Tag Archives: Riding

80kms on the bike – done!

October 25, 2010 09:53 | Leave a Comment |

Feeling kinda pleased with myself right now. I knocked over 80km on the bike yesterday. All the way from my home suburb of Alphington to Mordialloc and back. I think my time was pretty good too – three hours riding time. (Total time was about three and half hours which included two stops.)

What surprises me most is that I found it relatively easy. I’m apparently fitter than I thought I was. On the way out, I was very conscious of my pace and I tried to not crank it up too much as I wanted to make sure I had fuel in the tank for the journey home. On the way back, I managed to latch onto two guys who were ticking along at a healthy pace just over 30kph. I didn’t think I’d be able to sustain it but I did. All the way from Black Rock to St Kilda.

Best of all, the sun was shining, it wasn’t freezing cold and the wind was a slight breeze instead of a gale. Love riding on days like that.

I was worried that I’d set myself an task I wouldn’t be able to achieve with Scotty’s Ride but now I’m feeling much more confident. It’s just a case of stringing together a weekend where I do the Kinglake climb and then head to Mordi the next day. If I can do that over a weekend, I should be able to put it together for a single ride. At least with Scotty’s Ride, the climb is right in the middle. Once you get over the last bit, it’s all downhill from there.

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Uuummmm, about that plan…

April 23, 2010 23:57 | Leave a Comment |

I did manage to get up on Tuesday and go for a ride. I even felt like I’d achieved something as I managed to ride the entire length of Yarra Boulevard for the first time in ages. And best of all, I ran into my brother. Not literally because that would’ve been bad. Apparently he also rides Yarra Boulevard every Tuesday so I may be seeing more of him. He, of course, can totally kick my arse on hills so if he does ride with me he’s going to have to slow down. Or maybe I could attach a rope to him and he can drag me up the hills 😉

I also went to cardio boxing on Wednesday night. Everything was going swimmingly until it came to doing some kicking with the crash pad. I don’t know what I did about about half way through I was hopping around the park, grimacing in pain. Somehow I managed to strain my left calf muscle. At first it felt like a cramp but the pain wouldn’t go away even when I stretched it out. So much for my plan. I optimistically set my alarm for 6am Thursday morning but simply moving my leg while still lying in bed told me I wasn’t going anywhere. Which really sucked because it was a perfect morning for a ride. Oh well, hopefully there will be other perfect mornings that I won’t have to skip.

Funnily enough I woke up this morning at 5:45 and thought about getting up for a ride. But I decided I should rest my calf and not risk damaging it even more because as far as I can tell, Yarra Boulevard isn’t kind to injured bodies. I have the weekend to rest up and my calf does feel better this time today than it did yesterday. Hopefully by Monday it’ll be all good as I have plans to ride to Black Rock. What better way to spend a public holiday? Get up early and jump on the bike!! Sleep in? What’s a sleep in?

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So, the plan is…

April 19, 2010 12:35 | Leave a Comment |

Weather permitting:

  1. To be on the bike every Tuesday and Thursday by 6:30am to ride Yarra Boulevard before work.
  2. To go for a ride every second Saturday when there’s no group training on.
  3. Continue to ride every Sunday.
  4. Every day do 2×10 jack knife and 2x increasing number of sit ups on the fit-ball to improve my core strength. Once I can do the jack knife sets without struggling, I will add push-ups to each one.
  5. Start going to cardio boxing again on Wednesday evenings.

    Right now I feel fat and lazy, schlepping around the house doing little or no physical exercise. This must change. I have a gorgeous new bike that needs to be ridden. I am ill-disciplined but I have goals I want to achieve. I want to break 100km in a single ride. I want to be able to do the 120km social rides. I want to be able to do hill climbs without feeling like I’m going to die.

    I lost two kilos when I had gastro two weeks ago. However, I ate barely anything for three days so that probably has something to do with my rapid weight lose. Of course, I’m eating again so I’ve put most of the weight back on. Sigh. I’m tired of doing the body test on the Wii and having minimal changes (the last two have been gains). I feel like I’m not achieving anything. I’m tired of seeing this disgusting gut poking out the front of my bike gear. You really can’t hide anything in lycra so all my flaws are out there for the world to see. Any wonder I don’t like looking in mirrors when I’m dressed for a ride.

    Hence the plan.

    I will find the discipline I once had. I will get out there and ride. I will work hard. I will try to eat less of the bad stuff and more of the good. Every day I will try to remind myself that I’ve already accomplished a lot. Going from a 36 inch waist to a 29 one isn’t something to be sneezed at. But most of all, simply enjoy the riding. It’s as close to flying we can get.

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    How very remiss of me!

    March 4, 2010 14:51 | 6 Comments |

    Two days until I head overseas and there’s been nary a peep about my trip on my blog.

