Monday 29 April 2013
Thursday 25 April 2013
ANZAC Day
Remember those who fought for our freedom - side by side with other brave ANZACs of every race, colour and creed.
We will remember them.
We will remember them.
Tuesday 23 April 2013
More photos from Ipswich 170km Charity Ride
Reppin' the blue polka dot Metromint kit...
Me smiling to cover up the fact I missed the start of the 100 mile riders
Heading underneath the Start/Finish banner (race face is on!)
Still managing a smile and peace sign up the major climb (around 50km mark)
Sunday 21 April 2013
Wednesday 17 April 2013
Tuesday 16 April 2013
Grandpa Woberto
Bianca thinks I'm an old man who snores and likes to read the newspaper. She's probably right.
Monday 15 April 2013
Training Diary 15/04/2013
Charity Ride Stats:
Training Stats:
Training has been great lately. Last week especially was good and I managed to squeeze 440km (3900m climbing) in, finishing it off with the Ipswich 100 charity ride (more below).
The weather has still been abit hit & miss with a few days of rain/showers last week. I am desperately hoping that all this rainfall now will mean a dry winter (i.e. a dry Bridge 2 Bridge ride). The plan from here on will be to continue the high-distance training for the next fortnight then use the last week to taper down (only riding say 100-150kms) in order to let the legs recharge.
I have been lucky to dodge sickness so far this year. This weekend was the only time I have felt abit 'off' and I think it was mostly due to lack of proper sleep and the up & down temperatures. That being said, I still managed to knock out a 170km ride while I was feeling off so I'm not too fussed about it. I have been taking the following supplements to help avoid any sickness and injury problems:
It wasn't exactly a smooth start for me - I underestimated the time to drive out to Ipswich and the extra traffic at the designated parking area had me running late. The scheduled 160km start time was 6am and I was ready to ride at about 6:15am. But the time I got to the start line, the 160km group had long gone. Rather than give chase all on my own (a tough task), I opted to start with the front group of the 100km in the hope of catching some of the slower 160km riders on the way.
Boy did those 100km 'elite' rider fly! We were doing 45km/hr for the first hour and the bunch was breaking up everywhere. I dropped off the back of the fast bunch eventually and I was mindful that I had used up alot of energy so far. I recognised a few guys from the forum shortly afterwards and slowed the pace right down.
From there on, I stuck with my newfound friends Brett and Pete for the rest of the day. It was a long day of riding (over 7hrs) so we all went at our own pace. I was abit quicker up the hills (and it was a really, really hilly course) so we would regroup periodically along the way. I was glad that I had been training lately as the constant hills were energy sapping. I had an involuntary 15min timeout when I had a slow leak puncture (from a pothole I think), but once that was fixed I was off again.
The scenery was beautiful - green grass and bright blue skies with wisps of clouds. It was amazing riding weather. There was minimal traffic and the ride was really well organised. I filled up on my fair share of hot cross buns and bananas! The men and women manning the food stops were cheerful and always up for a chat. A big thank-you to them for taking the morning off to help the riders out.
Total distance was 170km, total climbing of 1700m and time of 7hrs11mins. All in all a great ride and I will be back again next year!
Ride Website: http://www.ipswich100.com.au/
My Strava Ride: http://app.strava.com/activities/48691197
Donations:
Big thanks to the following people who have donated - It really means alot to me to have your support!
Anonymous donation of $100 and Vanessa Vong.
Thank you all so much.
- Weeks until Bridge 2 Bridge ride - <3 Weeks
- Donations collected - $2,480.00
Training Stats:
- Distance YTD - 3,542 km
- Elevation YTD - 31,757 m
- Ride Hours YTD - 145hr 30min
- Current Weight - 77.5kg
Training has been great lately. Last week especially was good and I managed to squeeze 440km (3900m climbing) in, finishing it off with the Ipswich 100 charity ride (more below).
The weather has still been abit hit & miss with a few days of rain/showers last week. I am desperately hoping that all this rainfall now will mean a dry winter (i.e. a dry Bridge 2 Bridge ride). The plan from here on will be to continue the high-distance training for the next fortnight then use the last week to taper down (only riding say 100-150kms) in order to let the legs recharge.
