Training Log Archive: Yak

Slow ride around the Athelstone burbs course setting for mtbo in May.
Was quite warm.

Also has about 20 mins giving a koala a drink & having it jump onto my arm and then shoulder in search of the water bottle. Magical moment, but I can attest they have very big, sharp claws. I gave him all my water and then had to houseknock to refill - annoying that most council reserves & playgds have no water fountains.

Been slack (and busy) so was good to get a call from LIz & Steve suggesting an early start for Bal group ride.

Bal - Woodside - L up Tiers Rd - Lenswood - towards Lobethal and then off on back rd (Stafford) to top of Fox Creek climb (at Croft rd)
Fast descent back to Lenswood - R and up the Lobethal - NS rd for some kms before heading L & UP the nasty climb of Deviation Rd. Once at top a lovely cruise along it and then L at Carey Gully heading towards Balhannah.
Had a scare when a small wallaby raced across the rd when I was descending fast and there was a car coming in other direction.
R near cemetery and over to Mitre 10 shops at Verdun for coffee stop. 40kms. av 19.4 571m climb.

All were abandoning the 2nd half of the ride but I wanted more kms to justify the long drive to and fro Bal. So I decided to do the bikepath to Mt Torrens & return which is pleasant without cars. Doug Fotheringham, who had only done the short course, joined me which was great. Headwind out and fast tailwind on return.

Ride with 7 of the Broken Gadget group from Sheps - Lynton - Craigburn - Sturt Gorge - Flinders - Sheps.
Not as simple as that states as we went very circuitously.
I ended up doing the last 45mins solo, as some were on a timeline.
Included a shitty climb up Spring Ck & then a 35 degree 4WD track bikepush up to get back to Rosa.
My single tk riding was lousy, not helped by my L knee being sore on every pedal stroke.
Then at finish I felt almost heat struck and went and loitered in the cold section of a supermarket for awhile.....

Justifies my knee replacement operation call for March 14th.
Doc reckons i have a 75% chance to get enough flexibility in knee to ride...odds lower than normal due to blood thinners.
Recovery 2 or 3 times slower for same reason.

Saw knee surgeon and physio and had an afternoon nap.

Early morning ride...around Paringa Paddock single tracks. Short but fun.

Two 3 hr bike sessions with stop for PS Industry view and ride to and from river for lunch with others.
On arrival in morning we had 6 bikes with punctures so a bit of a rush to change them. Picked up one more at BMX track.

Long drive home with ute & double decker bike trailer- complicated by the fact that the driver missed a turnoff so I directed them thru some dirt backrds from Truro. Then our diesel guage went from half full to empty and we were madly trying to work out where there was an open petrol station in the Angaston - Eden Valley - Woodside route at 8.30pm. Rang up the Mt pleasant one and the guy said he would open it up and wait. I had never even seen it before and it was full of hoarded junk. Fun trip home with the 3 young uns.

Morning ride out to lock and around Paringa

Two 3 hr bike sessions with stop for PS Industry view and ride to and from river for lunch with others.

Late evening ride around Paringa paddock and other river rails.
Some of it was closed off due to some clearing of the drains etc, but I just rode around the fences, as it was after work hours.
The O Map is shitty for mtbo as cant read the stupid light brown tracks, so just went by memory from last time i was there. Had lots of kangas for company.

Chatted to former ex student Luke Bossy afterwards - he was in next cabin, as working up that way.

Early morning drive up with other 5 Outdoor Ed personnel (4 guys, 1 girl) from Woodside to Renmark. Working with Tatachilla yr 8 students who were a delight. School had hired out the whole Paringa Resort, whilst we were in the Riverbend CP. Lovely as we only teach the sessions, so only working from 8.15 to 5 each day. And work paid for all our meals.
Ironically ex Marryatville student Luke Talbot-Male has just bought the BikeAbout / Eco Adventure company from Jack Young.

A 3 hr bike session with stop for PS Industry view and ride to and from accommodation. We ride along bike paths and visit the local BMX track where i showcase my skills. 25 kids in each session with Kevin & myself & 2 teachers. If an old lady can do it most of the tentative girls opt in. Had 4 punctures after session.

