Tour Down Under

I returned home from Adelaide yesterday and it sure was a big eleven days following the Tour Down Under. In the eleven days that I was away I rode 909km, I thought this was a big effort. For me the most memorable part was meeting some of the best riders in the world. I was able to rub shoulders with people such as Adam Hansen (Lotto Belisol), Richie Port (Sky Pro Cycling), Jurgen Roelandts (Lotto Belisol), Marcel Seiberg (Lotto Belisol), Cadel Evans (BMC), Calvin Watson (Trek Factory Racing), Jens Voit (Trek Factory Racing), Marcel Kittle (Giant Shimano) and that is only naming a few.


Adam Hansen who went on to win the King of the Mountains classification is a Cairns boy as well and after going to the tour for four years now, he now knows who I am. When I arrived home at the airport yesterday, Adam was there as well because he was visiting his mum. I was sitting down waiting for mum as she had gone to get the car and as I turned around I noticed Adam walking over to me. He said good luck for the next year and he also said, "I might see you at the end of the year, maybe we can train together?" I was absolutely over the moon! It may not happen but it was the fact that he suggested training together. These words made my Tour Down Under.

I think it was a fantastic week and the amount of riding that I got in made it even better. It was my biggest year at the Tour Down Under and during that week I had a block of four days where I rode 479km. The whole week was really good and I'll be back down there next year to do it all again.

Me with Adam Hansen and Jurgen Roelandts.

Riding in Adelaide

I must say yesterday was one of the best days I have ever had in Adelaide. We managed to get in contact with Adam Hansen who rides for a Belgium Pro Cycling Team, Lotto Belisol. He told us that he was going for a training ride with his team leaving at 9 o'clock. Before we were able to ride I had a Parkrun that my coach Jill suggested that I do. I ran that very well with a time of 18:17 and coming in 6th out of 168 runners. This makes it my best time this year.

We had to rush to get over to meet Adam only to find out that they were running late and didn't come out for an extra twenty minutes. We started off riding heading towards the hills and Dad told me to stick with them and meet up with him later. We rode up this amazing climb that kept going forever and I was able to sit comfortably on the back. Adam heard about my run that morning and discussed it Andre Greipel who is one of the best sprinters in the world. I thought that was a such an honour for them to be talking about me like that and how they thought it was so good. We reached a small town and the team wanted to do a quick lap of a section on stage two. I found out that it was going to be really quick. The undulating hills and short sharp descents absolutely burned my legs and I had trouble hanging on. Marcel Seiberg dropped off the back as well so I rode and had a chat with him which was good. It was such a good day at the office but I paid for it today.

This morning we woke up early and met some friends from back home and rode up into the hills. It was such a change from the other day when it was 41 degrees and this morning it was 11. My head really wanted to go hard but today, my legs were just shattered. I was so slow and found it hard holding the a half decent pace. Everyone beat me up to the top and I just thought that today was one of those days. When we reached the coffee shop, we sat down and shortly after the Women's Greenedge cycling team turned up to have coffee there as well. We then left there and went to the cycling expo where I got a photo with a world class sprinter Marcel Kittel and a photo walking alongside Cadel Evans. More riding is planned for this afternoon before the People's Choice Classic Crtierium begins is on tonight.

Marcel Kittel and myself this morning.

The Start of Adelaide

I have been in Adelaide for two days now training and preparing to watch the Tour Down Under which starts on Sunday evening. Yesterday when we arrived the temperature was about 41 degrees, but it did not feel that hot as I am used to having high humidity back home. We rode straight up into the hills where it seemed to be a lot cooler. It wasn't such a bad ride and we managed a quick 50km.

Today was hot but on a larger scale. It reached a maximum of 46 degrees and this was bad. It felt like the sun was burning through my skin. Luckily for us we found the best coffee shop in Adelaide and spent a majority of the day in there drinking coffee. We rode out to the beach where it was a lot cooler. At the end of the day when everyone wanted to go home I still had the urge to keep riding as we hadn't been that far and I wanted to ride up the hill which is around the corner. Dad decided that he wanted to come as well and before long he told me not to kill myself and then I didn't see him until the top. I had consumed a bottle of water before I had even begun the climb and we are staying only five kilometres from the base. Overall today we only rode about 60km but it felt like it was so much more. Tomorrow I am aiming to wake up early and get a ride done before it becomes too hot. Hopefully we'll be able to see some of the professional teams out riding as well. I am also hoping to give an update bout my training here on Sunday.

The view from the lookout we rode to yesterday.

Training over Christmas

I travelled down to the Sunshine Coast for Christmas and I was able to run almost everyday, as well as some ocean swims. Most of my running down there was long runs as I had only started training after my crash. I ran in a Parkrun event which is a 5km event and are all over the world. I managed to come 7th out of 208 competitors with a not too bad time of 18:47. While I was away I bought some new Nike Lunar Racers which are amazing shoes and a Nike+ GPS watch which is also fantastic.

My running legs have been getting stronger as I witnessed yesterday when I did my first hard session on the track for the year and was running about two seconds under my target times for each interval.

