Never gets easier

Goal setting

It's been awhile. Lots has happened..

Just after I recovered from my back injury I learned the hard way what doing nothing about a hernia can do for you. It'd been sore for some months but as usual, in the interests of continued cycling I let it go, and put the irritating pain to the back of my mind. Finally, something I did (no idea just what it was) triggered a massive wave of pain and I had no option but to book in to see a specialist about it.

Specialist Day came and his words were "This is bad, we can do you tonight". Hmmm not exactly what I needed to hear as I wanted to have (yet) another go at Everesting and things had been going really well, I had a decent climb in mind, and I was confident in pulling it off this time. So, in my normal fashion, I put it off for a week to see if it would settle down and I could continue training.

Come my scheduled appointment time my stomach was killing me and I could barely move without searing pain. Spent a couple nights in hospital and finally went home with a large patch across my stomach. When I was being released from the hospital the nurse took out the "line" in my hand only to have blood go spouting all over the floor and everywhere else cause they've given my blood thinners overnight to stop any potential blood clots. So with blood all over my clothes I headed home.

So now it's been several weeks since the operation and I've tentatively started back on the bike. Taking things easy, and although there's some mild pain it's bearable. So for now it's just one day or so "on" and a couple days "off" till I'm sure nothing's going to burst open! Because the hernia was deep, they put a patch over it, about the size of my palm. Reminded me of patching a tube, which basically it was. My daughter tells me those things can move if you're not careful or do too much too soon. Again, not something I wanted to hear.

I've also started running again. I used to be "a runner" for many years, doing half and full marathons and quite enjoyed it. I'd seen a race in NZ called "Motatapu", and it's always drawn me to the scenery and the nature of the trail marathon through some epic countryside. The thought of doing a trail marathon in such a spectacular place (Lake Wanaka - Queenstown) is really a drawcard and so I've decided that will be next on my goal setting list for next year. It's somehting I know I can do since I've done it several times before.

With that in mind I've started running in to work a couple days a week when times permits. It's only 17k, but with a pack of clothes, shoes, lunch etc on my back it's definitely not easy. I'm running, or shuffling along pretty slowly for now, just till I get back into the swing of foot power again. The first few times were really tough, but now I'm settling in to a slow but sustainable pace and in the coming weeks I'll start to speed up a bit.

It's certainly working wonders for my weight (I put on too much sitting around the house for weeks). Along with my daughters famous "Green Soup" for lunch I managed to lose 5 kilo's in 5 weeks so far. Another few kilo's and I'll be in a good place.

After reading "The Dandenong Ranges" Everesting articles I'm motivated again to have another go. That and having my Hells 500 jersey on certainly gives me the desire to prove I can do and rightly belong to the crew. It's never over till the fat lady sings....

The Intervening Months

Well, what a few months it's been. Just as I was getting fitter and reaching a reasonable standard, aiming for an Everesting in June/July I came off my mountain bike and smashed my back quite badly. Badly enough it seems that I injured my Psoas Major, a large muscle at the bottom of my spine (which continues down through your hip). That was enough to see me off any exercise for several weeks, along with several trips to the doctor to get some sort of electrical prod shoved into my back.

Just when I thought things may have been getting better it then turned out I'd made a slight hernia far far worse, necessitating immediate surgery. If I'd thought my back injury was painful, this was another level altogether! So in reality it's been the best part of nearly 3 months of doing nothing but sit around feeling sorry for myself and driving my wife up the wall complaining about getting fat because I wasn't able to do anything. I was right though, I've put on several kilo's that need to be shifted in a big hurry.

It's been several weeks since my surgery and I'm only now getting back into some gentle exercise. I did ride into work last Tuesday but that saw me quite sore by the time I got home, not to mention exhausted, which only made me feel more irritable about my situation. It also saw me get a scolding from my wife about the hazards of cycling (she's not a fan..).

Short Term Goals

My son, being an excellent runner, suggested I set some running goals since it's been 12 years since I last did a marathon. Running always got me lean and fit quite quickly and "back in the day" I could smash out a half marathon under 1hr 50 minutes (just over 5:20min/km pace). Buoyed by that we've decided we'll try and do the Gold Coast 50 Ultra in December together. I've told him he'll be waiting a few extra hours for me to finish, however the goal is to train and get thin, and above all, to finish.

Running is another world to cycling. It may take me 5-6hrs, but I see it as a fairly easy target provided I do the requisite training beforehand, and I don't bust my notoriously weak knees in the lead up. My knees were the reason I stopped running in the first place and took up cycling again. I figure it's an easier path to weight loss and that ever present "want" to doing an Everest. Weight weenies should start with their body first, then worry about the weight of the bike. It's less costly :-)
So from here on it'll be a combination of both running in to work and commuting by bike, with the monthly Strava Climbing Challenges thrown in to provide some extra motivation.

