Spring loves me, Spring loves me not...

Spring loves me:
The days are getting longer so I don't have to have lights on my bike all the time.
It is getting warmer, so I don't have to look like the Michelin man to keep warm on my bike.
It is windy- but for every head wind there is a tailwind at some point of your ride.
The magpies start swooping, but it is warmer, you don't need your lights to get to and from work, and dodging them increases bike handling skills :P

Spring loves me not:
The flowers are starting to bloom and the place starts to look alive again, but this is where it all goes bad for me... The pollen upsets my asthma and makes it difficult for me to ride my bike :(

It has been week of good solid kilometres, and I'm feeling pretty happy with my effort for the week in fact! This was my first solid week back on the bike for base kilometres since the accident, which, incidentally, was 4 months today. Admittedly we are still finding the right balance of work and rest, but on the whole I am feeling pretty good here on Sunday night after a good number of hours training this week.

The problem however has been my asthma. Normally the pollen and dust and the other spring time enemies don't bother my asthma too much at all, but this year is different. Unfortuately on Saturday's ride there wasn't much I could do to overcome it, I'd taken my puffer but there was not much else to do except just keep tapping at my own pace, which was VERY slow, to get over Mt McDonald. It all settled when I got home and out of the pollen-laden wind, but it was still very frustrating nonetheless- it is an odd feeling when your legs want to go but your lungs just can't! Not surprisingly, it happened again today. Hopefully it will pass soon and I can get on with riding my bike, although until then I think I'll have to stock up on anti-histamines as an extra help to my normal meds.

So, spring loves me not, but it is not going to have its way and I am going to beat it into submission! Stay tuned to see how I go with that one, but 'til then, take care :)

A change is... like a holiday!

So it has been a little quiet here in recent time, probably because there has not been much bike action! Lots of other things doing however!

There was a week off the bike, then a couple of weeks with some easy kilometres, which started well and then went a bit pear-shaped and my motivation to get on a bike got up and left me! In a nutshell a bit of "I just couldn't be bothered"! But don't worry, I'm over that bit now!

The change that I needed came in the form of my mountain bike. I really do love the dirt! I am not the greatest mountain biker, I am pretty strong from all my other training, but I am not so good when it gets technical on the way downhill-not that I let that stop me! Anyway, back to the point, after cutting a lap of Sparrow's Hill track (home of the 2009 Mont 24hr MTB event) on Saturday afternoon and a lap of Stromlo on Sunday (home of the World Cup round the weekend before and various other events), I found the drive to get back on the road and get my km's done! So, it is true what they say about a change!!

And, despite there being not much bike action happening recently, there was plenty of things going on around our house. My mum came to visit which was very nice, especially since I hadn't seen her properly since Christmas. Emma also came to visit and ther was lots of wedding organising achieved, including my dress and one for the bridesmaid (Emma) and my mum! In fact most of the big things are organised for that, so I can sit back and relax on my bike!

Now you know why there hasn't been much posted here! Km's start again on Tuesday, which means that track season is getting closer, and I can't wait!!

Until next time, thanks for reading and have a good day :)