50k...

Saturday

started off the day with a 30min walk...actually ended up being 32:18 (!) to complete the loop (3.43k)...

golf was next on the agenda and I had one of those rounds where everything seemed to click...ended up with 83 off the stick, 5 under my handicap, to finish second...my handicap drops by 1 to 13!

picked up my rider pack from Stromlo Forest Park (SFP) for the big ride (not as big as some, but the longest ever for me)...the 50k ride colour was green and we had a swatch of colour to attach to our handlebars so marshalls knew which way to direct us...

I prepared my bike for the ride - attaching the timing transponder to the forks ($50 if you lose it, just like our usual running timing chips) and pumping up my tyres for a smoother roll...

Sunday

arrived at SFP at 8am...checked in and watched the start of the 105 Tharwa Challenge...apparently Tony Abbott did that one but I didn't see him...

mum & dad rocked up for the start and ended up staying for the duration...

we got underway right at 9am and by the time I got to Casurina Sands the field had spread out...

my goal was to ride all the way (no walking up hills), aiming for 2.5-3hrs...

I really enjoyed the ride and ended up finishing in 2:24:35...I got to the turn at Tanners Flat in 1:13 so for the first time ever I negative split an event!

didn't do much for the rest of the day!

Monday

another walk...32:47 (3.44k)...

Day 1 of the 4-day Toyota Futures League match between the ACT Comets and the NSW 2nd XI...NSW ended up on 8/321 at stumps, losing 6 wickets in the last 35 minutes after Dave Dawson (former ACT boy) made 148...

today...did the same loop as Saturday...31:56 this time :-)

Day 2 of the match was interrupted by lightning and rain late in the day so play didn't finish until 6:30pm...NSW ended up declaring at 9/465 while ACT struggled to reach 8/135 at stumps...

Mad magpies...

Saturday - didn’t end up doing a Mt Majura session...slacker!

Rd 3 of the Club Championships started off well with 40 off the stick on the front (3 over the card but 4 better than my handicap) but the wheels fell off on the back as I finished with 94 (oops)...the back 9 included two out of bounds and one lost ball!...defending champ Suze ended the day with a 1 shot lead...

Sunday

Fourth and final round of the Club Championship...I started out with 10 consecutive 5s (didn’t matter if I was playing a par 3, 4 or 5!)...then had 4-6-7-3-6-6-5-3 to finish with 90 (an average of 5 per hole!)...Suze couldn’t pull together a good round and ended up losing by one shot...

somehow I managed to win the putting for the Club Championship by 1 shot - it was a surprise as I’m a bit inconsistent on the greens!

Monday’sride in was punctuated by two separate magpie attacks (I will call them the Franklin magpie and the Gungahlin Drive magpie) with the second magpie slamming into my helmet...didn’t bother me though as I bobbed and weaved down the Gungahlin Drive cycle lane (would have been funny to watch)!

the ride was into a stiff headwind and I also managed to get just about every red light!

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 8.3/55% (apparent temp 4.4)
start time: 8:10am
total distance: 12.03
total time: 33:43 (including 4:55 stopped time)
avg speed: 21.4kph
total calories: 364
avg HR*: NA

the wind didn’t die down out all during the day and by the time I left work (late for me!) it felt considerable stronger and, as luck would have it, I was still riding into a headwind...

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 13.8/32% (apparent temp 12.4)
start time: 6:21pm
total distance: 17.81
total time: 50:30 (including 0:26 stopped time)
avg speed: 21.2kph
total calories: 592
avg HR*: NA

Tuesday...ah, an almost windless ride in which made for a speedy one!

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 6.8/66% (apparent temp 4.0)
start time: 8:04am
total distance: 17.13
total time: 42:06 (including 1:49 stopped time)
avg speed: 24.4kph
total calories: 580
avg HR*: NA

did a few caches at lunchtime including the one on the top of Mt Pleasant where I was out-muggled a couple of weeks ago!

I still haven’t found my heart rate transmitter so I ordered a new one...

I got attacked by the Franklin magpie over a distance of 200m on the way home...did warn some oncoming pedestrians but the bird only seemed to be interested in me!

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 17.9/31% (apparent temp same)
start time: 5:19pm
total distance: 12.09
total time: 33:47 (including 3:18 stopped time)
avg speed: 21.5kph
total calories: 370
avg HR*: NA

Wednesday....had a flex day so played some golf (just for something different)...

afterwards rode from Harrison to Kambah...got attacked by both magpies again...hit 43kph trying to clear the Gungahlin Drive one!

