Training Log Archive: Yak

Virus / flu
After feeling bad last night it wasnt any better when i woke up.
Only got worse so reluctantly pulled the plug on the 3-9pm 6 hr mtbike race I was looking forward to ... despite lights all being charged and several bananas bought (an expense due to Qld floods).
It was supposed to rain but to rub salt into the wounds conditions looked perfect!
Watch battery also died as did TV..

Rode with Gadbugs, a Goolwa group of about 10 today.
To Bluff at Victor and return via bike path so pace was constantly changing. Wind not too bad. Several I knew from my road racing days.
15 of them are off to France soon - most doing 6 weeks touring and some 3 months! Jeolous!

Rushed to get a submission for AO into ASC that was due in today.
Got big headache and temp later in day,

Lawn mowing and then trip to Goolwa.

Mt bike ride with Nicole M who is new to town. (My partner in the recent 12 hr) Her last posting with her family was Trinidad and Tobago so we talk Caribbean stuff.
Did what I call the "royal adelaide tour." Up Chambers Gully to Cleland, contouring just beneath Mt lofty, (past rangers house) to Crafers and then in some bush near Stirling and into Eagle Pk thru the back entrance. Onto the single tk, including the north face descent which she handled brilliantly and the big climb back to the main car park. Quite hard work as a balmy 29 degrees.

Then a roadie climb back up past the former Eagle on the Hill Hotel and then down Bullocks and the Pioneer Women's Trail and a downhill bomb back to her place in Tusmore. She loved the ride and especially the promised views from PWT. Saw kangaroos, koala and 5 deer!

They are bitumising the entire W Gully to Mt Lofty walk!! Could be good for a descent in the middle of a winter's night!

Bal gp ride. Feeling a bit lethargic.
Up Germantown Hill to Bridgewater and Algate, down A Valley rd to Mylor, then Echunga, Flaxley and Macclesfield for hot chocolate stop. I got left between faster and slower riders from Mylor (after descent), so soloed it from then on, with 1 guy about 800m ahead the whole time.
Home on back rd towards Mt Barker and then on outskirts up Boland Rd etc (v steep), onto Echunga - Hahndorf rd and then to Hahndorf and back to Bal. Managed to keep with faster riders this time.
(Sarah's vet clinic had been broken into and 20k of drugs etc taken..)
Such a lovely day I then rode with sarah out on biketk to Woodside and then on the 3km new section coming in to Charleston. This last 3 km is lovely fast bitumen.
Did a few extras kms in backstreets of Oakbank just to see the 100 tick over.

Alicia, my niece in London had a 2nd baby girl today. Was an unplanned home birth! Named Scout!

From Armadale (Perth outskirts) back along the bike route to Perth and then on the biketk next to Tonkin Highway for some time. On return went into the new Champion lakes rowing area where there were great cycling tks and a bitumen road around, with other riders circulating. Finished in dark.

Course 12 = W50 as short, hard enter on the day. 4.6km.
Decided that 4days of O watching was a little too much to bear.
Mostly walked around the course, which was interesting except when i was crossing farmland between rock areas. O'ed very well except for veering uphill on 1 leg too much but picked it up quickly.
Very sore foot afterwards, probably because i tied shoe too tight, as only had sandshoes.

Walk to start of course.

Ride around Beverley, near O event. Did local BMX track and out to gliding aerodrome, where there were many gliders and caravans - watched some take off.

Very fast ride from Anthea Feavor's house in West Leederville, next to Subiaco AFL oval to Armadale, at the foot of the escarpment.
Was meeting John Nieu and Luke Hazell at the cravan park, whose plane was arriving at 8.20 or so and then they were picking up a car.
Flew down to Kings Park and the city and then took the main bikepath across the Swan River, past Canning bridge and to Mt Henry bridge. Then made my own way thru streets but mostly there were bike paths too. A main highway had a lane dedicated to buses and bicycles only in peak times.
Was ahead of schedule and then I had a pedal come loose, so had to one leg it for the last few kms. So they beat me by 10 mins.
Paraolympian Michael Milton, who rides with only 1 leg, has done 50km mt bike races and has to hop with his bike if its too steep!!

Tour de Swan in Perth.
From Anthea's house in West Leederville out to King's pk and then onto Swan river bikepath going to Fremantle on western side of lake (brewery side). Stopped in on Karen Staudte's flat in North Freo but she wasnt at home.
Bit of a ride around Freo and then back up on eastern side. This is the best side as there are no detours onto roads, and even a ride on boardwalk on the river's edge. Lots of activity along the water's edge, including "Sky High" - a high wire gym type school. Past Canning Bridge and past the Burswood Drome and then up to Guildford. Was a section here where there was a designated cycle only tk and a pedestrian only one seperate one. Mostly they are shared quite happily.

