Some people seem to have a way with words - they can say so much with so little. My good friend Mick Thomas is one of those people. He didn't race on Saturday but came down with Bridget for a while to give support to me and Emily. He had to leave before my finals for bronze but I spoke to him later..

"A week ago you weren't even going to do them and now you've got Bronze and Emily has Gold. You gotta be happy with that"

And he was right. So, so right. Emily and I left DISC on Saturday with mixed emotions. Emily had set the track on fire and stunned everyone with her gold medal ride in the ITT and then a blistering 14.34 flying 200 which had "officials checking the record books" according to one commisaire. I don't know if he was joking. But then she didn't win any of the actual match sprints and got increasingly despondent through the afternoon. We learn't a lot from that and she'll be back stronger and keener.

I don't know my flying 200 time but I qualified third fastest which put me into a semi final against Brent "Turbo" McKenzie. He's actually a masters 2 but they combined masters 2,3 and 4 much to my dismay. Turbo killed me in the first sprint. I led out but was nervous and scared and he jumped past me at speed and the race was over in a blink of an eye. The second heat was much closer. I followed him and kept him guessing by diving all over the place. I set it up beautifully but hesitated when I had my chance to jump under him. He then jumped, got a bike length in front and kept it. Damn. I had my chance but didn't take it. So I wasn't going to be going for gold!

I won the final for bronze in straight sets easily, not just because I was faster but because I was far more aggressive and took the initiative in both races. I also wanted to do it for Emily.

Now I need to have a meeting with the coach and assess the future. Do I do the Victorian Masters? I have some glaring weaknesses that need to be worked on and match sprints at DISC are so different to Blackburn I feel I need to start again. Speed in itself is not enough.

On Sunday the pressure was off. I wasn't racing but Emily was doing the pursuit and scratch - not her strengths and she wasn't expecting to do well and wasn't bothered about it either. I helped Mick as much as I could and was elated to see him get bronze in the pursuit and then silver in the scratch race.

Emily was last in the pursuit but I had her on a very easy schedule and she did it easily. Next time she can go faster if she wants to do it. She did really well in the scratch race. Again, no expectations other than to do her best and hang on to the end and see what happened. And if possible to help Bridget which is the way it unfolded. At a critical time Emily let a gap open up for Bridge to drop into and save her having to drift to the back. Bridge did brilliantly to get Bronze and we all celebrated.

Throw in a Bronze each to Jodie (pursuit) and Krissy(sprint) against hot competition and it was great weekend for the aboc family.

You gotta be happy with that!

 

I'm not exactly sure how I got myself into this but I'm doing the sprint event at the Metro's on Saturday.

Emily was always going to do it and I said to her a little while back that I'd only do it if I got my Flying 200 time below 13 seconds. At the time it seemed a reasonably safe bet that I'd be a spectator not a competitor but since then my times at Blackburn have gone from 13.5 to 13.3 then a 13.1 with the latter being the last 200 of a match sprint.

So I asked Carl to organise a training session at DISC last Sunday night which I would treat as a full dress rehearsal - if I went under 13 I'd be in, no ifs buts or maybes. So with Carl's disk wheel, the aboc skin suit and a lot of determination I managed 12.88 seconds even though my line and approach were not good.

That's the scary bit - I think there's room for improvement and I'll need it 'cause I just found out they have combined Masters 2,3 and 4 which means "young" Brent Turbo McKenzie joins us old blokes and if I get to race him he'll want revenge for last months sprint series.

Potentially I'm up for 7 sprints - a flying 200, best of three semi finals and best of three finals. Emily has it even tougher because she's doing the 500 metre ITT as well. Her racing will be interesting. The other girls in her age group are all a year older and more experienced but Emily has great top speed and she may surprise a few people. She's been quick in training and seems to respond well when the pressure is on at events.

Sunday is the P word day. I'm helping Mick Thomas with his pursuit by timing his laps and keeping him on schedule. He should do well. I was half tempted to enter the scratch race but again I'll be cheering Mick from the sidelines. Emily also entered the endurance events even though they are not her strength. But she has no expectations for those events and good on her for having a go. She has more guts than her dad.

Wish me luck but be careful what you wish for....

