Training Log Archive: Yak

Rupert Guinness (very famous cycling journalist) was in Tanunda last night but left before I awoke so I only met him at the foot of the Gorge rd climb. Rode into town (again) finding another section of trail blocked off near the uni, just with a couple of extra riders joining in.

Then escorted him to Treadly bikeshop. There I looked up the IPWR facebook page and right then the update came about a fatal accident to a IPWR rider on the Monaro highway between Cooma & Canberra. Knowing that there was only one rider on that section it had to be Mike Hall, the 2nd placed guy from Wales, who was always cheerful and smiling ... Returned to Treadly to break the news to Rupe.
Shitty news.

pm Got a call from an IPWR official whether I could meet a rider and tell him about Mike Hall's death, as he was a friend, and they hadn't been able to contact him. Was going to ride in with Eelco Weijmans (from the Netherlands) anyway, so it wasn't too difficult.

I met him at the end of the Gorge ...was devastated by the news. He had flown over here with Mike and was a fellow "around the world" achiever.
We rode into town and to Treadly bikeshop (a race supporter where Mike and many others had their bikes fixed up) where the guys were very supportive. Left him with my ph no if he needed a bed.
Rode home even more jumpy about the whole breed of car drivers.

Rode up the Gorge to play escort of 4 IndyPac riders down the linear park, as its a bit of a maze. They were very appreciative. Nearer town others joined in. Home via roads.

One of the guys, who is from Melbourne, is probably the pre-eminent cycling you tube blogger, under his race name of Cycling Maven.
I appear in the one below at about the 2 minute mark...must lose weight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQJrDxHbLts

Another busy day ..
Got 5 hrs sleep last night ...left home at 6.45am to do a full day's school orienteering at Woodside. Put out 28 controls. Luckily the rain held off until about the last 15 mins of the final and 6th lesson. But I got wet collecting controls. Timed the kids this time with some winners getting an old copy of my O book and choccy eggs.

Timed my drive home to catch Ben (IPWR) on Gorge rd and give him some food and tell him I'd leave a coke beside my welcome to Adelaide sign on the linear path. Couldn't escort him in as had to cook tea for 2 Swedish friends and take them to the bus station (heading to Ballarat).
I'm very tired.

Picked Swedish orienteers Sven & Marit up from train station at 7am ish and spent the day doing touristy things. Mt Lofty, Cleland (to hold a koala etc), Organic Market café for lunch; drive in hills, walk Pioneer Women's trail. Devised courses for tomo late into the night (and morning).

Another busy day.
Sorted out home internet problem, dealt with 50 emails..
Then was on another Indian Pacific wheelrace escort ride - this time Beth Dunne, Seb's wife. tracking was a bit on and off and I couldn't get coverage up the gorge to know exactly where she was. Stopped at top next to reservoir and I got a reminder about a 1.30 skin check appointment...shit.
Anyway caught up with Beth further up and headed for another lap of linear park ...was fun catching up and giving her the update on Seb.

Then she needed a toilet break, so we called in to the Vale Park CPk and I called and amazingly managed to change my appoint to 2.30pm. On towards the city and somewhere close Emily Sorenson's Mum turned up on a bike to add to our peleton. Into the city and out to Greenhill rd and upward..before the main climb I headed off to my appointment at Campbelltown, leaving Beth with another guy for the climb.
Went to skin clinic in my bike clothes and with no credit card, so had to return later. Ok, as I had maps to print and mapboards to drop off too.
Now to tidy house, mow lawn for 7am pick-up of Swedish visitors tomo..

quick lawn mow in semi darkness

I did the Gravelaide middle course of 80 km as forecast was for 37 degrees but it was nice at 9am start and just got hot and sticky later on in 2nd half.
Started at Ashbourne ... and went all over the place on dirt rds and farm tracks..near Strath, near Meadows, over to Kyeema. 60 / 80/ 110 km courses with many people taking the odd short cut as there were some big climbs out there. Over 100 all up, with most on fast CX bikes.

I rode initially with Louise & nev and stopped a bit to wait at times before L shortcut at 60km mark. No signage just a rough map (ok) and GPS track for Garmin...worked ok. $65 incl ref stations, even with a balfours frog cake, and a hamburger, beer and soft drinks at finish plus a hat and socks.

Did a long 13% climb in Cox cons park and several climbs at 16% elsewhere. My 29er doesn't have a lower enough granny...was hard.
Would have been walking if not others around - and must lose my excess stomach!
Took more photos after L & N left. Was good, exploring many rds I hadn't done before.

I knew that my busy schedule would see me crash and burn sometime.
Riding late last night with "the purple dot." Then had to drop Seb at the airport on way to Pt Noarlunga mtbo and pick up apres event watermelon on way. Had planned to go with my van and stay weekend down that way but Seb's arrival threw that into disarray, so my mtb had gone out of car, into van, back into car... Unfortunately in the rush my front wheel skewer didn't make the transition! All dressed up and nowhere to go.

