Dragonfly alley!!

I’ve just been for a training ride on the old Colnago for 2hrs down a bikepath along a freeway and there were so many dragonflys. I’ll never forget I found a couple of these critters wedged in my aero bike helmet. Gross!

I’ve done a few swims now at a rate of around 1min per 50metres for around 40 laps. I still find this a very taxing activity and much harder comparatively than cycling or running. I’m sure not everyone experiences swimming this way.

We are all set up now for Busselton Half Ironman on 1 May with accommodation at Beachlands Resort. I have the bike nearly ready. I’ll buy some pitstop for around $20 to put in my valve if I puncture (as I have tubular tyres that glue on and are, essentially tyre and tube built into one).

I’ll get my cluster cleaned on the Gravity Zero wheel but its only one or two cluster rings that need cleaning. The chain needs a clean but really the bike is ready to go. I’ve done my 160km time trial on it and lots of time trials this season with ATTA (Australian Time Trials Association). There are many time triallists who travel at 40kph or better but I know that won’t be me. I will be very happy to get a 2hr 30min time for 90kms but this will mean good fitness, form and the discipline not to try to smash the first lap as I have done previously.

Its been pretty busy on the home front. I think I mentioned that I sent a Twitter follow to 180 people with the family name of Christiansen like me. I suggested a convention of Christiansens until someone told me there were around 40,000 of them in the Denmark phone directory. Perhaps scrap the convention idea!

The Carlton Football Club had a great win against the Western Bulldogs (Australian Rules Football) so they now sit third on the ladder. Just thought I’d throw it in there randomly. I want to promote the Friggin Loon. A very funny person who finds the funniest, weirdest stories from around the world. There’s also a bunch of great videos to watch (try the Japanese game show, Human Tetris. Very, very funny)

In Australia, we have had a spate of $30 one way airfares from Perth to Melbourne and Perth to Adelaide. Unbelievably cheap! They tend to sell quickly and via Tiger Airways.

In a few weeks, my younger brother John will be doing his first marathon, The Great Ocean Road Marathon on Victoria’s south coast. Its a hard run to launch an initiation into marathon running but he’ll do it.

Its been a very relaxing weekend with swimming and cycling. I’ll do a very light run today and another 40laps of swimming. I know I should be working in a taper but I’ll do a 6km tomorrow and commute to and from work on my bicycle till Thursday.

I will prepare my usual checklist for Busselton Half Ironman on my next blog entry. Keep checking www.triwa.org.au on the Busso Half Ironman thread for updates.

I have to say that on Saturday morning (very early) there were a couple of hundred cyclists, most of whom I figured were out on some last minute training for Busso. Just a short while ago, someone yelled out ‘Gidday Christo’ from the steady line of traffic returning from their long weekend break. Have no idea who it was!!

I have decided on the City to Surf Half marathon at end August. The next cycling event is Lancelin on 17 May.

We nearly caught a young kids trying to break into cars outside our house. 4.30am in the morning…and he looked around 14 yo I reckon.

Bring on the stimulus payment. I have already formulated at least a dozen items I’d like to buy.

Cheers

CHRISTO