once again the crits were called off.
i left work and the weather wasn’t too bad but by the time i made it to penrith it was shit. the regatta centre was overflowing.
not happy, i really wanted that intensity before saturdays race.

almost there – a podium finish anyway.
today i took to the road with the shits. after picking up carbo from blackmans i re-taped the rim ready for tubeless. i then refitted a tube and pumped it up to 38psi to bed in the tape. i took off up the road with the intention of taking back the KOM out and back to Gross Head South lookout of yarson raymod. i made it half way up the road and the rear started hissing. shit.

the tube had torn near the valve. i had to walk the bike back, refit with another tube and try again… but this time i only made it half way along booker street and exactly the same fate. hissing rear tube – torn at the valve. by now i was super pissed off. i only have tomorrow to get the bike ready for next weekends MTB Cruise.

i ended up just throwing my leg over the roadie and taking off in a huff. i started probably a bit too quick but still set a good time up to springwood. passing the golf course i can now totally feel my legs are very strong when seated and climbing.

i didn’t really know where i was headed but on the way down toward lappo i could here the NP calling. i hadn’t been in there for a while on a roadie so it was a good change of pace from my constant lappo slug. my legs were heavy sore but i still felt pretty strong.

i thought i would only attack once side so i put a shit load into the climb out of the wier toward the oaks. i smashed it up the hill but as i rose up and over the main climb i kind of eased off, not really knowing where the end of the KOM was.

i was totalled by the effort and need to just bring it home up the return climb past the gates and then all the way home. i obviously checked when i goto home to find i had posted the 3rd best time on the gorge south side climb.

i think the best thing was i did still have more in the tank, i was pretty fatigued before the ride – and did ease up across the top. if i had known where the KOM finished i could have improved somewhat… next time

quotes are a little napf in places but the footage is quality

another 80km under the belt which means 240 before the weekend. legs are good and i posted a 5th best time from penrith to parra without 100% effort – but on the full leader board i would have taken third place.

today i completed the task. commuting to work and back – basically the grind x 2. i put in a very reserved effort in the morning to make sure i had some in the tank to return home. even with the reduced effort i still had a higher than normal avg speed of 32.6km/hr. my HR was lower as an avg for the IN leg. its proof that all the work is really starting to show.

but the big thing was the return home. i checked back and i think the last time i returned home was in May 2010! i mentioned then that i was sore from the morning ride. todays return i was over 1km/hr faster. today i am fine. legs are slightly sore but nothing to complain about. i found i could climb reasonably well at lappo, on the highway and into springwood and the climb home weren’t as painful as i expected.

form is now here: i just need to keep this up for about 9 more weeks which seems very doable. i seem to have found a equilibrium with family, work and riding.

i’ve also been toying with the idea of dirtworks/convict 50km – to settle the unfinished business i have there… who knows at this point