SINGLE TRACK MIND

Base Math

2012-01-12T19:48:00.013+10:00

A note from Coach Cupcake this week said *....deduct 20% from what I do and we'll be even for your weekly base*.
For the unintelligible intelligible self I am in my real world,
My math came up with an awesome equation.

A week of these mornings.

Greeted daily by fur friends.

Again racing the sun mornings.

Racing to meet base buddy.

Seeing these early morning starters, white cockatoos.... feathered friends.

Human friend.
Look at my base beaten face.
Fah. It takes work.
To get into Matrix armour.
And go forth.
And well, in my role, show the forth.
Speak a few languages.
But the best language I find is:
*I don't care what's up with you*......*Is it the way your doing things*......
............CRICKETS..................
*Everything new comes from some free flow......considered a 26ér maybe you will free your flow!"
(Ouch - waitin for the hoola hoops to hoola IN)
Back to BASE:

Suffering. Seriously. The heat has been suppressive.
OK, the heat IS OK, the humidity is the not OK with me.
I don't do humidity well, soiled chamois/soaked chamois/dripping/squidgy/ ....you get the picture.
I love the dry. The cold. I know, selfish nirvana.
And I DO, bitch slap me for my wintery snowy bike locked 'merican friends.
I do.
Regularly. ;-)

Anyway, many mornings meeting awesome base buddy.
This man, well, he of Elite Race level, hangs with me on base.
To be honest, I think it is because of my supreme skill of gutter hucking. (yo thx to Jimmi's wheel)
Cause, my whiney a=s=s is very transportable across the love of my friends.
So......we managed a week........of base, and maintain friendship.
So it continued like this.
And the blur is from the heat and humidity OK.
Just wanna point this out to my snowy 'merican lot.

Again, the blurry heat humidity.
Early like.

On the wheel, of week long suffering base buddy.
Friend. Good. Good friend he is.

Some not-so-humidity blurred mornings.
Look close though and you can see steam rising from river.

Rewards. For Steve. Not me.

Ah, here he is. My base buddy.
Freddy fresh legs. He
Deady dead legs. Me.
We kinda worked.
Well, he more than me.

Oh how could I forget, enduro TRex rolled in.
15 mins. Broke her PB to coffee by 1 min. ;-)

More mornings of fur friends waiting for me to.get.outta.their.day.

And then to now, Thursday date night, solo like.

Mmmmm, shedded the suit, donned ripped denims and got myself into the good nutrition.

Oh, then it got crowded.
With *nutrition*.

I had business to take care of.

And speaking of eating business.
Carbon eats car grants. Bring et. Wonder if we could have that nude like in jelly.
The wrestle eat match that is...never mind....

And so ends my base week.
Oh yeah, the Base Math.
Well my equation went like this:
Cupcake Set Hours + (Miff coefficient of more = less) + (20% Cupcake deduction) + (angry birds Rach factor of 10%) X (Miff 20% factor to re-offset Cupcake deduction) LESS 20% Cupcake Set Hours EQUALS a m'fn load of base and early starts and friend in the friendship.
All. Good'.
Especially to my good friend Steve, who persevered. We're still tight hey? We're good? Ok, we had one day of an army of monkeys with sticks keeping yr lids apart......
But they're gone now right?
Friend?
And that's the path of the base math.
Check.

What are the odds?

2012-01-07T14:03:00.017+10:00

Of crashing out of 4 MTBers.
I'll tell you, the ratio was 3 to 1.
Today.
Where was I ? The 3 or the ONE?

So I'm up early. Well rolling at 5.00am, is early for me.

Not hard to do today, cause I'm off to Mt Joyce.
Yeeeha!
Giddy up Superlight, we got some fun to be had!

So pick up point for the MTB entourage was other side of the Uni Bridge.
I was meeting Truck (instigator of this ride), Chris and Slim (Duncan) all from Uni Club, all MTBers.

Gee Truck can you manhandle a 26er anymore!
Note to file, Truck does not have Kitty soft paws ;-)

So I did it again....left the Garmin on.....anyways, that's the way we went to Mt Joyce.
We were meeting up with Scallops (Dan), a friend of Trucks, and a UNI Club stalwart from way back.
And Scallops was bringing Land Rover MTBer buddies.
Land.Rover. MTB.Buddies.
WTFunk have I gotten myself involved with. The horror!

So we arrived, to see The Land Rovers were parked up and ready to go.

How bad could it be, OK, they have Land Rovers, but they roll MTBers.
And as it was pointed out by one of the Land Rover MTBers, they are always skilled with a Plan B and a back up plan to get going.
Check, good point.

And well, the back of this Land Rover, spoked it loud.
These Land Rover buddies, weren't rocking slouchy wheels.
There.Are.DownHill.Bikes.In there.
Um, can I go home, like now.

(We sent this picture to Rach on holidays. We will pay for this, as I cannot find words suitable to convert her text message back!)
Truck assured me, he'd look after me.
He always says that, and he always pushes me around.
He calls my 26er pride and joy Superlight, the *little fruit loops wheels*.
Grrrrrrrrrrr - makes me be like Angry Birds.
Enough said.

I haven't ridden with so many MTBers.
There was a peloton of us.
I hid myself in the middle of them.

So we made it to the top of Bovine Groove.
So yesterday I suggested today was going to be *dirty, hot, sweaty & little bit dangerous*
Well um yeah, all of that and I forgot to add the blood.

Duncan took first honours.

Nice. The flies got thicker after this blooding.
So that was first down outta three.

Truck is offering Chris some advice.
I will go over later and tell him to do the opposite.
Like put the air back in your tyres that Truck said let out!!!

Chris did awesome, so awesome he was second blooding of the day of the three.
Truck rocked through the berm.

How those hoops did'nt tangle up amazes me ;-)

He even got some sweet air coming off the berm!

There were about 18 of us.
And as always, such a vertical slice through life, of people, bikes, skills.
We rolled well together, as MTBers do.
Care free.

There was only one Single Speed nutter.

And then there was me the three in the 3 to 1 ratio of crashes!
Yup, I came off chasing the wrong wheels (you can guess whose!), cart wheeling down bovine groove with my left leg looking like creatures have attacked it.
That's been a long time coming.
And its been coming!
Me.Crashing.
Did.Me.Good.

He he....and they are all following my wheel....he he.
What could go wrong!
A wrong turn ....... but then we got right, cause we weren't meant to go right.
But we got right. In the end.

It was so awesome to be back at Mt Joyce.
The trails were of hero dirt consistency, a light rain before.
And well, aside from my crash smash, I loved the 2 hours of ride time there.
The flow never disappoints here, as with the technical rocky goodness.
Such goodness, and once again, too long between the goodness of the flow!

Slim, Scallops, Me and Truck.
At the end about to hit the skills park on the way out.
I'm smashed right about now, but still the 26er fights on m'fers. ;-)

I'm as helpful as those 29er wheels loading the car back up.
Not.Very.
Radiating between a meltdown of fatigue and hurtin......
Must.Keep.Together.
In the company of others......hang on, they've seen it all before.
I shall melt down away....

Seriously look at it!
Take those spokes out, and you will have a bona fide hula hoop!
So today had it all, dirt, sweat, LOTS of sweat (was so humid), single track, danger and the BLOOD.
Perfect.
Big thanks to Truck for organising to take us down, thank gawd there were no 60 signs!
Oh, and the Land Rover buddies were pretty cool too, they were some gnarl skills going on, even though you roll the Land Rovers! ;-)
So, odds on, for an awesome day at Mt Joyce, are even!

Most Civilised

2012-01-06T11:00:00.008+10:00

Friday Recovery Roll.
Was actually, for once, going to be, just maybe, exactly that.
Recovery Roll.

You see, MIA today (cue sounds of relief), were, half the Koiled hammer heads......
Not that there weren't hammer heads rolling today.
But the MIA Hammerheads are well known for being the instigator of pointless, meaningless, continual....painful attacks.
And it's mostly a certain *she*.... responsible for this instigatorness. Enough said.
Repeatedly.
During Recovery Ride.

So Friday is the autobahn of wheels on the River Ride.

There were packs, pelotons, masses of wheels rolling the river ride.

I must say, in my 10 minutes of waiting, at least 100 + cyclist would have ridden past.
Really!

So we get going, and today is TR's day.
It's his birthday.
Awwww. Another year of not growing up. Awesome!

TR and Steve asked if there would be butt photos on my blog.
So, to fulfil the request, hell yes.
On the wheel of TR and Steve ;-)

We bought TR cake.
Which he shared.
Well, that's how I saw it, *sharing*.

Truck (who is one of the instigators too) missed the start and TTéd his way round the River to catch us.
Little did he know we left 10 mins early and TTéd as well to be sure he wouldn't catch us.
Phew is all I can say.

Then the trackies rolled in, and well,

finished off TR's birthday cake.

All in all, it was most civilised.
And lets think about who was MIA: Rach, Shan, Trickle, Jaman, Nick, Prof....
Lets face, they're the uncivilised rabble.....;-)

I didn't need as much therapy after the ride as usual....just some pool therapy.
And despite all my whining, grinding, base, schmase, I am actually, rolling good into the weekend.
Which the forecast is looking, dirty, hot, sweaty, messy, maybe a little bit dangerous.......all roads lead to some Single Track gnarl.
Well you know, I have some fly skillz to fly....they must be tested.
Of course.
I.Can't.Wait. For the weekend!

Come on, Come on, Come onnnnnnnnnnn...

2012-01-04T11:56:00.011+10:00

Wednesday 04-01-12.
I been doing a lot of counting sleeps, counting Santa Cruz's leaping over logs, a lot of base, a lot of waiting for today.
TODAY.

Come on Sun, we got extra shiny things to shine on today.

So I been smiling a LOT lately.
Thinking about all the good things to come,

And I believe it could be,
that something good has begun......

Yep. It's 2012.
And Roadie Rob said in 2012.
That the *learning to fly* can happen.
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES.

Let the good begun.
And it did.
Begin.

Yeah! Fuck Yeah.....I believe was what i said at the time.
It's kinda weird but so good at the same time.
SWEET AIR. Flying air. Not usual flying muppet like.....
Flying with learnedness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And we repeated *Fuck Yeah* this many times!
I was even more excitable than usual.......I was STOKED.
And had delirium awesomeness flying feelings......

And I could not stop grinning!
Ride on. Fly on. We took it to the trails then.
Yeah, more flying ON Single Track!

So on the wheel of MTB Master........
We are to take new skillz to the trails.

Patience Miff-hopper.
Watch. Listen.Learn. First.
OK....this could only happen with Roadie Rob.....
Otherwise, I would just go and....well we know.....

Watching.

Learning.

Listening.
*Let the bike jump.....Don't make it jump* Roadie Rob
Locked. Loaded.
After all, I never made my horses jump....I let them.....so yeah, same to the Santa Cruz.
Got it.

And we repeated dirty deeds over and over and over........

And I let the Santa Cruz do it's awesomeness.
It can fly.
It wants to jump and stuff.
Ok, I might be making that thought.

And how possible, can it be, but I discovered and learnt more about my Superlight and it's lightwheeledness.
Love. Superlight Santa Cruz.

So yes, smiling a lot lately.
And (again) all thanks to my awesome MTB Coach Roadie Rob,
who really defines the patience with someone like me.
A cat on crack on a tin roof is probably as close as I can animate to my energy today.

So yes,
I been smiling lately,
Dreaming about flying for a sometime, (like since the shoulder surgery and watching those Downhill DVDs over and over...)
And I believe the GOOD has begun.
And the sometime, has arrived today!
Yeah. Can't.Stop.Smiling.
Imagine......what mischief.......I can make.......now.
SMILING.

How do you like your Base?

2012-01-03T18:14:00.016+10:00

Base pedalling, is always served cold with me.
Cold and untasty.
And I truly must be the badder of the bad of the three of us she-beasts,
cause I got 4 more weeks of this. Meh.

So I chose to do my two hours of penance round my home turf like a hamster on crack.
And to drag ya'll along.
So a 2 Hour River loop in my scale of dragging it out and on is the above.
And I've taken the liberty of marking some pixel sites to show you the other views along the river loop.

Not just regular scheduled pixel selfie views of me.
note I garnished the base two hours with one Ipod ear,
feeding me MTB rad tunes.......

Anyways, no matter what I arm myself with and what I amuse myself with, gutter hucking etc, pedalling on the road grime, grinds me. Bad.

NO.1
This is another bridge across the Brisbane River.

NO.1
It's the Indooroopilly Bridge with separate Cyclist/Car/Train carriage ways.

NO.2
This is a very leafy area of the River Ride, called Chelmer.
This Street is called Laurel Street and I believe they are Camphor Laurels that line the street.
I think too, the Camphor Laurels must kick a lot, cause they have red ribbons round them.
And well, if you've spent anytime in Pony Club, you know, I know, the horse with the red ribbon in it's tail, is well, a kicker.

NO.3
This is where Brisbane has a big ass Tennis Centre.
And the sign tells me there is some serious ass tennis going on.
International like.

So I'm rolling along, collecting minutes to appease and feed Coach Cupcake.......
And it occurs to me, I am a seriously whiny crack head to ride with on the road.
Because left solo, (aka No Jaman, No Koiled, No [insert anyone who will ride with me] on the road], I start whining to myself!
WTFunk. Stuff like, it's hot, it's windy, this road is boring, I'll just go up this gutter - that was fun, Oh I'm back on the road, I'm so bored, I might try and pat a spider sometime, I'm bored, I'm thirsty, I've drunk my water, I can't drink Jaman's - he's not here, Look at that, Nothing to look at, I shoulda done 2 hrs base on Single Track, I wonder how I can get more air when I muppet fly over stuff, Got the 12 hour coming up - fah, better start some endurance, .......it goes ON and ON......feck, I had two hours of this!

NO.4
This is THE Corso.
This is THE training ground for most cyclist in Brisbane. And Tri-antelopes. And Runners.
So anyone who is anyone OR anyone who is no one OR anyone wanting to be anyone OR any one.....who spins a set of roadie wheels does there thang here.
Including Uni.

Including me even.
And I fit into the any one no one category.
I IS what I IS.
And about now, 1 hrs into this base, being me is really kinda sucky.
I.AM.Annoying.Whining.Grinding through this.

NO.4
So the Corso looks over the Brisbane River to the University of QLD.
To ST Lucia. My backyard. St Lucifer as I fondly refer to.

NO.5
So this is coming off the Corso around to the Eleanor Schnoll Bridge.
I have taken many a photo crossing this bridge.
It's an awesome bridge, for heels, cycle wheels and bus wheels.
No car wheels.
Connecting the East to the West to the Uni.

So instead of going up Dutton Hill, I expend my rad quad power sneaking up this path.
It's a Jaman secret short cut.
And I take it regularly.

NO.6
This is West End on the River, looking over to ST Lucia.
This area was very badly flooded this time last year.
Today, 12 months on, it looks like this and there were people doing park things in the park.

NO.7.
This is across the River now, back into St Lucia.
And this Street was the Street I helped clean up this time last year.
Last year it looked like THIS.
Time takes the time it takes to heal, to fix.
Whilst these areas are sort of fixed, there are many areas in Brisbane, and I suspect QLD that are far from fixed or healed.
Perspective is a wonderful reality slap.

NO.8
Speaking of slap, who should smash into, The TREX, Stefinator!
Usually, we're fightin, head buttin, and seeing who can make each other cry first....
BUT today she was a sight for sore legs!
So she's practicing her Track Standing Starts with Track Coach Jacko.
Wahoo, I stop for a bit.....I only have 20 mins left about now.

So Jacko, says to Stef, go roll with Miff for a bit, then come back and we'll do the standing starts.
Awesome.
So she does.
And in true Trackie enduro effort, she rolled about 50.5 meters with me.
Nice one Stef.
You can imagine how the the Team Time Trial efforts roll with us.
You dialled in on this, lets just say her turns are real short and fast.......and she's always looking for the support car....just sayin ;-)

So I did it.
After some internal fracca between the triad team of us she-animals earlier this morning. Ok I started it. Pity Party style.
Rach delivered the gooch kick and slap to me and I got on with it.
And dare I say, by the end of the 2 hours, I was feeling good.
And it reminded me why I do the deed on the road grime.
To feed dirty deeds on dirt.
And last of all NO I did not get the MEMO Rach that says base gets done in the small ring.
Big ring smashing and mashing my way through base!