Today I went out and ran a nice 10km steady run, but it was extremely hot which made it hard. I had areas of flat spots where I couldn't get under 4:40 per kilometre and then about 6km into my run I was suddenly at 4:25 per km. I thought this was a bit strange but I guess that's running.

I am lucky enough to travel to Adelaide next week for the Tour Down Under, a cycling race which features many of the worlds best professional riders. It'll be one big week of riding and hopefully this year I wont encounter a crash. I think it will be tough but also very fun at the same time.

Running through Hervey Bay on our way back to Cairns

Feeling the Pain

Lately I have been fatiguing, I'm too sure why, maybe it's just too much too soon. It has been getting better though. I did my first track session on Tuesday and my running coach Jill thought that I had been secretly training because I was able to run some quick times. I think it is the fact that I had some strength in my legs from my riding. I am getting stronger on the bike and I am absolutely loving that, but once again I am coming back with aching muscles and that is very unusual.

I am heading south for Christmas so I'll be training away and unfortunately Mum won't let me take my bike away so I'll just be running and I will also have to start swimming. After the doctor last week he said that I should be able to get my hip wet in a week and that time has come. As racing has finished for this year, it's just training now for state triathlon, state athletics and possibly national athletics in sydney next year.

Hopefully this stage of being fatigued so easily will pass and I'll be able to train how I like to.

A piece of entertainment!

Although this blog is mainly about my training and racing, I thought it would be nice if I put up a video that I found recently of a trials rider named Martyn Ashton. He rides on a road bike and does some absolutely breathtaking tricks, something that an ordinary rider wouldn't attempt. It features Martyn Ashton, Danny MacAskill and Chris Akrigg.

Anyway enjoy!

Getting back to training

This week has been an awesome week for me. My hip has healed so much more and it's almost a complete scar. I tried to run on Tuesday but I had general soreness and there was still minor pain in my hip. On Thursday though I went to my running group to join in and ran about 5/6km which I was really happy with.

Today I convinced myself to go out on the bike for a few hours and that's exactly what I did. Left home at 5:10 his morning and came back at about 10:30, three hours of riding with some socialising to break up the effort. Clocked up 90km and I felt good, except I have fatigued this afternoon so tonight I'll be replacing my electrolytes and doing some stretching to try and help recover so I can do it all again tomorrow. I plan to ride again tomorrow and then off to work in the bike shop. I must say it's the best job in the world!

Things are starting to go upwards. It's been some long recovering, but I am absolutely loving being able to training everyday in the holidays and just get out there and enjoy myself.

I have great news

After my accident it has taken me a long time to get back into training. I have started riding and did my first long ride on Friday morning and on Saturday I rode again. After some quick thinking and taking some time to convince Mum, I came to the decision that I was going to race the Copperlode Cup on Sunday morning. This is a 15km race up to Copperlode Dam. It is race held once a year and is a training route for many cyclists in the area.

I had decided that I wasn't going to do anything stupid, just make it though the race but knowing my attitude, that definitely was not the case. I may have told Mum otherwise but I knew in the back of my mind that I don't go into races just to ride, I go in and I race. It started off hard from the gun but I also knew that I had to play it a little safe because of my hip. I rode the B Grade boys off my wheel and focused on one guy that was up ahead, slowly pulling him back. I caught him at the road works traffic lights, which for him was a disadvantage. I was able to sit on his wheel and I just kept thinking that soon the pain would be over and I could relax. I passed him on one of the short descents but took a corner too quick and nearly went into the mountain. I got back onto his wheel but unfortunately for me, my chain came off just before another climb. I had to settle for 4th place which was more than enough for me as I hadn't been training. One thing that did make me smile though was beating my Dad up the hill. It would have been the first race we've done together and well he couldn't hang on.

I think I rode really well considering I had done only two rides. I'm slowly getting back into training now, but I still can't get my hip wet and this is tough because I need to start swimming. It's been a long process but I think it was a well deserved break.

Coming into the finish of the race in 4th place.

This is Getting to Me

Well I got the good news of being able to start training again and I thought that it would be best to go and at least try go for a ride. I got all geared up and it was a nice feeling to be wearing that kit again. Checked my bike and pumped up the tyres and said my goodbye to Mum. I felt my hip pulling as soon as I started, but I took no notice and thought that the pulling and pain would stop soon. I rode approximately 2.5km down the road when I couldn't take the already aggravating pain. I made the decision to turn around and come home.

I'm just finding it tough to have to sit around at home, not being able to train. It was nice at the start but this has just dragged on too long and I'm starting to get more agitated. I will try again soon but I just want my hip to heal.

I Just Want To Train

As everyone is probably aware, I had my crash three weeks ago, tomorrow. Unfortunately for me I haven't been able to do any training. My back is all healed up but my hip is taking a lot longer than expected. It is still a deep wound and the doctors aren't worried, but more surprised by the fact that it is taking so long to heal up. Yesterday one of the doctors said that I am able to start riding again and that has been some of the best news that I have received for a while now. Hopefully tomorrow afternoon I will find some time to get out and have a peddle.