I have been lucky to dodge sickness so far this year. This weekend was the only time I have felt abit 'off' and I think it was mostly due to lack of proper sleep and the up & down temperatures. That being said, I still managed to knock out a 170km ride while I was feeling off so I'm not too fussed about it. I have been taking the following supplements to help avoid any sickness and injury problems:
- Fish Oil capsules - to ease joint pain and for the Omega3
- Garlic tablets - for an immune system boost
- Multivitamin tablets - to fill in any gaps in my diet for vitamins
- Hay fever tablets - to stop me sneezing every morning (especially at change of seasons)
Snaps from the Ipswich 100 mile ride...
Ipswich 100 Charity Ride
On Sunday I took part in the Ipswich 100 charity ride. Its the third time I have signed up for this ride and they offer three distances; 50km, 100km and 100 miles (or 160km). The last two times I did this ride was with Eddie and we did the 100km ride each time. As an extra challenge to complement my training, I signed up for the 160km ride this year. Its my first ever Imperial century (100 miles) and was my biggest single ride to date.
Great countryside scenery...
It wasn't exactly a smooth start for me - I underestimated the time to drive out to Ipswich and the extra traffic at the designated parking area had me running late. The scheduled 160km start time was 6am and I was ready to ride at about 6:15am. But the time I got to the start line, the 160km group had long gone. Rather than give chase all on my own (a tough task), I opted to start with the front group of the 100km in the hope of catching some of the slower 160km riders on the way.
Mountains in the distance...
Boy did those 100km 'elite' rider fly! We were doing 45km/hr for the first hour and the bunch was breaking up everywhere. I dropped off the back of the fast bunch eventually and I was mindful that I had used up alot of energy so far. I recognised a few guys from the forum shortly afterwards and slowed the pace right down.
One of the many hills...
From there on, I stuck with my newfound friends Brett and Pete for the rest of the day. It was a long day of riding (over 7hrs) so we all went at our own pace. I was abit quicker up the hills (and it was a really, really hilly course) so we would regroup periodically along the way. I was glad that I had been training lately as the constant hills were energy sapping. I had an involuntary 15min timeout when I had a slow leak puncture (from a pothole I think), but once that was fixed I was off again.
Don't think this old car's roadworthy anymore...
The scenery was beautiful - green grass and bright blue skies with wisps of clouds. It was amazing riding weather. There was minimal traffic and the ride was really well organised. I filled up on my fair share of hot cross buns and bananas! The men and women manning the food stops were cheerful and always up for a chat. A big thank-you to them for taking the morning off to help the riders out.
Long road to nowhere in particular...
Total distance was 170km, total climbing of 1700m and time of 7hrs11mins. All in all a great ride and I will be back again next year!
Ride Website: http://www.ipswich100.com.au/
My Strava Ride: http://app.strava.com/activities/48691197
Donations:
Big thanks to the following people who have donated - It really means alot to me to have your support!
Anonymous donation of $100 and Vanessa Vong.
Thank you all so much.
Friday 12 April 2013
Motivational Story - Reid Anderton (Aussie Challenge)
This is one of the most amazing endurance endeavours I have ever seen. The Aussie Challenge is Reid Anderton aiming to break the current record for travelling around Australia on his bicycle. He has set out to cover 400km per day for 35 days (total of 14,100kms).
As a recreational cyclist, I know what these kind of distances and times translate to (lets just say....alot of pain!). Not even professional cyclists do this amount of riding in their training.....and they get paid to ride!
Reid Anderton is nothing short of a legend. He is truly inspiring and an prime example of how far you can push the human body if you are willing to try. Mental toughness will long outlast your physical limitations.
From his website...
Breaking the Current Record
The Guinness World Record is currently set at 14,183 km (8,813 miles) around the coastline of Australia in 42 days, 8 hours and 25 minutes by Hubert Schwarz (Germany) on the 4th of October 1993. This averages around 337km/day. But there was another record set on the 20th of October 2011 by Dave Alley at 37 days, 20 hours and 45 minutes, or around 377km/day. Let's just say that's a pretty high bar to better and a lot of pain to endure.Reid Anderton who is part of the Challenge for Change team will be attempting to break the record for the fastest solo supported cycle around Australia. Reid is aiming to ride over 400km/day for 35 days - totalling 14,100kms. While he maybe cycling alone, he is hoping many will join the cause and make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children.