Toasted Legs Ride

2012-01-02T10:17:00.005+10:00

Rolling the Roadie today,
because, I had a date.

With the lovely Megan.
Who really is lovely, until I took her photo.
Then she yelled at me.

I deserved that, the yelled at.
Ok, focusing.
On the road.

My legs are toasted.
My Single Track greed of just one too many repeats, the last two days had my legs screaming.

Oh look, she moved into my camera again!
Isn't she lovely.
The loveliest riding partner in ages.
She-animals He-animals are kinda lovely, actually, who am I kidding.
No they are not. They are bad. Mad. Bad fun.

So we did the full river ride.
Which is EPIC.
It's 30kms.
And that's EPIC to me on the road.
Punching the big road km's out already this year.
Between me and the Stefinator, we can collectively produce 40km, 30km Max for me, 10km Max for her, so we're good to work for Rach for 40km's in the road grime races.
I think this could work well. For Me. And Stef. ;-)

Anyways, toasted legs were kinda better now, so time for coffee and toast.
Awww, look at our bikes.
They look good together.
Do you want to take mine home Megan.....no really you can.....;-)

Anyway, today was lovely.
Everything was sparkly.
Specially my ride buddy.
I used my *best* and *nice* words, as opposed to *evil* and *more evil* words (Stef and Rach speak)....:-)
I even made extra sure I didn't whine about riding the tar or the size of River Ride Alpesque size hills.
I know, best behaviour. Ever!
Only happens with my *exception list*.
Jaman, is not on that list.
He gets ALL the road whining.

Anyway, so I didn't whine about the long epic road ride.
Cause the company was so awesome.
The day was so awesome.
But let my face tell, you, I probably did 20km over my endurance.
Punching way above my rolling endurance capabilities.
;-)
Rolling back to dirt tomorrow.

2012 Kicked IN

2012-01-01T16:42:00.018+10:00

So I started 2012 how I ended 2011 and most likely how I will end 2012.
My quest to see 2012 IN was reserved for the New Day, which meant more Single Track.
Which meant, I was counting Santa Cruz's in my dreams early for the new day.

Started, with this, and some repeats of this.

Then straight on to this.

And of course some repeats of this.

And then just, you know, rolling to *the beat of my own wheels*.
Santa Cruz rolled me into the New Year.

Under the perfect skies.

I was perfectly Single Tracked IN for 2012.
Just a perfect day.

2011 Kicked to the Single Track Kerb

2011-12-31T15:23:00.012+10:00

2011.
A year of limits pushed.
In every limitless, limited, limiting way.
I have been pushed. And pushed.
On Single Track. Off Single Track.
It's done. Its been run.
My only reflection is that I am ending 2011 how I will start 2012.
Kicking it.
Sweet air style.
And today a posse of Koiled and Uni kicked it too.

Rach - Love ér. Hate ér. Same emotion, it's strong. She is what she is. Strong. Hawt. And just a little bit evil.

Miff - Seriously, love ér, hate ér, I is what I is.

Shan; Fear on wheels. For all of us. No, seriously.....fearful when he's not swinging his umbrella.

Truck: Don't even get me started. A wheel we fight over. True.

Juso: Don't ever believe his *I'm just cruising*. He has wings on his feet.

TR: The most un-Mong of the Mongs. He knows it. We know it. ;-)

Nick: Single Speeding Pinkness today, smooth as, always.

Jim: Our UNI Roadie rolling an MTB like he stole it and rolled it in the dirt......

Bear: Gettin' MTB ON. I saw you......you.did.some.schweet.single track.

And this photo just about says it all.
All that was missing today, was Jaman. Missing.Him.I.Am. (on holidays at Mallacoota).
To ALL (you know who you are) who have kicked my a-s-s in 2011 (except that beearch at the 4 hr that one time....just kidding), I look forward to kicking yours back in 2012.
Seriously, much love, thanks for all you do, did for me, always, all ways.
Miff XOXO

Last of all......the Kicked to the End of The Year Single Track

See you in 2012, doing more of the same.

Gap Creek Eve(ilness)

2011-12-31T11:05:00.022+10:00

Gap Creek was looking peaceful today.
Last day of the year and all.

I arrived early to get some skink link warm up done.
And get my skillz turned on.

I was gonna need them.

And this had me grinning like a banshee wails.
Actually I should've been wailing, cause I was probably gonna die like a banshee considering the heels and wheels I was rollin with today.

Then the wagon wheels (=29er) started rolling in.

They got even bigger. How high do you like ya stem.
Little did I know Truck would get the disturb-the-peace award for singin songs about *little wheels can they spin any faster* and *big wheels keep on rollin*....
Truck.Bad.

And even more wagon wheels....... do I retreat now, or ride with these big wheelin clowns ;-)

Inside a MTBers cager, beer, pump.........

So who turns up, my MTB Coach, Roadie Rob.
Uh oh, clean heels Miff, clean heels Miff, keep the dabbing quiet.......I'm thinkin.

So Gap Creeks peacefulness, was about to get destroyed.
So was mine.
There are some dangerous heels and wheels in this lot.

Love and hate - closely aligned to be the one emotion - Rach Quote.

Yep, love and hate rocked today.
And not only was she rolling hawtness, she decided to up the ante by showing us how its done without brakes.
Seriously Rach.........

Juso, says he's slow....well he put the hate hurt in my legs.
Slow pffffffffffffft.
Juso and I were the manly of manliest today, we rolled real wheels.
Wheels that require skillz to roll em.
Just sayin' ;-)

Jim was out, rockin no less, than TR's Wagon Wheel Santa Cruz.
It's a slippery slope now for you Jim after riding this.
And actually, Jim did show us (later), it is a slippery slope. ;-)

TR. Who got to see the best power slide, heel hook dab of the day - FACT. By of course, ME.
Seriously......my best ever.
Recovery. From overshooting a corner with some speed.
Heels rock, especially when dabbing.

Vintage Koiled.
Kill You.
That's enough to see and all you need to know.

A couple of times, I felt like leaving these wagon wheels......
But if you look past those hoops, there are some sweet machines hidden.
Like Trucks.

Lets improve this picture, my gettin some bling wheel in there.
Yeah, that's way better.

TR shows the love hate one emotion thing.

And this is our angry attack faces....... really!

And, the slippery slope and blood action was courtesy of Jim today!

Actually I've never seen Rapha look so, well actually look good.
Rapha gets dirty and real.
He he he......Rapha does dirt....mind send it to their marketing stubbly peeps.

And more.....dirt. Nice work Jim.

And awwwww, even close up, sweet plaits and all, shes sports SKULLS.
I.Must.Have.A pair.

Crowd pleasers of the day.
We all know.
About this pair.
Too much actually.

So yeah, peace was smashed........ and so was I.
2 hours for me.......thanks to my not-so-brilliant idea of warming up 30 mins before the hit crowd arrived.
My legs and *little wheels* had the climbing bite hard today.
Gap Creek, is not really forgiving for lack of fitness or hauling legimate shelf like frames around.
Up Down Up Down, nice and short sharp pinch style, repeatedly is Gap Creeks theme.

And then I smashed these. Two of.
Evilness was achieved.
In the finest of fine evil shevil company.
But wait there is more........
The End of Year 31-12-11 videos of today.
Later.

Un-Koiling and getting Re-Koiled

2011-12-30T09:01:00.016+10:00

So it's been quiet here.
Bikes have been resting.
A lot.
Like 7 days of resting.
I figured they needed it.

However, its time to un-Koil from this cosy rest place.
And get Koiled again.

So I'm lurking under the bridge to jump on the Koiled train.
Figured I'd save myself 15 mins of road grime.
Well that didn't work, cause what I saved waiting.
Had me chewing tar from standing sprint starts
to get on the train.
M'fers, and there was no small ring action going on either
I might add.

I deserved it.
Resting, sulking, sleeping, doin-nothin-ness.
There was mega UN-Koiled ness going on for me.
A mess.

Anyway I hung to this wheel,
fighting Rach off.
Until Truck pulled tricky lose the leech manoeuvres....
Ha ha....Rach!

Jimmy was rolling Koiled Kit.
looking good vern, especially your MTB gloves.
And new Gadgets.

There.Is.Still.No.Small.Ring.Action.

Hurtin, hurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrtin.

Thanks for Bear, TR and Prof, for kicking back and kicking my a-s-s where it belonged.
Back on the pain train.

Thank funk, we arrived at coffee.
My mouth was full of road grime and bar tape from chewing both.
We admired Trucks *manly man watch* an Edwards quote.

Jimmy shows us what real post-ride recovery food is.
And his hand is blurred because it was shakin to pick up....;-)

Topics of discussion; Hmmm, aside from talking about each other in front of each other again, there was mention of MIA - T-Rex (Stef), Jaman and Treekle......
Missed. Sigh. Well maybe not so much the T-Rex....;-)

Mr Koiled.

Now this picture gives you a glimpse, of what we deal with.
Psycho crack head robot SMP She-beastness - poetry in motion.
And funk you for all those attacks today beearch. ;-)

Not many pictures like this today....
Prof and Truck on MY wheel......
I soon returned back to theirs.....

As can be seen here.
And I have zoomed in on Moots lusty-ness.
Me.Moots. It's in my future ;-)

Bear was smiling......a little too much for my liking ;-)

Awwww, how nice we can look.
And oh how fast it unravels.
Discussion degenerated fast after.

Involving this man, and THAT airport incident with Shan.
Anyways as much as I would love to share the story, I would probably get my *butt* kicked, so best to put a *plug* in the *hole* story now.....;-)

And on that note, it was best to ride away.
Fast.

Anyways, this is what the River Ride looks like.
35kms of it, seriously EPIC Road Ride for me.
I think I have gutter hucked my bottom bracket, cause it made bad creaking noises all 35kms, I was reminded of this, all 35kms........Miff your bike is creaking, Miff what is that clicking, Miff thats f8ing annoying, Miff why hasn't your A mechanic fixed that, Miff your bike needs TLC, Miff......lal la la la lal la.
And tomorrow I return to dirt.
Dirt. Good. For me.

Its Christmas...really it is....

2011-12-25T10:31:00.007+10:00

Come on it IS.
Indy, work with me.....

Hmmmm, this is the, you are not in my *need space* activity....

Well I did get her attentions.
Not too much, but more than Gorbys.

Yo, Gorby, it's Xmas.
Can I put a Santa hat on you?

Can I put tinsel around you?
Silence be the most definitive answer here.

So I went heeling this am.
After tending to caretaker duties for a friends feathered and furred clan,
I decided heeling was my healing today.

As I'm heeling along, it comes to my mind,
it is almost a second Spring here in Brisbane.

The weather has been unseasonal wet and cool for December.
And the air is filled with Spring scents.
Oh and on this day, scents of most types of farm animals being roasted too,
filled the air.
Mmmmmm spring air and flesh roasting make an unusually satisfying combo for the receptors.

As I heeled down this neck of St Lucifer Woods, this sporting field......

and this street, were pending flooding this time last year.
It did put into perspective to me, time.
How much time travels, and what can change in time.
12 months is so little but so long a time.
And yet even in 12 months, much is lost in the mind of that time.
Anyways, my heeling was sort of on a cavort mission......

past this magnifico footpath rosemary shrub.
I needed some for my own partake in feast fleshing.
In fact I have been known to pull up in car, get Jaman to jump out,
prune as much as we can, and screech off. (as far as a turbo diesel can screech....)
It belongs to someone.Who.Maybe.Caught.ME.One.Time.
A few times...too many......hand in the cookie jar type thing.....

Anyway, I took just enough.
A sprig-ful. he he.....and sprinted up the hill.
Just because. I could.

Anyway this is the Christmas Day here at Single Track Mind.
No gifting, well actually, I AM gifting.
To a certain mini Rach in the Edwards family, post today.

And well I just can't wait for tomorrow's gifting.
And releasing of Crickets. ;-)
Have a great day people. How ever you do today in whatever way,
Make it you way.
Best, Miff ;-x

Up the garden path.....

2011-12-24T17:43:00.010+10:00

....is not a waste of time, this time
as suggested by the idiom.

For at my place it leads to a watery space.
A space I was originally not-so-keen on.
Pools are (were) foreign to me.
The care of. Clean of. [insert pool related thing] of.

But. I've embraced it. We both have really.
Through all the seasons.
It's been the post-ride season therapy.

But today it offered and enticed some additional therapy.
Post ride. Post chores.

Yep I jump in my pool sans ride in under kit....

But the better selfies of today were the pools keepers.
The natrix keepers.
That provide floating visual kaleidoscopeism.

This is Gorby's most favorite tree.
And I think it is also the favorite of many feathered, furred and scaled creatures that share this space.

Through my palings, the greenness and crazy plantness continues.
I appreciate the Natrix order of things here.
As I have a *you're on your own policy* in my surrounds.

I love these wonders.
How they make their way out in over on....
Natrix Single Track.

So, garden paths lead, to relieve not deceive.
Well this one time.
I hope that everyone enjoys whatever the Xmas period is to you.
Here, well it will be spent stopping, single tracking, wheeling, just being and making my way up the garden path! Repeat.
I miss the wintery Xmas periods, well just Winter, cold weather. Yep I do.
So am sending some watery warm summer Xmas your way.';-)

...and ended like this.

2011-12-20T21:34:00.004+10:00

Dinner at the my favorite best eats haunt.
(Haunted a lot my Rach and I.....and well just I and even just her)
Local too. In the village of St Lucifer.

We had gifts from the Edamame family.
Very lovely. Edamame and a Special Japanese concoction.
Jaman.Is.Smiling at all of this.

MMmmmmmm Edamame. Soul Food.

We left little to waste, nor ordered little to waste.

But there is more....

CAKE! To replace Rach's cyber Cake......

Birthday CAKE. With the fur kids.

And a token cyclist. Or two. Or three.

Pretty awesome.

Begin and End and Begin.....Yeah.

"Growing up's is for Trees..." - Janza says.

Yeah. And thats why we stay evergreen!

The day went like this......

2011-12-20T17:17:00.010+10:00

Early morning fur lurve with fur kid Gorby.

Presents: Beautiful Map Picture with Bike from my much loved and much missed friend Marnie (and Rhino and Herbie ;-)), flowers picked by Jaman with card.

Perfect December blue skies BLUE water commute to work.

Extra smiles for this. Selfie #[who honestly knows, it's way beyond counting].

Rolling into the Matrix, well the mini Matrix of Matrix's.
Work.

A breakfast treat.
Yep, I eat Vegemite.

Even more food at lunch.

Languishing in between stoushes.

Then ending it all and rolling out of mini-Matrix.

To again a wonderful sight to see. The river sparkling at last.

And well, I just sat there for a while in that sparkling moment.
As you can see those gloves sparkled in their glory in the moment too.

Oh, and to really top it off, proving yet again, Rach excels at all.
She baked me a cake, using mad cyber cake baking skillz.
And we ate it, virtual like using mad virtual cake eating skillz.
Considering cake eating is really best left to T-Rex (Stef) and Rach, I went out and consumed to the max.
Best.Birthday.Day

Friday Gutter Hucking

2011-12-16T17:09:00.010+10:00

I don't usually do the (any) Friday River Ride.
Friday = full week = fully tired.
Training + Work + Life = fully tired.

(Buzz not like your rolling rocking waves....but, still this river being still....is a good thing this time this year)
But well, I can just make it part of my commute....again.

So waiting for some fellow Gutter Huckers.
You will note, crotchety eye ball bleeder gloves are replaced with MTB XC Race gloves.
This will appease. Not.
Her - cause they sorta match kit. BUT they aren't mandated roadie attire. Bwah ha ha ;-)
Me - cause having an MTB accessory seems the right thing to do. To me. ;-)

Anyway, the her's arrived.
And they show, that today was smiles, miles of smiles.
Chilling.

And TR, smiled the biggest when I called him a Gutter Hucker.
He knows what that means alrighty.

Nick was the token preddy in pink today.
Preddy, but beware his leg sting.
I have'nt seen Nick since his epic Tour de Timor....awesome to see you.

