Number 5 is Alive :-)

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sandman
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Number 5 is Alive :-)

Postby sandman » Sun Feb 22, 2009 2:45 pm

Sometimes you need to remember all that good advice you gave others and practice what you preach...The move to Alice has been fantasitic but with it has come a whole lot of changes to my riding, some not so good yet others very good.

A few weeks ago while cycling home, the headwind managed to pick up to 40km/hr, while thats not too bad, the heat was almost unbearable. It would have been around 50c, like a blow torch to the legs, something I've never experienced. I started to feel sick, dehydrated even though I was constantly on the bottle, it really messed with my will to ride, it was super tough. The next day I hopped onto the bus instead and then the next day and the next, no riding. The wind generally picked up in the afternoon with an increase in temp and for once I had really lost the desire to ride. The Saturday rides were good but to stick with the fast guys I needed to get that mid week ride in to stay in touch. So Saturdays I started to sleep in and the story just goes on......pfft

Anyway one of the work guys had a good dig at me last week and referred to the new Alice term of HTFU... remember that folks, I introduced HTFU to Alice :-) so we started to ride again. The wind has died down a little in the afternoons and the heat has backed off a touch. Last week we rode in 3 days, 1st day was getting my butt used to the saddle and by Friday I'd managed to average 35km/hr to work, not bad for now.

This morning a few of us got onto our MTBs for a "fang" through the Alice countryside. We checked out some really famous landmarks like "the Dunny, the Sink and the Washingmachine" :-) How some people dragged them out there I have no idea. Anyway, the riding was simply stunning, some quite technical bits where Chris managed to get a lead on me but when we hit the climbs, I introduced him to the Hurtbox :-) He's got this awesome Orbea with 29" wheels, on the fast runs the thing just flys.... a few hours in the bush this morning was just what we both needed, no snakes but we did manage to get cut off by one rather large roo that tried to get on the front of our paceline :-) Back into Alice we went and sat in the Todd Mall with a large coffee, lots of tourists and good to see those Sweedish Backpackers again :-)

Add to that a few calls to BMXBandito this week telling me to stop being a darn girl and life is looking a lot better again. I'm still missing the Thursday HTFU rides with him, getting my arse smacked in A Grade at the Regatta, Footpath racing and the ever growing Lifecycles Sat ride...

Life does look better when your riding a bike :-)

Ciao for now....Sandman on Todd :-)
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zozza
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Postby zozza » Sun Feb 22, 2009 8:09 pm

Hey Sandman, Good to see you back on the forum :) . The Boys and I miss you kickin our ass' on the Footpath and the Racetrack :( .

I'm glad to hear that Jeff's gentle persuasion's got ur ass back in the saddle. You'd have been proud of your boy today coz his face was redder than his helmet :lol: , I've never seen him push a big gear so hard before :o .

If Spiz' Jerseys get up, we'll save the number 5 for you.

Go Hard and keep Pokin them!

Zozza. :)

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Spiza
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Postby Spiza » Thu Mar 19, 2009 3:53 pm

WAKE UP NUMBER 5!!!

Chanboy
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Postby Chanboy » Thu Mar 19, 2009 4:04 pm

here I am sitting here at my boring computer, working on boring IT stuffs... and reading about MTB riding through the outback of Alice! DAMN, DAMN YOU ALL!


LOL.

Nice posting, dunno how anyone handles that 40+ deg heat.

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sandman
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Postby sandman » Tue Mar 24, 2009 11:17 pm

Hi Boyz

I cant believe I'm not posting every day and checking out whats going on in the cycling world but thats what happens when your will is seriously sapped by the never ending heat :-)

Anyway HTFU....Had a quick "MSN" with Don today and I'm blown away by Spizza's awesome work on the FPR logo. its SOOOOO awesome I've set it as my desktop and printed out a few of them and stuck on my wall at work :-)

Rode into work over the last few days, we thought summer had finnished but the heatwave has kicked back in....The temps have been good in the moring, 6:00am its been around 22-23c which is really nice, not much of a breeze so its awesome to just knuckle down and suffer :-)

