Lactate Results: "You're Really Unfit Eh!"

So I banged out a Lactate test thursday morning before work.  Well holy smokes, what a reality check!  

I've been riding somewhat regularly since starting working at the shop.  Atleast 3x a week with my milage increasing by the week.  I wasn't expecting an awesome test as I was off the bike for a while because of the maggies and Fiji but I was hoping that some sort of Natural Talent would come through and save me of any embarrassment in front of my new boss!  But lets get real!  I haven't trained properly since June/July '03!

The test started good with my lactate levels being within very good range at 100 watt resistance.  And again at 150 watt resistance and again at 200 watt resistance.  But then we hit the + button which knocked the resistance to 250.  HELLO!  Something is happening here!  My legs are starting to hurt and my breathing starting to get audible!  Bam! 300 hits and within a minute I am blowing out of all holes crying like a little girl while my boss tells me to hold it for another 4 minutes.  Somehow find a way to finish the step while keeping my cadence up.  The last minute was the most excruciating thing ever.  I was shaky most of the morning after that effort!  After reviewing my results the first words out of my boss' mouth were 'You're really unfit eh!' with a worried tone on his face!  He explained to me that I basically missed an entire step in my lactate production.  Indicative of someone who has been off the bike for a very long time!  Not to bore you totally, but my levels went form 2.8 units straight to 7.8 units.  Someone with talent or in shape would of had a 3-4 in between!

But hey! gotta start somewhere and right now its weight loss time.  And thats going awesome.  Jeans no longer fit and I've kissed the 180lbs mark good bye.

Tomorrow is a 200k day with a massive hill at 150 and 'Samford Range' @ 180.

Oh yeah.  Not sure if I mentioned this yet, but I will not be going to the TDU to see Lance as it doesn't work logistically for my boss.  I will, however, be going to Tasmania and Melbourne for some Lady Racing as team wrench over the holidays.  Much easier work!  BOO YAH!

Mother nature has calmed down a little since my last posting.  I still have a roof over my head and a building I can call work to pay my bills.

Speaking of work, if anyone out there is considering some new bike toys, Dura Ace 7900 is pretty awesome.  We got 3 of the first 10 groups in Maggie Land and already sold both.  I am proud to have installed the new group my self.  Tuned awesome and felt even better.  Oh yeah, I also had to go for my morning pewk between setting up the shifters and and wiring the babe up.  I hope the gears shifted ok!

It was a long night with the Boss for the 'Boys Christmas Dinner'.  Oysters, outrageously expensive bottles of wine and a bottle of equally expensive Bourbon.  Man did we feel awesome in the morning!

The week on the bike was reasonable.  All the storms made it easy for me to call off my rides in the morning and stay in bed.  Fortunately, a big ride on Sunday brought the numbers back up.  Rode up the Gold Coast to this awesome yacht Marina.  30 of us got going on a century ride.  Some little coffee shop opened just for us (our clients anywho) and  I paid way too much for coffee and raisin toasts.  YIPPI!  Had a cross/tail wind getting there which was nice but the afternoon brought some pretty nasty cross wind gusts in some less protected sections.  The weather was great other than the wind, a very mild 22-25.

The Tan lines are back!  Riding tomorrow and then a Lactate Test with the boss on Thursday morning before work.  A huge 200km ride this sunday.  We'll see how I fare without my usual Sustained Energy supplements but if the legs feel like the Gold coast ride, I should be alright.

Linds and I drove down to Surfers today.  Just a few Kms from where I was yesturday at Runaway Bay.  Not a huge fan of the place.  Jock capital of the world.  But Linds wanted some beach time.  Had a good day despite the wind on the beach later in the afternoon.  Had a few beers, walked around and had a quick bite to eat at this little place just off the strip.

This week we have the 'Everybody Christmas Dinner'.  Probably be similar to the 'Boys Christmas' dinner.  Although, I hope the bottle of Bourbon stays out of the game.

Anywho, it's bed time.  Riding at 530 tomorrow

Le Ciel Qui Nous Tombes sur la Tete

I was crossing this bridge 36hours before!

Call it bad luck or just a coincidink, but I, or mother Earth anywho, have managed to cost pop and prob Lindsay's pop for that mater some more money!

If you haven't heard.  Brisbane has been getting hit with the worst storms since the 80's.  There are a couple shots including one of Redcliff where I was on saturday, the day before the knarly storms started.  Crazy waves of thunder storms and the skies opening up and dumping more water than any of the drought affected areas could handle.  Queensland was in a huge drought problem before sunday.  The government launched a pretty controversial water recycling problem which would recycle water from piss and poop and put it back into the water reservoirs.  MMMM....

But now the program is being re thought because the dams went from being bellow 30% to nearly 100% in the last 4 days!   Some areas have received well over 300mm of rain the last 4 days and most of that volume coming in short burst in the evenings.  As much as 210mm hitting Ipsisch last night (30 minutes south).  Tonight will only bring more, as the first squall has already come through.  Rain going sideways so fast it looks like a snow storm.  Mt Coot Tha, which normally stands tall to our west was completly erased as this fast cloud made it's way through tonight.  The clouds glowed purple and red every few seconds and the rumble was loud and deep.

