Well the last couple of months I have been mulling over what would be best for next year.
Given I am tired and can't think of anything highly creative/amusing it's just a plain ol delivery of facts:
1) Finish Bachelor of Commerce next year. Back to full time. Time to get organised again. If I don't buckle down and finish it I never will!
2) Race for an aussie team. In the end this meant trading up what gave me the best opportunities but in the end I decided to leave the Victorian Institute of Sport and race for Genesys Wealth Advisors
So 2011 brings continued gym, physio and pilates work, a whole load of Economics and Management study and a bunch of racing in Australia and Asia with a new team and a bunch of great guys. Can't wait.
Ciao,
Jono
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
The Dumplings the Czech and the V Train
Situation:
Friday Night, Preston, 6:00pm, Face deep in pig livers and soup dumplings; Cam Woolcock recieves a phone call.
"It's Sir Stuart Vaughan, he has two spare tickets to the track world cup tonight"
"Shit yes!"
So after hoovering our food in record fashion we saddled up and raced down high street and punt road to see the last two hours of track racing.
A summary:
-Elimination races are hilarious to watch. It's like a pantomime on wheels, so much fun. We need more!
-Anna Meares is huge and muscly. Pretty amazing athlete!
-Chris Hoy is even huger and muscly-er. Terrifying almost.
-Not a massive crowd, maybe the ticket prices were a touch steep? No infield bar? Hell, the Melbourne Cup on Wheels on Friday has my vote, more racing AND the infield bar. Nice.
So fast forward twenty four hours and I am cruising down beach road at midday and I see a guy kitted up in the Czech Republic colours with calves bigger than my head (ego included), oh shit, he must be a trackie! And yep, he was racing the night before so a convo ensued;
Czech- " Oh hi, you race much at all, I see you have Belgique bike" (reference to my Museeuw bike)
Me- "Oh yeah but just on the road, not on the track, you race track yeh?
Czech- "Yeh I racing the World Cup on the Track, you know it"
Me- "Of course, I was watching you finish the omnium last night, making you race the kilo TT when aleady out of the medals is cruel, that looked so hard!"
Czech- "Oh its very shit, so f**king hard, I want it over"
skip some boring convo
Czech- "Oh I see your team, Marco Polo, you know Pavel Stuchlik from Czech Republic?" (Pavel was a stagiare with our team this year, having lived with him for a month you could say I know him!)
Me- "Yes of course I know him!"
Czech- "*laughter* In Czech Republic we all one big family, everyone friend"
And we jabbered on some more, enjoying the sun and warm weather. His program sounds a bit bloody strenuous. 27 hours flying down to Australia, racing two days later, finish two days of non stop omni-liscious circular agony then jump back on the plane for 27 hours to the Czech Republic. Train outdoors* in the Snow for a week, then jump on the plane for a good 30 hours of travel to the next World Cup in Columbia. Try telling this guy that globalisation of cycling is a good thing!
*Note, I asked him about training indoors versus outdoors in winter and he said, "I train outdoors all the time unless really snow, I f**king hate, how do you say, yes ergometer, argh, so shit." I concur my good man, I concur.
But I love in this network how someone always knows someone who knows someone else who knows you. I guess we are just one big family. Group hug anyone?
And to finish a big thanks to the V-Train for those tickets. What a legend, the guy never stops giving (also turn off your sarcasm meter because I am being serious here). And his even better half, Wiki-Tills*, was there of course.
*Matilda can hereby be known as Wiki-Tills because she knows everything about the track. Everything!
Ride Time.
Ciao,
Jono
Friday Night, Preston, 6:00pm, Face deep in pig livers and soup dumplings; Cam Woolcock recieves a phone call.
"It's Sir Stuart Vaughan, he has two spare tickets to the track world cup tonight"
"Shit yes!"
So after hoovering our food in record fashion we saddled up and raced down high street and punt road to see the last two hours of track racing.
A summary:
-Elimination races are hilarious to watch. It's like a pantomime on wheels, so much fun. We need more!
-Anna Meares is huge and muscly. Pretty amazing athlete!
-Chris Hoy is even huger and muscly-er. Terrifying almost.
-Not a massive crowd, maybe the ticket prices were a touch steep? No infield bar? Hell, the Melbourne Cup on Wheels on Friday has my vote, more racing AND the infield bar. Nice.