This afternoon was our running group break up. I felt pretty honoured to come away with a stand out performance medal for my efforts of getting into the final at State Athletics and to also receive the Male Athlete of the Year. This is something that is really an honour to receive and as a gift for this award I received Sally Pearson's book which was signed by her. Today was pretty successful and now I just hope I can get training again as there is a road race in just over two weeks.

Missing Out

Today was the day that I was supposed to race regional triathlon. After my crash last week my Mum and I decided that it was best if I just watched from the sideline. It felt so uncomfortable not to be out there racing, it just didn't feel like me. I guess that's one of the biggest dangers of being a cyclist, the crashes. You never know when they are going to happen and unfortunately for me it occurred one week before this race.

Thankfully today was not all bad news. As soon as the decision was made not to race Mum started filling out all the necessary paperwork to get on the team under special consideration. Luckily enough for me, with my recent results the team managers accepted me onto the team. Next years state titles will be held in Hervey Bay which is a new location. I just cannot wait to heal up and start training again.

Unfortunate Race Yesterday

Yesterday I raced the Club Championships for the cycling club. I felt that I was in the best condition and my legs were feeling great. The race was approximately 80km and I knew that racing in B grade I had a shot at the win. The first lap (40km) into the race was feeling good and I was working well with three other guys. There was a field of about 15 riders and none of them wanted to do any work which was frustrating. One guy said, "On the second lap Cahn, start racing and we'll split this field apart." I tried desperately to attack off the front and form a break away but it just wasn't happening. I was told by the same guy to have another crack on the first rise, but again we could not form a break.

We were about 5km from the turn when things got messy and I was sitting about 3rd or 4th from the front. I heard some swearing and then one guy went down and his bike was right there in front of me and I had nowhere else to go but hit it. I slammed my brakes but possibly my front brake too much and by the time I hit his bike I was already flying over my handle bars. I hit the ground and remember my hip being in a lot of pain. I got up but had to quickly sit down again. One of the other riders helped me over to some shade where I began going into shock and vomiting. The race was automatically called off.

Bikes were everywhere and about four riders had gone down. One decided that because of the pain I was in and how much shock I was in that it was best if an ambulance was called. So I was taken back to the hospital where I spent the next four hours. Nothing was broken luckily but I did end up with gravel rash on my back and an abrasion on my right hip.

Due to this crash, it has ruled me out of the regional triathlon championships next week which is a huge disappointment for me. Hopefully I can still get selected to race the state championships next year by reviewing recent results. It was a very unfortunate day for me and the other riders who hit the deck. I am hoping for a speedy recovery and I cannot wait to get back on the bike.

The gravel rash I obtained on my back and my hip all covered up

Just an Update

I thought that I should give a quick update on how I am travelling as I haven't been on for a while and I have a few races coming up.

This week has been pretty big, well training wise that is. I swam for the first time yesterday since about June. All I can say is, wow that hurt. I have been on the bike about four times which is quite a lot for me in one week and last but not least I have run twice. I suffered in my running session due to a sore hip and I am not sure where that arose from. Today I got out 118km on the bike which I felt was good. I can definitely feel that I am getting stronger because I was able to surge on the hill sections and still keep the pace high.

Tomorrow morning I am racing the club championships road race which should be interesting. I feel good, especially after today. I just hope that my efforts today wont detract from my performance tomorrow. I'm planning on racing B grade and I think that I have a good chance of getting a win.

Next weekend I am racing the regional championships for triathlon and this will also qualify me for the state championships next year. Despite my lack of swim training I feel confident that a win is in my reach. All I have to do now is hope off that my recent performances will back up and allow me to race at my potential.

State Titles Athletics

A week ago today I look back and I would have been racing the 1500m final at the State Athletics Championships.

I began my racing down there with the 800m heat. I had not expectations of making the final, all I was out to achieve was a PB. From the gun it was all go! I have never sprinted so far in my life. It was amazingly quick and I was able to come away with a time of 2:03:15 smashing my personal best by 4 seconds.

A day later I was on the start line for the 1500m heat and again there was no pressure on making the final. All my coach wanted from me was a PB. I don't remember to much from that race except the pace felt comfortable. I remember crossing that line and seeing the clock, not sure whether or not to believe the time that I saw. I wanted anxiously at the finish line to see my time and when it came up on the board I saw my name and next to it was a time of 4:23:54. I absolutely annihilated my old PB by 9 seconds. I knew it was a good time and well to my surprise I had made the final. I was absolutely over the moon because it was the first state final I had ever made. I knew now that I couldn't finish any lower than 12th in QLD.

Well the day of the final came and I think I put to much pressure on myself and maybe my expectations were to high, but at the time I thought they were very much achievable. I did not run to my potential because I ran 4:26:31. I finished 11th in the state and that is nothing to be ashamed of. It took me a while to realise that I did achieve a great result and I should be really happy.

I have had an easy last week and now it's time to refocus and reassess my goals for regional triathlon this month.

I am in about 6th position in my 1500m heat