BIG weekend

It was our biggest weekend yet as far as distances go. Saturday morning's ride to Shorncliffe saw Kirsty, Michelle and myself clock up around 90kms each with Emma hitting close to 100kms as she had the extra bit to and from her place. It's an excellent ride and the coffee at the Cafe on the Park where we stopped is worth the extra 10km from Nudgee. (Looking particularly at Jacque)

 Meanwhile, Cate decided to go on an adventure to Bracken Ridge. Apparently, the clue is in the title and there's a bloody big hill. It was a gruelling 40-50kms culminating in a face so red she wasn't sure if she was overheating or if she had really bad sunburn. (the former I think). AND unfortunately for Cate, she was the map holder for Sunday's big ride out to Nudgee so no backing out there - oh well!

The ride on Sunday saw the remainder of our (brisbane-based) group hit the big numbers - 70kms each! Congratulations go to Ruth who was still walking last night despite only having a couple of months' training under her belt.

So all in all, including our big rides, Cate's Bracken Ridge nightmare, a ride to Roma St. Parklands with the kids on Sunday (Kirsty, Michelle and I) and Bron zipping over to the village a few times a day, I think we did a collective weekend total of about 900kms!!

I feel like we've got this. All of us are on track and it's going really well! We've still got 3 and a half months before the ride so if we can keep the momentum going, we will have a really enjoyable ride.

So: May. According to the official RTCC handbook, the suggested weekly training hours are 9-10 spread over 2-4 rides. Kirsty has started doing 3 short weekday rides and one long one at the weekends which I think is a good model and gives us 3 complete rest days each week. I think a good strategy is for those 3 mid-week rides to comprise of one racing, one hills and one easy ride. Talking of hills, Mount Coot-tha is coming up. This Sunday at 6am you know you want to LETS DO IT!!!!

Then, mark in your diaries Sat May 25 and Sun May 26 where we are going to do a long ride (70kms+) on both days to see if we can do it back to back. Soccer/Netball mums perhaps you could either ride later on the Saturday or see if you can do a big one on the Monday?

That's all for now. Happy riding! xxx

Mari and Evie's cupcake club

Check out our fabulous, generous kids making us proud and raising money for our ride!

 From Katina:

  Mari and Evie cooked up a little plan to make cupcakes and raise some money for the ride.  After school Friday they iced 34 little cakes, with help from their big sisters Mia and Phoebe, (some of the icing was pretty creative!) and we headed down to Orleigh Park to sell them.  

Evie was the money minder, Mari displayed a sign about donations (a gold coin donation with all proceeds going to our Mums' Ride to Conquer Cancer), Phoebe and Mia held trays of cakes.

A stroll down to the Froggy Park and then down to the ferry saw them sold out, in less than half an hour.

 The girls did all the talking and folks were very generous, one fellow gave $5 for his cupcake.  In total they took in almost $60.  What a great little effort from the cupcake club! 

Thank you so much Evie and Mari, Mia and Phoebs.

Cate's Ride to Wynnum!

Text from Cate:

Rode to Wynnum and along foreshore to Lota - great ride - hairy scary on road with trucks some good hills but not too challenging then lovely ride along the bay - train back this time.

Great selfie!:

My head-shave fundraising...

Last Monday

Not having tapped the resources of my fellow work mates, the head shave fundraising has been allocated to them. So far on my pledge-o-meter I'm looking at around $370 spread over 15 people. I think there's a lot more money to be made here and if I don't start amassing some serious wedge in the next month, I'll have to start the hard sell. It is generating a lot of interest, though. Some people have been dead against it and would rather donate money for me to keep my hair whereas others (well, one other) want to get me to leave a thin line of hair and have a comb-over for a day. At the moment the bidding for that one is just $25. Not nearly enough for that level of humiliation!

Last Friday

Katina's over the hill!

6am Sunday: There were four of us freezing cold Wonder Women at the ferry stop. Talk has turned to arm warmers. We all want them. Jacqui has already picked some up for $10 at rebel sport. The slow but steady descent into the lycra-clad "serious" cyclist that we all scoffed at this time last year continues!

Jacqui and Michelle headed off on the Toohey Forest route, picking up Jacque and Emma along the way. Katina and I went in the other direction, over the Go Between Bridge and over to Mount Coot-tha Road.

 We crossed the footbridge over the highway, past the Legacy Way tunnel works and pulled up alongside the Botanical Gardens for one last gulp of water and one final nose-blow. Then a big deep breath, crank down to the Granny Gear and away we go!...

It was slow going and I had time to contemplate whether it was better or worse second time round. Possibly a bit worse. Perhaps because I wasn't so nervous so I didn't have all that adrenalin running through me. Katina said it was challenging but she kept on going. There was plenty of heavy breathing going on from both of us. And plenty of cyclists passing us - even a jogger! (how embarrassing). It was only when we rounded the final bend that she tentatively asked if it was much further. Thank God I didn't have to lie when I said "that's it!". Almost exactly half an hour's hard work from the Botanical Gardens to Channel Ten. I still had that feeling of elation getting to the top. It's a grand feeling! We pulled in to Channel 10 so I could get Darren the Security Guard to take our picture...