The company I keep, is hawt, tad evil, tad bad a-s-s, tad she-beast like....
But hawt. The inner circle of trouble brews bubbly with us ;-)

Jaman was rolling with, looking Koiled hawt.
Keeping, wisely, safe distance ;-)

And hang on, who let the downhiller in!
Jimmy was one who *enlightened* me to Gutter Hucker.
(And I would like to point out....his glove choice! Yeah! We know where it's at! You Me Rockstars today in glove choice ...noice!)
Cause that was what he called me.
Because, well I was gutter hucking.....
Not just me.
Honest.
We're MTBers this posse......it's seems the right thing to do.
On wheels.

Ok, there, was refinement, in Steve.
Some. Disguised. Not much really ;-)
Good to see you rolling where you belong....
Belong. With us. And us = rolling.

Life.Is.Good.
Yeah? Yeah.
You roll the river loop de loop.
Huck some gutters. Up and Down.
Park the wheeled steeds.

And talk, about each other in front of each other.
Missing presence was also talked about. Shan. TR. ;-)
Coffee elixir helps loose lips sink ships here.
Always. All ways.

Photo of the day.
Track star shovelling food.
Hey, it's what she does. A lot.
In between squats. And gettin off the couch. ;-)

Group niceness photo.
ThankYOU Jimmy! WTFunk.
Got you marked for next gutter huck Friday roll, you can GGF for that!

And this gutter hucker rolled grinning all the way to work.
Huck on! M'fers (JJ! You got me sayin that.;-X..)
Thanks for kicking my ass into this Friday roll gig, it worked!;-)

Balls. First up.

2011-12-14T18:11:00.005+10:00

Right!

Covers all bases for kick start to day.

Served best with.

Wearing approriate kit.

In appropriate company of Coach Cupcake.

Then on the way,

to kicking the start in the day.

Yeah.

Holding Patterns

2011-12-12T16:16:00.007+10:00

Have been the theme lately.
On Single Track
On Wheels generally.

Have been fly tracking a lot lately.
On the flying metal canister.
You should see the Garmin file.......

Holding patterns mostly because of skies like this.
And in one day I made fly track per below:

Brisbane to Sydney to Brisbane.

Red eye fly track special.

And the skies remained in rainy hold pattern.

Deals done, back to the airport......
.....wait I'm on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Awww, bye bridge.

Hang on, look it's the sailed sail sailey thing.
Opera House.
Awwwww.

And hang on, I did see it again........there it is the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Sydney has a harbour. Not a river. Just sayin.
In case you thought it. Not that you would.
But there was this one time........never mind.
Bridges. Building them everywhere, in all ways.

So you know, I spend some time these days.....waiting.
Holding pattern extraordinaire.
And you see some things in airports.
Airports = Good being's watching.
But this......well I had to share this.
Seymore Butts makes it to marketing.
Billboard style.
Yeah! Um, yeah.
And it was of course for a bank, no less.
Say no more.

Gates. Holding patterns. Waiting.
Is good.
It's a pattern for waiting for the gate holds open.

Hangin'

2011-11-25T19:28:00.003+10:00

Suspended.
Is a really cool place to be in.
To get to.
If you can.

Like these guys reminded me today.
Just hangin'
Is its own high.

So been just hangin' lately.
Doing some suspension of the free mind.
And shifting it to rolling mind.
And creating some new space....
To UP that ante.
UP.
My knees show so, but I'm having some fun kicking some up rock a-s-s.
Pixels hangin on the way.
;-)

The WEST

2011-11-15T22:51:00.003+10:00

If you check in to this blog space, then you may have discovered, I live in QLD, Brisbane, Australia.
It's a big-ish country here. Like totally yeah, big.
Even by my own admission, I've not, navigated much of it, most the Eastern Sea Board and most less the West.
Mostly I have had a very *land locked* view of my space in Australia. Yes. True. Eastern land lock.
Hmmmm. That was about to change.
I had a flight.
For work.

And for the first time, it took me to the Western Australian ancient lands, of Perth.
As brief as it was, it total, it took 5 hours, and well.....it reminded me how big *this place* is.
I was excited.
Just to know:
a) I crossed the desert which means Australia!
b) I was heading West, but across Australia, as opposed to another continent (s).
c) My attentions were piqued to be there.

Well, I don't have much to report.
Single Track
Off Track.
Work is Work.

But; I did see the Swan River.
Very pretty.
Very BLUE.
Unlike our brown river oh yonder here in Brisbane.

And I found a friendly fuelling place.
Brown paper bags.....for my eats.
Thank you.
It sent my memory receptors spiralling back to childhood.

Thank you WA.You had my attentions.
And my attentions will be returned on wheels, with me and he.
;-)

Being a Bad Seed

2011-11-13T16:18:00.006+10:00

Requires a Steed.
A White Shining Steed.
Santa Cruz.
Complete.

So we tumbled into Gap Creek today.....
And WTFunk, there was a try a 29er day going on.....

Declan, looked us up and down and told us to keep moving on.
Nothing to see....;-)

So we did.
And played some.

The day was sultry, balmy, sweaty *it's gettin' hot in here*
Hot.

And White Hot was happening.

My Santa Cruz was flighty sprightly mighty today.

And we rolled and rocked......the trails.

Ran into some Uni MTB man gnarl types.......
Nice work on your Nebo dirt work!

Then we kept going......
And going.

And this is the bad seed.
Jaman tells me a lot "Mifflin you're a bad seed"

I probably am. For the sum of the greater parts.

The bad seedness, is the repeatness.
Over and over and overrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Errrrrrr, we did some MTB Coach homework on the way home.
Scandinavian flick schmick.

And Jamanator gets into attack gnarr on the corner.

I wanted more. And well I was messing round behind his behind,
And this is the *Come onnnnnnnnnnnnnnn* wait position.
Cue: Mifflin - you bad seed - leave it alone [insert rock/log/object of my Single Track Mind].

Ok, Ok.....I'm on your wheel........
Grinnyness - CHECK.
Funness with Mr Funness - CHECK (thanks honey - for well the... patience ;-X)
Hysterics - CHECK.
Bad seedness - CHECK
Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane (again) and I've just locked and loaded the mind wheel.
AND, bad seeds grow into good things....or maybe they just mutate.
Mutate. I'm ok with that ;-)

Doing what we do best

2011-11-12T19:21:00.007+10:00

Rolling. Just rolling.

Life has been rolling along lately.

And lots has been rolling along in the life too.

Some rolling has yelling.
I couldn't agree more,
MAMIL's and MAWIL's (Middle Aged Men In Lycra and Middle Aged Women In Lycra)
Please.Stop.Yelling.
Yeah M'fers.
This is reality, the suburban street TDFesque encouragement equivalent.
When your rolling the streets......there's sleepin going on.

Anyways days like these take the rolling to,
aperitif time.
Timely.

Campari for me.
Beer for he. (Check it out Buzz.....from your homelands!)

Beer.He = Happy.

Campari.Me = Happy
Check out the helmet hair quiff.
Stylin'.Mmmm. Campari.

Anyway this is the what we do best.
Rolling. Chilling.
No particular plan.
Well, ok, maybe some pointless attacks on hills and eat my roadie dust trash talk.
That is what we do best, after all.

So, life has been rolling by lately.
Commuting,
Working,
Commuting,

Keeping the wheels rolling.
Keeps the mojo moving forward.
Forward into the gnarl greater good.....

For the sunset today,
Means reset tomorrow,
And sunrise will bring,
Some realise on dirt.
Dirtrix coming up.
Quiff stylin gnar.
For sure. At Sun reset!

Not like a Sardine

2011-11-03T21:00:00.005+10:00

I have some sparkley friends.
A lot actually.
This I am grateful for.

This reminds why.
Their lovely bikes.
Grace and all.
Look at my Ironhorse, hunkering behind. Beast.

And then the graceful ones.
Not me. Selfie portrait #^*)()*_ cut. Point in case. Not the graceful one.
But I am thankful, grateful, for these other sparkley *ness* ones in the world.

And as for the Sardine Tin.
I don't think you ever feel squashed with friends.
Do you?
Sardine Tin away.
Thanks Ms L, for letting my Ironhorseness giddy up into our commute home.
;-X
PS
Thanks for whipping my a-s-s on your single speed too, Ms Speedy legs!

Time of the year for,

2011-10-27T05:00:00.004+10:00

The purple ones.
Purple petals everywhere.
Jacaranda's are singing their petal praise.

Daily jacaranda storms predicted with,
Petal falls ranging between mild to heavy.
I just love them.
Jacarandas.
And their purpleness purposeness.
Petals everywhere.

And on my commute to work this petal fall stopped me. (and some other commuters too!)
Perfecto.
Jacaranda's the maestro of Natrix colour and art.
After being mesmerised by the daily sight of the Andes for the last two weeks,
I'm glad to say grandeur exists in all, espeically in,
A small purple petal.
No less.

Jaggin' the Jet Lag

2011-10-23T16:45:00.007+10:00

Since arriving back Friday am, early am, like 1.00am.
(Delays, Ash clouds .... it is what it is.....just gotta fly with it)
I've been in lock down.
Food. Sleep. Routine. Crusiey Rides with my man Jaman.
Pushing the lag out, I finally woke up Sunday at 5.00am instead of the dreaded 1.00am wide awake wake.
Cue. Back on track.

And I needed, NEEDED to feel some gnarl under my heels with my MTB wheels.
We headed to a trail called Pipeline.
Its a downhill track of sorts.
Not hard core.
Not too gnarl.

But very cool.
And gnarl enough.

The best thing is, it flows fast.
And the features are fast fun.

Like this one.
Note Jaman's 10 out of 10 line.

Note Jaman's 10 out of 10 exit.

Enter crazy mofo me.
Note MY line.

Can I get any closer to the right.
The answer is um, no.

And note my exit......
Off into the trees.
WTFunk....I skirted on some thin single track to pull this one off, to not go off.
This is why we repeat repeat repeat features.
And click click click away.
Lessons.In.Pixels.

It also has a pretty cool wooden berm.
Must.Get.Up.Higher.
But I was feeling pretty high.
You know the feeling when you're off the bike for [insert whatever reason],
and when you get back on the dirt, you need to know, if you feel disconnected or connected.

And well I couldn't have been happier.
Connection was made.

Me.
My Bike.
The Dirt.
Connected, yeah!

Then last of all, there was this little one.
Little Rock.

But in this little rock.
I saw.
Some big learnings.

So yes repeat repeat.
Change position. Change line. Change speed.

Learnings learnings
Banked banked.

And well, what goes down.....goes back up.
Take 1.

Take 2.

Take 3.
And you own it ;-)

Oh and speaking of *learnings*.
This is what I get, when I ask "Where does this go?"

Hike Bike.
Lantana whipped arms.
Web breaking.
Hike Bike.
And what's funnier, well sort of, (actually I think it is funny, cause well, we are SO not the two wheels to follow at times,) is two downhill duuuuuuuuuudes, followed us with their downhill rigs.
Yes. Really.
We was not-so-popular. [cue sound of crickets]
So, all is well.
Better than well.
And I will see you pucking some narrrrrrr, soon.
;-)

Santiago, Chile, Off Track

2011-10-23T06:01:00.015+10:00

Santiago, Chile.
Is where I have been last 2 weeks.

It's been a whirlwind whirlgig my new work gig.
But anyways, here I am.

First time in South America, Latino America.

And oh-what-a-place to start my travels of South America.

Chile, was an incredible experience.
And an experience that this beady greedy eyed MTBer will tear up again on wheels.

Where do I start.
Where I ended and started every day.
Looking at THOSE *hills*.
The Andes. Oooooooooooooeeeee.
Took my breath away.
Every day.

As did my bike lurking looking.
I didn't travel with a wheeled steed,
but had planned to use this trip for scoping wheel action,
for next time.

City cycle is global!

As is functionality any old how.

Ahhhh, all is righted, I spotted my first MTB wheels.

And of course, lovely lovely wheels and heels grace the Providencia daily as well.

Bikes are very much used as wheeled work horses in lands, far far away.
It's a way of life.

A way of life is a nice way to think of bikes.
And well it seems to be so embraced abroad.

Ah, there is the food. And wine.
And, um, Chilean staple beverage,
Pisco Sour.

I tried one of these bad boys,
and well it was a bad.boy.
Let's just say, the lemons and syrup do nothing to hide the octane fuelness of the pisco.
I'm surprised the egg doesn't start turning into omelette's ;-)

Food is everywhere, and well I can recommend the Jamon is in particular, the best!

I think for me, the city of Santiago offered a homeliness.
A relaxed friendliness exuded out of this place.
As did the smiles,
And not just from the Pisco Sour.

And THE color!
It reminds me how reserved we can be in color,
as it weaves such a beautiful tapestry of art in houses here.

It's the small things here, the small touches that make you look again.

Art in EVERYTHING.
Rocks!

This is a mural for Gonzaleas Rojas, one of Santiagos most famous Poets.

Oh, and I fell in love with this house.
Um, I put a deposit on it honey......
Lets live there.

I spent some time heeling it around Santiago.
I had a weekend stay and well,
my way in travelling is to *do and be* in a culture to absorb.
And that means I take the back streets and travel off the tourist track.
I'm a hopeless *shopper*, and travel back empty handed most times.
But what I shop for are the touch, taste', feel and do things.
You know, the being-ness.

Speaking of being, outside of the office,
is the place of much contentions,
the school riots which are currently going on in Santiago.
Dare I say it, it looks a little arty.

And then my other favorite spotting's, the dogs.
Everywhere.
Just being.
They cross at the traffic lights, lay in the paths.
They have rights. As a Chilean colleague said to me..."we tax the dogs too here".

Infrastructure.
Surely Queensland's power supply can look at the model here.
How does it work! It does!

See, dog. Again. Chileán.

Oh, and horses. Very fine horses.
I got to pat them too.

Anyway finally to the GOOD stuff.
MTBing.
Is hard core here.
And lots of it.

These guys belong to a local Santiago MTB club.
They were about to hit the trails of a Gap Creek-esque area.
Like a Mt Cootha, but 4 times the area.
It is the San Cristobel Hill, a massive parklands that goes up and up.
Very popular with Chileans for recreation outdoors.

I planned to hike this area and scope it out for next time.
They waited for me to show me the trail head.
Awwww. Latin. Enough said.

So this is the trail head.
Not too innocuous looking......surely.

I hiked 6kms of it.
But there is more of it out there in the picture.
And that is some of the track below too.
Some of the sections of trail I came across make Nirvana and Dingo look like beginners.
Arrrrrrrrrrr, need to get bag of skills and gnarrrrrrr dialled in for next trip.
Logs? What logs? Off camber corners drop offs rocks and rocks and single track half the width we are use to.
Um, yeah. Can't wait!!!

Anyway, back to the purpose, work.
And I walked over this bridge every day to the Providencia, where I worked.
A trickle of water that comes all the way from the Andes.

Cobbled streets, that beg to be wheeled not heeled.

And well, I don''t think I have ever in my lifetime had a view as good as this.
Those majestic mountains The Andes.
I was mesmerised daily, and daily depending on the light they put on a spectacular visual show.
Must.Get. Near.Them.

And one more cool thing I never thought I would see.........
Because I'm usually jagged in my seat.

The South Pole.
Now that was also hauntingly beautiful to look at as we flew over it.

So that was my trip to South America.
No wheel action. Lots of heel action. And lots of *know where know how* locked and loaded.
For next time.
And yes there is a next time, 3 to 4 times next times!
But next time, Jaman is checking in with me, and we are going to head off into them thar hills.

So, Santiago, Chile, CHECK for awesomeness. Beautiful city, culture and way of life.
As I said it felt like being at home. Yes. Really.
Thank you Santiago.
Muchas Gracies.

What a Week

2011-10-09T14:13:00.009+10:00

Well it's been a blur.
Just has.
And my wheels have cooled this week,
while my heels wheeled me back into the Matrix.

And I road tested some different commutes.

City Cat on River commute.

The rubber duckie is still there.
Must.Get.Closer to Rubber Duckie

Too much of this.
WAY too much.
In fact there are so many of these refuelling stations in da office,
that I named this one, that I frequent.
MINE.

I took some heel commute and discovered the OTHER side of the Uni bridge.
The stick people side.

Some fine lines in the afternoon light.

And heavy foot traffic.

Oh how different things seem,
On the other side.

And on difference I like the non-sheep touches humans make.

Including these rockin forks.
Yes I agree.

And now to today.
A me and he ride.
For time is ticking.....against me.

