Training Log Archive: Yak

Ride with Michelle. I have a very snotty nose and headache so it was slow going. Beautiful blue sky belied the fact that even at 11am it was only 6 degrees in Paracombe. I was freezing with only summer arm warmers.
Home - TTG - Seaview rd - Up to range Rd sth - across to Paracombe - down to Gum rd near Houghton - back to Paracombe - reverse back home.
Quite a lot of climb for few kms.

Finally dragged myself to the gym in evening.
Did 2 x 5 mins on rower (920m each time) and a weights type class
couldn't do some exercises because of knee and shoulder
Confirmed that knee replacement should be planned sooner rather than later

Torrens walk in morning to get warm

Easy ride from home up Norton Summit to Marble Hill, down Montacute before the rain came.

Lovely late day ride from Mannum, as up there for schools O.
Caught ferry across river and took East Point rd. right next to the river going north. This was shown as a NO through rd but local sources told me it was possible by bike. A few kms in there was a locked gate and Danger, no entry sign due to rd danger of falling in the river. There was a way round and I rode this section, which lasted for about 1km and then went around the gate at the further end too.

Mostly flat until past Younghusband (shop there) and it started undulating about 20 kms in. I was on a time-line, avoiding darkness so turned around before end. Very peaceful, scenic road and saw only 2 cars.

Mt bike coaching with Heathfield High yr 10's at Fox Creek.
Kids were all quite fit except for 1, so we had a few stops.
Track was in excellent condition.
had them for 3 hrs but only 2 spent riding.

Roadie ride with Michelle Soar from Bal.
I was feeling energyless from the start and only found some ooph on the very last hill. Was a cold and hilly course with no other slower long riders.
Bal - Gum Flat Rd - Mt George - Bridgewater - Aldgate Valley rd - Mylor - Echunga - Mt Barker = 556m climb
Around Mt Barker Springs & summit - Nairne - Brukanga - Woodside - Bal -= 477m climb.
I hit 55kph on the descents twice.

Control putting out etc at Lobethal PS
I had to course set last night until 11pm, as only got the map whilst away.
I was sleepy as hell but had the Principal participate in the first lesson!
In the last lesson it rained some early on but the kids didn't ever look like stopping ... gotta love country kids.
Left home at 7.15 am and got home at 6.15pm after doing a few chores on the way home. Tired.

Lovely sunny day but spent it being bussed back from Blinman.
200 bikes went on 2 semi-trailers..
Home about 6pm

Ride from Wilpena - Blinman and then back to Alpana station.
Lovely sunny day.
Long wait (30 mins) for cooked breakfast, so I again started near the rear.
Tracks were in prime condition. Quite a few punctures today and half a dozen crashes, esp on the early descent. I stopped to assist one lady who later retired at morning tea.

I was extremely pleased with my climbing today - got up Razorback ridge to the lookouts quite easily. Then there were 2 rocky steep pinches leading up to the bitumen towards the end and I mastered both, assisted by having a cheer squad of about 12 walk a bikers on each. Several later commented on my skill and how easily I made it look!!

I team time trialled the last 18kms of bitumen with 2 guys from Blackwood.
Did the bike lift above my head in front of the Blinman pub, assisted somewhat by tall Dan, who put it above my head and then nicked out of sight of the photos shot.

Waited ages for Grant Jeffery (2 punctures and change of bike) & Amina to appear and rode the last 2 kms with them and then the 5 kms back to Alpana station.

The Mawson trail is 900 kms.
I rode 178 extra kms and did 34kms short on the direct roadie route to Hawker. Total of 1044kms.
Enjoyed most of the riding but it would be better to ride where I didn't know the route and towns. Also sleeping with 150+ others, esp those who got up at 5am was not fun. In summer I don't mind getting up early to beat the heat but in winter the earlier you get up the colder it is. Food was good but dinner took too long (2.5 hrs) leaving no time for reading etc. Met some good new friends but still wouldn't do such a ride with big numbers again.

Rawnsley - Wilpena with my new gang of new friends - 11 of us.
Stopped for numerous photos.

Meant to ride out to Sacred Canyon but the hot lunch at Wilpena involved a 40 minute wait thus restricting time.
Instead I did a quick lap of the single track - Wilpena homestead loop plus riding around the campground.

Walked out to Pound entrance and up to first lookout.
Left bike at no bike sign but should have ridden until the end of the 4WD track ...
Saw a nest of bees and much honeycomb in a bird box.

Ride from Hawker - Rawnsley Park via Mawson trail.
This is probably the 2nd best scenic section of the trail, with just 2 boring bitumen sections in the middle and the end. Lovely sunny day too.
After a sleepless night squashed with others in the Hawker caravan park playground (nice and soft though) I decided I wouldn't bolt today. Started at end of group and took photos a lot initially. Managed to ride down Mt Little, as it wasn't as boulder strewn as it sometimes is.