So fast forward twenty four hours and I am cruising down beach road at midday and I see a guy kitted up in the Czech Republic colours with calves bigger than my head (ego included), oh shit, he must be a trackie! And yep, he was racing the night before so a convo ensued;
Czech- " Oh hi, you race much at all, I see you have Belgique bike" (reference to my Museeuw bike)
Me- "Oh yeah but just on the road, not on the track, you race track yeh?
Czech- "Yeh I racing the World Cup on the Track, you know it"
Me- "Of course, I was watching you finish the omnium last night, making you race the kilo TT when aleady out of the medals is cruel, that looked so hard!"
Czech- "Oh its very shit, so f**king hard, I want it over"
skip some boring convo
Czech- "Oh I see your team, Marco Polo, you know Pavel Stuchlik from Czech Republic?" (Pavel was a stagiare with our team this year, having lived with him for a month you could say I know him!)
Me- "Yes of course I know him!"
Czech- "*laughter* In Czech Republic we all one big family, everyone friend"
And we jabbered on some more, enjoying the sun and warm weather. His program sounds a bit bloody strenuous. 27 hours flying down to Australia, racing two days later, finish two days of non stop omni-liscious circular agony then jump back on the plane for 27 hours to the Czech Republic. Train outdoors* in the Snow for a week, then jump on the plane for a good 30 hours of travel to the next World Cup in Columbia. Try telling this guy that globalisation of cycling is a good thing!
*Note, I asked him about training indoors versus outdoors in winter and he said, "I train outdoors all the time unless really snow, I f**king hate, how do you say, yes ergometer, argh, so shit." I concur my good man, I concur.
But I love in this network how someone always knows someone who knows someone else who knows you. I guess we are just one big family. Group hug anyone?
And to finish a big thanks to the V-Train for those tickets. What a legend, the guy never stops giving (also turn off your sarcasm meter because I am being serious here). And his even better half, Wiki-Tills*, was there of course.
*Matilda can hereby be known as Wiki-Tills because she knows everything about the track. Everything!
Ride Time.
Ciao,
Jono
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
I am of the very strong opinion that..
..Mandatory Helmet Laws in Australia are shit. Really Shit. This man outlines exactly why
And whilst I'm throwing links about the place. This also looks freakin awesome. Maybe us roadies are a little uptight, maybe we should all go do something like that once in a while!
Tis all for now I am afraid. Nothing new yet, still getting massive in the gym and smashing back pilates like there is no tomorrow..
Jono
And whilst I'm throwing links about the place. This also looks freakin awesome. Maybe us roadies are a little uptight, maybe we should all go do something like that once in a while!
Tis all for now I am afraid. Nothing new yet, still getting massive in the gym and smashing back pilates like there is no tomorrow..
Jono
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Happy Feet
I am afraid my writing material has dried up of late.
All things interesting and funny have deserted my life as I have been just putting the building blocks together for a good 2011.
-Pilates, lots of pilates. With ballet dancers. Holy crap, these guys/gals are STRONG! And talk about flexible. I'm pretty jealous.
-Physio exercises, oh so many exercises, my feet, calves, glutes and pelvic floor are getting one hell of a work out. Thera-bands, spiky balls, cricket balls, toe separators, foam rollers, thoracic extensions, you name it; I've got it. I'm getting needles in the arse, elbows in the arse, yes I am basically paying a lot of $/hr to get a whole bunch of disturbing and quite uncomfortable things done to my arse. What an odd life I lead...
-Gym, I am building up some semblance of hip stability so I can ride ride ride in the future and not have any issues. Squats, dead lifts, step ups, leg press, balancing on the wobble board! You don't need to be very strong to ride a bike, but you do need to be stronger than me, trust me!
So take the above three activities, repeat them many times during a weekly cycle, add in cycling to and from plus some cruisey rides and somehow I am still doing 20 hours + a week but it feels like I am doing nothing. Unless I come off the bike, exhausted and on the verge of muscle break down it just doesn't feel like I am 'training'. But these are the steps I have to take!
Mind you I wouldn't mind going for a decent ride!
So I'll continue the hunt for some funny material but for the time being I'll leave you with a note of a good experience at our last race in Belgium.
The race was a Pro Kermesse in Geraardsbergen that was up a hill, down around the hill and back up. 10 k laps, coupla k of climbing through the town on a nice bumpy cobbled road. It was cool. Real cool. There were loads of fans and top level bike riders there. Mr McEwen was the biggest rider of note.