But we did make it closer to rubber duckie.
Rubber Duckie you're so fine.
Cute little fella, so yella,
Rubber Duckie I'm rather fond of youuuuuuuuuuu.
Ah, the Muppets. Rock.

And today a friend of ours, Gordy, decalred we all send in our ride photos.
Of whatever our rides were today, where ever they were, what ever the wheels....
A pretty cool idea.

So this was our ride today.
My Pinny Pinarello needed some attentions.
It likes to roll, while my Snata Cruz breathes a sigh of relief.

We even had a shot of awesomeness at Albertos!

Ah, what a man, what a man, Jaman.

And that is it Mr Gordy.
Our ride for the 9th October 2011.
As per your request.
And for me, my last ride onshore.
As I head offshore.

Green line is where MY GPS skillz would take the plane.
But well, if the pilot has GPS, and they follow the GPS voice and not the map mind, well I guess we'll land in Santiago, Chile.

Gorby has been making sure ever since I put the case out, well,
That he won't be missed for packing.
Brief interludes of food and water have interrupted his vigilante on the *packing*.
Hasta luego ;-)

Off Track On Track...Say wha?

2011-10-02T06:38:00.010+10:00

"Just a bit pumped to have you all coming down and having a roll. It is THE BEST thing ever. Undoubtedly the best. If you like cycling this is it in it's purest form. You'll love it."

September 2011 STEFANIE FERNANDEZ-PREIKSA

Who let the MTBers out?
Who let the MTBers off-track?
Who let the MTBers ON TRACK!
Stef DID!

So, some time ago Rach and I bought these Bad Boys.....
One gear, Fixed gear and No brakes.
To roll round a concrete slope.
Pfffft, what could go wrong.
Today was the day.
To get rolling on these simple but beautiful wheels.

And we did, get rolling.
Rach and I rolling......who woulda thought.....we were gnarling Single Track yesterday ;-)
Without event, incident or drama.
No brakes means you can just pedal and pedal and go faster and faster and faster.

Buffy found the highs fast, as we knew she would,
She jumps high after all ;-)

She-beasts taking it to the concrete, lolling around the high side.

She-beasts rolling pace line style.
Rach had the faster fury and was a natural behind moto man.

We three, Rach, Me and Buffy are rolling pace line at the back,
with the hardcore Sprinters pacing.
Actually, Rach muscled her way in there.

As can be seen here behind moto man.
"I just want to go faster..." Rachel Edwards
And she did!

The clown Kermit had my full undivided attentions,!
I was on her *Single Track* of Track.
The track turned her way this time.
And I hung, clung to her wise words and advice.....there's a first time for everything ;-)

Stef and Jacko pacing.
And well we got to see Stef in her "native environment".
Sprinting.

And well I can say that the girl has a dangerous Sprint.
It matches her Spirit!
Very impressive Miss Stef.

So what do I think of Track?
I loved it!
Stef was right.
It pushed my comfort zone sensor's into overload,
which is good for me.
And well, I have to say it, my legs had to *spin*.
And I was shattered after rolling 88 laps of concrete peanut loops.
I love the high side and the swooping down thing.
With some more practice, I will lock in tighter on the pace line.
It's a re-wiring thing.
And that's always a good thing for the mind.
New connections made.
Super big thanks to Coach Jacko who provided such great advice and an environment that pushed us yet encouraged us. I like your tough love style.
And as for Stef, what have you done!
Letting MTBers onto your turf......I'm ever grateful for it ;-)
And will get you back on Single Track ;-)

(Photo Credits to Mr Awesome: Jaman. Thank you honey, for being the best ever *handler*)

PS
That beautiful Hillbrick was brought from my friend GrahamE. Thankyou Graham, it rolled so fine. SO.FINE. You were right, *it belongs* on the Track. ;-X

Lust for Dust and Homework

2011-10-01T15:48:00.009+10:00

I have, had, always have ? a *lust for dust* today.
Not to be confused with a pawno,
but hey wonder what Googlemeister Search Engine brings up with that combo.
(My mad multi tasking skillz googled....and it came up with THIS..... go on, clicky click....)
Anyway, lust for dust, means,
NEED me and wheels on dirt.

Besides today, I had *homework* to do for me for Coach Roadie Rob.
Keeping the smoove in my groove.
And I took it to "Skink Link* to get my homework done.
Single Track homework is the best.

Skink Link is very cool piece of Single Track, that winds switchback like down then up....the side of a hill.
I think mostly it gets used to *connect* sections of Gap Creek.
But to me it's oh-so-much more......Skink Link wears the brunt of my Superlight wheels repeatedly to warm up, train on, practice on, get faster on, repeat...
Well get Skinky Linky ON.

And well repeating stuff, get me all warm and fuzzy, and well,
Twas such a beautiful day in the forest.
Twas really.

The birds were singing
The trees were treeing
And me well I was in the place of greater good.
Me, my wheels and Single Track.
Yeah.

Time to track home, and finish up with some Rocket Frog fun.

Rocket Frog, is a lot of fun.

And well, its made for rocketing along.
Kermit, likes Rocket Frog! She said so!

Things.Were.Going.Good.
And I took this photo, in smile, at the cater for allness.
Human Kind, and
Fur Kind.
THEN....I did it again.

I fell over at the water tap.
WTFunk!
Second time this week.
Coach Roadie says...of MTBing skillz.....
First time is a fluke
Three times and you OWN it.
Well, I guess I don't *OWN* the tap bams yet.
That is all.

State TTT with UNITTTs

2011-09-29T08:54:00.014+10:00

So Sunday 25-10-11 was the QLD State Road Championships for Team Time Trialling.
Ya, TEAM, not Individual. TEAM, mind you there is a M.E in there, ME!
Me was part of a Team Time Trial.
A Team comprised of 2 MTBers, 1 Track Star and 1 Roadie.
Ya, that be the Team. And lively is a sedate term for this combination.
Anyways, Edwards has posted a pretty cool and humbling report HERE.
I can't write anymore than that on the day,
SO, I'm going to expose the TEAM for their alter Egos, as they really are.
Really!

THE ROADIE: ANNE, formerly known as Anne, but really she is known as FLEA, it use to be BUFFY. But after confined space rolling for 3 weeks, FLEA is far more appropriate.

This may be the sereneness that Buffy aka FLEA presents, but I can report there is whole lot of jumping bad a-s-s energy going on.

Zippy really doesn't cut it. If she's not jumping up hills, she's jumping all over us with her, wicked humor. You're gem Anne, and I think your sweet little skin and spirit got a little more armored rolling with the she-beasts....beasts, not bully's as she so mistakenly refers to us as.

THE TRACK STAR: Stef, well formerly known as Stef but KERMIT to us.

We had reservations about Kermit on the Team, I mean lets face it, and endurance event for her is 500m.
Operation, stooge Kermit for 3 weeks, into thinking 40kms was just a repeat of 500m.

In fact, that's what we kinda did.
"Just another 500m to go Kermit*......she caught on and things got a little cracked out for us. Some of the kinder encouragements Kermit bestowed on us were "I'm going to poke yr eyes out", "I'm bleeding from the eyeballs, so you will too" BUT here's the kicker, her Coach told her on the side, if one of the other girls looks tired, you jump in the car first! WTFunk!!! Bwah ha ha ha. I stooged ya Kermit. I cannot repeat what Stef said when karma waved her wheel on me, and mechanicaléd me (bent front derailleur and no that is not an opeing for the masher/grinder comments).

Anyway, this is a very accurate representation of Stef.
PRE-RACE
ON THE START LINE
DURING THE RACE
POST-RACE
It.Never.Stops.
Her awesome energy and smile. Never.Stops. You are Solid Gold Stef!

THE MTB'er: RACH or EDWARDS

What you SEE is what you GET. Dirt girl. Gnarl Dirt Girl.
Best dirt girl pal ;-)

Edwards is a specialist at, pain. Endure Withstand really should come up when you Google Edwards. Specialist at hurting, suffering, gnarling it, SMP cornering = Endurance Solo 24 hrs. Anything less, seems like a warm up.
And that's why her Roadie riding is but a *dabble*, not *dabbing* like moi, a dabble to fill the MTB gaps. Rockstar. She is.

Anyways, what you don't see despite her having the *halo* status from our Coach Cupcake and me having the *tarnished halo* back of the class chair rockin, gum chewing status (which I am working to right), she is the ANIMAL. (I'm soooooo going to expose you Edwards, I'm in your past, present and future bwah ha ha).
And this clip is quite appropriate.
Sing needs to be replaced with the word STING.
She stings a lot.
It never stops.
The sting and the largest muscle in the body, her heart of hearts.

THE OTHER MTBer: Me, MIFF

So takes one to know one right?
And well those in the know, know I'm the SWEETEST THING (I'm telling you so, despite what the other Team loons will try to frame me for)

And of course, I present the closest thing that kind sings my praises.
Praise the breeze for being the Sweetest one.
I can hear fairies and angels and [insert other warm and fuzzy things] sighing.
Ahhh, tis true. (YES REALLY!)

So, after a *great idea* 3 weeks out from this event, we got on the start line.
And well, who would've thought that we could bring it together.
Well we did.
I remind myself that if the mind can perceive then it will believe and then achieve.
And we did.
And even better, UNI history was made.
Two UNI Teams were in the mix.
That's eight of us all up! I know, it's a sobering thought to think there ARE eight of us loons around.
Ok, bad me to drag all into the loon circle, maybe jsut 3 loons and 5 pretty fly Uni femme bots.
Woooot. I say.

So it was Run, Done and Won.
Bronze was the Won.
But for me the win was our *coming together* and the *tough love* that resulted.
It's not for the feint hearted or skinned (right FLEA). Tough moments call for tough love.
And there are plenty in a Time Trial, especially when there is more than you and yourself! Like three other more.
Over the 3 weeks, I have had some of the most incredible moments with these crack heads.
Stored in my unforgettable memory bank. Despite as hard as I might, wanting to forget Some.Of Those.Moments. ;-)

I am really touched by what Rach said.
True, it's been a year of much misfire for me.
But you keep rolling.
And I honestly cannot verbalise the lasting *effect* the Time Trial has had.
Not only the actual effect when your rolling 40km plus turns, and you feel that sweet spot of energy and momentum that takes it's own form and keeps you rocking and rolling ahead.
But the effect of 4 varying sets of fitness, form, skills and strengths that morph into ONE.
Yeah, it's effect, the oneness that our crazy togetherness created which is the lasting effect.
Realise. Yeah.

Special Thanks:

Coach Cupcake - Road
Coach Jacko - Track
Jaman
Sam

It was no easy task to get us on the line. And we appreciate big time. And don't think I didn't hear that collective sigh when we got rolling ;-)

Bad Kitty Kit

2011-09-28T13:53:00.010+10:00

Trouble is a bit like risk yeah?
And that makes it a little bit fun yeah?
Yeah!

I needed to roll some bad today.
And that requires appropriate kit.
Bad kit.
Kitty kit.

So the sun wasn't shining, but no less,
the skies were on my back.
Ground beneath me.
All is balanced.

Awwwwww, and the forest is lively with Spring flowers.

Speaking of lively, I had an appetite today for some gnarl.
And that meant, rocks.

And my Natrix friends, the roots.

Lock it and Rock it.

And homework time.
Smoothness.
Caress the trail for smooth.

Oh yeah, and back to rocks.
Roooooooooooooooooooooocks.

The self timer went off a little early and caught me doing the Single Track Wave.

New life springs forth from the burn off.
Such contrast.
Contrast, it keeps on bringing me back to Single Track.

And well, Bad Kitty Kit was road tested thoroughly, including 2 BAMS offa my pony.
One - being the clown I am I asked for it. Think a trail cutting section, me wanting to ride up it, and it reminding me why we don't.
Two - filling my water bottle up at a stationary tap when I was also stationary. I don't want to discuss or explain more.
The shame of it all, was the SAME runner man saw both. He came over at BAM No. 2 to see if I was alright, and said he was the right man in the right place twice today....ha ha .....ha HA.
Run off runner man.
Sulking.

Anyway, my appetite for all things rock, root and Single Track tastiness was fulfilled.
And as for my new Bad Kit.
Yeah it brings out the bad kittness.
It had to, Edwards was rockin it first up!
And well, I can't but not get me some bad too.

Puck some Narrrrrrrr

2011-09-27T09:19:00.003+10:00

Yeah. On Single Track.
First up in the morning.

I was rearing to get back on Single Track.
The last 3 weeks have been skinny tyre focused.
But now that the State Team Time Trial has been run and done...
I'm BACK.

And I'm extra SMILEY at this, because,
I'm on Single Track, yes, of course, BUT,

Extra smiley about this morning, is Single Track time with my MTB Coach, Roadie Rob.
Yeah!

And today, he took me away from rocking logs,
To focus on getting the smoove back in my groove,
On my Single Track flow.
Cue corners.

Today was all about the flow. Getting, keeping it and feeling it.
I learnt the *Scandinavian Flick* - turn left to turn right.
Nice. Locked loaded ready to be rocked.

It was all going pretty awesome,
The un-sheeping of my Single Track lines,
until, until, of all Coaches, the MTB Coach, tells me,
I'm pushing too big a gear...where's my Spin. WTFunk!
Noooooooooooo I can't hear this from Roadie Rob......
Despite my *yeah but* *yeah, but*..... my validation of loving the Dog, Grinding the Big Gear, Mashing low cadence..........
It fell short of any valid acceptance.
Nooooooooooooooooooooo, and worse, the realisation, if Roadie Rob says so, then I do so.
I gotta get me some SPIN.
Ouch. That bit of the schoolin' hurt.
Realise.

Back to the flow.
And who would've thought, that a trail can flow SO differently,
when you smooth the corners, cut the brakes, and use the corner.
Instead of getting in it and scrabbling to get out of it!
Thanks Roadie Rob...... AND yes, I will spin in my homework before next lesson.
Yes REALLY! ;-)

I got some new homework. Homework from Roadie Rob,
is the best for my racing Single Track Mind. (except for that small gear, spinning cadence stuff, meh)
Keeping the smooth in my Single Track Groove, oh,
and Puck some Narrrrrrrr too. Yeah!

All in a Mornings Roll

2011-09-26T15:55:00.007+10:00

September is a favorite month of mine.
A favorite time of the year.
Spring is in the air, for sure.

And for sure, in the early mornings,
expect the unexpected.

What the....I cannot explain this.......other than,
Expect the unexpected.

And even the Ducks were of unexpected proportions.

Whilst waiting for another rolling misfit,
We had an unexpected encounter with karma.
A good deed will keep good stead. Right?
Helping to change passerby man, Alex's flat tyre.
Excellent skillz Edwards!

Alex (the passerby man) had rolled his flat wheel from Cootha to Coronation Drive!That's an epic heel wheel roll.
And I thought his Hillbrick was a mighty fine steed coincidentally.

Anyway, after strange wheeled sightings, yellow ducks on roids and fixing stranger's flat tyres......
We got rolling.

Some final fine tuning of the UNITTTs was rolled out.
Locked and loaded, ready to be rolled in the pain train.

And as we rolled I gaped at the usual landmarks in the 'hood.

It was a good mornings roll.
It's all in the roll of the wheels.
No matter how much how little how fast how slow you roll your wheels,
To roll the wheel, good.

Rolling the wheels, it brings the color to your day.
As does the company rolling with you.
UNITTTs and Koiled Unit.

Gorby.Bad

2011-09-26T11:45:00.002+10:00

Gorby done bad.

Yes, tis true.

This is what I found,
Ipod ears play thing + Gorby = Chewed.

What.The.Funk!

Chewed it.
Gorby.Bad.
Hmmmmm.

Adare 4 Hour Enduro

2011-09-22T10:20:00.012+10:00

So I'm sort of recovered.
Kidneys are speaking to me now, as with the rest of my simmered innards.
And it's been full throttle, forwards and onwards,
post the Adare 4 Hour Cook-Up.

(Photo Credit: Michael Phipps)
I said in my last post how much the course at Adare rocked.
Well, it did.
Because of this feature, one of many,
which had I not have cooked myself half way through race,
I would have kept on keeping on kept on going out lap after lap,
To Repeat.

