No More Excuses...

[mikesbytes]

Your been a busy lad. Climbing until your legs explode will make you one hella fit boy. Keep it up!

[inaminit]

You'll need to attach a gps to yourself on the ride and upload it all so we can follow your progress

It's on the wish list Now I just have to convince the Minister of Finance, lodge a proposal in triplicate and wait for the next round of budget talks.

[inaminit]

Your been a busy lad. Climbing until your legs explode will make you one hella fit boy. Keep it up!

Although it hurt like hell, I loved that ride. I'll be doing it again this week, but will take it a bit easier as my dodgy knee complained a bit too much on Friday. I think it was probably from the appauling technique just trying to stick with the bunch on the climb. This week I'll set myself a good rythym and see how I go.

[inaminit]

Week 7 has now drawn to a close, and its been a week of milestones for me....broke my first spoke....clocked up 1000km....& did my first 100km ride!!!!

The target for week 7 was: 3 x 50km + 1 x 90km

Rides:
Tuesday: 56.8km in 2:09:41 avg speed of 26.2kph. Left home at 5:15am to meet up with a group. Good ride down to Currumbin and back to Burleigh. Left the group for a nice easy ride up to Surfers and back home.

Friday: 49.5km in 1:54:24 avg 25.9km. Started out as a pretty intense ride from home to the Southport Seaway. Was going great guns, until I broke a spoke on the return trip. So I took it pretty easy for the 22km home.

Saturday: Did the group training ride at Luke Harrop Circuit in Runaway Bay again for about 22km or so. Wanted to take it easy so dropped back to "F" grade and ended up doing most of the work up the front on the half of the circuit which is into the wind. We ended up averaging 28.7kph (not bad for F grade (aka F-Troop or Dad's Army ). A leisurely 2 or3 k's for a quick coffee, and finishing off solo ride up to Paradise Point, down to Southport and back. All up 46.5km in 1:40:02 avg speed 27.9kph.

Today: What an absolutely brilliant ride!!!! The computer ticked over the 1000km mark!!! I had planned to do my longest ride to date of 90km.

Headed from home up to the Southport Seaway with a very light headwind, then back down to South Tweed Heads . When I came back down through Burleigh the wind started picking up and by the time I turned around at Tweed, the wind had picked up to about 28kph with gusts up to 35kph straight into my face and I still had another 30odd Km to go to clock up the 90. I struggled along into the wind trying to keep my average over 25kph.

At about the 70km mark the temp on the computer was reading 36C and I ran out of water. I pushed on up to Burleigh and I was totally stuffed!!! I pulled into a 7-11 and got a powerade and and a museli bar and headed off again. About 10 minutes after the drink and snack I got my second wind, I was about 1km from the turnaround to home and thought and what the hell if I do another 5 or so km into the wind I'll have a nice tailwind home and get my first hundred!

I passed the 100km in 3:43:21, then backed right off and cruised home. The total for the day 103.8km in 4:00:15 with an average speed of 25.9kph. Not bad I thought for a solo effort and that headwind.

Total for the week: Target = 240km, Achieved = 256.6km

After today, I am pretty confident with the Bris to Gold Coast ride next Sunday. My original goal for this ride was to complete it in under 4 hours. With a bit of luck, and if i can latch onto a decent bunch, and the northerly's we've been having keep up next Sunday, I'm now thinking I should be able to do it in around 3 1/2 hours.

[KillerHeadWind]

Congrats on achieving those milestones (ok apart from the broken spoke)

[Mulger bill]

Great week Anthony.

Hail Centurian!

Shaun

[toolonglegs]

You are coming on in leaps and bounds..well done,100k's is a great milestone to break.Next is the 100 mile and the 200k .

[inaminit]

Thanks guys. Can't wait for the bris gold coast ride on Sunday!

I'd love to tick off the 100mile and 200km...but I'll need to fine tune my hydration and feeding first.

I'm now looking to join one of the local clubs and start some racing, but it's hard to choose. Most of the Gold Coast based clubs seem to have a real focus on crits, but I'm more interested in the 100k + road events. There's the Murwulimbah club just over the border & from what I've heard they concentrate more on road racing, but with daylight saving just around the corner, the hour difference may be a bit difficult. I'll get in touch with them all next week and see what the go is.

[mikesbytes]

Hey didn't know that New South Welshmen and Queenslanders were allowed to integrate.

Daylight savings. Think of the benefit, you'll be home an hour earlier than everyone else.

[inaminit]

Daylight savings. Think of the benefit, you'll be home an hour earlier than everyone else.

Just checked out the Murwulimbah club's website...looks like they have races at 2pm (QLD time) every Saturday. Nothing like racing in the hottest part of the day, at least I wouldn't have to wake up an hour earlier though!

From what I've heard, M'bah and the Gold Coast Clubs all join each others events.

[mikesbytes]

From what I've heard, M'bah and the Gold Coast Clubs all join each others events.