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 22.2/31% (apparent temp same)
start time: 4:00pm
total distance: 29.80
total time: 72:03 (including 4:59 stopped time)
avg speed: 24.8kph
total calories: 1067
avg HR*: NA

it was nice to have a magpie-free run this morning...all the nasty ones must be in the north!

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 9.8/78% (apparent temp same)
start time: 7:58am
total distance: 17.12
total time: 42:53 (including 0:40 stopped time)
avg speed: 24.0kph
total calories: 559
avg HR*: NA

took a slight detour to avoid the Franklin magpie...it worked but only because by the time he saw me I was almost through his territory... he still flew like a maniac at me though!...plus it was a very strong headwind for the ride as well...

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 24.0/22% (apparent temp same)
start time: 5:42pm
total distance: 12.26
total time: 34:16 (including 3:37 stopped time)
avg speed: 21.5kph
total calories: 373
avg HR*: NA

I'm going to bus to work tomorrow as a sort of taper so I have fresh legs for Sunday's big ride...I've got golf on Saturday...will pick up my rider's pack from Stromlo Forest Park after that...

Snakey, snakey...

my fastest ride to work...

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 9.4/90% (apparent temp same)
start time: 7:44am
total distance: 12.05
total time: 27:30 (including 3:30 stopped time)
avg speed: 26.3kph
total calories: 375
avg HR*: 137

went for a leisurely caching ride at lunch - out to Black Mountain Peninsula and back through the ANU...7 caches/10.38k in 65:35...

• to first cache - Remote Control....2.32k/8:09mins...retrieve cache, sign log, replace cache - 4:09
• to second cache - Incy Wincy Spider....1.50k/4:22mins... retrieve cache, sign log, replace cache - 6:05
• to third cache - Little Hall....0.30k/1:04mins... retrieve cache, sign log, replace cache - 3:22
• to fourth cache - If the tree fits....0.79k/2:34mins... retrieve cache, sign log, replace cache - 4:19
• to fifth cache - Brush with a View Two Two Tango....0.45k/1:51mins... retrieve cache, sign log, replace cache - 4:38 (grabbed a Travel Bug from this one as well) *had a scare at this one as I thought there was a snake right near the hiding spot, fortunately it was just a snake skin, perhaps this was an omen for the adventure later in the day!
• to sixth cache - Rock the View....0.23k/0:53mins... retrieve cache, sign log, replace cache - 3:35
• to seventh cache - The Organiser....3.25k/9:47mins... retrieve cache, sign log, replace cache - 5:42
• back to work - 1.45k/5:06mins

gave myself an early mark after some long days this week...and now to my adventure!

there I was pedalling up the slight uphill on the bike path next to the Barton Highway heading towards Gungahlin Drive when a brown snake darted out from the vegetation on the left and I ran straight over the middle over it!...it half struck at me as I rode over it - I went to lift my right foot completely forgetting it was clipped in!...my calf gave a twinge as I surged up the hill...I looked back over my shoulder and the snake was still stretched across the width of half the bike path...as you'd expect my heart was racing and I reckon I aged 10yrs!

would have been interesting to see my heart rate but somehow I lost my heart rate transmitter at work (d'oh) so I'll have to organise a replacement if I don't find it on Monday...

while I was waiting to cross Gungahlin Drive at the lights at Sandford St, another cyclist appeared from behind me...I asked if he saw the snake and he said no, so I didn't kill it but I think it will have a very sore back!!...

I've come close to running over a snake before but that was at least during MTB orienteering and on a fire trail!

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 25.0/28% (apparent temp same)
start time: 4:16pm
total distance: 12.07
total time: 36:17 (including 7:37 stopped time)
avg speed: 20.0kph
total calories: 348
avg HR*: -

I'm planning to have another shot at Mt Majura tomorrow before Rd 3 of the Club Championships....hopefully no flats or snake encounters will disrupt the session!

Ho Hum...

nothing much doing today except a long day at work sandwiched by some quick rides...

Kambah to Civic...

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 7.2/91% (apparent temp 6.4)
start time: 7:49m
total distance: 17.07
total time: 43:07 (including 1:16 stopped time)
avg speed: 23.8kph
total calories: 520
avg HR*: 131

Civic to Harrison...

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 19.2/39% (apparent temp same)
start time: 6:39m
total distance: 12.09
total time: 32:21 (including 2:32 stopped time)
avg speed: 22.4kph
total calories: 380
avg HR*: 126

Triple ride...

a zippy ride into work despite the extra cyclists for Ride2Work Day...