Thanks, Darren!

 Then we were off again - up over the peak of the mountain and then down and up and down like that for a while until we reached the lookout. It was a glorious morning...(or should that be Coot-tha morning hawhaw)

There was so much glare I couldn't see my thumb over the lens - d'oh!

I'm going to try and do it again in a few weeks. I'll let you know in case anyone fancies giving some or all of it a try.

Bron's back in the saddle

For those of us with Map My Ride, we will already have seen evidence of Bron getting out there in Sabang. She told me she had to get off the bike and push herself up some of the hills so I can only imagine the gradient if she's doing that (knowing as we do how she hates to give up on a hill!)

Here's a pic. If you rip your eyes away from the idyllic postcard setting, you can just make her and her bike out... woohoo!

How did we get to half way through April already?

I've been a bit slack on the blog so time to catch up on what's been happening.

First up: Bron's last ride. It was time to bite back the tears and do a bit of a victory lap last Thursday. Cate, Michelle and I joined Bron on a leisurely trip to dockside. Nothing too strenuous...

Then on Saturday she headed off into the night. 

The goodbye slideshow...

Dear Bron from cara gartland on Vimeo.

*sigh*

hellllooooo over there!!!

Right. Onwards! Sunday morning was glorious and we decided to take the Toohey Forest route. With Michelle and I were Cate and Ruth. Ruth was tackling Dornoch Terrace for the first time and got up there no problem. You've gotta have a Dornoch photo for your first time up, don't you?

When we arrived at Toohey Forest (using the new improved route) it was just amazing. There was a mist in the trees shining into pollen and spider webs and creating shafts of light. I wish I had my proper camera with me... here's a couple of phone shots...

 Then to Monday night and the trivia night meeting. Attended by Kirsty and Satyajit (hosts with the mosts), Emma, Michelle, Paula, Cate, Me, Darryl, Marilyn, Ruth, Celia, Jacque Boon and even Bron texted to see how we were going! We had plenty to talk about and it sounds like it's going to be an amazing night! Watch this space. Michelle also had the uniform design which I think looks brilliant. With any luck, this will be completed by the trivia night and then maybe we can think about perhaps wearing it (or at least the top half) on the night???? Just a thought there, ladies!

And so to this morning: Kirsty's first ride in a month. Welcome back Kirsty! We missed you!! We went across the Go Between, over to St. Lucia, the Uni, Park Road, South Bank and home. It was a gorgeous morning...

Riders: Katina, Kirsty, Michelle, Cate, Me

Looking forward to the weekend and I'd like to do Mount Coot-tha again on Sunday. For those who don't think they can do it but would like a little taster, I would recommend coming with us and riding up the first hill which is the one alongside the botanical gardens and the quarry. It's dead straight and about 300m long with a similar gradient to Dornoch Terrace. After that you can just turn around and go home again or if you are feeling good, head to the next plateau. I have asked Linda to come along again too. Time TBA.  
Hill-phobics: Don't think you aren't ready for this first hill. If you can get up Dornoch, you can get up this one. Just take your time, breathe steadily and use a nice low gear.

Breaking 70

Well I think Gold Stars to everyone who fronted up this morning at 6am after an evening of high spirits. Special mention to Ruth who went as far as Herston Road. Next time Kedron Brook!

Riders: Celia, Jacque Boon, Bronwyn, Emma, Cara, Ruth

I would describe the morning as leisurely. We took it at a nice steady pace with the usual chit-chat along the way. It felt like we reached Shaw Park without a huge amount of effort... and then from there it was easy street all the way to Nudgee.

That is Celia on the right.

Once we arrived at the cafe, it took quite a while for the order to arrive. We took our food and drinks across the road so we could sit by the water. Celia had quite a dodgy coffee. Emma had raisin toast and a v. dodgy coffee.

 A bit hungover. Not much sleep. Emotional Bron-leaving feeling. Bad Coffee.

On the way home, we hit a couple of showery gusts along the river in Teneriffe. That was pretty hard going. Considering the hangovers and for most the lack of sleep, this was a monumental effort. As we neared home, we started to keep an eye on our mileage/kilometerage. It was only 68.5 when we rolled into Orleigh St. so we did a lap of honour down Ryan Street and back, then across into Cordeaux and Montague taking us across the line to the magic 70. I was so excited that I coasted down Orleigh Street, sitting straight up, riding one-handed ready to give the victory sign to anyone I knew walking in the park (nobody). I kept looking back waiting for my team-mates to round the corner and join me in triumph.... looking back.... looking back.... where were they? I started to get worried so I called Bron. It turns out they'd stopped for coffee (proper coffee) at Alberto's! AND had the victory bloody hug without me!! Heartless wenches. That'll serve me right for celebrating prematurely by myself.

