(Salt Creek at the Coorong, SA)Happy New Year!
Just realised I have been a bit slack with updating the past few weeks. Quite a bit has been happening, so stay with me as I provide some of the highlights.
First things first: Ewin completed the epic ride from Melbourne to Adelaide at the start of December to raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. They completed the journey of 937km in four days and raised $7000. One crash with 35km to go while in the Adelaide Hills required the support car (ie, me) dropping off one of the riders at an Adelaide hospital. This meant that no final congratulatory pictures at Glenelg beach were captured which was a bit of shame after what was a pretty impressive four-day feat.
The crashed out rider came away with a loss of skin and bruising as well as a broken chain, but was otherwise okay.
Below are some photo highlights of the trip.
Federation Square, Melbourne at the start of Day 1. Fresh as you could get.
From L: Arron, Ewin, Chris and Adam.
Chief support crew was Sam, aka Arron's Dad. A real legend and terrific support.
Day One was from Melbourne to Warrnambool, a 285km slog. I ended up working most of this day and only just caught them entering the township.
Day two and the heat cranked up. Sunscreen being applied at the lunch stop in Heywood.
Road from Heywood to Mount Gambier. Legs were sore and tired and spirits were low. That was until the local TV crew showed up. Things got a lot perkier after that!
Afternoon break at Mount Gambier, also a cycling town. The local McDonald's manager was also a member of the local cycling club and put on some drinks for the fellas, who were also appreciative of the air con. Chris manages to consume a Cadel Evans Winner Bar (aka "whiner bar") while still on McDonalds premises.
Day three: after a cool start and a few drops of rain, the day clears up as the fellas ride along the Coorong - a massive huge wetlands where the Murray River meets the ocean. The blend of fresh and salt water is home to a shitload of birdlife.
Some of the salt lakes alongside the Coorong.
Day four: heading north to get around Lake Wellington.
Hard to believe less than two days ago they were in Mt Gambier.
They didn't actually ride all the way. They used the punt to cross the Murray River at Wellington.
On the punt crossing the Murray.
And yes, they did make it to Adelaide and Glenelg, where they officially completed their journey.
Posing one last time - this time under the Anna Meares tribute wall at a bike shop in Unley (actually, this bike shop is where James Glasspool (fastest type one cyclist in the world) and Mr Anna Meares both work).
And thats it for the Melb-Adelaide trip! We made a quick turnaround on the main Highway back to Melbourne, shaving a lot of km and time from the original cycle.
In other news, I made a return to track racing. Not because I was fit and in awesome form, but because I would like to be fit and in awesome form. It was a big step to 'suck it up' and venture out onto the track, and I am so glad I could swallow my pride and just get out there.
After two track hitouts (one which involved racing at a local Bendigo meet prior to Christmas, which after first racing the scratch race the same evening, they sent me way out in front with a wonderful handicap mark that I will never ever see again in my lifetime. I won by a fair margin and had to make a speech which I found very embarrassing for my very first outing back on the track), it was time for the Christmas Carnivals. Nothing like good preparation!
The Victorian Christmas Carnivals are an annual sweatfest in country Victoria between Christmas and New Years. We raced Horsham, Maryborough and Bendigo before my back started to hurt like nothing else and I called it quits halfway through the Bendigo program.
I was a bit shocked that I could keep up, but had a real challenge handling intensity, change of pace and following sprint surges (especially ones at 1.5laps to go after rolling round all race...). I was just extremely fortunate that numbers were down and the fields not great which definitely helped to give me a bit of confidence and motivation to continue working hard on the recovery and come back again next year. They really are a great racing series.
I did manage to find myself in the money a couple of times (which was more about riding smart than anything), but I am really proud that I could contribute to the race cash kitty even if only in a small way.
Unfortunately the State Handicappers were not as generous as the Bendigo ones from my first track outing. They left me on the same mark as two years ago - in fact probably further back again than that. The shock and awe of starting a handicap with no form whatsoever amongst the back markers was truly humbling, as they flew past me without a chance for me to find a wheel. Current Australian and Victorian champions have a lot more starting power and speed than me at the moment! Luckily the backies got up each race so I was able to battle through and get onto the back of the pack and roll in not quite dead last.
And a parting shot of the dust that circuits the Maryborough track. Hot times! But it was seriously great to be back out and having a crack again.
