My trip to Perth

Well, I thought I might escape for a few days to a warmer climate.  I even hired a bike to get me around and boy what a dream it was to ride. The 9 speed Shimano Sora gear set changed like a manual Holden Commodore being driven without using the clutch. After riding the beach road equivalents in Melbourne, Adelaide and now Perth, the best views were easily in Perth. It is too bad the roads aren't very bike friendly with more glass on the road than after a Saturday night in Frankston and cyclists being few and far between. I unfortunately didn't join one was the big bunch rides, as I had prior commitments drinking in the Swan Valley and spending time catching up with family and friends. Feral Brewery is always good for a quiet ale with some quality brews & bar snacks. The perfect way to unwind after a stressful day tasting wine. By the way, I recommend the Sittella Cab Sav.

 

On visiting the real Little Creatures in Fremantle (my favorite brewery), unfortunately I tripped up the stairs (while I was sober) breaking two toes which meant a weekend off the bike for me. It looked a lot worse than it was as it took me till the next day to realise what I had done.

Now it is time to ready myself for the 3 day Tour (the Gippsland version) over the long Queen's birthday  weekend and brace myself for the sub zero temperatures in Victoria. On a side note, my new ergo training sessions which include 30s intervals at 100% effort almost caused me to throw up at the gym. I was even at the point of looking for an escape route which means I probably had the intensity levels spot on.

Northern Combine Broadford Handicap - 13min bunch

Today was tough. 99kms and my bunch only had a 13min over the scratch guys. The pace was flat out for the first lap with the entire bunch rotating and working well to start with. Unfortunately as early as the first sharp climb people started to vacate our group. By the second lap unfortunately the rotations were inconsistent and becoming less frequent. The pain was starting to show on the group. I personally cramped on multiple occasions (how do you stretch out a quad cramp while riding?) but decided to just keep going.  I was considering pulling out after 2 laps, but we got caught by a large bunch and I was able to sit in and recover a little.

I kept going with the help of a few gels and the finishing was starting to look interesting. Unfortunately my new bunch never managed to catch the rest of the field. Personally I was just happy to have finished with the main bunch. Reviewing my Garmin data, I noticed my average heart rate was 162bpm which probably explains why I was in pain by the end. To date this has been my hardest race. On the way home to assist my recovery, I thought I deserved some fried chicken from the kernel.

Easter Training Summary - Heavy Legs Part 2

I have managed to maintain a stable weight of easter which is not a bad effort considering I have destroyed a whole bunny in single sitting. It might be explained by my following training plan:
Friday          - 60km Mordiallic return
Saturday      - 90km Stockdale loop
Friday          - 35km RAAF base/town lap
Monday       - 90km Stockdale loop
Tuesday       - 60km Mordiallic return
Wednesday  - 90km Frankston return
Thursday      - 90km Frankston return
Friday          - 60km Mordiallic return (there wasn't much left in my legs today)

That's a bit over 550km's burning approx 10,000 calories in total. The other key benefit is maintaining my cycling tan into the start of winter. The only downside is the cost of food that is required to feed me. 

The red training bike has finally been serviced after approx 15,000k's of neglect receiving a well needed new chain and cassette (it'll never be this shiny again). It feels like new and unfortunately I have no reason not to train on it now.

 

CCCC Glenvale Crit: C Grade. Cycling Superstitions.

I have finally become reasonable at crit racing and the season has basically come to an end. Even though I wore the unlucky number 13 upside down and didn't shave my legs on the day of a race (both are required to to cancel out bad cycling luck), a early break got away and stayed away till the end. This meant speeds were slightly higher in C grade averaging just over 40km/h, but no one was working together and my couple of attempts at the front were futile.

On the last lap I was working a hard turn at the front attempting to chase the leaders who had long gone and was promptly cut off mid corner by a guy who decided he liked the look of my line. Luckily it didn't cause a accident behind me and was absolutely not necessary as there were no placings to be had. Oh well, next week is the last crit to prove myself in C grade before I switch to the winter road season. On a side note, it is interesting to point out that there is significant cultural differences between clubs. All in all, I prefer my local club races which have been known to end in a sprint finish to the bar for a scotch and cola.

