Le Tour Time!!

Its Le Tour de France time again! Probably my most favourite time of the year. I usually stay up and watch most of the stages (they are live on SBS from 10pm-2am) which results in me being a zombie for the month of July.
Every 3 or 4 stages I will skip a night of viewing and catch up sleep. I also record them on the PVR to rewatch later on (if I fall asleep on the couch). Waking up to ride to work can be tough after a few late nights.

The big news so far is that Australias Orica-Greenedge team won their first ever TDF stage! Its a first for an Australian Cycling Team! Go the Aussies! AND to back that up, they team-time-trialled into the YELLOW JERSEY the very next day!

Australia has become one of the power players in the cycling world and its great to see the hard work paying off. I know I was cheering at the TV at 1am in celebration. Lets hope they can hang onto the jersey for a few more days - they are unlikely to keep it in the mountain stages. After that the GC heavy hitters will take over and light things up abit.

A pleasant side effect of the Tour is that every ride I do feels like a tour stage - I'm sprinting on the flats, dancing on the pedals up the mountains and decending like a pro (well....I pretend to). Nothing like some exciting races to perk up the motivation on a winters morning ride.

Happy Tour Time and safe riding!


Beautiful photos borrowed from www.cyclingtips.com.au

 

 

 

 

 

 "Winners are Grinners!"

2013 Bridge2Bridge Video Highlights

The video highlights have been put together into a beautiful movie of our journey from Brisbane to Sydney. Watching it brings back some nice memories of the pain and happiness a 1,050km ride can bring. I can't believe how lucky we were with the beautiful weather and amazing scenery.

Enjoy!!

Training Diary 18/06/2013

Training Stats:

• Distance YTD - 5,503 km 
• Elevation YTD - 51,482 m
  
• Ride Hours YTD - 227hr 25min
  
• Current Weight - 79kg

Well its has been abit quiet on the old Blog and riding side of things. After training long and hard for the big Bridge2Bridge ride (and doing the ride itself), I owed Bianca some quality time on the weekends and during the week. We spent it mostly eating haha which was handy because I lost a few kilos on the ride. It was enjoyable just lounging around and enjoying each others company.

I didnt get on the bike much during the last month or so - I had the odd mountain bike ride which was great fun. So the training stats from the last month are low but I am glad I took the time to rest up. Giving the legs a rest and letting the motivation build back up is important or riding will soon become a chore *shock horror* Something I never want to happen to me.

What Next?

So what next for me then? I have a few charity rides pencilled in which I hope to build up to. I haven't lost too much fitness from all the training so that is good. The next rides I have on my tentative list of options are:

• Brissie to Bay 100km on 23rd June
• Logan City Charity Ride 100km on 28 July
• Redlands Classic Ride 100km on 25 August
• Tour of Hope 120km on 8 September
• Robbie McEwan Gran Fondo 100km on 29 September
• Rainbow Ride 160km on 10 November

 There is also a couple of mountain bike rides I am thinking of giving a go too:

• Logans Run 75km on 11 August
• Freedom MTB Ride 60km on 12 October

Doing a MTB ride would be a great way to mix it up and keep things interesting. Hitting the trails on the weekend is a good way to fit a hard workout into a small time frame. If the weather can stay sunny and dry, the trails will be great this winter. You are also out of the cold winter wind in the bush which helps with the fun factor.

My new riding partner Dan and I are keen to do some more exploring around Brisbane. We have already done a hilly road loop around the Bunya Hills and Clear Mountain (which was cut short by a mechanical failure) but it was great fun. Anything is better than doing Riverloop every week! So I will map a few more adventures out and see if we can find the time to tick a few off.

Bike Fit

The other big activity from last week was that I had a proper bike fit done. I went to Physiotec at Tarragindi which is the same place Eddie has his late last year. Eric Huang is a mad keen cyclist and races almost every week so he knows his stuff. He did the fit taking into account specifics about my body/legs, my bike, the riding I do and any issues I have currently.

There was alot of detail in the 2.5hr session but a few things I learnt about myself:

• My knee pain experienced on the Bridge2Bridge was likely due to poor cleat setup. This was compounded by the fact I trained in my 'commuter' shoes and did the ride in my 'race' shoes. Explains why I had no problems in training but had some pain during the ride itself.
• Even though it is my dominant side, my right leg is less stable than my left. There are some exercises I can do which will help build up my stability in this leg.
• My right leg/foot tends to point outwards, where my left leg/foot is fairly straight. This requires different cleat position on each shoe.
• My right foot is actually 1cm shorter than my left. Again, it requires different cleat position on each shoe.
• My position on the bike was already pretty good. It only needed some slight tweaking (raising and pushing back the saddle). My saddle-to-stem drop is in area of 15cm which is pretty big! Slam that stem!

