Anthony McIntosh
I have to say that I was really impressed with last year's Bootcamp.
Staying with other riders at the base caravan park in Porepunkah was terrific, the rider support was great (even if I did frustrate a couple of them with my numerous flat tyres - a few lessons learned on my behalf there!), I managed to make it to all the seminars, which was terrific, and the organisation of the rides, briefings etc was first rate. 

I tend to only undertake activities if I can see them improving me in some way, so, accordingly, Nov 2010 will be my fourth Bootcamp.  It has helped enormously with my cycling in the directions I've taken it.  For example, goals that I have hit, or have been aiming for in recent/current years:
Audax Alpine Classic 2009 200km (completed); Audax Alpine Classic Extreme 2010 250km (completed); 2010 commence track racing (done); 2010 Masters Cycling Ballarat (Sept forthcoming).

Looking forward to November and hope once again we get a great bunch of riders and glorious weather!

Cheers, Anthony


Jon Wilson

I went for a ride yesterday to Mordy and back and I've never gone up ricketts point hill so well (without a tail wind!). I feel stronger on the hills now and I seem to last longer on the flat - so something good must have happened. My legs feel fine also. I've told a few of my business acquaintances  about the boot camp, however they look at me a little strangely and wonder why on earth anyone would want to do such a thing! I suppose its hard to explain the enjoyment I get from being out in the open and stretching my self physically?, or possibly you do have to be a bit crazy!  Thanks again.

Laurie Paltridge

Just wanted to let you know the boot camp has had very positive results with me in my past three of races. All the coaching on descending, cornering & bunch riding plus the added strength let me get into the “Pink” jersey as the leader in the Sth West series goes from MT Gambier across to Colac. This weekend the courses were quiet hard with plenty of up & downs & around corners at the bottom of descents which where the Boot Camp really kicked in. Really looking forward to “Racing Right” camp, as there is a great feeling in getting better! There has been a fair bit of talk about me doing the camp & my improvement. Thanks also for the cycling tips each week they are a big help. See you at the Tour of Coleraine.

Josh Goodall

David,

I thought the camp was fantastic - exactly what I wanted, well managed, and intelligently structured for riders of all abilities - even accommodating a big bloke like myself, born more to play rugby than climb mountains on two wheels!

I was inspired enough to tackle the Three Peaks Challenge. The whole distance. I know, I know, Jodie was suggesting your novice racing clinic for that day, but I had the Alpine itch now and had to scratch it. Most of all, I wanted to see the top of Mount Hotham! You'll recall that on camp we turned around at the gates as the weather closed in.

Well, the weather for the 3PC was horrific, but the peak of Hotham I did indeed reach. I recalled your comment about the climb ("sometimes when I'm going up here I wonder to myself - 'why was I doing this again?'"). That exposed summit in driving rain, hail and 50km/h crosswinds was a thorough test of mind, body, bicycle maintenance and quality thermal clothing. But there I was. I raised a fist to the mountain and the elements and then hurried along to Dinner Plain as briskly as seemed sensible.

You might remember that I'm a climber of the slow-but-stubborn variety. And after Mt Hotham nothing could faze me again, so I just kept going and going until dark (rain still bucketing down) when the marshals stopped anyone lacking Audax-scale lighting. According to my HRM this was at 209.3km after 9.5h of riding, 11h elapsed. Pleased to say that I didn't walk any of it, unlike many who got off for CRB Hill and for the Mt-Baw-Baw-style horror that is the start of the Bogong High Plains Road.

On that last bus we were pretty happy (albeit slightly resentful) to have been forced to halt rather than sagging off!

Without the inspiration, guidance, and most certainly the power-endurance training of the Bright Boot Camp, I'd never even have tried. I plan to be back next year*, both for another edition of the Boot Camp and to complete my unfinished business with the 3PC!

So thanks to you and Jodie (and your crew) for a marvellous and truly inspirational four days in riding heaven.

All the very best.