    So yes… two days until I fly off to America for the third time. Whoo! I’m visiting the same places as I did last year (LA, San Fran and Seattle) but that’s because I loved them so much I had to go again. Part of me hopes it’ll snow but part of me also knows it’ll be a huge hassle if it does because I’m totally unprepared for it. It’s going to be really weird to go from very mild, warm weather to the cold. And it’s going to be cold in Seattle, probably in San Francisco too.

    I called V Australia about seats on my flights and managed to get window seats on empty rows. Everyone must cross their fingers for me that it stays this way as that would be totally awesome. I love, love, luuuuuuuuuuurve the idea of having an entire row to myself. Being able to lie down would be blissful. On my first trip, I slept much better on the way home because I had an empty seat next to me and was able to sprawl a lot more. So, wish me empty rows ‘kay?

    I’m heading off with my usual minimal plans and waiting to see what happens once I arrive. A few things have been arranged but mostly I’ll be deciding what I want to do once I’m there. I’ll definitely be seeking out some bike shops as I have a hankering for some new bike shoes and have been taken aback at how insanely expensive they are in Australia. Plus I want to see what jerseys I can get my hands on. And some new gloves wouldn’t go astray either. Hhmm… at this rate, I’m going to be spending all my money in bike shops and not on comic book art!

    Speaking of comic book art, there’s only a few artists I’m actually interested in getting pieces from. In order of wantedness:
    1. Phil Hester
    2. Skottie Young
    3. Dean Trippe
    4. Joelle Jones
    5. Joe Kelly
    6. Dustin Nguyen/Derek Fridolfs
    7. Francesco Francavilla

    I have my fingers really crossed for Phil Hester and Skottie Young. Hester was my favourite artist on Green Arrow and I’m hoping I can get a GA sketch from him. I don’t have that many hopes of getting anything from Skottie Young but I figured I’d try my luck anyway. If I can’t get something, I just hope he’s got a a print of the awesome Amazing Spider-Man cover he did that features Deadpool. Every time I see it, I chuckle. Hopefully Mr Sale will have finished inking the page I bought last year and that’s the only thing I want from him. I got my 10 minute ink wash last year so I’m set there. Plus Tim has been extraordinarily generous with me and I have more pieces from him than I thought I ever would.

    I am slightly worried about how I’m going to go on the flights with torn rib tendons. 14 hours in a seat is a long time. But my doctor did give me drugs that will knock me out so if nothing else I’ll take some mersyndol and pray I venture off into the land of nod.

    My ribs are healing nicely and sometimes I actually forget they’re anything wrong with them. Until I stretch and then it’s a world of weird pain. It doesn’t exactly hurt, it feels really tight and constricted – like I’ve reached the maximum amount of flex they have. I am looking forward to the day when I can stretch my arms above my head without it hurting.

    Ten days off the bike has really affected my riding. I’m at least five ks slower than I was a few weeks ago and I feel like I’ve lost a huge amount of power. I think my fitness levels have crashed too. I feel slower and heavier on the bike. But at least I’m back on it. I’m riding far more cautiously at the moment and I’ve noticed I’m taking far, far fewer risks than I was. This isn’t to say I took that many risks beforehand but I’m definitely backing off whereas before I wouldn’t have. Maybe that’s a good thing though. I’m sure I’ll live a longer life if I ride with more caution.

    And finally, two stories from The Age website that caught my eye: Number of peak-hour cyclists soar and 14 cyclists injured in spate of accidents.

    Posted in: Bike, Travel | Tagged: , , , , ,

    What you missed this morning

    December 29, 2009 11:19 | Leave a Comment |

    Borrowing an idea from Wade @ Cycling Tips

    bike001

    I was forced into a week’s break from the bike by getting tonsillitis right before Christmas. But that didn’t stop me from loading my bike into my car for my trip home to see the parents. Shepparton has some of the flattest, straightest roads in Victoria. Actually, I think it’s the flattest place in the state so it makes for some no-brainer riding. It also has some of the prettiest scenery (as illustrated by the photo). There’s just you, the road, the birds and the bloody annoying cross/head winds for half the ride. And maybe the thought running through your head: I wonder if there’s any snakes around?

    Every cyclist I saw (all going the other way) waved hello. And the car drivers actually took care when they went went past me. Such a different experience to riding in Melbourne. Well, four kilometres from my parents place put me out in the middle of paddocks. 15 kms put me in the middle of orchards. So yeah, just a little different.

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    Does my butt look big in this?

    December 6, 2009 22:16 | Leave a Comment |

    Uh… my butt has gotten bigger. I have a pair of pants that don’t fit any more because my butt and thighs are too big and my jeans which were a little loose are now… decidedly firm. Not exactly sure how I feel about this. I’ve never been particularly hippy and right now I feel like I am even though in comparison to a lot of women I have tiny hips.

    I suppose I should be relieved that it’s muscle and not fat.

    Anyhoo… my education in hill climbing has started. My problem always was that I never use my gears properly. Before I started riding with someone who was willing to teach me all this stuff, I never used the small front cog which is a bit stupid considering that’s the one you’re supposed to use when riding up hills. I don’t think I’ll ever love ascending but I could definitely get used to the descending which is totally awesome.

