Sunday MTB fun

Well well.

Called John this morning and decided to go for a ride this morning at 10. When I opened the garage door I realized that I still have a puncture to fix from last weekends ride... so off came the wheel and out came the patch kit.... it's been along time since I've fixed a puncture but as soon as I smelled the glue all the memories came back to me.... it was a very emotional puncture repair..hehehe

Our ride started at Elliott centre and we went all the way to William Moffet and back then down to Dodds farm and over Target Kloof down to Brickmakers. That was 15km and my legs still had the memory of Saturday's Marive Drive ride. We then headed back and just as we crossed Target Kloof down to the river John's disc brakes started screaming and guess what..... he front wheel had come loose...hehehehe it was a funny but scary moment.

We then went up the jeep track to the night race course. By now I was finished and my arse was sore. We had been pushing it the whole way harder then our previous Valley rides and finally yesterdays ride especially the climb up LaRoche drive caught up to me.

When we finished it was 25km at a time of 2hrs which include John taking a dog back to his owner after it followed us for about 1.5km.

Colin called this afternoon to go spinning so I thought it will be a nice chance to get the legs loose so I put in a easy 50min to end it off.

Now I'm having nice bean soup and I'm going to sleep late in the am.

Marine Drive (on a road bike!!!)

130.5kg

When I got home from work yesterday my Bicycling Magazine was waiting for me in the mailbox. This was good timing because I'm suppose to do Marine Drive in the morning on Colin's road bike. This will be the first time on a road bike in 13 years. hehehehe.

I scanned the Bicycling magazine for any secret tips that could help me with the 06h15 start 37km around Marine Drive.

I got a sms from dad saying it's wet and asking if we should go. I got up and it wasn't that bad so I replied that we should. Next was a sms from Colin asking if I'm going and the answer was yes. If I didn't go this morning I will spend the whole weekend and week wondering how it would have went.

I arrived at 06h08 at the BP in 10th Avn Walmer and waited for my dad to arrive. A few other riders arrived and I got a few mornings and hello's..... I also got a few looks cos I was wearing my normal cycling attire consisting of long sleeve T-Shirt and baggy pants with cycling shorts underneath. (I can't find cycling clothes that fit...yet)

The ride went very well. Colin joined us by the go-cart club. I was leading the 7 strong pack for about 85% of the way with Colin doing the TRI thing in the front. It was awesome riding and when we got to Le Roche hill I found nice rhythm and reached the top first with Colin and my dad right on my wheel.

We averaged 28km/h and my heart rate was 154bpm average and 177bpm max. This is the highest I have ever gotten my heart!

Brilliant ride and I think that this will become an weekly thing.

Weekend Plans

130.8kg

I went to Carey Main today to get weighed again. I lost 3kg since I last went to her (12th June).

I was a bit worried because the last two weeks was very relaxed with allot of parties and I had some sweets. I also haven't done as much time in the gym as the last few weeks, the mornings are just too cold lately.

I'm thinking of doing the Marine drive tomorrow morning. There are 3 groups that leave from 10th Avn Walmer on Saturdays. 06h00, 06h15 and 06h30. Slow, faster and fastest. I'm going with my dad at 06h15 if the weather clears. We had allot of rain today.

I am nervous for tomorrow's ride. I borrowed Colin's racing bike and it will be my 1st time on a racing bike in 13 years.....hahahaha

Well let's see how it goes!!!!

Sunday Ride (1st puncture)

Went for a afternoon ride with my dad, Martin and Grant.

At first I thought that I might suffer cos I could feel my legs after yesterdays ride with Martin but the legs were actually feeling great and strong!!!

We started at my dad's house which is just of Target Kloof on the Valley. We then went up the Valley through Dodds farm all the way along the bottom to the pump station and along the top jeep track and back into the down a rocky downhill.

At the bottom of the downhill I thought that my shock was buggered but 5min later I noticed that my front wheel was going flat. No worries I made it back to the car.

My tech skills are pretty good and riding in the valley really helps. Just the hills kill me. I am getting out of the saddle as often as I can but it's a bit difficult with my weight and the current shock I have. I would love to get a proper air/oil shock as this will solve all my issues.

Thanks for the great ride guys it was great fun.

Saturday Ride

Went for a ride with Martin this morning. We started at the Elliott Centre and went into the valley from there. First we went left on the upper road to 3rd Avn dip and then back to Dodds Farm all the way to the Ice Rink and Up Brickmakers Kloof and back in at Settlers Park to Dodds Farm and up at little walmer and back to Elliott Centre.

It was a nice +20km ride. I felt a bit week today as well but still pushed it a little. My heart rate up Brickmakers was 167bpm.