(Photo Credit: Michael Phipps)
Better shown in full by Freddo from FTR's,
with some smart photography!
See what I mean.
Wicked, rocking from the top to the bottom.
Pretty rock-a-licious.
Features like this, tick all the Miff-Gnarl-Like-Must REPEAT boxes.

(Photo Credit: Michael Phipps)
There were some single speeders out for the day,
who forgot their sleeves.
Where-are-your-sleeves?!?! Bet you lost them tree dabbing......didn't you...
Sleeveless Single Speeder man got third on the podium!
Sleeveless man = Winner, Friend. Good. ;-)

(Photo Credit: Michael Phipps)
Jaman, looking, cool as in hot as conditions.
You would think, I would take a leaf out of his awesomeness book.
You would think......not I says the blind stubborn eye!
(And BTW Jaman, I've just noticed thats MY camelbak....WTFUNK!)

And another friend Oppy was heating the course up. Showing how you take it to the corner, as you can.

(Photo Credit: Gina - JR's Gym and Bike)
Me, looking, un-cool as, in hot as conditions.
Me, (what would be)last lap in the MIDDLE of my MELTDOWN doing some heel-track.
I'm getting hot looking at this, I still have vivid memories of the aftermath.
Heel-track.
I can confirm.
The Wheel not the Heel belongs on the,
Single-track.

When the Heat is ON

2011-09-18T19:38:00.010+10:00

Its ON.
Like 36 Degrees ON, about 96.8 Fahernfights (misspell intended) for the 'mercians.
Here in the ancient lands of Australia we've been languishing MTBers in oh about 20 - 26 Degree averages for most winter and begin of Spring.
Well, the Natrix turned it ON this weekend.
From the languishing temps to the toasting roasting temps of high 30 Degs.
And.
We. Had entered. A 4 Hour Enduro.

(Pit lane aka Transition)
Foresight would have been a good friend to shepard for this one.
So, the 2nd race of the 4 race 4 hour KWT MAxxis Series was held on Sunday.
At ADARE Homestead, and it is a very worthy track to travel to.
And mastermind of this track, is the reputable Mr John Parnell, who has truly created a challenging yet rewarding flowsome track.

(Adare invaded by MTBers)
I rate this Track very highly, for a rock masher like myself.
Yep, you got it, there were some chunk-a-licious rocky goodness all over this Track.
With the first RACE of this Series run and done, and some pacing lessons learnt and banked,
I was very excitable to go forth and Endure Withstand this awesome track at Adare, 1.30 Hrs West of Brisbane.

(What 4 laps look like with the Garmin Red Marker)
Being a 7km track, that also added to my excitement, as short courses tend to whip me.
This track flowed and flowed and some more.
The rocks, OH-MY-OH the rocks, a fantastic A-line technical feature of a gnarly rock drop-off, that had me back on track, as soon as I could, lap after lap, just to do *one more time*.
And then a section called *death cookies*, which really was a section of trail of complete choc chip type rocks with not much dirt in between.
They were super fun to climb and descend on.

(ME broken)
And then came the descent of ME!
So, things didn't go AS paired with my *excitement*.
Despite *knowing*, it was going to be HAWT with the heat-o-meter turned up,
I cooked myself.
Heat stroked.
And had to finish after only 4 laps, after setting a goal of 8.
I have never felt the way I felt yesterday from heat.
And the way I felt was at the 5km mark of the 7km, which is the *Death Cookie* rocky descent,
my head started stinging, and I lost my sense of balance.
And for me, descending + rocks = Single Track Nirvana.
Yet this overwhelming *cooking from the inside* feeling had me crawling on my Superlight down the descent.
Slamming trees left and right with my shoulders.
When I got to the flats and last piece of Single Track, I could barely pedal.
I limped back to transition.
And ever so quietly dragged myself over to a shady tree and laid there trying to regain my *senses*.
I can't explain the sensation, it was like searing head pain, combined with an internal heat that was getting hotter.
I was unbalanced and felt like I was in slow motion.
I drank a bottle of cold water, and started hyperventilating under the shade of my friend the tree.
After about 40 mins, I could walk around OK and started to keep moving slowly until Jaman finished.

(Heat confirmed HR confirmed @ good race pace)
So what happened,
*The first hour determines your last hour* in endurance.
And in my first hour, I drank 1.5 litres of water from camelbak.
Ignored my electrolyte bottle.
I did not stop until I finished my 3rd lap.
And by then, ALL I had had was WATER, half a lolly snake, NO electrolytes and NO carbohydrates, and this was just coming into 2 hours into race.
So what did I do at 2 hours?
I stopped before my 4 th lap, put a new Camelbak of water on and drank a bottle of Lucozade (ahhhh lucazade....... the most inapproriate timed choice of hydration arsenal road tested by me)
The temperature was at 36 degrees by now.
And as a result, by the time I got to the 5km mark in this lap, the Lucozade glucose hit (low electrolytes) had sent my body balance of lack of electrolytes and carbohydrates into a meltdown.
Not my regular *Miff Meltdown*, a full on actual meltdown.
Game.Over.

(Thy filthy legs and feet like a hobbit)
So it was a hot and dirty day at the Single track Race office today.
And I learnt hard, the importance of hydration, nutritional hydration in the first hour is also the partner to pacing in Endure Withstand.

The good that came out of this was this:

- Riding some of the best Single Track that combines technical features into a very reqarding and fast flowing track.
- My best lap pacing evah! My laps were decreasing in time until the meltdown. Good. Pacing.
- I rode clean laps, including a handle bar lock with a Solo Racer dude who tried to overtake me, and as a result, we descended Death Cookies together. Me: Get off my bars dude! He: No I'm stuck, we have stay together now to support each other. WTFunk!
We both were pretty scratched up as trees whipped us until we *un-locked*!!!
- I rode the A-lines with clean heels.
- I rode the corners and Single Track like I stole someones back pocket gels.
- I did some tree dabs with my hands, when I over cooked corners too fast......and Oppy didn't see me this time.
- I learnt about nutritional hydration.
- I also learnt that come the *2/3 hour blues*, you don't make decisions as well being a solo racer, with regards to what to eat what to drink should I stop should I keep going.
- Stopping to give a guy in my first lap my tyre pump, and chasing back down the girls who passed me to regain my position which was 2nd after 2nd lap.
- Having ALL those girls pass me back at transition when I had melted down after 4th lap. They win with their good drinking/eating/resting approach.
- Speedplays totally rock. Those bad boys had me locked and loaded, heel down lap after lap.

So it was HOT and DIRTY weekend.
It was very awesome indeed to be able to ride that track, and see Jaman finish his 8 laps, and listening to his *staged* hydration that saw him through. Ya, we do roll out together, have the same pit stop, same drinks cooler meh.....and clearly my idea of hydration versus Jaman's got lost in the roll somewhere. My.Bad.
I wasn't thinking about the most important requirement for a day like yesterday HYDRATION. I was too thinking about my pacing and lapping, and whowudda thought, you could completely overlook what you should having to hydrate.
Me. I be the overlooker.

So with my first couple of 4 hour Enduros done and dusted I can confirm, what you do do in the first hour does determine your last hour.
For pacing AND hydration.
Point.In.Case.

14th September 2010

2011-09-14T10:57:00.007+10:00

12 months ago
Was the day of my Shoulder Surgery.
It's been ONE year Post Surgery.
Two years, August 2009 since the incident that set off a butterfly effect of much change.
Impermanence IS in everything.
Ratified in my experiences.
So,
How long is a year?
12 months long.
How long can a year be?
Long.
How long can a year feel.
Like, really Long.
It's been a LONG year.

And the NEW Year starts for me on this anniversary.
The skies were blue.
And I was most definitely not blue.

I had some very un-blue fun to be done.
Jaman, bought me Speed plays (Frog) for my MTB.
I've been mangling my candy pedals.
So CONNECT above to below.
How hard can this be?

And well, in the book of my initiations.....
Go forth. Make it work. Make it happen.
Besides, Jaman claimed, "I have the stubbornness to make it work".... or persevere as I like to suggest.

So lets do 'dis dude.
New Shoulder photo # 1678761
Look at it reach!

Yeah, baby, locked and loaded.
(I so so so deserved to go OTB's foolin to take these pics!)
It took some very un-fancy footwork....
but I *persevered*.....unlike Jamans suggestion of stubbornness prevailing.

I chose to test in a *controlled environment*, first up, the grassy oval of Gap Creek.
I'm sorry to those nice people having a picnic....having to watch me go round and round....and then turn my bike upside down, with my shoes off and jamming them on and off,
then back on and around and around....
BTW Your lunch looked tasty.

Anyway, controlled testing, this lasted oh-maybe-about 10 mins.
Time to test in an *uncontrolled environment* = Single Track.

Yeeha.
This lasted, oh-maybe-about an hour, or 3.

I stopped to smoke the cigar of outdoors and Single Track,
and celebrate my conquer of Speed Plays.
Sweet sweet inhalations of conquest.

I also stopped because, I rode a track I renamed Dirt Quads Track, for my gal pal Stef.
Stef is having her knee opened up again today to put more ligaments in so she can sprint even harder and faster, being the Track Star she is.

And I sent her this photo of her Trail Head - Dirt Quads,
at her request to be entertained.
An easy request to fulfil.

So, today I did some sweet rolling.
Locked loaded and rolled the speed plays into my mind wheel.
It took some re-wiring.
And now, this is how your heel wheel locks now.
BTW, in this short road test time of the speed plays,
I noticed,
Well, WHEN did I get so sloppy in my feet.
Ya! Sloppy. As in. One dab too many.
Speedplays, keep you dialled right, heels down, feet connected and pivot points where they should be.
Not like the dabbing twisting clown I am (was) (is).
Clean (er) Heels coming up!
Oh the shame of it.
Hmmm, maybe Jaman, had a master plan in all of this....subtlety done by gifting Speed plays to me.
Hmmmmm. WTFunk.....so on to you ...... ;-)

So to celebrate 12 months to the day of my Shoulder Surgery.
A little log roll over, in new Speed Plays with new now old Shoulder.
Ok, yes I took it to all the trails at Gap Creek, except for Dingo, I needed to see the Speed of Speedplays.
A little bit of risk....makes it more fun......

Yes it's been a long 12 months.
Many Downs with many Ups.
They go together.
And it has taken me the 12 months to heal.
Physically and mindfully.
I truly feel, that I am only just now, looking forward with newness.
Yes indeed, much *newness* ahead.
Thanks to ALL who've been on this Down but Up but Down but Up Single Track Mind with me.
It mattered. A lot.
To me.
XOXO

Sun Day

2011-09-13T09:40:00.005+10:00

There is something invigorating about early mornings.
Early mornings.
Bikes.
Bike riders.

Perhaps too, the weekend just passed,
saw Spring like temperatures drop,
to Winter like temperatures.

To make it an invigorating morning.
Even so, there were smiles all round.
Jaman, ever composed.

Miss Georgie, always radiating a gorgeous smile.
Me ever uncomposed.

Uni-force was out in force this Sunday.
For one of our Club events.
A pairs time trial.

Coach Cupcake was there.
Can you find him?

With the time trial and tribulation over.
It was time,
for some more Sun.
And some more fun.
Chewing the coffee.

Ah, Sundays especially when it's a Sunny Day are the best.

Cracker Head Road Trip

2011-09-09T12:52:00.011+10:00

So I'm spending some time lately on the skinny tyres.
I know, this is my horror as yours, yours being the MTB you.
And that means also spending time with some crack head she-beast awesome foursome beings.
I be in that foursome. Of course.
So, following on from the Sugar Packet skillz session HERE.
We decided that we needed some country air.

Oh.And.We.Did.
Get country air.
There were fields of salad stuff.
Quietly distracting really.

Oh yeah, so back to the road trip.
We left.
We arrived, 1 hour West of Brisbane.
And ya, my bike rides shot gun.
That's taking one for the team!

Once the high maintenance got ready.

There is more than one, I can report.
And you don't see Buffy or I in this.
High maintenance-ness.

We got down to purpose.
Rolling.

With a meeting of the minds.
On.
Where.The.Funk. Are. We.

Mostly because the *sprinter* refused to take *wrong turns*.

Buffy was good to take wrong turns, because well, they usually had the tarmac ascending.
Evil. Just evil.
Ascending. That is.

Every stop.
Provided an opportunity for me. To be me.
Snapper head.
And as you can see, we were in some quaint country-ness.
I found it quite distracting......
So I was reminded by Edwards.

And this is what we suffer.
The Edwards *pointer*.
Seems I'm at the end of this point the point.
Hmmm. Again.

Totally with you Buffy.
You look it. I think it.
We're lost. Again.

No, not really.
But I'm smiling, cause well, there's some fun coming up.
Some descend.
Get on my wheel time.

Stef, my clown friend bookend, was being difficult.
Fair enough, as we had told her that we were really only riding 3000m,
It's how you pacify a trackie.
And this ended badly,
As she checked her Garmin.
Realise.
Lets.Get.Rolling.

But, but, we did tell her there were rewards post that *3000m Countryside ride*.
And well, there were, a bakery stop.
I just can't explain the above.
It was all consumable.
To our surprise.

This was a exercise in itself.
A feeding frenzy.
No wonder she represented University Australia recently.

Stef showed how it gets done.
Food ingestion by sprinting it.
I can vouch for this ...
There.Was. No pacing. Of the food eating.

Buffy proved, under duress she can remain, cool calm and focused.
And if we got a little rowdy, she pulled us into line.
Like 3 synchronised whip lashes, when she commented the bikes weren't riding back anymore!!!
Nice one Buff.

Thinks got a little;
WTFunk
Crazy
Hazy
And for the record, the chair rocking, gum chewing bad seeds, rode in the back.
Proof.

The hawt ones rode up front.
That be me and Buffy.
Proof.

Red Elephants don't fly.
Proof.
So, the awesome foursome, headed to the country.
We came.
We conquered. (more than we came to conquer, pfft a few turns here there extra)
We went.
We laughed more than I thought possible.
About things I thought not possible to laugh about.
Things, um, I don't want to think about again. ;-)
Cracker head road trip was a cracked up good time.
And I am, yet again,
Amazed and Excited,
to be in the fold of some pretty fly pretty cool pretty scary,
She beasts.
And the ONE thing, just the ONE thing that astounds me about it all:
Is that we:
ROLL IT with passion.

Quotes of Trip:
- Do you guys find the bugs taste bitter too?
- This makes no sense WHATSOEVER. I guess I'll read it.
- Why haven't we turned left?
- Well, the GPS has been giving options to turn left for the last 50km......but the line goes back green and I'm waiting for it to follow my printed map.
- Your bikes aren't riding back anymore.
- Miff you're a hippy.
- Does anyone else find eating processed cream difficult.
- Train wrecks.
- Maybe we need a swear tin.
- Crickets.
- Food, can we get food.

That is all.

Super Freaks

2011-09-08T11:07:00.002+10:00

I'm surrounded by them.
Super.
Freaks.

The Sprinter one.

The Endurance fast one.

Team strategy talk going down.
As Rach demonstrates the most effective way of crushing crickets.
Gasp.
Disturbing that Stef has undivided attentions on this.

Oh, and I guess here I am.
The *disruptive* one. (SO I was told at training this morning WTFunk!)
Killing Drago's I.Just.Want.To. Read. The. Paper. morning buzz.

And thanks to Jaman, Stef will now be found and returned to Uni.
When lost off Track.
This could be good.
And this could be bad.
Super Freaks.
La la la....
Rock.

All about Indy

2011-09-05T13:38:00.006+10:00

So Gorby had his cyber air play HERE.
Order of air play, by fur sibling age only.
Being the Elder and all.
So, all about Indy.

This sweet sweet little 10 month old picked Jaman.
No surprises why.
I mean Jaman is pretty cute.
She's only being kitty kat after all.

But while the Jaman's away.
The cat and I play.
Office.

She's very helpful.
NOT.

And offers some profound insight.
At times of awakeness.

In these times of awakeness, the garden is her Eden.

And not the lizards Eden anymore.
It seems she is quite the lizard slayer.
This pains Jaman greatly.
I did try to bolster the lizard population by releasing crickets in the garden.
Yes I did, you can buy them at the pet shop.
Crickets that is.
Yes. I did. Buy a box of Crickets.
Actually, I like to think I *saved* them, by releasing them into the garden.
I felt *saviour* like until they jumped on me....Nooooo don't attack the saviour.....do your cricket thing.
Like get eaten by lizards.
Anyway this is way off track. And another story.....

