Training Log Archive: Yak

Foot O at Beechworth Gorge
How can people (reuben & max Neve) get everything so wrong?
Course lengths 20 -50% wrong due to "computer error!"
Huge hill to finish that meant 95% of people walked the last part of the 5 days - not a gd memory.Described by warren as "cruel."
Elites had a shitty last loop that involved coming up that hill twice, and they had bingoish controls in that last bit.
Some rocks / cliffs had wrong heigjhts or no heights.
Courses utilised many of smae controls and there were numerous legs that were on different coursees, but simply in reverse.
Climbs up and down just for sake of it.

Actually area was really nice i thought. I took 1.46 for whatever length my course 5 was - almost no loss of time.

Foot O at Beechworth Gorge
How can people (reuben & max Neve) get everything so wrong?
Course lengths 20 -50% wrong due to "computer error!"
Huge hill to finish that meant 95% of people walked the last part of the 5 days - not a gd memory.Described by warren as "cruel."
Elites had a shitty last loop that involved coming up that hill twice, and they had bingoish controls in that last bit.
Some rocks / cliffs had wrong heigjhts or no heights.
Courses utilised many of smae controls and there were numerous legs that were on different coursees, but simply in reverse.
Climbs up and down just for sake of it.

Actually area was really nice i thought. I took 1.46 for whatever length my course 5 was - almost no loss of time.

C • I think it's in OCAD 1

beechworth mtb park again - green and last half of blue plus jumps track, albeit without jumping.
then out to silver creek cpk by walking tk over mines with grids on top.

beechworth mtb park again - green and last half of blue plus jumps track, albeit without jumping.
then out to silver creek cpk by walking tk over mines with grids on top.

60 min score type event at stanley. Rules were a bit strange i icked a gd route but it was to no avail as i rushed off with others up a wrong rd and stupidly didnt turn around once i realised' thus ending with a nonn efficient route

Riding in beechworth mtb park with christine - rocky as

Shitty event at rowdy flat' near yack
Scale too hard to read detail
Helped someone and then did # 180 degree error and took ages to get back on course
Late to start also due to 18 min toilet queue' as only 2 toilets

Shadowing christine on one of sprint courses in urban chiltern
Everyone loved the two courses' some did bush one too

Did ride on south side of frweeway of chiltern in old cynade dam map
Rode there with boys but once it got technicaal i rtold them to go on,
Did white box track

Rode with stu and jeff on flaves trail beside rail trail - purpose built mtb track 4km each way
Just out of beechworth

Mtbo race at indigo winery
Arrived almost at start time so no warm-up
Did wel considering. Also soft pedalled a bit because of hamstring
Suposed to be 75 mins but many of us collected all scatt and set course as area small

Dad will have to have an other op to put some plastic skin over his knee!!!

Departed with Jeff for i/s O a bit late, after working out options.
Drove to wedderburn and met up with Stu and I let them on a ride visiting interesting mining sites, all by map memory from google, as TI didnt have a copy of the map i wanted of the nearby forest.
Saw Eucalypt still / stew pot and puddling circle in Hardhill reserve on S side of main rd and then to Lonely Grave on N side and into Wychitella flora and fauna reserve which had lots of mining stuff and multitudes of tracks. Great meal at wedderburn pub.

Second year in a row I havent exercised on Christmas Day.
This was always going to be diificult given I had a lot of driving to do.
However, I escaped a return drive to Goolwa but added a 3 hr stay in emergency at Flinders Hospital! Dad had a fall at Pete's - no broken bones but his 89 year old skin is very thin and he lost a huge amount over his knee and around plus bled a lot. Took him to theatre to clean it up.

C • Dad 1

more resting hammy, and limiting computer use, after physio appointment. Need stretch regularly. Fingers crossed for coming weeks.

Spent the day fully cleaning out the shed. No snake found but I didnt check inside the golf bag. Took 1.5 bikes to "bike for refugees" and have a lot of stuff for hard rubbish. But have about 20 tyres to sort thru...
Fixed mower wheel, at least temporarily.

Quick mow, as only half lawn is growing, esp after 42 degree day yesterday.

Meant to go early as temp due to be 39, but slept in for first time in weeks.
Started at 8.15 when temp was already 32 and last hour was in 37-39 degrees against a northerly wind from 30 - 50 kph!

Vic Pk - Edwardstown velodrome, where i did some laps and then to Kingston Pk CP, return along foreshore, then bike tk behind airport and back to city. Last hour was really unpleasant and all other cyclists out had that "death march home" look and speed too.

Pace was mundane, as not trying to stir up leg, and I seemed to get all the red traffic lights. Leg did complain from 30km mark slightly.
L knee. that I had taped as an experiment, to try to minimise knee pain afterwards, did seem successful.

Swim on way home at Payneham pool.
Had a cold shower first but my overheated body loved total immersion!
Again easy - no kick only or breastroke as they tend to stir hamstring up.
Had 2 lanes to myself - surprisingly few people here, though there were heaps at the beaches I passed earlier.