Then return to city on other side and some difficulty finding the right bikepath to take me the quickest up the hill to Kings Park, as it was getting dark.

Fantastic ride - WA cyclists are SO lucky.

Walking the dog or vice versa around Subiaco oval and return.

Walking the dog with Anthea around the streets.

Playing with Anthea's Giant Avalanche bike on the streets, getting it set up.

Tues Bal ride on my lovely fast roadie!
Was up to 3am so slept in and was 20 mins late arriving.
Was a lovely day so I was happy enough to chase the fast group and meet them at Mt Barker coffee stop. via brunkga, nairne, summit rd and then the wetlands.
Then back via Flaxley, Echunga, Mylor, up Aldgate Valley Rd, Bridgewater, Verdun and Bal - nice.
Both hamstrings and quads complained as many hours in front of computer prob isnt best thing for recovery from weekend's exertions.

Dirty weekend part 2.
I wish I had a dollar for all my fellow riders who: a) asked if i was sick; b) slagged me off for not soloing as usual. I think they just like seeing me suffer...
Nicole went 1st again which proved a bad move, as not suprisingly she ran out of legs after her 2nd and left me to carry on, so I ended up doing 2 laps straight at the end. Had chain caught in rings once per lap which cost me time. Effort was twice as much but times very consistent and I entertained myself by pushing to get in before 2pm and achieved that by 4 mins. Legs had enough of sharp steep pinches so I declined a 3rd straight lap, much to everyone's surprise - would have delayed presentations!!

The "killer emu" came out viciously about 10am and chased numerous riders, including me. Some great photos on AMBC and Adelaide Cyclists forums. One guy needed stitches.

I didnt feel great (like at Cromer 2 weeks ago), but i think the climb% and my weight didnt co-exist nicely...And my legs would prefer to go continuously rather than start again each hour.

On the positive side it was all very sociable being able to watch others and chat to people. A better Bike Sa event, but course and area still too tough for a 24 hr, as the visiting Vics agreed. 12 hr solo won by Anne Allbrecht (14th in worlds last year) who is doing Aus Champs 24 hr at Stromlo next week!! Jane Hutchinson cantered in with 24 solo with 15 laps.

Won a nice hoodie, armwarmers, socks etc.

The Dirty Weekend 24 hr event at Fox Creek in SA.
After many solo events here I decided to sit this one out, as
a) I hate the tough, twisty course; b) relatively unfit c) overweight and d) hardly got to bed before 2am any night this week!
Meanwhile I'd been asked by a friend to show Nicole M (42 year old newie to Adelaide) where to ride. Seeing her once I judged that she was quite technically competent and ok fitness wise. So I said that provided the weather was ok I'd be happy to do a 12 hr duo with her without going flat out. (Bike SA even allowed for on the day entry ..)

The 12 hr was broken into 2 x 6hrs. 2-8pm sat and 8am-2pm Sun.
Nicole was keen to go first and we just got 6 laps in, with me heading out on the last one at 7.40pm. From 5.30pm - 6.30am one section was left out as it allowed cheating too much in the dark.. I rode rel slowly on the first lap but better in the next two, with both of these mostly in the dark.
Bitterly cold by 5.30pm. The funniest thing was 15 yr old Jack Allison throwing himself on the ground right in front of me, as he had cramp!
Sunset was brilliant as was the array of red topped toadstools we rode through in the forest. Someone also made us laugh by putting a plastic snake on the course!

Walk along the Torrens in semi darkness.

Brushed the cobwebs off my indoor roadie and turned the legs over after spending a glorious sunny autumn day with 12 hours at school, incl parent teacher night.

up late doing OA stuff, so decided to do more OA work in morning and ride in afternoon but time escaped and i didnt get out of the house..

The supposed Vic middle distance champs!! My course was down as 15.3 and I did 30kms or close. Elite men did 37kms!
I was off first in W40 and totally stuffed the first leg, taking almost 12 for a 6 min leg... I then had to gun it hoping to recatch my competitors ...but didnt see them en route and luckily won by about 20 mins!
Navigated well on most other legs but hadnt taken out a gel and riding felt harder than yesterday. Had to refold map 3 times and hadnt studyed finish and after hitting the oval I had to backtk a 100m or so to punch the 2nd last that i hadnt seen on the map in my previous quick glance.

It had rained all night and the tracks were all soggy and had deep stinky water in wheelruts. At several places one had to hike a bike across 50 m of deep marsh, so my cyclocross training came in useful. Being cold the wet feet wasnt fun.

The most "unmiddle" course i have ever done in terms of course setting and length! Value for money though.

Had a nice drive over with Peter Mayer in his new Porsche vehicle!!

