Three Peaks

I set out this weekend to have one big weekend on the bike and I sure did accomplish that. Saturday started off with my usual cappuccino ride and then bunch ride to follow. I just felt so good especially after my ride on Wednesday was absolutely horrible. All I wanted to do was keep going even though I knew that today was going to be a very big day. I finished yesterday off with about 120km and I still felt reasonably fresh at the end, which was good.

Today I had been invited to do the three peaks, which included the Gillies Range, Copperlode and then the Kuranda range. I knew it that it was going to be a huge day, but the fact that I was invited by some of the A grade boys made it something I couldn't just let go. I made sure my preparation was good last night and I made sure I was in bed early. When the alarm went off at 4:45 this morning I almost bounded out of bed, I was so motivated to go and bust about some big kilometres. I joined a few others to ride into town where we met the rest of the riders. There were about thirteen in total, which was a good number because it meant if you wanted a rest or a drink you could cruise down to the back and not have to continue doing work on the front. It was 50km into the ride for me to reach the first climb and my legs felt good. I followed the four A grade boys up the climb and we were sitting on a quick pace, averaging about 20km/h. I was able to hang on for a fair portion of the first climb before I made the decision to drop off because I knew I still had a long way to go. After the relatively quick decent down the group sat on a fast 40km/h back into town, where some had pulled off leaving five riders still remaining, with two climbs to go. A quick food and drink stop followed and then we made our way to the Copperlode Dam road climb.

I hit this climb feeling surprisingly strong and before long two riders were off the back. I hung on to Adam and Paul’s wheels for a while before I felt like I cracked. When I came around one of the bends I could see Adam had been dropped by Paul and this gave me some energy to try and get back up there. I caught Adam and quickly past him and then soon found Paul cruising just around the corner. He rode alongside me for a bit and then as I turned around Adam was back next to us. I continued to follow Adam’s wheel, but I was no match for the A grade rider and I had a small moment where I hit the wall about 1.5km from the summit. I managed to crawl my way to the top where I met Adam and then later by Graham. This left only the three of us, with one climb to go.

We somewhat took it steady to the base of Kuranda and I knew this would be a bit of a struggle. We reached the base of the climb after already have travelled 148km and I just told myself that I had come to far to let this mountain stand in my way. As the three of us started the ascent Graham fell to the back and Adam excelled off the front. I could start to feel some cramps in my hamstrings and I was almost starting to dread doing this last climb, but I kept going. I dug deep and finally after coming around the last bend the realisation had set in that I had actually accomplished what I did. Adam, Graham and myself were the only three to conquer the ‘Three Peaks’. On the way home Adam shouted me a well-deserved coke and that really did help me to finish off the last 7km to get home. I finished off the day with 173.8km, my longest ride to date and I burnt off more than 4000 calories. It was such a great experience and now that I know I am capable of it, there will be a few more long rides to come.

A profile of Sunday's 173.8km ride

Little Athletics State Championships

The past week has been pretty busy for me due to racing and school commitments and I’ve found it difficult to find time to write. Last weekend I competed in the Little Athletics Queensland (LAQ) State Championships, here in Cairns.  I was nominated to race in the 800m and 1500m and to be completely honest I had no motivation to race in either event.

I arrived at the track on a wet and miserable Saturday morning for my first event, the 1500m, and all I could think about was missing out on my bike ride that morning. I completely missed my warm up due to that fact that I was called to marshalling early, and then having to wait there, because my race was delayed by ten minutes. By the time I got to the start line I had convinced myself to give it my all and as the gun sounded that’s what I tried to do. The first kilometre was on track, running it in approximately 2minutes 52seconds, but after that as I slowly lost contact with the leaders, my determination perished and I began to run at a jogging place. I finished the race in fourth place in a time of 4:44 which is twenty-one seconds slower than my personal best. I labelled it a horrible race, but I can’t have asked for anymore because it was my own fault.

Sunday morning proved to be a little better…weather-wise because I was able to ride to the track to make sure that I got at least the slightest warm up. Today I was determined to prove to everyone that I was better than what I was the day before and I took the race somewhat more seriously. This unfortunately made me anxious and walked up to the start line feeling as though my heart rate was over my maximum of 204BPM. I knew that today I was capable of standing on the podium after the race and I wanted to show my coach Jill that that was what I could do. I ran the race hard from the gun and I was sitting in third place, just good enough for a bronze medal. I knew that this would make me proud. As I came into the last 150 metres I could not feel one part of my body due to the immense lactic acids build up. This slowed me down and I ended up finishing in fourth, again, except this I knew that it was a good race and it was something that I could be proud of.

