About time

I was sitting outside this morning enjoying the weather and in the paper whilst drinking a fresh brew I discovered this article. It is informing the world that cars shall be removed from Beach Road in one suburb on the weekends. About time I say, however the locals have other opinions. One such opinion is that it is rewarding cyclists bad behaviour. WTF? How about it will probably save some lives! We all have a opinion and mine is as one sided as the next, at least in the cyclists favour.

I have been racing bikes now for 20+ years, hey time flies when you are having fun. I can remember a time when the races were at Dunlop Rd on a Sunday morning and the bunch would roll down the beach post race. This was the late 80's early 90's and cycling was yet to be a boom sport in Australia.

This was when people like Phil Anderson were path finding the way and paving the road for todays Australians in Europe. He got very little air play unlike todays riders in Europe. Anyway when the bunch made it to the beach and wound its way along Beach Road there were few cyclists to be seen. Jump forward 10 plus years and each year particularly in summer the Beach Road is a mecca for weekend cyclists. I believe that at least 10000 riders use it on a weekend and that would be scraping the surface. I guess the issue is that as numbers of cyclists have increased and this has resulted in more accidents, some of which I have seen. To have the road clear for a few hours each weekend morning so the flow of traffic and dangers are reduced is not a bad thing. I guess the locals will be pissed off regardless, as they view the invasion by lycra clad 2 wheelers of their suburb an issue. No doubt this topic will get some air play in the media over the coming weeks.

on the mend

On the mend is a great place to be as it has been a miserable time the last few weeks. Actually it has been more frustration than anything else. After some good osteo treatment and a massage or two I am pain free and the stiffness is gone. After a afternoon nap on the floor this afternoon I feel great. The week was a bit up and down but I was able to get out and enjoy it a few times. I got out with the ultimate training partner on Monday (Farlee the one eyed border collie) who was happy with anything on offer and didn't complain once. We rolled the local trails and cut a few laps of some choice trail in the sun. Despite the puncture, a few loose bolts it was a pleasure to be out and about. I followed it up with a rub down and felt not to shabby.

I headed down to the Flathill Crews Dirt Crit Tuesday and handed my money over for a 3 lap ride as the back didn't agree with pushing a big gear. The difference a few weeks off can make is massive as the fitness has tailed off, the lungs ain't use to being flogged again just yet. I also rode down to the crit and headed home the back way but caved near home and phoned the boss for a pick up as the engine was cooked and the back shot.

I even made a national newspaper this week blurred out in the background, doing my thing at work. I got to say the press are annoying shits and managed to get in the way whilst doing their best to act like Hollywood paparazzi.

This week will see me back on the bike a few more times and maybe a trip to the gym. I will be strapping on the running shoes cause its time to get the game face on and whip this soul into shape. I am heading out to Lysterfield tomorrow for the first time in 6 plus months and am keen to roll as much trail as possible. Always fun out there more so when you haven't done it for a long time.

Winter Olympics start this week and I am keen to watch as much as possible as withdrawals from the snow are in full effect this summer. I am sure it will pump me up to get right back into winter preparations so I can be ready for the 2010 XC ski season.

Happy trails!

racing weight

This book should be arriving in my hot little hands for me to read very soon. It has come to my attention especially since rooting my back that some kilos could be removed from my frame. I have heard a bit about the book and am keen to see if it can help me achieve some goals for the year.

My back is on the mend and I am going to be hitting the trails later this morning to get the back moving again. I have a rub booked in to help try and relieve the tension issues that I seem to have accumulated over the last few months. More osteo time this week which will be needed after racing tomorrow night and hopefully the Fatties ride on Wednesday night if my body holds together.

Its come to the time of the year where ski preparation enters my mind, so a return to the running and pole bounding is about to start this week and in the next week or two a return to the roller skis. Also the Winter Olympics start soon so this will inspire some more training with winters goals in the back of the brain.

I have decided to give myself the goal of the Marathon Champs in April (now that I have some gears as a option if needed) and have entered myself for a session of pain in the 90km veterans class. Should be good fun and seeming that the Otway has slipped by the wayside now gives me a focus.

Life otherwise is cruising and the count down to the new edition is underway well and truly. Installed the baby seat today so it is coming closer to reality as we are in the last 4 weeks of the pregnancy. Looking forward to meeting the little one as most days I feel them kicking away doing aerobics in the bosses belly.