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 12.1/53% (apparent temp 10.5)
start time: 8:23am
total distance: 12.02
total time: 28:02 (including 3:40 stopped time)
avg speed: 25.7kph
total calories: 361
avg HR*: 138

as usual for recent Wednesdays, it was more Mt Pleasant hill reps at lunch...

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 19.6/30% (apparent temp same)
start time: 1:20pm
total distance: 18.01
total time: 52:14 (including 1:03 stopped time)
avg speed: 20.7kph
total calories: 688
avg HR: 147

starting in a harder gear than last week before switching to last week's gear for the first three reps, for the fourth rep I stayed in that starting gear right to the top*...this was the first time all four efforts were sub 4mins... splits: 3:49/1:51, 3:50/1:50, 3:58/1:50, 3:52/1:43

*as with most MTBs, mine has 27 gears (3 on the front, 9 on the back)...

Week 1: gearing = middle front, started on 6 at back before dropping to 5 about a third of the way up for all 4
Week 2: gearing = middle front, started on 6 at back before dropping to 5 about three quarters of the way up for the first 3, stayed in 6 all the way for the final rep
Week 3: gearing = middle front, stayed in 6 at back for all 4
Week 4: gearing = middle front, started on 7 at back before dropping to 6 about a third of the way up for the first 3, stayed in 7 all the way for the final rep

11 days until Fitz's Challenge...at least I'm only doing the 50k Tidbinbilla Challenge which starts at 9:00am (3.5hr time limit, 800m vertical ascent)...there's four other distances all on the same day starting and finishing at Stromlo Forest Park:

105k Tharwa Challenge (7hr time limit, 8:30am start, 1300m vertical ascent)
165k Fitz's Classic (11hr time limit, 7:30am start, 2300m vertical ascent)
205k Fitz's Epic (13.5hr time limit, 6:00am start, 3300m vertical ascent)
255k Fitz's Extreme (13.5hr time limit, 6:00am start, 4700m vertical ascent)

to finish off the day I had a reasonably quick ride home...

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 18.8/29% (apparent temp same)
start time: 6:10pm
total distance: 17.68
total time: 46:14 (including 0:51 stopped time)
avg speed: 22.9kph
total calories: 628
avg HR: 143

Frustrating flats...

didn’t ride Thursday or Friday due to the weather...

Saturday I headed off to do two Mt Majura reps before golf...

got about 3/4 of the way up for the first one when I realised I had a flat back tyre...pushed on to the top and change the tubes...this took just under 20mins so it put paid to doing a 2nd rep...

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 3.3/95% (apparent temp same)
start time: 7:26am
total distance: 16.78
total time: 80:00 (including 23:16 stopped time, 19:57 of which was the tube change!)
avg speed: 12.6kph
total calories: 806
avg HR*: 139

a bit frustrating but at least I got one done...

this weekend was the start of the Club Championships and it’s the first time since I joined the club back in 2000 that I’ve been able to play...normally something has got in the way like cricket, baseball or End of Season footy trips...it’s 4 rounds of stroke over two weekends...

had a solid first round - nothing spectacular but only 3 over my handicap...

Sunday I had similar start to Rd 1 but played much better for the rest of the holes with only one aberration on the 16th...managed a birdie on the 14th (long putt too!), 6 pars and 7 bogies...played to my handicap and I’m only 5 shots off the pace...

back home I cleaned my bike and fixed two punctured spare tubes (might not seem important now but...)...

yesterday morning’s ride to work was interrupted by ANOTHER flat back tyre - this time I managed to find the cause of the damage...it was a tiny piece of curved metal (basically the size of the tip of my little fingernail) and it was a bugger to remove (I need to pack pliers in my kit!)...luckily I had a spare (see importance of above mentioned repairs!) and this time it took just under 19mins to get back underway...

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 6.4/88% (apparent temp 5.6)
start time: 7:58am
total distance: 12.13
total time: 52:42 (including 25:10 stopped time, 18:54 of which was the tube change!)
avg speed: 13.8kph
total calories: 417
avg HR*: 115

managed to have a flat free ride to Kambah (woo hoo)...

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 19.8/40% (apparent temp same)
start time: 5:44pm
total distance: 17.67
total time: 46:17 (including 1:44 stopped time)
avg speed: 22.9kph
total calories: 513
avg HR*: 133

today’s ride in to work was stop free, a first!