Given my aforemetioned foot problems I did not last long. So plan B involved sampling the local tart (of the cake variety) and grabbing a coffee. As I was sitting in one of the cafes I noticed Allan Peiper walk in (which made sense given HTC had a few riders in the race). He must be one of the most recognisable people in world cycling.
I was feeling a bit sheepish and he was with a whole bunch of people so I didn't go over and say hello. That night I was discussing it with someone on facebook who was back in aus. Anyhow, this guy shoots and email off to Allan Peiper telling him that some random Melbourne kid saw him in a cafe at the race. Allan shoots back an email to me straight away saying
"Hi Jono,
Should have said hello but nice you respect people's space!
Where are you living? Maybe we can hook up for a ride or coffee next week.
Allan
Sent from my HTC"
A pity but I had to fly home so couldn't go for a ride with him. Damn. But that email made my day. Don't you love the internet sometimes!
Time for some glut activation...
Jono
All things interesting and funny have deserted my life as I have been just putting the building blocks together for a good 2011.
-Pilates, lots of pilates. With ballet dancers. Holy crap, these guys/gals are STRONG! And talk about flexible. I'm pretty jealous.
-Physio exercises, oh so many exercises, my feet, calves, glutes and pelvic floor are getting one hell of a work out. Thera-bands, spiky balls, cricket balls, toe separators, foam rollers, thoracic extensions, you name it; I've got it. I'm getting needles in the arse, elbows in the arse, yes I am basically paying a lot of $/hr to get a whole bunch of disturbing and quite uncomfortable things done to my arse. What an odd life I lead...
-Gym, I am building up some semblance of hip stability so I can ride ride ride in the future and not have any issues. Squats, dead lifts, step ups, leg press, balancing on the wobble board! You don't need to be very strong to ride a bike, but you do need to be stronger than me, trust me!
So take the above three activities, repeat them many times during a weekly cycle, add in cycling to and from plus some cruisey rides and somehow I am still doing 20 hours + a week but it feels like I am doing nothing. Unless I come off the bike, exhausted and on the verge of muscle break down it just doesn't feel like I am 'training'. But these are the steps I have to take!
Mind you I wouldn't mind going for a decent ride!
So I'll continue the hunt for some funny material but for the time being I'll leave you with a note of a good experience at our last race in Belgium.
The race was a Pro Kermesse in Geraardsbergen that was up a hill, down around the hill and back up. 10 k laps, coupla k of climbing through the town on a nice bumpy cobbled road. It was cool. Real cool. There were loads of fans and top level bike riders there. Mr McEwen was the biggest rider of note.
Given my aforemetioned foot problems I did not last long. So plan B involved sampling the local tart (of the cake variety) and grabbing a coffee. As I was sitting in one of the cafes I noticed Allan Peiper walk in (which made sense given HTC had a few riders in the race). He must be one of the most recognisable people in world cycling.
I was feeling a bit sheepish and he was with a whole bunch of people so I didn't go over and say hello. That night I was discussing it with someone on facebook who was back in aus. Anyhow, this guy shoots and email off to Allan Peiper telling him that some random Melbourne kid saw him in a cafe at the race. Allan shoots back an email to me straight away saying
"Hi Jono,
Should have said hello but nice you respect people's space!
Where are you living? Maybe we can hook up for a ride or coffee next week.
Allan
Sent from my HTC"
A pity but I had to fly home so couldn't go for a ride with him. Damn. But that email made my day. Don't you love the internet sometimes!
Time for some glut activation...
Jono
Saturday, October 9, 2010
On Top of the Worlds
A nice crappy phone photo of the crowd at the presentation for the mens road race.
Another view looking back down the main straight. But yeh, what a goddam awesome race. The finale was damn exciting and I have never seen Geelong looking so good. Geelong was like that girl everyone knows who isn't ugly, but isn't gorgeous either, but once in a while she dons some spectacular outfit, whacks on a bit of make up and goes out. Meanwhile everyone is standing around whispering "Is that really Geelong? Crikey I reckon I'll have a crack"*
*The above may come across as highly rude and sexist but that's because it is. Sorry, but it really is the best analogy I can come up with! Please forgive me
So it's been a while between drinks I guess. I have managed to drag my arse out from the piles of microeconomic and econometric practice exams that litter my room/desk/general designated study areas and jump on the net and make a post. Just because there are study materials strewn thoughout my house does not mean I am actually studying, no I am merely convincing myself that the process of printing then stapling practice exams is good enough, actually doing any is a whole new ball game
So from my last post lots of things have happened,
-Finished my time in Europe- Good because I got to come home. Bad because I had to leave Europe
-Did not go to Tour of China- Good because I was having some real issues with my right foot. Bad because I love racing in Asia and I love eating in Asia
-Watched the Worlds in Geelong- Good because it was just freakin awesome. Bad because I had my two exams in the two days following the elite mens race. Great scheduling there.