I have to say though, following #withallihaveblog, #worldeverestingproject and #yodaandthebike provides me more than enough motivation to want to continue with my desire to complete an Everesting. I bought a Hells500 jersey too a few months back and that also is a source of inspiration and aspiration.

Anyhoo, off to do some of the "wombat shuffle" and remove some fat from this sturdy frame of mine. #pathlete

See you on the road.

Blip in the Road to Nepal...

From Ferrari to 1972 Skoda

Hi everyone,

As you're no doubt aware I haven't been riding much in the last few weeks. I've had immense back pain that's been quite excruciating and just haven't had the motivation to ride.

So eventually I went to the doctor who ordered blood tests and x-rays (and now ultrasounds). Turns out I have some curvature of the spine, something not quite right with my vertabrae (flattened off or some such term) that apparently was the result of something from my youth, a problematic muscular issue with my lower back (it's been painful as all hell) and to top it all off, looks like I also have a small hernia. All only a week out before I was thinking of having another Everest attempt. Ugh!

So, what to do? I've been given a pile of painful exercises to do, as well as a referal for ultrasounds to see the extent of this hernia. Really feeling quite annoyed and frustrated at this moment. I'd enjoyed a relatively good buildup these past few months, and have been feeling really energetic and fitter than ever. All I really needed was some distance in my legs, which becuase of my back I haven't been able to get in. But before my back got really bad I was still in the frame of mind to have another go "on the quiet" and see what transpired.

This was the ideal situation for me to have a go at Everesting as my family will be away for a week. With the exception of my Ay-Up light battery dying a few weeks back (and no replacement due for another 2 weeks), I'd be doing it with a "25 lumen" handlebar light from K-Mart. Definitely NOT ideal, but still "sort of" doable.

To pass the time commuting by train I've been reading a LOT of books - all cycling related. Recent books were Graham Obree's Flying Scotsman and just 2 nights back, Chris Boardmans latest Triumphs and Turbulence which is proving to be an excellent and highly recommended read. Brad Wiggins My Hour has been one of my key motivators so far these past few months though. Just love his candid style.

So next weekend I might sneak out and see how far I can go before falling off my bike. My initial thoughts are to see 1. If I can get on my bike (probably a major point), 2. How much it hurts to ride, and 3. How far I can go before failure/exhaustion sets in.

No thoughts of Everesting due to my body's failure to work correctly, but I've missed riding and need to do something to keep me occupied. God knows mowing and gardening aren't high on my list!!

Jeff

7 weeks in - 13 to go

7 Weeks into Training

Well, 7 weeks (of a planned 20) have flown past and I’m feeling pretty good “where I’m at” fitness wise. My Fitness and Freshness scores are coming along nicely and when on the bike I’m feeling pretty good when it comes to the hilly workouts. I’m getting plenty of PR’s on many days up some of the “baseline climbs” too. I’m not a fast climber, more a diesel than a V8, but I still get there in the end.

Several days a week I’ve been doing various “hilly commutes” into the city, logging between 600-700m per day, though all the climbs are short and (a couple in particular) very steep. Though they’re short, they’ve provided some much needed muscular power to my legs and have also aided in me losing over 5 kilo’s in weight. I figure this is a good thing J I’m trying to be far more disciplined with what I put in my mouth too. Less weight, better strength = easier climbing.

Following this block of 10 weeks, I then plan to start extending the weekend rides to incorporate more distance rather than straight out strength. I figure I have the strength now, but I’m lacking the distance (endurance) aspect to undertake an Everest ride of at least 260k’s, though of course,  half of that will be downhill.

The hill to be Everested has been done once before (last year), so I know how many reps required etc straight from the table on http://everesting.cc . I’ve also ridden the hill before, last year, completing 18 laps one Saturday morning. Despite a couple very short steeper pinches, I think this time I’ll complete the required laps. I’m far (far!) fitter now, having benefitted from my prior failures in that I know the how and why of Everesting, and feel far more capable than previous. The hill itself isn’t particularly steep or overly long. The gradients are far shallower and thus more “doable”. A big plus (for me anyway) is that come the day, the whole family will be away for a couple weeks meaning I’ll have no guilt about being out on the mountain. This has been a big factor on previous attempts for me. I have incredible feeling of guilt when I'm away riding, when I have plenty to do at home, or being with my family. It's been a tough gig for me mentally to overcome.

This time, I’ll also have “sherpa’s” to help me out. I’ve learnt from other people who have Everested multiple times that this is an invaluable service and definitely needed for the mental battle that gets waged in your head the further you climb. Some of the gang from The Bimblers http://www.bimblers.com have kindly offered to come out on the day as “crew” and provide support for me. Awesome effort.

