So our last day at Bright resulted in just the tiniest bit of rain catching up with us. Never mind, it was very minimal. On the other hand, the headwind on the way to Beechworth was not so minimal, but logic and experience told us that the tailwind home would be maximal, and it certainly was.
Now I am completely rooted. Buggered. Stuffed. Screwed. Me and my bed are getting well acquainted after some time apart and it's great. My to do list is growing but the energy required to do anything is just not with me today
So now I am looking forward to some hard training with a possible Sun Tour ride on the cards and the Warnie looming dangerously towards the end of October.
Other interesting news is the Jayco-VIS team for Tour of Tasmania has been boosted by some serious imports; Matt Wilson and Dave Tanner! I wish I was racing now!
And of course, Bobridge; what an amazing ride. Can't say much more than that
Bye for now.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
The hunt for Internet
Is finally over.
The brewery now has beer, coffee AND a wireless connection, I may never leave. As we speak, Langers and I are involved in a heavy couch, net and coffee session and only the most necessary biological functions (food, water, toilet) are capable of breaking the trance. Twitter, facebook, blogs, cyclingnews, and so on and so forth. Very important business is being tended too.
The training has been good and somehow we have avoided rain for the whole week! I am even getting in some base tan training for summer. Bonus.
The camp for me has consisted of
Sat-Oxley to Mansfield
Sun- Mansfield to Oxley, then into Wangaratta
Mon-Happy Valley (Gaps loop)
Tue-Falls Creek
Wed-Hotham
So not doing mega days, just stringing together a decent block to get me back up to speed.
Highlights
-Riding from Oxley to Mansfield, leaving at 4pm, hence riding the last hour of the fast and twisting descent into Mansfield in pitch black with a broken rear light and a pathetic front light. No really it was fun! Not in a "I might die but at least I'll do so in the idiotic irresponsible manner I always thought I would" kinda way, but in more of a "Well when they said mixing up your training was key to avoiding stagnation I bet that they didn't mean dark, cold, wet alpine descents with kangaroos running across thee road, geez I'm pretty hardcore (read: stupid)" kinda way.
-Urine samples for hydration testing, what? Am I really that dehydrated?!?!
-Bath Rasi with calamari, shrimp, chicken, beef and a fried egg at the Alpine Hotel
-Jasper coffee now at the brewery
-Aforementioned FREE wireless
-Sun
-Good hills
Lowlights
-Pat Lane breaking his collarbone in the High Country Road race
-Freezing Hotham Descent
-Still one more day of training to go! Argghh I'm getting tired now.
-Magpies. Not just any mapgies, these magpies are like left (and right) wing extremist magpies. Fearsome, malicious (much like tall Jan) Magpies. I hate them. I hate them all. My neck is sore from riding, looking over my shoulder, constantly waiting for the squawk and CRACK!
So one more day to go then it's home to carry out the uni holidays in style.
Ciao
PS- For those in the know, I read a funny quote written on the road while going up the Meg on Hotham Today:
"ULN-For the People"
Heck Yes. Clyde Time!
The brewery now has beer, coffee AND a wireless connection, I may never leave. As we speak, Langers and I are involved in a heavy couch, net and coffee session and only the most necessary biological functions (food, water, toilet) are capable of breaking the trance. Twitter, facebook, blogs, cyclingnews, and so on and so forth. Very important business is being tended too.
The training has been good and somehow we have avoided rain for the whole week! I am even getting in some base tan training for summer. Bonus.
The camp for me has consisted of
Sat-Oxley to Mansfield
Sun- Mansfield to Oxley, then into Wangaratta
Mon-Happy Valley (Gaps loop)
Tue-Falls Creek
Wed-Hotham
So not doing mega days, just stringing together a decent block to get me back up to speed.
Highlights
-Riding from Oxley to Mansfield, leaving at 4pm, hence riding the last hour of the fast and twisting descent into Mansfield in pitch black with a broken rear light and a pathetic front light. No really it was fun! Not in a "I might die but at least I'll do so in the idiotic irresponsible manner I always thought I would" kinda way, but in more of a "Well when they said mixing up your training was key to avoiding stagnation I bet that they didn't mean dark, cold, wet alpine descents with kangaroos running across thee road, geez I'm pretty hardcore (read: stupid)" kinda way.
-Urine samples for hydration testing, what? Am I really that dehydrated?!?!
-Bath Rasi with calamari, shrimp, chicken, beef and a fried egg at the Alpine Hotel
-Jasper coffee now at the brewery
-Aforementioned FREE wireless
-Sun
-Good hills
Lowlights
-Pat Lane breaking his collarbone in the High Country Road race
-Freezing Hotham Descent
-Still one more day of training to go! Argghh I'm getting tired now.
