Back on the bike

I've been a bit slack posting lately. Seems my last one was almost a fortnight ago when I was home from work with a respiratory infection. Well after 10 days of antibiotics and severals days off work, I've eased myself back into a training regime. Probably too late though- the North Queensland Road Titles take place on the weekend of 6,7, 8 of June.

I have nominated for all 4 races: 20km time trial and crit on Saturday, a 60km road race on Sunday and then another 40km road race on Monday (Queen's Birthday holiday here). We'll see what happens after the TT on Saturday.

Tomorrow is a TT being put on by our local cycling club and it is going up one of our local hills (Castle Hill). I dislike hills at the best of times and have been able to use my recent illness as the "perfect" excuse for not doing tomorrow's TT. That and the fact that I have already said I would assist in the marshalling for the race.......like so many other clubs, our volunteer support base is pretty small and in order to keep the races going it often falls to the same people time after time.

Cheers, ride safe

BoaB 

I haven't been this sick since....yesterday!!

Jeez I hate being sick. For three days now I have been stuck at home- caught between moments of sweating discomfort and chills so bad that I run for the polar fleece jacket. Throw in the added bonus of a respiratory infection and a cough that sounds like a bull elephant seal- well, I don't know why everyone wouldn't want this. Oh yeah and everytime I cough, it feels like my head is going to explode.

It was off to the doc's yesterday for a checkover. "Yes you have a respiratory infection- here's a prescription for some antibiotics. Email me on Thursday if you don't feel better and we'll send you for x-rays and some swabs. Oh yeah- the swabs are the ones where they stick the collector down through your nasal passage- just so you're aware."

I was hoping that my body would react to the prospect of an NICD (that would be Nasally Introduced Collection Device) by throwing off whatever it is with the same speed at which it took it on. Dee and I did a 20 km time trial on Sunday and I felt pretty good. A little tickle in my throat a couple of times but I put that down to perhaps an inhaled bug or not getting enough fluid into me on the ride.

Monday morning and I am in serious discomfort- I was going to call in sick but couldn't get more than a couple of words out without breaking into a coughing fit so I texted my supervisor to let him know I wouldn't be in. And according to the doc I'm not to go back for the rest of the week- that also extends to cycling.

The upside is that I have been able to get in some reading and catch up on a few of my favourite blogs. And Dee has been taking very good care of me- lots of cups of tea with lemon and honey and Fisherman's Friend throat lozenges to try and keep the cough at bay.

Time to grab the fleece again- it's 26C and I'm shivering like it's just about to snow.

Cheers

BoaB

Twice in one day

Yes that's right- I have cycled twice today and now I'm blogging for the second time.

A couple of weeks ago we went on our first camping excursion with our new VW camper. I had meant to write about it sooner but with the demise of one of our dogs and a general feeling of malaise, I just didn't feel like blogging.

On Good Friday we headed north to Mission Beach in the Wet Tropics region of North Queensland for an overnighter with some of our cycling mates. It was also the inaugural camping expedition with our VW Caddy Life Camper.

Now we have had a couple of VW campers previously. One in Australia in 1991 was a 1973 VW Kombi with a pop-top and gas cooker and 3-way fridge. The other was a factory outfitted Wesphalia purchased in Germany by a member of the Canadian Armed Forces while stationed there. We bought it in 1993 and it looked like it had just rolled off the showroom floor.

Jump ahead a few years and the new generation of camper appears.

It comes with a bed, table and chairs, more storage than you can poke a stick at and a tent which attaches to the rear hatch. I did a dry-run of erecting the tent in the driveway a couple of weeks before we left and by the time I finished, I was in such a lather of sweat I was just about ready to give it away.

We got to Mission Beach, found our campsite and proceeded to make camp and voila....

Well except that the guy ropes haven't been pegged in yet but you get the idea. The bed was quite firm (we'll be getting a foam overlay) and the air circulation was good (while it wasn't raining and the sun/moon roof was open. We'll be getting a 12V fan.) It is great to drive and has a tonne of potential.

I'm sure after a few trips we'll have it all ironed out

Cheers

BoaB

 

The Land of the Long Weekend

It's Monday and Dee and I have just come home from a nice little 50+ km ride. It's Labour Day in Queensland and since we have the day off, what better way to spend it than on the bike.

We did our regular coffee circuit and then threw in an extra bit out to one of our beachside suburbs. It was great going out with a 25-30 km wind at our backs but the journey back was a bit of a slog. Minimal traffic and those motorists who were out were all patient and relaxed- everyday should be like that.

Other than that, just another wonderful day in Paradise. 

14:55 04 May 09- 

In fact it was such a great day we headed out again just around noon for another spin- this time out to Ross River Dam- another of our favourite circuits where we follow basically follow the Ross River upstream to the dam and then return via some rural housing estates where most properties are on blocks of 2+ acres giving us a total of 102.3km for the day. 

Dee has some pics on her blog although I'm afraid we missed getting a shot of the kangaroo in the road as we were in the country estate.

Pretty good start to the week- should be looking at 300+ by the time Sunday afternoon rolls around.

And it's not every day we get to do a century so excuse us while we have a celebratory glass of bubbles.

Cheers

Ride safe

BoaB