Martinborough fun ride – the lowdown
Posted by tylersdad | Filed under Uncategorized
Well it s all over now. 115km knocked off and i’m here to tell the tale.
After arriving in Martinborough and getting registered/ organised i caught up with the rest of the guys – Matt Craig Marty & Tan1a (finally catching up with Clive just before the start). a few warm up laps of the square had me ready for the start at 9am. Tan1a was doing the 48km, with us guys doing the 115km.
We set off at a relatively good pace, not too fast so as to sap our energy in the first few km;s. I rode with Marty, while Craig and Matt set off ahead at thier own pace – (www.nzmatto.live.space.com). We soon fell into a bunch of similar paced riders and settled into a rythym with everyone taking turns up front. 10km before the end of lap 1 i came across Matt, who it transpires had a minor transgression with a pothole & another rider – see his blog. After leaving Matt hobbling along it didn’t take long and we had finished the first lap in a great time (for me) leaving us to head off on the second, but larger, loop. things were going quite well until about 70km where i needed a bit of a breather and i dropped off the bunch leaving Marty to ride with them.
I continued on with another rider, stopping to fill up a water bottle at the 48km turn-off point. At this time another bunch came along so i jumped on and headed towards Gladstone at about 35kmph. Unfortunately i dropped off the back up a hill and couldn’t get back on to them. I continued on with a father & son battling into the wind. Unfortunately they took off and left me behind as i was getting a bite to eat (no, not at a cafe !!!!). I tried to catch them up to no avail so pottered on ensuring i met at least one of my goals.
I set two goals – to do a sub 4hr, and to have my average speed over the 115km greater than 25kmph .
I realised at 3h:26m that being alone and not in a bunch i wouldn’t make goal 1 – but i was damned sure i would meet the next one. 25kmph over 115km is a finish time of 4h:36m .
As i came down the last hill i looked behind and saw another small bunch slowly gaining. like hell i thought. Coming into the last stretch i saw a rider had broken away and was trying to catch me. like hell i thought.
I put my head down, into the drops and pushed the last ounce of energy from my ravished body – my hammys were in pain. one last look behind at 50m to go and i was still 30m or so ahead. I rolled over the line to have Matt take my picture, and then Craig and Marty came over to congratulate me on finishing my longest ever ride. Marty came in at 4h:12m with the 1st bunch.
My official time was 4h:21m – an avg speed of 27.05kph
YES – you little ripper.
This coming weekend i’m looking to do a distance ride on Saturday of 140km.
Taupo – bring it on !!!!
6 November
Posted by tylersdad | Filed under Uncategorized
Well, its not so hard is it. Day 6 and we went out for tea to say goodbye to my father and stepmother who are doing VSA in suff ifrika for 2 years. and i didn’t have a drop of alcohol !!!!!
I am curious however, in that i’m not drinking alcohol but i am drinking more fizzy drinks than usual. so that can’t be good for the weightloss. i’m now going to make a start to find more suitable options – it can’t just be water. Perhaps i might look at taking some Replace with me and slipping that in. it would make the copious amounts of water much more palatable, and keep my electrolytes up.
Cricket tomorrow for Tyler – i’m coaching this week as the coach is away. can someone tell me the rules – quickly. Then in the afternoon we are off to scouts – working bee at the den. Here’s me thinking my days of scouts were over, and now Tyler is getting into it. He’s not quite into the tramping etc that i did, but i’m sure that it won’t be long. I’m nervous as while i know i buggered off into the back of beyond with no adults, i can’t seem to think i can let Tyler do it. The world has changed, and not for the better. Maybe its time me and Tyler went bush alone so i can teach him a few things, and show him where i went. Then he can relate that to what scouts are teaching him and then start to appreciate the big outdoors alone.
Guy Fawkes
Posted by tylersdad | Filed under Uncategorized
Well today was momentous – i had a corporate lunch, and survived on fizzy water. not a drop of alcohol passed my lips.
So i can definitely say “it can be done”. and “You don’t need alcohol to have a good time”.
Wednesday 4 November
Posted by tylersdad | Filed under Uncategorized
its been a funny start to the month.
