Riding Season

This is indeed the riding season of the year where all roadies are on the road (you guessed it) preparing for the Argus Cycle Tour.

We here at the gym kicked off with a great number of riders taking part in the first event, the Pick n Pay Star Fast One (say that 10 times fast). I was quite nervous as I haven't had the change to get on my road bike since the 94.7. But funny enough as soon as your bum hits the saddle you just go into drive mode and off you go. The ride was fairly fast, with a bit of a headwind every now and again, not too badly but the rain came as a surprise and caught the tail-enders. We made ourselves at home underneath the canopy and watched the cyclists come in, patiently waiting for the rest of the team to arrive.

All had a story to tell. The story of the two punctures in one race-really bad. And about the first road race on a brand new bike and about the Garmin that is a better timer than the Polar. And through all these stories we cheered each other with another cold beer.

Here they come........

And more arrived....

We still don't know whose idea it was to go back by bus to the start. As the Fast One is an open-ended race we normally organise a driver to fetch and take. But for some reason this year we decided to do it differently. This was the result....

Eventually it was our turn to get onto the bus. More war stories were told while waiting in the queue, so I suppose it wasn't that bad. Our bikes got loaded onto a trailer and each bike was covered with a blanket. It looked strange, almost if one was going to put the bike to sleep. At last we were all on the bus and on our way back.

Till our next event which is the Emperor's Palace race. Haven't done it before, so will have to wait and see.

What is happening @ the gym?

Well for starters, it seems like everyone is back and a few new faces too. Well done for surviving the big eating time! It does feel fantastic though to get back into our familiar routine of spinning and ball classes and adding to that a few out rides too.
It seems like the double class on a Tuesday evening at 18:30 is not getting the same enthusiastic crowd of last year, so here is the first change in 2009. No more double spin classes on a Tuesday. In place of that we will have another ball class at 18:30 and another spin class at 19:30. By the way, when last have you changed your exercise routine? Are you still on the same routine of two classes a week the way you started 2 years ago? Remember the 7-day week, ok.

The Argus Cycle Tour Is Looming
For all of you training for the Argus, this is the time to really knuckle down and work hard. It is just such a short period of time and then it is all over till next year. So come on, let’s put in an all out effort, training with vigor, raising our goals, achieving more.
By now you have booked your flight, if you are flying down, booked accommodation, and making sure your bike is arriving in Cape Town in one piece.

JH Retief
For R680 you can get your bike taken down to the Argus and back.

Packing in @ Centurion

27/2 from 9:00-17:00
28/2 from 9:00-17:00
1/3 from 9:00-17:00
Packing out in Cape Town
6/3 from 11:00-17:00
7/3 from 8:00-17:00
8/3 from 7:00
Post Argus Collection @ Centurion
13/3 from 9:00-17:00
14/3 from 9:00-17:00
16/3 from 9:00-17:00

or

Elliott-they are amazing

For a whopping R750 you can have your bike travel in utter luxury!

Pick up @ Centurion Cycle Lab
1/3 from 9:30-17:00
Unpack in Cape Town
6/3 from 12:00-18:00
7/3 from 9:00-18:00
Back @ Centurion
12/3 from 9:30 –17:00

Book now, if you haven’t yet. Time is running out.

Upcoming Races

• Berge en Dale is taking place this Sat 31 Jan.
• Emperor’s Palace on Sun 8 Feb
• Ride for Sight on Sun 15 Feb
• Carnival City MacSteel Sun 22Feb
  
  Get all the links to enter the races here on the blog.

http://www.cyclelab.co.za/

www.cyclingnews.co.za

http://www.entrytime.co.za/

As always, your enthusiastic, cheering you on, Bulla Team

Feasting time......

Aaah, what a wonderful time we had, getting out and doing absolutely whatever we fancied. I know it sounds incredible, but me, your spinning instructor went on an indulging spree of note.

It was fry-up breakfasts, delicious Christmas cakes loaded with brandy cream or double thick brandy cream, pubs, pubs and pubs.

I have to show you some of the best delicacies I indulged in. Just to make you jealous, or make you feel better.How's this for pizzas, so big it could easily fill two plates, but I had the whole pizza...mmmmm.

Then came the Christmas dinner in a very quaint pub in a very old little village, with a log fire warming the dining room and driving out the cold. I'm glad I'm not smoking because you have to do all of that outside. By the way, this wonderful cheese dish was only the starters to the Christmas dinner. I was not planning to show you the rest of the meal, but all of it tremendously delicious.

Of course we had to quench our thirst as well. OOhh Pleeze... it wasn't water! No, we tried different beers, mixes and the rest. Well, in the end after seeing this billboard, I decided to stick with Guinness. I saw many other signs stating that Guinness makes you strong...thinking of the mountains I had to pedal up, I had another Guinness....to make me strong.

Of course the weather didn't play along either. In UK and Ireland it was bitterly cold. We were lucky though, no rain! We were dressed up to the eyebrows. You try and cycle with gear like that! That was the last straw to the camel's back. We were picking up weight and fast.

That was the festive season and I'm sure many of you went through the same agony. Eating, eating and no training.

Well, the festive season is over. We are slam bang in a whole new year which we can shape the way we like. It is your choice. We are back in the gym, back on our bikes and we are shedding the extra kilo's, slowly but surely.

What about you?