-Did a couple of exams- Good they are out of the way. Bad because I think I did pretty shit. Blunt, but honest!
- Started watching the Commonwealth Games- just bad.
-Doing tremendously large amounts of rehab work on my foot and some pelvic stability work just for laughs also. Good because having all the muscles in the arches of both feet all cramp at once is pretty damn cool. Bad because having all the muscles in the arches of both feet all cramp at once is pretty damn painful.
-Not going to Tour of Hainan- Good because since starting to race again I haven't given myself adequate time to get all my shit sorted re-body weaknesses, mainly my foot. Bad because of the food, the racing and in Hainan last year we were lucky enough to stay in some amazingly good hotels, I would like to go back, but it wouldn't be wise
I capped my trip with some great times in Amsterdam with a friend from school, so that was a good way to go out. I would just like to go back there with some more time, and some more money! Yes in Amsterdam you can definitely buy happiness...
Jono
Friday, August 27, 2010
Murphy's Law
Murphy is a bastard. Whoever he is, whatever he did, he sure messed it up for the rest of us.
It was a crap day today, lots of drizzle and a genuine bathtub full of filth had made it's way from the road to my bike and clothing. I was a mud-bath moving at 35 k/h.
About an hour from home my pump did a runner from my back pocket. I hit a bump and heard it bouncing down the road behind me. So a quick U-turn and I found that the nozzle had come apart and the spring and washer from the inside were missing. Oh crap.
This road, like the many I had previously travelled over, was of the filthy variety, thus my task in finding and rebuilding my pump was beyond simple. Fast forward ten minutes and not only had I exhausted every swear word I knew (multi-lingual too..) but magically I had found the pieces to my pump, I was away.
So you can imagine during my search I had it in the back of my mind that I could not possibly go without finding the pieces because I would surely puncture.
So I almost smirked with victory when only 5k down the road I heard that familiar hissing sound. My tire was deflated, but I was almost elated, take that Murphy you bastard, I found all the pieces of my pump, this puncture will not stop me!
So apart from getting more grease and grim all over my hands changing the tubes and cleaning off the tyres I waited triumphantly to pump that first breath of air into the new tube. ...
Nothing.
The pump was not creating a seal. Oh crap.
I must have missed a piece on the roadside. Oh crap.
To re-use a great phrase I currently found myself sans paddle and slowly drifting up shit creek. That prick Murphy had me right where he wanted me.
After the second exhaustion of my multi-lingual swear words I had the realisation that I am in fact a complete idiot. The little 'thingamajig' from the inside of the pump was in the wrong way round.
Five minutes later I was on my way.
Lessons learned: Murhpy is a bastard and I am an idiot! Hardly ground breaking I guess.
Over the last week and a half I have had some monster races. 1.2 and 1.1 UCI races in Belgium, it just doesn't get any bigger, any harder or any scarier.
Unfortunately I have been nothing more than pack fodder, never lasting more than half the race. I have been having some real problems with my back and foot stemming from my crash last year. I seemed to have held together until Qinghai lake but now the wheels have completely fallen off the wagon. As a result I am bypassing Tour of China so I can get home and back into some of the rehab exercises and gym work that I obviously did not do enough of previously. Also I have these piddly little things called exams that I should probably (start) study(ing) for. So an extra fortnight of study whilst back home should go a long way.
So that's just about everything, and like they do in Holland, make sure that you
.jpg)
Ciao
Jono
It was a crap day today, lots of drizzle and a genuine bathtub full of filth had made it's way from the road to my bike and clothing. I was a mud-bath moving at 35 k/h.
About an hour from home my pump did a runner from my back pocket. I hit a bump and heard it bouncing down the road behind me. So a quick U-turn and I found that the nozzle had come apart and the spring and washer from the inside were missing. Oh crap.
This road, like the many I had previously travelled over, was of the filthy variety, thus my task in finding and rebuilding my pump was beyond simple. Fast forward ten minutes and not only had I exhausted every swear word I knew (multi-lingual too..) but magically I had found the pieces to my pump, I was away.
So you can imagine during my search I had it in the back of my mind that I could not possibly go without finding the pieces because I would surely puncture.