So, Indy when tiresome of lizards and fighting off the cricket plague in our garden. (No thanks to me).
Likes to contribute to whatever it is I may think I know what I'm doing.

She has an attention span less than mine.
This pleases me.
That this exists.
But what does exist, is one SWEET little kitten come hither Cat sometime soon.
And it's Indy.

Endure Withstand.....

2011-09-04T19:14:00.012+10:00

Was the last piece of advice I had.
From resident UNI she-beast, dirt girlfriend and Endure Withstand Specialist herself.
So that was what I locked and loaded for my first SOLO 4 Hr Enduro.
I was desperate, yes truly, desperate to do this Enduro.
I have for some time, been wanting to do an Enduro Solo, and a 4 Hour was a perfect beginning.
Jaman and I lined up for the KWT Maxxis Sunshine Series 1 - 4 Hour Enduro at Samford.
The course, a short course of ~ 3.5km.

Enduro's captivate me. And even more so, from being in a Team at the 8 Hr with my Coach, it lit the fire for the desire of a solo as soonest.
It has all my favorite friends; suffering, tolerance, hardship, obstacles......Enduring.
Indeed.
So I had a plan.
I always have a *plan* before a race.......
It sets my bunny, and I chase there forth.
And the bunny was 3 laps every hour.
This course was short.
But had 3 steep short biting climbs joined by fire roads and 3 very cool pieces of single track albeit short pieces.
But what that meant, speed on Single Track, speed on the downhill sections brought you back to those steep short biting climbs.
And they bit. Oh did they bite.
So that was the plan, man, woman.

And armed with my *Endure Withstand* advice and my plan.
This freed up time to be me.
And to be me. You be the clown that I am.
So how did go?
Well it was a Le Mans start.
I've always laughed at these types of starts.
Someone with a cruel humor.....lets see how the MTBers run.
Bwah ha ha.......karma is a mean MTBer, cause I just found myself in one. Doh.
Anyway, a mass start sprint to the bikes 60 m away.
And I picked up the nickname of *elbows* en course for the day, from the receivers of the elbowing.
As I jumped out of the chutes with Jaman on my heels in attack position running,
and gave some elbow action to get some muscle's outta my way to get to my bike.
I know, animal. I been taught well....channelling some Edwards there ;-)

(Photo Courtesy of Mmikee)
This was the first main pinch climb, and this was my first lap where I belted out a 16 min lap, followed by a 17 min and a 18 min......all under the first hour......sending my HR sky high.
Sky high for me is >175.
I would pay a price for this.
Later.

(Photo Courtesy of Mmikee)
Yep, there I go up on the outside......like the *she will learn* the hard way bad seed I am.
And I paid the price for this. As it took a very sedate 5th lap to get my HR back into an *Endure Withstand* zone.
And yes, I did walk this very hill too.
Later.
Dispensation was given to thyself and I walked it because of bad gearing selection coming into it and thinking, well it will stretch my legs.
Just for the record, walking the hill is so much more painful.

Anyway, 4 hours later, I lapped out my 12 laps.
Done. Check.
Could I have done more: Sure.
Could I have raced faster harder: Sure
Did I set any *coulds* rules: No
If I had of made it back under 4 Hrs, I would have gone for a 13th.
Not could have, I would have.
Regardless of any Endure effects.
For you see, THERE WERE two pieces of pretty cool fast Single Track........
And that alone is enough to keep the clown I am, dragging my a-s-s out.
Just to do the Single Track.
One.More.Time.

It's an affliction I live with.
With Single Track.
And that's a medal worthy affliction.
So I got the Silver. And some booze.

Jaman had an impressive lap de lap day too.
And he podiumed for silver.
So proud of him. ;-)

So with the little matter of the good suffer out the way,
We packed our steeds up and went home to savour rest of day.
How did my Superlight go, well lets just say, without 10kgs of mud hanging on,
'we were Super flying Superlight style.

Gorby was impressed too.
Woot, two Silver medals, and FOUR bottles of Vino.
What the funk!

Gorby wanted to wear my medal today.
So I'm like, OK.
Just for a bit.
He says: It looks better on me.
I say: I think you are SO right. It's very becoming for the uber Russian Tabby Blue that you be.

He says: I'm done with it now, get ettttttttt OFF.
Yes. Gorby.

Wrap up of my FIRST Solo 4 Hour:

I want more.
It was a most tolerable suffering.

Endure Withstand.
A tolerable affliction.
Indeed.

Special thanks: Jaman, Rach, Buzz, JJ, Gordy and Gorby. The little things you say and show me, DO get locked and loaded - despite my facade otherwise. And I had you all rattling around on that 4 hour journey!

Pleasure and Pain DNF Stats

2011-08-30T15:53:00.004+10:00

I may come across as MEH like with Stats.
I mean, I do mantra, I just do, I just pedal, I just ride.....
BUT
Even for my MEH interest in Stats, these are some tidy looking Stats
For Un-Pleasure and Pain MTB Race.

The loopy bit is where I actually did go loopy in the Mud.
Me and the Superlight. Mud-boarding.
But there's more;
Me and the Superlight. Road-tripping.

So I guess in the post mortem, wrap up, the Stats ended up looking pretty good. Actually, I did pretty awesome, if I do say so myself. So I'm pleased about this, that the travel/ride ratio was not a complete flubber.

STATS:
Moving Time: 6Hr 46min (good prep for my Enduro assault next year)
Average Speed: 62.4 km/hr (I knew I was coming into some form, but this did suprise me, pleasantly surprised needless to say)
Max Speed:120.8 km/h (now this was the suprise, I know we've been preparing for some TTT action in September but ooooeeeee, no wonder I felt a little washed out Monday).

GARMIN: The ultimate tracking device. Oh, for further mindless consideration, I also left my HR Monitor on........and we now have actual recorded data of my HR over the 4 hour drive. Including the meltdown meltup spikes. Bwah ha ha.

I do this a lot.
Record epic Single Track journeys.
Coach Cupcake must think I'm not-of-this-earth or I own a cape or the Superlight has wings........when he sees my weekly kms.
I was clearly in a mindful state which removes from the present state which therefore presented a momentary lapse of pressing a stop button.

Miff

(No) Pleasure and Pain.

2011-08-29T11:59:00.019+10:00

Well, I did give a warning pre-post that YOU would ALL hear about this.
Where do I start....
Hmmmm, let me drag you through the road trip.
The 4 hour road trip.
In this.

Torrential rain.
In Brisbane.
When we left Brisbane.
During the 4 hour trip.
At the end of the 4 hour trip.
Torrential rain.
(thanks to our friend Gordy who provided weather nerd updates, which then became make.him.it stop ;-) weather updates......pending gloom)

We were a little *concerned* as it would be.
And as Jaman calls it the MMM rating (Miff Mood Meter)....
That meter was not on the (predicted) vertical rise.
Hmmmm.

Jaman, in hmmmmmmmmmm.
Rain, more rain, plummeting MMM meter........people, this a burdened man.
Oh, yeah, and that his Santa Cruz was riding on top outside, while my steed, is cozy as in the car.
Hey, carbon doesn't rust. ;-)
Let it be know, thats what happens when you play rock - paper - scissors, and lose.
Your Santa Cruz rides outside.

Yeah, it was ONE of those trips.
Empty coffee cups all trip.
So with the Pain part of this trip over.......
We arrive.
At Pleasure and Pain Base Camp - Sawtell.

Now, I like ducks.
Just have a thing about them.
BUT when you see Ducks, lots of Ducks......after major rain (which I now know as a significant rain even),
It means there is a DUCKFUL amount of water about.
Alarm Bell # n+1

Anyway, back to the ducks at our Pleasure and Pain base.
This guy kindly showed me its better side and pose.
Ducks....so easy to work with.

A pre-ride of the Race course was not happening.
It was still raining.
Note, my attire. That's a red rain jacket OK.
So what do twitchy MTBers like us do?

MTB around on whatever our surround is.
MTBérs, especially restless MTBérs, are troublesome.
I know so.

And well, even our larking round didn't smooth the troubled waters (ahead).
Note this would in hindsight be my only cleanest smiling move of the weekend.
Hmmmmm.

We woke up Sunday morning to this.
Blue skies.
Oh, the web the sun weaves, set to deceive.
Hindsight # N+ 1
Blue skies = thickening of mud, crust of mud and humidy which allows for a tackier skin sticking environment.
Really, I know so, MUD STICKS, forget that other analogy.
This is the new one. Tried and Proven.

The last s-e-x-y Santa Cruz shot of the day.
It went downhill after this.
And not the sort downhill I like and want to be a part of.

Oh yeah, and this would be the last happy joint selves portrait #15643 for the day too.
You get the feel this is not going to pan out so good.
Your feel from my spiel.
Is right.
It did not.

So, anyways, there were MTBers streaming in, and parking as close to road as can be.
Because it was an everglade bog off the road.

The race started off, in waves of Categories.
(Can you pick the WRBers x 2 in the line-up, centre and right stage ;-))
(It also just so happens above, our friend Pete lined up front, took his *triple crown* for the 3rd year running, 75km SS Cat. Way to go Pete!)
Elite, through to Open through to Age Groups.
And as luck would have it, riding my Age Group, I was in one of the last waves to start.
Wahoooooooo, my favorite. Starting last.
And while this is the *normal*, at races I've been too....just this one time......I wished the *unnormal*could've happened.
I have no pictures during the race.
I know......it pains me as much as it pains you.
Because there was a lot of pain, angers and horror head moments going with me, that would have been worthy of capture.

But here, one of the very few post-race moments.
I think it says it all.

As does my bike.

Let me take you closer.
Ya, this is my race report.
The.Last.Three.Photos.
That is all.
I have not too much to say, other than, 24 hours post the race, I have almost crawled out of my *what - why did I do hole* and I have *mud scars* that make the Daisy Everglades look like a flower field I wanna roll in.

Ok, not enough, here are the Pleasure and Pain Stats:

- Formula of: (Torrential Rain + Single Track) x Already Canopied Damp Rain forest = One funking Mud Track

- 8hrs of driving ratio for , 20km of Single Track = I lost my rationale big time. Must. Brush.Up.Ratio.Equations.For Fun.

- I am a snow skier, never snowboarded, but I can say I was snowboarding my Superlight on Single Track.

- I lost my disc brakes at 2.3km. No big deal, the mud created new discs in my forks.

- Mud is like muscle is heavy. Dirt like fat is light. Just saying.

- Sticks don't break my bones, but they snap clearing mud out of every crevice on my bike.

- I did not crash once. But I face planted a hill and ate some mud as I slid pushing my bike up it.

- At 5 km, I started to have an anxiety attack about leeches. But realised if they could chew through the mud for my blood, they were welcome to it, besides they would have fried on boiling blood.

- I pulled out during my first lap. I was a DNF. First time for everything. A DNF not a DNS.....I have DNS's lots. (DNS = Did Not Start) And just this ONE TIME, a DNS would've been handy!

- Within 3km of starting, my processing of the conditions went like this 1. This is no longer a race, 2. I am not having fun, really I am not, 3. I am not even finding this a challenge (ANYMORE), 4. My Superlight is mud battered and I can hear kaching kaching of bike repairs in the background (or was it my chain snapping) 5. DAMAGE CONTROL and 6. Jason English - Elite Uber Pro MTBer just passed me ON MY first lap STILL. Game End.

Get off track. Was my Single Track Mind damage control.

Special thanks go to:

- JAMAN

For staying up late last night, to wash both our bikes, strip them apart to dry and air, to try a limit the kaching kaching pending damage.
For supporting me in my MMM where the latter M became Meltdown not Meter (that snapped at 4.3km).
Who rightly or wrongly continued his 50km, lost count of his crashes, was covered head to toe in mud/forest/everglades stuff, and brought home 2nd place. Tuff. Stuff.

And that's how it rolled out or rolled in the mud perhaps.
Run and done, banked and stored and flushed down the experience gurglar where it belongs.
Forwards now.
And I really need to put this behind me and get my hind back on some Single Track.
I was offered some time ago;
Good Judgement comes from Experience. Experience comes from Bad Judgement. ##
Bad Judgement, perhaps yes.
Experience of, yes.
Experience gained, yes.
Good Judgement to follow, perhaps yes.

And thats what it is all about isn't it,
The *experience*

## From Buzz

Pleasure and Pain

2011-08-26T20:35:00.005+10:00

Is what I've signed up for this weekend.
Sounds like a Single Track Mind feast.
Yeah but No but Yeah but YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Bring it ON.
50km. Pleasure.And.Pain.
You know you'll ALL hear about this!

PS
Special SMP shout out to my hawt dirt girl fellow she-beast Edwards.......gettin' some of her own Pleasure and Pain this weekend at State Road Races. 60kms of eye ball bleeding pleasure. Oh.How.The.Worm.Turns. ;-)

All about Gorby

2011-08-21T10:23:00.004+10:00

A chance moment captured by camera.
Subject purrfect.
Background purrfect.
Lighting purrfect.

The essence of Gorby captured.

Such a fine cat he is.

A resplendent coat, and regal demeanour.

Befitting of his Russian Blue Cross. And as Rach pointed out, he has the striking undertones of a tabby markings.
Its hard to think that he is 7 years old, founded and pounded by the RSPCA the very day we went for adoption.
His steely gaze hooked me as I walked in, and he worked his magic by curling up in my lap.
Picked. Me. Me. Picked. Him.
To like Cat or not like Cat,
These photos of Gorby,
Are just Divine.
And he is,
Very much a Divine Feline.

Let the Good Times Roll

2011-08-20T18:30:00.007+10:00

Over and Over
On Single Track back at Gap Creek
For some Good Time Roll
No dirt Crit
No loop de loop
No handicap chasing
Just. Good Times. Rolling.

We've not even rolled out of the carpark....
And long time no see faces....
Hubcab, full time Fixie extraordinaire aka Bike Courier.
I've seen Hubcab cutting Single Track fixie style in the Matrix!

We're just chewing the fat, kicking the tyres round Gap Creek today.
We had a mandate of a man-date date to roll some dirt with a buddy and his new fancy schmancy wheels
Um yeah.....waiting...waiting.....
But in the meantime.....

On the weekends, Gap Creek changes.......
You come across this a lot on the trails.
MTBers talking stuff.
Me stalking stuff.
With my lens.
Any lens......phone lens!!!!

Lotsa MTBers.
Chillin'
Hangin'out.
Gettin some sweet Single Track
Gettin some sweet outdoors.

And as for us, well we were doing all of that,
AND
Waiting for a man-date.
Waiting....

And while we wait we play.
Well Jaman does at least.
Log skillz stuff.
You got like 3 feet of air that time honey.....;-)

Oh look, a posse of MTBers is heading for some Single Track talk, I mean time.

Hmmmm, I need to get some Single Track talk, time.
And talkin of talk....look who just rolled his fancy hoops in.

Yeah yeah Kal, heard it all before.
Our Man-date.
Late.
Kal. Enough said.
Oh hang on, whats that?
Those big round hoops turn slow.....that's why your late....

I know, it blurs my mind too.
Oh yes, of course, the bigger they are the slower they turn....
(He he he.....Rach, JJ, Buzz.....;-))
Anyways, with the big hoops rolling up for a roll.
We finally got rolling........and well, I do have to say.......
Kal......well...... we chased his big hoops round Gap Creek.
Until, until.......we threw some techo stuffo in.
Bwah ha ha.

So, 29er, and mega awesome 26ers of us.....
We let the good times roll today.
And even better seen today,
Was so many others,
rolling the good time.

A little less fooling....

2011-08-19T17:01:00.011+10:00

A little more action.....
Was order of our day at Gap Creek.
Action. Superlight.(less) Camera.

Lap after lap after lap after lap at Gap
Was the the Plan.
But first lap 1, the Masterclass foolin' bit.

Mano mano......Jaman. CX Bike.
Despite seeing the CX bike Single Track feats,
Many a time, I still shake my head at his CX Single Track Skillz!
This would be my handicap today as he chased me on laps!
Woot!
And well, when I chased him.....and chased him.....
Love All.

Ah the trees,
All the tree slappings on saplings.......from me.bad.bar ends.
Karma is a laughing tree and it's *roots*.
Love.All.

Lets get ettttttttttttttt on.

