I'm back!

I'm back , I think! .....

After 10000 of teddy bears and attending Silke's wedding in Italy and trying to deal with so many public holidays in one month....Phew!.....I think I'm back.

So keep watching this favourite spot as a lot is happening in the coming months. From an easy Bela Bela coming up to an absolute challenge for Rodney, the R2R.

R2R stands for Ride to Rhodes. A monster, with all the ups and downs like climbing up and sliding down the Dragon's back. Check out more details and meet some of the riders on http://www.freedomchallenge.org.za/

So we will keep you posted, making you drool with envy. The rest of course is all happening in the gym. That is where all the inside stories are told, where we boast about our achievements, where we laugh. So join us and be part of some great fun.

I know this is not cycling but doesn't she just absolutely look lovely! .......Ignore, it's mother talk.

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?

Back into road cycling season

The road cycling season has started again and everyone is trying to get fit as quickly as possible for the big 94.7 that is coming up in November. If you haven't got back into the swing of things, please do now. It is not too late to start a training programme.

Our official photographer is out of action at the moment, so you will have to bear a bare blog.

Etienne is forever cycling with his camera and taking pics when you least expect it. How he's doing it, we don't know. I mean, trying to stay in the bunch, take pics, drink from your bottle and not fall over , well...... All the best for the second op to his collar bone after the fall on the Baviaans Mountain Bike Marathon. Hope this time they get it right.

We started the season off with the Dome2Dome, which is quite a long and strenuous ride for the beginning of the season. I'm sure if the organisers could organise a later date in the season, we will see better times. Coming out of hibernation for most of us, it was quite a shock to the system. Although I must say, we had better weather than the year before. Our first time rider Phill, did a magnificent job on his first road ride. Never done any training on a road bike before and to jump in at the deep end speaks about courage. He did have a few chain episodes during the ride, but I understand he got the yank of it now.

The Outsurance ride was next on the list and what a surprise we got! Thinking it would be almost summer we woke up with a howling wind and temperatures of between 7 and 10 degrees. Not a pretty sight. The pretty sight was the Union buildings which we, on the 77km had to pass 6 times-hope I got it right. It was a pretty sight to see the city from there, although the city did look a bit wind swept, with dust, leaves and all sorts of debri flying all over. I must say it was the first ever ride that I finished with a cup of coffee and not a beer. It's just not the same. We prefer the pros to start first and then us novices.

A lot of rides are coming up so watch all these different sites for details:

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

http://www.enteronline.co.za/

http://www.cyclingnews.co.za/

It is not all road rides, so if you are more interested in mountain biking, most of the big rides also do have a mountain bike ride on the other weekend day. A nice and fantastic ride to try is the Crater Cruise. The Saturday is a 100km event but the Sunday is only 56km and really great fun. It is all happening at our very own Paris- Parys.

A very big welcome to all the new faces at the gym. To mention a few, Ilse and another Ilse and Frik and Charles and Elzette and Rennie and Elsa. Hope you are having fun.

And for all the other guys still in hibernation....... come on..... get out....have fun.

By the way, the 94.7 is still open for entries till 30 September. I know you've been humming and hahing-how do you spell that-so come on , take the plunge and enter. It is just fun!

Hope to see you soon at the gym, if you are still coming out of Winter, or see you at one of the races.

Just do it!

Important Dates

Well as you all know, the two most important races on the cycling calendar are open for entries.
The 94.7 is only open till the 15th September. Don't delay! This is also your seeding race for the Argus Cycle Tour 2009.
Which is the other very important race to enter for now. Entries opened on the 1st September, but will only stay open till the first 35 000 entries have been received. And please remember after entering the Argus, also make sure about your accommodation as places to stay in the Cape are very limited-well of course there are places to stay but at our Gauteng budget there are only a few. Also if you are flying down, make sure about booking your ticket ASAP.

94.7 deadline: 15 September

Argus deadline : First 35000- they already had 10000 entries within the first 24hours of opening the site. Go to http://www.cycletour.co.za/ to enter.
We here at Bullamakanka are prepared to help any novices who would like to enter the Cape Argus Cycle Tour with advice and also a training programme to prepare you fully for this fantastic event. Please speak to us.

How to win a bike in 5 easy steps!

Yes! That's not difficult. If you want to win a bike follow these easy steps:

1. Well of course you have to be there, silly! It also helps when your mates are there to support you and help you draw lucky numbers.

2. You have to stay for the lucky draw. What's the lucky draw? Well after every race they have a lucky draw where you can win lots of prizes. Bikes, holidays and so on. But, YOU HAVE TO BE THERE. Not there? No prize!

3. You must be prepared to hang around (for quite some time) and drink a couple of beers while waiting for the lucky draw to take place. Not that you have to listen to anything going on at the stage because you know you weren't one of the fast ones and therefore will not get a money prize.

4. You have to be lucky! I mean sitting around drinking beers and waiting for others to win tubes and water bottles and lollipops but only at shop so-and -so means you have to be lucky. So feel lucky otherwise you're not going to win anything.

5. Win the bike! I won it! A brand new Merida Road Bike! It felt so good, except I do have a fantastic Trek already.

By the way, all of the above excitement happened at the Carousel Ride.

So, now that you have the recipe, be there, ride the race, have a couple of beers with your friends afterwards and wait for the lucky draw. Well, to be honest, that is what we have been doing all along and having terrific fun times together. Why are you waiting? I'm expecting your smiley face at the next ride....which bring me to ......important dates.