Eric suggested that I keep riding normally for 2-3 weeks and take note of any changes (good or bad) in my body and riding. I can come back as many times as needed, until I am happy - which is impressive customer service. All up it cost about $180, but as he is a physio (not a bike shop) I should be able to claim some on my private health insurance. I highly recommend it to anyone who has some pain on the bike, or if you just want to make sure youre not doing any damage to your body. Eric was very professional and pleasant to deal with.

I will do another update in a few weeks but so far things feel pretty good!

Safe cycling,

2013 Bridge2Bridge Wrap-Up and Photo Diary

 
"You've ridden from where?!" The lady sitting in traffic beside me asks. 

"The Story Bridge in Brisbane. Over 1,000km in a week." I reply a second time, with a half embarassed/half proud grin spreading across my face. 

"Wow. Thats a long way. Wow! You guys are amazing. Good luck for the rest of the ride!" She smiles and waves goodbye to the group. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

That was a pretty typical interaction from strangers we had met along our journey. Whenever we would have to put the Bridge2Bridge into words and explain to someone that we were cycling from Brisbane to Sydney, it would hammer home the sheer distance and size of the challenge (in case we had somehow forgotten).

As a fairly regular cyclist, I knew pretty well how much pain 1,000km would inflict on our bodies. But some of the other riders were less experienced (and much, much less prepared) and basically went in blind. For me, this is what made their achievement even more amazing. I know plenty of people who would have pulled out even before the first day was over.

There were definately times when I was hurting badly (physically and mentally) and thought about stopping or slow down. But the combination of the ride purpose, the people I was riding for and my determination to see it thru soon and give it my best soon banished those thoughts to the back of my mind. In the end, I completed it without too many problems and felt pretty good the next day. I even pushed myself on the climbs and set a quick average pace each day. My only real issues were:

• Saddle sores - They came on after 4 days of riding. I had used copius amounts of Assos Chamois Cream but they still appeared. They weren't too bad and I was able to continue riding (with a grimace) for the rest of the week. I would hate to imagine what it would have been like if I didn't use the cream (ouch!).
• Knee pain - My left knee was hurting quite abit when we hit the cold tableland country. Armidale, Scone and Glen Innes were all below 5 degrees and I found that my knee would hurt for a few hours until I had sufficiently warmed up. It didnt affect my riding too much as I would take it easy and warm up for the first 30-40km then hit top speed with Ivor and Lawrie later in the day. I should point out that I usually hate, hate, hate, hate the cold - and this ride would mark the coldest weather I have ever ridden a bike in.
• Flats - I was lucky with only 2 flats. Poor Ivor had 8 altogether, with 4 occuring in one day! That would have tested my patience I think.
• Shifting - My shifting on the bike wasn't as clean as I would have liked. I dropped the chain off the front a few times and there was some noise in the rear cogs too. I will have to spend some time looking over it this weekend.

The Team

The A-team! (L-R): Mark, Alex, Randall, Cure For Life rep, Graham, Rochelle, Lauren, Lawrie, Ivor, Kevin, Cure For Life rep, Andrew, Peter (and son), Me

Evil Masterminds (Randall & Mark): The key organisers. Randall lost his daugher to an aggressive brain tumor which lead to his first ride from Gympie to Sydney solo. After rebranding to Bridge2Bridge, Randall hopes to continue the ride for years to come. Mark is his key offsider - organising media appearences, meet & greets, school visits and rider preparation. Mark also loves a beer or three.

Guardian Angels (Graham and Rochelle): Our saviours. They drove the van and tended to our every need. I know how whingey and annoying I can be after a hard ride so I am so grateful for all their help managing and looking after 10 riders day-in, day-out. They put out breakfast, picked up our luggage, organised our motel bookings, provided drinks and food, warmed us up, cooled us down, encouraged us and provided vital distance and time checks (how annoying would 10 cyclists asking "how far to go now?" everyday be haha) and generally putting up with us. Without them, the ride would have been impossible.

The LJ Hooker crew: The major sponsor for the ride this year was LJ Hooker. This was led by the Sunnybank Hills branch. Peter is the head honcho and his team of Alex, Kevin and Andrew were along for the ride. Lauren (Alex's partner) and Lawrie (Peters friend) also joined up to boost numbers. They had strong motivation to complete the challenge with Lauren losing both her Dad and Sister to brain cancer and Lawrie losing his brother.