CX cornerz skillz.

Oooooooooooe I lurve this trail, Wallaby Trail.

Some nice flow can be achieved.

Tuning out of the life white noise.

And tuning into the moment.

Can be hard to achieve sometimes.
But when you're dialled in on Single Track.

You can really suspend yourself in the present.

And lately, the present has logrollovers,
very much a part of the past.

Locked. Loaded. And ROLLLLLLLLLED!

Masterclass out of the way, it was time for action.
We chase each other on this loop.
A dirt handicap of sorts.
Bona Fide way to get me to get the pace on......chase me.
I will Superflight the Superlight, if I know a wheel is on my heel.

Caught.
Caught by the Jamanator.
And
Caught by a *matrix call*, this is natures office.
I'm a little breathless?
That be running to the phone ......

Speaking of running, my Superlight is running Superflight SuperWhite at the moment.

And even though I present as the non-technical type......

These *new* forks...
Well these new forks are forkin hawt.
And they allow for even more *fooling action*!

Fur Kids

2011-08-17T13:59:00.003+10:00

Well after a respectable *pinning* period for Boots......
We decided to make our own fur kid family.
Introducing Indy (short for Independent - ahem, Jaman's bike) and Gorby (short for Gorbachev being the Russian Blue cross he is).

Indy and Gorby came from the RSPCA.
A sobering place to visit. Many many pleading eyes on you to *pick me*.
Sigh.
Well Indy and Gorby were picked, by the, they picked us method.
And well, they have been so wonderful so far.
For little fur creatures, regardless of whether they are cat dog mouse rat bird, they have shone through any trauma and stress of being abandoned and waiting in the kennels.

Gorby like Boots likes being the office help. And well I like him being an office help too.

And well Indy likes her new toys. Hey, I didn't know the chicken was meant for dawgs.....she plays with anyways. Drags it around and stuff, yes really she does.

Life here in our household, is as if, its always *been that way*.
So, all is complete and well.
They say, a home is incomplete without a Cat. Or two. I say.

The Wednesday Night Tuesday Night Ride

2011-08-17T10:57:00.005+10:00

The weekly roll out of skinny tyres was shifted to Tuesday Night.
Not Wednesday Night.
Change. Complicates.
Especially for a brunette like me.

So while I'm waiting for ride master ride buddy Pete.
It was pleasant.
Twilight pleasant like.
Parrots were parroting away and bedding down. (Sweet jebus they are noisey fa... nevermind they is what they is and they were just doing their thing.....actually maybe I was in their space killing their buzz....)

The Uni grounds were quieting.
Not meltdown quieting.
Human quietus.

And despite being a skinny wheel roll out.
I was feeling pleasant about it myself.
I was testing my new, I mean *demo glasses* lens called the *twilight lens*.
That in itself is enough reason to roll this 40km roll.

I kinda forget what these wheels look like.
I also remembered to make sure they were 110psi before I rolled.
I had to put 60psi in them.
Meh, I know, they don't get much roll at the moment.

Giddy up time to roll, my ride buddy has rocked up.
Photos, small chat, meltdowns.....
Frowned upon on this ride.
That's commitment from me, 40kms of commitment!

So with the rolling done, where the road forks for departure,
we came across this guy.
Oooooooeeeeee, a mighty fine guy.
I'm keeping some fine wheeled company with this pair.
;-)

And while Pete and this guy were talking bike stuff, comparing meltdown notes (not...were you?)
I did the frowned upon thing.
Hey, 40kms of committed riding........I gotta be me sometime.

Waiting waiting, and I came to realisation,
that I actually don't mind night riding the roadie.
In fact, I like LIKE.
Despite Pete and I having *dirt legs*, as in, the toll of repeated past days of dirt rides (and that dirt roll I took on Monday) in the legs.
We hammered out the Wednesday Night ride on the Tuesday just fine.
Just one thing, can we please go back to regular scheduled programming.
Wednesday Night ride on Wednesday Night.
Change is the constant, but for this brunette duck.......some things are best left an unchanged constant!

Achievement of Balance

2011-08-16T10:09:00.012+10:00

What goes Up goes Down,
and
Then back Up and back Down.
Like Joy and Sorrow
They are inseparable.
Like the Joy is the the Sorrow unmasked.
So is the Single Track Yeah to the Single Track Un-Yeah.
Without each other, it would not be possible to appreciate the other.
So what I'm alluding to is, while I present the Jolly on Single Track Antics, there is the Folly too.
This is to show you.........achieving the balance is ALSO about having the folly ......of which I have plenty.
Oh. Yeah.
Plenty!

Going up.
I do leg extension Left.

Jaman does Leg extension Right.

I have *good* leg flick skills.

Actually I should measure my frame, I'm thinking since MTBing, I've stretched a good 5 cms.

Going down.
My favorite. On rocks.

Yep, leg flick. Actually maybe my left leg is longer.

Oh yeah, then there is the side BAM.

But Edwards and I have had lengthy academic discussions about this.
Technically do they count as an OFF.

Even at the Dingo chunk-a-licious rock-a-licious there was folly.

Take I. I stopped on first chunky section.

Take II - Stop again with some Right leg extension.
Sweet jebus, glad to see the right leg extending!

Take III - Roll etttttttttttt.

Nirvana on Sunday just gone.
Yeah, my Single Track big bad bitey did-ya see-the-size-of-THAT.......LOGS.

Who wudda-thunk. Logs my Single track nemesis.
Guaranteed......to put the pause in my forward.

I'm working on de-wiring this out of my mind.
Because it is ALL in my mind.

Oh yes, and the most unassuming, what could go wrong scenarios.

Just pushing my carcass and my Cruz up hill.
Tro-la-la-la.....

Fahhhhhhhhhh.

Well that ended messy.
I.Don't.Know.Why.
But I took a digger.
On FOOT!

It happens to the *best* of us. Take I for the Jaman.

Take II. I'm.Not.Smiling.or.Laughing.

Ok, I am now. Take III, he he. In the same spot I took my digger on foot!

I err to the over-cautious side.
I learnt this from a) my shoulder, b) Jaman & Roadie Rob and c) Me
I will roll something with my bike first if unsure and watch its line.
Then I can design my line.
Lock it. Load it. Roll it.
Then it comes together.
And you achieve balance.
Suspension between the Jolly and Folly or the Hell Yeah and Funk Yeah.
Is where you wanna be.
Cause eating dirt, is eating dirt, and it tastes humble.
And I've tasted a lotta dirt.

And then follows schweeeeeeeeeeeeet rollin.
And on Sunday, this was the closest to some fancy footwork we could find that was *JJesque*.
And thats how it rolls with me and MTBing.
Thats why we LOVE it.
We take the good, the not-so good (diggers, face plants, side bams, bar end slams.......) and we roll with it.
Yeah?
Yeah!

Nirvana at Nirvana

2011-08-14T21:19:00.020+10:00

Like the Howling Dingo Trail that keeps luring me back.
Jaman decided it was *time* to take me to Nirvana at Daisy Hill.
Again, for no particular reason, I had not been down (or UP as the case would be) this trail.
And perhaps, a befitting punishment for my flagrant jaunts back to the rocky chunky sections of Dingo at Gap Creek.
Yes the punishment fitted thy crimes.
It was the *complete* day out for us.

There was a meltdown.
A Miff Meltdown*
And it started like this;
Jaman; Do you want to ride UP nirvana or go via fire road to trail head?
Miff; Hellah yeah, lets ride UP it so I can see what I am going to ride down.
Famous melt down words.
I'm human. So human, I'm as human as they come.
And I have human moments.
Very human moments.
The UP of Nirvana brought out one of *those* human moments.

There is a reason why downhill goodness is goodness.
Cause its downhill. It goes Doooooooooooooooooown.
And as I'm pushing *IT* (along with many other analogies that came into my mind...) UP Nirvana, I'm reminded so.
Don't get me wrong, it is very rideable......but when the unrideable sections start stacking up because of lack of strength/speed/poor judgement (think the latter mostly)......they weigh heavy on the Single Track Mind.
Anyways, meltdown over, I was coaxed to get ET on and we would tech sesh every feature.
So that was enough to get me and my mind back on track.

And OOOOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.
This was some blissed out smackin fun.
Funking yeah!
I could have repeated repeated repeated well.....repeated away for hours more.
Hmmm, maybe I will.....

Jaman, showed how's done.
Smooth as. Skilled as. Strong as.

So so much to play with on this trail.
Features that test your skills and skill you back.

And in my mind a trail that begs, invites you to really *take it to the trail*.

We repeat repeated all the way down.
I skilled.
He skilled.
Woooooooooooot, it was a skilling time.

Each repeat brings a new line, more speed, less speed, change the body English.......
And Santa Cruz ate it all.....a playground for my wheeled steed for sure.
Meltdown done.
And we had some serious fun.
But there was ONE more thing to do before we left Daisy Hill.
Just one more thing.

This log rollover on Koala has bitten me for over a year.
I can't explain why. I mean if you compare it to other trail features I'm attracted to, other than it's the *human* in me that stops my forward over it.

Some Roadie Rob lessons targeting the de-human-ing** of my approach to this beasty has worked.
And now, I look beyond them.
I do my thing and Santa Cruz does its thing.
And, it's just another obstacle that I go over to keep the forward going.
Yeah!

Santa Cruz's. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.
They earnt their pay today.

Best evah day out with my ah man.
Who, in all my solo antics, keeps me real on the trail.
Keeps my wheel grounded.
Parting words for the day; I might come back here during the week by myself.....what do you think?
No reply.
The crickets were noisy though.

*Miff Meltdown = Well.....it varies. But the darkest of the darkest meltdowns is my very quietness. Yes I do quiet. And a quiet me is not a happy place me. It means there be something brewing in me, about to erupt. Oh, and then there is to sobby sniffling blubby one WITH the quietness. Can't.Speak.While.I.Sob.
Then like a hurricane, they go as fast as they come.
And then the rainbow comes......right Jaman.....;-)

** De-human-ing = A Roadie Rob learning. When we talked about things that need work, I said I don't do logs, I can't do them, I stop them on.....you hear? even your basic inner psychology can pretty much pick out what the problem is in that blurb. So Roadie Rob said he would *take the human out of me*, for it is the *human reaction* that causes the block. Tis true. We shifted my mind, my focus, arranged my body reflexes so that I had some new wiring to do the log rollovers. We taught the body a new behaviour. So now, it's automatic whenever I approach a log rollover. Look. Lock. Load it. Lift. Roll it.
Paralysis by Analysis (thats a me wisdom and me constant)
Don't stink the think with over-think (that's an Edwards wisdom BTW).
Oh yeah, and it takes practice....you can use a crack in the pavement to teach yr body and mind the behaviour it needs. And thats why people, you see me bad on my roadie bunny hopping everything.

The Howling of Dingo

2011-08-13T15:29:00.011+10:00

Made me do it again.
Saturday saw me taking some time out for me on dirt..... (I know....and the difference to every other day is.........very different..... really it is)
A quickie if you like.
Just me and my Santa Cruz.
Jaman did his roadie crit in the morning and when he came back I went and did my dirt thing.

We had things to do, places to be.
Ah....that BE the difference.
Anyoldhoo I had to do my own crit, dirt crit.
Which means getting as many dirt loops in as I can, in a hour....My personal life time management skillz made it an hour and a half....oops.
Yeeha....

Anyways, the forest was singing with its springing spring thing.
Natives are blooming,
pollen dander is the air,
and I'm dosed up on all the good gear,
to breathe it all in.
Yup....dander away forest cause I'm armed!!!

Nothing was going to dampen this gallop.
Not even my poor sock choice.
Note to file: WTFunk was I thinking with the whites.
Fah. Soaking as I tap away.

With the sun on my back
My wheels beneath me.
Where will I burn my dirt matches?

The voices it my head were saying.
Rocks. Dingo. Lonely
So I took that as Dingo rocks, but feels lonely, and could do with some wheeled company. OK, i'm on it.
Yes. Really.

Well despite being *asked* by the significant other to not go there and do what I do without an other......
All I heard was *blah blah blah.......oh and have fun at Dingo* ;-)
So here I was again.
I did the chunky rocky sections twice....then busted a move back.
I can: Go down the rocky chunky's going up Dingo.."
But
I can't Go up the rocky chunky's going down Dingo.."
You get?!
Best I show you JJ and Buzz...let me know what day rolls good fer ya ;-)
And that is why No means Yes.
There exists a *can't* that has to be a *can*.
See the dilemma....yr on it.

Anyway, short of time.....I did manage to fool....just once.
On the beaver obstacle.

Check et.
Just before my awesome slide out.
My bad.
Not awesome to slide.
There was no slide.
I only thought it.

As you see I was pinning it.
Top flight speed.
Jaman selected music especially for me in his disapproval.
Which, really means, sigh, disapproval. ;-)
SuperFreak
The music for Dingo Trail.
It was the howl of the trail.....
that lured me back.
And will always continue to do so.
;-)

The Dingo Trail

2011-08-10T17:49:00.018+10:00

Despite spending a lot of time at Gap Creek.
Trail after trail after trail
Repeat after Repeat after Repeat
I had not been on Dingo Trail.

I know, I have mad *paint* skillz.
I decided to go there today.
Why have I not been there, well apart from Jaman telling me it was *difficult* in sections....(which in this household is just a red flag to the she-bull), but I think I've just been *content*.
And well, I believe, *content* can foster *complacency* in skillz.

Complacency needed some shake up......so to Dingo it was.
And holee rockumolee!
The burn off exposed some rocky goodness even off track.
Oooee.

Well, let me tell you, this trail....
had my attentions attenae alert!
Attention span ....
Tuned in.

This is a sweet piece of Single Track.
What took me so long to make my way here?!?
Maybe....I was saving the best for last...yeh!

There were sections that brought me to a halt.
And when that happens.....
Well when that happens it means I needz to know how to do.

Investigate. Upwards. Downwards.
I've been taught well.....Jaman well ;-)
Lock it. Load it. Roll it with the Santa Cruz to check bike line.
THEN ride it.

Besides, risk makes it a little more fun.
Yeh?!
Rightly or wrongly....
I will learn from this.

And well it took a few dabs.....dabs not diggers.
Who woulda thought that my 172cm frame could extend even further!
Thank you awesome legs for extra extension. It saved possible face plantitis.

I love rocks. Really REALLY love rocks. They are to me, like the moth to the flame.
And in my mind, this really small section of rocks,
is the closest thing that I've seen resembling the pictures of the rocky trails,
that Ms Superstar light footed Space Cowgirl JJ and her sassy MTB gals,
ride on.
Except the difference being kms and kms of it!
More and more of it.

This is not a super difficult section ....... I think.
Its just a little tricky.
Sorta a little...bit.....tricky like.
And it took a few foot dabs.....alright, how bout 4 attempts or so!
To de-trick it!
And actually, most of the *de-tricking* is with the human!
Then you get a clean line through it. And then we nailed it.

And repeated it...........of course.
Its all about balance ;-).
Odd numbers....ooooooooh noooooooo.
Even Steven's for this clown ;-)
There were some *oh-my-fah-sweet-oh-fah-bejeebus* moments.
Anyways I WANT to go back with my zen master and string it all together under his watchful eye.
Hey, if I'm gonna face plant.....I want someone to be witness to it, and pick my teeth up!

Moving on and dragging myself away from those rocks,
Coming back down this trail was an absolute smokin hoot!
I had so much fun. SO MUCH FUN!!!!!
And of course the Single Track beavers built log drops/rollovers......

Log rollovers, meh, still my anti-awesome.
But lately thanks to Roadie Rob they are in the awesome folder of Single Track tricks.

Loving the way my Santa Cruz Mk II rolls.
It really delivers on what its paid to do.....
Eat stuff! Like rocks!
And keep me rolling forward.
Have I told you all how much I lurve my Santa Cruz?
Never mind......

Oh and lastly, the Santa Cruz, rides in the back.
For now.
Ahem.

I know so....

2011-08-10T10:20:00.003+10:00

That the season is changing.
Winter is done.
Spring comes.

I know so.
I nose so!
I am high maintenance with regards to sinus and allergies.
High. Maintenance.
Wind. Pollen. Dust. Creature Danders. Cigarette smoke. Off-tune perfume.
But mostly Seasons.
As far as seasons go here in Oy-stray-le-A (pronounced in the eleoqunet manner of our reigning PM Juliar Gillards)

When the season turns.
So too does my head.
It gets achey. Sinus head-achey.
Liken to being in an aeroplane when the pressure gradients change.
And you feel your all your head passages scream with pain.
Except your land lubbered.