Vic long distance champs and selection trials at Korweingoora near Daylesford. I rode W40 and won easily after starting last in group.
Route choices were a bit of a lottery with the main roads having blue metal on them and being very unfriendly therefore mostly the dashed lines were faster.
I stuffed up 1 dodgy control by 10mins after
a) getting excited charging down a nice rideable tk;
b) Having Julie on my tail, whom I had caught 6 mins;
c) the clearing at the tk entrance had evaporated;
d) there were several unmarked tks also before and after the one i was looking for.
went past it initially on the uphill return leg too. Steve C presumed it wasnt there and dnf'ed as control wasnt obvious.
Gd riding conditions and then it bucketed down as presentations happened - they were inside luckily.

Rode fast and felt gd, just rusty map reading.
Gd catching up with all the juniors again and they were performing really well.

Cyclocrosse training at Vic Park.
Was much more riding than last week.
Practiced some tight cornering in sandy / rough ground and had "carry" over logs at end of each section and then had to get on and sprint away.
My quads complained again initially but seemed to accept their fate later on. Had 3 mini races during the session which featured tight squeezing and crashes in the corners - amazing how my new skills evaporated somewhat under race pressure!!
A really fun group to ride with - mostly track and roadies learning to play on dirt.
The interval type session probably wasnt the wisest thing to do after the 6hr and leading into the mtbo races this weekend, but what the heck.

Had massage afterwards and BJ said my quads were quite ok!!!

Ouch - I cant remember when my legs last hurt so much!
Obviously I paid a price for my lack of fitness + hard racing.
Only 5 hrs sleep last night, so chickened out from riding to the start at Lobethal.
Drove to Gorge and caught the fast gp at Cudlee Ck turnoff, but there were only a handful, so I had a hard time keeping up.
Have I mentioned yet that my legs were hurting...
Met some others (earlier starters) at Gumeracha, then to Foreston where 3 of us got dropped. Up Martins Hill rd over to Cromer then Birdwood and then the boring 10km to Mt Pleasant with 2 of us leading.
From Mt P everyone (shorter course people too) headed to Tungkillo and then to Mt Torrens. I left near the rear and had to play catch up. Wasnt looking forward to the big hill before Mt T but I was pacing myself and feeling not too bad, so I was passing people. Made an effort to catch Sarah B just before the summit.
Then went towards Birdwood and off onto Burfords Hill rd and its 3 climbs trailing the fast gp by 100m most of the time. Passed several on last climb and then left group going via Gumeracha and Cudlee Ck to the Gorge. A nice relaxing finish.

But my quads are so sore - much worse than the 24hrs / 371 km Mawson marathon!! Morale of the story - it pays to train specifically at race pace, duration, type of bike and terrain.

Commute to work.
Against: legs sore
For: price of petrol, awake early enough, nice day.
Struggled to work and tried to minimise climb on way home which meant much backstreeting and up the creek behind Yatala. Very slow on heavy bike.

Enduro 6 hr race at Cromer.
Was so so about going as i havent been doing any hard training, just riding. Then had a not so good sleep but in the end I went as the weather was good and i knew it would be a fun track. Fearful that one of my friends would finally beat me in the 40 plus as she had been training hard.
Chaos on the first 14km lap as they started two lots of teams 1 and 2 min after us solos. So I lost a bit of time moving off the tk at times.

Wondered how my lack of fitness, aided and abetted by an extra few kilograms, would go. Felt really good for the first 3 hrs and then wished it was a 4 hr event. Had lots of energy but my legs werent liking me so much. However i lapped pretty consistently - 55, 56, 54, 56, 56, 57, 59.
Had 1 min stops after lap 2 and 4, 20 secs after 5 and about 2 mins after 6, trying to get out of the computer where the other girls were. Had no support crew and i managed to go out after lap 4 minus my water bottle so thirsty for a lap!
I had figured on 6 laps but wasnt too bad so cruised a 7th. In the end I was only about 2 mins down on ex-student Jane Hutchinson, who won the elites and i was 2nd female and won 40+ by a lap. Several 40 year olds that may have beaten me were racing in teams.
However i was really stoked how well i rode and even mastered both big log piles on downhill but chickened out on an uphill one. av almost 14kph.
Won a decent tyre and $50 voucher - does this mean i can claim my bike expenses with the taxman now!!

slept in, so easy solo ride around the burbs

Kms again a guess.
Rode from school to explore Cobblers Ck (where one isnt supposed to ride) as a guy has built some single tks in there. Did a lap of the lower part and rode past a ranger's car and then they drove past me towards the entrance. So I did a quick about turn and headed uphill!
Did the walking tk along the creek way up to suburbia of Greenwith and beyond. Some wider paths out of the park proper.
Then did a lap of the upper area and found the single tk and bombed down it - had some nice banked berms. Was good, must do more often.
Riding thru the drug dealers in the car park is a bit offputting, so may use another entrance.