So, just 3 more weeks, then I’ll be into the final block of training before the big day. I’m really motivated this time to accomplish this goal.

Starting Over

Given my errors in what's required to Everest I've gone away, had a think about things, and decided to start building up once again. I'm not one to quit any challenge and that grey jersey is still at the forefront of my mind.

Since moving back to Brisbane I've easily completed the Strava climbing challenges without too much effort being required. To achieve these I've started my own plan as to how to go about building both strength and endurance via two 10 week plans.

Stage 1 involves commuting to work as much as possible, and to this end, I've managed to find the hilliest route I can take to build strength in my legs. I can sometimes manage over 800m of climbing per day just by commuting to work. Added to this is a Thursday or Friday ITT to raise my threshold level, and in between some rest days to ensure I don't get overcome by fatigue.

The weekends are taken up (depending on family requirements) with a ride I call "Mt Pain", which is basically 1300m of climbing in 40k's. This ride includes 2 x 20% climbs and then some very steep punchy climbs to round it off. It's a killer.

I've decided to give the Strava Fitness and Freshness app a go, following it religiously each ride to monitor both my improving fitness levels and my associated fatigue. Once fatigue gets too high, then I'll back off or take a rest day to get it down.

Stage 2 will involve longer rides to get some much needed endurance. So I'm working on getting my weekend rides up to 160-200k's. This was a major shortfall in my last Everest attempt so I'm determined to address this, this time around.

Sometime in the next few weeks I'll also plan in some time spent where my next attempt will be made. It requires 66 laps of a mountain with a much easier gradient than I've tried before. I'm going to aim for "half way" or "Mt Blanc" as I call it (a 4000m mountain in Europe). This will be a good indicator as to how my fitness and "plan" is going.

I'll update this blog as my fitness grows.

Moving Home and Holidays Abroad

Well, this is the third week of being back in Brisbane. I scored a permanent job, with more money, in a similar role. So life in that sphere is great. The best thing though is being back home with my family. Back to playing Dad and husband, without leaving for days at a time to work away in Toowoomba. I missed my family far too much and missed out on far too much as well.
 

Toowoomba was a great place to work. The people were awesome, the work was challenging and interesting, the climbs were ridiculous, scenery was fantastic, but financially it just wasn't sustainable.
 

Now that I'm back in Brisbane I can leave the car behind and commute to work each day (or most days) by bike. I had a "set route" that I used to follow, but doing the latest (December) Strava Climbing Challenge led me to a better path into the city, involving +300m on the way in and +400m on the way home. So in reality, that's 700-750m climbing in 40k's per day.
 

Commuting has been a game changer. Going from averaging under 50k a week while I was in Toowoomba to now averaging over 200k a week has been both awesome and a shock to the system! I'm hoping this will do me good when it comes to having yet another go at Everesting in the future. Miles in the legs as they say....
 

So, one more day of work then I'm off overseas for my first trip abroad. I have been to New Zealand, but that doesn't count really (in my books anyway).
 

Where am I off to I hear you "virtually" say? Well, Munich, Innsbruck, Berlin, Budapest, Prague, Vienna, Salzburg, Nurenburg etc. Spending  a few days (including Xmas and Boxing Day) in Innsbruck, Austria. First white Xmas at the age of 51. Going from 30 degrees to minus figures. How cool!! (pun intended).
 

Not sure how I'll go posting anything while we're over there but stranger things have happened at sea as they say.
 

Have a wonderful and safe Xmas with your families, enjoy the weather and the open roads (or trails), and I'll be back in 2016 for another Everesting crack.

Failure is a just another term for "I'm not finished yet".

Failure on the Mountain

Well my Everesting days are finished for the time being (never say never). I tried and didn’t succeed. It was a case of “a hill too far”. Feeling pretty gutted today. 2 attempts, 2 x DNF’s. This is not an easy gig. Gives me even more respect for those who have attained such lofty heights (pun intended).

I got in almost 3000m and felt sick as a dog, asthma kicked in and I never recovered from there. The cold mountain air does nothing for my asthma and once that happened I quickly tired and lost any sense of completing this quest. It’s hard enough to try something like this when you can breathe, let alone when you can’t! Try climbing a 20% hill breathing through a straw and you’ll understand what people with asthma go through. But still, I’m not putting that forward as an excuse, there are none – I just wasn’t up to the task.

The first few laps were hard but not insurmountable and I felt that despite the effort, I could do it. However as my breathing got worse, so did the exponential increase in difficulty, particularly the first 200m of the segment which are pretty horrendous no matter how good a cyclist you may be.

So today I got to work and found it hard to focus on anything except my disappointment. That was until my brother in Sydney, who’s always been opposed to such a boring and repetitious activity (and could never understand my obsession with Everesting) told me I should try Bobbin Head West, a far, far easier climb (2.9k’s, 5%, 165m), with amenities at the bottom of the climb, set in a truly magnificent area. He even decided he might ride support or do an Everesting as well.