I'm getting use to standing and climbing now but I can't do it for more than about 1 - 2min. Downhill is lots of fun and I'm becoming one with the big. During the climbs gravity and my weight is still against me. Just to give you and idea how it feels for me to cycle up a hill take a 25kg cement bag and put it on your bike. If you weigh 80kg's take two 25kg cement bags strap them to your bike and go for a ride..... hehehehe

Thinking of going for another ride in the valley tomorrow.

Check this!!!

Check this, it's a pic of me finishing the 35km Ridge Mania XC Race!


This is Elize who cycled with me the last 15km.

Gym - Going up a level!

131.4kg

I went to gym on Monday night with the mind-set of surprising my body.....

I went upstairs...... yes I went to the upper level were all the big weights are...... It was a big move as I was now moving out of my comfort zone.

When I got upstairs I went straight onto the big saddle bikes and put in a 20min spin. The I went to the x-trainer or the orbitec machine, there were a few girls doing it as well and it looked pretty easy.....boy was I wrong. I lasted 3min on the machine.

With my tail between my legs I went to the row in front and tried the stepper. It wasn't as bad as the x-trainer thingy and I did 7min which brought my exercise time to 30min.

Last night I went back to the top floor and started with the stepping machine. I managed 20min and then did 10min on the bike!

I have only gone to gym in the evening this week and not in the morning.... I'm a bit worried...

Later.

Ridge Mania 35km Race

I was very very nervous before the start. The longest ride I have done was 40km and it was flat flat flat. This race was 35km and NOT flat.

Well we started at 08h30 from Thornhill N2 turn-off. We headed up the hill towards the sea and down into Yellowwoods, up the hill to the Van Stadens Flower Reserve through the valley up to the railway line and over the train bridge back to the start. It turned out that the race was only 30km but boy o boy it was long.

I loved the downhills and the up-hills killed me but I can feel that my riding has improved quite a bit. The first half of the race I cycled with Rob Rudman but he dropped me on the climb out of Yellowwoods. Then I caught up to a girl called Elize and we cycled together until the end.

Here are my race stats:

HR Max 174 (99%)
HR Avg 155 (88%)
16.7Km
Spd Avg 29.8km/h
Spd Max 64.8km/h
Cad Avg 78 max 108

Tomorrow is youth day so there is no work tomorrow. I think I will go for a nice long ride!

I will publish result when I get it!

Night Ride Results

I did 3 laps again in 1 hour.

On 29 may I did it in 58min, This week I did it in 53min.... whooohooo!

I pushed hard last night with my average heart rate at 90% of max or 158bpm. I was finished afterwards.

Tomorrow morning is a 35km race... I'm nervous but just gonna take it easy and finish.

Later

Ups and Downs

I went to get weighed this morning....... I picked up 500grams. It's not a lot but it feels like a week wasted. I lost 2kg last week and 1,8kg the week before.

I have given it some thought and it's not such a bad thing. I think that it's my body taking a break because I have been hitting it hard... maybe that's a bad excuse... OK I'll come clean here is what I think.

Went for a slow 2 hour ride on Saturday burned 1500kcal, had a 2000kcal pizza afterwards.

Didn't cycle on Sunday or gym.

No race in Longmore on Sunday.

Missed gym Monday morning.

Had 2 packs of Jelly Beans this week. (on the pack it says "less than 1g fat")

Anyway I will bounce back.

Another disappointment is that my goal of weighing 125kg on 7th July when I leave for Austria is moving further and further away..... but we will see, I haven't given up yet!

As a precautionary measure I am going to start using the stepping machine at gym because I think that I have become immune to spinning. I think that I have to surprise my body a bit cos at the moment it knows what's happening cos I follow a routine.

I get up at 05h25 go to gym and spin for 40min go home eat, go to work, go home eat and go to gym at 19h30, go to John to talk shit and get to gym at 20h00 and spin for 50 min.

There is a night race tonight and a 35km ride on Saturday. I also want to do a nice valley ride on Sunday if anybody is keen.

Check this cool butter I'm using, read the lid. It makes me think everytime I have toast!

If you could see your heart would you take better care of it?

Gym

132.2kg

I have been to gym 76 times since 1st of March 2008 so I think that it's safe to say that I'm a local. There are all kinds of strange people that I see there with the funniest personalities.

Last night there was a guy on crutches doing the super circuit.

There is also this SA Rambo guy with a bless that wears the same clothes every night. He wears black rugby shorts and a grey gym t-shirt that's too short for him and when he is on the rowing bike machine I can tell that he only has one shirt 'cos it smells....