Was busy enough doing admin before and towards end..
Then drove car and walked to pick up controls,
Then home via my brothers, a gear pick-up and drop in to David Couche's - so home at 9pm. Then had to take the cobwebs off my 29er for tomo and arrange food for ride.

Had Seb Dunne overnight as he had quit the IPWR due to injury.
Got a bike box for him in my travels today.

Rode to start of Gorge at 9.30pm to escort Sarah Hammond, awesome ultra rider, into town as they had to navigate along the linear path.
She was so talkative ...must have been keen for company after 6 days of very little. As we got nearer the city other riders joined in and quite a few people came out to cheer along the path, which was good given the late hour.

Rode back along the roads which was scary as lights weren't great

Meant to go with Wednesday wheelers but got there late... so made up my own route and got carried away exploring a few new spots.
Rose park - Glenelg via back streets - along beach to Seacliff.
The updated caravan park here is now named Brighton CP though its in Seacliff!!
Then did some dirt riding along Marino walking tk and then up to Hallett Cove bikepath and followed this towards the expressway.
I then ventured into Trott Pk and tried to get thru that way but had to return to expressway ...down to Flinders uni way, dropped in on Perry rd residence then onward to Greenhill rd and back thru Vic park.

Started feeling ok but towards the end I felt pretty tired.

C • Rogaine map 2

Scenic tour around Brim while doing Ballarat - home drive.
Thighs still sore to touch.
Nice silo art and great camping place with showers next to river.
3 painted silos in the area but should be 6 by end of the year.

Ride with Jenny Bourne from her place next to Nerrina towards Creswick.
Mostly in rain but temp was still warmish.
Explored resort just outside Creswick, then crossed rd into forest on west side of highway and rode randomly. Ended on road going towards Bald Hills and then looped back towards Creswick where we diverted into a café for a hot chocolate. Back via St Georges lake, some of Goldfields trail and other tracks. Jenny rode well on her old clunker.

My thighs were sore to touch....but worked ok, though I spun up the hills in smaller gears. My legs haven't been this sore anytime in last 10 years ...not during TA in NZ or 300 Otway. Perhaps because I didn't do warm down rides on the weekend (as it was hot).

Long distance at Barkstead. Race time 1hr 55
started off badly when I navigated almost to 11 rather than 1 from the start, but they were close so not too bad.
Later on I (and Rob Prentice & others) went up a non mapped track and back costing several minutes.
felt really shitty from the start - energy and legless. Thought I might improve during the event but it didn't happen. Several riders whom I would normally ride faster than just rode away...
Interesting terrain with many small branches and lots of leaf litter making the smaller tracks relatively slow but route choice was such that you could rarely avoid them.

Some excellent results from some of the World Champs nominees and some great new talent around in the juniors.

10am - Vic Champs sprint at Canadian.
Rode W40 in all races to get longer courses and better value for money.
Was really happy how well I started off and took sensible route choices.
However about half way around I had a brain fade and went 90+ degrees wrong and then was slow to relocate, losing a massive 5 mins on a shortish leg. Lost a couple more mins at the end by going from 11-15 which was nearby. Just 1 less error and would have won. A not so respectable 2nd.
41 mins race time.

2pm - Middle distance event at Canadian. 71 mins race time.
sitting around waiting to start for 3+ hrs in hot weather wasn't ideal.
Had several small losses but overall navigated better than in morning.
Pretty happy with 2nd.

Training day with 16 riders.
Set courses on 2 maps -Canadian South and Nerrina and did a variety of other skills type things. Went well.
Did a small ride at each venue after the others.

driving to ballarat

C • how long? 6

Control outing & inning at Woodside Rec grounds on 34 degree day.
170 kids.
My L knee is really chronic.

Time poor so rode from home up the Gorge to intersect with Bal gp ride. Turned L at Cudlee Creek onto Tippet Rd and onto Kersbrook.
After that R into Hill rd, which is a series of climbs , with a nasty 10%'s at start and finish of longest one. Then R into Forreston and onto Gumeracha for drink at the rocking horse.

All my normal fellow riders had gone on the short, although Gerry had aimed for long but took a wrong turn. I saw Ethne in the distance on Tippet rd and rode with her to Kersbrook and then the fasties caught me just entering Gumeracha.

Had a chat and then rode solo home via Gorge Rd.
Lovely day for a ride.

Too busy to ride!

Orienteering got some publicity for all the wrong reasons today.
A 66 yr old guy was reported on the TV & radio news channels as having fallen down a cliff and died at Hallett Cove whilst geocaching, a form of orienteering.

C • Very unfortunate :( 2

Belair Rec Park - MTBO training event ...6 kms putting out a few more tapes beforehand.
Then I deliberately took a non logical route choice to pick up all the tapes (most of which Zara had kindly put out in preceding days).
Had several climbs to the top of the park. Worked hard on one when another rider was with me.
Haven't been up there for awhile and was sad to see that Waverley Lodge has been demolished! When & why?

