Thursday, June 19, 2008
Freedom... and the real work begins...
I am now offcially a gentleman of leisure! =D hahahaha
Of course, the really crucial stuff starts happening now. Many many things on many many fronts, so i hope i don't bore you too much as i attempt to tell you all about these and other happenings over subsequent posts on this blog. Stay tuned!
Of course, the really crucial stuff starts happening now. Many many things on many many fronts, so i hope i don't bore you too much as i attempt to tell you all about these and other happenings over subsequent posts on this blog. Stay tuned!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Saturday's epic
Damn i knew Saturday would be one of those days.
with Simon staying at home, and only Keith and Paul turning up for a 3-hour ride some time after 9am (the sleep-inners!), i had a feeling that i would be toughing it out alone again. How fitting, since this would be my last big-ass weekend ride in Melbourne for the next seven months at least.
So the three of us set off from INCC and did the Mt. Pleasant loop. Some good climbs, but when it came time to part ways, they turned left; i turned right to find my way towards Mt. Dandenong.
Clocked a new max speed on the road: 76.59 km/h - somewhere between Warrandyte and Ringwood... and this was without pedalling. For safety reasons, this was done using the Graeme Obree tucked-in position (with my hands covering the brake levers). What a rush!
Lovely weather by the way: cool temperatures, overcast skies, rain-slicked roads and a constant drizzle to maintain the consistency of the road grime as i picked my way towards the Mountain Highway.
Upon reaching the base of the 1-in-20, i proceeded on the first of three hill repeats. This was interesting as the cloud was really low. Took my time coasting on the descents - no point smashing myself into an oncoming car or falling off the hillside.
On the last one, i kept going through Sassafras, eased it off, then toodled up to Skyhigh on Mt. Dandy. On the way, i dropped my energy bar on the road - so numb were my hands from the cold. Picked it up and ate it anyway, for i knew i would be seriously f***ed on the way home if i did not keep up the energy intake. I had to get to Skyhigh, since i had never been there before despite my three years living in Melbourne. Hah.
Skyhigh was nothing much to crow about that day, given the atrocious weather and poor visibility, but i could imagine how nice it would be in summer or on a clear day. Just a handful of wandering families taking in the bleak view. I was soon out of the teeth of the wind and cold, coasting serenely down the long descent into Montrose singing songs to myself - strangely i don't remember a single car passing me as i did so.
Toodled home via Canterbury Road, then Riversdale Road (and i felt every undulation on this road for sure!), then my favourite: Burke Rd and its mother of a last climb into Malvern. Overall, i did feel i over-reached a bit on this day, but i was also glad i did the quality training where most others would have packed up and gone home long ago. The weather did contribute to overall fatigue, but the tough conditions just made it all the more worthwhile for me!
with Simon staying at home, and only Keith and Paul turning up for a 3-hour ride some time after 9am (the sleep-inners!), i had a feeling that i would be toughing it out alone again. How fitting, since this would be my last big-ass weekend ride in Melbourne for the next seven months at least.
So the three of us set off from INCC and did the Mt. Pleasant loop. Some good climbs, but when it came time to part ways, they turned left; i turned right to find my way towards Mt. Dandenong.
Clocked a new max speed on the road: 76.59 km/h - somewhere between Warrandyte and Ringwood... and this was without pedalling. For safety reasons, this was done using the Graeme Obree tucked-in position (with my hands covering the brake levers). What a rush!
Lovely weather by the way: cool temperatures, overcast skies, rain-slicked roads and a constant drizzle to maintain the consistency of the road grime as i picked my way towards the Mountain Highway.
Upon reaching the base of the 1-in-20, i proceeded on the first of three hill repeats. This was interesting as the cloud was really low. Took my time coasting on the descents - no point smashing myself into an oncoming car or falling off the hillside.
On the last one, i kept going through Sassafras, eased it off, then toodled up to Skyhigh on Mt. Dandy. On the way, i dropped my energy bar on the road - so numb were my hands from the cold. Picked it up and ate it anyway, for i knew i would be seriously f***ed on the way home if i did not keep up the energy intake. I had to get to Skyhigh, since i had never been there before despite my three years living in Melbourne. Hah.
Skyhigh was nothing much to crow about that day, given the atrocious weather and poor visibility, but i could imagine how nice it would be in summer or on a clear day. Just a handful of wandering families taking in the bleak view. I was soon out of the teeth of the wind and cold, coasting serenely down the long descent into Montrose singing songs to myself - strangely i don't remember a single car passing me as i did so.
Toodled home via Canterbury Road, then Riversdale Road (and i felt every undulation on this road for sure!), then my favourite: Burke Rd and its mother of a last climb into Malvern. Overall, i did feel i over-reached a bit on this day, but i was also glad i did the quality training where most others would have packed up and gone home long ago. The weather did contribute to overall fatigue, but the tough conditions just made it all the more worthwhile for me!