The Sunday brought a color in the sky I have never seen before.  Best described by a forest green as the sun was being bullied down by the emerging clouds.  Anywho, the destruction around has been pretty big.  The hardest hit being a suburb called The Gap, a mere 30 minute bike ride to the north.  Insurance claims are around 100million as of today but are expected to reach 2-250.

Bermuda's got hurricanes

Canada Snow Storms

Ozzie's got storms of lightning bolts hunting people down from the skies!  I thought the maggies were bad!

Just Another Week

Another week bites the dust with much of the same daily rituals.  Ride, work, Sleep.  And drink lots of coffee in between!

This week was a good for the bike.  The shop had a memorial ride for one of their riders who passed away a couple years ago.  A turnout of 100+ riders to ride the 'River Loop'.  I ended up riding at the tail end of the group to help push slower people up hills or pacing them back to the group.  Average speed was horrible but it was a good ride.  Police escort and everything.

Had another good ride with the 'fast group' on saturday.  We rode 105km in just under 3 hours.  We got to Red Cliff, a beautiful harbour/marina town 70k out in under 2 hours.  I did my best to contribute to the group's average speed but after a 10minute pull on the front trying to look as if I could be doing this in my sleep, I was quite happy taking in the scenery from the back, which was very comfortable considering our group was about 20 people and we were riding 2 abreast.  The rest of the day sucked.  I got in 10 minutes before work and had piles of '09 bikes to build for test rides that afternoon!  My legs still hurt on Sunday!

On a different note.  The Rugby World Cup Semi's were just this past saturday!  We had AWESOME seats.  Inbetween the uprights on the south side of the stadium.  They weren't 50yard line seats but they were pretty good.  About 20 rows up form the field.  We actually made it on tv at the end of the night during the interviews.  The game was pretty tight with New Zealand beating England in the end.  Thankfully it wasn't the Australia vs/ Fiji game which ended up in a 54-0 blow out.  We def. got our money's worth.  The beer was terrible but the prices were much better than I had anticipated.

Anywho, thats about it from here.  Officially going into saving money mode for Thailand.  It's still several months away but I'm sure it will come by super quick with the holidays being just around the corner.

Later!

Thai Lady Boys and Dirty Titanium Clawed Fighting Cocks

MAN THESE GUYS ARE HOT!  No really!  They are dudes!

It's official.  Linds and I will have a stamp from Thailand in our passports in 2009!  Too bad my passport will expire soon after and my fancy stamps will be lost in a drawer somewhere!  But lets worry about that in December '09!

The other super amazing part to the Thai trip is that we managed to push it back far enough to give me a chance to be Mechanish/Ride Guide at the TDU 2009 for the MB coaching trip.  I hope Ted V. is a regular reader of my blog!  Just incase he has forgotten about my interest in giving him a helping hand.  I will now have experience!  Long story short, I expressed interest in assisting him and his crew to ride the Tour de Swiss 2009.  It's a long shot being half way across the world, but who wouldn't want to have this guy riding/working with them in switzerland?  I love Raclette!

My boss had the other Machanish in mind because my travel dates were supposed to be earlier, but apparently it is lots of hard work out there and since all the big shot clients are at the TDU the shop is virtually dead.  But a full weeks wages+all expenses paid to watch Fancy Pants Lance race, clean a few bikes and ride 100+k daily.  I'll have suffer through it... I guess...

Anywho, now that most of you feel better about your lives because I have it quite hard Down Under, no pun intended, I will outline a short itinerary.

Day 1-45.  Rent 125cc motor bike.  Listen to Indiana jones tune on Ipod (without helmet ofcourse) while speeding through the jungle.  Avoid Thai ParaMilataries with machineguns and grenades.  Wheelie through danger and return ancient artifacts to Bangkok Museum of Archeology.

Day 46. Return to Australia.

But if I manage to get all that done within a few days because my Bermuda Scooter riding skillz make me too fast for the local bad mons, the plan should be as follows.

Lindsay to hangout for 18 days while we do the beaches and islands in the southern regions.  Linds plans on getting her Open Water PADI beforehand so we can explore some of the under water treasures.  Once we've had enough relaxing I imagine we will venture north and soak up some culture while we try to avoid lady boys!

Day 18 Linds leaves, I venture further North.  I hear sleeping in the tribal villages is pretty cool.  Might travel down the Mekong River for a little, while heading east.  If the funds are looking good, I might take a peek down in Cambodia for a few days.  

I will post a detailed Itinerary once I've checked out my Lonely Planet Guide and reviewed a list of missing artifacts.

Anywho, thats about it for now.  And oh...  the other cool thing about thailand is the exchange rate.  For the first time in my life I will have some good coin to my name.  I plan on spending, oh you know.. hundred thou or so.  Give or take 10-20,000.   Pff.. Chump change! BALLLLLIN'!

A millionaire in my own mind!