The Leftovers: Me and Ivor. Ivor knew Randall thru a friend and signed up for the first time this year. And me, well I just was on the internet one day and ended up on the B2B website. The rest is history.

Memorable Quotes

"Yep, they're screwed" - Was the resounding conclusion when Lawrie, Ivor and I had finally staggered into the motel in Warwick on Day 1 after 170km and the monster Cunninghams Gap climb. We were absolutely shattered and had little hope for the other less-experienced riders, especially after hear they had to walk up Cunninghams Gap. It was hours until we saw the next rider limp into the motel and the last rider finished in the dark. But none of them gave up, which speaks volumes for their mental strength.

"Damn you, Bolivia!!" - Muttered by me when my knee was giving me some grief climbing the long Bolivia hill outside Tenterfield. I still have no idea why this random climb is named after a South American country. Good news was I hit my highest speed of the trip - 75km/hr - down the otherside.

"How many hills are left?" - I think Lauren asked Randal this question daily haha. Safe to say Lauren wasn't a keen cyclist when she joined the ride but I am hopeful we have converted her now. She was the most determined person on the ride, with only 4 months of cycling under her belt she never gave up.

"Andrew crashed his bike further back. Peter might have pushed him off." - On the last day, Andrew had an unfortunate accident crossing a freeway onramp and was left sprawled across the tarmac. When his brother Peter, arrived fresh as a daisy miles ahead, we concluded that Andrew may have been caught up in sibling rivalry.   

"Oh look, dead pig." - After seeing close to 50 dead wallabies on the side of the road, we were somewhat excited about a different dead animal. For the record, we saw only 1 dead pig, a few foxes, a deer and a couple of cats. My nose is now finely tuned to the stench of road kill - I can smell it coming a kilometer away.

"Kevin is lucky to still be alive. He ended up in a bogan coal mine." - On the second last day we passed thru Cessnock which has the reputation for being somewhat....bogan. Poor Kevin (our funny Korean rider) had set off by himself, was promptly verbally abused by some racist kids, got angry and rode off in a huff. Only problem being that he went down the wrong road and ended up on some Cessnock coal mine access road. Safe to say if Graham and Rochelle didnt find & rescue him, those rednecks would've had Kevvy for dinner. Funny story tho.

Afterthoughts...

For days after the ride I would flip flop between two trains of thought:

• Well, that wasn't so hard. I am not even that sore. I didn't bleed, I didn't sacrifice a body part and with abit of training anyone could do that ride. Heck, even a rider with 4 months experience managed to finish. Its not that big of a deal. 

and 

• Holy moly that was hard. Don't forget how low you felt coming into Warwick on the first day - that was the worst you have ever felt on the bike. How many other people do you know that could do that? Sure the less experienced riders finished as well, but their mental strength is what kept them going. Its mind over matter when the body gives up. That was a tough ride. 

After talking to a few people back in Brisbane and hearing their reactions to the ride, I think its probably a mix of both trains of thought.

Yes, it was the hardest week of riding in my life. But, it was also the most rewarding thing I have ever done. There is that magical feeling of pushing yourself to the absolute limit of exhaustion, yet still being able to smile and laugh only an hour later. Add to that the fact we were doing it for charity (and in memory of friends we lost), then you have this whole mixed feelings of achievement, honour and sacrifice. Regarding the charity side, its nice to know someone, who I will never meet, will benefit from the money we raised - and one day if a cure for cancer is found, I can quietly be proud to be one of the many who helped that happen.

All in all, I would count it as a life changing experience. One which I would love to repeat again.

Wide-eyed and Legless....exactly how I felt at the end of the ride

Photo Slideshow

News Articles

http://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/east/six-dedicated-riders-will-take-on-1000km-this-week-when-they-take-part-in-the-bridge-2-bridge-bike-ride/story-fn8m0sve-1226632796207

http://www.armidaleexpress.com.au/story/1490373/on-bikes-to-save-lives/

http://www.gympietimes.com.au/news/pedal-power-to-find-a-cure/1871087/

http://www.northerndailyleader.com.au/story/1485089/putting-the-brake-on-cancer/

http://www.tenterfieldstar.com.au/story/1468298/riders-arduous-trek-for-cancer/

http://www.gympietimes.com.au/news/pedalling-for-cure-to-cancer/1849798/

http://www.warwickdailynews.com.au/news/bridge-to-bridge-riders-get-ready/1853297/

http://www.cessnockadvertiser.com.au/story/1596244/pedalling-for-a-brain-cancer-cure/?cs=459

Motivational Story - Reid Anderton (Aussie Challenge)

This is one of the most amazing endurance endeavours I have ever seen. The Aussie Challenge is Reid Anderton aiming to break the current record for travelling around Australia on his bicycle. He has set out to cover 400km per day for 35 days (total of 14,100kms).