Josh Goodall

* "ten percent lighter, ten percent stronger: twenty-one percent faster!"

p.s. I encountered Bill from the same boot camp on the Hotham climb! He was going strong toward the summit. Please pass on to him my best regards.

Lisa Karu

David, Jodie & Support riders,
 
Thank-you all for a fantastic four days of cycling.  This was my first boot camp experience but definitely not my last.  I have ridden the mountains in Bright before (such as the Alpine Classic) but this boot camp took the whole experience to another level.  The combination of challenging rides in small groups, beautiful scenery, excellent support, friendly fellow cyclists and informative lectures was perfect - I would recommend this camp to anyone who loves cycling and wants to improve their performance -be warned, you need to be fit!   I learnt so much on this camp from both the lectures, support riders and fellow cyclists.    A big thank-you to all those in Group 3 who provided me with laughs and conversation along the way.  Oh and big thank-you to Mick for your generosity and humour in the support van, you were unreal and also to Marina (your massage was more painful than the rides).   The camp has given me a lot more confidence as a rider and I am determined to come back faster and stronger next time! 

Laurie Paltridge

Hi David & Jodie

I had a fantastic time! It was a shock to me climbing Mt Buffalo & I must admit I thought I was an idiot for doing something as hard as this especially when Buffalo is supposedly the easy climb. If I’d been on my own I’m sure I would’ve stopped halfway up but with all the encouragement from the support crew I made it & then what a sense of achievement & satisfaction. Mentally it’s the toughest hour & quarter I’ve ever done. The new knowledge I got about my body & mind was amazing. Patience is one thing I didn’t have a lot of but have now. From then on the rides just got better & better with the skills ,knowledge, help &encouragement we received from you & the support staff. When I got home & down loaded all my data it truly amazed me what I had achieved, coming from flat windy Port Fairy with one hill 1km long to doing these great climbs. Meeting like minded people was great, as they came from all over Australia. I shared a cabin with 2 repeat “Boot Camp” riders which was truly a great experience. I will be back again.

Thanks again. See you at the “Tour of Coleraine”

Regards

Laurie

Peter Coulson

Thanks for a great camp.  I'll most certainly come back next feb. Had a great time and loved those hills. 
 
I'll leave Chris behind next time but would guess he will be racing with Radioshack by then anyway.  ha
 
Top time. Loved it.
 
Pencil me in for the double bed in the house next time.

Jon Wilson

Hi David and Jodie

I would like to thank you very much for a great 4 days of cycling, i throughly enjoyed my self, learnt alot more about hill climbing and descending, fitness and bicycle maintenance, plus I met a wonderful group people.

You have assembled a great bunch of people for your support staff (who truely earnt their "support" title). A special thanks has to go to Chris for helping me up Tawonga gap on the return journey -  although I was just about knackered he taught me alot about hill climbing and I think I imporved after that - ceratinly monday and tuesday were much better for me. Thanks to Mikey for making me laugh even on the climbs.

Also a special thanks to you David fo helping me up the Falls Hill, I was just about to give up a couple of times (you might remember I let go a couple of expeletives!), but your steady support beside me was just fantastic - you were always willing to let me have a go and support me - so thank you again.

Jodie you did a fantastic job with the minutiae of the organisation for the 4 days and it was very much appreciated.

Once again, congratulations on following your dream and bringing the event to reality. In the modern vernacular - "it was an awesome 4 days".

Kind regards
Jon Wilson

PS: I don't know how I did it on that first day, but I've already stuck my "King of the Mountain" name tag up on the office wall - every dog must have its day, and guess that's my cycling day!

Genevieve Southerland

Thanks once again for a great Boot Camp. I knew what I was in for and have recovered much better this time. The support and accommodation was terrific. Thanks for the extra freebies and your encouragement gift to me acknowledging my improvement since last camp. Also 'tickled pink' with my poka dot name tag for QOM this time. Them there mountains will call me back again for another Boot Camp I'm sure.
 
