Plans have changed!

Around  Xmas have all my racing plans changed! My plan was to build up for 24hr mtb solo in North Island and later for 24hr solo mtb world champs in Canberra.

But around time Santa was sweeping chimneys an opportunity came to be racing in 2013 GODZONE ADVENTURE RACE. Expedition adventure race has been on my bucket list for a long time, so I could not say no.  We were just missing the fourth team member and running out of time. Entries were closing pretty soon so I was working from Wireless Hot Spots around the country during our holiday to find the last member of our team. Few phone calls has been made, few emails has been sent and we had a team. We have even managed to find a main sponsor Pakn’Safe to help us with our food bill.  And who is in our team -  Jim Cotter-well experienced adventure races from Dunedin, our navigator. Sia Svendson -  strong Danish multisporter, currently living in CHC, who finished 2. on last years Godzone,  Petr Sykora – from Czech Republic, who has put together a Czech-kiwi team for 2012 Patagonia AR and finished 4^th.

So I have started to get used my kayaking paddle and running shoes again. This years’ disciplines include MTB, tramping/running/, kayaking, ropes and mountaineering. So the next two month will be all about training, sorting out gear, building bike boxes, team building etc.

8hrs @ Jacks

That pretty much sums it up:
race director Goef Hunt's media report:

"Portegys did battle throughout the race with Milan Brodina (Geraldine) who completed 18 laps before the finish siren sounded at 6pm. These top two individuals had ridden together for the first half of the event before, however Portegys made a decisive move during lap 10 and opened up a 30secs lead which he extended to 3 mins by lap 14. This was the telling move, he had broken the spirit and momentum of Brodina who rode on strongly for second place.

My support crew - all the way from Czech Republic - my sister Jitka, with Peter.

 

LE PETIT BREVET. Nov 2012

 

300km,  8000m of climbing.  20, 5 hrs of nonstop biking! And first one across the imaginary finishline :)
Thanks Tim for organizing such a great "allnighter" adventure!

Timaru 12hr MTB - solo

Three weeks after Wanaka race I have decided to enter the world of pain again and raced the Timaru 12hr mtb race solo. There were several keen bikers to keep me on my toes including Rotorua 24hr solo winner Ian Wright, 2012 Christchurch 12hr solo winner T.Kissel and Dunedin fittness coach and friend of mine Matty Graham. My race strategy was to go fast from the gun and hopefully I will have enough in the tank to keep me going at the end. I had a great support from the Cyclery team and thats what kept me going in good pace for the whole 12hr.  243km in one day - thats a good training ride, isnt't it?

2012 Wanaka 10hr MTB - solo

 

 

Our friends have recommended this race to me, so I thought I will check it out. And I am glad I did. The Wanaka MTB club has done an awesome job on the tracks. The course had it all - climbs, burms, fast downhills, jumps... you name it.

Half way through the race I have noticed that my rear wheel is badly buckeled and couple loose spokes are moving around. Not a good thing, especialy when I was sitting in second place. When I went through the transition area I slowed down little bit and told my support crew about this issue and carried on - hopefully I can make another lap till they get organized. So next time I went through we swapped numbers on to new bike a I carried on. I knew I lost valuable time but with confidence that my wheel is not going to buckle on the next corner I moved into 1.place and managed to hold it to the finish.





 

2012 PEAK TO PUB

Peak tom pub is usualy my first race after winter, so I am usualy little bit nervues how I go after few month of cold winter training. This year Mt. Hutt had a great season so the ski leg was all the way from top. And as Steve Gurney was designing the course we could expect some cool twists.
Just before the start gun Streve Gurney warn us that the ski giant slalom is very icy so
i decided to go easy and make it down safely. We were off. The first 200m run in the ski boots is allways a tough one. It's good to get that out of the way. My ski leg was mainly about navigating between people who were crashing in front of me. But I made it to the bike transition safely. I proud my self in fast transition so i was on the bike in no time chasing people down the hill. After 10 min and few hair raising corners I found myself leading the race. I was expecting TVNZ helicopter above my head, but probably cut their budget this year :)

Towards the end of the bike i decided to conserve my energy so another biker past me. I thought to myself thats not bad finishing second providing that I lost one of my contact lences on that fast downhill so had to bike with half of my vision.

 

2011 Otago 24 Hour Adventure Race
For this race I was lucky to be in a team with such good and experienced guys. Jim Cotter from Dunedin was team navigator and he has done an excelent job getting the team throught this challenging hilly course set up by Bill Godsall. Bas - team's power engine, from Qeenstown, former Peak to Peak winner, few Southern Traverses finisher... And of course Jess - an excelent runner and mountainbiker from Wanaka.