I have had a challange laid down by me old mate Craig Fraser. No alcohol until 28 November, being the day of the biggest ride of my life – Lake Taupo Cycle Challange. So far its been 4 days and all is well.
So, whats on this month that would make me drink:
work functions – so far i have 4 confirmed boozy functions, with 1 potential lunch where it is tradition to get tanked. There are more to come i suspect as we get closer to Xmas. But i’ll be good, i won’t fall off the wagon.
What will be interesting is to see actually how much weight drops off. i’m about 110kg at present.
What else is on that would make me have a drink:
115km Martinborough Ride – it would be usual to sup on a cold ale after a ride of that duration wouldn’t you think. and then we have rugby – The NPC Final Lions vs Canterbury, followed by the All Blacks vs Wales – more reason to sit back and unwind with a cold one.
Exam. The last exam – it had better be. Thats 12 papers down, and my qualification after many a year of hard slog juggling work, family, social life, house renovation etc etc. Surely i deserve an ale on the 16th.
But NO. Not me. my goal is to last until the 28th.
Last night i went out for a quick spin to do more hill work in preparation for Martinborough and Taupo. I went up to Grenada, down and through Paparangi, across JVille and up ironside, before heading down to home. 12.4km in 42 min. Not too bad considering all the uphill, and the downhill was not conducive to major speed (other than into Paparangi). I felt i went quite well up Ironside, one of the more mentally demanding hills in the region. Its like this because you can actually get to the otherside without such a steep climb.
Thats about it for now.
And as Bob The Builder said. ‘you can do it’, on second thoughts it wasn’t Bob, it was the guy in Happy Gilmour in the crowd at the golf tournament, and he actually said ‘ you can do eeeet’………
Saturday 31 October
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Up and out at 8am. Just me for the ride today. I headed off towards Paekak wondering what the weather would do. The sky looked a bit ominous and i was expecting to get a bit wet. The Targa Rally was in town today so various roads were closed, Paekak being one of them from 10.30am.
There were not many cyclists out, i suspect because Tour de Whitemans was on Sunday, and those who were not racing were riding Makara (which did not close till after lunch).
I headed up Paekak at a nice pace enjoying the scenery and listening to the birds calling out. Its a different world cycling alone when you can take in your surrounds.
i must say that my head was in quite a good space as before i knew it i was cresting the summit with 45min to spare before the rally cars came through.
After a brief break I descended down to Paekak and headed south along SH1, waiting for the truck to pass me by befofe riding over the rail overbridge. At Fishermans Table i switched over to the cyclelane by the seawall where i proceeded headon into the wind, dodging the glass.
Up through Pukerua Bay and down on the cycle path to Whenua Tapu Cemetry where i turned right into Airlee Road. I don’t know why but i thought this was a nice downhill into Plimmerton – yeah right. I wound my way up to the top, and then plummeted down into Plimmerton and back into the incessant wind.
I turned off into the marina to see if i could see Stu and his new boat. I found the boat tied up, but no-one aboard so found a seat to have a quick bite to eat. this also gave me a chance to rest my right knee as it was hurting quite a bit – i might have been overdoing it in the big chainring – i hope it comes right for Taupo.
I then headed for home trying to avoid the wind by taking the back road past the Police College. I was thinking of calling into Stephens for a coffee but time was not on my side. A trundle up through Tawa (where the rain arrived – well if 5 or 6 spots is rain) and up Halswater had me home with just under 4hours of riding, average speed 21.2kph.
I was quite pleased with this however as i had either hills to climb, or wind to ride into on the flat.
Sunday saw me out with Tyler on the mountainbike up Makara Peak with his friend Alpert and father. Was a nice afternoon to be out as the weather was very favourable. As a morning rider i am not used to seeing so many people up there so it was a shock to see the carpark full and people everywhere. I’ll think ill stick to morning rides in the future.
This weekend (Sunday) i’m doing the Martinborough FunRide 115km. I’ll do it no matter what the weather as i need to keep up the big rides and sort the nutrition out. i’ve just found a new bar – slim & trim banana – moist and yummy, and has similar carbs/protein to Ems Powerbars at about 30% the cost.
And here is the map:
