Sunday, May 29, 2011

Music to my ears - 29/05/2011

It's not often I go more than seven days without riding but today is my eighth and I'm getting very restless!

Amongst man-flu, music competitions, netball, basketball, essay writing and work the riding has quite unusually had to take second fiddle.

My gorgeous girl Kate was delighted to win her duet section at the Clasax competition yesterday.  Kate and Jessica played a piece that required very precice teamwork and I reckon that's what caused them to succeed.

Well done girls!


Jack and Josh didn't have any luck in the duets but Jack got a Highly Comended prize in his Sax solo section up against some very skilled musicians.  Yes you read it correctly.... Jack got beaten by his little sister!  Ssssshhhhhhhhhhh.

Well done son!  Your solo piece was fantastic and I absolutely loved it with the piano accompaniment.


Jack and I did fit in a ride on his new road bike though (his bike completely purchased with sax busking money).  We rode from home into the city all via the bike track.  It's about 33k altogether.  Jack rode strong all the way and showed many signs of his ability to come.




Here he is smashing it up a short sharp one near the boat sheds.  He really looks a natural.  As much as I hate to admit it, I don't think it will be long before he's killin' me.

So here's the proof of some really hard work musically for my kids.  Very proud.


Sunday, May 22, 2011

Another "BE CAREFUL" Lesson - 22/05/2011


Today's Sunday 6am-er ride contained another lesson in how diligent we must be to take care on the roads.

It's never a good thing to have a 6am-er carted off in the back of an ambulance.  Luckily this is the first time I remember it hapenning. 

Horny's okay now but he spent a few hours in the Austin hospital having his face stitched up and his body checked for broken bones.  The end result is not too bad considering the way he managed it.... but he's lucky.

Bender's crash back in January was a bit of a shock and a lucky result as well.  Bloody hell guys!.... let's be careful.


Our Slide Ride today started out as normal with a good deal of fun and some good solid riding in the strong northerly out through Wonga Park, Chirnside Park and Yarra Glen.

We topped King Lake ten minutes ahead of our last best time and made it to Smiths Gully for muffin and coffee in time for a ten thirty finish (little did we know).

A last minute decision to miss the Eltham traffic took us down Mt. Pleasant Road with the intention of enjoying one of my very favourite roads.  About one k down was where it all turned pear-shaped...



The scene - Sharp steep left-hander - taken wide and into the stone wall




No LOC and thumbs up from Horny once securely in the ambulance



One not-so-healthy Cinelli carbon frame



Smiths Gully - half hour before...


Let's work on keeping the rubber side down and these smiles on our faces!


Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Steel is real - 17/05/2011

I've heard Dom refer to his old steed as the 'Two Tonnes of Fun' many times.  I never realised it actually weighs two tonnes!  We all took turns to feel the weight after coffee this morning and were amazed at how heavy it really is.  I think it might be made of solid steel.

Here tis...


It prompted me to get a shot of all the steel on show for the Tuesday morning Hurt Box


Dom's Two Tonnes of Fun, Shawies absolute classic Moser and Diesel's Pink Single.
(Photographic artwork by Big Horn)

13 riders turned out for the HB this morning and it's fantastic to see how we roll these days compared to when we first started this ride.  Smooth as silk... mostly.

I started to feel good today even considering the ride this morning so I gave in to the temptation to take the Hoot of a Commute home.  I've had my Anthem sitting at work ready to go with two brand-new Nobby Nicks on it for a week.  The trails were in perfect tacky condition and I nailed some stuff I haven't nailed in weeks.

Grouse!

65k moderate road (SS).
1.5hr moderate MTB (geared).

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Daisy baskets, spoke clickers, orange flags and mud-guards - 15/05/2011



Hate the Man-Flu!

The fact the weather has been so bad this last week has provided some small concelation for the horrible riding week I’ve had.  Being sick is not so hard to handle when you know you probably wouldn’t have got out much anyway.

However, I couldn’t resist the 6am-ers plans today for the Pav-Macca Loop. The gorgeous roads of the Pav (Lysterfield, Beaconsfield, Emerald) followed by some fast turns around Macclesfield was too much to pass up.  Not that I was ever going to make it!

I headed out on the Lynskey with some new accessories fitted…


Yes, old fashioned mud guards… or the new moderrn version of old fashioned mud guards.  Is that possible? 