Happy trails!

and Im stuck here!

Usually at this time of year the boss and I are normally packing up the gear and jumping a plane to a destination covered in snow. Tearfully I get this report about the goings on at resorts we usually hit in North America. Bloody shame we are stuck here! Further to the point lets hope this translates to a good winter in Oz.
Aussie Ben Sim and other Australian Winter Olympic XC ski team members training @ Silverstar Mtn in BC, Canada

Snowbird records seven feet in seven days
international: 28-1-2010
Low Temperatures In Europe, More Big Snow For Western North America
* More Heavy Snow In Western North America
* Quieter In Europe
* Heavy snow in Russia leads to cancellation of international freeride contest at 2014 Olymics resort.
* Seven feet of snow (2.1m) in seven days at Utah's Snowbird.
www.Skiinfo.co.uk reports that Europe has had quite a quiet week in terms of fresh snowfall but in most areas temperatures have been low, helping to maintain snow quality, and small snowfalls have helped freshen up terrain at a number of centres. In North America there have been more huge snowfalls on the west side of the continent.

Powder skiing earlier this week in Mountain High, California
Typically resorts have 30-105cm (1-3.5 feet) at the base of their runs and 150-210cm (5-7 feet) on upper slopes. However Sierra Nevada in the south reports the greatest snow depth of three metres (ten feet) at the top and Formigal has the most terrain open with 136km (80 miles) of runs. More snow is expected tomorrow.
More Heavy Snow For Western North America
Heavy snow up and down North America's Pacific Coast has brought huge snow accumulations to most resorts, and also caused operational difficulties at some.
In the north there's been yet more now at Whistler, with the Olympics now just over a fortnight away. Its season-to-date snowfall is now nearly 10 metres (30 feet). Fellow host Cypress Mountain also had a respite from the thaw and rain that is threatening the snowboarding and freestyle venues, with some fresh snow there too.
To the south of the region thousands of southern Californians who flocked to Mountain High resort in the San Gabriel Mountains, which has received five feet (150cm) of snow in recent storms, were turned away by police due to dangerous road conditions and diminishing fuel and food supplies. Truck convoys were organised to deliver food, supplies and fuel to the area on Monday, with roads re-opening that evening. However more snow is forecast, if on a smaller scale.
John McColly, Mountain High's Director of Marketing said, "There is a reason I am in this business. And this is it. Skiers and snowboarders that braved the storm are grinning from ear to ear. And I'm one of them."
With the fresh snow there is an enormous temptation to go out of bounds but both Mountain High and the Los Angeles County Sherriff's department advise against that.
Says McColly, "Anything outside of Mountain High's boundaries is not patrolled so if you run into any trouble, you are on your own. There is plenty of terrific tree skiing and natural terrain within Mountain High's permitted area so stay in bounds, enjoy the fresh snow, and be safe."
It's a similar story at other western resorts, Jackson Hole has reported more than three feet of new snow, Snowbird in Utah, seven feet in seven days.
Up in British Columbia, monumental snowfall over the last week has created perfect conditions at Mount Washington Alpine Resort. With a mid-mountain snow base of 320cm and 399cm at the top, the resort is once again the home of Canada's deepest snowpack. The news couldn't be any better for the first wave of Olympic athletes who arrive this week to train at the Island mountain.
"We received over a metre and a half of snow in the last six days," says Resort spokesperson Brent Curtain.
The Chinese Biathlon team arrived in the Comox Valley late Thursday and hit the snow on Friday, January 22nd. The team will train at the mountain's popular Nordic Centre, an obvious choice for numerous cross-country and biathlon teams over the next month. A total of 26 teams from 15 countries are performing their final on-snow preparations at Mount Washington before heading back to the Lower Mainland and Whistler for the Games.


Back is on the improve but the stiffness is still a issue. No bike time as yet this week, but will get out over the weekend and stretch it out. Got a few more osteo treatments lined up and a trip to the remedial massage torture artists. I have been rolling out the back and legs, and in the case of Neil I agree to the pain a roller can inflict on you!

I am looking forward to racing next Tuesday at the dirt crit and getting back into the swing of things for 2010.
Happy trails!