The race started with a fast run from Cromwell township to Lake Dunsten. Our team managed to keep up with some strong runners and we were second in kayaks on the way to the north side of the lake. One hour long paddle was just the perfect warm up for the next run leg. We exited the kayaks in third place, checked in at TA and started to run in to the hills. I was a steep scroll up Pisa Range. Half way through the climb I started to feel not good. Stamach cramps, dizzy.... you name it. But pulling out was not an option as we were leading the whole field now. But thanks to Bas we managed to keep our lead for the whole run leg - Bas was dragging me behind on a rope while Jess was pumping  "go-go-juice" in to me. Thanks again Bas and Jess. The fantastic scenery on top of Pisa Range was rewarding. After 10 hrs of running we were back in the kayaks on the way to Cromwell with a short absailing stop at Bendigo.

TBC

Braemar Gut Buster 12 hour adventure race

Media release: Saturday, 15 October 2011

Hail, southerly winds, a 7am shot gun start and competitors were off.  A total of 17 teams had to navigate their way over Braemar Station by kayak, MTB and on foot with a total of 1410 points up for grabs. With temperatures below zero and winds reaching 15-20 knots, kayakers faced waves of up to 1.2 metres while on Lake Pukaki, an experience enjoyed by most with some saying it had been the best kayaking experience ever!  By 10am the sun had appeared making the rest of the day fabulous.  Five teams opted not to do the kayak section. Once out of the kayaks competitors jumped onto their MTB and made their way to the bike/run transition where they refuelled and made their way, on foot, to the highest point of the course ‘The Dome' (1910 metres).  The only obstacle on this section seemed to be the icy sections which some competitors seemed to enjoy by sliding down by any means possible! The highlight of the day proved to be the run section with magnificent views seen over the MacKenzie Basin and the Southern Alps. Results: Race :  the winning team with 1080 points was ‘Passed it' (Jim Cotter, Matty Graham, Ray Hope and Milan Brodina),  followed by Kronic Fatigue.

Byron Bay, Australia. September 2011

 During September 2011 I have spent few weeks over in Byron Bay, NSW. Friend of mine hooked me up with a surfski so I could continue my training for upcoming Braemar 12hr adventure race. It was my first time on the ski and I have to say that sometimes it was very challenging trying to make it through 1,5m waves. I have also met up with my friend Braiden Currie - who just recently won Anaconda multisport race. He lend me his road bike so I could explore the beutifull hilly Byron Bay area by bike. It is a great place for training and I can't wait to go back.

NEW RIDE - EPIC 29er - - few pics

Epic 29er

2x10, BB30, brain , oversized 142mm rear through bolt.

Carbon frame, tapered head tube.

Brain in front REBA as well :)

80km Lake Tekapo MTB Pursuits

I decided to enter another winter race - mtbiking around Lake Tekapo. It has been raining over night so I was not surprised that the original course had to be changed. The rivers were too high so we were going to cycle there and back on the west side of the lake instead of crossing to the other side. I was glad to take some layers of clothing off in the last minute bacause it stopped raining just minutes before the gun went off so .

A small group of about 13 of us got quickly away.The 4wd track has been very wet and muddy with countless puddles.  There has been lots of water splashing around. At that time riding in the pack turned to constant spitting mouth fulls of dirt and trying to see through glasses completely covered in mud. But as soon as I took glasses off the constant flow of dirt was hitting the eyes.

After 30km we hit few rough climbs and our bunch slowly spred. I found myself riding with Jim Cotter, keeping  pressure on and trying to getaway from him. When I was crossing flooded side creeks I was riding by myself keeping Jim behind. After about 10km I passed another rider. That motivated me to keep pushing myself, constantly washing off mud from my Polar monitor with water from CamelBak to monitor my heart rate.

I rode by myself. Legs started to get tired. I had maybe 10km to go with few climbs and that's when I got passed by the rider I passed earlier. I rode about 50 m behind him right to the finish line not finding the legs to push.  I managed 7th overall place.
It was tough 80km and definitely the muddiest race this season.

Mt.Isabel Challenge, Hanmer Springs, 2011

Everyone I have talked to about this race told me, that it is allways raining and cold on this winter race. Ready for the worst I've entered this mountain multisport race. During briefing the race organizer told us to dress warm as it is very windy and 0 degrees on top of Mt. Isabel. It was hard to believe it as it was warm and sunny at the start.

