Spin classes

I have been a bit slack with the updates of late but I have kept up the riding.  I signed up to do spin classes at a gym near my work. I thought the 45 minutes of riding a bike would be a nice supplement to my training on the days that I couldn't commute in. However after My first class I found that Spin or RPM they call it is bloody hard work!!! It is high intensity interval training with simulated hills based on resistance. The two young ladies that run the classes are super fit and look like they are ready to tackle the Tour De France. They bounce around to the frantic  music shouting out encouragement as the  doof doof beat becomes hypnotic.  Just when I think that I have the beat and can match my cadence the tempo changes " add another gear " the instructor yells as the class rises as one off their saddles and begins to climb. While I'm doing my best to keep up the pace,  the imaginary me is left languishing at the bottom of the imaginary mountain while the rest of the class is chasing the imaginary peleton over the peak of the hill. Even the imaginary down hill is no time for respite as we go into the "aero position" for an imaginary sprint to the finish line. (the longest 2 minutes ever!) After 45 minutes I'm drenched in sweat and there is a puddle of perspiration on the floor My legs feel like jelly but I think I'll do it again, but hopefully I can catch an imaginary tail wind on the imaginary mountain stage of that very real spin class!

Returning from Hong Kong

I spent the past week or so in Hong Kong on a business trip for work so there was not much riding going on! I spent a lot of time eating some awesome food ! my Hong Kong colleagues took me out for lunch for Dim Sum every day in all sorts of restaurants from  the 2 Michelin star Ming Court at the Langham Hotel  to a tiny back room in a dingy eatery in Sham Shui Po. As usual I ate way more than I should have and so my healthy eating habits went out the window for the week. I did manage 4 sessions on the hotels only exercise bike. With the local weather being 35c and 90% humidity the air-conditioning was on full blast and it was still a struggle, but with the thought of the next feast filling my head I soldiered on. Now it’s back in Melbourne and back on the bike this morning, I rode the 27k route to work this morning and got the cobwebs out , I hope to make the most of the unseasonably warm (19c) weather this week and get a few rides in. I’m conscious that the clock is ticking and the 120km ride in September and the 250km in October is fast approaching,  so I had better get cracking and rack up some serious Kms!

View from Langham Hotel looking towards the Peak (I-Phone)

Tour De France

I only managed one ride this week, travelling for work, lousey weather and staying up too late to watch the Tour de France has taken it's toll! I have managed to do a few rides on the trainer. Speaking of the tour tonight Cadel Evans is going for Yellow in the Time Trial. it's been a huge tour for him and he is well placed . GO CADEL!!!!

Kinglake 120km Ride

To see how I am going before the 250km "around the bay in a day ride" ATB,  I have decided to test myself out over half the distance just 5 weeks prior. The Kinglake ride is a 120km loop just north of Melbourne in the Kinglake area with rolling hills and at least one long climb, (so I hope to be fitter and lighter by then).  I'll be riding by myself, (unless there is anyone out there that want to join me!) Check out the ride by clicking on this link Kinglake 120km ride.

Psycho Possum

On the way home from work late last evening a near miss on Yarra Boulevard nearly spoiled my night. I was going down a slight decent at about  40 km/hr, there was no one in front of me and no one behind me. I could have been the only person on the road for miles around for all I knew. When a psycho possum choose the exact same moment I was passing by to attempt a kamikaze run across the road! In a reflex action I stood up out of the seat as if to jump and swerve at the same time. I’m sure it didn’t,  but it seemed like the possum ran between the front and back wheel!  In a split second I came back down hard on the seat and did my impression of the nutcracker! With tears welling up in my eyes I rode on, hoping that my falsetto voice would return by the time I got home! fortunately it did, and if I come across that possum with a death wish again it may just get what it is asking for!     

Chasing the fog

Each day I commute to work I keep a close eye on the weather. These past few mornings have been cold but dry with no wind, it’s been a joy riding in those conditions. Last night around 4:30pm I looked out of the window to see a huge bank of fog come rolling in from the south. It was a surreal sight with the sun going down and the fog rolling in.

Weird afternoon fog rolling in across Melbourne CBD (i-Phone)

What this meant was the temperature had dropped a long with the visibility. It made for an interesting ride home as I seemed to be chasing the fog eastward for most of the ride. Fortunately I have lots of reflective gear, three rear lights and good front lights, but it is still a little eerie riding through the fog along the bike paths. I got up this morning and found my front wheel had gone flat overnight, I must have picked up a slow puncture on the trip home. I was thankful that I didn’t have to deal with it last night!

Commuting free week

Last week I didn’t do any commuting on the bike, however I did get up early each morning and rode for about 45 minutes on the trainer before going to work. I had the weekend off from riding and caught up with friends which led to eating and drink too much of all the wrong things! All I can say was it was all worth it! sometimes you just need to take some time out to enjoy yourself once in a while otherwise all this training gets a bit boring! This morning was my first commute for at least a week so I rode in from the 28km mark. It was great to see a hot air balloon floating overhead about to land in the park on the Koonung trail between Doncaster and Bulleen Rds. The balloon was so low you could see the people in the basket taking pictures. It was a quick ride this morning and I was averaging 30km/hr for the first 15km which felt pretty good. Once I got closer to the city the pace slowed down a little as I got into the hills around the Yarra blvd, then there were more pedestrians on the path and traffic started to build up on the roads. The winter solstice is past so now I’m looking forward again to the time when I don’t have to stress if I have charged up the battery on my light long enough for the ride home!