Looking over Mt Hotham
For
the past week I have been in Bright on the Kelly
Cycle Coaching September Camp. As I am currently sitting in my cosy chair
with the heater quietly pumping our warm air beside me, I can confidently say
that I had an absolute blast on the camp. I can say this as I am no longer
being flung across roads by Hercule’s strength cross-winds, I am no longer
getting covered in cow shit churned up from the cyclists wheel in front of me,
and I no longer have numb fingers from descending off Mt Buffalo in 3°C. Yep,
camp was awesome! You think I am crazy right?
Not
quite sure if I painted the best picture for you all after that introduction.
Let me take a few steps backwards. The journey began bright and sparkly last
Sunday morning when my teammate, Carley McKay, drove the two of us up to
Bright. Just a quick shout-out of thanks to Carley for driving there and back;
lacking cruise control and one leg doesn’t make for the best long-distance
driving so I am extremely grateful to those who I can hitch a ride with!
Arriving
at Bright Chalet, we were warmly welcomed back by the owner and his wife –
Michael and Athalia. Carley and I did a quick test of two rooms; this included
the traditional bed-bounce, bathroom check, and level of natural light. Once
unpacked and settled in, I headed out for an ‘easy’ ride with Carley and two of
the older boys. Definitely felt the lack of training post the hip arthroscopy a
few weeks ago with my heart rate easily skyrocketing up into the 180 beats per
minute for what was relatively flat and windless domain. Looking good for the
week ahead of climbing….
We
had a total of 18 athletes attend the camp. Of this, we had 5 girls and the
rest was made up of mostly young teenage boys who have appetites that rival a
small army. I literally couldn’t believe my eyes as plate after plate was
consumed. For example, lunch consisted of a minimum of three sandwiches plus
fruit, cake and muesli bars. Breakfast was a similar three-course affair
usually of porridge, cereal, eggs, muffins, sausages, and toast. I had
definitely forgotten the appetite of growing boys and have made a mental note
to mention this to my mother next time she complains how much I eat.
With well-fueled bodies, we cycled up Mt Buffalo, Mt Hotham, Rosewhite, Buckland
Valley, and other hidden gems outside of Bright. We also had skills sessions that involved cornering, jumping over broomsticks, and weaving around multi-coloured
cones. All for a mini mars bar. Is the reason we are athletes simply because we
love food? A high probability I think. There was also the amazing Belgium hot
chocolate one afternoon in preparation for Mt Hotham the next day.
Spinning the Legs Over
Afternoons
were spent recovering in the pool as a makeshift ice-bath, having strong showers
to wash off the free mud packs we received during our rides, learning tactics
from wiggly lines on a whiteboard, and completing laps around the obstacle
courses. Evenings saw radio wars played where mock interviews in multiple
languages taught skills such as how to deal with the media and how to handle
Russian radio hosts trying to crack onto you. All in a days work.
Bend and Snap - aka Core Work
Braving the chilly water to help recover the legs; I needed all the help I could get!
Yes,
the riding was hard and intense, and I naturally had moments of questioning my
own sanity – especially after slogging it up a mountain for hours and then
having to descend without being able to feel my hands and hence my brakes.
However, having the support of the whole group, whether it was from lending a
hand to grab my spare leg or fixing bike issues, it was a pleasure to spend
time with the team. From laughing so hard at bike horror stories involving
female specific underwear, boxer shorts, or budgie smugglers, to enjoying Table
Tennis Grand Slams in the evening. Kudos to Helen and Bob Kelly for putting on such a great camp.
Table Tennis (correction from Carol RE my previously labelled Ping Pong) Champs
All the KCC Campers
Until next time,
Ride happy, ride safe,
and ride in the moment,
Han
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