Many Thanks Genevieve

Gary

Hi David,

Very much in recovery mode this week. Had a easy E2 trainer ride last night, only upped the pace once to coincide with a stage finish on dvd [TdF 2009] - I couldn't stop myself!! - cavendish's 2nd last stage win, and I had an early night and slept until the alarm went off next morning. Still weary this morning. Hope to get out on the road tomorrow and/or Sunday.

Enjoyed the bright weekend v much, wish I'd been fitter, there is always next year and I'll have 12mths of marina under my belt. Thanks to all, Jodie did a great job as did all the riders. Speak to you soon re: riding position. Thanks, again, Gary.

John Eltakchi - NSW
Hi David and Jody, The three days I shared with friends at the boot camp was amazing. For me it was a mental and physical challenge. Day two climbing up to falls creek, the return climb i was climbing up Tawonga gap at 5 kh on the saddle i would see the sweat drop of my face onto the bike, The support riders were very helpful. There simple comment ' You can do it john" help me to keep on climbing. Mik the van driver was a classic always with a great smile and a strong hand shake. Thanks again David and Jodie hope to see at the next bright camp.

Regards,

John Eltakchi.

Robert Eltobbagi - NSW
I attended the camp not knowing what I was up for, but I soon discovered that it was going to be an extremely difficult camp.

Before I get into expressing how difficult it was, I think it is more important to emphasis what a well organised, well supported and enjoyable four days it was. Both David and Jodie were fantastic. It was wonderful to be a part of a camp where the organisers always had a smile on their face and were willing to provide that extra support when needed (and trust me, you do need it!!!). The support riders were GREAT. They each provided valuable tips during the rides, and they were always somewhere in your site. This does help when you think you are all alone riding up what appeared to be never ending mountains. And who can forget about Mick (van driver). His humour and encouragement ensured the days were also enjoyable. I suppose that is what it was all about!

The rides were difficult, but I suppose it depends on each individuals fitness and experience. I have not been riding too long, so the camp was tough. But, I thoroughly enjoyed it and only makes me want to return next year to challenge these mountains once more. Unless I conquer them, I will not be able to say that I am satisfied with my efforts.

I am definitely a better rider after the camp, not only from the road trips but also from the many tips and notes provided during the afternoon seminars.

Thanks David. Thanks Jodie.


Andrew Hodges - Singapore
Your Bright Boot Camp would rate the highest amongst the events we have attended. From an organization, safety, value and fun perspective, it was right up there. You used processes and techniques to control a crowd of riders that you hadn’t seen before, and with varied skill levels, giving them a quality experience. The fact that you ran this as a training camp, and enhanced it with tough rides, and great and credible coaches deserves mention as well.

Anna Sutton - VIC
Great riding and a great group-just the thing to get the engine turning over again.

Martin Bicknell - QLD
Thanks for putting on a great camp. I'm not a big fan of hills being 83kg but enjoyed the four days nevertheless. Great people, great scenery, fantastic weather and very well organised. Thanks again and hopefully see you next November. Cheers, Martin Bicknell

Jennifer Brown - VIC
Thank you for organising and hosting the November 2009 Bright Boot Camp, it has left a wonderful impression on me. A fantastic setting and daily challenges supported by talented and friendly cyclists. A great group of people. I achieved more than I expected for my fitness level and increased my confidence and skills at descending. Thanks to the informative lectures, I now realise the importance of core and functional strength, and deliberate training zones to cycling performance. My focus has been enhanced, and I look forward to returning to Bright in January for the Alpine Classic.

Paul Caldwell
Firstly thanks to you and Jodie together with your support team for putting on a fantastic 4 days of training.I personally felt I benefited from the Boot Camp in many ways including the training,the seminars as well as the opportunity to talk to your support riders who were all very approachable and only too happy to answer any question anyone had. I have in the back of my mind that I will need to come back next year as I feel I have some unfinished business with the Mount Hotham climb.

Denise Bennett - VIC
Thanks to you and Jodie for a great weekend.  