So I almost smirked with victory when only 5k down the road I heard that familiar hissing sound. My tire was deflated, but I was almost elated, take that Murphy you bastard, I found all the pieces of my pump, this puncture will not stop me!
So apart from getting more grease and grim all over my hands changing the tubes and cleaning off the tyres I waited triumphantly to pump that first breath of air into the new tube. ...
Nothing.
The pump was not creating a seal. Oh crap.
I must have missed a piece on the roadside. Oh crap.
To re-use a great phrase I currently found myself sans paddle and slowly drifting up shit creek. That prick Murphy had me right where he wanted me.
After the second exhaustion of my multi-lingual swear words I had the realisation that I am in fact a complete idiot. The little 'thingamajig' from the inside of the pump was in the wrong way round.
Five minutes later I was on my way.
Lessons learned: Murhpy is a bastard and I am an idiot! Hardly ground breaking I guess.
Over the last week and a half I have had some monster races. 1.2 and 1.1 UCI races in Belgium, it just doesn't get any bigger, any harder or any scarier.
Unfortunately I have been nothing more than pack fodder, never lasting more than half the race. I have been having some real problems with my back and foot stemming from my crash last year. I seemed to have held together until Qinghai lake but now the wheels have completely fallen off the wagon. As a result I am bypassing Tour of China so I can get home and back into some of the rehab exercises and gym work that I obviously did not do enough of previously. Also I have these piddly little things called exams that I should probably (start) study(ing) for. So an extra fortnight of study whilst back home should go a long way.
So that's just about everything, and like they do in Holland, make sure that you
.jpg)
Jono
Monday, August 23, 2010
A bloody queen size bed!!!!!!!
After three months of laying uncomfortably sprawled upon a mattress as skinny as an emaciated cyclist post Tour de France, I am enjoying the lavish luxury that comes with laying upon a plush queen sized bed. Such grandeur, such prestige, such comfort. Who can honestly deny the joy of laying upon a bed large enough to contain all of ones limbs?
The day began like any other: Coffee, yoghurt, muesli, computer.
Matters were complicated as we were being thrown out of our warm cosy residence at the AMVJ hostel in Geleen. Not only did this result in the team being scattered across various spares beds throughout Belgium and Holland. It also highlighted to me that in a roundabout way, perhaps lady luck was no longer shitting upon me from a great height. I think she is back on my side.
Pavel, my newly acquired Czech team mate, and myself made our way to our new accommodation via a criterium race in Kleve, Germany.
After 2 hours of fast crit action, one coke, one pizza and one (or possibly more) pieces of chocolate we arrived at our new home for the next week and a half. We now found ourselves residing with the Australian super mechanic Mark 'Funky' Howard and his better half, Lindsay.
So that is how I have come to find myself laying upon an ever so comfortable bed ranting and raving and generally talking complete crap.
Anyone for some icing on that cake? Yeh? How bout a cherry on top too?
Oh you better believe they have a smoking quick wireless network. Why the bloody hell didn't we come here earlier? This IS living people.
Lindsay has equipped us with a map for a nice recovery ride through the forests with promise of a damn tasty hot chocolate near the end if we find our way correctly.
Time to make use of this beast of a bed and punch out some Zzzzz's
Ciao
The day began like any other: Coffee, yoghurt, muesli, computer.
Matters were complicated as we were being thrown out of our warm cosy residence at the AMVJ hostel in Geleen. Not only did this result in the team being scattered across various spares beds throughout Belgium and Holland. It also highlighted to me that in a roundabout way, perhaps lady luck was no longer shitting upon me from a great height. I think she is back on my side.
Pavel, my newly acquired Czech team mate, and myself made our way to our new accommodation via a criterium race in Kleve, Germany.
After 2 hours of fast crit action, one coke, one pizza and one (or possibly more) pieces of chocolate we arrived at our new home for the next week and a half. We now found ourselves residing with the Australian super mechanic Mark 'Funky' Howard and his better half, Lindsay.
So that is how I have come to find myself laying upon an ever so comfortable bed ranting and raving and generally talking complete crap.
Anyone for some icing on that cake? Yeh? How bout a cherry on top too?
Oh you better believe they have a smoking quick wireless network. Why the bloody hell didn't we come here earlier? This IS living people.
Lindsay has equipped us with a map for a nice recovery ride through the forests with promise of a damn tasty hot chocolate near the end if we find our way correctly.
Time to make use of this beast of a bed and punch out some Zzzzz's
Ciao
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