As a recreational cyclist, I know what these kind of distances and times translate to (lets just say....alot of pain!). Not even professional cyclists do this amount of riding in their training.....and they get paid to ride! 

Reid Anderton is nothing short of a legend. He is truly inspiring and an prime example of how far you can push the human body if you are willing to try. Mental toughness will long outlast your physical limitations.

Official website for the Aussie Challenge

From his website...

Breaking the Current Record

The Guinness World Record is currently set at 14,183 km (8,813 miles) around the coastline of Australia in 42 days, 8 hours and 25 minutes by Hubert Schwarz (Germany) on the 4th of October 1993. This averages around 337km/day. But there was another record set on the 20th of October 2011 by Dave Alley at 37 days, 20 hours and 45 minutes, or around 377km/day. Let's just say that's a pretty high bar to better and a lot of pain to endure.

Reid Anderton who is part of the Challenge for Change team will be attempting to break the record for the fastest solo supported cycle around Australia. Reid is aiming to ride over 400km/day for 35 days - totalling 14,100kms. While he maybe cycling alone, he is hoping many will join the cause and make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children.

Suffering Alone

My (Reid) Challenge is ridiculous; 400km per day for 35 days around Australia. If I make it, it will set a new record for the fastest solo supported cycle around Australia. Everything would have to go my way for this figure to be achieved. Injury, weather (headwinds and rain), logistics, planning or lack of physical/ mental ability will all come into play, meaning my best case scenario could be severely limited, or at worst case, I could fail to complete the entire journey at all. 
On average I will be on my bike for 16-18 hours per day, burn 15,500 calories (enough to consume 28 Big Macs or 980 over the 35 days!) use 7 sets of tyres and cycle over 14,200km of following a single white line travelling at around 25-30km per hour, by myself. Enough to do anyone's head in! 

400km per day – possibly not achievable? But given the right conditions...just maybe!

Why?

Why does Reid ride? To raise funds and awareness for kids living in poverty, particularly in Southern Africa, working with Eagles Wings. Abject poverty is a condition that around 2.5 billion people worldwide experience. It basically means they are trying to live or exist on less than $2 per day. I personally have no idea in reality what this feels like, but I have seen the effects and issues related to abject poverty, mostly within Southern Africa. It is not a good story.


Your challenge will not be easy either. While I am on a bike for at least 35 days riding 400km per day, your challenge is to simplify your life-style for 35 days in order to raise $400. This way we will all stand in solidarity with children who currently live in extreme poverty raising vital funds and awareness.
Is $400 easy? Think through the certain luxuries you may be used to in your day to day lives. You enjoy coffee, chocolate, a round of golf, driving EVERYWHERE, desserts, restaurants etc. Get the picture? Each day you have to simplify your life-style enough to save $12.00 per day. This is where your $400 will come from. Individually this may be a big challenge, but done as a family, or business it will be achievable.

To place this in perspective it costs around $12.00 per month to educate a child in Africa. Every day you save $12.00, means ONE month worth of quality education for a child in need.

So take a deep breath, consider the purpose and sign up to simplify your lifestyle for 35 days. Give up the take away coffee, the extra chocolate and maybe that round of golf and before you know it you will have the $400.

Let us know what you have done to simplify your life in order to stand in solidarity with disadvantaged kids and how much you have been able to save as a result. Post your stories on our Facebook page. Encourage and inspire others to participate. A real challenge for your change.

See Where Reid Is Right Now 

Strava Map of His Journey So Far

Reids Strava Profile

Reid Anderton - Suffering for a Cause He Believes In

How are you seen?

A recent change in my personal life has made me think about my personality traits. In particular, my sense of positivity/negativity and the interaction with those around me. And how it affects who I am as a person.

I do most (okay...all) of my deep thought pondering on the bike. Its really handy for that - hours and hours of mostly silence and nothing to occupy your mind except random thoughts and following the white lines. Anyway, this is what I have come to conclude so far from my zen-like ponderings:

Mr Positive or Mr Negative (or Mrs for the ladies)
We all know one of these personalities - chances are someone in our friend group meets one of these descriptions. Note: Im not an expert so these descriptions are my watered down opinions.