Token walk along the Torrens after being at Woodside PS doing O from 8am - 4pm and then at a education / coaching type inservice in city from 5-6.30pm

Bal gp ride starting from Mylor.
Most of my normal mates were absent except for Gerry who had started about 20 mins earlier given the heat. So I started solo.
Mylor - straight up Stock Rd (100m climb before 1.5km) and onto Heathfield and down next to Loftia Park...but rd closed halfway down.
I waited hoping that the faster riders, who had started 5 mins after me, would arrive, but they, being more local wisely took another route and got ahead of me. I tried looking at my garmin (minus glasses) and decided to walk down thru a dirt track in the park and hope I emerged after the road sealing works. I did ...Loftia main gate was all locked up and it looked miserable, unlike years ago when it was vibrant with huts to stay there.

Then a horrible climb up Morgan Rd (some walking as it was mostly 15-18%) and a nice jaunt thru Cherry Gardens and down to Clarendon.

Then busy roads to Kangarilla & meadows with a blackberry stop en route.
As expected the others were just leaving the coffee stop as I arrived but Gerry had also ridden solo and offered to ride with me. Amazingly I searched for a coke unsuccessfully at 3 cafes in Meadows, so rode onto Macclesfield and found one there. sadly enough I felt legless despite this - perhaps just 1 piece of fish and 1 egg wasn't enough last night!

Back rd out of Macclesfield and lobbed onto Flaxley rd and to Mt barker.
I lost Gerry somewhere there, so stopped and rang him - had a puncture. So I "enjoyed" a slow ride up the really hilly Bollen Rd and waited there. Then we went in search of more hills - Hawthorn rd provided them. Out to Echunga - Hahndorf rd and a long slog to the cemetery just out of Hahndorf. Then mostly down to River Rd and back to Mylor.
Bit of a saga and I arrived home still feeling unusually tired.

I rode into North Adelaide via linear park for a foot appointment, then into city for a 90 min free massage, then about a bit and home mostly via back streets.

In evening I attended a Sp & Rec session that involved a presentation by Darren Burgess (Port fitness guru who worked successfully with a large English soccer team) Was very interesting. Didn't see any other O personnel there.

Rode over to Anstey Hill to join the first legal group ride in there.
100 riders, but just 4 women. Not well organised as everyone just took off with no explaination. Scared the life out of some walkers who were suddenly passed by such a mob. Basically the gp is mostly blokey guys who like their downhills, so they had planned 5 descents, which meant 5 ascents. Luckily they did the nicest descent first - the flow track, which enabled the not so fit to see that at least.

I did one of the blackish descents, which was mostly an old track, which I had only ridden the top bit before. This was quite rutted and rocky so I walked a bit. When we got up to the top at Range Rd I did a little extra up there and then the new black DH from there ...this was part of a defunct track that I had ran 35 yrs ago regularly and ridden (sort of) recently. Again had a few rocky bits but not too bad ...but it is a "hero" trail where fast riders will come unstuck. I left the guys to do the last DH tk to them selves as that is nasty I know.

A fair bit of waiting for slowies on the climbs ...I climbed better than about 40% of them.

5 pm Even though my legs were a bit tired I felt the need for a few more kms. So rode over to Nortons & up to Scenic Hotel and then just straight down another steep rd back to Magill and home. Got cool on the descent.
Saw no cars & only 2 bikes coming down.
8.25 to 1st corner, 17.28 to 2nd & 31.22 to top. Didn't push - normally like sub 30.

To shops and back

Gorge ride - first one for a long time
Didn't get "monstered" by a quarry truck on way up, which was a bonus.
Legs felt fine on the dam climb but the time was atrociously slow, despite the fact I wasn't pushing hard. 62 mins to Gorge end.

When I got to Cudlee creek I did some extra kms, turning R at the CFS and going up Hollands creek rd to the dirt and then back down Banks rd to Gorge end and then same way back to CC café. Nice detour off the main road.
Chatted to some guys at the café, incl Damon who is doing the Indian pacific race from Perth - Sydney. He should do well. Rode back from Melbourne in 2days recently.

Then rode towards Gum and turned L at the weir to climb Gum Hill (just recently opened after road slip months ago). Climb was ok - 6.19 for 1.35km and 64 m climb. Back around the reservoir and then diverted back to Cudlee Ck to pick up my forgotten water bottle - back down Banks rd and home down the Gorge.

Walking around putting out & in O controls at Woodside PS for 6 sessions involving 160 kids in 37 degree heat.
As it was the first lesson we had a brief intro and saw 2 x 3min videos first each time, so they weren't running for the entire hour.
Went stunningly with heaps of kids thanking me individually in the yard later and teachers were happy too.

Had thought about a swim later but was too tired after getting back in town at 5pm and then needing to pick up the bike (from shop) and visit the library.