X-Mas day - Spent down in Gippsland with the whole family together again for the first time in well........... 5 months. Always good to catch up with them all.
Boxing Day - Drove to Jindabyne via Buchan, Suggan Buggan, over the Snowy river, around near the back of Kosciuszko then Jindabyne. A dirt road that has the most spectacular views of the Snowy River and the Snowy mountains. The next 8 or so days were spent chilling out in Jindabyne, not far from Cooma where I grew up as a kid/teenager, it's sort of my 'spiritual home'. We had a great time with 'Team Lewis' and Jill, Sean and kids, the weather was great and I rode the bike heaps. Rode from Jindy to Thredbo, Perisher, Charlottes Pass all on various occaisons. I hope to add some more details on those rides later.
Quinny - Started back up post Xmas albeit for a few sessions before going in for an op.
Alpine Classic - Rode the 140km ride which was Bright/Tawonga Gap/Bright/Mt Buffalo/ Bright. Did this with good mates Grechy & 'The Gaz' and had a ball. The hip gave me no grief at all, the weather was great and our 'Team' of riders took up nearly 1/4 of the caravan park!
Metal removal !! - Went in for an op on the 3rd Feb to get the 3 monster 110mm long screws taken out of my once sheared femoral neck (femur where it kinks to go up towards your hip socket). I was on crutches for a week and in a touch of pain. Again limited amount of painkillers used, it wasn't that painful compared to the last hour of an Ironman (hehehehehe).
Quinny - again - Back with the GURU. He even took Matty E, JB, Mike C, The Gaz and I for a killer water session the Monday before the Grand Prix. We all know that JB won in Melbourne and Quinny will no doubt put this down to his killer hypoxic workout that nearly drowned myself & the F1 World Champ !!!
Back on the bike, again 5 weeks after the hip op I was given the green light to ride again. No specific goals at hand, just get the hip used to moving without binding up too much. It was great to be back on it.
Ironman Oz, Port Macquarie 2010 - This time as a spectator. Again we stayed at the Sundowner Caravan Pk. 'Team Lewis' also flew up for 5 or so days and it was on !! Fair dinkum it was like an end of season footy trip. I haven't drank that much sice the last West Brunswick Amateur FC EoS trip to the Gold Coast last century, 1999 from memory. I've been told that I'm not allowed to support anymore as I'm too over the top. Nothing to do with the slab of Draught and all the Bundy that Stevo and I drank. It was great to watch the event 'from the other side'. I felt like a prophet at times with people asking me what would be happening next and what would be going through peoples minds throughout different parts of the race etc. My answers were truthful at the start of the day but no doubt would have been sprinkled with a touch of poetic licence as the day wore on and the esky got emptier. Great holiday though with great weather (again) and one which Marie and the kids truely enjoyed.
We bought and sold a house - Our humble little home of 11 years was great before the kids hit their teenage years. Having sprawling lounging spider monkey like teenagers getting in your way is now par for course in the 'Lewis Manor'. A bigger place was needed, found & purchased. The ensuing scramble to get the 'Manor' up to speed was pretty comical. In the end all worked out well and we are still over the moon with the price we got.
Serious plans - serious actions - I passed my next 12 month Sporting plans onto Quinny for his appraisal. I got the double thumbs up from the Guru, so then put those plans into action and as Borat would say - "Great success"
My training is going quite well with a few smaller goals in place before a few half Ironman races towards the end of the year, then Off to Ironman Oz 2011.
I placed 2nd (out of 118) overall in the Northern Combine Alf Kimpton Memorial Handicap which was a 99km road race in Broadford. I raced in C grade but ended up breaking away with the eventual winner. We solo'ed off and I got beaten in a sprint between the two of us by a wheel. I'm by no means disappointed as this far exceeds my expectations and to get home well before the A & B graders made it all the more special. Check the results here -
Next race - My next race is this weekend at Calder park as part of the 'teams challenge'. Hoping to get around and have as much fun as i did in Broadford.
Until next time, train hard, train safe.
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