Training Log Archive: Yak

Started driving the 800+kms from Coober Pedy at 7.30am but was surprisingly tired early on and had to have a few quick snoozes before Pt Augusta. There I rang the RAA as I had detected 2 nights ago that I had no low beam headlights, just the high beam ones. Amazingly the RAA man arrived quickly & actually had the particular globes I needed.
Had a not so quick lunch of soup. Then unearthed my roadie from car and went for a cruise, which helped no end.

On way home, 30kms from Pt Augusta, I stopped to chat and give food to a Vic guy who is riding up the highway to Darwin & beyond carting his swag in and atop a modified bathtub!! Weighs about 70kgs.
Isnt really a cyclist ...riding as a result of a marriage break-up.
Don't like his chances - having a wide thing and quite a lot of weight on top could be a real problem with road trains....also I reckon his bike etc may well not be strong enough.

Bit sad to learn that Paul Darvo, a multiple MTBO Aus team member, passed away from cancer today in Alice. I had tried to visit him but he had been too sick.

C • A good deed 2

Riding around the opal fields mainly south of town where I am staying at Riba's dugout. They have been there 25 yrs and are selling, for 338k, their dugout, the 5 underground rooms; the 10 or so underground camping areas (only place here where you can camp underground); and the above ground caravan park etc. They also do a thriving business of mine tours each night at $25 a head.
Knee felt ok whilst riding but shitty afterwards, so I didnt do an afternoon ride.

Walking around looking at Opal Festival happenings.
Parade mainly featurered govt agency vehicles!
Ironman races were pitiful.
Local market featured budgies, bags of carrots and not much else
Highlight was the 2 x 30min shows of the Cracker Sisters from Winton. Incl whip cracking, comedy, trapeze type stuff.

Drove 700kms from Alice to Coober Pedy, leaving at 10am and arriving at dusk. Had a few photo stops along the way.
Timed to arrive for the weekend's Opal Festival and headed out to the racecourse for the opening night's activities. Good food (had lovely thick soup &damper), singers, dancers, comedy stuff and fireworks finishing at 9pm. (Racecourse is a dirt track used once a year) Golf features on Sunday's program - has black scrapes. Balls must run a long way on the concrete like surface, and wear out quick

am Quick ride to Masters Games office in town from TS to sign some forms and back again before doing foot O control checking.

pm After signing off with the ranger for my O sites I had time for one last ride.
Telegraph station across the Todd and across and north to Wigley waterhole and then the dirt rd out to the Stuart highway and then on the shared last bit of the Larapinta trail, in the semi darkness, back to TS. The larapinita section has been improved - was very nice.

Around Telegraph station checking controls

Control checking for mtbo saw me visit a goodly amount of the tracks on Eastside. I also checked out a new trail (Bloodwood) which is too far north to use for the masters event, but is on the existing map. Was quite nice.
At the end I came back and tried to descent to the actual eastside suburbs, and the tracks were very rocky & rutted, as I had thought. Then heading out again all I found were very sandy tracks!!

Limping around north part of Telegraph station planning & taping.
Day started at minus 4 and I had an 8am radio interview on ABC local - recorded and went well. Played at 10am & already had enquries..
Started in thermal everything and was in shorts & tshirt by lunch.

Ride out Larapinta way on more new traila - these were a bit steeper and not so nice.

Clambering around rocks behind St Philips