HPC DVD

HPC DVD

Now that the Soccer World Cup is over we have the HPC back for all our training. Everything is back to normal, so happy for that.

The HPC is making a DVD about all the facilities that they offer athletes from all over the world and I was asked to be part of it. I had to run on the new Woodway treadmill. This treadmill is so big it looks like they test horses at the HPC. This is as close as I will ever get to Hollywood for my acting career. They strapped me up with all the equipment for a VO2 MAX test even though I would only be running at 11km/h. This was where the acting came in: I needed to look as though I was running all out. That was the hardest part of the filming- trying to look as though I was running at max. After about 10min of running I was done; I just wish all VO2 MAX testing was that easy. Thanks to the HPC for giving me the opportunity to pursue my acting career, but I think that I should stick to triathlon. Acting is not for me.

Here is a photo of me in action.

My pink SARIS Bones 3 bike rack

My Pink Bike Rack

CycleOps gave me a nice pink bike rack. Yes, you read right - a pink one.

Some say it will bring out the colour of my eyes. Some say it will bring out my feminine side, but I don’t think that is true. Well, like my mum says now the cars will see me so my bike will be safer on the back of my car. 

The nice thing about the rack is that you can fit it on any car. I think it will even fit on a donky cart!The other day I stopped at the traffic light and there was a guy in the car next to me and he couldn’t stop looking at my car. The whole day I wondered about this until I realised that he had been looking at the bike rack.I think the pink is cool for girls, but not so sure if it suits my hardcore personality! 

There is a reason that the bike rack is so very pink – it is for a good cause. It says on the box: “Support more then your bike with this cause-conscious Bones rack. $5.00 from each sale will go to Brest Cancer research. For details visit www.saris.com.”

My attitude towards the pink rack changed after I read that. The next time that a guy looks at me strangely because of the colour of my bike rack I will smile back proudly. 

Thanks to CycleOps for the cool pink Bones bike rack.

Keep on

and remember that this seasons colour is pink!!!!Here is a photo of my pimping pink Bones bike rack.

My new training tool: CycleOps power tap. :-)

Hello all 

Sorry, I know I haven’t updated my blog recently. It has been crazy here lately - trying to get all my visa applications ready for my trip.

I got an amazing new training tool. It is a CycleOps power tap. For those of you who don’t know what it is: it has created a new era of cycling training. It measures your power output in watts to tell you how hard you are going well. In my case it tells me how much I am loafing ha ha. Those days are over. First thing I had to do before I could start utilising the PT to its full potential was something called a field test. If you are ever told that you need to do one then please run away as fast as you can or if you like to hurt so much that you can’t see straight, vomit from exertion and feel exhausted for a good three days, then by all means go for it! A field test involves cycling 20min as hard as you can and then a bit more.I did my test this past week and I think I discovered a new pain threshold. I think I could walk over hot coals and the pain would not come close to what I put myself through during that test. My legs were burning like a bonfire!At the end of my test I needed to stop; I just couldn’t go on and I topped it off by throwing up.After about another 15 minutes I could see straight again and I managed to get myself home, though I did contemplate calling my manager, Conrad, to come and get me.I was disappointed with my test. I only managed to average 320 watts. I know I can do better. Now according to my functional threshold (95% of what I did in the test) I will train in the right zones like the gurus say and I hope to see a lot of improvement.

Here are my zones that I am supposed to train in:Recovery:                    175 watts                           Endurance:                 175-240 Watts                 Tempo:                        240-288 watts                      Threshold:                   288-336 watts            .          Vo2Max:                  .    336-384 Watts                      Intervals of 5-8minAnaerobic capacity:     384-480 watts                       Intervals of 30sec-3minSo you can see no more fooling around on the bike now that the training with power has begun.Thanks to CycleOps for the sponsorship! I have always wanted a power tap and I know my cycling will inprove a lot thanks to it.Can’t wait for my next field test. I want to see how much I will have improved.So if you are a triathlete or a cyclist and you want to take the next step to becoming great on the bike then get yourself a CycleOps power tap.

Keep on    

Recent Caveman shaving accident… Conrad Stoltz “he is a real caveman!!!”

http://bit.ly/dDf2TR