Suffering Alone
My (Reid) Challenge is ridiculous; 400km per day for 35 days around Australia. If I make it, it will set a new record for the fastest solo supported cycle around Australia. Everything would have to go my way for this figure to be achieved. Injury, weather (headwinds and rain), logistics, planning or lack of physical/ mental ability will all come into play, meaning my best case scenario could be severely limited, or at worst case, I could fail to complete the entire journey at all.On average I will be on my bike for 16-18 hours per day, burn 15,500 calories (enough to consume 28 Big Macs or 980 over the 35 days!) use 7 sets of tyres and cycle over 14,200km of following a single white line travelling at around 25-30km per hour, by myself. Enough to do anyone's head in!
400km per day – possibly not achievable? But given the right conditions...just maybe!
Why?
Why does Reid ride? To raise funds and awareness for kids living in poverty, particularly in Southern Africa, working with Eagles Wings. Abject poverty is a condition that around 2.5 billion people worldwide experience. It basically means they are trying to live or exist on less than $2 per day. I personally have no idea in reality what this feels like, but I have seen the effects and issues related to abject poverty, mostly within Southern Africa. It is not a good story.Your challenge will not be easy either. While I am on a bike for at least 35 days riding 400km per day, your challenge is to simplify your life-style for 35 days in order to raise $400. This way we will all stand in solidarity with children who currently live in extreme poverty raising vital funds and awareness.
Is $400 easy? Think through the certain luxuries you may be used to
in your day to day lives. You enjoy coffee, chocolate, a round of golf,
driving EVERYWHERE, desserts, restaurants etc. Get the picture? Each day
you have to simplify your life-style enough to save $12.00 per day.
This is where your $400 will come from. Individually this may be a big
challenge, but done as a family, or business it will be achievable.To place this in perspective it costs around $12.00 per month to educate a child in Africa. Every day you save $12.00, means ONE month worth of quality education for a child in need.
So take a deep breath, consider the purpose and sign up to simplify your lifestyle for 35 days. Give up the take away coffee, the extra chocolate and maybe that round of golf and before you know it you will have the $400.
Let us know what you have done to simplify your life in order to stand in solidarity with disadvantaged kids and how much you have been able to save as a result. Post your stories on our Facebook page. Encourage and inspire others to participate. A real challenge for your change.
Reid Anderton - Suffering for a Cause He Believes In
Wednesday 10 April 2013
Tuesday 9 April 2013
How are you seen?
A recent change in my personal life has made me think about my personality traits. In particular, my sense of positivity/negativity and the interaction with those around me. And how it affects who I am as a person.
I do most (okay...all) of my deep thought pondering on the bike. Its really handy for that - hours and hours of mostly silence and nothing to occupy your mind except random thoughts and following the white lines. Anyway, this is what I have come to conclude so far from my zen-like ponderings:
Mr Positive or Mr Negative (or Mrs for the ladies)
We all know one of these personalities - chances are someone in our friend group meets one of these descriptions. Note: Im not an expert so these descriptions are my watered down opinions.
Mr Positive - Always has something nice to say about life, never complains about their circumstances, when a problem arises they are the first to search for a solution, if they encounter some bad luck they shrug and move on and they try to learn lessons from not only their mistakes, but the mistakes of others. They are often putting themselves out to help others (sometimes even strangers) and are willing to balance self-sacrifice and selfishness. Overall, they feel life is good and life is there for you to make the most of.
Mr Negative - No conversation is complete without a rant or rave about all the things wrong in the world, often including criticisms of others. They feel the world is against them and if they had better luck they could be as successful as the other guy. When bad luck comes their way, its just another obstacle in their day and they throw their hands up in frustration - often repeating mistakes without learning why. Very rarely do they have the motivation to do anything for themselves, let alone others. They often feel depressed or hopeless and may conclude that theres no point changing anything about their lives.
I know that I have met people that meet both those descriptions. Whether they are friends or colleagues or people you meet thru friends. Of course, there is a whole spectrum in-between and not everyone fits nicely into those two categories.
What I find most troubling however - is that I have met quite alot of Mr Negatives and not very many Mr Positives. I am sure you are the same.