Started clean-out of shed hoping the snake I saw in there 2 weeks ago has found a better home. Getting 1 collection for hard rubbish and another for "bikes for refugees" donation and will look to sell the kick-bike.

Hamstring quite sore, esp when physio touches it, so having a few days off riding and trying not to do 10 hour days sitting in front of computer, which probably isnt gd for it.

To van repairer - it now looks better than ever and it got a free wash!
Annoying that I cant do more for the moment ... trying to get hammy right.

On the positive side Cleland opens up for mt bikers this saturday!! Almost all tracks ok and they even have been colour coded for difficulty and signs put in. Now it will get busy in there and that will upset the walkers! I'll have to find different areas to be illegal in! Even in the 1990's I was taking Marryatville High kids in there!!

C • Being illegal 1

Along the Torrens to east and up in suburbs to Georhe household. Checking whether they had started taking down the fences around water reserve, which they havent.

Dropped camper off to get repaired, walked to bikeshop at Kensington to pick up "Barbie." Back brake still a problem but no longer covered by warranty! Rode out to Waterfall Gully and up to start of WPT but R hammie started to complain again, so I was sensible and foregoed my fav climb. Rode home.

A hard ride with lots of climb, made more difficult by getting to bed after 1am, as doing a myriad of OA stuff.
Bal gp ride - out to Hahndorf, Echunga, Mylor then South UP, UP Bradbury rd to Bradbury, Longwood, Heathfield, Stirling to cafe. I rode with Michelle and again the Bradbury Bermuda triangle had us trying to interpret the rough map. But we got it right for a change and no extra climb was involved.

My R hamsting niggle returned with the big climbs so took it a bit easier on return, though still did the long course. Stirling - Piccadily - Uraidla - UP huge Parish Hill rd (where I walked 400m to protect hammy) - Carey Gully - UP Deviation Rd (2nd time in 3 days) then down Collins and undulated along Swamp rd back to Bal.

I felt gd on flat but shitty on hills.

Didnt get so much done this time as they did many squat type exercises which i cant do with bung knees.
The Goodhealth gym has started at Dernancourt - cant believe the number of people they have going already .... they take over the whole supermarket parking!!

A planned epic ride which turned out well navigating by seat of my pants.
Had half a dozen lined up to start but revealing some of the plans at Stu's party was a mistake (and the late night). So only Jeff and Nicole started from her place at Wattle Pk.
Across suburbia to Waterfall Gully, up a little in Chambers, then a L up a horrendously steep tk to Greenhill rd where we veered off on the tk next toYanagin rd to Greenhill-Mt Lofty Rd junction. This was 1 hr accounted for.

Then a lovely roadie ride thru Summertown and Uraidla to Carey Gully and then up Deviation rd and at end straight onto the dirt Mawson Rd which went for ages. (1.30 here) This was on a ridge but had many testing ups and downs. Jeff thought we had arrived when we came to the first bit of pine forest, but alas not. Finally turned onto Croft rd and to Fox Ck mtb parking area and the beautifully situated winery.

I had 2 bananas with me for sustenance but Nic fancied a wood fired pizza but there was a 30 min delay. So naturely we headed off into Fox Ck to do some single track for 30 mins!

Started off on Planketon rd ? on S side of pine forest and i had aimed to follow this down (although shown as fire access only) but we diverted off to R to follow Mawson trail temporarily and then had to follow Heysen trail back L up this enormous hill to regain the ridge. Then a fast but dangerous descent into the bottom of Montacute Con Pk and onto the end of Valley rd. Rode quietly along this saving up strength for Corksrew rd climb. This is the toughest of the near Adelaide climbs at 9.4% and will be in the TDU for the first time this year. Ride up was helped by being entertained by 4 long boarders who did 3 descents (aided by car transport back up) whilst we climbed for about 15 mins.

Then descent down Montacute Rd and back across suburbia. Had thought of going up and through Morialta but Nic had an 18th b'day cake to make on her return. A very solid ride and my legs held out well but will probably stiffen up. The weather being only about 20 degrees made it easier.

Flat ride. Vic Pg to Glenelg and then a lap around the airport doing the new 900,000$ Anna Meares short bikeway on the N side. Then to kingston Pk, Daw Pk (JC not home) and back to city.

Annoying day - dropped campervan at Norwood to get assessed by insurers and walked to Lifecycle to pick up bike but they had forgotten to fix the brake, so left it.
Walked into city in bike clothes, and back to Norwood and then to Lifecycle, all in pouring rain.

Ride to wattle Pk, then Skye and back to Norwood to pick up campervan.

2nd swim of season on a 39 degree day
1.2km actually

walk to physio for R hamstring treatment.
It actually hadnt been feeling too bad but then I hurt it getting out of the blood letting chair whilst getting my INR taken!!