Now my brother rides with the “A” groups in Sydney, won the Mont 24hr Team Championship a couple years back, and is (in my opinion anyway) a superbly fit athlete. So having him along on my continued journey was a bit of a watershed moment. So maybe I’m not washed up after all. Motivation started seeping back into my brain.

For now though I’m going to put this Everesting business to bed, and “let sleeping dogs lie” for a while. Cycling for me has always been about just “being”, enjoying the scenery, the hills, the effort, new discoveries and the solitude. So I need to rediscover that before I can move forward again.

Thanks for reading this epic tale over the last few months. All the best to find your own “Everest”.

Jeff

Time to Summit #2 (attempt)

E-Day Approaches.

Well, finally, my hand has been forced and my Everesting will happen Monday/Tuesday next week. I got a job offer back home in Brisbane earlier in the week, which I've accepted, meaning I have no choice really but to do it - a case of now or never.

The Hill

It's been a long 6 months since my first failed attempt, and I've seen many friends do multiple Everests in that time. I don't want to fail this time around. I know I need far more miles in my legs, better endurance, better "lots of things", but that will have to wait. I've just got to put my head down and just keep going and going. The lure of "Up" is just to strong to wait any longer.

I bought a new 12-30T cassette for the bike on Wednesday and I'll trial this tomorrow when I return home to Brissie. I need some lower gearing for the climb ahead. It's bloody steep and pretty unforgiving. There are thankfully plenty of places to stop and get my breath back on the way up.

Since I'm now in "get everything done before I leave" mode I'll only have Monday and Tuesday to make this happen. My Everesting will start about 5pm on Monday afternoon, and (hopefully) be completed sometime in the following afternoon. Riding through the night will be an experience, but the road should at least be quiet during that period allowing me to use all the road and avoid the steep camber coming up the climb. I just hope that rabid mongrel dog (that tried to eat me a few weeks back) is chained up. That's one dog that needs to be put down (and I'm a dog lover...).

A few weeks back I did an all day ride on a local climb (Clear Mtn) to test myself a little (and maybe Everest) and see how it'd go. It turned out pretty disastrous as that climb involved two very steep (+20%) climbs that after the 8th repeat proved just too tiring to ride up without putting a foot down. My endurance, despite not putting in many miles these days was pretty good, I felt fine - I just didn't have the horsepower to get over the climbs. So after 3150m I decided this wasn't the ideal place and my original "hill" was to be "the one". Besides that, it was well over 30 degrees Celsius on the day and stupidly humid. Yep, so I "caved" and decided to lick my wounds and gear up for the final push on November 2nd. A "make or break" scenario really. 

I've even decided not to book any accommodation Monday night to ensure I have nowhere to go other than that "hill". This way I can't back down and wimp out. There will be no contingency plan.

Beginning in November will also allow me to get the Strava Challenge done for the month, something that hasn't occurred for awhile.

I'm looking forward to being back in Brisbane though. It means I can go back to commuting by bike everyday, and also get my old morning mountain bike rides in too. Win-win all round really.

Bring on Monday afternoon.

Almost Time - Counting Down

This Everesting business has taken up so much of my thoughts from the last failed attempt in June. I don't think an hour has gone past that it hasn't crossed my mind. Yes, I want it that badly. I've layed awake at night thinking of the past attempt and why I should've just kept going back then and ignored the world.

It's proving to myself I can do this.

The second thought was that I'm not going to succumb to pressure this time, nor guilt (from being away from a family sitting at home waiting for me to come back) nor the elements. Having no support crew will be the toughest part once again....

A third thought it that "is this possible on so very few kilometres per week?". No longer do I have the luxury of multiple rides of varying distances every week, nor do I get the extra long rides in on the weekends, preferring to spend that precious time with my kids and wife. I know how hard the climb is (350m in 4k's with 1k of that being flatland), where the worst parts are (everywhere!), and where I can spin and get my breathing under control.

And a final thought. The road is dangerous and very narrow, full of hairpins and blind corners, not to mention a dog that wants to rip my legs off every time it sees me. How will this pan out in the middle of the night, and then how will I go when the traffic starts coming up the road in the morning?

When things get hard and harder

I might actually bring up my Niner hardtail up to start off during the night as this will be safer in the dark on the very rough descent, climbs pretty well, isn't too heavy, and I can smash down the descent easily and in much greater control. I'll save the roadie for later when the sun comes up, and won't then have to worry about taking off lights etc.

No time to worry about that stuff now! Too late for worrying, time for action. I know the hill (it's stupidly steep), I know the length (pretty much 216k's), I know the downhill component (108k's) and I know this is going to hurt like nothing else!