Unfortunately I didn't receive the medal I so desperately wanted but I can’t complain. The first day was my own fault and I know that if I didn't give up, I could have been in with a shot and in the 800m, I know for sure that I couldn't have asked for anything more of myself. It was a half-successful championship and this slight disappointment makes me even more determined to succeed in my up and coming triathlon on the Gold Coast and the local cycling and running events.

Finishing off my 1500m

Woah my legs hurt!

So after a few weeks now of sickness I am starting to get back to form. I have absolutely smashed my legs this weekend with 115km on the bike yesterday, followed by a 3km road run race, which I won, even after going the wrong way! This meant that I came away with an extremely slow time but I am still happy that I was able to get the win because in the last 1500m, I was in third place with a substantial gap between the two leaders and myself. I just had enough strength and determination to claw my way back to second place and from there I felt even stronger and was able to run myself into the lead position with a few hundred metres to go.

This morning I raced in the first of the Cairns Cycling Club criterium races. It was my second race in A grade and the field was very small with of only five riders. My only goal for the race was to stay with the main group and not get dropped. Fortunately for me the older riders were nice enough in backing the pace off for me when I dropped on the first occasion.

The field split dramatically, early on, and there was only three riders left which included myself. Paul Mashford, arguably the fastest man on a bike in Cairns, surged a number of times to weaken me and the only other rider, Brett. Mashford’s final acceleration led him to success and this left Brett and myself in a frantic chase to get back on to his wheel. Brett, who put down an explosive surge, left me dangling off the back where I found myself alone. I lapped one of the riders who had dropped off earlier and he jumped on my wheel. As I came up to closing the gap on Brett, who had fifteen metres on me at the time, I hit the U-turn too fast and tried to pedal too early which caused my inside pedal to hit the ground, this caused me to wobble and all I could think of was my last crash, so I directed my bike to the gutter where I was safely able to land on the grass. I got back up and Damian the rider who had been dropped helped me back onto my bike paced me to a third place finish.

I couldn’t have asked for anymore out of this race. It was a fantastic way at gaining some more experience in the A grade field and despite my little mishap, I finished the race in a strong position. I think that I am strong but not strong enough and now that my flu has gone, I am able to start putting in some worthwhile kilometres.

Working hard or hardly working...three laps to go!

A lack of training

It’s been proven that you can’t win a race without training and it's the same with most things really, practice makes perfect. At the moment I don't feel that I’ll be winning anything because of a lack of training, my presence at training has been scarce and running feels abnormal. I have State Club Athletics in less than two weeks and the Luke Harrop triathlon on the Gold Coast in just under a month and I am struggling to get out of the house. Since I have returned from State Triathlon in Hervey Bay I’ve been marred with sickness that has strangled my training and brought it to the ground, to the point where I don't have motivation. Just the other week I clocked up 300km on the bike during a school week and the next week I hardly have any motivation to even touch my bike. I’m really starting to worry as to why me? Why now? People have told me that I need a rest, but I hate to break it to them, I simply don't have time for a rest. Something’s got the better of me and I can’t work out why?

A change of pace now… over the past few months I have been able to wear two sophisticated helmets, the Specialized Prevail and the Lazer Genesis and I thought that I’d give a comparison between the two brands.

Specialized Prevail:

I first got this helmet not long after it came out and I was blown away by how light it was. At the time Specialized had an ad in the triathlon magazines claiming that their helmet was lighter than the magazine in your hands and quite frankly I think they were spot-on! There are plenty of air vents for those hotter climates, like up here in Cairns and this allowed for good ventilation and kept the sweat away. The lightweight design meant that during a three to four hour ride you didn't notice it too much on your head and for such a light helmet it had an excellent safety record. It came in at a costly price of $330 when I bought it and I’m not sure if this has changed, but it is well worth the money.

Lazer Genesis

I got this in Adelaide this year so I have only had this for a few months now and to be honest when I first tried it on I didn't like it. My other helmet fit my head better and it felt more ‘snug’ compared to the Lazer Genesis. After some serious effort to stick with it and use it a bit more I have come to like it and I’m now used to its feel. I think it’s shape, along with plenty of ventilation, make it a good helmet. Although I have complained a little bit with this helmet and it is a little heavier than the Prevail. Thankfully, it only sets you back $250 retail and I think that it is still worth the money.

Overall the helmets are both very good quality and I would recommend both to any buyer in the market. So, if you are looking to purchase a high quality helmet step no further from the Lazer Genesis and the Specialized Prevail.