Slept at keith showgrounds last night (they even have showers) after almost getting marooned in Donald, until I discovered a BP self serve credit card station there.
Ride around mostly streets looking for gd letterboxes and found about 8, but one is fantastic. Made of metal it depicts a lady reading a bk, with hair in rollers and even has shoes on.
Discovered a fenced in "conservation park" in the middle of town and "sumo suits here at ...." ad at pub.
Had real trouble making th last 200kms home, esp as my talking bk stopped at three quarter mark for some unknown reason, so had to have a little sleep along the way.
SA is almost "fencing in" the entire highway.

decided to ride the Shelly part of the High Country rail trail, commencing at the Shelly railstation, which was the highest station in all Victoria.
Pretty tired, and was 1 km down the tk before i realised that I wasnt wearing my helmet... noting my luck I returned for it.
First 7 kms or so were great - well signposted, signs of trail maintenance etc and then suddenly the trail got all grassy and I came to a gate with new locks on it.
Thought someone was playing games so climbed over and walked gingerly over several trestle bridges in their original 1915 statebefore coming to another locked gate and a 3rd trestle bridge with the firstlayers of wood missing ... Took the nearby rd and emerged at the Koetung pub and met "Mr Stig"- dummy dressed as TV guy. Met owner and he said that they had closed someof the rail trail and army reservists were rebuilding it. Took the rd for the uphill trek back, being passed about every 2 mins by laden logging trucks.

Rode the Mill Ck 2km education trail, which was quite informative, even having an explosives shelter still in place.

Then drove to Chiltern and did about 90 mins of checking the mtbo map for xmas training event.

Drove onward via a northern route (violet Town, Rushworth, Bendigo, Wedderburn, Donald, Warrack..beal to avoid the more bushier and kangaroo laden forest areas further south!!
Aimed to stop at a "rest area" near the SA - VIC border but I didnt see it, so ended up at Keith!

Ride on Jindabyne trails after C2K presentation. They have a nice recreational type trail made to IMBA standards around part of the lake p[lus about 18kms of original single tk.
Did a bit of bush bashing to get on another track near East Jindabyne. Much else also around here.

Now for sagas which has my campervan looking like it has been in a Smashfest. Firstly it got backed into my a farmer's wife, after I had left it, with permission, in their paddock, whilst doing C2K crewing. Back windscreen and back door totalled which meant that I fitted a tarp to it, while watched by drunken Dalgety Pub patrons, at about midnight. Then drove homeward today via Thredbo (and finding I had missed a mt bike race there) and was aiming for Chiltern. However between Coroyong and Albury a kangaroo jumped into the van, missing the strategically placed bull-bar and wrecking the panel next to headlight! This was in daylight, so I decieded to camp at Shelley (former mtbo map near there) to recover my composure!!

C • Oh no! 2

Ride from Charlottes Pass up to Rawsons pass, just below Mt Kosi, supporting David Baldwin in C2summit. Slow on way up.

Ride from Charlottes Pass back down to Jindabyne and around town. Some big hills to go up but also a 14 km descent. All on bitumen. This was after David B finished C2S. He finished 4th out of 38 and when I was descending there were runners (walkers) still leaving Jindabyne with 60km to do. Some will miss the 3.30am cut-off.

Walk from Rawsons pass to Mt kosi and back. Included 100metres across icy snow.
Three teams summitting at the same time but we David managed to beat them all back to the finish at Charlottes with a big turn of speed on the descent.

Crewing for David Baldwin in coast to Kosi 240km race starting 5.30am tomorrow.
Just drove down to start at Eden today and main exercise will be in sleep deprivation over the next 48hrs, though hope to ride up to Kosi on the last bit.

Had been hoping my leg would be gd enough to ride at East Kowen and today was my last chance. Went with niece Aimee and we did the 25km loop and it was fantastic - flowing stuff with the odd ramp and 1 long raised platform, though they all had B lines around. Also went up and looked at the lovely tunnel that goes under the newly aligned freeway and leads into Sparrow Hill. Such great considerate, forward planning for mtb'ers!
Leg tinged at about 20km mark and i sift pedalled more from there.

Took niece Aimee and her 2 boys Oscar and Eliott (7 & 5) for their first O event at Bruce Ridge. Was obviously just tracks but they loved finding the controls and punching them.

Slow ride around the NW part of Canberra with older orienteering riders.
Started at Kippax shops in Holt and did some of National Bicentennal Trail and around some ponds. Some I hadnt been on before.
R Hamstring still a mite sore but tolerable.

Afternoon ride in Gooyooyarra and Mulligans Flat Nature parks.
Windy but nice and hamstring was ok. Sustained another injury while lifting bike thru unfriendly walker type gate and got 4 deep big chain "bites" on my R leg!
Now babysitting my grand nephews.....harder than riding.

Very slow ride to and from school with 2 grand nephews, and around a bit afterwards. Got a rude shock when told it was my job to carry both their backpacks, as" that's what Mum does." Re-educated Mum on return.
Leg still sore, but at least I'm resting it.
Trying not to give it the opportunity to accumulate blood, as dont want a repeat of last year.
Also reduced my wayfarin level, self medicating, as Im prone to do.

OA Conference Day 2.
Actually went to pool in morning but it had a carnival planned so no swim.

OA Conference - day 1.
Should have gone for a swim but i went to O event and stood around being sociable instead.
R Hamstring quite sore.