-Magpies. Not just any mapgies, these magpies are like left (and right) wing extremist magpies. Fearsome, malicious (much like tall Jan) Magpies. I hate them. I hate them all. My neck is sore from riding, looking over my shoulder, constantly waiting for the squawk and CRACK!
So one more day to go then it's home to carry out the uni holidays in style.
Ciao
PS- For those in the know, I read a funny quote written on the road while going up the Meg on Hotham Today:
"ULN-For the People"
Heck Yes. Clyde Time!
Friday, September 18, 2009
So 3 posts in one day might be a record, but,
Do up your skewers!
I was just searching through my old flickr site and came across this old photo of Tim Guy's Teschner.. ouch!
The mystery still remains to this day; we had done a bumpy, rough 12k descent, and like young foolish cyclists we absolutely flew down it! Then later on in the day Tim's wheel pops out on a straight smooth descent, the skewer was done up beforehand, mystery.
Foot in Mouth
Well, we have all heard about that smarmy chubby chef from Englang laughing it up over running a few blokes on bikes off the road have we not?
I have to share this response from another British sports editor
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cheiamlani/100001760/cyclists-should-thank-james-martin/
Brilliant, so well said.
With egg on his face and his tail between his legs Mr Martin is trying to save face while copping it from all sides!
Anyway, don't got looking for fights out on the road, go riding, eat food, do whatever, save your energy for things other than arguing.
Off to Bright, soon!
I have to share this response from another British sports editor
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cheiamlani/100001760/cyclists-should-thank-james-martin/
Brilliant, so well said.
With egg on his face and his tail between his legs Mr Martin is trying to save face while copping it from all sides!
Anyway, don't got looking for fights out on the road, go riding, eat food, do whatever, save your energy for things other than arguing.
Off to Bright, soon!
Always look on the Bright side of life
Time to pack up and head off for a nice stint up in the hills.
Uni holidays are on and it's time to catch up on some fitness I lost in my time off. Fingers crossed for some crisp mornings and warm sunny arvo's. Here is the trip checklist
1) Fish and Chips at the pub
2) Watch the footy at the pub
3) Play some pool at the pub
4) Drop vast amounts of money at Food Wine and Friends, the coffee haunt.
5) Do some serious climbing
6) Do some serious eating
7) Suffer in the inevitable wind and rain on our Beechworth Day
8) Get Fit
9) Try not to fracture pelvis
Can't wait!
And in more Bright/Cycling related news, I entered the Alpine Classic 250k last night; Bright, Hotham, Omeo, Falls Creek, Bright. Going to be a tough ride (Well der!). The Alpine classic weekend often gets a bad rep among 'elite' cyclists as a a weekend to steer clear from; fluoro vests, oversized saddle bags and highly upturned stems give us PRO (To steal a term from Wade) roadies nightmares for weeks afterwards. But seriously, I say let Participation Oriented Audaxers, and the Testosterised Road Nazis join together, just for this weekend. Two wheels good, four wheels bad, yeh? Diatribe aside, I've been in Bright for the past two Audax weekends and had a blast, so I recommend it to anyone.
To everyone who reads this (Hi mum!), go on, enter the 250 6:19 departure, let's get a good group going, last one to finish shouts beers at the brewery. Incentive enough, because there will be some thirsty cyclists.
I will give some more updates from Bright because once we finish our rides, there ain't a whole lot to do!
Ciao
Uni holidays are on and it's time to catch up on some fitness I lost in my time off. Fingers crossed for some crisp mornings and warm sunny arvo's. Here is the trip checklist
1) Fish and Chips at the pub
2) Watch the footy at the pub
3) Play some pool at the pub
4) Drop vast amounts of money at Food Wine and Friends, the coffee haunt.
5) Do some serious climbing
6) Do some serious eating
7) Suffer in the inevitable wind and rain on our Beechworth Day
8) Get Fit
9) Try not to fracture pelvis
Can't wait!
And in more Bright/Cycling related news, I entered the Alpine Classic 250k last night; Bright, Hotham, Omeo, Falls Creek, Bright. Going to be a tough ride (Well der!). The Alpine classic weekend often gets a bad rep among 'elite' cyclists as a a weekend to steer clear from; fluoro vests, oversized saddle bags and highly upturned stems give us PRO (To steal a term from Wade) roadies nightmares for weeks afterwards. But seriously, I say let Participation Oriented Audaxers, and the Testosterised Road Nazis join together, just for this weekend. Two wheels good, four wheels bad, yeh? Diatribe aside, I've been in Bright for the past two Audax weekends and had a blast, so I recommend it to anyone.