Richie Porte stepping up to the plate

I follow the cycling tours year after year and my love for the sport grows every minute. I’m always checking what’s going on with all the races around the world and today I found this article on Richie Porte. It was posted on Cycling Central’s website and titled, Porte: Tirreno ideal for Giro build-up. I feel almost sorry for Porte because he is always the second man behind Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins on the Sky team and in the 2013 Tour de France he had to look after Froome and it looked as though he didn't have the chance to ‘have a crack,’ although maybe he just isn’t the best. I completely understand that when you ride for a professional team there has to be domestiques to help the other riders and that is Porte’s job when it comes to those bigger races with the team leaders but personally I feel he should be given the chance to be the team leader to show them what he’s made of.

The article explains how Porte’s goal this year is the Giro d’ Italia and with Froome having to drop out of Tirreno-Adriatico due to a back injury this has allowed Porte to drop Paris-Nice where he didn't feel he had a chance at defending his title to become team leader at Tirreno-Adriatico where the course is more suited to his Giro preparation. I think it’s good that he is able to get more roles as the team leader rather than the domestique.

I had the opportunity to be able to watch Porte ride at this year Tour Down Under in Adelaide and saw him first hand win up Old Willunga Hill with such power and beating big names such as Cadel Evans and Simon Gerrans. Richie Porte is someone that I admire and I think that he is a little bit underestimated and he deserves more than to be the domestique. There is a lot more to come from this great Australian rider and I look forward to watching him this year in the Giro and Tirreno-Adriatico.

The full article can be found here:  http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/news/53310/Porte:-Tirreno-ideal-for-Giro-build-up

Richie Porte (wearing black and blue sky jersey) protecting Chris Froome in the 2013 Tour de France. 

I Just Made Four Dollars

Everyone has been to a school canteen, whether it was yesterday, last week or last year. There’s one in every school and one thing that I’ve noticed is that the food they sell there is setting students up for a midlife heart attack. There is one kid at my school, who walks around the cafeteria asking for money everyday, then spends the money on fatty foods and the other day he made four dollars! He was proud and for a change he didn't want to spend it, however this hasn’t been the norm for him and clearly, from what he has consumed over the weeks and months, he doesn't understand that fat, salt and sugar in these canteen foods are harming his body.

At my school they serve hot chips, wedges, cream buns, pizzas, chocolates, soft drinks and there is even an ice cream tub. I used to eat all these foods quite regularly and it had to do with the temptation of it all being there right at my fingertips. I filled my body with oily deep fried foods and still tried to train my guts out to be the best that I could and I can tell you, it didn’t work. Having a bucket of chips and a can of coke for lunch and then run training in the afternoon counteracted. I had no energy and I found it hard to get through some of the basic sessions. I’ve now learned that your body is like a car and if you put the wrong fuel in, you aren’t going to get very far from the petrol station.

There isn’t one healthy option at my school, even the salad sandwiches are only available on white bread, and they wonder why our generation is so overweight and obese. Fast food chains dictate to us, everywhere the media bombards our thinking and the other reality is that it costs a lot to eat healthily. I know from having two different eating lifestyles that eating nourishing foods make you feel better. Unfortunately, teenagers don't understand this and all they want is the sugary foods because that is what they've been fed all their lives and their body is craving it. To me it’s very similar to smoking, its addictive and it can’t be changed overnight, it takes time to repair the body.

The foul addictive fatty foods.

The student from my school who shall remain nameless is thin but I don't want to imagine what the insides of his body are like. Acidic drinks like coke are eating away at his insides and the greasy high fat foods are clogging his arteries. You can save more than your four dollars a day by taking a wholesome lunch to school. We need to realise what this is doing to us and if the weight gain continues at current levels, by 2025, close to 80% of all Australian adults and a third of all children will be overweight or obese. These figures are astonishing and it is something that I find hard to comprehend.

This is what a healthy meal looks like.

A Big Weekend

Over the weekend I clocked up over 200km on the bike. I am pretty happy with this effort considering I have just stepped up my cycling again. Over the last week alone I rode over 300km which has been my biggest week since Adelaide. I am really enjoying being able to get out on the bike, I just get a feeling of satisfaction when I can push myself like I do. 

I haven't done any other training lately due to the fact that my sore hip hasn't fully recovered and because I have recently been sick with a head cold, I have stayed clear of the water. 

My Mum has just registered me for a race on the Gold Coast in early April so that will be my next race that I'll be training for. Hopefully my body will recover and I'll be starting full triathlon training again soon.