It's going to be a very long day, and I have to remember to just be patient, enjoy the ride, the scenery and to just take my time and conserve my energy (no use smashing out the first couple repeats only to collapse after 5 or so is there?). And finally, don't stop till I reach the required number of laps and elevation! 

I'm going to watch this youtube speech before I start and maybe then record it to play over and over when things get crazy...

Eric Thomas (it’s long but absolutely worth listening to over and over).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFGWnqNf6t0

Everesting checklist

I've put together a list of everything I can think of to get me across the line on this second attempt. have I missed anything?

I brought my MTB up last week and while the climb was easier, it was much to slow - although it may still be an option at the end when I'm completely shattered.

Think Light!

1. Bike clothing - bibs, jersey, socks, jumper
2. Heart rate monitor
3. Bike x 2
4. Helmet
5. Shoes
6. Sunglasses
7. Pump
8. Gels
9. Hydration (10 x drinks) + water
10. Food - sandwiches/banana's etc
11. 3 x battery packs – test these don’t reset the Garmin’s
12. 2 x Garmin bike computers

Marginal gains I've thought about which are worth thinking about as I ride.

1. Bike – keep everything off that’s not necessary. Take bare minimum tools if at all
2. Water bottles and food at car – drink and eat there and on the way back down
3. The start of the climb and the second pinch are the hardest – take these slow and easy – keep HR low – don’t start off hard and fast or you’ll run out of puff after the first few repeats
4. When possible (probably in the dark) keep to the high side of the road for easier pedaling as the road slopes downhill in the “S” bends (the inside line is much steeper and an energy waster)
5. At the top of the first pinch, take it slow and recover (road flattens). No need for speed. Get your HR down and breath back
6. The second pinch is tough. May have to stand near the top – take it slow and keep HR as low as possible
7. Up to the top of Flagstone – grind it out as easy as you can maintaining low HR. The “S” bends are steep – go steady and just push (seated). Don’t waste energy standing up
8. Rowbotham pinch – gets difficult half way up. Steady as she goes – may have to stand the final 30m or so
9. Exit roundabout and start the trip down
10. The Rowbotham/Flagstone intersection is dangerous. Stop completely and check the opposing mirror for oncoming cars from the right
11. The descent is rough, narrow and can be potentially dangerous. Take it slow and just cruise down – don’t be in a hurry to start the next repeat. Just get down the climb without face planting the bitumen! 
12. Wind will also be a factor. 
13. Be careful, look out and listen for cars both behind and oncoming. The road is narrow.

Anything I've missed here??

Getting Closer

Interesting times ahead.

I've decided to try and Everest a very tough, but very short climb for my next adventure. Managing a very limited amount of riding these days due to work commitments, and where I work away from home, it's increasingly difficult to think of doing an Everest involving a significant distance. Thus I've decided to "bite the bullet" and try a very tough but more (I think) manageable Everest. The climb itself scales 350m in just over 4k's, and the all up distance will be around 220k's. That's roughly 25 repeats of one very brutal climb! 

The "Everesting Calculator" says it's only 20 repeats and 386m's, but I'd dispute this one. My Garmin yesterday showed only a 350m gain including a full up and down to the start.

This week I brought the Lapierre up. Probably not a good thing as it has a 27t on the rear, not really small enough for a climb involving some extremely tough ramps. In hindsight my TCR which is both lighter, and has a 28t on the rear would have been a better idea.

I'm also going to experiment with my mountain bike, a Giant Anthem on the climb next week. It has both a triple chain ring, and significantly, an extra small gear (I purchased a long time ago). The descent of the climb is quite rough and patchworked, and with traffic it's not a really good place to be.

So, a mountain bike with dual suspension may work out. Guess we'll see how that pans out. It weighs in at 11.7kg's, so while not light by road bike standards, it may actually work out to be a better choice over the day's journey. Like I said, it's all experimentation at present to find the best way to make this dream a reality.

Yesterday afternoon, after work, I did two repeats, meaning I climbed 700m in (just over) 17.5 kilometres. That's a pretty significant elevation gain in my books! Despite the wrong bike, I felt OK doing just those 2 repeats, trying to find the "marginal gains" that will help on the day, the best part of the road, where the hardest parts will be etc.

The lower 1.4k's is just brutal and will be the hardest to get up after the first 5 repeats. It's very tough, with a really steep initial section for the first 100m, before flattening off, and then kicking once more. After that there's another very steep ramp, and once over that, it's just a slow hard slog to the top of the climb. I don't think anyone could call it "fun" :-)

So it's all going to happen soon. Just logistics to work out including days off work etc. I'll do this ride on my own, up here in Toowoomba while everyone is at work. Starting in the middle of the night will give me a good chance of some easier riding without traffic making it's way up the climb, and also involve (I hope) some cool and calm weather. 