Evening ride ...mainly to find a new route to the BMX track as Kevin's involved too many road crossings. Found a great one. Then rode the levee bank the other side of town and around the Bookmark creek singletrack.

been off the bike allowing the cortisone injection some peace to do its job - did have a decent night's sleep last night and only feel it a bit.
Stu was keen to do a shortish ride but I wanted a decent ride, so i headed off alone.
Norton Summit - Ashton - Summertown - Uraidla (dropped in on friends newish cafe - Stall 1195) - across on Deviation Rd to Lobethal rd - Lenswood - almost to Lobethal where I went N on Neudorf.

I forgot that it turns to dirt so did a fw kms uphill on Croft rd dirt to Fox Creek descent - Cudlee Creek. Then up to Millbrook ...tp former primary school which my friends Andy & Monique have just finished renovating from stone ruins. With planning etc it was 5 yrs!! Finished brilliantly inside too, with recycled materials AND has a chip container pool outside. they have all the old school grounds ...tennis court, oval, footy posts, cricket pitch. 2 kids have hit pay dirt.

home down the Gorge - suprised that the 2 climbs there only amount to 80m climb.

walk

walk

Strange day.
Decided i wanted a decent ride as prob having a cortisone injection this afternoon.
Joined in with wed Wheelers at Vic park at 10am. I have occasionally ridden with them and they are normally reasonably paced but stop for lunch.
Unfortunately they were doing a linear park ride back past my place to Golden grove....then they were bloody slow and didnt call when other riders / dogs etc on path, so dangerous. Regrouped near top of linear park and leader seemed perplexed & PMayer pointed out that I knew the tracks well but no advice sought...on we went strangely going over to Gorge rd and ending at Athelstone shopping centre, where leader said...not where i planned but will this do.... I was anti-social and pulled the plug to do my own ride.

Up Norton Summit, where i passed 2 people, which was good for my ego ..but i was riding slowish as knee was hurting. Decided to go exploring at top.
1) down Colonial Grove and loop of Green valley (nice), back to NS pub.
2) down Debneys and continued on up when it turned to hardpacked dirt for awhile and then back halfway & L up Church rd that leads back onto main rd by school.
3) Up on Woods Hill rd to Mt Lofty and return via Ashton to NS pub.
4) There i met a newbie young guy who wanted a different way down, so i rode with him along NS rd, L into Terengie Drive and down Woodland way halfway, where i sent him on.
5) Back up to NS pub, down NS, with a little diversion up & down Valley rd, with a nice view over the city at Knoll Cr.
Was almost now running late for doc appoint so a mad rush into city via Magill rd...not so nice.

Was a fun ride in the hills after dreadful WW start but just reinforced that i need a gravel bike...will get if knee op works out.

Shoulder - mixed news. MRI showed no new tear (1 old one, but as I stuffed it up in 1983 and had it repaired then, not suprisingly...or some other random bike fall). But showed huge inflammation & fluid...more than doc had ever seen!! Had cortisone shot but he reckoned i will need heaps more rehab exercises for months....
So at least I will have both shoulder and knee exercises to keep me occupied soon...

Sadly I cant ride for a few days due to injection..

C • Knee 2

walk along the Torrens though L knee shitty
trying to sort out my shoulder problem, as after 3 months its only getting worse and i havent slept properly for 3 months.
saw doc and had xray today, mri tomo....

Ride into town along the Torrens, checking out new felixstowe park on way.
Meant to do a long roadie ride but found a mechanical prob with it...so swapped

Along the Torrens incl Highbury aquaduct

Read a good book (Fiona McIntosh - bye bye baby) last night so slept in and didnt get to group ride. Took myself off later on and rode down to Brighton to see the annual sculptures. However they had been removed yesterday. Dropped in on Anthea & Steve Williams there and also had a drink at Market on Maxwell in Glenelg, owned by Con, an ex student from Morialta.
Looked over the Edwardstown velodrome, which has had its track resurfaced and other buildings revamped, but still not open.
On way back watched some criteriums at Vic Park and had done a few laps there myself on way down - dodging a myriad of construction vehicles, which suprisingly was not closed off with OH&S concerns. I was worried about the hand cyclist circulating, as he was difficult to see.