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 7.9/95% (apparent temp same)
start time: 7:50am
total distance: 17.11
total time: 44:16 (including 0:00 stopped time)
avg speed: 23.2kph
total calories: 592
avg HR*: 143

voted at Pilgrim House at lunchtime...now I don’t have to try and figure out when to do it on Saturday!

a bit windy on the way home but nowhere near as windy as it was later!

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 22.4/30% (apparent temp same)
start time: 6:00pm
total distance: 12.05
total time: 36:51 (including 5:25 stopped time)
avg speed: 19.6kph
total calories: 395
avg HR*: 148

Muggled out...

I got rained on riding to Kambah after work yesterday....at least it wasn’t too heavy or windy...

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 14.2/46% (apparent temp 13.1)
start time: 5:35pm
total distance: 17.68
total time: 49:56 (including 2:49 stopped time)
avg speed: 21.2kph
total calories: 529
avg HR*: 119

it was a bit fresh for the start of this morning’s ride in but was quite nice by the time I got to work...

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 4.1/94% (apparent temp same)
start time: 7:22am
total distance: 17.08
total time: 45:44 (including 0:21 stopped time)
avg speed: 22.4kph
total calories: 612
avg HR*: 137

Mt Pleasant hill reps at lunch...

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 15.3/42% (apparent temp same)
start time: 1:09pm
total distance: 18.04
total time: 65:10 (including 14:20* stopped time)
avg speed: 16.6kph
total calories: 734
avg HR: 134

I stayed in the harder gear for all 4 reps right to the top...

splits: 4:01/1:50, 4:04/1:49, 4:06/1:49, 4:11/10:32*

* 8:45 of this can be attributed to the following: was going to reward myself by finding a cache at the top of Mt Pleasant but just I was about to start searching some military muggles appeared with their Singaporean counterparts to show of the various plaques etc and then a car load of tourist muggles arrived...muggled out, will have to try another time!

slow ride home after work...

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 15.5/35% (apparent temp 13.1)
start time: 5:48pm
total distance: 12.08
total time: 38:21 (including 5:56 stopped time)
avg speed: 18.9kph
total calories: 468
avg HR*: 131

EOS Trip...

average ride home Friday afternoon...

the stats:
start temp/humidity: ??.?/??% (apparent temp ?)
start time: 4:25pm
total distance: 12.18
total time: 32:58 (including 0:49 stopped time)
avg speed: 22.2
total calories: 468
avg HR*: 136

watched the second women's World Twenty20 semi, with Australia easily defeating the West Indies despite not batting particularly well...

Saturday I was up early to pick up Jodie and get out to Canberra Airport to pick up our EOS vehicle...I was one of 4 drivers for the trip with 20+ attendees...

we met the rest of the team at Dickson shops and headed off on our merry way around 8:30am once players were allocated to buses...we all had t-shirts on with our playing numbers and names in one of three colours (blue, green or orange)...destination unknown although most were guessing Wollongong...

our first activity on the way to the first stop (Goulburn) was to come up with a 30sec dance routine Gangnam style...this was performed in the car park next to the bakery near the Big Merino...quite funny and not too bad! our second stop was at Fitzroy Falls where we had morning tea...Jodie and I also did a "virtual" cache...

our second activity once we were on the road again was to come up with a fierce face paint design and then paint everyone's faces...our bus' colours were yellow and black so we became Team Tiger...

next stop was Kiama Beach where we had lunch and got to see all the other face paint designs...quite funny...

Kiama proved to be our ultimate destination...we were due to be playing lawn bowls (hence the face paint) but the greens were closed due to the wet weather so we variously ended up playing the pokies, keno or betting on the racing before heading to our accommodation at Kiama Harbour Cabins...

the afternoon was our own so a few of us did some caching including climbing out onto the rocky point past the lighthouse...was good fun...

it was a BBQ for dinner before most of us heading into town to the Kiama Inn hotel...a late night for most... Sunday we hopped on the buses for the drive to Wollongong for a 2hr surfing lesson...unfortunately it was cancelled due to dangerous conditions (the beach was closed to swimming) so three of us did some caching for a couple of hours (while the others played beach cricket etc) before heading back to Kiama and the re-organised lawn bowls...

we spent a couple of hours on the green then it was back to the accommodation again...dinner for the night was pizzas before some more drinking games (not for me!) and cricket watching for those of us who didn't go for a walk to see the blowhole at night...this time we watched the Australian women beat England by 4 runs - back to back World Twenty20 titles!...