To everyone who reads this (Hi mum!), go on, enter the 250 6:19 departure, let's get a good group going, last one to finish shouts beers at the brewery. Incentive enough, because there will be some thirsty cyclists.
I will give some more updates from Bright because once we finish our rides, there ain't a whole lot to do!
Ciao
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Excercise makes you fat
That's right everyone! Throw away your bikes..
Nice piece of misleading journalism, who'd'a thunk it hey?
http://www.badscience.net/2009/08/health-warning-exercise-makes-you-fat/
Fighting the fat, one day at a time...
Nice piece of misleading journalism, who'd'a thunk it hey?
http://www.badscience.net/2009/08/health-warning-exercise-makes-you-fat/
Fighting the fat, one day at a time...
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Rocket Man
Well I am back on the bike and training with somewhat normality now which is great, but now it's time to do a bit of a business plug.
I have gotten myself involved with a new cycling clothing label named Rocket Man Design that's soon to be coming our way from the West of Australia. By next week I'll have some sample clothing and will be hauling myself around to a variety of different bikeshops to see who wants to stock this sweet looking new brand, hopefully I don't have to work too hard! Should be out and about at the Suntour sales or Bay Crits so come up and say g'day and try out the new gear.
The man in charge Rod Harding is doing an early bird special, offering free postage for anyone who wants to pre-order a jersey. They are selling for $65 a jersey but if you buy more than 5 it comes down to $60 a jersey. This runs till the 30th of September
Anyway, blatant plug over, and off to the gym for an epic pilates session on my severely underdeveloped left glute!
Got some snaps of the sample clothing
I have gotten myself involved with a new cycling clothing label named Rocket Man Design that's soon to be coming our way from the West of Australia. By next week I'll have some sample clothing and will be hauling myself around to a variety of different bikeshops to see who wants to stock this sweet looking new brand, hopefully I don't have to work too hard! Should be out and about at the Suntour sales or Bay Crits so come up and say g'day and try out the new gear.
The man in charge Rod Harding is doing an early bird special, offering free postage for anyone who wants to pre-order a jersey. They are selling for $65 a jersey but if you buy more than 5 it comes down to $60 a jersey. This runs till the 30th of September
Anyway, blatant plug over, and off to the gym for an epic pilates session on my severely underdeveloped left glute!
Got some snaps of the sample clothing
Saturday, September 5, 2009
On the Road Again
Well,
The two weeks of ergo training turned out to be just one week. Thank god.
I am back on the road and loving every minute of it. Had a nice ride today, mostly solo to Frankston with a little stretch at 58kph (!!) when the tailwind driven hell ride passed me at Carrum, the bunch was looking big and messy, it's going to be hectic come summer time. The ride back, for me, was not so quick..but the battle against the wind was worth it as Dan B, Diesel Dylan, Steve Robb and yours truly chilled out in the sun at Threshers talking shit. The coffee shop is universally agreed upon as the most integral part to any serious cyclists regime, but it's just not the same when you are injured and hobble your way down to the coffee shop, something about the combination of a bit of fatigue and the joy of stewing in your own stench (much to the malign of those around you hey Wendy!) that really uplifts the whole experience. Just to top it all of I am getting pretty darn excited at the thought of heading out towards Kinglake tomorrow, so very happy now!
Now I battle the clock and my lack of fitness to get some sort of form up and running before the next block of racing.
Wish me luck, I'll need it!
Cheers.
The two weeks of ergo training turned out to be just one week. Thank god.
I am back on the road and loving every minute of it. Had a nice ride today, mostly solo to Frankston with a little stretch at 58kph (!!) when the tailwind driven hell ride passed me at Carrum, the bunch was looking big and messy, it's going to be hectic come summer time. The ride back, for me, was not so quick..but the battle against the wind was worth it as Dan B, Diesel Dylan, Steve Robb and yours truly chilled out in the sun at Threshers talking shit. The coffee shop is universally agreed upon as the most integral part to any serious cyclists regime, but it's just not the same when you are injured and hobble your way down to the coffee shop, something about the combination of a bit of fatigue and the joy of stewing in your own stench (much to the malign of those around you hey Wendy!) that really uplifts the whole experience. Just to top it all of I am getting pretty darn excited at the thought of heading out towards Kinglake tomorrow, so very happy now!
Now I battle the clock and my lack of fitness to get some sort of form up and running before the next block of racing.
Wish me luck, I'll need it!
Cheers.
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