The local french bakery cafe

The most important reason for cycling on a Saturday morning, is the breakfast that follows. My favorite (and best value) cafe in Port Melbourne has to be Noisette on Bay St. It is a little French bakery that is always packed with locals ordering freshly backed products and coffees.

My favorite item on the menu has to be the ham and cheese toastie, or as the french call it croque monsieur. A cafe latte or two is always required to wash one of these bad boys down (plus half of my partners). The combination of creamy bechamel inside, grilled cheese on the outside, salty ham and two thick pieces of brioche are a winning combination.

Sometimes, if you want to get a little more fancy you can get a mini chocolate brioche stick to dip in your coffee. Plus they have the best chocolates ever and a full range of sweets including macaroons. Oh well, can't wait to the next weekend.

Local Combine: Stratford to Dargo - B grade Winner

You have to be it to win it, and today I was. The numbers in B grade were slightly down, but I think everybody heard I was racing. Following play numero uno in my Playbook, I broke not long after race neutral riding solo for the 80 of the total 90kms. Luckily, I pulled it off and in the process pased the back end of A grade. I was even courteous not to yell out, 'B grade passing.'

This is a great ride with beautiful scenery including rivers, lakes, mountains and plentiful roadkill. My Garmin  recorded 1400 meters of climbing with a few nice pinches thrown in. By the time I got to Dargo, I softed out continuing on further opting for a cold can of scotch and coke instead at the infamous Dargo Hotel. The new cassette was a winner and I defiantly got my monies worth spending more time than I would like to admit in the 28.

Saturday morning training - the 90km Stockdale Loop

 After completing numerous training laps of the RAAF base in Sale and the more recent stints on Melbourne's Beach Rd, it was good to do a completely new ride with a new group. Today I ventured out with the SEMC (Sale Early Morning Crew) on the 7am ride leaving Sale through to Stockdale, stopping for a coffee at Stratford before rolling back into Sale.

As the Wellington Cycling club has its criterium championships on Sunday, I was told the pace was more subdued than normal. The key sections of the ride are Sale to Chins bridge (friendly), onwards to Munro and Banana Hill ( faster), downhill back to Stratford (fastest) and finally back to Sale (friendly again). Once the fog lifted, the day turned out to be a stunner with joyous times had by all. Banana Hill turned out to be a slight disappointment as I had already completed it without realising.

This is a great ride I'd recommend to anyone with a good amount of undulations on virtually car free roads. If this wasn't enough, here is my full Garmin summary of the ride http://connect.garmin.com/activity/70090739

Another week, slow but sure progression. SKCC D Grade Crit, South Melbourne.

After another decent week of training, I felt slightly confident entering another D grade SKCC South Melbourne criterium. After a windy 60km ride down beach road yesterday, my legs had recovered and I was raring to go. 10 minutes into the race, I was feeling good and moved to the front to try and get into a breakaway - if only these ever succeeded into D grade. Nothing stuck, but the pace of the race had increased and their were some early victims. Even though these are unlikely to stick, there were a few people starting to work together in the hope that one may finally stick. Today wasn't the day.

Resting up at in the pack, I was ready for the final 3 laps and a fast sprint finish. Recently, I have started to focus on my sprinting skills. The one thing I learned in Adelaide from 'Dasher' Dove (former Austral & Melbourne to Warrnambool winner), is that everyone is a sprinter and to practice my 3 sprints out and 3 back. As the jostle for position started, I had found a great wheel 2 laps to go but managed to lose it after the leaders decided to cut the pace and I was stuck in the middle. 1 lap to, I gave it my all and fought hard to get back in contention overtaking a few riders before the last corner. Sprinting to the finish, I managed to roll through 5th with a gap behind me.

Overall, I was happy to crack the top ten for the first time in a large field and started to feel a bit more confident in my abilities. Next time I race, I be aiming for a place.