Then there is this Chinese guy with his young son. The guy will do the super circuit in slops and socks and the son will cycle next to me and turn the adjuster nob all the way out on his bike, and as soon as it's out he get's of the bike and runs around talking to all the girls.

There is also a young couple that will come in and cycle on the techno bikes. They wont say a word to each other for 20 mins. Then they will get off and do the super circuit and leave. I don't think they can talk.

There is also a group of about 4 or 5 big ladies that gym together but they talk so much shit that they don't do any real exercise. I have learned that if you want to lose weight get your heart rate up and do an exercise for longer than 30min. It's the only effective way at the gym to lose weight. Once you have done that and lost the weight then do the super circuit and tone your muscles and stuff.

Then you also get the newbies, they are people that I havn't seen in the 76 times I have been to the gym. They will walk upto a machine look at it, adjust some weights and figure it out on the fly. They will do this at about 4 machines get frustrated and leave.... I love the newbies cos watching them makes time fly-by.

My favourite "gym people" are the quiet once that just gym... and I mean just gym. There is this girl in black. She is just muscle and she wears a Polar 625x. She is a mean spinner and she got the shoulders of a swimmer. She is not attractive or anything but strong and dedicated.

You also get the super sexy "gym bunnies" they can be spotted a mile away and wear designer gym outfits. They are well toned and always got a Ipod and they never sweat. I am sure that they are employed by the gym.

Anyway who knows maybe someone wrote something about me in their blog. For all I know I could be the big guy on the spinning bike every morning and every night. But I know one thing.... I have made a change and decided to live a healthy lifestyle and by doing so have lost 23.8kg.

Saturday Ride - Elliott Cetre - Harbour and back

The weight is coming down nicely and I can so feel the difference. I went for a ride this morning with John and Damian we started at the Elliott centre at William Moffett where we went into the valley and down all the way to the bottom of Brickmakers. We then went up Brickmakers and down into the valley again at Settlers Park and back to Dodds Farm and along some nice single track along the edge of Little Walmer Golf Club to William Moffet.

It was a very nice "tourist ride" my heart rate average was 135bpm or 77%. We waited for Damian allot which made it slow and enjoyable.

I managed too wheelie today for about 20meters whoohooo!!! We also cycled most of the technical sections that we walked last weekend.

Although the ride was "slow" I can feel my legs are a bit numb tonight. The ride took us about 1h50min.

Next weekend there is a long ride called Ridge Mania MTB Ride it's about 40km.

Later!

Weekend Plans

I didn't do the night race last night. I must say I feel a bit guilty although I put in a hours spinning at the gym.

I just thought that I'll give it a break. During the night race my heart rate is usually 89% of max. I just think that I have pushed it a bit and decided to rest this week by going to the gym and doing the same time but at a lower heart rate.

Anyway. the weekend I'm thinking of tackling the baakens valley and ride from the Elliott Centre to the harbour and back. If anybody is keen let me know. We will leave at about 08h30..... some nice single track and not too tricky.

Goals and stuff.

I have thought about goals allot the last week. Obviously losing weight is my main goal and the reason for this blog... but I think that I can start being more adventurous when "inventing" goals.

Some of my goals / highlights achieved so far:

• Losing 20kg
• Cycling 40km
• Doing 15km in Longmore without pushing my bike
• Spinning non-stop for 30min

I also have a list of future goals but that will be made public a bit later.

Just wanna say thanks to my mate John. You have been a star bru!!!

Longmore results!

133.3kg

Well I got the Longmore Eduro 2 results.

I came 8th out of 19 entries. (4 DNF's)

My official time is 1:14:35

You know.. I'm just looking at the picture of me on the bike.... it's the 1st picture I have see in a while... and I am massive. The bike looks very small and I look very very big!!! It's weird cos I don't feel that big on the bike I actually feel very comfortably on the bike. But this is like a wake-up call!

Anyway I'm enjoying my cycling at the moment and the more I cycle the smaller I'll get but it's just taking so long and I don't have the patients.

Anyway my next goal is to weigh 125kg on 7th July when I leave for Austria.

cheers

Longmore Enduro (1 June 2008)

It was a nippy cold morning and it rained allot the day before. I was very keen to ride even if it rained a bit during the ride.

It was a similar course to last week but they replaced the long climb from last week with a looonger climb this week. The rout was 2km longer than last week and we climbed 213m in 4.5km.

Martin and my dad came along for the ride and Martin's friends from Addo.

I will post the results as soon as they are live.

Here are my race stats.

HR Max 167 (95%)
HR Avg 154 (88%)
16.7Km
Spd Avg 13.2km/h
Spd Max 62.1km/h
Cad Avg 78 max 104

Later!!!