Carl sent through some interesting stats the other night. Basically it was everything we'd timed over the past 12 months both in racing and training. He did the same for Emily although her data only goes back to April this year.

Basically we're both getting faster. Not just a little but rather dramatically. For example in Round 1 (October 2008) of last year's Trek Summer Sprint Series my Flying 200 time was a personal best of 14.72 seconds on a calm day. That was only the second time I'd gone under 15 seconds and I was happy. By the last round in April 2008 I was down to 13.94 - the first time under 14 seconds. Last Sunday on a windy day I was down to 13.32 seconds, a new PB. I know comparing outdoor times is fraught with danger because the conditions play a big role but the times in training at DISC also reflect this trend. There's ups and downs of course, you can't set a PB every time you train but the trend is unmistakable.

If you would prefer to talk about speed rather than time then we are talking 48.91 kph in October 2007 versus 54.05 kph in November 2008. That's a speed increase of over 5kph which is very significant on the track.

Emily's improvement is also substantial. In April this year she set 16.1 seconds for a flying 200 at DISC which was not only a PB but gave her the state title very comfortably. On Sunday on a windy day at Blackburn she set 14.92 seconds. So her speed has gone from 44.72 kph to 48.26.

The above is a long winded way of saying that training really does work. Not just any training but structured, planned training with particular goals and outcomes in mind. The easiest thing to do is ride your bike a lot, throw in some efforts here and there and fall for the myth that if a little bit of something is good for you then a lot of the same something is even better.

We can do better of course. I'd like to build my speed endurance to a point where I can use my kick and speed at the end of a scratch race or in a handicap not just in a 3 lap match sprint. I'm sure we'll get there. We just need some structure and planning...

Maybe, just maybe, things have turned for the better. Let's hope it can stay that way.

It started at the Brunswick Tuesday night racing at DISC. I felt very ordinary in the scratch and came close to handing in my number and going home. But in the points race I started to feel alive and took one of the sprints which ws enough to give me second overall I think. Then for a third week in a row I won the motorpace after once again being "on the bike" when it peeled off before powering away off the front for a good win.

Things fell my way a little on Saturday at Blackburn. Only 5 of us in B grade so Dougie listenned to our plees and shortened our races. The scratch race was down to 15 laps and for the most part the pace was sedentry apart from some attacks from Will Thomas which I was able to cover. I thought I had the sprint finish in the bag until one of the kids got me on the line. Still, second place was heaps better than anything before it. I even managed to win the first sprint of the points race which was enough to give me third place. The elimination also went to plan and I was happily the first to go, saving myself for Sunday.

The Bontrager Summer Sprint Series was one for the scrapbook. I qualified 4th fastest with a 13.32 - a new PB. I was in elite compnay in A grade with the likes of Barry Woods et al but they were still a whopping 0.6 seconds faster than me and I was under no illusions.

I gave my all against Chris Ray and did everything right, but he came over me at the line. It was closer than we all thought it would be. Then I gave Barry the fright of his life, losing it by a tyre. I don't know what Barry was up to. I think he could have creamed me had he not turned around to see where I was and therefore giving me a chance to go past with some momentum. In the third race I was creamed by a rampant Brent "Turbo" McKenzie who was smarter and a whole lot faster.

So nobody really expected me to reverse the result when Brent and I met again shortly after for the minor final. The race unfolded in a similar fashion with me leading and Brent hanging a long way back but this time I was the aggressor, jumped first and very hard and after a long sprint managed to hold him off at the line. Wow - third in A grade and real scalp under my belt.

 

The scary thing is I think I can do better...

 

 

 

 

My racing over the past month has had more ups and downs than the stock market. Here's a summary of the first months racing.

1. Round 1 Summer Sprint Series - Good. Qualified in A-grade for the first time and wasn't disgraced. Won a race, close second in another. Can do better

2. Tuesday night at DISC#1  - Bad. Struggled to finish a race.

3. Tuesday night at DISC#2 - Very Good. Third in the scratch, second in the points and I win the motorpace easily.

4. Saturday at Blackburn - Very Bad. Started in A grade (what a joke!). Finished in B grade or should I say couldn't finish a race in B grade

5. Tuesday at DISC#3 - Very Good. Win the motorpace again, second in scratch, third in points

6. Saturday at Blackburn - Really Bad. Today I thought I would have done better. But did even worse than last week. Time to reassess the training. I'm sick of not being competitive.