The race started with a 9 km mountain run up Mt.Isabel to 1319m. Within the first 20 sec our heart rates rose and we were climbing. I do not favor races starting with run, so at begining I was just runing in my own rythm. After 1/2 hour the climb got steeper, I started to feel good a was gaining places. After 55 min of climbing and mainly crawling on all four I was at 20th place right at the peak of Mt. Isabel. The hardest part was over - now just fast descent down the ridge to the bike transition at the Jack's Pass. I was looking forward to the bike leg as it was my first race on my new bike. I've entered the world of big wheels and spoiled myself with Specialized Epic 29er. The bike just flew through the steep course and I've managed overall 8th fastest bike time.

The clock stoped after 2:13min. I finished in 6th place only 4 sec from 4th place due to narrow finish shoot. I have realy enjoyed the race and hope to be back next year to better my time.

Ps: thanks to James from CYCLERY, Timaru for hooking me up with such an owesome bike.

52km GERALDINE MTB RACE 20.3.11

For a change I did not have to drive for hours to the race venue. This time the race was right here in Geraldine, which suited me as I could have a wee sleep in, good breakfast and still have plenty of time for warm-up.

Standing on the start line - it was raining. Again. After all those hrs of training and past racing in the rain, it does not bother me any more and I see it as an advantage to fellow competitors who are not used to it as much as I am. The gun went off. Single line of bikes created in no time as we headed off to the river 4WD tracks. The tracks were so muddy that the tire selection was critical. I have put a new tire on just before the race which was smart thing to do. I was also happy with my race tactic as I made sure I'm working with someone on the long straight flats, gaining valuable meters on steep climbs and have a clear run on tight technical muddy single tracks.

Half way through the race the field have spread a little and I found myself riding with Timaru rider. We stayed together right to the end putting good pressure on each other. But none of us managed to drop the other one. He out sprinted me to the finish. Unluckily we were in the same age category. I finished 6th overall, and 3rd in my age group after 2hrs 17 min of racing. Happy with my day.

K-BAR AGE GROUPS NATIONAL MULTISPORT CHAMPS, Feb 2011

History has been made at Kaiteriteri beach in Tasman Bay. For the first time in New Zealand national multisport champs took part. It was good to be part of it.
Rain drumming on our tent woke us up on the race day. I have organized all gear and food night before, so all I had to do was set up my two transitions, as the race was going to be self supported – one on the beach with kayak and the other one with mtbike. During my warm up and looking at the sea the kayak leg started to make me little bit nervous - looking at the waves and swell. But all the worries disappeared with the start gun.
The race started with 3 km trail run to spread the field before 11km sea kayak leg. It was good to see so many people cheering us up as jumped in to kayaks. I’ve paddled my Sharp6, but many competitors were using surf skis as there are more suitable for sea paddle. Once we left the safe harbour the sea greeted us with 1m swell and wind coming from all directions. I had limited opportunities to train on open sea, so the kayak leg was about surviving then concentrating on the perfect paddle stroke. Even due to challenging conditions I still managed to keep my placing. I can proudly say after that I am better paddler now :)

It was good to be on land again. The rain stopped as we headed off for 32 km mountain bike leg – my strongest discipline. The mtb course climbed and climbed and climbed more before descending down purposely built sweet single tracks in native bush. We have been warned about some parts of the track being very steep. Due to rain they also became muddy and it was little bit tricky to walk them down. The course suited me well with lots of climbing and I managed to gain couple of places. After 2 hrs of biking my bike’s drivetrain was getting really muddy so I was pleased to make it to the last transition without any technical problems.

Lucy cheered me up in the transition and I was away for the last leg – 9 km trail run. Now we were racing in the hottest part of the day so it was good to be running in the bush. Just as I was thinking that I did not have any cramps trouble, I ran past a guy who was obviously struggling due to cramps. I was glad that I adjusted my nutrition after my last race.
The clock stopped after 4hrs 8min. I finished 2nd in my age group.
Also those who placed within first 3 in their age group qualified for the elite race next day. I took that opportunity to race with NZ top multisporters like Usher, Hagener, Voyce... Those guys are just incredible. For me the second day was more about enjoying myself as I was pretty tired from previous day.

GOLD RUSH 2010

This year Lucy and I decided to team up for Goldrush. It is a 3 day, 375km Multi-sport event, set in the back country of Central Otago following the old trails opened up by the pioneers in their search for gold. It includes kayaking, mountain biking, running and road biking.
Lucy was very strong on all the MTB and road bike legs. I have also improved my kayaking times compare to previous year.
We managed to finished 3rd in open mix after almost 30 hours of racing.