I'm actually full of nervous energy, and this ride won't happen for about 2 weeks yet!

Stay tuned. I'm hoping this ride will be the one that's gets me that grey jersey which I've been coverting for months now since my first failed attempt. If anything I'm a stubborn bastard and I hate failing! So this time, with a full day on my own, without interruption, I'm hoping I can do it finally.

Remember - stay upright! Until next time.

Step Ladder to a Grey Jersey

An "Everest" (and that bloody grey jersey I want so badly!) is still at the foremost of my mind, despite the distinct lack of riding I've been able to do while based up here in Toowoomba.  

It's certainly going to be a difficult adventure and, as usual, done on the least amount of riding and training. I have no choice as this is "life as we know it Jim" and "it is what it is". I don't have the luxury anymore of riding every morning etc. On the weekends I prefer to spend my time with my wife and kids as I don't see them for days at a time and I value that family time more than riding. I'll still try and get out when I can, but with football, house and garden duties, cleaning etc it all adds up time wise.

So my main objective is to try and get in quality over quantity rides while I'm up here during the week, and definitely no junk miles. Every ride has to have a purpose and an outcome of some sort, be it climbing repeats, or a distance ride to some out of the way place in the middle of the night.

This week, my objective was to do hill repeats up to 3000m (1 ride) in elevation (or roughly 120k's) on the hill I intend to Everest. I see this as a stepping stone to my future endeavours and it'd be a good indicator of how I'm going, and where I'm at physically. 

I got halfway into it when my Garmin decided it'd had enough and let me know it was out of charge. Bummer. It's an older unit and I had (mistakenly) thought would have lasted the distance (pun intended). It was almost fully charged (I thought!) so I was a bit peeved when I got the warning message after only 1500m, or about 65k's into my ride. It has always lasted far longer (6hrs at a minimum) so it was definitely an unwelcome surprise.

Never mind thought I, I'll just swap over to my phone and finish the ride that way using the Strava app! Of course Murphy's Law prevailed and it too said it was out of power. At this stage there were several expletives uttered and I decided that was the end of that for the night. Not happy at all.

I hadn't brought up any spare battery packs this week as I hadn't thought I'd need them. Lesson learnt once more - have a backup plan for every issue that could crop up.

So, the plan for the rest of August is to ensure I get a 3000m climb in, followed next month by a 5000m climb and then the following month, the Full Monty.

I felt really good the entire ride, and spent most of it working on finding a good and easy pace in which to do the full ride in the future. So I varied things from reasonable to slow (I don't have a "fast" at all).

I'll upload the garmin data shortly as I don't have access here in Toowoomba.

Southbrook (like Southpark but with cows)

Monday night I decided I'd go have a look at one of the southern roads out from the city, in the hope it'd be flatter and easier to get some miles in. And besides, I didn't want to ride bloody hills again this week! I'd missed doing any riding the previous week and was desperately wanting to do some exercise.

The weather has been atrocious up here the last few weeks, with howling winds blowing day and night, and freezing temperatures. Last week it actually snowed up here in the northern suburbs! And this is Queensland for goodness sake. Toowoomba is turning out to be having an extremely cold winter this year (just my luck).

To counter the cold, I rugged up with a thermal top, winter jersey, and a spray jacket over the top, as well as wearing long bibs in an effor to stay warm(ish) while I was out. Leaving in the dark also meant the temperatures were dropping quickly so I had to hit the road as soon as I could after work, otherwise I might have wimped out and stayed in the warmth of my tiny cabin.

The road out was pretty uneventful (just low rolling hills) and wasn't too rough this time, and after consulting Google a couple times I found the right road (it can get confusing in the darkness), and seemed to be flying along at a rapid pace in the big ring. The sky was clear and the stars were out. I even saw some falling stars which buoyed my spirits a lot. It was a great night for a ride (if you count riding alone in the darkness, on a lonely country back road, with no "roadside assist", in the middle of nowhere fun).

I saw some lights in the distance and thought that I'd made the outbound trip much quicker than I'd anticipated. That was a premature thought though, and as I got closer to the lights I realised that it was some giant cattle yard loading cattle into equally giant trucks. The smell reminded me of growing up on our family farm in my younger years, and it brought back a lot of memories of dairy's and hay, milking cows and fresh manure. 

I continued on and came to my target for the night, "Southbrook", a small community with a few small houses nestled in amongst similarly small hills, and of course the ubiquitous pub full of locals who it turned out were only too happy to call out to me and have a chat about what I was doing and what type of bike I was riding. One local thought he knew about bikes and said "is that one of them new graphite bikes?". Seems steel is all the go up here apparently according to the locals.

