err, don't ask me how I know :D

Doesn't that look like fun. Do they have a xc track around there? Wonder how I'd do on the xtc over that stuff. ;)


I recon Agnetha was the first chick I ever wanted to breed with. I think I was 5. :)


Yeah that'd be right. You've just been waiting haven't you? Biding your time. Two can play at that fella. ;)

yes, that is the DH track, some of it is what you get on the XC track but it's nothing too gnarly. Mostly just rocks, berms and the odd jump, no massive rock gardens or 4 foot drops like the DH track has in spots. The chicken run drop-off is quite scary the first time, it's vertical for about the first 3 feet.

Saturday crits @ Eastern. 4th.
32deg with a northerly = crosswind for the sprint.
Made a couple of attacks, got about 100m away but was reeled in... it really was too hot fer that sort of game so I sat in the first 5 for most of the race. Chased down a couple of half-hearted breaks (I don't think anyone could really be stuffed)

I made a few glaring mistakes... we got the bell a lap or 2 earlier than I expected and was caught dawdling down the back polishing orf a bidon so had to pass most of the field before the sprint.

Mistake 2 was being too tentative and waiting too long before sprinting. There were 6 guys around me, all sprinting pretty evenly, then 50 metres from the line, they started dropping like flies.
I was within an inch or 2 of 3rd. :(

At least I've learn't something.

Now, how do I get my sprint speed up? Any tips/examples on sprint intervals?
Today's was 53km/h...

yep, race track :)

Thanks climbo, but I have enough trouble getting away from the house for 2 races a week... and there aren't any tracks close by.


Tuesday night crit, trying to put some hurt into 'em:

http://www.ausbike.com/pics/metec_21-3-06-copy.jpg

:D :D

all types of sprint work can be done.

I don't do much of it but usually just do pyramid intervals of 10 secs up to 30 secs and back down. 10 on, 10 off, 20 on, 20 off, 30 on, 30 off, 20 on, 20 off, 10 on, 10 off. 3 or 4 sets of those and you'll be knackered. All sprints are full tilt.

Also practice longer sprints, 1 minute or so with a 5 minute break in between. Try it on a slight hill, use the rise to slow you down a bit and then jump hard so you are sprinting from a slower starting speed than what you would in a race, good explosive practice.

ok, I'll be first with the winge:

absolutely STUFF ALL coverage on ch 9 :(

I guess it's understandable for the netball, but farkin table tennis and gymnasticles???!!

Yeah, and they didn't even show Allan Davis cross the line for Bronze!

Oh yeah, Hayman gold, some Seth Efrikaan for Silver, Davis Bronze. :D

Came home to watch the last few laps on the big screen. Fark it's hot out there.

Well done the Aussies today, NZ's best was top 10 in both the mens and womens. Melissa Holt broke a collarbone after Olivia Gollan clipped the wheel in front and went down in a heap.

I got a MTB ride in this morning before it started pissing down and the rest of the day on the couch watching the Comm Games. It was slippery as all get out at the local MTB park, I hate it when braking going downhill becomes dangerous :(

At least the Silver Ferns won gold in the netball :D

Only becuase of some freakshow giant import as GS! :P

Looks like I'm getting reamed over at the mtbr 29er forum AGAIN. Sometimes I think Seppos speak a completely different language. Taking things out of context and then thinking you're having a go at them seems like a national pastime sometimes.

It all started when I said "Not everyone should be on a 29er", and now I'm some token Whipping Boy for all their insecurities.

Oh what fun. :rolleyes:

Cheers climbo, excellent, just the sort of thing I was looking for... might just try a couple of sets to start orf with ;)

Comm Games RR was fantastic! Didn't get there 'till after 2, but cheered the boys on 'till the end.
We were hovering between the 500m and 200m markers... even scored a bidon from one of the Canadian blokes (not sure who, he was in a group of 5 and just hurled it at us)

Top day. :D

I missed the whole games rr thing, caught a second of the interview with the girls after there race. Commentator called Olivia Gollan : Oenone Wood by mistake, it was live and she corrected him on air, bit of a flat spot followed.

Mate bought a mountain bike a month ago, my wife was away, Mum had the kids & the rain had stopped. So I had no excuse not to go. Legs still hurt. Mind you it was the firt off-road effort for maybe 5 years & I have a rigid hardtail. Kind of hanging to go again.

Yeah, then the tosser starts into Natalie Bates about Amy Gillett... just like he did with the other girls at the TT. Must make fer good ratings, getting them in tears. :mad:

Thats channel Nine for ya. They will interview the girls on Current affair or something and ask them about Gillet I guess.

At least there was more coverage of the women's event.
Lucky the v8s were on or I would have been annoyed about the coverage of the mens event.

Yep, and from here on in we're going to have to put up with McGuire's cronies dishing out our 'entertainment' :rolleyes:

mmm maybe its time to upgrade my net connection so I can just watch cycling.tv

Yeah, I thought the channel 9 commentators were pretty terrible, and as for the closing ceremony, it was good to see some indie artists get a shot, but they lost me with the 20 minutes of John Farnham. Ungh.

Caught the 2nd half of the mens RR live. Atmosphere was great, heaps of people watching. Checked it out from a few different vantage points and then we finished up at the 500m sign for the last couple of laps.

Good effort by Matt Hayman - nice to see a domestique have a win.

A classic comment on the radio about the women's race. Commentator said that Olivia Gollan was "involved" an a crash earlier in the race that injured a kiwi rider..... I saw the footage and "caused" would have been better word.

And finally, after scoring a couple of freebie tix (Row B) to the women's hockey medal games I must say close up the girls are....mmm tidy! :D

+1

There's a reason that he doesn't get played on the radio anymore!

yeah, exactly! Typical commercial bollocks.
Do they all think we've forgotten Frontline?

mmm, yup, nice support to the ladies, well done Wil.

I taped the end of the RR, what little coverage they showed, they missed the few minutes before the crucial breakaway by Hayman and never went back to show what happened to the Sth African dude. Also, one commentator was crapping on about Hayman being more of a climber than the other 2 guys? What crack-filled planet did he come from?

Still, good to see we kicked butt anyway. :)

no worries, pyramids hurt a lot. You may want to start with 10 secs sprints sets until you can handle 30 secs, that's a long time at full effort. Go 10 secs on, 50 secs off for a while until you see how your recovery goes with each one. You should be resting the day before and after hard sprint workouts.

On longer sprint practice, you cant go full tilt the whole time, it's more like a short TT burst to get used to a longer effort at the end of a race. You should still have the legs to sprint the last 10 seconds on the minute so don't go too hard too early.

which thread, we need some Monday fun.....

Not sure what you are referring to here climbo, my "appreciation" of the hockey girls or my comment about the Liv Gollan crash....

Hopefully it's the fine hockey fillies :)