Saturday, June 07, 2008
The Daggy Ride
After running my arse off early in the day for 90 minutes (how does a 630am winter morning's start sound?), i took up the roller crew's offer of joining their DAGGY RIDE! Made the most of it: dagged it up to the max on my SS rigid MTB, thanks to a kafyir and white, over-sized Arabian robe, and my trusty Chaco sandals. Then it was off to Vigor for the meet-up of fellow dags. We proceeded to terrorize the streets of the CBD, Albert Park, St Kilda, and Southbank with our dagginess. The dagginess didn't really work along Smith/Brunswick Street though (we would have been considered ORDINARY there). Overall, i thought this was a pretty good way to recover from the week's training. Not the most glamorous of methods, for sure (we turned heads along Beach Rd especially), but we didn't give a rat's proverbial....
Rubearn, just out of bed; myself, just out of Riyadh.
Fellow daggy riders Bruce, Christina and Kerry outside Vigor.
Jonathan's cow socks... part of his dairy theme for the Daggy Ride. Now all we need is a cowbell!
John and Bruce waiting for the lights at Flinders Street Station.
I'll post more pics shortly...stayed tuned, fellow daggy wannabes!
Rubearn, just out of bed; myself, just out of Riyadh. 
Fellow daggy riders Bruce, Christina and Kerry outside Vigor.
Jonathan's cow socks... part of his dairy theme for the Daggy Ride. Now all we need is a cowbell!
John and Bruce waiting for the lights at Flinders Street Station.
I'll post more pics shortly...stayed tuned, fellow daggy wannabes!
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Weightism
I just had a handful of run-ins with weightism (the discrimination against fat, obese, and plus-sized persons) over the past couple of weeks that have made me feel just that little bit uncomfortable about the whole concept of exercising to keep healthy and fit.
I guess the issue with me is that performing well at sport (to a reasonably comptitive level) sits uneasily with the wider social aspect of participatory recreational sport.
When socialising with training groups and friends who are actively engaged in sport, the topics of conversation tend to follow well-worn tracks. We talk about the weekend's training sessions, the last PB, the upcoming goal race, or the latest bit of sports gear. But we also end up comparing ourselves to each other, and to others whom we interact with in our daily lives - others who may not appear to be as actively engaged in sport as we are, or who simply AREN'T active.
One classic example is toodling down Beach Rd, and i catch myself thinking:"Boy, that fat guy sure does not carry himself well in tight-fitting lycra! What's he doing out on the bike?" Its's true, but prejudices are hard to wipe from the mind's eye when one is actively engaged in a progressive level of activity and feeling good/fit/fast all-round. This is big-head thinking aloud.
A healthy amount of elitism is necessary to squeeze out peak performance, but when does that exclusivity turn into an unhealthy disdain for 'unlike' people? The seemingly innocent little jokes we make behind each others' back about how unfit/fat/sick a hypothetical someone must be... they must sound rather hurtful if said in the face of someone who, whether by choice or circumstance, cannot enjoy the same kind of lifestyle we lead.
How would you feel if you were injured or very ill and unable to be active, or if you were weight challenged, or if you were physically disabled in one way or another?
I'm just griping now, but i prefer to adopt the attitude of being inclusive and encouraging to all, rather than snivelling or laughing silently at others' ineptness or lack of fitness. I've been guilty of the latter in the past, and who's to say i won't commit the same mistakes again (that big-headedness thing at work again)?
I can only pray for more compassion, a clear conscience and a clear (smaller) head whenever prejudices come creeping back.
I guess the issue with me is that performing well at sport (to a reasonably comptitive level) sits uneasily with the wider social aspect of participatory recreational sport.
When socialising with training groups and friends who are actively engaged in sport, the topics of conversation tend to follow well-worn tracks. We talk about the weekend's training sessions, the last PB, the upcoming goal race, or the latest bit of sports gear. But we also end up comparing ourselves to each other, and to others whom we interact with in our daily lives - others who may not appear to be as actively engaged in sport as we are, or who simply AREN'T active.
One classic example is toodling down Beach Rd, and i catch myself thinking:"Boy, that fat guy sure does not carry himself well in tight-fitting lycra! What's he doing out on the bike?" Its's true, but prejudices are hard to wipe from the mind's eye when one is actively engaged in a progressive level of activity and feeling good/fit/fast all-round. This is big-head thinking aloud.
A healthy amount of elitism is necessary to squeeze out peak performance, but when does that exclusivity turn into an unhealthy disdain for 'unlike' people? The seemingly innocent little jokes we make behind each others' back about how unfit/fat/sick a hypothetical someone must be... they must sound rather hurtful if said in the face of someone who, whether by choice or circumstance, cannot enjoy the same kind of lifestyle we lead.
How would you feel if you were injured or very ill and unable to be active, or if you were weight challenged, or if you were physically disabled in one way or another?
I'm just griping now, but i prefer to adopt the attitude of being inclusive and encouraging to all, rather than snivelling or laughing silently at others' ineptness or lack of fitness. I've been guilty of the latter in the past, and who's to say i won't commit the same mistakes again (that big-headedness thing at work again)?
I can only pray for more compassion, a clear conscience and a clear (smaller) head whenever prejudices come creeping back.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Iylia's Indy 4 big day out!
What a blast! I'm only writing now just because i've recovered from the fits of laughter i've suffered recalling the events of last saturday.