Mr Positive - Always has something nice to say about life, never complains about their circumstances, when a problem arises they are the first to search for a solution, if they encounter some bad luck they shrug and move on and they try to learn lessons from not only their mistakes, but the mistakes of others. They are often putting themselves out to help others (sometimes even strangers) and are willing to balance self-sacrifice and selfishness. Overall, they feel life is good and life is there for you to make the most of.

Mr Negative - No conversation is complete without a rant or rave about all the things wrong in the world, often including criticisms of others. They feel the world is against them and if they had better luck they could be as successful as the other guy. When bad luck comes their way, its just another obstacle in their day and they throw their hands up in frustration - often repeating mistakes without learning why. Very rarely do they have the motivation to do anything for themselves, let alone others. They often feel depressed or hopeless and may conclude that theres no point changing anything about their lives.

I know that I have met people that meet both those descriptions. Whether they are friends or colleagues or people you meet thru friends. Of course, there is a whole spectrum in-between and not everyone fits nicely into those two categories.

What I find most troubling however - is that I have met quite alot of Mr Negatives and not very many Mr Positives. I am sure you are the same.

In fact, on the odd occasion that I do meet a positive person - it always throws me off as you tend to get worn down day-by-day by all the negativity and complaining. I imagine its like in England where it will rain for months and months.....then one day the sun will be out and everyone will just point and stare in wonder!

One good example of a Mr Positive was at the wake of my good friend Eddie. The funeral was (and they always are) a sombre occasion. And while you talk of the funny times and the laughs you shared, there is that background sadness of a life lost.
A friend of Eddies from his yoga teaching group came up to me randomly and just introduced himself - smile beaming and hand outreached.
I admit it - my first instinct was a raised eyebrow and to box him in with a car salesman or politicians - you know.....those people with the crocodile smiles and far-too-happy-for-the-situation demeanour.
It turns out that he was just a happy guy there to spread more happiness. He obviously saw some people feeling abit sad and took it upon himself to go over and spread some smiles. He talked about how positive Eddie was and all these funny conversations they had together at 'yoga camps' and in the end he sort of shrugged and said "Well, that's life isn't it.". And with his smile still beaming he wandered off to find some more people to talk to.

It was quite amazing actually - his behaviour didn't really sink in until hours later. And that's the shame of it all - I was so unfamiliar with a truly happy person that when I encountered one, it puzzled me. I immediately thought they were crazy or had some ulterior motive. When in reality, they were just positive. Positive about life and positive about living.


What about me?
Its fairly simple to see that the company you keep, affects the type of person you become. If you associate with negative people, you will eventually become one. Alternatively, if you associate with positive people, you can rest assure that their positivity with rub off on you.

I decided that this year was the year where I reduce the negativity in my life. People who complain, blame others, criticise, or moan are not the people I want to be around. I want to be inspired, I want to hear good things, I want to appreciate each day, I want to aim high (and sometimes fall short) and I want to feel good about myself, my life and my surroundings. And I want to hear about my friends achieving great things, travelling to new places and being all they can be.

I'm not saying that we all have to live like we are high on LSD - you are allowed to have a bad day or get frustrated about something going wrong. But its the way you handle these challenges that makes the difference.

This is something I plan to work at.

Motivational Story - Ernest Gagnon

I love articles about normal everyday people who decide to take control of their lives or take on an issue close to their heart. Its different when a multi-billionaire decides to build a hospital or donate a bunch of money - they enough resources to ensure that this act is not really going to affect their lives too much. But when someone donates all their savings to charity, or gives up a year of their lives to help out in 3rd world countries - you just have to admire their motivation.

I read this story about Ernest Gagnon in US and was pretty inspired. This is someone who had been down and out for so long - he just got up one day and decided he wanted a different life. Some people would've opted for medication, a fancy celebrity diet or surgery - not Ernest.

After reading this - there is absolutely no excuse for anyone else. Any time you feel abit tired, or you would rather stay on the couch and watch TV, think of this story. Inspirational!



From Velonews.com

Two years ago, Ernest Gagnon weighed 570 pounds. The 30-year-old lived in self-imposed exile in his Massachusetts apartment, leaving only to go to work and to the grocery store. He was depressed, lonely and suffering from crippling anxiety. Then the doctors gave him the news and two choices: Gagnon had type 2 diabetes; he could undergo gastric bypass surgery or die.

Gagnon chose a third option — cycling.

