Training Log Archive: Mounty

Pie in the sky return with wifey. Felt crap when I got up - was more tired than I'd expected after yesterday's session - partly due to dehydration i think, but started to feel OK after half an hour.

Respectable tempo through to Mt Colah, then agreed on a hit out through to Pie. Very fast through to Pie, good fun section pushing hard. Relaxed for a bit, but then had to hurry from Bobbin Head to get back in time to meet Grandpa who'd taken the kids on an outing.

Fun ride.

Dolphin paddle.

From Fisherman's with Damon in the Mark 2. Overcast and sloppy with a building 15+ Kt Nor Easter (at this time of year?!) it all felt a bit serious. Southerly swell and remnants from the east meant bumps from a number of different directions.

Pushed in to the wind for half an hour until it started to drop off and the sun came out. Very pleasant but a bit concerned we wouldnt get the full value downwind run that we had just paid a deposit on.

Turned around at Whale Beach headland to begin a sensational hour of downwind paddling - wind came up again but sun stayed out. Had to concentrate to catch the runs in the messy conditions, but an absolute ball if you got the timing right & managed to link them up.

Then an interesting conversation a few km from home...
"Errr, Damon there is a very large fin".
"Where?"
"Right in front of the boat"

After a slightly nervous (on my part) moment, the fin made a pleasingly dolphin shaped movement. Phew. Then looked up and saw that we were surrounded by a pod of them who were keen to play. Spent the next 5-10 minutes being given a lesson in how to surf. They were quite happy to swim along next to and right under us zipping on and off waves at will in slightly arrogant fashion.

Highlight was when we pulled on to a wave and 2 dolphins came in from each side, surfed past down the same bump then swam as escorts right on our bow - all with a sun-drenched Narrabeen beach as backdrop. Superb.

Drove home, stole some pancakes from the fridge then headed out for a run. Up the river from Roseville Bridge, through the track to the cascades, up the hill to Belrose then home along the pipeline.

A really nice loop that I havent done before. Will need to add it to the repetoire. Not running particularly well for the first hour, but perked up for the second half with a nice tempo to finish.

More tired than expected afterwards. Dozed off at end of the rugby but woken by a superb dessert.

Moderate tempo ride home.

Cruisy ride in. Chilly, sunny & very dry - morning feeling very Stockholm like.

Weights with final episode & extras of Summer Heights High. Giggling and lifting heavy things at the same time can be risky.

Ran to work. Decent tempo with good weight on the back. Middle Cove bush section very pleasant. GPS made it the whole way without dropping out from interfence for once, so will try to work out how to upload route to gmaps.

Big gear resistance up the hills.

Pushed up the hills, spun on the flats for the cycling equivalent of a leg massage. Bewdiful morning.

10pm double episode of Summer Heights High weights at home.

Recovery type ride in. Too many hills to swing a real recovery ride without taking too long to get to work.

Able to shift with left thumb. Have it strapped today (mainly to stop ouching it when helping Tom get dressed). Amazing the sympathy a bandage generates at work. Must do more often.

C • Unless 3

Pig of a work day. Nothing like a good pedal for chilling out. Much more relaxed at end than was at start.

Nearly ran over some teenagers boozing in the dark on the footbridge at Crown of the Hill. Sign of age - upon noticing it was a guy with 2 lasses, first thought was not "nice one, bro'", but rather "do your father's know where you are young ladies?".