Now for more icing of the back and shoulder, more physio, more chiro, increasingly more massage, and more doc appointments.
And more training.
Bring on 2010!
Day two and the heat cranked up. Sunscreen being applied at the lunch stop in Heywood.
Road from Heywood to Mount Gambier. Legs were sore and tired and spirits were low. That was until the local TV crew showed up. Things got a lot perkier after that!Afternoon break at Mount Gambier, also a cycling town. The local McDonald's manager was also a member of the local cycling club and put on some drinks for the fellas, who were also appreciative of the air con. Chris manages to consume a Cadel Evans Winner Bar (aka "whiner bar") while still on McDonalds premises.
Day three: after a cool start and a few drops of rain, the day clears up as the fellas ride along the Coorong - a massive huge wetlands where the Murray River meets the ocean. The blend of fresh and salt water is home to a shitload of birdlife.
Some of the salt lakes alongside the Coorong.
Day four: heading north to get around Lake Wellington.
Hard to believe less than two days ago they were in Mt Gambier.
They didn't actually ride all the way. They used the punt to cross the Murray River at Wellington.
On the punt crossing the Murray.
And yes, they did make it to Adelaide and Glenelg, where they officially completed their journey.
Posing one last time - this time under the Anna Meares tribute wall at a bike shop in Unley (actually, this bike shop is where James Glasspool (fastest type one cyclist in the world) and Mr Anna Meares both work).
And thats it for the Melb-Adelaide trip! We made a quick turnaround on the main Highway back to Melbourne, shaving a lot of km and time from the original cycle.In other news, I made a return to track racing. Not because I was fit and in awesome form, but because I would like to be fit and in awesome form. It was a big step to 'suck it up' and venture out onto the track, and I am so glad I could swallow my pride and just get out there.
After two track hitouts (one which involved racing at a local Bendigo meet prior to Christmas, which after first racing the scratch race the same evening, they sent me way out in front with a wonderful handicap mark that I will never ever see again in my lifetime. I won by a fair margin and had to make a speech which I found very embarrassing for my very first outing back on the track), it was time for the Christmas Carnivals. Nothing like good preparation!
The Victorian Christmas Carnivals are an annual sweatfest in country Victoria between Christmas and New Years. We raced Horsham, Maryborough and Bendigo before my back started to hurt like nothing else and I called it quits halfway through the Bendigo program.
I was a bit shocked that I could keep up, but had a real challenge handling intensity, change of pace and following sprint surges (especially ones at 1.5laps to go after rolling round all race...). I was just extremely fortunate that numbers were down and the fields not great which definitely helped to give me a bit of confidence and motivation to continue working hard on the recovery and come back again next year. They really are a great racing series.
I did manage to find myself in the money a couple of times (which was more about riding smart than anything), but I am really proud that I could contribute to the race cash kitty even if only in a small way.
Unfortunately the State Handicappers were not as generous as the Bendigo ones from my first track outing. They left me on the same mark as two years ago - in fact probably further back again than that. The shock and awe of starting a handicap with no form whatsoever amongst the back markers was truly humbling, as they flew past me without a chance for me to find a wheel. Current Australian and Victorian champions have a lot more starting power and speed than me at the moment! Luckily the backies got up each race so I was able to battle through and get onto the back of the pack and roll in not quite dead last.
Ewin had better luck with the carnivals. After his base load thanks to Adelaide he had more time to tack on some intensity prior to the carnivals. He finished second in the Horsham wheel.
And a parting shot of the dust that circuits the Maryborough track. Hot times! But it was seriously great to be back out and having a crack again.
Now for more icing of the back and shoulder, more physio, more chiro, increasingly more massage, and more doc appointments.And more training.
Bring on 2010!
3 comments:
Congrats on the monies, and on Ewin's-and-friends' epic ride. Sounds like a hectic but fun month. Sorry to hear about the sore back; sadly, back injuries have ridiculously long recovery times (and can come back to haunt years afterwards).
Congrats on getting back on track! (Yes, ridiculous pun intended. :)) Happy to hear you are able to put some time on the boards when you needed it most. Here's to many more left turning adventures!
Great to see you at Williamstown on Tuesday, it was a big two days, left not too happy with my time trial, still enjoyed the experience and will be back and hopefully get some good racing in this year with a new attitude! Just an attitude to enjoy more and stress less.......Hope your shoulder keeps getting better!
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