Today, the big man from the small town of Billerica is on a mission from the bike gods. He’s lost more than 200 pounds. His blood-sugar levels have been reeled in from off the charts to the high end of acceptable. He’s rapidly becoming an Internet celebrity in the cycling world .

Even better, Gagnon finally fits in somewhere. After a decade of isolation, Gagnon has friends. Unlikely friends. Bike racers.
“I’ve kind of always been into cycling,” Gagnon said. “But because I was big, everyone said, ‘Oh, you’ve gotta be a football player. You can’t do that cycling stuff.’” So he quit, while still a kid.
It was a harrowing childhood for Gagnon, full of insults in the schoolyard and uncertainty at home with an alcoholic father. Eating became his escape. He went off to college, and then got a job doing tech support for Internet security. “I had a pretty rough life after college,” Gagnon said. “I didn’t really do anything. I didn’t go out of the house except to go to work and to go to the store. I didn’t really have a social life. I just kept eating and eating. My only friend was food.” He went on like this for the better part of a decade.
“One of the reasons I didn’t go to the gym or go work out was because I felt I was looked down upon,” Gagnon said. “I was depressed.”
Embarrassed by his weight, Gagnon kept turning to his only friend. Only when Gagnon was diagnosed with diabetes and reduced blood circulation was he shocked into action. “I was scared,” Gagnon said. “I had to do something. My doctor was trying to push me into a bypass, but I really had an issue with changing my anatomy to fix an over-eating or weight disorder. I was tired of being scared of everything and scared of people.”

So he made a new friend — the bicycle.

“It was not really a decision. It was a gradual process,” Gagnon said. He began a timid Internet campaign. He started a Facebook profile with a picture of a bike. “I was too embarrassed to publish my photo,” he said. “I didn’t think cyclists would accept me.”
But Gagnon pursued his dream with a sincerity that only the most carbon-hearted roadie could mock. He sent out hundreds of friend requests and messages to scores of cyclists, asking if they’d like to ride. Two of Gagnon’s first riding buddies were Zach LaBry, a Category 3 road and cyclocross racer from nearby Cambridge, and Cosmo Catalano from Hartford, Connecticut (author of the excellent blog Cyclocosm).

“I was on Facebook one day and Ernest sent me a message and was like, ‘Hey, when are we riding?’” Catalano recounted. “I understand it seems a little weird maybe to just go riding with someone random from the Internet, but a lot of cyclists I know are from the Internet. “All he had for a Facebook profile picture was a picture of a road bike. His story all sort of came out in bits and pieces from that conversation.
“He was like, ‘By the way, I ride really slowly.’”
“I was like, ‘That’s fine.’”
“Then he was like, ‘By the way, I weigh like 500-some-odd pounds.’”
“I was like, ‘… that’s good too.’”
The guys suggested Gagnon meet them at the Cycle-Smart International Cyclocross race in Northhampton, Massachusetts. Cycle-Smart is a UCI C2 cyclocross race — one of the biggest in New England with hundreds and hundreds of racers and fans. To say that Gagnon was nervous is a radical understatement. He was prone to panic attacks when going out in public. Inserting himself into a crowd of super-fit ’cross racers and sticking out like a sore thumb was terrifying, but Catalano and LaBry helped talk him through it.
They also helped Gagnon onto his bike after the race — not easy for a 500-pounder — and they rode a mile or so around the parking lot.
Then the racers started riding with Gagnon on the Minuteman trail, a flat bike path outside Boston. “The first time was only a mile down and a mile back,” Gagnon said. “Then we started doing half of it. Then we did the whole thing — the whole 22 miles.” Last year, Gagnon got a custom Seven Mudhoney S to replace his clunky coaster-brake Globe, which kept snapping seatposts. He started riding several times a week. Then he met another Cat. 3 racer, Steve Lachance. The duo rode the trainers together all winter. Eventually Gagnon built up to riding five or six times a week.

“He’s got this crazy drive,” LaChance said. “We’ll go on a crazy ride and he’ll go as fast as he’s ever gone, and it’s not good enough. He wants to go faster. He wants to go farther. The mental fortitude that it takes to push through all the barriers that he’s got is amazing. It’s really awe-inspiring.” Lachance and Catalano both initially rode with Gagnon just to be helpful. Today, they ride with Gagnon because they’re friends. His story has inspired the New England racing community. Gagnon’s Facebook profile is maxed out at 5,000 Facebook friends. Strangers say hi and congratulate him on the street. 

