Favourite session of the week: I have been living in Melbourne since 1997 and have been doing triathlons since 2008 but Saturday 15th June was my first ever bike ride through the Dandenong Ranges! In the previous years, I had always been in the beginner/first timer group which meant that we would be programmed to ride Beach Rd and slowly over the years include Olivers, Two Bays and through Mornington. This time around, I wanted to be stronger on the bike and being a seasoned athlete, it was time to join the squad in the hills.
We parked at Wantirna Mall (by the way, the car park is not on Baronia Rd, its on Mountain Hwy), rode up to Dorset Rd and rode along Canterbury Rd until the roundabout which lead us on Mount Dandenong Tourst Rd. From there it was a slow and steady (for me it was) up the beautiful hill. I rode on the large chain ring (without realising it) for most of the way up until I reached the intersection for the first turn off to Sky High. I then waited for people to know where to go. They told me that we actually ride up to Sky High on the 2nd intersection and so I rode and waited until the turn off. The climb up to sky high was made challenging with much of the traffic and tourist buses that also used that road but the scenery made up for it.
After the quick stop at Sky High, we made our way to Sassafras to ride down (and up and down) the 1 in 20. I always though (for some reason) that the 1-in-20 was a straight road but the twists and turns made it fun and challenging. I definitely needed to do more of this type of descending to learn how to turn right properly.
Once we did a few repeats, I was starving and so rode back to the carpark along the Mountain Hwy. I really enjoyed this training session as it was the first real session outside of Bike School and the Lorne Camp. I had that exhausted and sore feeling again after a good strength session on the bike. I felt safe riding through the Dandenongs as I was not too far from other cyclists and didn't felt I was in the middle of no where. As we didn't have to ride through too much highway, we didn't have to travel too far to do what we had to do which was what someone in the squad mentioned.
I would definitely venture back out there again without hesitations.
Least favourite session of the week: I really didn't have a not-that-great training session this week apart from not being able to attend the Thursday morning windtrainer session due to a 12am airport pickup early on Friday morning. We parked at Wantirna Mall (by the way, the car park is not on Baronia Rd, its on Mountain Hwy), rode up to Dorset Rd and rode along Canterbury Rd until the roundabout which lead us on Mount Dandenong Tourst Rd. From there it was a slow and steady (for me it was) up the beautiful hill. I rode on the large chain ring (without realising it) for most of the way up until I reached the intersection for the first turn off to Sky High. I then waited for people to know where to go. They told me that we actually ride up to Sky High on the 2nd intersection and so I rode and waited until the turn off. The climb up to sky high was made challenging with much of the traffic and tourist buses that also used that road but the scenery made up for it.
After the quick stop at Sky High, we made our way to Sassafras to ride down (and up and down) the 1 in 20. I always though (for some reason) that the 1-in-20 was a straight road but the twists and turns made it fun and challenging. I definitely needed to do more of this type of descending to learn how to turn right properly.
Once we did a few repeats, I was starving and so rode back to the carpark along the Mountain Hwy. I really enjoyed this training session as it was the first real session outside of Bike School and the Lorne Camp. I had that exhausted and sore feeling again after a good strength session on the bike. I felt safe riding through the Dandenongs as I was not too far from other cyclists and didn't felt I was in the middle of no where. As we didn't have to ride through too much highway, we didn't have to travel too far to do what we had to do which was what someone in the squad mentioned.
I would definitely venture back out there again without hesitations.
Advice of the week: My core strength has improved over the last few weeks and this was noticeable as my lower back hurts less and less. Having a stable core is very important in minimising injuries and maximising efficiency.
What I’m looking forward to next week: I have an appointment with a reputable sports dietitian on Tuesday evening. I am looking forward to this to learn a thing or two about nutrition for endurance athletes. There are too many conflicting views on what to eat (and when) and general advice won't suit everyone. Questions I will ask will be what I need to eat and at what times and on which days - double training sessions, early morning swims, long endurance rides and runs, late training sessions etc.
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