I'd mistakenly thought that the wind had dropped, being away from the range. It wasn't  till I turned around to start the journey home that it hit me in the face, the wind that is. Yep, nothing like a fierce headwind to make you realise that a tailwind is only helpful when you're coming home on a ride! So the entire way back I was chewing the bars and trying to get as low as possible to both stay out of the wind, and to maintain some possibility of forward momentum. Turned out to be far tougher than I'd envisaged. That and getting "slightly" lost again and going off in the wrong direction... I'm definitely making a (bad) habit of that!

Coming out of a place called Wyreema, I'd missed a turn somewhere and ended up on an unknown (to me at least) road. At least the small sign I did see said I was heading back towards Toowoomba. Small mercies eh?

Eventually I made it back to the cabin and safety. Beats riding these country roads while dodging large trucks and assorted locals who don't realise they can actually dip their lights, instead of blinding you like something out of one of Spielberg's "Close Encounters" movies.

A definite plus up here is the seeming lack of rubbish on the roadside likely to cause a flat tyre. I've been up here 4 months now and have had no issues at all, either bike wise or in respect to flats. Toowoomba residents mustn't have heard about the tack problem down south in Melbourne yet. No doubt if they had, someone would think it a great laugh. Once again, small mercies.

Stay right side up and enjoy the ride. Until next time.

The Silver Pinch Rd - Roubaix Ride (Search Engine #3)

After a miserable day of rain and very cold temps, with Toowoomba covered in heavy cloud, the afternoon finally gave in to sunshine and reasonably clear skies. I saw this as a chance to get out for a quick ride and do some more exploring. I knew it was always going to involve mountains and steep climbs cause that's all there seems to be up here!!! Some nights I'd kill for a piece of flat road... (maybe on the weekend when I'm back home and can take the TCR out for a spin. I miss the hum of the carbones on the tarmac.. it's the smell of victory :-) ).

I left on dusk, heading east, down Flagstone Creek Rd (for a change!) figuring at least I won't be climbing that mongrel hill tonight. Half way down Flagstone there's a branch to the left which, if followed, leads to Withcott (heading northwards  back to the bottom of the range in a kind of circle) and the highway. Maybe half a kilometre after this turn comes Silver Pinch Road, and this was where I wanted to have a look around. The road runs down the central spine in the pic below (cutting through the middle).

The road is narrow and lumpy and runs along a ridge line/spine and connects eventually to Flagstone Creek Road, further to the east. My idea was to have a look around this road, then double back and instead of going straight up the big ass climb again, I'd continue on and hit the easier gradual climb up the range further along (or so I thought...)

Much of the road seemed to be "under construction" and as such, there were stretches of new tar and gravel, rough ripped up bitumen and several very steep pinches (and I thought it would be all downhill...). There were also some very architect designed homes along this stretch that were way out of my price range! 

After a couple of k's I hit pave (humour me ok?) and this continued on for several kilometres. The dirt at least was smooth and not too potholed and in the dark I was on the lookout for deep gravelly sections or loose stuff. Thankfully nothing unwarranted happened. That was until I hit bitumen again and thought "there must be a downhill here somewhere to get me off this mountain". Yep, there was! A twisting, turning, fish hook type of downhill that was stupidly steep. I was down on the back wheel like my mountain bikes with hands squeezing the brakes, hoping to dear God I wouldn't lose a brake pad before I got to the bottom.  Parts of the descent were so rough my Ay-Ups actually came undone from their bracket and I had to roll in the dark for the last few metres before coming to a halt. Phew! made it it down alive.

Getting down in one piece, it was a case of turning back westwards and following the road to the other range crossing. I had to get right off the road several times because of cars and trucks but I was in no hurry and happy to cruise along and enjoy the cool night air and brilliant glow of the stars.

Eventually I got to the bottom of the other crossing and was alarmed to start going upwards at a very steep rate, like a fighter jet taking off from an aircraft carrier. After declaring "this is bullshit" and having a bit of a laugh to myself, I conceded and walked the rest of the climb. No way I could've climbed it with a 27T on the back. Maybe a 32? (I'm looking into that as I write).

It was only 43k's in the end but I had a great time. Although in the dark I was a bit creeped out about locals with guns and pig dogs lying in wait for me to pass. There's always an element of concern, travelling in the pitch black along narrow country roads in the middle of the night. But it's the only time I get to ride now so I figure I have to make the most of it. 

But I do still dream of Everesting, (with a 32T on the back). I have a hill in mind, but that's story for another day. I'm not through with that goal just yet... :-)

Stay right side up everyone.

Character Building

I'm starting to get used to this Toowoomba "thing". I miss home a lot during the week as I spend a few days up here on my own, then commute Thursdays and Friday's. It's wearing on mind and body. Having spent so much time over the last 17 years with my boy, not being with him every day is a constant source of angst. I feel like I'm missing out on so much of his life, especially his sporting life to which he's an absolute champion.