Monday was time to pack up and head back to Canberra...we stopped again at Fitzroy Falls, this time for lunch - Jodie and I found another cache... back in Canberra by 3pm, the end of another well organised End of Season trip!

this morning I rode in a little bit later but it was still quite cool... the stats:
start temp/humidity: 9.2/72% (apparent temp 7.8)
start time: 8:30am
total distance: 12.00
total time: 31:32 (including 3:23 stopped time)
avg speed: 22.8
total calories: 400
avg HR*: 130

Still pedalling...

the ride to Kambah Wednesday night wasn't as slow as last week's effort after the hills...another almost 50k day...

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 18.6/42% (apparent temp same)
start time: 5:46pm
total distance: 17.73
total time: 47:56 (including 1:11 stopped time)
avg speed: 22.2kph
total calories: 540
avg HR*: 129

it was another great morning to ride in yesterday...

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 10.6/74% (apparent temp same)
start time: 7:43am
total distance: 17.09
total time: 45:05 (including 1:32 stopped time)
avg speed: 22.7
total calories: 609
avg HR*: 138

the ride home was a little slow...

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 23.2/21% (apparent temp same)
start time: 5:38pm
total distance: 12.08
total time: 38:24 (including 6:30 stopped time)
avg speed: 18.9
total calories: 475
avg HR*: 132

watch some of the ICC World Twenty20 semi final between England and New Zealand on Fox...Australia plays the West Indies in the other semi tonight...

this morning's ride in was my best yet...

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 16.0/41% (apparent temp same)
start time: 7:24am
total distance: 12.12
total time: 28:07 (including 2:40 stopped time)
avg speed: 25.9
total calories: 337
avg HR*: 127

managed to fit gym in for the first time since last Friday (oops)...just chest, shoulders and triceps today...

going to give myself an early mark so I can get get ready for the EOS trip...should be a great weekend!

oh, it's been 45 days since I went for a run...three more weeks until I go back to the doctor...

Short sleeves...

skipped gym this morning to have a sleep in after a late night with the online scoring...

short sleeve weather on the bike today...and another sub-30 time...

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 12.1/67% (apparent temp 11.6)
start time: 8:33am
total distance: 12.03
total time: 29:09 (including 3:07 stopped time)
avg speed: 24.8kph
total calories: 337
avg HR: 131

repeated last week's hill session on Mt Pleasant at lunch...

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 23.1/25% (apparent temp same)
start time: 1:14pm
total distance: 17.95
total time: 55:21 (including 2:39 stopped time)
avg speed: 19.5kph
total calories: 702
avg HR: 143

I tried to stay in the harder gear for a bit longer for the first three reps and on the last one stayed in it all the way to the top...

splits: 4:04/1:50, 4:03/1:53, 4:06/1:54, 4:00/1:45

Long weekend #1...

Saturday

headed down to Batemans Bay for the long weekend...

found one cache that had eluded us at Penance Grove in the Monga State Forest...

checked into the hotel then headed out to do some more caching...

dinner was at Donegan's Steakhouse...

Sunday

headed out on the boat for some fishing...it was reasonably calm when we start but after about 90mins it started to get choppy so we headed upriver to Nelligen where we grabbed some lunch...

heading back to the Hanging Rock boat ramp, it was even choppy in the river due to the wind so it was a bit of a wild ride to finish off...

we did catch a Red Rock Cod but released him after some photos...

watched the NRL grand final then headed out to Hogs breath for dinner...

Monday

did a couple more caches before leaving the Bay....one where we did a short ride getting some clues before finding the cache itself...another one which we had DNF'd on an earlier trip...

after leaving the Bay we detoured to Shallow Crossing (dirt road driving) to find a cache where the saltwater meets the freshwater in the Clyde River...that was cool...

stopped in Braidwood for a sausage roll and cream bun for me!

we had to give the car and the bikes a good wash before returning home as they were all covered in a thick coating of dirt thanks to the trip to Shallow Crossing...

today

a warm ride in from Kambah...

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 7.9/74% (apparent temp same)
start time: 7:59am
total distance: 17.06
total time: 46:53 (including 1:55 stopped time)
avg speed: 21.8kph
total calories: -
avg HR: -

an easy ride home...

the stats:
start temp/humidity: 17.7/38% (apparent temp same)
start time: 5:29pm
total distance: 12.08
total time: 35:14 (including 3:34 stopped time)
avg speed: 20.6kph
total calories: 457
avg HR: 139

did the online scoring for the Australia/Pakistan game...

might do another Mt Pleasant hills session tomorrow...