Bright Week. January 2013

We had another great week in Bright Victoria as usual.

The nerves were a stretched a bit thin as a fire was started by lightning in Harrietville on Tuesday leaving a cloud of smoke over the area for the rest of the stay.

This year I managed to squeeze in 480km in 8 days that included:
3 Mt Buffalo's.
A couple of Tawonga Gaps.
A Wandy Classic.
A family trip to the Bright Berry Farm for an ice cream.
And the usual fully sick MTB fun.

I finished on the last day with the Happy Valley Loop and little climb up Mt buffalo on the way back. 162km with over 2800m of climbing.

2012. A few ride stats and a few PB's

Best year since records began.  I love my Garmin Edge

9681 km

• 31534 laps of Blackburn CC Velodrome
• Distance from Morocco to Casablanca

105 km Elevation

• 12 times up Mt Everest
• 167 times up Mt Dandenong

305,000 calories

• 1968 cans of coke 
• 1260 Mars Bars (@242)

Rapha Festive 500 - Day 7

Day 7.1 - 31st Dec. Back to work @ the Velodrome.

Nearly there, only 40 km to go so I lay in bed for an hr then do the usual commute to work. It's only 5 km so I stop at the Velodrome on the way. I have to break the same road twice rule here.   It's a velodrome.  I went past the same place 95 times and even managed to get into the top 20 on the Strava Blackburn Velo flying 200

I left the velodrome and finish the ride to work and reach 501 km on my way into the car park.

http://app.strava.com/activities/34822811
501 Rapha km in the bag.

Here is where it get good.  I download my rides to Strava and I now have 601 km on the clock.  That false start on Christmas eve is included. Yeah!

Day 7.2 - 31st Dec. The Blood Bank.

All that's left to do is ride home. It's New Years Eve and the Blood Bank awaits.  

105 donations "In the bag".

http://app.strava.com/activities/35003091

610 Rapha km in the bag.

The Rapha Festive 500 Summary

500/600 km in one week, that's hard.  Long distance, little recovery time and not much sleep.

Bring on the 2013 Audax Australia Fleche Opperman One Day Trial.  500km in 24 hr. I know it's tough, i have done it before but at least I know i'm only going to be sore and tired once. 

Rapha Festive 500 - Day 6

LGM  "We come in peace"

Day 6 - 30th Dec. I love dirt.

"Road riding boring, lets go exploring"
Lysterfield Lake Park.  How many 100's of times have I ridden those trails?  I still love them.
This little chap was out there to point me in the right direction.

http://app.strava.com/activities/34682879
460 Rapha km in the bag.

Rapha Festive 500 - Day 5

The view from Christmas Hills looking down over Yarra Glen

Day 5.1 - 29th Dec. Some more hills.

The legs are starting to feel it now, long rides, little recovery, and a lack of good sleep.

I created a route on map my ride and said that's tomorrow's ride. It looked OK at the time but later?
I seriously under estimated the hills and overestimated my condition.

Starting in Eltham I rode out through Research and on to Christmas Hills, Yarra Glen & Healesville. there were no particularly big hills but there was a lot of short steep stuff that is just as bad.

The trip home was a little flatter at the start but that was to change when I rode into Wanga Park & Warrandyte. It was worse.
   
http://app.strava.com/activities/34682861

404 Rapha km in the bag.

Day 5.2 - 29th Dec. Family Matters.

It's school holidays and the family have been sitting around doing nothing other the computer games.  Time for a little ride on the bike track.
  

http://app.strava.com/activities/34685527
415 Rapha km in the bag.

Rapha Festive 500 - Day 4

Looking out over the valley from Silvan

Day 4 - 28th Dec. A bit of rain and some hills.

4 am. Bugger it's raining, how can I do 100 km in the rain. That's not going to be good for the health so I go back to sleep for a while.

An early start at work lets me finish early and head out for an afternoon ride in the hills. I start with the usual weekly ride up the 1 in 20 (Mt Dandenong) but I add a few extra km on.  The Emerald supper loop, Emerald, Monbulk Sylvan, and Mt Evelyn.  

I still make it home for dinner.  You would think we would be over roast Turkey by now but the supermarket has them at half price.

http://app.strava.com/activities/34682865

310 Rapha km in the bag.

Rapha Festive 500 - Day 3

Day 3 - 27th Dec. A day at the beach.

Flinders St Station in the wee hours of the morning

You guessed it, another early start. I think I might go to the beach today so I head towards the city.  The roads are so quiet, the rest of Melbourne hasn't figured out it's a work day.  

Flinders St Station, Port Melbourne and I'm at the beach. Take a left hand turn and keep riding, Frankston is only 42 km away. 

I'm not having much luck with the wind,  the last 20 km back up Springvale Rd is a killer.
  
8.45 am, I'm back a work and ready to start.  It's a shame I can't keep my eyes open.   

http://app.strava.com/activities/34682883 

217 Rapha km in the bag.

Rapha Festive 500 - Day 2

Day 2 - 26th Dec. Boxing Day. Tooleybuc.

Almost the middle of nowhere

Another early start, 5.am I cross the Murray river into NSW and head towards Balranald.

The sun rising over the plains is amazing but there is hardly a tree in sight.  55 km of tail wind was great but it presented me with a 45 km ride back to Swan Hill into the wind.

Christmas is over so it's back to Melbourne and........ work.

http://app.strava.com/activities/34682843

117 Rapha km in the bag.

The bridge over the Murray river at Tooleybuc

Rapha Festive 500 - Day 1

Day 1 - 25th Dec. Christmas Day.

Bugger just got and email from Strava, the Rapha Festive 500 starts today.  So yesterday's 100 km was just a warm up.

A great day with the family but no riding.  I guess I ate to much but I have always said I do an excessive amount of cycling to support me extremely bad eating habits.

0 Rapha km in the bag.

Rapha Festive 500 - Day 0

Day 0 - 24th Dec. The false start. Swan Hill

As usual I'm up early and it's off to find the group to ride with.  Swan Hill on the Murray river.
It's 6 am and there is a bunch of riders outside the bike shop and off we go.  I had been warned the day before they are fast and yes they were.
I did the 30 km loop with the boys then skipped the coffee (That's bad) and set off down the road towards Nyah. 35 km into the wind.  It hurt but the trip back was well worth it. 

http://app.strava.com/activities/34682847

100 Rapha km in the bag.