Yearning for the distant sun

The summer sure ended abruptly in these parts. It has quickly turned miserable wet, cold with southerly gales for the past few weeks. My Garmin says I have ridden some 3000km since my last cycling post. You may recall that I had been suffering a misery of mechanical nightmares. The new bike, a Specialized Roubaix has returned me to the enjoyment of simply riding rather than lamenting on mechanicial failures and unscheduled cycle maintenance.

I've managed to get all around country with organised fun rides to Lake Taupo, Around Mt Ruapehu, Kapiti, Le Race (Christchurch to Akaroa), the Graperide in Marlborough and the R4 from Rotorua to Whakatane.

Regardless of significant miles logged, I was pretty unfit this past summer and have been a long way off acheiving any personal bests.

There has been some intent to actually train this winter, with some keen night rides interlaced with slothful slacking in the stormy gales. The real question is, will I hibernate and become more unfit during the winter? Or will I manage to get out training and come out fitter the otherside? I'd prefer the latter, but the weather sure is conspiring against me!!

This blog not been abandoned - honest!!!

I am still alive. I just haven't been posting anything for ages. Sorry.

Recently I have been doing a reasonable amount of road riding, but are well behind on fitness. Unfortunately not much to report on the PB front this past year, so I might try something new this winter and actually train. I thought I might do a bit of running which is something I have not done for some time. Must be eight or nine years since I last completed a half marathon. Sure am suffering when I take myself out for run. 

Since I have been so slack in posting of late, I have included my Garmin Connect data below. You can see I have been slooooow and suffering of late. I will rectify this and find some fitness from somewhere - promise.

I haven't been up into the hills tramping for like ever so must get back up into the Tararuas real soon. 

Cycle: 2009 R4 - Rotorua to Whakatane

Ride Data:
Distance:	90km	3812 Calories
Time:	3:14:39	27.3 km/h
Elevation:	Ascent: 369m	Descent: 705m
Ride Data:	Garmin Connect Player	MapMyRide
Location:	Rotorua, NZ	25 April 2009

As the cycle event season came to end, the R4 seemed a great event to finish on. Predominantly downhill, a scenic route, taking the lakes of Rotorua, Rotoiti, Rotoehu and Rotoma (hence the event name R4). Enjoy the sunny Whakatane weather and return to Rotorua to soak in the hot pools.

Such a great plan was hatched. Unplanned were the stiff north-easterly direct headwinds and rain. Added to the woe was a broken spoke. My first mechanical issue for some 3000km. Unfortunately due to the rain I could not disconnect the rear brakes to allow the wheel to freely turn so I just had a dig in as I rode the last 50km with my brakes on.



I could have done without some of the aggressive drivers on the road, in mostly V8 engined cars whom were obviously agitated at the thought of being briefly slowed down from bunches of cyclists in front of them. Even as a motorist myself, I have never worked out why many motorists will stop for a dog, but cannot even consider slowing for a moment for a cyclist.

In the wet, and into the weather I finished in 3:14, which leaves plenty of room for improvement. I was talking a few riders afterwards whom were an hour behind the previous years times in this event. Obviously, the atrocious weather was an statistical anomaly, so I am looking forward to coming back in sunnier weather, with a headwind and no broken spokes and finishing sub 3-hours. I am convinced that next year, Whakatane will be proving it really is the sunniest place in country :).

Cycle: 2009 Graperide

Ride Data:
Distance:	101km	4658 Calories
Time:	3:27:25	29.2 km/h
Elevation:	Ascent: 692m	Descent: 687m
Ride Data:	Garmin Connect Player	MapMyRide
Location:	Blenheim, NZ	4 April 2009

The Grape Ride is a relatively flat, 101km fun ride through the wine growing region of Marlborough.

It seemed an ideal event to try and work on increasing my recently disappointing pace. Having a best time over this distance of 2:42, I thought I had conservatively placed myself in the 3 - 3:30 starting group with bibs numbered 2000 to 2999. I was hoping to slip in at around 3 hours, but that is going to need to wait until next year. Yep, too fat, too slooow again. That said, on the plus side I am seeing my average cadence rate increasing which should help my speed and recovery in the long term? Fingers crossed anyway :).

The start was staggered and released in very small bunches. It was a very compressed starting area with thousand or so cyclists in the middle of the Forrest Estate vineyard. That said, they put on a great atmosphere with their location and sponsorship of this event. At the start area there is very little room to move, making it tricky to get into the exact place you prefer, e.g. near the front of your desired starting group, or for many it appeared even into their desired starting bunch. It took over 30 minutes from the gun, before the small bunch I was released with made it to the start line.

Mental note: Get to the start uber-early next year to be at the front of my starting group

Once across the startline, I quickly caught a bunch of 100 or so heading towards Blenhiem. The 20km/h along the flat was too irritating for me, so I cleanly made way to the front of the bunch. Through to Blenheim in good time at ~36km/h, with 50-60 passengers remaining.

From Blenhiem, the going was slower as we turned left into a headwind towards Picton. Our bunch had 4-5 workers at the front of our bunch a large trail behind us. As we hit the small hills on the scenic Queen Charlotte Drive the bunch soon broke up, and the mixed ability of the 20 or still on the front of the bunch became apparent. I saw the same people come past me on every incline :(, and then I went past them on each descent :).



Unfortunately, I dropped off the back of this group while eating and drinking into the headwind as we headed towards Havelock. I was unable to find my way back on and was really starting to feel my legs, possibly a result of the previous weekend hilly ride at Le Race.

Mental note, learn to use my drink-bottles with my left hand so that I can still change gears and stay with the bunch

Thankfully, it was an uneventful day for me, but I was surprised at the number of crashes that had occurred in front of me. I saw St John cleaning up three people who had heavy bunch crashes from what I could tell. Some concerntration lapses in front of me that made me pleased to be slow off the start-line. I was also directly behind someone's rear whell as their derailleur hanger broke, sending their rear derailleur going straight into their backwheel. An unfortunate and expensive ride for them today.

I really enjoyed the finish through a flat and twisting lane among the grape vines. I found it fun putting in my final dash through there.

I finished in 3:27:25 this year which leaves me a good half-hour to try and chop off my finishing time next year.

You can see more of this event in this Youtube Video - of people who were a long, long way in front of me.

Cycle: 2009 Le Race - warning: Mountainous

Knowing I needed to work on my hill climbing I entered Le Race to get some more practice. And yes, there was hill climbing. In fact, at one point I did actually dismount and walk. I have never done that during an event before.

The even began with a controlled start, and a green wave to get us through the traffic lights in Christchurch. The controlled section ended abruptly with the first climb of the day up the aptly named Summit Hill. In thick fog, I took the descent cautiously due to limited visibility.



From here there was a long flat section to Little River in which I had the support of a large bunch. That said it was one of those large bunches where the rotation at the front was not working as well as it might for optimum speed. That said, I was pretty happy with how things were going until the ascent up to Hilltop where I twinged my back slightly. In most cases this would not have been a problem, but for the steepness of these climbs needed 100% commitment. Yup, I ended up walking and having some short rests. Duvauchelle Peak, near killed me I tell you!!! Most of those around me were able to make it up these hill on this day either. I have never, ever seen so many cyclists walking during an organised cycling event before.




I would like to improve on my 4:37 next year and make it up all those hills. It was a tough and challenging course and one of the most scenic I have ridden. These are serious hills, you need to be ready for mountainous climbs to do well in this event.

I also have Garmin data for this ride, but Garmin Connect doesn't provide options to embed ride stats yet. You can find my full Garmin Connect data of this ride here.