Jim Tsaganas, VIC
David, Jodie and the support riders,
Thank you all for your efforts in delivering another awesome Bright Boot Camp. The gods blessed us all with great weather, powerful climbing legs and strong brakes! A personal achievement on my part, can't wait to beat my times next time. Will be convincing more of my riding buddies to come up with me next year.

Chris Pennifold, QLD
Hi Jodie, David & Team
Well I have just returned from what must be the best four days of cycling since I can remember. The team were great, my fellow riders were great, the weather was great... everything was great! I will definitely return for yet another instalment of Alpine training from the Inform-Cycling Team - Absolutely superb and "Hats off" to all of you!

Stephan Millet
David, Jodie & support team,
A very belated note to express my thanks for organising such a fantastic Boot Camp in Feb 2009 (great pics BTW). Many things are outside of one's control, 43 degree days, bush fires, fog, rain and the quality of coffee at Bright.  Though the things that were within your control were well organised, smoothly run and done in a way that all I needed to do was ride and enjoy the scenery. My goal entering this was just to finish. Having never done 3 days of hills back to back, and with fresh memories of Mount Buffalo nearly killing me 6 months prior, just getting to Tuesday morning would spell success. A goal that I happly acheived and left me wanting more. Thanks for the best 4 day endorphine rush I've had to date. See you in all again in March where I hope to be competitive in group 2.
 
Cheers
Stephan Millet, Networking Guy at large.

Chris Pennifold - QLD
What an excellent four days of cycling! I found the terrain hard, challenging, breathtaking and fantastic! I have learnt a great deal from both the instructor/support riders as well as other cyclists that attended the camp. A special mention to Marina without her massaging skills I wouldn’t have got through the four days. This camp has filled me with confidence as well as providing a clear indication as to where I am and what I need to do to get to the next step! I am intending to make some significant gains upon my return to Buffalo. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience, even the pain! We had many laughs at each other, about each other and amongst each other – overall a fantastic time and looking forward to the next time.

Mark Landells - QLD
Well I think I am officially a Bright Boot Camp junky now – this was my third Boot Camp and probably the toughest in terms of the conditions we faced. In spite of this, I just loved my four days in beautiful Bright and the riding was as usual, awesome. This four day camp is something that should be a recurring event in every serious cyclist’s training calendar. In my opinion Bright should be made the cycling Mecca for Australia – true alpine climbs, beautiful mountain scenery and open country roads. David and Jodie have this four day camp nailed for all round organisation, great support riders, very relevant lectures and excellent hospitality… and all this at a very reasonable price. If you are a serious cyclist and want to take your riding to the next level whilst riding with likeminded and motivated people, the Bright Boot Camp is a must do event. See you next year guys… I can’t wait!!

Priscilla Cutter - VIC
As a first time Boot Camper and battling a few post accident demons, my goal was to reach the top of Mt Buffalo. On a new bike and relatively untrained, I attained that goal but only through the perseverance of David & the support mentor and motivator extraordinaire 'Mick' who unleashed my 'inner positive self' and coerced me to finish the last 4kms. I can't express in words the feeling of self confidence that has ebbed back into my riding since. And as added 'gravy' for me was the ride up Towonga Gap the following day, where Jodie discovered my 'third lung' capability and taught me some invaluable one-on one descending skills. Out-take. Complete, with vital warm ups from Matt Brindle and some excellent positive thinking skills from Brendan Rowbotham I will definitely set myself a goal to train for right Jan 2010 with renewed confidence. Thank you, here's to next year.

Lloyd Killmore - VIC
An amazing 4 days on the bike. It is a time to forget about traffic lights and getting to work on time. With full vehicle support, your only focus is on reaching the many summits. A truly challenging and rewarding experience.
Cheers, Lloyd

Bill Bailey - WA
Hi David and Jodie, Thanks for a great 4 day camp - I will remember it for a long time and may well be back on another one. It has changed my view on enjoying climbing while you are actually climbing rather than enjoying the satisfaction at the end of a climb. The difference is climbing in the Perth hills is generally hot with sandy bush/scrub to look at which is pretty dull compared to climbing through the alpine region of Victoria where there are actually bends in the road and  beautiful scenery with hardly any traffic and certainly no semi-trailers. I would give a special thanks also to Brendan (or Snowy as i have learnt he is called by some of his old mates in the West) and Mad Mick and Marina for all the encouragement and entertainment they gave us.

