End of October Fortnighly Update

  Last 2 weeks summary:

 Distance: 335 Km (longest ride 104.2 Km)

 # of Rides: 10 rides

Weight:  91.8 Kg

Again a decent fortnight on the road. Another century ride, a somewhat hilly day, and the bike is feeling good. 

Ended up racking 899 Km for October. That's my biggest month on a bike EVER.

Heat is starting to arrive in a big way up here. We had an early season heatwave the last week which is only just breaking now. Really sucks the fun out of being out on you bike beyond 9 am, and even before then it's hot and humid. Ugh.

Weight is again down, but I suspect the drops will become smaller now. I think I've racked up the bulk of the quick wins. I'll keep at it though.

I've booked my flights to the Alpine Classic (fly to Melbourne and drive from there). Accom is sorted for Bright. Better register for the ride soon.

Heatwave - FFS

 So NQ is entering a short sharp heatwave:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-24/extreme-heatwave-far-north-queensland/101568942

Looks like it'll be 33 and 34 degrees thru the weekend. Not pretty. Can't see myself doing much more than 60-70 km rides this weekend.

This time of year, 28 and 29 is more the norm......

The Fortnightly Update: Nice set of numbers

 Last 2 weeks summary:

 Distance: 449 Km (longest ride 100.3 Km)

 # of Rides: 12 rides

Weight:  92.1 Kg

Best fortnight on the bike this whole journey. Muscled out a century ride, which wasn't easy (but I wouldn't have expected it to). Also had an 81 and a 67 in there too. Good miles.

Think it's key though that I build on this over the coming weeks. A few more hundreds, maybe even push out to 120+

The heat is starting to rear it's heat locally. Not getting down below 24 degrees over night, and pushing up to the low 30s during the day. Humidity isn't massive though, so it's manageable (for now).

Scales also continue to head in the right direction. Not been at a weight like this since 2015 or so. I have a bag full of "retired" shorts I might be able to bring back into circulation. Hurrah. Presently in week 8 of the 12 week plan if the CSIRO diet. Given I'm also hoping to have 4 solid weeks on the bike, I'd suggest 85 kilos might even be a realistic target. 

Boom - Century

It stung, but I got it done:

 

 

Getting up super early was key. It's getting hot by 9am

The fortnighly summary that's actually fortnighly

 Last 2 weeks summary:

 Distance: 379 Km (longest ride 78 Km)

 # of Rides: 10 rides

Weight: 94.2 Kg

Solid fortnight this. Not so much for the number of rides, rather the Km. Best fortnight on the bike this whole journey.

And the weight continues to shift. The CSIRO diet might suck, but it works. Long while since I've gotten below 96 kilos. 90 looks within reach rather than a pipedream.

Must go try a Castle Hill. Dropping 9 kilos should knock off 60 seconds plus off my climb time.

A Call of the Card

4 months out from the Alpine Classic now. Good a time as any as to see how this whole journey is tracking.

So in July 2021, when I kicked off the blog, I weighed in at 103 kilos and had ridden a total of 36100 km. At last weight in I was 96 kegs and had ridden and my career total is 42200 km. For those doing the maths, that's 6100 km ridden (435 km a month) and a stone of weight lost.

I'm also riding hard and am neck deep in the CSIRO diet at the moment. I'd like to think I'll lose at least another 6 kilos and rack up another 2500 km by the Alpine.

I am though going to have to shift to Zwifting in the not too distant future. It's not crazy hot at this stage, but it's gotten a bunch hotter in a short space if time up here. Riding after 9am has become rather unpleasant. 

I'm also yet to punch out a longer day on the bike than 80 km. I need to get a 100 out very soon, and continue to build on that. I am though really struggling with saddle soreness at the moment. Hopefully I'll work though that. 

So by lots of measures things are going well: down a stone in weight, and this is already my biggest year on the bike since 2018 (I've done 3900 km this year), and I'm on track to do perhaps my biggest year on the bike ever (5800 km in 2018). I am though still concerned. It worries me that I'm struggling to do 100 km rides, and I'm still not that far under the century in weight. I don't like forward booking things like kilometers or kilos. They are easy to say & write about, harder to deliver.

Fortnighly update: Altitude Training

Last 2 weeks summary:

Distance: 167 Km (longest ride 62.5 Km)  

# of Rides: 5 rides

 Weight: 96.0 Kg

 

Ok, so it wasn't a big fortnight on the bike. Hardcore altitude training. Which is another way of saying I sodded off to the snow for a few days.

So as you can see, I actually got a bit of snowshoeing in. T'was good fun and a decent bit of exercise. But as a non-skier/boarder, I think the key for me was keeping clear of the après set, and the booze & food that comes with it. Mission accomplished.

Snow trips aside, the big news of this fortnight was my weight. Down to 96 kegs. The CSIRO diet is working. Excellent outcome given I basically had to park the diet while I was away (it's too damn hard to do on the road).

The CSIRO diet is a bit shit really. Brekky is OK, lunches are decent, dinners are sad. But for 12 weeks, I can hang with it, especially if I start peeling the weight off.

Hopefully with a full fortnight on CSIRO and a solid fortnight on the bike, I'll be even happier with the scales come next post.