A Sunday Ride with a Sprint

Yesterday was race day and we ended up having a very sociable Sunday ride with a sprint at the end- a race which sounds like the one described in Bluenoser's musings. Mind you it wasn't a 142km social- only about a 25km road race. We headed out at a relatively modest pace with one of the club's newer members on the front and he just didn't want to relinquish the lead- turns out he was wanting to better his TT time over 20km........... and the fact that he didn't really understand race tactics.

Anyway we had a few good laughs on the ride and then with about 5km to go, a few of us broke and decided to make a bit of a race of it anyway. Paul was first to go and then myself and a couple of others decided to go after him- we kind of figured he'd do himself as he went too early. We were right, about 1/3 of the way through the finishing circuit we caught him and then it was another bit of a dawdle around the back to "the hill". Not much of a hill but it can make or break your race.

It was quite funny because the last time we raced this circuit, Paul and I had done most of the work and then another bloke who only took the front a couple of times for about 500 metres on each time occasion ended up blitzing us on the finish. And so it was the three of us again heading up the hill but this time the hill really wasn't all that bad. Maybe it was the fact that we'd had an easy ride or that I have started doing some hill work again (as I have said before, I seriously dislike doing hills but.....) but it was almost enjoyable going up.

Anyay, Paul and I left the rest of them behind and headed for home with Paul falling victim to his earlier break away. With about 250 to go, he said he had nothing left so another one falls my way.

And thanks to Dee for driving the support vehicle. Our race scene cannot function without volunteers.

Next week is a TT up the range and then a scratch race from the top. If I have another good result, I'll be moving back up to C Grade.

And good luck to one of our club racers, Ruth Corsett, a member of the Jazz Apple team out of New Zealand. She's on her way back to North America for some more racing in just over a week's time. It's always great to see Ruth back riding with her club- she's really an inspiration for all of the riders and offers lots of encouragement to our juniors.

Cheers- ride safe

BoaB

Where did that fortnight go?

Can't believe it. It's been almost two weeks since I last blogged. Where does the time go?

It's like the last 280+ hours have been sucked into a vacuum and never existed.

I suspect work has had something to do with it....I'm an SME (Subject Matter Expert) in our asset and management works system. A system that was implemented more than two and a half years ago at great expense and with considerable disruption to many employees.

It was going to make the business more efficient, more robust...a shining beacon for all other corporations considering a similar strategy to hone in on and emulate.

And you know what? After 30 months, we've got people who may as well have been stuffed in a hessian sack and left on one of the outer-most islands of the Galapagos. Routine functionalities like opening a work order and adding details to close it off so maintenance records can be maintained have disappeared. Users enter the number, hit search and nothing happens...nada, rien, nichts, zip, zero, zilch. And nobody can explain why...our IT people are at a loss.

And here's the rub- I (and about two dozen of my colleagues) am being asked to resign my position with my current employer and accept a position with the IT group (a joint venture between my current employer and another utility company). I'm an end-user... and yet I have the IT people (and my direct supervisor) calling me and asking "what's wrong with the system?"

Is this really the work group/business I want to align myself with? Methinks not.

The cycling has been pretty good over the last couple of weeks. The cough from the respiratory infection lingers and seems to get worse in the low humidity- but I can still ride. The weather has been kind as well. Brilliantly blue skies and temps around 27C during the day- although when I'm heading off at 5:00am, it's a different story.

Last weekend, Dee and I did a century on Saturday in absolutely stunning conditions, and then on Sunday went off to help out at the local club's time trial. We manned the turnaround point at 10 km- and dragged a few obstacles off the road. Nobody wants to hit a dead kanagroo or wallaby while concentrating on keeping their cadence and breathing right on a 20km TT.

Tomorrow (Sunday) is a crit- will I ride? I may- but probably D grade. And it will help me think of something other than work. If I don't- well, they always need volunteers.

Cheers- ride safe

BoaB

Survival

I have survived the weekend- 4 races in three days with this morning's 40 km road race being the worst (read most difficult) of the lot. It was a handicap race and we were 2 minutes off "Go". There were 4 of us and as we headed off down the road, I had a bad feeling- not ominous or foreboding- just not comfortable on the bike.

The wind was straight in our face, gusting to 35 or so and I managed to hang on for about 14 km but the respiratory infection of three weeks ago and subsequent lack of good training did me in. As it turned out, the winner was from the group ahead of us and the remainder of my grouping all picked up places (and money!!!) "D'oh!!"

Anyway it was all good fun and I did manage to lend a hand to some of my fellow cyclists. A couple of other blokes had managed to bridge to me after the turn and were looking for a break. I said I'd do what I could and gave them the better part of a km @ 40+ so they were able to refresh and go. They were effusive in their thanks when I crossed the line

While I didn't finish "stone motherless last" as my good mate Mr S Donaldson would say, I did finish by myself and in a world of hurt. Ahh racing is such fun. I can't wait for the Charters Towers to Townsville race in August- 125 km of the same road we raced today.

Training starts on Wednesday (I am taking tomorrow as a day off the bike) and if I can stay healthy, I'm going to give it a shot....

Cheers- Ride safe

BoaB

p.s. Totals for the year:

June 209 km

 2009 4284 km

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