Mick Day - Malvern, VIC
I'll get on line later this week and do a proper thank you, but just want to say what a great time I had. If ever you need any support riders for weekend stuff don't hesitate to ask. Absolutely loved it and can't wait to hit the nongs on the weekend ... or maybe Baw Baw. Mick

Mark Landells - Brisbane, QLD
Only 5 days to go...I can hardly wait to return to Bright for what has to be one of the best cycling camps in Australia.

Neil Kinder - Hampton, VIC
Hi David, Once again you and Jodie have put together a great cycling training camp. On returning this year from last it gave me a bench mark of my improved performance. It was a tough second day climbing Falls Creek and home again back over the Tawonga Gap. But it all came together on the Hotham and the final spin around the Gap Loop. Thanks to the support riders for the encouragement and coaching. Great people and fun all round. Thank you. Neil Kinder.
 
Steve Taylor - NSW
Thanks so much to you, Jodie & your crew for a great time. To make things even better I returned home to receive an early Christmas/Birthday present from my wife of a new bike (Specialised) to replaced my trusty “Trek”. She thought if I could survive the Alpine rides I deserved a better bike. Can life get any better?

Rene van Woerkom - Singapore
Coming from Singapore, where the highest 'hill' takes you up maybe 60 meters, going to the Bright Boot Camp really gave me back the feeling of what it means to ride uphill. The Nov '08 boot camp had rides and riders which offered a challenge to each single participant; whether it was to simply finish the ride or to climb a certain hill in a predetermined pace. I enjoyed the Boot Camp very much and was often amazed by the beauty of the terrain that we crossed. Melbourne Cup weekend '09 is already highlighted in my calendar.

Genevieve Sutherland - VIC
I had a terrific Bright Boot camp and am still recovering. We were very lucky with 3 days of good weather and one day of weather disaster that proved we were really in the mountains. The accommodation in the cabins was excellent and especially having the pool there after the rides. The hall and seminars were also very good including the light hearted spot prizes from the quick quiz. Special highlights for me were 1. Mick in the support vehicle 2. Brendan as a support rider and inspiring seminar presentation 3. Meeting other riders and hearing their stories 4. The pool. Many thanks I did really enjoy my boot camp and it holds many great memories. I may even return, just still recovering at the moment.

Jessica Douglas - VIC
Hi Jodie and David, Still enjoying my time up here in Bright but just did a light 1 hour ride on MTB today. Will ride a couple of laps of the Gravity 12 hour course tomorrow and then race in pair on Saturday for 12 hrs. This week has been great and has pin pointed to me that I really do need to do more bunch riding with all the painful surges and vo2 max/e3 B.C.R(big chain ring) efforts that come with it. Thanks for the opportunity to ride these EPIC rides with support and facilitating a great four days of riding. Hope you are well recovered, sort of! Have a great time away in NZ. Regards, Jess.

Peter May - VIC
I was remarking to people yesterday, that looking back on the camp, I was even happier than on Tuesday – probably because I was pretty tired by the end of the rides. Of course that was the idea. I really appreciate the work that goes into organising and running this kind of event and from the riders viewpoint it was extremely rewarding.

Anthony McIntosh - VIC
G'day David - had a great time on the Nov '08 Boot Camp as per '07. Clearly, the quality of support had risen several notches which was pleasing to see. From a participant perspective, the 4 days ran very well. Terrific people as well, as usual. Am already looking forward to BBC November '09!

Dr Ruben Branson - VIC
I really enjoyed the boot camp and would certainly plan to come back and give it another go. Need to win KOM next time so may do some hill training before I arrive!