Are you dizzy yet? I am.

On the plus side I've enjoyed watching Emily have some good results. Growing in confidence at DISC and she won the handicap there on Tuesday. And today she backed it up by winning the handicap at Blackburn as well. She's building confidence, stamina and endurance to go with her speed.

 

Wish I could do the same....

 

 

I'm sure I speak on behalf of all the competitors, helpers and spectators in thanking Carl for the amazing day yesterday. It wouldn't have happened without his vision, hard work and determination to make it the roaring success that it was.

So, even though every particle in my body hurts, thank you Carl.

(Apologies for the late post.)

From my point of view, most of the summer track season was fairly predicable and at times somewhat disappointing. That all changed in the last week as the season came to a climatic and surprising end for both me and Emily.

It started with the club championships. Emily had a clean sweep of the J13 girls events. No surprises there. She's a year older and a lot stronger than Anna especially at the shorter stuff and all their races were short. So three gold medals to Emily. The Apolito's are on the board!

 

Far more surprising was my silver medal in the Master's Men Sprints. I'd always hoped to be able to qualify in fourth place but then to have Mick Thomas disqualified in our semi final was a shock. Would he have won anyway? Who knows. It was going to be a very close finish. A big disappointment for Mick but good luck for me even though I felt a little flat afterwards. The surprises continued when I won the first set against Richard Hurley. Crikey I was now one win away from gold. But order was restored when Richard won the next two races to deservedly take gold.

 

The forthcoming week was all about preparing Emily for the J13 State Titles on Saturday and myself for the final round of the Trek Summer Sprint Series on Sunday. It didn't start well for me when my bottom bracket blew up while training with Pat and Emily early on Tuesday morning. Nathan fixed it same day but I missed a big day's training. Then training at DISC for Emily on the day the hurricane hit Melbourne and wind trainer for me before we both taper off for the weekend.

Watching Emily at the state titles was simply awesome. She was a bundle of nerves and so was I. Her first event, the 500mm ITT was nearly a disaster. She totally fluffs the start and ends up right off the duckboards and onto the concrete. She recovers, grits her teeth and sets a PB (46.330) by nearly 5 seconds to not only win the Gold medal but also beat many of the boys as well. The poor start probably cost her a second to boot.

The timed flying 200 was even better. Thanks to Carl, Emily knew the line to take and was confident. She sets 16.164 to easily be the fastest girl with only four out of 17 boys faster than her.

Two gold medals and unless she totally mucks up the scratch race she will be the overall champion as well. One of the girls in the race knows what to do to sprinters and is constantly attacking Emily. By the end Emily doesn't have much left in the tank but still manages a strong second place with the "attacker" an excellent third.

So, two gold medals as state champion in the ITT and sprint, a silver medal for the scratch race and the overall title as well. We're all relieved and celebrate with pizza. Then I have to somehow switch from proud dad to competitor as I prepare for the last round of the TSSS.

What can I say about the Trek Series that Carl hasn't already said?

Well about all that is left to say is that I rode out of my skin. Setting a PB in the F200, beating A graders in the heats, hanging on in that tense final.... it was all marvelous and I'm proud of how it all finished. I ended up equal with Jeremy on points and take pride in the fact that I pushed him to the last race of the last round before he could claim the bike! Now if I can just improve by another 100% before next season I might have a new bike this time next year!

The surprises continued into the next week. The local paper calls and wants to do a story on Emily with an angle on me as well. And today, I find that our smiling faces are not only in the paper, but on the FRONT PAGE!

Thank God they don't use newspapers for fish and chips anymore!

Carl, on behalf of all the competitors, officials, helpers and spectators a very BIG THANK YOU for putting on such a sensational series.

The Trek Summer Sprint Series was an unqualified success and it was all possible due to your vision, inspiration and hard work.

The professionalism and enthusiasm with which the series was conducted was a credit to you with the ultimate result being the endless smiles on the faces of all involved.

Thank you!

