Great To Be Getting Around

I have to say what a glorious feeling it is to back on the bike. Maybe not as regular as I would like, but at least several times a week is better than nothing. The knee is getting stronger and as it progresses so will my riding, and distances. I hope to be getting back into one hundred kilometre distances soon.

I'm off doing some fishing this week so I won't get too many rides in. I thought I would take to the chance to head up to Lake Monduran, north of Gn Gin to hunt some barra (barramundi) before I undertake my entrance back into the real world.

Next week I have my last specialists appointment and should get a clearance to go back to work, hence the fishing trip, and then my friends I'll get busy planing some weekend rides away.

I think I am getting re-bitten by the MAMIL bug. I have a deep desire to purchase another road specific bike, don the lycra and get out there on carbon again. I don't have any desire to race, but the road bike before helped drastically with my fitness and weight loss, something that I desperately need.

My weight gain has been significantly out of control over the past eight months since I haven't been riding. I was 132 kg's before I started riding, and with a reasonably short time I was down to around 96 kg's. I flatlined at around 98 kg's which I was happy with and it remained stable. Since the last trip finished in November last year, let's just say that I look like Martin Short in that movie where he had an allergic reaction to a bee sting. I went for a swim in the beach the other day, and when I tried to get out of the ocean Greenpeace turned up and tried to push me back into the water. Too much beer, too much food and too little exercise have taken their toll.

The purpose of the road bike as well, is that I have always had an interest in ultra-cycling. I'm not saying I will, but I'd like to undertake this to a certain degree. before on the old Domane I loved 160 km and 200 km rides. Even a short afternoon blast was at least 60 km's in distance with a 100 plus km ride on the weekend being the norm. So maybe it's time again to pour myself into the lycra once again...

I had to go to Brisbane last week for an appointment. I really enjoyed the ride down there. I headed west from my hotel room in Anne St to St Lucia.My plan was to catch the ferry across to West End from there and ride around the river bank to Kangaroo Point. When I got to St Lucia I missed the ferry and not being sure when the next one would be I decided to ride across the new bridge that runs from St Lucia to Dutton Park.

Once at Duton Park I progressed along the back of Highgate Hill to West End then down through South Brisbane to South Bank. Because of the extra distance, and hills, I cut the ride short not going to Kangaroo Point. So over the Good Will Bridge I went, up Adelaide St back to my room.

After a shower I headed out for some malty, hoppy refreshing beverages. Then it was time for some dinner. Deciding that we'd just go a pizza we headed down to the nearest Woolies and picked up some supplies. On the way back we were way laid at The Pig & Whistle just for a quick pint...well so much for that idea...we weren't just way laid, we were hog tied and hornswaggled by the Guiness...lol

We staggered, umm...I mean headed home a couple of hours later a little jaded. Two country boys in the Big Smoke...lol.

After dinner, yes we did eventually eat, I fell into bed. It was all too soon when that alarm sounded...uurgh!

The driving down and back, and amongst all the traffic took it's toll on me, I'll get into the full story one day, and I certainly was glad to see the safe haven of my humble little abode. Being in the car for so long didn't help with the knee either. It was stiff, swollen and very inflexible...I did get up for a ride on the Friday morning but found it difficult to walk. This persisted until Sunday afternoon so needles to say, "No riding". It was a shame too, as a couple of old friends and I have started getting together and re-visiting the old coffee shop ride on a Saturday morning again. I have been loving these rides as the past eight months has seen me rather secluded and separated as well. I'm trying to work on that, it's not always easy.

Any peeps, I hope you are all well and are enjoying life, until next time...cheers and ride safe out there.

Freedom At Last!

The one thing I have always loved about riding is the freedom that comes with it. Unfortunately due to recent, and not so recent, events that freedom has gone astray. But thankfully those restrictive days are over as I now am able to get out and ride, and ride pain free.

My first ride was on Thursday of this week which also coincided with the beginning of week three recovery from the arthroscopy. It wasn't a hard ride and reasonably flat, but I managed to cover around 27.5 kilometers.

The elation I felt was remarkable. The joy of riding had once again been restored to me. I headed south out of town and did a half of the Clayton's loop, a popular loop among us recreational riders. I merely wanted to go out and test the waters and the good thing about the route I chose was that I could cut my ride short and get home at any given time.

But the knee held up, it didn't hurt and I was pain free all the way. I picked a great day to start back on the bike, the beginning of Magpie season, and a strong south easterly blowing. Magpie season lasts around six weeks at the beginning of spring whilst the birds are nesting. They become aggressive and very territorial at this point, and they have no problem with dive bombing from the heights and clipping your helmet as you ride by, or the odd ear lobe.

Day two I wanted to push the limits a little more. I decided on a ride to the coast and back, 48.5 kilometers in total. I headed out to Burnett Heads, a coastal village on the water's edge. I headed north following the Burnett River then up through the myriad of sugar cane and sweet potato fields that line the way. It's also lightly undulating along this way so it was a good tester.

I then headed up to the Port which is home to our Sugar Terminal. The terminal is where sugar is trucked from the mills, offloaded, then loaded onto ships. From here it was along via the marina around to the ocean front.

I arrived to my turn around point just in time. It was like someone turned on a switch, a fan. Bang! Out of nowhere a strong north easterly began to blow. This, for once worked in my favour. It's not often you get the chance to sail home from the Heads with a tail wind.

I didn't just make it home, but I made it home via my favourite coffee shop, one I hadn't been to in a while. It was well worth the extra little bit on the ride. Well, it is coffee after all.

Day three I met up with a couple of riding buddies that I haven't seen in ages. It was fantastic to catch up with them. This ride was just going to be a light twenty kilometers or so. But Ron on his E-bike and Jodie, although she hasn't ridden much lately, is extremely fit from her running. Well the two of these guys had me working, and especially as the way we went had a couple of longish hills. Well longish for Bundaberg anyway.

We were going to do a little extra through a picturesque estate that we frequent, but honestly my legs weren't in it. I'm still in recovery mode after all.

Making our way back via Fairymead it wasn't long before we found ourselves at that coffee shop again. It seemed to just jump out at us, so what were we to do?

All in all I am happy with the way things are going. So much so that I am seriously thinking of purchasing another road bike. Does this mean I will be re-MAMILised. Well I do have a heap of lycra still, and the Bontager Velocis shoes and Circuit helmet can be easily dusted off. I will have to pour myself into it all, and it won't be pretty...but hey! I do miss the Domane...

At the end of the day I am immensely relieved. For the past eight months I have felt fairly constricted, not much smile on the dial and pretty empty inside. Not anymore, the freedom and exhilaration that comes from riding has returned. It's not about going fast, it's not about challenges, it's just all about the ride.

Cheers guys, and as always, ride safe.