the or around may 2012 i will be in a factual/reality TV show on ABC 2 with 5 other work colleagues. unfortunately i can’t say much more [signed NDA] and having had our camera’s/phones taken away from us throughout the epic adventure i don’t have any images of it either. here’s the very few images i captured going to and returning from the kimberley’s where it was shot.

last night the zoom H1 Arrived. so far my small tests have show the quality of the audio awesome. i can’t wait to use it in full effect

with it now being over 11 weeks the knee is starting to work again. it does still have the occasional pain but that seems to be when i move it a specific way. it’s a twist under force – like trying to kick a heavy object out of the way – that causes the sharp pain but movement wise it’s ok. the clicking sound seems to be less apparent but does still sound out on occasions.

with bootcamp now out of the way it is time to return to a proper schedule and plan the year ahead and of course a return to schedule means on thing, base. with the return to base i know there also needs to be a return to basics with stretching and core. if i carry out that during all the phases, i will be super happy and also super strong.

i have also found a new THANG… swimming. i have now made three trips at lunch to the pool and the more i go them more i enjoy it. unfortunately i haven’t been free enough to b-line straight to the pool yet [to many lunch time chores] but even still i am getting about a 30min solid work out atm. completing in sequence 4 x freestroke, 4 x breaststroke, 2 x backstroke, then 1 x free and 1 breast i can fit in a good 12 laps at lunch which seems perfect. this i am hoping will add about 2.5hrs/week to my schedule.

on the weekend gapesy asked if i wanted to meet him at yellomundee for a couple of laps. i was so glad he did because it was one of those rides that i just was totally in my element. my legs felt strong but i know i have a lot of work to get back to where i was. we did 2 1/2 laps before more boral guys [gapesy's work mates] turned up then i/we all completed one full lap – i then rode up alpé de heights and returned home. once home if felt good. the knee was great and i just wanted to keep on riding. the top pic was from the lookout in the morning. it started as such an awesome day, but slowly turned bad by afternoon.

one of the guys had only just bought a cannondale 29er and not really ever ridden MTB’s before. sure enough he had a bit of a stack, nothing bad but you goto love mates who would rather take a pic than help you – LOL

yesterday i again decided to complete a recovery ride up and out to gross head south. the knee is holding up and it was reasonably sore today but still manageable. my average was exactly 1km quicker than the first ride – but my HR was 12bpm higher – so more effort was put into the ride.

next weekend i will attempt the 4hr at yellomundee. i will re-assess the knee later in the week and if it isn’t too bad i may just try and run the full 4hrs at a very reduced pace – and avoid spending the night filming / photographing and on that note – there’s another video coming, from aidan and lach’s school fun fair yesterday.

i also think i may be coming down with a flu/sickness. bahhh!

saturday i was so in the mood, by sunday i could no longer contain myself.

it was time to go for a ride

best practise would be to do the run to gross head south lookout via the garden centre as it would be the flastest route even though a roadie ride would have been more fitting for a return ride.
as i passed the turn off to winmalee shops i knew i was going to be able to deal with the entire ride to the lookout and home, as long as i didn’t push to hard.
legs worked well considering the nothingness of late. lungs were ok but felt the last 10-15minutes for sure. but best of all the knee had held up well.
focusing on seated climbs [which i truly find difficult to do - i love to stand and climb] the knee only started to ache ever so slightly towards the last 10 minutes as well.

now its time to set realistic goals for 2012 and prep for the final race of the year, the WSMTB 4hr twilight in a couple of weeks

so happy to be back