And did I cop some crap from all my big tough mates?!

“Hey Diesel, you going to bring your daisy basket next week?”   (The Duke)

“How can you ruin a good road bike with silly lookin’ things like that.”    (Foggy)

“Where’s your flag and spoke clickers Readie?”   (Some other smart arse)

Well here you go boys…



- after a pretty wet ride, nice clean front mech (above) and clean saddle, stays and brakes (below).


And if anyone had managed to sit on my wheel today in the wet I could have taken a photo of their nice clean face – because there was no crud flying.  (They’re great for following riders)

These things are really good and I’m going to get another set for my PINK single speed.  Imagine the shit you can give me then!

Along with eleven 6am-ers, it was great to have a couple of guests along for the Sunday ride.  Tom Leaper joined us again after a good win yesterday and Mick Day came along for the ride and annointed the Pav-Macca Loop a three donut ride.  Not bad!... apparently.

As for me… I was so weak and insipid that I stayed left at Emerald (whilst all else went to Macclesfield) and rode a lonely slow ride home pushing about 100 watts.  I was glad I got out but there was no way I was ever going to be able to manage the normal thrust and parry of a 6am-er Sunday ride today. 

I'm currently curled up on the couch in my jamas cuddling my mud guards and thinking about my nice pink bike.

Bring it on!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Golden Retrievers are supposed to smile - 11/05/2011


Golden Retrievers are supposed to smile - but not this old girl.  Not today anyway...

  

Em looks how I feel.  

Not riding and not working so I can nurse my dog! It must be bad.
(Still waiting for her to improve)


Tuesday, May 10, 2011

My poor pup - 9/05/2011


Jack and Emma

My gorgeous Emma has come down with Idiopathic Vestibular Syndrome.  Very Scary.  Last night when I got home to find her unable to stand up and constantly turning her head to the side, I thought she'd had a stroke and it might all be over.  Earlier she'd thrown up in her bed and couldn't even get up and walk away.

My children's first experience of grief was about to begin, or so I thought...  and I'm really not looking forwad to that one.

But the vet cleared it up by diagnosing the above.  Apparently it should improve after three days and completely clear by three weeks.

I hope so, because tonight she still seems as bad as ever. Can't walk, can't eat, drink, poo... anything! 

Geeez I hope she's okay.

So with my dog Emma sick, my workplace constantly in the headlines, study to do that I really don't want to do and children's sport and activities every night of the week - my 'winter' riding is already suffering.  I'd better get that trainer fixed or I'll end up a blimp by June.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Personal goals of the past - 8/05/2011

Since I haven't ridden this weekend, couldn't do the Philip Island GP race and can't even get on the trainer coz it's broken, I therefore don't have much cycling stuff to say (grumpy!). I thought I'd post this recent update I submitted to a 6am-er forum thread started by Big Horn. He had smashed his time on the Perrins climb by cracking 9 minutes and called for such stories.  This is mine re the Alpine Classic.
____________________________________________________

Fantastic effort Big Horn.  Smashing your own time like that is as satisfying as a good race result.  Nice job on Perrins cracking the 9 minutes.

My best example of such feelings have been from year to year in the Alpine Classic.  I remember way back in the early 1990s (when you were still a toddler!), the Classic was the original event which prompted my interest in cycling and I finished my first 200k in over 11 hours on my 15kg steel Apollo.

The next year I did it in about 10:30 or so and I still remember celebrating those achievements with special dinners at Poplars restaurant in Bright with my cycling mates and family.  I particularly remember my sore arse after spending so much time in the saddle and having a very uncomfortable night at the restaurant.

As I got more serious about cycling I became more serious about my Classic times. I cracked 10, 9 and 8 over the years with reasonable ease as I got fitter.  Then I started to aim for that elusive 7.  Not so easy!

I ended up having to add a further step into the process… 7:30 holding it’s own particular challenge.  I grabbed a 7:43 one year and then the next, knowing as I topped Tawonga that  I was on track for cracking the big 7:30, I crashed on the drop at about 70kph after blowing out a rear tyre taking a bad line around a right-hander.