Today I got in a little later, left "Alice" at 11:00am and at 10km out from work the temp really kicked in. There were some roadworks done over the last few days on our road and its like flypaper, sticky and slow, cant be happy :-) Temp was over 37 and the wind was pretty strong and it wasnt a tailwind :-(

Left work a little late this arvo, no headwind on Hatt road so able to at least get it up to 40 and just enjoy. On one of the rises I passed a MTB guy, good luck to him, he had a long way to go and it was stinking hot. Got down to the airport turnoff and the headwind kicked in. Not overly fast into the wind but a good solid ride, no cramps, good leg burn, felt good when I got home.

Cycling on Eurosports and poking around the forums has been good, HTFU'ing feels pretty darn good again. Missing the boyz n girlz at FPR, trying to maintain the rage "in the Alice"...

Sandman
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leximack
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Re: Number 5 is Alive :-)

Postby leximack » Thu Mar 26, 2009 12:14 am

good to chat with you Pete. Hopefully Spiz's logo gave you some inspiration to tough it out during the crazy headwinds and heat you get there.
Chat with you soon

Don

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sandman
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Re: Number 5 is Alive :-)

Postby sandman » Thu Mar 26, 2009 1:25 pm

Hey Don :-)

Sweet ride in this morning, legs a little sore from the endless time trialling. Finding that the muscles just above the kneecap on both legs getting sore, all other muscles ok so I've been telling them to toughen up !! Cardio seems good on the constant rides, would be interesting to have a power meter to see what the output is as there is just no bludging or drafting .....well you could draft a road train out here but the few that have gone past me, especially tanami transport that take cattle, you'd choke in the first 30 seconds from the stench.

The Ayups expired ont he way out today but the sun was just comming up, must say I'm getting some good life out of those batteries, I can really recommend them. Replaced the rear light on the bike and put some new "coloured" GP400s on the Scott, she's looking real sweet. Must say after getting rid of the cheap gear that the bike came with and putting a mixture of 105/Ultegra/Dura ace (and of course Mavic Wheels), the bike just goes and goes.

Oh and as for the Garmin 305 replacement, its working an absolute treat, I'm hoping they worked out the power off issue.

Temp this morning at 6:00am was 23c though there were certainly a few warmer pockets of air....BOM showing 33c outside at 11:54am in the shade....going to be another hot ride home today...

A bit of HTFUing goes a long way :-)

Sandman on Todd
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sandman
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Re: Number 5 is Alive :-)

Postby sandman » Thu Mar 26, 2009 9:56 pm

Awesome ride home this evening, about 37-38c and 20km/hr headwind. HTFU'ing on Hatt road and down the Stuart Highway down to the Airport turnoff. Down to about 32-33km/hr into the headwind, quads feeling the pain...Side/tailwind was nice, 42km/hr for a while until the acid built up and then it was time to just cruise back. If I won the lottery I'd sponsor a section of the Stuart Highway and build a darn hill :-) so I could enjoy the climb and pretend I'm an FPR and roll down the hill :-)

Sandman in Alice
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Chuck
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Re: Number 5 is Alive :-)

Postby Chuck » Fri Mar 27, 2009 10:52 am

Nice to hear you're still turning the legs over Pete. Shame about the lack of hills up there :P you'll have to get back here at some stage and organise another Blue Mountains ride for the FPR crew.
FPR Ragamuffin

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sandman
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Re: Number 5 is Alive :-)

Postby sandman » Fri Mar 27, 2009 1:30 pm

Woke up at 5:30am, nice warm bed....awwhhh, sleepin today :-) Thought I'd ride the motorbike in instead, couldnt find the jacket so I caught the bus. How slack of me :-) Well this week was a start, 240km and lots more to go :-)

Chucky, I heard u n Kev747 had a mishap, no good mate at all !!!! Hope you are both recovering well. As for the FPR boys, you betcha, I hear BMXBandito, you and Sandy did an awesome ride through the Alps and maybe this could be a regular event for those wanting torture and punishment ? I'm in 110%, bring it on !