He volunteers at races most weekends to give back to the community that gave him so much. This year he purchased a USA Cycling license and plans to race cyclocross in the fall. Catalano said Gagnon has undergone a change that’s bigger than the number of pounds shed — big as that number may be.“What hasn’t changed?” Catalano said. “We recently went on a trip to DC and it was as if he had forgotten that he had anxiety problems. He’s becoming comfortable with himself. He’s such a good dude. And it’s been cool helping him realize that.”“I feel free,” Gagnon said. “I feel like I can finally be myself. Beforehand, I felt like I was trapped. I’ve never been able to be who I wanted to be. I always felt like the world was telling me I can’t be that way because I was too big. So to ride with all these guys — I mean, these are elite racers and Cat. 3s — to have these friends is awesome.”
Gagnon has one rule for those who ride with him: Kit up. This stems from his “Spandex Theory,” which postulates that in order to lose weight, he had to stop hiding.

So no matter who you are, what you look like, or how far you think you are from your goal — kit up and get started. Your friends are out there, waiting for you.


Ernest's personal blog - http://ernestgagnon.blogspot.com.au/

Training Diary 21/03/2013

Charity Ride Stats:

• Weeks until Bridge 2 Bridge ride - <7 Weeks
• Donations collected - $2,330.00

Training Stats:

• Distance YTD - 2,364 km 
• Elevation YTD - 20,950 m
  
• Ride Hours YTD - 97hr 33min
  
• Current Weight - 77.5kg

Continuing on the theme of the year - it has been a mixed bag in terms of training. The weather in Brisbane has been terrible for training - rainy days with the old day of clouds, then more rain again.

This has made training hard (as morale can get low if you spend 10hrs a week sopping wet and cold). Cleaning the bike is just about a weekly chore and I need to buy some new brake pads as the water is quickly dissolving mine away.

I have still been putting in long commuting hours (incorporating the Riverloop) which has been good and I am looking forward to finding some new weekend rides to do. Strava has a great "Activity Search" function where you can see the rides other cyclists have been doing near you. Good for new route ideas!

Newcastle and Hunter Valley Trip
Bianca and I flew down to Newcastle on the 9th March to spend just over a week in the area. The main reason for the visit was to see my grandma for her 89th birthday (not a bad innings!!) and see my aunty and uncle as well. I also wanted to spend some time in Newcastle city and Hunter Valley with Bianca and explore a little bit.

Contrary to most peoples opinion - I found Newcastle to be a great city to visit. Its a smaller, sleepier city compared to Brisbane - its CBD is only a few blocks across - but this was a great change of pace. Work has been really hectic lately (I had to work late in the days before we left) so the slow pace and lack of schedule suited  me just fine.

Me enjoying my morning coffee and paper

We stayed at the Novotel near Newcastle Beach which was right in the heart of the city. The cost was pretty good and the room was very nice. Our morning ritual consisted of waking up (without an alarm) and wandering off to find a good cafe for breakfast. One our favourite places was the Estabar Cafe which overlooked the ocean and had really good coffee. They also served yummy bircher muesli and gelato (which we sampled many times). I highly recommend visiting.

Estabar - A must visit cafe

The trip was timed perfectly with the 2013 Loop the Lake charity ride, which circumnavigates Lake Macquarie over a distance of about 90kms. The lake is a beautiful area and I was really keen to take part in the ride. More on that ride below.
I borrowed a hard bike case off a forum friend, and packed the bike neatly into it. The only other cost was for additional baggage on the flights and for 2 waterbottles as I forgot mine in the rush to pack! The hard case was excellent in protecting my pride and joy, but was a little on the heavy side. I have heard many horror stories of heavy-handed baggage handlers breaking carbon frames on delivery - I was keen to avoid that happening to me!

After 3 days in Newcastle, we caught the train down to Morisset where my relatives live. Its a sleepy town (theres only one main street) next to Bonnels Bay which is a part of Lake Macquarie. I was amazed that every area around the lake has beautiful views and barely any of it is ruined by high rise apartments or commercial developments. Its a great place to live. My extended family was excited to see me and even more excited to meet Bianca. I can read them like a book and I can tell they absolutely loved her. Nan was especially delighted to have someone new to tell all her stories too. I think I heard over 1000 stories during our 3 days stay - theres no secrets about the McGlinn family now!

Family portraits

From Morisset we hired a car (Nissan X-Trail) to drive up to the Hunter Valley. The car was beautiful to drive and I was thankful for paying more for a "4x4" as the potholes in the Hunter Valley would have swallowed up a small car.