In fact, on the odd occasion that I do meet a positive person - it always throws me off as you tend to get worn down day-by-day by all the negativity and complaining. I imagine its like in England where it will rain for months and months.....then one day the sun will be out and everyone will just point and stare in wonder!
One good example of a Mr Positive was at the wake of my good friend Eddie. The funeral was (and they always are) a sombre occasion. And while you talk of the funny times and the laughs you shared, there is that background sadness of a life lost.
A friend of Eddies from his yoga teaching group came up to me randomly and just introduced himself - smile beaming and hand outreached.
I admit it - my first instinct was a raised eyebrow and to box him in with a car salesman or politicians - you know.....those people with the crocodile smiles and far-too-happy-for-the-situation demeanour.
It turns out that he was just a happy guy there to spread more happiness. He obviously saw some people feeling abit sad and took it upon himself to go over and spread some smiles. He talked about how positive Eddie was and all these funny conversations they had together at 'yoga camps' and in the end he sort of shrugged and said "Well, that's life isn't it.". And with his smile still beaming he wandered off to find some more people to talk to.
It was quite amazing actually - his behaviour didn't really sink in until hours later. And that's the shame of it all - I was so unfamiliar with a truly happy person that when I encountered one, it puzzled me. I immediately thought they were crazy or had some ulterior motive. When in reality, they were just positive. Positive about life and positive about living.
What about me?
Its fairly simple to see that the company you keep, affects the type of person you become. If you associate with negative people, you will eventually become one. Alternatively, if you associate with positive people, you can rest assure that their positivity with rub off on you.
I decided that this year was the year where I reduce the negativity in my life. People who complain, blame others, criticise, or moan are not the people I want to be around. I want to be inspired, I want to hear good things, I want to appreciate each day, I want to aim high (and sometimes fall short) and I want to feel good about myself, my life and my surroundings. And I want to hear about my friends achieving great things, travelling to new places and being all they can be.
I'm not saying that we all have to live like we are high on LSD - you are allowed to have a bad day or get frustrated about something going wrong. But its the way you handle these challenges that makes the difference.
This is something I plan to work at.
I do most (okay...all) of my deep thought pondering on the bike. Its really handy for that - hours and hours of mostly silence and nothing to occupy your mind except random thoughts and following the white lines. Anyway, this is what I have come to conclude so far from my zen-like ponderings:
Mr Positive or Mr Negative (or Mrs for the ladies)
We all know one of these personalities - chances are someone in our friend group meets one of these descriptions. Note: Im not an expert so these descriptions are my watered down opinions.
Mr Positive - Always has something nice to say about life, never complains about their circumstances, when a problem arises they are the first to search for a solution, if they encounter some bad luck they shrug and move on and they try to learn lessons from not only their mistakes, but the mistakes of others. They are often putting themselves out to help others (sometimes even strangers) and are willing to balance self-sacrifice and selfishness. Overall, they feel life is good and life is there for you to make the most of.
Mr Negative - No conversation is complete without a rant or rave about all the things wrong in the world, often including criticisms of others. They feel the world is against them and if they had better luck they could be as successful as the other guy. When bad luck comes their way, its just another obstacle in their day and they throw their hands up in frustration - often repeating mistakes without learning why. Very rarely do they have the motivation to do anything for themselves, let alone others. They often feel depressed or hopeless and may conclude that theres no point changing anything about their lives.
I know that I have met people that meet both those descriptions. Whether they are friends or colleagues or people you meet thru friends. Of course, there is a whole spectrum in-between and not everyone fits nicely into those two categories.
What I find most troubling however - is that I have met quite alot of Mr Negatives and not very many Mr Positives. I am sure you are the same.
In fact, on the odd occasion that I do meet a positive person - it always throws me off as you tend to get worn down day-by-day by all the negativity and complaining. I imagine its like in England where it will rain for months and months.....then one day the sun will be out and everyone will just point and stare in wonder!
One good example of a Mr Positive was at the wake of my good friend Eddie. The funeral was (and they always are) a sombre occasion. And while you talk of the funny times and the laughs you shared, there is that background sadness of a life lost.
A friend of Eddies from his yoga teaching group came up to me randomly and just introduced himself - smile beaming and hand outreached.