Pete
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Chuck
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Re: Number 5 is Alive :-)

Postby Chuck » Fri Mar 27, 2009 2:45 pm

sandman wrote: I hear BMXBandito, you and Sandy did an awesome ride through the Alps and maybe this could be a regular event for those wanting torture and punishment ? I'm in 110%, bring it on !

You would have loved it Pete :twisted:

I'd also like like to see it become an annual thing with an open invite :D
FPR Ragamuffin

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sandman
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Re: Number 5 is Alive :-)

Postby sandman » Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:14 am

I bet it was good Chucky :-)

So this morning, out the door at 5:55am with a charged up Garmin and Ayups, lights especially as I can actually see the road :-) Shot down through the
"Gap" to catch the other HP guy just down near Ilparpa Rd. Nice leisurely ride in today, good to turn the legs after a slack weekend. Whole ride was uneventful, when I left it was about 19c however once we got down to Hatt road, it was already 24c and thats at 6:30am :-)

Oh, fixed a flat on Saturday on the new tube, no idea how I can get a puncture 1/4 the way round the tube from the bottom center especially on a new tyre.

Had a dream last night, I was climbing into Mt Victoria and it was raining cats n dogs.....awesuM . The Alice weather is consistant but sometimes you just need variety ! What I'd give for a bloody good hill and some rain...

Sandman with a very dry Todd River
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Spiza
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Re: Number 5 is Alive :-)

Postby Spiza » Mon Mar 30, 2009 9:24 pm

Hey Pete, Great to hear you're getting back in the groove. I on the other hand have been very slack! I haven't ridden since last Tuesday. I'm finding it hard to get motivated and it's only going to get worse once winter really kicks in.

Spiza in da Hills :wink:

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sandman
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Re: Number 5 is Alive :-)

Postby sandman » Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:41 pm

Spizzzzzaaarrgghhhhh

Well winter is on its way, its getting a little darker each morning, its no longer 30+ in the mornings :-) :-) thank CHRIST for that :-) Good ride home this arvo, wind wasnt too strong, bit of HTFU'ing into the headwind today, dragging 2 guys behind me. Guys were puffing like old girlies so didnt go too hard on Hatt road, down the Stuart Highway wasnt too bad, they jsut pulled in behind, sitting on 36 was quite nice but last guy was struggling.. Once we cornered onto the home stretch from the airport we were sitting on 38 but the lads were hurting so I backed off a little...felt really good, leg burn was nice.

We made it through the Tom Brown roundabout and decided to follow the 2 guys down Gap road, well a few slow cars went past so stuff it, into the sprint and onto the back of the cars saw the other 2 guys disappear... guy decided me drafting was not on so he sped up, we sat on 60 for a bit but I backed off as there are a few potholes. Jumped onto another car which was cool.

So the highlight was the effing nutbag woman that decided to race past me into a left hand turn and push me into the gutter. A quick "bang bang" into the side of the car with a closed fist got their attention, damn idiot driver. I hope she will give future riders a wide berth though I've found in general drivers in Alice are clueless how to co-exist with riders. It happens at work jsut outside the front gate, we have a sharp bunch of turns to slow cars down and unless you pull smack into the middle of the road they will try and go past...one day there is going to be a WW SMACKDOWN ,,

So all good for now... TOmorrows ride will be later morning which puts me into the heat of the day, should be good !

The SandyMan
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cavebear2
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Re: Number 5 is Alive :-)

Postby cavebear2 » Tue Mar 31, 2009 3:30 am

Just checking in Sandman, good to see you're still with us and enjoying the traffic in Alice!! :lol:

Regards

Perry (aka cavebear2/Brevetbloke)

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sandman
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Re: Number 5 is Alive :-)

Postby sandman » Tue Mar 31, 2009 4:03 pm

Cavebear

Well getting better everyday and able to push a little harder without reaching for the Kleenex ;-) Thx for ur note

pete
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