We stayed a Peppers Guest House in Pokolibin, just north of Cessnock. It was very expensive and in high demand as there was some country music festival on the same weekend. The room was nice, but I couldn't help compare it to the places we have stayed in on our trips to Asia (for much, much less money). But it is what it is.

We visited a few winerys (even found a Petersons Winery, which we bought two bottles of Shiraz from) and drove off road to the various lookouts. It is not a flat area and you seem to either be driving uphill or downhill. I even got to take my bike out a few times and it was very hard work. It was quite hot during the day (between 25-30 degrees) which was quite a change from the dreary Brisbane weather. The scenery on my rides was fantastic - like nothing I have ridden thru before. I am glad I took lots of photos (which are now on my electronic photo frame).

 

Mt View Lookout - This climb was tough!

All in all it was a great trip south and I was really happy to have the sunny weather. Can't wait for our next adventure!

Hunter Valley Ride Strava Link


2013 Loop the Lake
I rode from Newcastle city to the start of the Loop the Lake at Spears Point, about 20kms away. I knew the Loop ride was about 90kms so I was in for a big day on the bike. I decided to go pretty quick at the start to keep up with the fast groups and then take my time on the last leg so I didnt have to limp back to the city.

  

 Loop the Lake - Looking euro pro...

It was a beautiful ride - the weather was just perfect with blue skies and whisps of fluffly clouds. As we started early at 7am it wasnt too hot either. The roads on the loop are quite good considering you are pretty rural and alot of the roads had a generous shoulder. There were some parts of bad shoulder and potholes but this was less common than I had expected.

Although 2000 riders had signed up for the ride (it has several route lengths you can choose from), I found myself riding alone or with a handful of others most of the time. This was quite nice and allowed me to enjoy the scenery and new sights without being worried about crashes or crowds etc. On the last leg, I made friends with Russell from the Central Coast and enjoyed a good converstation which made the last 20kms fly by. Russell has signed up for the Five Peaks Challenge in Canberra which is on my bucket list of things to do one day. Lots of climbing but we cyclists are suckers for pain :)

After we rolled into the finish area, we shook hands and bid farewell. I ate a banana and refilled my bottles and headed back to the hotel. Bianca had made her way down to the beach so I showered and promptly filled up on a delicious steak burger and chips (hey, I earned it!) and met her on the beach to watch the late afternoon sunset. Dinner that night was shared spanish tapas and a jug of sangria - a great way to end a great day!

Loop The Lake Ride Strava Link




Donations:
Big thanks to the following people who have donated - It really means alot to me to have your support!
Chris McGlinn (my brother), Damon Oudejans, Tara Puzin, Nik Vassilev, Mum & Dad, Josh Taylor, Brody Willys, Dorothy McGlinn (my grandma) and Shirley & John Schulz (my aunty and uncle).


Thank you all so much.

Hunter Valley...blue skies, dirt roads and vineyards

Saved By The Bike

Who doesn't love a good news story?
In a world where there only ever seems to be bad news, a feel good story can really lift your spirits.

These two are recent examples which have really put things into perspective for me.


From Genocide to the Games
Adrien Niyonshuti is young man from Rwanda. He survived the infamous 1994 genocide, when he was only seven years old. Tragically 6 of his brothers and 60 of his wider family were killed.

Later he took up cycling as a way of dealing with the horrors of his childhood. When he was older, he impressed selectors and was signed to the Team Rwanda based in Ruhengeri.

From there he only excelled - becoming the first black African to compete in the pro peleton when he raced the Tour of Ireland in 2009.

In 2012 Adrien was chosen to represent Rwanda at the London Olympic Games in the sport of mountain biking. He proudly carried the flag of Rwanda at the opening ceremony. A dream come true.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/09/sport/olympics-rwanda-cyclist-niyonshuti



From Jail Bars to Handlebars
Reon Nolan had a troubled childhood. Born into a world of crime and violence, Reons dad was murdered when he was 11.

Spiraling out of control, he joined a gang and lead a life of crime, drugs and stealing. These activities led to him serving jailtime many times, sometimes only spending a few months 'on the outside' before being sent back behind bars.

After being letdown by his so-called 'gang friends', Reon was parolled and released into the care of the Sailsbury Street Foundation, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre. It was here that he was introduced to cycling.

Fast forward through thousands of kilometres of training and racing over the last two years, and this unlikely character is representing New Zealand at New Zealand’s only international race - the NZCT Cycle Classic.

Just goes to show, it's never too late to turn your life around.

http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/news/42134/Reon-Nolan:-Saved-by-cycling