Chris Ludlam - NSW
Thank you to the whole team for the "seamless" running of the whole four days, and for the "on road" coaching by Brendan, Danny and Andy which I found great. These simple tips around cadence especially are improving my riding already, and the increase in strength [following such an intense four days] is already noticeable to me, despite the fact that I trained fairly hard before embarking on Bright. I would love to come back for the next one, and would certainly bring the wife and kids as the camp with its pool and slides, and the area generally offered plenty to do. On the cycling front, the next step for me is to embark upon a "remote" training block with Brendan and yourself [David Heatley] and then I'll be truly ready to take on Hotham again with the dreaded "Mig" and "razorback". Thanks again for a truly memorable time, it was great to immerse myself in cycling with like minded people and get such sound advice from the top class riders in the support team. Best regards, Chris Ludlam

Brendan Rowbotham - VIC
It was a great camp - even from a support rider perspective! It was great to meet so many new people who love cycling and to see personally the efforts of participants to make it up all those climbs. 4 days of climbing starts to test even the fittest riders - thank you. Brendan

Pierre Pesenti - NSW
Many thanks for the fantastic camp and all the great memories.

Anthony McIntosh - VIC
I'll be registering for the November Bright Boot Camp, as per '07. The McIntosh & Van Slobbe families have already secured accommodation in Bright for the occasion, such is the importance of this event on our time-poor cycling calendars! Since the 07 Camp, my riding has gone from strength to strength. Did the Holden High Country 173km classic yesterday up Mt Buller. A piece of cake! (Well, not quite, but had plenty in the tank at the top). Am looking forward to riding another great bunch of people.

Phil & Sue Cox - VIC
Well, what can we say........a fantastic 'Long' weekend at the Bright Boot Camp and although not completing the whole four days, Sue and I did get to ride approx 265kms over a 3 day period.

Congratulations to everyone at Cycling-Inform for arranging such a professionally run long weekend. We are not going to say we thought any stage was easy, on the contrary, both Sue and I found it very challenging.

Having a 'Criterium racing' background we certainly noticed the more than a bump or two in the road. I guess we now have some idea just how difficult it is competing in road races here and throughout Europe. We wanted for nothing on the weekend, as everything was arranged and available for us...from the accommodation to the beautiful scenery. The seminars held each day after our day of riding were informative and quite entertaining.

We were very fortunate to ride alongside Sharon Laws the 2nd place getter in the Australian National Road Championships. Sharon was talking to us and giving us some tips for road races as we travelled along the roads and hill climbs around Bright. We would also like to personally thank Andy for making sure we did get to finish the hill climbs. He climbed with me all the way and talked me through it to the finish line. I am used to finishing my races in approx 45minutes not 3 to 4 hours.

Since our return home, Sue has definitely benefited from the Boot Camp by taking out 1st place in our clubs criteriums (CCCC) on Tuesday night in 'D' grade at Sandown Raceway.

Many thanks to David, Jodie and crew we will certainly be back for the next one!

Mark Cleary - VIC
Really enjoyed the 4 days & definitely got some good info to apply in coming months.

Mark - QLD
I am really looking forward to the challenge and can't wait to get back to have a go at Mt Hotham!

Dave Anton - VIC
This was an awesome four days of riding. I got to meet a group of top blokes and learnt quite a few tips from the experience of the other riders. Riding up Hotham was the absolute highlight. When the guys I was riding with arrived near the top (where the mountain opens up like a European climb) it was simply a buzz. I can't explain how much fun it was to climb a mountain such as this with a group of riders with a similar ability pushing each other up the hill. The forums were very interesting and informative particularly the "Bike Fit" and "Core Strength" sessions. I have a new found confidence and can't wait for my next challenge.

Bruce Young, VIC
Thanks for a great weekend, well organized, some challenging rides, fun and informative. Please pass on our thanks to support riders Olaf & Aaron – they did a great job, as did Rus. Thanks to all.