Friday - Emily trains then school. Dad watches then eats.
A big weekend of cycling for the Apolito household began 6am Friday morning when my alarm blasted in my ear. Emily and I are meeting Carl at DISC for some training. I'm not riding but we're preparing Emily for the Junior state titles on April 5th and have been working on her Flying 200 line. It's one of the events the kids will be doing and we think it's one she can do especially well at given her "sprinter" status.

The session goes well and Emily has no trouble with the banks and getting into the nose bleed zone. She manages to do a 16 seconds F200 which we think is good. And this was straight after a fall. Carl holds her for a standing start but Emily doesn't push off when let go and topples over. I think that's every track cyclists idea of an embarrassing moment but she got back on her horse albeit with a couple of new bruises then it's a mad rush to get her to school on time.

Saturday - Emily
Another big day for Emily. She has her JG13 club championships races at BBN today. To the club's credit they brought these races forward so Emily and Anna Osbourne can compete in the above-mentioned state titles. Emily wins all three races to collect three Gold's for the day and will therefore be crowned the JG13 girls club track champion.

Her scratch race was tough as expected and she had to work hard to keep Anna at bay who has improved dramatically in the past couple of months. The plan was to watch Anna closely and make sure she didn't accelerate away. Anna tried to sprint past Emily at the bell but Em holds her out, keeping Anna at her shoulder around the clubroom bend before powering away on the back straight.

Emily enjoyed the match sprint. After all she has watched her old man win 10 out of 12 match sprints so far in the Trek series so she sorta knew what to do. After electing to lead she takes Anna high up on the bank and then using her weight advantage dives down into the home straight with a lap to go and sprints away for a very good win.

The time trial was a one lap blast and she records 29 seconds to win by 3 seconds and collect a clean sweep of wins. She then enters the regular E grade motorpace and is blown away by a motor bike on steroids. She's not alone there. Just about the entire club is killed by Graeme and his run away machine of pain on Saturday.

Saturday - Dino
I'm resigned to being upstaged once again by my daughter but am feeling OK and approach the B grade scratch quietly confident that I can at least finish this week. My chances are improved when Alan Dorin is moved up to A grade. Alan has made a habit of attacking at times when it hurts me the most (I don't know why Alan, I'm no threat) and is always surging so his promotion is good news to me.

The scratch race is shortened to 15 laps which also suits me and through the whole race there are no attacks, few surges and everyone is content to roll turns and wait. This suits me of course and I remember thinking mid race how the sprinters were loving this. Richard Hurley having come down from A grade is the man to beat so I keep an eye on him. Aidin is always there too and he is a master (at 18 years of age) at saving energy and using it when needed.

With two laps to go I somehow manage to get on the front. Why me always? This time I decide to swing high and soft pedal. Waiting, waiting... As we approach the far side  bank I sense Daniel Pendlebery is getting twitchy and is about to jump. In a flash my brain also registers that Richard and Aidin are toward the back and before I know it (and the others too) I have gone into a massive sprint for the line giving it absolutely everything. Unbeknown to me I opened up a 10-15 metre gap and later my HRM file will tell me I hit 56kph in the home straight. In the back straight I still can't hear or sense anyone behind me and am starting to wonder "Can I win this"? Then, as we hit the bank for the last time I hear the thundering hooves of the chasers. Three of them catch me as I'm tiring and go past as we hit the home straight. I come in 4th place. A good result that could have been better.

The points race is as points races tend to go for me - DNF. I wanted to go for the first sprint but am boxed in by a young Tyler. He knows exactly what I wanted to do ( and makes sure I can get out. So I roll around for a few more laps before calling it quits.

The motor pace is ugly. In my opinion the motor bike is too fast too early. After doing my turn behind the bike I miss my chance to slot into a gap straight away and in the resulting confusion we all get tangled up and I'm out the back in the twinkle of an eye. I'm annoyed for missing my chance. Had I got straight into that hole I think I would have been right there at the end.

So the regular track season ends for me. I managed to hold my place in B grade for the season which is the only consolation I get from an otherwise disappointing summer results wise.