At least I can get a bit of riding in while I'm up here. Like yesterday's epic-ness. What I thought would be a reasonable, "run of the mill" 60k ride turned into a ride of epic proportions, for me anyway. Only 60k I hear you say? read on dear folks...

I left in the daylight with a slight breeze blowing in from the west, something that hasn't happened for a few weeks. Generally, over the last month, it's been an absolute gale force chill wind, with temps in the low teens to lower. Last Wednesday, with the wind chill, it was equivalent to 6 degrees celsius all day. Not particularly pleasant.Most days are the same in winter up here apparently!

From 2k out (from the uni where I work) the road turns rapidly from reasonable to ridiculous, with barely a shoulder to ride on, and idiots driving past yelling obscenities. That's not particularly helpful when the following vehicle is a massive cattle truck with several trailers worth of prime beef.

Anyway, after traversing some awful bitumen, I turned eastwards and was able to relax and take in the countryside. Late in the afternoon it's quite nice. The wind had all but dropped and I was just humming along smelling the roses, looking at tractors and saying "moo" to all the cows. Then it all started....

From that moment on it seemed every hill was at least 12% and they just kept coming, leading up to what they call locally, 'the wall", a bloody steep hill (15%?) that seemed never ending. By then it was dark and I had the Ay-Ups blazing away. All I could think at that moment was WTF is this???

After cresting that one, a short flattish road section and then came "The Descent". A massive downhill that would have been awesome in daylight, but was downright dangerous in the pitch black. Gravel here and there and twisting turns (not to mention on-coming speedsters) made me quite circumspect and so I kept the speed to around the 60kph mark, just in case there was a kangaroo or cow in the middle of the road (you do think of strange things in the middle of the night). I'd passed several "roo's" on the verge of the road already and so the idea of hitting one and going OTB had me a little spooked.

The "flatland", it's all relative I guess, went by quickly and I think, in daylight, it would be a really scenic place between the valleys. I'll have to go back and check it out one day soon. One thing about living up here is that country drivers don't get the idea of dipping their headlights when approaching someone on a bike on a very narrow road at night. I spent a lot of time off the road waiting for cars to pass because I couldn't see a damn thing!

Finally I got to the bottom of the range, where I knew what was coming. Having nothing much for lunch and only a gel I'd consumed an hour beforehand I was feeling pretty drained and just wanted it to be over. It was never going to happen so easily because this particular piece of road (4k's) is stupidly steep. The temperature was getting chilly (that's Toowoomba speak for cold) and I was daydreaming (onset of delirium?) of a burning hot shower and a Big Mac (and I hate Macca's!!!). Focus, focus Jeff!!

The Range - Flagstone Creek Road Ascent.

This would likely be one of my most pathetic (time wise) and yet character building experiences. I was already pretty much "hitting the wall" when I hit the first segment. A really steep pinch of only 80 or so metres (and maybe 15%-17%), but honestly, I was shattered. The first upwards pitch and I was struggling. Select "granny gear" (God, where's my mtb when I need it!) and just try to keep moving. The pitch tamed it was a short but oh-so-good "flattish" section before hitting another pinch. This went on for for 40 minutes. During that time I was chewing the bars and thinking of walking the whole mountain. And I did walk for 20-30 metres twice, just to get my heart rate down.. and I couldn't care. I kept it together mentally and got to the final hill, where I felt a wave of euphoria wash over me. I don't think I've ever felt as bad (or as good) as I did after riding (only) 60k's. That distance is normally an easy morning spin, not a "will I ever get back home" sufferfest. It was a very weird experience.

At last I got back to my tiny cabin and made myself a coffee, and just sat outside on the steps, in the cold, going back over the ride. I didn't think about anything much but that moment in time, and those last 3 hours of hell. I was "home", in one piece, the bike itself was outstanding in those conditions (smooth and surefooted) and feeling like I'd accomplished something meaningful, if only for my own ego.

There's a cycling blog called "Being Kristian Manietta" (http://kristianmanietta.com/momento-mori/) and in it, one of his rides is titled "Momento Mori", which means "remember your mortality". I thought about that a lot during the ride. Like Manietta says, "understanding that concept is a start to living". Manietta goes on to say "Why do we rush through life? Rarely pausing to soak in the experiences, the views, the smells and at times the freshness of it all". Well I did that last night, I spent at least an hour in the "solitary" hurt box, and I loved every stinking minute of it.

Today my legs hurt, I've felt sick in the guts, and I can't wait for another burning hot shower tonight. But if I had to do it all over again, I'd gladly jump back on the bike and hit that route one more time. 

Bike? Check. Lights? Check. Wattles bottles? Check.

Cow country

Getting nearer the ascent to hell..and they say it's downhill? Some people have no idea, it's all about the "up".

Ride route and profile

Stay right side up everyone.

Till next time.