Tim Farley – VIC
Just a quick note to again say thanks for the great weekend of riding!  Erin and I had a great time in Bright, despite the wetter than wet first 2 days.  In that respect it really was a Boot Camp ;)  The final 2 days definitely made up for the initial bad weather, with Hotham definitely being the highlight of camp. Being a heavier rider, hills are not a strong point for me, so getting through the 4 days has left me with a huge sense of achievement.  I will be riding in the Tour of Bright in December along with some others riding in Fujitsu colours, so am sure I will have benefited enormously from the training rides and nutrition tips provided by your camp. Thanks again to you both and also to the rest of the support crew, and hopefully we will see you guys out on the road, or perhaps even at the track.

Carey Goodall - SA
Just a short note to sincerely thank you both for organizing what was for me a rewarding and memorable experience. The terrain was inspiring, and was always going to be a challenge for a relative newcomer to cycling like myself. Nevertheless, having survived the harder rides I will now approach the next few months of recreational events with some new found confidence and a desire to keep improving. Given the general standard of riders I saw at the camp I obviously have heaps of room left! The seminars were excellent and enlightening. I am particularly grateful for your generosity which you showed in sharing your knowledge about various aspects of riding while we were on the road to and from Falls. That was the sort of guidance you can’t get by just reading a book or watching a dvd. The support crew were also great when things got cold and wet, so please thank them for their efforts on my behalf. If the camp is on again next year I would seriously consider coming again to see if I can at least progress to the B team! Many thanks once again and well done.

Neil Kinder – VIC
Many thanks. The camp was great. Some big improvements to my technique , performance and cycling confidence were made. The highlight was definitely Mt Hotham. Your planning , organisation and execution of the event was outstanding.

Ashley Pettit – VIC
Just a quick note to say I had a great time at the camp on the weekend, despite the rain on the first two day. I'm just kicking myself I didn't push myself on the last day, I could have made it back from Mt Beauty and even attempted falls, but I psyched myself out of it. But I had a top weekend, it really gave me an indication of where I'm at and what training I need to more of . . . climbs and more climbs. But this year for me is really about weight loss. Looking forward to January now to see what improvements I can make. Hopefully I can improve my time up Buffalo.

Judith Cahill - VIC
Just a note on my thoughts on Bright Boot camp attended in November this year.

Arrival – It was great to meet a couple of riders at the registration and everything was well organized and the same can be said for the information we received prior to the commencement of the camp.

Day One – Buffalo, having both climbed this before, we were familiar with the climb and it was certainly a good day for the ascent, good support at the top. The evening seminar was Jace Drain and he was interesting and provided a good coverage of nutrition. 

Day Two – We piked the ride, but Brendan Rowbotham was excellent and we both gained a lot from this talk. Unfortunately we didn’t stay for the next lecture as we wanted to get home and rest. (It had been a tough day sightseeing in Beechworth!)

Day Three – Hotham. I was absolutely paranoid about this climb and support rider Pete helped a lot in the initial stages of the ascent, and I would appreciate you passing my thanks onto him as I had been fretting about the climb a lot over the preceding days. Again having support vehicles with warm clothing was invaluable as was just having people in cars on the way up, providing some encouragement. We missed the lecture as we had a great spa at our accommodation and rewarded ourselves after the climb by getting into the spa.

Day Four – Tawonga and Falls – Love this day although it was tough on tired legs. We were both happy to get to the end.

Overall we are both glad we enrolled and completed the four days (well three days of riding), I would love to do it again next year. I enjoyed the challenge of day after day of riding hills and it was certainly tought, but we never felt rushed or felt like we were holding anyone up which was important for me as I hate feeling like I am making people wait. The lectures we attended.

Highlights for me were:-

1. - Riding Mt Hotham
2. - The Talk by Brendan Rowbotham
3. - The support we received on the way
4. - The excellent organisation – even receiving SMS messages on any changes in the rides.

Both of you should be congratulated on your organisation of the four days and keeping everyone informed on any changes.

Thanks again for a fun!!! weekend of riding.