Heritage Village

Today we decided to check out Heritage Village which is located just north of the city on the A1. Not sure what it really was we went to see what it was all about. Upon arriving we were escorted into a 1926 Rugby for a private tour around the complex. Our guide informed us that the complex had been there for 11 years. Its purpose is to show what the region used to look like when it was first settled. It consisted of a number of original structures that had been relocated and several others that had been built in likeness of original structures. After our tour we were dropped off and left to ourselves to wander around the Village. We toured old homesteads, a school, church and numerous other similar structures. They also displayed numerous cars and machines that were used…some until recently like the 32V generator engine that was used to power a local dairy farm until 1986 when it was replaced with a 240V engine! One interesting fact: Rockhampton didn’t have a complete sewage system until 1978!

Win #1

Won my first track race tonight. An elimination race. (Each time around the track the last rider across the finish line is eliminated from the race). More to follow...

Weather

If you want to see the weather in Rockhampton, check out this link Rocky Weather. The weather station is a 5 min walk from our house, so this will be what is happening at our place.

Crystal Caves part 2

These caves are about 30K from Rocky.  The neat thing about them is when the sun is directly overhead, around the summer solstice on the tropic of Capricorn line, this beam of sunlight enters a shaft in the caves.  It really lights up the place and they did neat tricks with colors and the mirror balls.  There are even some neat little bats.

Crystal Caves

Bats

There is a big fruit bat colony by the road in Yeppon, which is on the coast about 30K from rockhampton. They fly out to our house at night, they were really plentiful when the mangos were ripe. When they are flying they look just like the bats you would draw for Halloween.

Cards

Received the "Coolest Christmas Card Ever" to quote Laura. Not only did it play music it lit up also. Thanks to Judy and Grandma P. for that neat card, it will be on the shelf for a while.

Blood Suckers

I donated blood today. To the huge mosquitoes that have arrived with the summer rains. They grew like crazy overnight.

Took my bike for a ride at 4:45 this morning. It was dry at my place, but by the time I got down the hill things were pretty wet. We rode for 75 min at tempo, nothing too strenous. Until I fell going over the railroad tracks. Rear tire slipped right out. A few minor abrasions, but otherwise I will live.

Moto Pacing

Had a great time on the track tonight, there were 5 of us and a coach. We did speed work which consisted of being motor paced behind a motorcycle. Very cool (except for the exhaust.) For the speed work we did flying 330meters x 3, one lap to speed then one lap at speed, I was turning over at around 55km/hr. Next we did flying 1km, same format, except coach really didn't slow down the bike, I was in the mid 50's for each one. The first one started after a break and my legs felt like rubber I could not get them turning fast enough, I lost the bike after 1.5 laps. For the second I stayed on the track and rode around, then dropped behind the bike. I was determined to stay on his wheel and bumped the roller a few times (allows you to get super close to the bike.) I made all 3 glued to the wheel. For the final one i didn't have much left only the determination not to get dropped. I made it to the final turn before coach took out 5 meters on me I thin he was challenging me to speed up, but I was wiped. An awesome experience. It was fun to work with a coach, I liked the motivation and motor pacing is fun, you should try it. I will have to get Laura to take some picts at some point.

Track Race #1

So last night was my first race on the track. Kurt I will not hold you in suspense, I finished 2 2x and 3rd 3x, no international win yet.. At first I didn't think I was going to be able to race. I went to renew my USA cycling membership and get an international license. Usually you just print out the membership after you have paid. But for the international they wanted my to sign a waiver and submit a copy of my passport. Turns out they are pretty chill at the races, it is just basically a club race, held every weekend. I explained to the woman what was going on when I signed up and asked about buying a day license, she just told me to fill out the day form, but that I didn't have to pay. If I crashed I could pay the money so I would have the insurance. So we are off. I then managed to get on the track for a few warm up laps prior to the racing starting.
The way they run the races here is they have 5 different races for each class. There are young kids, then a E/F class of slightly older kids , then a D class of slower teenagers and adults, then a C class (which I rode in) with masters and junior racers, B class which is prob like cat 3 racers and finally the A class which had the top guys (and Chadwick from Rock Racing). This format means there is a bit of downtime between races.
The first race was a 2 lap sprint, actually we started on the backside of the rack came through the finish line and the bell rung for last lap. I was just trying to see how things would go, one guy came flying by at 200 meters to go I jumped to try and catch him, I got out from the field, but was unable to catch the leader and got second. The next race was a 2 lap handicap, I started on the 35meter line with the guy who won the race on the scratch line (0 m), the rest of the field was spread out ahead of us. I was a bit slow getting going from the start (you are clipped in and someone holds you up. The guy behind me came by pretty quickly, but I bridged up to the group fairly quickly and started to get my legs, I was a bit wide on the track as we came towards the finish (the closer to the black line on the inside of the track the shorter distance) going around the group, but had good speed, another few meters and I would have won. As it was I finished 2 by a few cm.
The 3rd race was my favorite. It was a elimination race, which means that after 1 free lap, the last person across the line is out of the race. Like the missing out race we did at the last CBR race. The pace was not that high and I was able to come over the top for the first few laps. When we got down to 4 racers left I was kind of boxed in, so I just charged through a gap in the middle of the racers and hit the line ahead of everyone else. I actually gaped what remained of the field and at 150meters to go I looked back and one rider was on my wheel and another was gaped. I figured I would have an easy ride to the finish as that 3rd rider would be out. What I didn't realize was that she was sprinting hard to catch up with us and all of the sudden t riders shot by my. I sprinted then, but didn't have enough time to make up the ground and I was out by a wheel length. Too bad, because I was definitely a stronger and could have won the sprint and race if I had been paying attention.
The 4th race was another handicap. This time 3 laps. I started at the 15m line. I was starting to run out of gas for this one and just didn't get up to speed quick enough I finally worked my way towards the front with good speed, but I was on the outside again and the distance killed me. I ended up finishing 3rd or 4th. The final race was motorpaced (riding behind a motorcycle), 20 laps with the pace picking up each lap. This served to drop off the weaker riders as the race went on, by the time the bike pulled out at 2 laps to go there were only 4 of us left. I thought I was in good position at 2nd wheel as we came to the 200 meter line, but the guys behind me got a jump on me and I didn't have enough to get around them. I finished 3rd.
The whole race took about 3 hrs. I think it will be the last time that laura comes for the whole thing. Next week we have a race friday night and then the Rocky cup is the weekend after that which should see more racers.