I had just previously overtaken Smithy on the descent and he was the first to stop and help me.  That was the day we first met!  Bernie Hanley’s wife was driving up the opposite direction and also stopped to see if I was alive.  That was my very first encounter with the 6am-ers.  A large credit to Smithy considering his goals had been quite similarly aligned to mine and he was pushing hard to crack the 7:30 as well.  I’ve felt bad about slowing his Classic time down ever since.
 
The following year I finished in 7:28 then got serious about the 7. 

7:14 in 2007 resulted in my coming to grips with the fact that I’d have to stop enjoying my food so much to go any quicker. Bugger!

6:59 in 2008 at 97kg.  I was a bit unsure about accepting it as a real crack of 7 when it was so close, despite the fact that my time was proven on the time stamp (0620-1319).  I felt like I had to really smash under the hour in order to prove it properly.

So in 2009 I gave it my best crack ever.  6:52 whilst weighing in at 100kg – if only I’d starved myself!  Oh what a feeling.  The thing about the Classic is (and it’s just like you on Perrins), there’s no crowd at the finish line waiting to cheer in the winner.  With all the other rides going on there are people crossing the finish line every few seconds and nobody really knows what particular ride you’ve done.

… just that lonely but extremely satisfying feeling of having achieved a very important personal goal.  And sharing it with a few mates and your family who understand what you’ve achieved whilst relaxing in the river and trying not to cramp?… there’s no better feeling.    ;D

I’ve got to admit, I did love over-hearing an official answering a question from a spectator just after I’d finished my last 200k, “…no mate, nobody’s finished the 200k.  Those guys ‘ll be miles off yet.”    ;)

Friday, May 6, 2011

Easing it up - 6/05/2011

Feeling pretty crap and pretty tired this week.

Hoot of a commute home last night on the MTB at a very leisurely pace.  Nothing in the legs and not a lot in the heart.

I'll hopefully have heart enough to get out of bed in the morning for the Saturday 6am-er roll.

Thurs - 1.5hr MTB - didn't even do my full set of trail links!

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Tominated - 1/05/2011

Lucky the Lynskey goes down hill like it’s on rails.  The descent from Ferny Creek today was an absolute scream but if it had required additional physical effort, I don’t think I would have been in a position to provide it!

130ks in the legs and a very tired disposition.  That’s my Sunday!

What really finished us off today was the last climb of The Baw (one Baw coz it’s half the distance but same gradient as Mt. Baw Baw).  We climbed the lot with 100k already in our legs, from the round-a-bout in Belgrave all the way to Fernie Creek. It hurt everyone significantly (except Tom) and you can see it here in Foggy’s face (nearly - in his demeanour anyway!)…


“Foggy deep deep deep into the hurt box”

We were joined by a clean-skin today.  Normally it’s us putting the pain on them but today it was different. Along with every other 6am-er, I was well-and-truly Tominated.

 

From the outset, Tom Leaper was pushing the pace – along with whichever 6am-er was on the front with him too scared to tell him to ease up!  It made for some pretty hot riding through Lysterfield, Upper Beaconsfield and Pakenham.  Taylo, Lumpy, Rocket and young 14 year old Jonothan from Blackburn did well to stay with the pace. 


We kept it nicely together right up to the start of Paternoster Road, Mt. Burnett. 

 


Then…





Tom and The Duke started ramping it up and the race was on all the way to Emerald Road.  Shawie, El and I worked our guts out and finally caught the two big fellas about a k from the end.  As we approched them on a downhill, I mumbled to El, “smash past them – come on!”.  So we did, just as we looked up to see another steep pinch in front of us.  Bugger!  We hit that, then Tom and Duke well and truly smashed us back...


Great coffe at busy Emerald Bakery gave us a brief breather then our planned route back through one of Big Horns favourite roads was put to an end by the Puffing Billy run. 

We happened to reach Selby Aura Road just as the run leaders were coming through and were lucky enough to jump in behind them on the gravel and cut back through to Belgrave.


Puffing Billy run leaders are in front of us - you can see the next runners in the distance behind.

The Baw finished us off (as if we weren’t pulp already) and the ride back along Burwood Highway was one of the slowest I remember with absolutely stuff-all left in the bank.

Another absolutely brilliant Sunday morning out with the 6am-ers and a wonderful ride led by Big Horn for the first time ever.

Admirable job mate.  Everyone had a ball.