Since discovering cycling as a way to keep fit when the gyms closed amid the lockdown in 2020, Brendan Langenbaker has thrown himself into the pursuit full throttle.
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To the extent that on Saturday he will join fellow Tamworth cyclists Luke Deasey and Mark Jeffrey on the starting line of one of the countries' most iconic races - the Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic.
The second oldest one day cycling event in the world and oldest in the Southern Hemisphere, it will be a 267km test of attrition.
The longest [one-day] race the 27-year old has attempted, speaking to The Leader from Melbourne on Friday after making the 14 hour journey south on Thursday, Langebaker said it was "pretty nerve-racking but exciting at the same time".
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He knows it is "going to hurt" but spoke of the "hurt factor" and that challenge of pushing himself to the extreme, as one of the appeals of having a crack at the race.
"It's a bucket list thing," he continued.
"Last year I saw it (on tv) and I thought I want to do it this year. So I spoke to my coach and we started training."
He has since Christmas really ramped up the training, there's been a lot more intensity and he's been doing longer distance rides of a weekend.
"I did a big ride a couple of weeks ago, 203km solo, to set myself up," he said.
It was a timely confidence boost with Langenbaker commenting that he "felt great" after it.
He hasn't set himself any time benchmarks or anything.
"My biggest thing is I want to stay with the front group for as long as possible," he said.
Looking at about seven-and-a-half hours in the saddle, there is a lot to manage outside of the actual race that adds to the challenge. Things like food and hydration, not just during, but also before and after.
"Food's a massive key to success. You've just got to keep eating throughout a big event like that," Langenbaker said.
"You can't feel hungry, if you feel hungry it's too late."
You've also "got to stay hydrated".
He and Jeffrey will compete in the C grade race while Deasey will contest the National Road Series (NRS) men's division.
It will be his second 'Warnie' after competing in last year's race, which was originally meant to be in February but was postponed on race eve after the state was plunged into a snap lockdown, Deasey having to make the mad dash back before the borders shut.
Retuning in May, he "got dropped at 200km" but went on to finish inside the top 100, crossing in a group just over 16 minutes behind the winner.
"It was my first NRS race last year so a big stepping stone," he said.
As far as this year, he'll see how things play out but is keen to see how deep he can go (with the main bunch).
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