Training Log Archive: shanel

Event: Roleystone (MTBO Middle Champs)
 

My return to Red Rock happened to coincide with tRicky's, but apparently in our absence the group has collapsed so it was just us, leaving tRicky to do all the work.

Rain had set in whilst I was at work getting geared up and it persisted for the first half of the ride. So I had to work hard to hold tRickys wheel most of the time since I couldn't sit in line and actually see much most of the time.

I'd just off near the end of Burke Dve, if I'd known we were nearly at Canning Hwy I could have probably held on a bit longer. Anyway was back behind tRicky when we got to Canning Hwy but just I thought he was pulling out he didn't, but I was, so after a quick a oh sh*#, hands not postioned for breaking and oh sh*#, breaks wet, I managed to only nudge tRicky without fully ejecting him into the oncoming traffic.

More comfortable ride after that with tRicky easing back a bit and my HR staying at more manageable levels and I even went to the front a little bit and it wasn't so wet and not so difficult to see.

Finally managed to convince my mate Andrew to turn up to a session. tRicky and Andre along as well.

Grass Farm loops x3. Med, hard, flatout with jog down plus 30 sec recovery.

10:30, 10:24, 10:07

Legs felt very heavy for the whole session, but did feel like I was striding out a bit more comfortably on the last rep.

I wasn't feeling to keen to do this run today, my calves have been sore since Sunday, but I did a quick run to the bedroom whilst getting the kids ready for school and that felt better than walking so figured I'd be fine once I got going.

I parked at the end of Beenyup Rd so it was straight up the hill from the start. Once I'd got up to the main north-south track I settled into a nice comfortable pace. Hadn't been able to find my map in the rush to get the kids to school so was just randomly working my way towards the SE. Around the 4km mark I thought I was heading east until I got to the fence corner and recognised that I'd looped round and was heading north.

Once across Admiral Rd I headed south into uncharted territory and approaching the 10k mark I started heading NE towards the dam until the random track I was on started looping around the wrong way, got the compass out to check but figured it would just come back out near where it went in from the old haul rd.

Once back on the haul rd I thought I'd better head back to known territory before I had a blow out on the planned distance. Nice run back down the scarp and just had to pad out a bit at the end to get 20km and 2hrs.

Quite a pleasant and comfortable run in the end, cool conditions, firm trails and exploring new territory. Now I wonder where that map got to.

Darling Downs to Claremont + Prologue

Was already to roll down the driveway this morning when I realised I didn't have my HR chest strap on, thought about it for a second before deciding to quickly go back inside and grab it.

So dug my keys out of the saddle bag, went inside and grabbed it, oh but I'd decided to wear bib shorts, so backpack off, helmet off, shirt off, shoulder straps off, chest strap on, shoulder straps on, shirt on, helmet on and off I went now running a bit later than ideal.

Howling easterly was looking good and I was soon cruising down Rowley Rd making easy speed until approaching Nicholson Rd I realised .. backpack .. not on. So turned back .. into the wind and straight towards the sun.

So after a bonus half hour prologue, I grabbed the backpack and returned to an uneventful ride to work now an hour later than ideal.

Oh except the punter with flat pedals, baggy clothes who came past me along the drag strip, so I sat behind him for a while before taking a turn. He went back the the front before the narrows and he got across Mts Bay Rd whilst I had to wait for a break in the traffic. By the time I got across he was half way the the brewery, so I smashed it for a short while but it didn't look like I'd catch him and I didn't have much left anyway. Damns punters.

C • Forget something? 11

Had been hanging out all day for the kick arse tailwind to get blown home.

Caught an MTBer with roaD wheels along Mts Bay, he was going reasonably well so I sat behind for a while before taking a turn. He went back to the front so I followed him past the narrows before looping back through the underpass.

TT guy was in front of me heading onto the narrows but he was a bit slow so I went past and could see no sign of him by the time I passed the Mill Pt Rd on ramp. Eventually he came past, FAST, so I jumped on and he went hard. I wasn't sure how long I'd be able to hold on when he got up to 45 kph, fortunately he started easing off eventually and when I went to the front going over Mt Henry he gave a sarcastic thank you for me doing some work, but he'd turned off by then and dropped back.

Had a bit of a chat with TT whilst waiting at Leach Hwy, but he disappeared as I led into the detours whilst baggy clothes, shiny bike guy started to shadow me. With the tailwind and smashfest with TT, I only had about a minute and a half to catch up aftger the detours, so I went hard with shodow still in tow. After a while he came along side to say he was working hard to hang on so couldn't do any work, but he appreciated the tow, which is fine by me, pretty much the same as I did with TT guy.

I eventually left shadow to he's own devices when I turned off at Rowley Rd, cross wind was a bit blustery but must have still been blowing me along as I was still going along quite nicely.

Overshot home and got the 50km just before I hit Thomas Rd. One of my fastest commutes and without all the time lost with the detours I could have been a lot faster. Only faster commute was 32.0 kph with a huge easterley blowing me to work.

Event: OAWA Long Champs
 

Forgot to start my watch at the start ...

tRicky had already caught and passed me on the way to 2, saw him coming out of 3 as I was going in, but I couldn't find it. Wasted heaps of time but eventually got it. Fletch headed in there as I came out with Sten close behind him. Fletch went past in the way to 4 and I still had him in sight till approaching 6 where some other random nomad went passed eventually dissapeared around 7.

Sten caught me around 11 and disappeared quickly after 12 as I headed towards the fence line thinking I'd follow the fences heading NE then take another fence up to 13. But I didn't get far before I decided to go north and right round the hill. Should have stuck with the original plan as I actually dropped a lot of height on the way round.

Crossed paths with nearly everyone else who where obviously much further round the double loop than me. Got a myself a bit confused on the way to 16, after folling the water course, passing near 21, I headed towards 22. Was nearly there before I realised what I was doing and turned back the right way to see Juffy intentionally heading for 22.

No sign of anyone else after that, wasted tons of time looking for 18 even though I'd seen the nearby fence bend before going in the first time. Pretty much over it by then.

Saw Kim Carroll about to go straight past 21 from below as I approached from the top.

Finished eventually.

Probably about as good as I could expect after a few weeks break from training (fitness seems to have disappeared a lot faster than I'd expected) and after only doing about one bush event this year. Need to understand all the pointy triangles and stuff a bit better to be able to make sense of which boulders are which.

C • Triangles 3

Course 1 - Splits