Training Log Archive: Brooner

Breaking in more new shoes & trying to shake out very tired legs with easy laps of St Leonards & some more back mobilisation too. Hot out.

C • how many pairs of inov8 do ... 2

Mainly back mobilisation & roller work after the weekend's efforts on the bike.

Legs fine on cycle to work, grateful of the lightness of my cross bike, then tired on lunchtime jaunt to gym, shafted by cycle home.

Awake at half 4 with the birds, so figured I might as well have a quick Run/Hike/Scramble up Yerranderie Peak in the dark in the hope of seeing sunrise, alas it was just cloud, clearing a little on the return.

Yerranderie to Oberon via Shooters hill



Much the same as yesterday but in reverse, the descents were just as fun but with even tougher climbing up the other side made for a really hard first 50km to Mt Werong. Was cool, a bit drizzly and misty early on which was welcomed on the ups but a bit cold on the fast descents.

Had a decent break at Mt Werong to refuel and stretch, my back being the main issue, and the sun came out which made the second half very pleasant. We had 40km of roads going back via Shooters Hill which was welcomed, and I was thoroughly enjoying it until at 30km to go my chain snapped and Olaf rolled over the hill ahead oblivious to my shouts. My chain tool was fucked but thankfully had a spare quick link, I was missing the bit between the plates so was very tentative as to how it would last which made the final section on roads a bit tedious as I was careful with the gears. After eventually catching Olaf again he did some good leadout work into Oberon into an annoying headwind which kept the pace up reasonably well.

Olaf and I had gone off ahead, with the idea of him driving back and picking up the guys from Mt Werong, but in the end John only lasted 20km before cadging a lift off someone they'd met in the lodge, and he went back for Ed who made it to Mt Werong.

Feeling pretty good at the end, just back pretty stiff, nowhere near as wiped as I'd expected. Lots of good chat made the miles fly by, and lots of learning to be had on various aspects of these sorts of tours. Bike needs some serious TLC before the next one though...

A photo posted by Brooner (@broonerb) on Nov 21, 2015 at 10:31pm PST

C • Wow 3

Oberon to Yerranderie via Gingkin, with Olaf, Ed & John.



Epic day out on the bike, longest I've spent on my MTB (and first time out on it in ages, full stop). Also, with the addition of bike luggage for the first time - front and rear Alpkit packs and a medium frame bag (plus wearing Salomon vest for food & drink - there wasn't to be much water available over the weekend).

First half was really pleasant cycling with blue skies, but not too hot in comparison to the 40degree day on Friday. Faffy getting bikes setup and off, but we were on the road at half ten - bit later than planned.

After about 15km of tarmac headed off onto unsealed roads, mainly gravel tracks through fields, plantation and natural forest with rolling hills, gradually climbing up to 1300m. Early puncture for John, thanks mainly to pretty worn tyres and fully laden rear panniers, slowed proceedings a bit and was a bit of a precursor for further issues to come.

Blue skies & open gravel roads, before the cycling got tough... #cycletouring

A photo posted by Brooner (@broonerb) on Nov 22, 2015 at 12:03am PST

Once we got onto the Oberon-Colong Stock route & entered Mt Werong State Forest at halfway it was mainly decent firetrails, with a few rough bits here and there. On some of the rougher downhills I was having a few problems bottoming out my forks and rubbing luggage on the wheel - almost wore through a strap, whoops - realised here that my weight distribution in the packing was a bit poor. When they weren't rough, downhills were super fun, a laden steel bike can travel quickly, the uphills following them were hard going though, meaning the speed was varying greatly from 8kmph-50kmph most of the time.

John & Ed were starting to wilt a bit in the second half, and after waiting atop a climb for 15 minutes Olaf & I had to go back to see what had happened as we didn't think we had got that far ahead purely on cycling, seems John had stacked it on a downhill corner and went off the road, smashing up his leg & arm - could have been far worse given some of the drops off the edges though. He was a bit shaken, but ok to keep going, just a little tentative on the downs. Getting slightly concerned about making it to Yerranderie in daylight with 30 hilly km to go, so considered going back to Mt Werong, but they were tempted to push on by prospect of possibly staying in the lodge rather than camping.

I went off ahead and had a great old time, loads of roos out at twilight, absolutely loving the long sweeping downhills, and there were loads of roos out and about at twilight and a few really tough climbs, especially the final one into Yerranderie which seemed to go on forever.

Got there around half 7 and watched wombats fighting and the roos strut about until others rolled in after 8. Eventually got my dinner around 9 and setup & into my tent at 10. Despite the lack of proper drinking water (there was rainwater, which was generally fine, but I kept finding bugs in it), the hot shower was an amazing surprise at the end of a long day out.

Hot hot hot. Blinded by new shoes, they won't stay that white for long.

Still hot hot hot for some trails with Ondrej & Andy (for the last time in months). Slightly cooler going down Gore creek, hotter round berry island and up through Badangi. Second new pair of shoes of the day, these might be the perfect Sydney Road/trail combo shoes.

Event: 25th Sydney Summer Series #7 - Rodd Point
 

Up to Lindfield, disgustingly hot still.

Meander around UTS Kuring-gai, never mind orienteering this would be great for a CX race.

Slightly cooler return via Pittwater Road.