It turned out Bron wasn't stopping for coffee but had stopped for a tearful goodbye with Jacque. She caught up in the end and we rode the final bit together.

Duration: 5 hours 26 mins! (That Nudgee Beach coffee really did take a long time to make)

High as a kite

It wasn't the best start. I'd tried to get an early night but spent much of the night worrying about if I was going to flake out half way up the hill and have to push my bike up the rest of the way on foot. It would seem that there comes a point where you just have to do it and get it out of your system.

The route: (for Celia and Linda as I was stopping off to do some work at the top)

Celia emerged from her house at 5.25am giggling.
 "What are we doing?" she asked  (more to herself than to me, I think) as we set off in the darkness. We met up with Linda at Davies Park a few minutes later as the first hints of daylight were starting show themselves and then we were off along the river, over the Go Between and along the Coro Bike path to the tunnel under Coronation Drive. From there, we rode the familiar path as if we were going to Jindalee but we hung a left to take the pedestrian bridge over the highway and onto the start of Mt. Coot-tha Road.

The first part of the climb is a long straight road from the Botanical Gardens to the base of Sir Samuel Griffith Drive (the road that circles the mountain).

I would describe this section as 2 Gladstone Roads. It's a steep section and feels pretty long. I reckon it's the steepest, longest section of the entire ride so if you get up this ok, the only thing standing in your way is stamina. I have to say it's quite a challenge riding up hill anyway but when you are sort of scared it's even worse! My breathing was very heavy and a bit uneven to start off with but by the time I got to the top I'd calmed down a bit. I managed to get this shot of Celia slogging away as she was about to reach the top here....

You might be able to see here that she has just passed a couple of turns on her left. The one in the distance is the turning if you were to do the circuit clockwise (also known as the front way). The clockwise circuit is less steep but more undulating and a couple of kms longer before you reach the apex. If you want to take that direction, it is marked with a signpost for the lookout. We were going the anti-clockwise way because we're well 'ard and also cos Linda told us and she was in charge.

After this hill, you get a nice rest and even a floaty downhill section (you want to enjoy it but you know whatever downhill pleasure you deriving at this stage must surely be paid for soon after). Then, as you pass the entrance to Simpson Falls on your left, the real climb begins.

I started on my "granny gear" (i.e. the smallest cog) and about midway on the other gears at the back. It didn't take me too long to get down to 1 and 2 which is where I remained for about half of the climb. It was good to have that little one up my sleeve. I still could have done with another one, though.

By my count, there are 11 corners/turns before you reach Channel Ten. The first few turns seem to have plateaus in between so you get a bit of a rest but after a while the incline just seems to go on and on. It feels long. The subtle and beautiful sounds of the early morning forest were completely drowned out by the sound of my very audible breathing. Linda (leading the way) turned around to us at one point and said "that's about the worst of it". She was just saying that to make us feel good. I think this may have been something of a walk in the park for her while Celia and I were huffing and puffing like a couple of heavy smokers.

Arriving at work in one piece, it was (of course) time for a couple of victory shots. This one by Linda:



Buggered.

 Then we roped Darren, the security guard, in to taking one of all three of us:

Still buggered.

Then, being the custodian of the station cos it was stupidly early on Easter Sunday and everyone else was in bed or at home eating chocolate, I invited the girls in for a look around.

Here is the news: Three west end ladies got up a big hill this morning. Have a good Easter and good night.

Then to the canteen balcony for a bit of a view...

After which, Linda and Celia left me to get on with things while they got back on their bikes and headed back to West End.

Cut to the afternoon and, being the wonder woman that she is, Celia drove up the mountain with her bike in the car so that she could park her car and escort me down the mountain on the bike! How lovely!

So. We are continuing in the same direction, anti clockwise. Straight after Channel Ten is a short steep rise past the ABC transmission tower. At the top of this rise, you are at the highest point of the mountain. At this point you can truly say to yourself that you are past the worst of it... which is all very well but it doesn't mean you're downhill all the way after this. The road continues past Channel 7 and rises up towards Channel 9. It's all a bit undulating until we get to the lookout roundabout. After that, it really is downhill all the way.

You get to a point where the road widens and there is a bus slip road to the left. It says ROAD CLOSED at the moment but that's just for buses or cars. Bikes are ok.

Take this road and it will lead you safely down to the turn-off that we saw in the photo with Celia above (the one closer to us with the no entry sign).

So that's it. I'm looking forward to trying this again. Let me know if you are interested. Here are some of my stats:

Time taken from West End to Channel Ten: 1hr. Distance: 12.71kms

A few km splits: 9km: 3'53", 10km: 5'33", 11km: 4'16", 12km: 7'16" 12.8km: 6'31"

Elevation start: 8m, end: 231m

Time taken from Channel Ten to West End: 42min. Distance: 15.71km

Fastest km: 5km: 1'37"

Later on that day, with our glasses charged and basked in a triumphant glow, Celia and I were surrounded by other wonder women and their families at Grill'd.

It was a great, great feeling to have done this milestone and I think we are ALL capable of getting up there.