Decided that I would ride with Amina for quite a while as she always rode alone. Quite a few little stoney creek crossings before the bitumen 10kms or so leading to Moralana scenic route. I time-trialled that with Amina stuck to my wheel and lunch was well situated in a creek bed. Took more photos along the way and gathered Amina and another woman for the last 12 km or so of M scenic route. Then had another 12kms or so of bitumen and the final few dirt kms into Rawnsley guiding Amina in, as she was flagging.

Arriving later than usual I was able to avoid the busy allocated campsites and found myself a comfortable greenish spot in the creek well away from most.

Roadie ride Quorn to Hawker as 16mills of overnight rain made organisers panic unnecessarily. Could have ridden first 55kms of hard packed dirt and then done last section on rd! 2nd section after crossing rd was red dirt and exposed so would have been muddy.

I started off with the first fast group of 10 at 31kph. They didn't know how to rotate with the 3rd or 4th rider sprinting to the front. David Couche (on CX) and his erratic speed sent the pace higher and I and 2 others decided it was too high after 17km. As one guy said "they will cook themselves" as there was now a string headwind. I tried to teach another woman how to rotate but she was reluctant, so just 2 of us struggled on to morning tea (about 66% done).

About 6 or 7 took off from there before me and david C was looking tired so I set off on my own. A few kms down David Lyle from Broken Hill caught me and I tagged on ...and soon worked out that we could time-trial co-operatively. Was hard work but fun ...we caught 2 ahead of us and came into Hawker in the first half dozen which was very rewarding. I got quite a few congrats later as people learnt that I could roadride well ...and I had forgotten to lock out the front forks.
Av 23.5kph

Melrose - Wilmington - Richmond Gap climb - Quorn.
Fast initial 30kms on flat into Wilmington, partially with others.
Last 5 or 6kms was into a stiff headwind into Quorn.
Lovely time looking around the Northern Emporium Café, with its Flying fox.

Rode around all the streets of Quorn and the arid botantic garden.

Rode with Monica & Christine on the trails and walked up to the ruin on Bald Hill. They went back after we got to the monument and I did dodging bullets etc to the north - some new track there.

Rode down to showgrounds and checked the O control sites, so slow moving - someone had moved one out of the shearing shed!
Also did a touch of re-mapping.
Then along the rail trail and a little excursion into Willowie forest and return

Laura - Melrose.
Highlight was a cooked lunch by the Laura folk out at a crossroads 20kms out of Melrose. Hot chicken & potato wraps and numerous cakes.

Spaulding - Laura
Many took several bitumen options here to avoid the Bundaleer channels but I toughed it out, though had to open and shut about 13 gates.
Really enjoyed the Bundaleer forest section, which had some glorious green grass sections. Did about 15kms with 3 young guys, incl Dan into lunch and not surprisingly "lost" the 1km sprint in. Last 30 kms was pretty boring on big dirt rds.

Ride around Laura to icecream factory and to old barn several kms out plus some streets.

Hallett - Spaulding
easy day ...last few kms were thru the feared water channels but no bindi's found.

Rode around Spaulding and then out to the historic railway bridge about 4kms out of town. Old railway station should be restored.

Burra - Hallett via Mt Dare plus lots of back roads.
Saw many old ruins and Hubert Wilkins homestead.

Riding around Hallet and to and fro dinner

Rest day in Burra.
Got passport key for $10 and rode around most of the tourist spots with others plus rode most of the streets and to and fro community oval for massage and dinner. Visited Bon Accord museum for first time. Fun.

Riverton - Burra via Rattler & Reisling trails...
The rail trails were a bit boring except for one bit of the Reisling which was almost covered by blonde rolly pollies. The last 5 kms into Burra went around the back past an aloe vera plantation and smallish tracks - interesting. Rode the last 20kms or so with 3 SA guys and led them mostly.

Bit of riding around Burra....to and from community oval for meals and to TI and shops.
Monica and I were staying at Ayers cottage - no 9 Ayers st. This was full of historical bits and pieces - an organ, biscuit tine, pieces of copper etc.
Two x queen beds. Lovely choice.

Tanunda to Riverton via Kapunda.

Riding around streets of Riverton - sadly the Hannaford art gallery wasn't open. Did the river paths too.

Start of Mawson trail ride with BikeSA.
Meant to ride in to start but Monica had bike assembling problems so I drove her in and then drove home and rode halfway back to meet the peleton along the River Torrens path.

Funny when no-one except me seemed to know where the first refreshment stop was (towards end of Gorge rd but not at end of it), not even the marshalls!! I had read the map. So everyone had to climb the dreaded Kangaroo creek hills without a cup of tea, biscuits or water.
Horrible start to a ride with about 5 hills requiring walking, one at 30%.

At Fox Creek I took Monica for a short tour of Fox Creek trails and found some new berms I hadn't ridden. This was an extra hour.
Then onto Lobethal to camp.

Little ride around Lobethal.
Went to old mill to history exhibition and met David Baker's sister.
Also to Lobethal PS where I took numerous photos to aid in planning control placement for sporting schools program the day I return.

Putting out and collecting controls at Bushland Pk - still on dodgy map.
Session went well
Busy place with Bikeabout doing mt biking from there and Bush Kindy kids out and about climbing high on all manner of logs..

Putting out lockable controls at Bushland Park