60.....52 km behind!!!...some quick maths works out that at our current pace, we'll make the cut off comfortably...encourage the lads...c'mon boys.....50km to go...not much talk now...everyone is in their own world of pain...robotically swap turns....most of the bunch are soft pedalling now....I'm suffering bad...but i've come to far to stop now......20km to go...gee hitchy...i think ya gunna make it....cars going by in the other direction with bikes on the racks...giving us the gee up...c'mon.......10km.......5km...warrnie city limits......I can't believe I've done this...I'm actually quite emotional...thinking of how hard I worked for this, all the training, all the time wondering whether I could do it.......1km...hey..all the blokes that have been on the back for 100km....are suddenly at the front!.....don't tell me they're gunna sprint...*****!......theres the finish...if they're sprinting....so am I...If I can....jump 500mts to go 45kph....50kph......under the finish banner....a blur of noise & activity...stop the clock.......familiar faces clapping me on the back....some old bloke shaking my hand.."G'day...I'm john Craven...great effort..congratulations".....whose this other bloke shaking me hand?...."g'day jamie drew...well done"...brain doesn't take much of this in.......pull the feet out....massive calf cramp....lie on the grass......whose got me bike.?.......some bloke is trying to put a medal around me neck...I kiss it...tears welling in my eyes...just as well i still got the shades on!......It occurs to me...I've just finished the worlds longest single day roadrace!!!!!.......the 'coaching nazi' is here..shaking my hand...."recovery session tomorrow"!....I tell him to "Get Farked!".....to much laughter of all around us.

the Vital stats: Distance 299.4km Time: 9 hrs 50 minutes 50sec...ave Speed 30.7kph (including 3 P!ss stops & a crash stop)...calories burnt 7790....ave Hr 147...max HR 186....max speed 71.4 kph......

Hitchy