Paluma Push 2012

6/8/12

After having such an awesome time last year, there was no way I was going to miss the 2012 Paluma Push.  So when race organiser Peter Gibson, invited me up north to support the race once again I jumped at the offer.  The event has grown to be the biggest in the Northern Qld region and with this years’ entries capped at 550; they were sold out pretty quickly.  Peter took over the gig as race director a few years back.  His hard work throughout each year to put on the ‘perfect event’, really shows come race day and is why the entry numbers just keep growing.

Last year’s visit to Townsville had such an impact on me that, on returning home, I decided to join the local MTB club.  The Townsville Rockwheelers are certainly very proactive in supporting the sport of mountain biking and especially encouraging the growth of female and junior participation.  The club is spear-headed by a crew of lovely, down to earth committee members who put a lot of time and effort into the regular organisation of training rides, races, trail maintenance days etc. I am certainly proud to be a member of such an awesome club!

Over this last month after returning home from Europe, my body had been battling post viral fatigue. It was recommended to me by my doctor that is was time to schedule in some good quality rest. One of the hardest aspects of being self-coached is knowing when the body needs to recover.  It can be so tempting to just keep over-loading and this is where it is crucial to have some reliable people around to remind you when enough is enough and it’s time to rest. So, not wanting to push the limits and risk the dreaded ‘chronic fatigue’, I had allowed myself a decent break from training.  Therefore, my experience in this year’s Paluma Push was to be in more of a supportive role than a competitor and I was looking forward to riding the shorter recreational course with one of the up and coming juniors Karlee Gibson.  Little did I know just how strong Karlee had become over the last year and the ride was actually a lot harder than anticipated!

The Gibson family kindly invited Ed and I stay at their place, giving us a great opportunity to get to know the family better.  I’m not sure if Peter was out to impress his coach (ie.me), but he and his wife Janelle put together some fantastic meals full of fresh fruit and salads each day.  Far better than staying at any fancy hotel if you ask me!

A trip to Townsville wouldn’t be the same without a ride on the awesome network of trails out at Douglas.  A small group of us headed out early on the day prior to racing for an hours’ worth of fun followed by a quick coffee and then recovery spin home.  For anyone intending to race the Paluma, make sure to allow time to fit in a ride out at Douglas, as you won’t be disappointed!

Both the Recreational and Competition courses started in Paluma and finished in Hidden Valley.  The Rec course covered a distance of 42km with a variety of 4wd trails and some nice flowy single track toward the end.  The Competition course had 3 extra loops of more technical and physical terrain for a total of 65km.  So the race really caters for a whole range of ability and allows everyone to start and finish in the same location and enjoy the beautiful surrounds together.

Paluma is a small town nestled at the top of a mountain surrounded by the lush World Heritage rainforest of northern Qld.  It is around an hour and a half drive north of Townsville.  Each year, the Paluma Push raises a large sum of money for the Rural Fire brigade as well as the local communities Of Paluma and Hidden Valley.  This year was no exception, with a sizable cheque presented to the local crew.  The race kicked off in Paluma at 9am, with the faster Competition classes headlining off first followed by the Recreational riders.  Ed, Karlee and I started mid bunch and tried to avoid any ‘dodgy’ wheels during the first couple of km.  Not wanting to dictate the pace, I followed Karlee up the first few climbs.  I was quite impressed by her turn of pace through the first 10km and was a little worried that she may be spending her bickies too early, however she seemed to just continue to motor along and even through the last 5km was picking up places.   The race course provided a great mix of fire roads, 4wd tracks and some sweet single track. With the sun beaming down and temperatures in the mid 20’s, who could ask for anything more in the middle of winter!

Well, despite being out to all hours the night before, Karlee smashed her last years’ time and won the junior division quite convincingly.  It was really nice for me, to have the chance to tag along with her throughout the ride and take in the scenery along the way.  Her improvement along with the many other junior riders is a credit to the club’s regular races and ride days.

Hidden Valley provided the perfect race finish, with just enough space to cater for the 500 plus hundred riders and their support crew.  A complimentary BBQ was put on and race presentations were punctual, with prizes for all the categories as well as some all-important random give-aways.  Those wanting to stay the night could choose from a variety of Eco-cabins nestled in amongst the native flora of the historic tin mining settlement.  It was great to just sit back in the sun and enjoy a snag or two, along with all the other like-minded riders.

I was sad once again to leave Townsville after having a wonderful 4 days away.  I think seeing everyone else out racing has rekindled my enthusiasm for competition and I am now in the process of planning my race schedule ahead.  The Paluma Push in 2013 will certainly be a part of the schedule but not before some more of the many other races on offer around the Nation coming up over the next 6 months.  I can’t wait to get out there and once again get that feeling of pushing the body to its limits!