Common in Sydney and probably everywhere else, to ride in each others events.

[inaminit]

Well, I'm a bit late with last weeks update, but had a pretty busy week this week. So here goes, the last update of "No More Excuses"!!!!

The initial purpose of this thread was to let everyone know about my training progress in the lead up to the Wilson HTM Brisbane to Gold Coast ride. Also, being a lazy procrastinating slob for the past 15+ years ,I thought it would help keep me on track by documenting my achievements and failures here in a public arena.

So last week was a very very easy week, culminating in the Bris Gold Coast ride on Sunday. And what an absolutely brilliant day it was!

My wife gladly assumed the role of chauffeur for the day, and at 4:10 am we jumped in the car and headed to brissy. We were both amased at how many people and bilke there were. We knew they had about 5,500 entries, but until you see it for yourself it's kind of hard to comprehend.

We unloaded the bike and I headed to the start area, where I was to meet a couple of guys I've been riding with. My wife hung around for a bit then decided to head off to our friends place who live right on the ride route at about the 60km mark.

By now it's about 5:40am and no sign of the guys I was to meet ,and silly me forgot to put their numbers in my mobile! I kept looking for them for a bit longer and at about 5:50 thought I should head into the masses and get ready for the 6am start.

Ends up the start was delayed by about 10 minutes and they finally started funnelling 5,500 of us throught the start gates. Now as you can imagine this took quite some time as they could only get about 6 or so riders through the gate at a time, and I finally got throught the start bang on 6:30!

The first 20km was pretty chaotic through the buslink roads and tunnels, and I was forever swerving, ducking and weaving trying to get through the masses of casual and slow riders. After about 20km, I finally managed to join a group of about 12 other riders and thought ok now I can finally settle in and get cracking!

All was going well, and for the next 5km we were working well together and I'd found a good rythym. That was until the dreaded puncture gods struck me down with not one but two punctures. I couldn't believe it front and back both at the same time. Thankfully I decided to carry 3 spares for some reason (normally only carry one). Back on the bike and I had to battle through the slow riders yet again, but at least this time they were a bit more spread out.

The first drink stop came at about 30km and all I could see was a mass of riders, so, as I still had plenty of fluid and some munchies with me I pressed on.

The day started heating up and at the next drink stop at 75Km, I pulled in to top up the bottles. As I was approaching the stop, I came across the 2 guys I was supposed to have met at the start. We had a quick chat, filled the bottles and one of them wasn't feling the best, I headed off at my own pace again.

I've got to say I was so relieved to see the finish line, but bitterly disapointed that the ride had come to an end.

All up I was really surprised at how well I rode, considering it was virtually a solo effort and there were a hell of a lot small hills that I hadn't expected. Mind you having a light tailwind for most of the ride helped an awful lot!

When I got back on the bike and started training for this ride about 8 weeks ago, I set a target of completing it in under 4 hours of riding time accordding to my computer which is actuall "riding time in the saddle".

On Sunday, I started at 6:30, and crossed the finish line at 10:28 a total event time of 3:58, which included fixing 2 punctures and a drink stop.

I was amased at how much difference a good training program makes and the result was a "riding time" on the computer of 3:25:31 with an average speed of 29.8kph

My wife was so impressed with the day and seeing so many rider of different shapes sizes and abilities, that she decided to buy a bike too. We picked it up today, a Giant Elwood hybrid, and tonight, we both signed up for Stockland Caloundra Great Ocean Bike Ride on 11 November. She's doing the 30km and I'll do the 55km. And she's also roped her mum inot doing the ride too!

To finish of the novel I've written here, I just want to say a HUGE thanks to all you guys, who have helped egg me on, I don't think I would have done nearly as well without you sharing your experiences and advice!

One last thing....I'm heading up to Runaway Bay tomorrow morning to sign up with the Anatomic Masters club and hopefully have my first crack at racing which should be good for a laugh or two!!!

[europa]

Also, being a lazy procrastinating slob for the past 15+ years ,I thought it would help keep me on track by documenting my achievements and failures here in a public arena.

Dunno what you're smoking mate, but it's good stuff

Richard

[europa]

You know Anthony, your experiences of massed, public rides mirror mine, but I'm more impressed with your wife and the way she's supporting your cycling. Feel free to show her this as she sounds like one of the 'gooduns'

Richard

[mikesbytes]

Great ride Anthony, what was the total distance?

[inaminit]

You know Anthony, your experiences of massed, public rides mirror mine, but I'm more impressed with your wife and the way she's supporting your cycling. Feel free to show her this as she sounds like one of the 'gooduns'

Richard

Richard, Showed the misses your post and she had a bit of a giggle....and guess what, she's come over to the dark side too. We picked up a Giant Elwood hybrid for her on Saturday, and she's already hooked!!!!!

[inaminit]

Great ride Anthony, what was the total distance?

Mike, the total distance was 102.1km.....my second century