Part 1
OK, first the training. Went for a morning run at Central Park (dodging the occasional doggy and leisure walker) for about 80 minutes. Not particularly long for a long run, but at least there was some quality in it (about 30+ minutes of tempo-paced stuff). Today was just a swap between the next day (Sunday) and Saturday's program (a long bike ride with 3x hill climbs slotted in). Not a bad idea, in retrospect, as i could run fresher for a change, although that would mean dragging my lazy self out of bed on Sunday at some ungodly hour to begin the ride!
It started with a mad idea on May 22: to watch Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I'm thinking: who i know would be an Indy buff? Why Iylia Dhamiri.... Called him up and shot the suggestion, and he sounded keen to go watch it. A quick check back confirmed that he and the MUAC SG gang would be good to go for a Saturday arvo showtime.
Later that day, I was browsing through the old Facebook (yes Iylia, nothing's a secret now thanks to Facebook) when i discovered that it was the guy's birthday this Saturday. I had no idea it was his birthday prior to this, but it was a pleasant dovetailing of my suggestion and his big day, i guess.
Met Elaine, Ray and Iylia at Melbourne Central and grabbed a bite at Nandos. Here, Ray shared videos and pics from his camera of going-ons that occured earlier that day after the MUAC run session... hilarious! All i can say is that it involved splattered cake, superhero aspirations, and a distinct red garment of felonous origin....
Shortly before the movie, we met up with their MUAC mate Kaighan from Geelong. We then proceeded into the Cinema for Indy 4.
You want a movie review? In all honesty, i thought The Last Crusade was better; birthday boy's opinion was that the classic Raiders was still the standout of the lot. The second half was too fantastical to be plausible - some of the stunts simply flew in the face of the laws of physics and chance - but overall it was still enjoyable.
Hmm, will keep updating tomorrow. Pity i don't have pictures to post on this blog, but as i have mentioned, all and sundry is available on Facebook for your viewing pleasure, if you're really curious.
Part 2
Ah yes, on to the crooning! Post-movie, i was pleasantly surprised to hear that a karaoke session was in the works! What a blast it was. We had some great shots of the all-singing, all-dancing MUAC SG band. I can't remember the last time i had so much fun and enjoyed so much laughter while belting out favourite tunes. Alas, it was a two hours that went by far too fast.
Dinner was a modest affair on Swanston Street... ate my self-imposed quota of chips earlier at Nandos, so i had to pass on the bulk of the ones that came with my burger. Ugggh..., i just knew i had to burn that off on my big weekend ride the next morning - very early the next morning!
Part 1
OK, first the training. Went for a morning run at Central Park (dodging the occasional doggy and leisure walker) for about 80 minutes. Not particularly long for a long run, but at least there was some quality in it (about 30+ minutes of tempo-paced stuff). Today was just a swap between the next day (Sunday) and Saturday's program (a long bike ride with 3x hill climbs slotted in). Not a bad idea, in retrospect, as i could run fresher for a change, although that would mean dragging my lazy self out of bed on Sunday at some ungodly hour to begin the ride!
It started with a mad idea on May 22: to watch Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I'm thinking: who i know would be an Indy buff? Why Iylia Dhamiri.... Called him up and shot the suggestion, and he sounded keen to go watch it. A quick check back confirmed that he and the MUAC SG gang would be good to go for a Saturday arvo showtime.
Later that day, I was browsing through the old Facebook (yes Iylia, nothing's a secret now thanks to Facebook) when i discovered that it was the guy's birthday this Saturday. I had no idea it was his birthday prior to this, but it was a pleasant dovetailing of my suggestion and his big day, i guess.
Met Elaine, Ray and Iylia at Melbourne Central and grabbed a bite at Nandos. Here, Ray shared videos and pics from his camera of going-ons that occured earlier that day after the MUAC run session... hilarious! All i can say is that it involved splattered cake, superhero aspirations, and a distinct red garment of felonous origin....
Shortly before the movie, we met up with their MUAC mate Kaighan from Geelong. We then proceeded into the Cinema for Indy 4.
You want a movie review? In all honesty, i thought The Last Crusade was better; birthday boy's opinion was that the classic Raiders was still the standout of the lot. The second half was too fantastical to be plausible - some of the stunts simply flew in the face of the laws of physics and chance - but overall it was still enjoyable.
Hmm, will keep updating tomorrow. Pity i don't have pictures to post on this blog, but as i have mentioned, all and sundry is available on Facebook for your viewing pleasure, if you're really curious.
Part 2
Ah yes, on to the crooning! Post-movie, i was pleasantly surprised to hear that a karaoke session was in the works! What a blast it was. We had some great shots of the all-singing, all-dancing MUAC SG band. I can't remember the last time i had so much fun and enjoyed so much laughter while belting out favourite tunes. Alas, it was a two hours that went by far too fast.
Dinner was a modest affair on Swanston Street... ate my self-imposed quota of chips earlier at Nandos, so i had to pass on the bulk of the ones that came with my burger. Ugggh..., i just knew i had to burn that off on my big weekend ride the next morning - very early the next morning!