    My biggest problem is that I’ve convinced myself that I’m a very bad hill climber so I doubt my ability and strength. As soon as I hit a hill, I automatically think it’s going to be too hard and that I’m not going to make it to the top. It’s not going to get any easier for me unless I change the way I think.

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    Must be getting serious…

    November 9, 2009 15:26 | Leave a Comment |

    …if I’m willing to spend $60 on a pair of bike gloves (and that was after the super-nice Ben from BSC in the QV knocked ten bucks off). It was money I was nominally keeping to buy a new pair of tyres but still…

    Mmm… squishy!
    my new bike gloves

    I’ve done a few rides now and I’ve been having some pain issues with my hands and elbows. My old gloves have a very annoying seam that pushes hard into the pad of skin between my thumb and fingers. I have some really deep calluses forming on both hands that actually resemble blisters and it bloody hurts! I also think I’m unintentionally over-compensating for my hands and holding my arms more rigidly which is killing my elbows. I know it sounds weird but the pain only started after I commenced the 2+ hour rides. I thought it was my position on the bike but I asked at the bike shop today and apparently aching elbows are not a common complaint due to poor positioning.

    I was a little doubtful about the positioning thing anyway because nothing else was hurting. If it was positioning, I should’ve been experiencing the elbow pain even in my short commutes to work. My hands did hurt when I was just doing my daily commutes but it’s gotten far worse now I’m riding for longer. I’m hoping new gloves will help.

    Still, that’s not stopping me from contemplating going to see someone about my bike fit. I have very little power from a standing start and get overtaken by little old ladies wobbling their way across intersections on bikes that are too big for them. It’s embarrassing! Once I get going, I’m fine. It’s the getting going that’s letting me down. But that might be because I still need more practice with my shoes. 85% of the time I get clipped in straight away but the other 15% I’m kicking the peddle over, my foot goes flying forward or I simply can’t clip in. If I ever have a spare $150 lying around, I’m sure it’ll be a good investment to see a fit specialist but I’m doubtful I ever have $150 lying about. Not when I need new tyres and want a new helmet.

    I have achieved something though. Yesterday I did my first 50+km ride (52.64kms) and had my first experience of Beach Road. The plan was to ride to Black Rock but it turned out the road was closed in Brighton. So I didn’t really get to ride on Beach Road because it doesn’t actually start until Hampton and I don’t think we got that far. Oh well, it was still an experience. I don’t think I’ve been overtaken by so many lycra clad men in my life. On the way back, four guys latched onto us and a mini bunch formed. My first ever! My riding partner and I led the group for about five kms when he told me to drop off the front and let someone else do some work. I’ve never had to do it before so I really had no idea what I was doing. I had problems latching onto the guy in front of me. I couldn’t work out his cadence and his bike creaked with every revolution which was hugely distracting. Yup, my bunch riding definitely needs work. If I’m honest, I need to develop more power because only reason I could keep up with them was the rather brisk headwind. I also think they were taking it easy or on a recovery ride. But what can you do? Everyone has to start somewhere!

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    Meet Lisa

    May 23, 2009 18:33 | 1 Comment |

    My new bike

    This is Lisa, my new bike. I bought her today from the very helpful Ben at BSC Bikes.

    She’s last year’s model and has a few little scratches on her but it saved me a good chunk of cash and I got a better bike out of it. I had already picked a different bike which was cheaper but the test ride was disappointing. It was a pretty crappy ride to be honest. My old bike felt better than that one did which is bad considering my old bike is 17 years old and bike technology has come a long way since then. I got back from my first test ride definitely not sold on the bike and asked to see what else they had. I’d seen the Kona Lisas (2008 and 2009 models) already but felt they were too expensive. But after riding the cheaper one, I thought perhaps something that cost a little more would be better. It’s not like I intend on doing this again any time soon. Better to spend the money and get it right the first time.

    I knew within two minutes of riding her that she was the bike for me. I spent most of the test ride with a huge grin on my face. It just felt really good. The seat is still too low and I probably could’ve done with the next frame size up but the seat can be adjusted another few centimeters and maybe the handlebars as well, just to get that extra bit of height.

    I also indulged myself and bought my first ever pair of bike shoes. I was originally going to get cage pedals but to get decent looking ones that suited the bike would’ve ended up costing nearly as much as just buying some shoes and clip pedals. It’s an experience that’s for sure. I had a few massive wobbles on the way home and my foot slipped around heaps but I didn’t fall over which I think is a pretty good effort. It’s a totally new way of riding and something I’ll have to adjust to. At least now I’ll stop trashing my sneakers.

    New bike. New bike I already love to ride. Think I’m going to be riding more. It’s better than public transport!

    And how did I afford this? I have 12 months to pay it off and I’m spending the money from my train ticket which I didn’t renew, a pay rise and a reduction in my tax on it. Money well spent I think.

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