Having covered 1000km in November and the expected 800km in December, I can say that I'm feeling reasonably fit. Annoyingly fit, even—when MLSP asked how my 70km ride had been on Sunday, I was able to cheerfully and honestly reply, "Refreshing". What a self-satisfied suck I am.

A month of pain

However, that self-satisfied grin is soon to be wiped off my face because the Audax Alpine Classic looms less than a month away and that recent 1800km has included very little in the way of altitude.

Yikes!

For although I have no worries at all about covering the horizontal 200km of the Alpine Classic, it's the 4000+ metres of vertical climb that's going to clobber me. And to add more to the fun, the [Mt Buffalo t][] is closed so the Mt Buffalo checkpoint has been moved to Dingo Dell—an extra 300m of climbing right there. Woo. Hoo.

So one way or another, I'm faced with a month of pain: I must climb a lot of hills between now and Australia Day weekend, or there will be pain in abundance on Mt Buffalo's slopes. Actually, regardless of what I do, there will be pain in abundance on Mt Buffalo's slopes; I can only hope to minimise it.

But not the pain I was expecting

But now, I've struck a setback: I sprained my ankle yesterday doing a little post-Xmas tidying. Which just goes to show that no good deed goes unpunished. Yeah, yeah and being a smug, self-satisfied suck goes before a fall—quite literally in this case.

So just when I should be racking up extra miles and climbing some serious inclines, I'm lounging around taking plenty of RICE and a few NSAIDs. I've been a pretty good, compliant patient. I had no choice really, as I could barely stand yesterday, and I know that doing RICE properly is the fastest way back to being in a condition to ride. That said, I did put aside the "rest" component for ten minutes of gentle rolling up and down the street last night on the folding bike (accompanied by much eye-rolling from MLSP)—but that was more about psychological wellbeing than physical healing.

Now all I can do is sit tight and hope for the best. If I can heal enough to put near full force through the ankle within a week, I'm still in the with a good chance of making it to starting line in Howitt Park. But if it takes much longer than that, I reckon it's more likely that I'll be kissing goodbye to the Classic in 2009.

Comments

Surly Dave

Oh, forgot to say: I hope the ankle comes good quickly. You can always drop back to one of the shorter distances.

Treadly and Me

There's not much sign of improvement in the ankle as yet, and I've been thinking about my options. Dropping distance is on the cards but I don't have to finally decide on that until the day before, which is handy.

Oh yeah, and I definitely count beer as carbo-loading. Speaking of which, I feel my carbs might need a bit of reloading right now…

lance

can beers be counted as carbo-loading? happy new year and good luck.

SurlyDave

All over the southern states, people are riding hills to prepare themselves for an Australia Day weekend of pain. Tried the 200km last year, didn't go so well for me so I think I'll do the 130km again. (Have organised the flights, must remember to actually enter!) I'm feeling pretty fit too, thanks to the last minute rush to make last year's milage. Now it's time to ride up Mt Wellington a couple of times a week. Nothing like leaving things to the last minute, but at least I'm not going to peak too soon!

Grant

Bummer. I hope it comes together Ok for the Alpine. cheers

Grant