I admit it - my first instinct was a raised eyebrow and to box him in with a car salesman or politicians - you know.....those people with the crocodile smiles and far-too-happy-for-the-situation demeanour.
It turns out that he was just a happy guy there to spread more happiness. He obviously saw some people feeling abit sad and took it upon himself to go over and spread some smiles. He talked about how positive Eddie was and all these funny conversations they had together at 'yoga camps' and in the end he sort of shrugged and said "Well, that's life isn't it.". And with his smile still beaming he wandered off to find some more people to talk to.
What about me?
Its fairly simple to see that the company you keep, affects the type of person you become. If you associate with negative people, you will eventually become one. Alternatively, if you associate with positive people, you can rest assure that their positivity with rub off on you.
I decided that this year was the year where I reduce the negativity in my life. People who complain, blame others, criticise, or moan are not the people I want to be around. I want to be inspired, I want to hear good things, I want to appreciate each day, I want to aim high (and sometimes fall short) and I want to feel good about myself, my life and my surroundings. And I want to hear about my friends achieving great things, travelling to new places and being all they can be.
I'm not saying that we all have to live like we are high on LSD - you are allowed to have a bad day or get frustrated about something going wrong. But its the way you handle these challenges that makes the difference.
This is something I plan to work at.
Friday 5 April 2013
Training Diary 05/04/2013
Charity Ride Stats:
Training Stats:
Only a short entry this week.
Training has been going really well. I have broken the 1000km/month mark for both February and March which is a big step up from my normal totals.
We have had the odd rainy day each week which has meant I have been cleaning my bike regularly. Its important to keep things clean and lubricated on the bike because it maximises the life of all the components. Before the big ride, I will need to check for wear on my chain, cassette and bearings. I already know that I will need to buy some spare brake pads as the wet weather has wore the existing ones down quite abit.
The other thing I want to do is mix up my training routes. I have been doing my standard commute and riverloop commute quite abit - and while it is handy for extra kilometers - its getting boring riding the same track over and over again. I joined Kirsty Broun for a group ride with her coaching group. The original plan was to tackle the hills of Brookfield but due to rain, it turned into a flatter Nudgee Beach ride. It was fun to ride with a different bunch of people so I'll look to join them again.
I am also hoping to meet up with some other cyclists from the forums for rides. Its always nice riding with others, chatting and joking around - it can make 100km ride go by pretty quickly.
Thats about it training-wise. I have a big ride coming up next week. I have signed up for the Ipswich 160km charity ride. It will be my longest single ride to date and I am looking forward to the challenge. It will be a tough day in the saddle but Im sure I'll make it.
Never give up.
- Weeks until Bridge 2 Bridge ride - <5 Weeks
- Donations collected - $2,330.00
Training Stats:
- Distance YTD - 3,080 km
- Elevation YTD - 27,851 m
- Ride Hours YTD - 127hr 12min
- Current Weight - 77kg
Only a short entry this week.
Training has been going really well. I have broken the 1000km/month mark for both February and March which is a big step up from my normal totals.
We have had the odd rainy day each week which has meant I have been cleaning my bike regularly. Its important to keep things clean and lubricated on the bike because it maximises the life of all the components. Before the big ride, I will need to check for wear on my chain, cassette and bearings. I already know that I will need to buy some spare brake pads as the wet weather has wore the existing ones down quite abit.
The other thing I want to do is mix up my training routes. I have been doing my standard commute and riverloop commute quite abit - and while it is handy for extra kilometers - its getting boring riding the same track over and over again. I joined Kirsty Broun for a group ride with her coaching group. The original plan was to tackle the hills of Brookfield but due to rain, it turned into a flatter Nudgee Beach ride. It was fun to ride with a different bunch of people so I'll look to join them again.
I am also hoping to meet up with some other cyclists from the forums for rides. Its always nice riding with others, chatting and joking around - it can make 100km ride go by pretty quickly.
Thats about it training-wise. I have a big ride coming up next week. I have signed up for the Ipswich 160km charity ride. It will be my longest single ride to date and I am looking forward to the challenge. It will be a tough day in the saddle but Im sure I'll make it.
Never give up.
Wednesday 3 April 2013
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