2010 BIG DAY AT THE OFFICE RACE REPORT

It was already warm at 6:15 am when we were leaving Geraldine. I knew then it will be one hot race day. Since Lucy is 23 weeks pregnant we asked friend Derek to help with support, to carry kayak and bike gear around.
The first 40 km bike ride was a good warm-up. Before the race I was talking to a Timaru A-Grade rider and he was keen to go in to breakaway. Knowing that I chose to bike in my cycling shoes instead of running shoes and baskets so I can be more efficient. But nothing really happened. Later on I found out that he had some technical trouble. There was the usual chaos in the first transition and I could not find Derek – who supposed to take the bike off me. So I ran with bike until I saw Lucy. I was ready to take off, just the Camel Bag now. “OH shit!” Lucy sad “I left it in the car!” I never saw anyone 23 weeks pregnant run so fast! Few seconds later I was on my way to 24 km run over Mt.Sommers. The heat started to increase and I was glad for every river crossing – drinking out of every creek trying to get some extra fluids in. I usually don’t get cramps but on this super hot day, at the end of the run I could feel little signs of cramping. I could not wait to see Lucy and Derek at the next transition in Stavely – they had food, water and other goodies to get me back on track again. Half way through the 25 km bike ride to Rakaia Gorge I started to come right. The strength to the legs returned after the rough steep descent from the saddle and I could push it again. I was also expecting to pass someone or to be passed by team cyclists but from this run-bike transition I was on my own till the end of the race. At the end of this bike leg I was feeling good, which was good. I did not wanted to be tired kayaking down Rakaia River.
Next transition was very smooth – Lucy took the bike off me and we ran together to the river while putting on kayaking gear and eating at the same time. When we got to the river Derek was already waiting with the kayak in the water. Well done guys. The 18km of river paddle was my favourite part of the whole race. Water splashing of the paddle going through the rapids kept me cool in this unbelievably hot day. Because there was no one in sight to follow I had to wisely choose a brade and rely on my own. After over an hour it was good to see my support crew again in the transition. Derek pulled me out of the kayak and Lucy /still23 weeks pregnant!/ started to run with me while changing gear and eating again. From the river it was a short 2 km uphill run to bike.
During the last 10 km bike ride to the finish in Methven I looked at my bike computer and saw 33 dg. Celsius.
After 6hrs 37min of racing in very hot weather cold beer tasted sooooooo good.

Splits: bike 1:05:47 run 3:00:03 bike 54:10 kayak 1:05:11 bike32:19 total 6:37:30

Milan's 12hr Solo MTB

Non stop for 11h 44 min in the saddle.

FROST BUSTER, 2010

Results:

PEAK 2 PUB,Mt.Hutt, 2010

As part of my training I've competed in Mt.Hutt's Peak 2 Pub multisport race. What a epic weather we had! Compared to my last race 3 weeks ago - 12hrAR at Breamer station were we got caught in the middle of an storm - snow, wind, cold, whiteout,... you name it! The Peak2Pub started with 200m run to the skis in ski boots. Snowboarders had a little advantage as running in ski boots is not much fun. The giant slalom course was very fast and icy, I took it safely but was still keeping the race leader in my sight. It was good to be at front of the field and avoid the usual chaos at the ski-bike transition. With Lucy's help to get me out of the ski boots and on to my Cannondale I had pretty good transition and was 5.man out. The mountainbike leg is a 19km downhill blast. With TV3 helicopter above me I have slowly started to move up the field. Going in to the bike-run transition I was leading the field. Another fast transition and I was off on to a 11km run to Methven. As road running is not my strongest thing after 10 min I have been past by another runner, later on by another and another. With 3km to go we had an option to swim across /RDR/river canal, or to take longer, dryer route. I chose to swim. Multisport legend Steve Gurney was involved in organizing this years' race and it was his "surprise". I finished 4th overall.

Winter Training

The training is now well under way. It was good to have few weeks off after my last race of the season. I needed to recharge batteries, just chill out, catch up with friends..... Now I am back in the training mode - building a good base for the upcoming season. Luckily New Zealand winters are training friendly - we don't have 2 feet of snow on the roads to deal with, it is not -15 degrees, and the lakes do not freez over. It has been fun so far - good long MTB adventures with Lucy deep in to the hills, getting a kayak lesson from Ian Edmond, sweating on our new fluid wind trainer.... So far everything is going well. From August my coach Matty Graham is going to be looking after my training. Looking forward to that.