But, the plants do say so too.
Even in their ever-green way.
However, our lustrous Jacaranda does follow the seasons.
And it's been snowing its little yellow leaves like a blizzard of lately.
I know so......because the pool and paths say so daily from these leaf blizzard storms.

The change is good.
It brings the second half of the year into play.
And play changes with bikes for the rest of the year.
To all play time bike time (Ahem, not that it hasn't been that all year so far for me BUT it's official like.......training program finished with, as it has.)
Springing into my step as I step into Spring.

Or maybe its because of where I was stepping to?
Japanese. Food. Green Tea. Rockstar MTB Friend. Laughs. At her. Not me. Her. ;-)
Lots to spring about in stepping out.
Spring to it!

Superbright Superlight

2011-08-07T20:59:00.021+10:00

Sunday here in Brisbane was race day, the holy grail of MTB Races, The EPIC.
Jaman and I were both entered to do the 50km.
Jaman went.
I did not.
The sum of many parts lead to an equal of, it would be a very non-epic, race and day for me.
Hey, you gotta take stock of your position, and realise the reality.
It wasn't gonna happen.

But what WAS going to happen, was rolling out my Superlight.
Superlight Mark II.
After *the incident*.
Choice of playground, Gap Creek. Again.

The trails were closed the other day for the burn off.
And well, as far as burn off goes, it looked good.
There is something about a post forest burn off that is good.
And the air was filled with this smoky eucalyptus charcoal incense.
An incense I guess that takes me home to the cattle property and to fireplaces.

And, WTFunk!
Vvvvvvvvvandals.
But, um, how come the horse gets left on there.
Maybe horse rage hoofed the sign.
Because horses want a monopoly on use of Skink Link Trail.

Anyways, back to THE Superlight.
Well, I don't know how it worked out my bad = my good.
The Superlight just got pumped and pimped more.

I'm rolling a new set of forks that take it to the trails even better than before.
Oooooooooooooooooeeee.
White is the new Red.
White Bright Superlight
Just got even better.

And for all my wailing (not-so-proud-of, but it happened)...
FTR's booted me out the door with new gloves and new grips.
Actually, it was noted by Tim, my grips were worn. Yeh baby!
And he said was it from a) Gripping too hard cause I was sliding out b) riding Superlight a lot or c) Dodgy Downhilling like I shouldn't
Maybe. All of the above.
Bwah ha ha.

So I needed to test Superlight Superbright Superwhite performance.
And at Gap Creek you can find little sections to repeat repeat on.
Like this one at top of Quail Trail.

I think the Downhillers carved this, as it swings sharp and deep to the left and further downhill.

I was stoked.
Superlight stoked.
So stoked, I head butted my Smart Phone.

Further on in.......I was stopped in my tracks.
What is it?
No really....what is etttttttttt.
Squawky but in a sultry squawky way.
A real big bird.
Not one, maybe 6 of them.
Busy as doing something on the trees.

I managed to get this close.
And to my delight, (after Googling Big Black Bird Maybe Cockatoo Yellow Bits On It - Google your ultimate tap a friend) discovered it was a Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo
Woot!
I have never seen a black cockatoo like this ONE. Lots of white cockatoos.
But this was truly a treat.
So majestic, so handsome a bird.
And completely accepting of my inquisitive nosiness of it!
And oh when it flew, the beautiful yellow tail.
Sigh, it was a pretty cool Single Track moment.
To date my wildlife Single Track sighting bounty has been limited mostly to; Wallabies, Goannas, Scrub Turkeys and Kookaburras and maybe a Liger or two.....
But at least, they are some of the most pawed clawed feared and gnarliest of Australian native creatures.
Truly.
They are fearsome creatures ;-)

Speaking of fearsome dangerous creatures.......
Last but least, my last wildlife sighting of the day....
The most sought after.
The cuddliest.
The furryest.
The noisiest.
The Jaman.
Who sought me out after The Epic at Gap Creek.
We cut some Single Track for a bit.
And then we left the forest with its owners.
And well, I guess, the *Meaning of Things* can sometimes not really mean too much.
Other than, it will all be bright light and white in the end.

The Meaning of Things

2011-08-05T13:12:00.006+10:00

Becomes surprisingly apparent.
When the *unthinkable* happens.

And today, I did the *unthinkable*
In a very not-myself-moment.
I did the un-thinking!

Yeh.
I drove into the undercover garage.
With.
My.
Superlight Vertical on roof.

And made it Horizontal on my roof.
They say carbon makes a bad a-s-s crunching noise.
Well I can confirm my Superlight makes a horrendous crunching noise.
And even worse, was the hysterical noise I made.
Bad. Me.
Superlight is at Bike ER undergoing major surgery.
Smashed forks, smashed handlebar, smashed seat....as in seat decapitated.....broken brake levers.....
As for me, well I am as forlorn as can be.
Bad.ME.
Yeh, I know funk happens.
It's a *thing* it can be fixed.
But you know what, I broke this *thing*.
Because I wasn't thinking. It's more the *act* than the consequence that has rattled me.
And well, those who lurk/visit here, know how much this one *thing* matters to me.
A lot.
A real lot.
I spend a lot of time galloping round on my Superlight steed.
Sigh. Guess I do get the Pork Chop Award.
Guess, my Superlight has an unscheduled make-over coming up.
Things do mean a lot.
So I, of minimalist ways and living discovered.

Thanks Gordy, Rach, Pete and Jaman for dealing with a MEGA Miff-Meltdown.

Funk Yeh

2011-08-04T10:41:00.007+10:00

So I did go get the Yeh Funk back on.
And well there's only one place in my mind to achieve this.
Single Track.
Yeh. Funk Yeh.

I am spending a lot of time at Gap Creek.
I have a lot of fun here.
And well, when I sneak off to the forest, it's usually empty too.
It's just me, Superlight and sweet Single Track.
A *favored* area to me, was closed.
Single Track was burning. Ok, not burning, but there was controlled burn off around the area.

Well ....... I'll just have to go repeat on other super sweet single track.
And I did.
And as I officially have RIPéd (the lens had no more lens - well worn out!) my trusty Olympus, I used my smart phone.
Smart. Phone.

When I first went over this, I nearly projectiled off my trusty Superlight steed.
Puzzled. WTF(unk)?
I went to investigate...whyyyyyyy.
Hmmmm, seems a rock has rocked off elsewhere just after log.
I see.
My wheel took a *digger*, which meant I take a *digger*, well nearly.
There was some un-fancy wheelwork ;-)
You know, cause yeah, my choice of line, is to the left.

So back again to repeat and I had a new plan.

Get some like 1.3 ft of air over the rock-less section.
Yeah, that worked.
Anyway, some sun on the back.
Fooling round on my Superlight for hours.
Put back the yeh funk in my Funk Formula.
Mind is rattled at the moment with life stuff.
And well nothing rattles that out better than taking it to the trails.
The thing is taking it the trails keeps it *real*.
It refocus the external mind and frees the internal mind.
If you don't the trail will take it to you, and well as I've discovered,
The Superlight sure does buck like my sweet Silverdale Ash.
So, keepín it real. And staying on track. And Taking it to the trails.
Funk Yeh.

The Funk Formula

2011-08-02T10:41:00.011+10:00

Is the sum of Radiating between the yeh funk and meh funk.
A funk of the meh kind.
Well you can change that.
And get back to the funk of a yeh kind.
For no particular reason.
I radiate.
- High Low
- Low High
- Side to Side
- Up Down
- Down Up
- Over Under
It's the Single Track of the life
It's just how it is, how it rolls, or un-rolls in this case.
Meh funk = meh junk.
Mind and Body.

So, to get back your yeh funk
You need to get rolling.
Me and myself will *roll*.
And I have the sweetest wheels to take me rolling.
Roll out the meh funk.
Roll in the yeh funk.
And all will be funkariffic.
Life's like that sometimes, alltimes, maybetimes.....
A little funky.
And
A little junky.
But
It's how you roll with it.
That puts the funk back in your funk formula.
Once you got it.......you can *do anything you wanna do with it*

Bootsy says so:

I know so.
Rolling some notes into that space.
The little *space* that you got.....we all got.
Breaking it down........1 - 2 - 3 - 4.
Yeah, Bootsy.

And YES, this stupidly grinning pork chop.....does get the meh funky going on.

The choice of Mt Joyce

2011-07-24T22:21:00.021+10:00

Is EPIC smoking Single Track rejoice.
Fun, fun FFFFFFFFFFUN!
My heels and wheels are still *smokin* from this high flying day of Single Track!
Oooooooooooee!
I still have a circular loop playing over and over in my head of this day out!
And the circular loop playing over is the highlighted sections on the map below.
Including two BAMS! courtesy of my mad BAM skillz!
My Garmin ran out of battery, so hence the mark-up.
It had a pretty long night recording GPS activity on my bike in my car in my driveway.
Ya. It happens a lot. I record a lot of stationary movement.

Mt Joyce is approximately 1 hour South West from Brisbane.
And at Mt Joyce, is a newish MTB Park.
Actually there is more than that at Mt Joyce.
It caters for all horses for courses.
People. Horses. MTBs.
I'm excited talking about!
The greater good of outdoor-ness in ONE awesome setting!
Mt Joyce.

Anyways, lets say, I was chaffing at the bit to get into this goodness of Single Track.
The day was so blue.
Deep blue.
An inviting play all day blue!

We armed ourselves with some fine heeled wheeled friends.
And got into this glorious day promising some of the best Single Track created in South East QLD. (The Australian MTB Marathon Championships were held here earlier in the year!!)
Landy Pete and Jaman, making their way to the beginning of what would be one of the most blissed Single Track adventures, to date!
Yes really!

Gordy was ride master for day, our spinning spinner single speeder who on second recon ride at Mt Joyce.
This was about as close as I got to this super spinner dirt boy!
Burnt my biscuits fast chasing him......again!

Before we started we quickly had a look at the 4X Track!
Schweeeeeeeeeeeeet. Get some of that on the way out!
Oh yeah, and this was site of BAM #1.
I know. WTF?!?!?
I'm down already..... technically it was a slide out....cleat meet concrete.
And voila you get the above!
Yes Gordy, you DO know me.

So we climbed up some awesome switch back ST to where Gordy is pointing.
I'm interested. Really. Come on.....lets go .....gooooo.

Hmmmmmm, more map meetings of the map men.
I present to you:
How many men does it take to read a map?
;-)
The trails were incredible.
They flowed, twisted, ramped, jumped, rocked......oh my.
It was heaven.
I have never felt so pumped on dirt!

And then THIS!
Wooden. Berm. Ahhhhhhhhhh!
Gordy impressed on this, in fine style.

Jaman jaman-ing it.

Land Pete, carving it!

Me, laughing and hooting in it, out it and again.
Oh yeah, before I forget, this was site of BAM #2.
Not in the berm, but outta the berm.
As Jaman said .... I took a *digger*!
I came flying outta here, and well, armed with a whole bunch of speed and an involuntary jump launch just after the berm, I decided to take a dive into the dirt.....before I projectile over the table top jump after, like a flying muppet.
It seemed the better option.

Chilling out.
Absorbing time out.
We had it going on, all day!
Single Track bliss, going on all day.

Taking time to savour it.
You just didn't want it to end.
So, lets keep going!

Oh......look.......hooved ones. Horses MTBs all in my view.
All is balanced.
Well maybe except for me.....

Can you pick the Pork Chop.
And NO, there are no prizes.

Ooooooooooooeeee, it just kept on getting better. And better.
It was an overload of Single Track fun sensors.

And in true style, we made sure we went overboard on the overload.
And because the company I keep is use to it....
We repeated.

And repeated.

And repeated.
Come on, lets take it the top one more time.
Ok, just ONE more time.
It's difficult being me OK, I have an affliction addiction for good. For fun. For more.
For Single Track.

But well, all *good* things come to a (paused) end.
And well we pressed pause on this day for now.
And left the MTB Park for the fossil fuelled Park.

And yes, self portrait #0927494, was the same for us all.
Holeeeeee Moleeeeeeeeeeeee Schmoleeeeeeeeeeeeee.
Those trails were something else.
Something pretty awesome else.
Something to grin about. All day. All night.
And still today.
I'm grinning. Stupidly.
It was so good.

And well, something everyone else knows too!
The car park was full of MTBers.
Kind of a place of Nirvana really.
And well, we are making plans to go back.
Soon as. Soonest. I'm counting sleeps.
Cause well, it is that kind of excitement.
Counting sleeps, to get back to it.
Whose counting? ME!
I want to get back to it!

Thanks for the awesome AWEsome day, Gordy, Land Pete, Jaman and my Santa Cruz......who really showed me how to take it to the trails even more!

The Smile in MY Smile

2011-07-23T19:57:00.020+10:00

Is this.
I keep some *well heeled* company.

Yes.
Some fine heels here.
Indeed all University Club heels.
BUT.

That's irrelevant.
We were here for.
Some tech sesh time.

Who would think a *track star* could...
Never mind.
Oh, we will remind her.

Anyway, there was a lot of wheel.
Talk.

And much to my surprise, attention.
Attention.........wise words....from Rach....and me.
Hmmmm, note......I''m taking the photo.

Oh yeah.
Here we all be.
Damn.
How HAWT can those 26érs BE!

So, we rolled.
Schooled some.

She looks butterfly like and , she stings (legs) like a WASP .
A special *3 feet of air she-friend* ;-)
So WE,
Stood round .
Analysed it.
Shared it.
Talked it.
Understood it.
The Sunset and stuff.

And well, this was to my mind the *sun set* of the day.
Stef = CHECK = SINGLE TRACKING = GRINNY

Georgie = CHECK = SINGLE TRACKING IT = GRINNY

And well, that = me stupidly grinny.
Willingness, enjoyment, challenges and learning of the you.
Especially my favorite.
You and the what you don't know you don't know......soooooooooooooo lets find out.
Yeah!
On dirt even better!

I am stoked at the fine wheeled company I keep.
Yes I am.
My pleasure. Mine Mine Mine.
These girls all walk the line.
And its the way they do it.
Best of all.
;-)

Nocturnality

2011-07-21T09:38:00.009+10:00

Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by activity during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal".
CHECK - except sleeping during the day is MTBing during the day
Nocturnal animals generally have highly developed senses of hearing and smell, and specially adapted eyesight.
CHECK - Specially adapted eyesight, AYUPS!

So I've come out of the forest during day, got off my MTB, got my specially adapted eyesights and got in, activity during the night.

Ya, me. On.The.Road.

I have for the past few weeks *inserted* myself into this nocturnal Wed ride with some long standing (suffering) MTBer beast friends.

This is not a nocturnal jaunt.
Whinging not allowed.
Whining not allowed.
Photo taking including self portraits, frowned upon.
In fact, idle banter of any type, frowned upon.
I skated on thin ice to get in on this nocturnal activity.
Even Jaman thought I wouldn't make the cut.

It's a smack-a-thon. Smack. A. Thon.
And I got smacked last week.
I liken it to 1.30mins of high intensity light footing, no make that hot footing it through the western suburbs.
This week, I was ready.
I spent the day carbociding.
In fact I spent the day eating copious amounts of every-carb-thing coated in energy drink batter.
I used all my words on innate objects to get *the talk* out of me.
I took many self portrait photos.
I covered myself in liniments which provided so much pain, it was impossible to feel anymore pain. In fact there was haze emanating around me. (Note to file, that was not so cool, I was kinda burning up, like I had oven cleaner on my legs and back)
Ready.
To get Nocturnal.

I am fond of this ride.
Much to my surprise.
Especially mine.
And Jamans! (History: Jaman was one the original beasts involved in this smack-a-thon ride that lives on WITHOUT him.....whats that telling ya!)
It pushes me. And some more.
AND best ever this week.
In a moment of opportunity/weakness, there was a STOP, where I peel off from these punishers.
And ya, I took photos!
The *punishers* even sorta smiled. A tolerating smile.
Whatevah......I gotz my way!
Gentle men these gentlemen.
At some other time during the day I'm sure. ;-)
Thanks for still having me along on this eveningness evil session.