Sunday
Another early start. We need to be there at 8am for the junior racing. It's another golden day for Emily. This time her and Anna are team mates instead of competitors and they combine to win the gold medal for the JG13 Team Sprint. They recorded the fastest time in winning their heat and so went into the gold medal ride off as top seeds and did it all over again. Very exciting watching from the sidelines

Emily then teamed up with Angus Flood and Pierce Connor in the boys J13 team pursuit. They record the third best time to collect bronze. Emily is very happy with herself having stayed with the boys all the way. Never looked like being dropped in fact.

By the time the Masters 2 team - Carl, myself and Ben Schoefield - do our team sprint I've been in the DISC sauna/oven for over 6 hours and have already drunk all my water and sports drink.  The conditions are oppressive but it's the same for everyone of course. I've got heavy legs from the day before, Carl has a sore knee and Ben raced a crit that morning. So we're all expecting a top ride!

Carl takes off well and I get onto his wheel but we have to back off a little to make sure Big Gear Ben is on. I then shout out to Carl to GO! and he buries himself. I hang on and then do my best when I hit the front but I can just feel that I'm not as fast as I could be. After peeling off I didn't see much of Ben's lap as I was too busy trying to safely stay above the blue line at a safe speed even though I desperately wanted to slow down and get off. The results aren't posted yet but we possibly did the slowest time.

Emily and I hang around for a little while longer and watch the Mick and his pursuit team grab Bronze and Barry Woods put in two amazing sprints to give BBN a gold medal there. Then it's home time and sleep.

And on Monday when the alarm clock sounded I just rolled over and went back to bed

The Scene: Sunday morning at the Apolito household and I've just got up to prepare for the 5th round of the Trek Match Sprint Series

"Good Morning legs! Time to rise and shine. Big day ahead of us". I'm trying to put on a happy face.

"What's going on? Put us back to bed. We're tired" replies right leg. (Right leg is the dominatrix and does all the talking. Lefty is the quiet one)

"Come on. It's the fifth round of the TSSS today and I want to do well."

"What the hell are you talking about. We raced yesterday"

"Not very well either" I reply under my breath

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you weren't much good to me yesterday were you? They want to put me down to C grade."

"Oh great. Blame us again. What about your heart and lungs.? We never hear you complaining to them!"

"Christ" I think to myself. I don't believe this.

"Look, I'm working on my heart and lungs as well. It takes time with them. And they're not as moody as you lot."

"Bloody favouritism" pipes in Lefty.

"Listen. Is it too much to ask that all my body parts work together for a change? Now will you guys not be so tight and just loosen up a little. Please!" (I'm getting increasingly desperate)

"It'll cost you."

"What! I gave you a soak and a shave last night"

"That's not good enough"

"And the razor was blunt" chips in Lefty

"OK. Here's the deal. You win me some money today and I'll shout you a massage"

(A moment's hesitation as they consider this)

"OK. It's a deal" replies Righty on behalf of both legs

"And a new razor too? adds Lefty

"And a new razor"

Later that day my legs gave me a 14.28 for the flying 200. Half a second faster than in Round 1 but still outside my PB. I also won my first round sprint. I thought they were now co-operating. Little did I know what was to come

"You're doing good legs. That first race hurt and I can tell you're tired "

"We're going home now. We've had enough already"

"Don't be ridiculous. No one leaves without me. And besides we've got Rob Monteath next. And you remember what he did to us last time?"

"Hey don't blame us. It wasn't our fault."

"I'm not blaming anyone. Let's just try to keep him under control and when I say GO you go as hard and fast as you can and don't slow down until I say so. I've looked ahead at the draw and we need to win this one to make the final." I'm trying to remain calm.

The legs, heart, lungs and brain work together to record a good win

"Happy now?" asks Lefty showing unusual bravado

"Shut up. I can't breathe"

"Good to see those heart and lungs doing some work for a change"

"Remind me when we get home to sign that organ donor card. If I can't work you lot out maybe medical science can."

Despite all my diplomacy, the legs are getting more and more tired and I'm very worried about their wellbeing. They do just enough to beat Karen in the third heat. The final is next.

"Boss?"

"Yes Lefty"

"I can't go on."

"Yes you can. You've come all this way. I just need one more max effort."

"No. We've had enough." It's Righty again trying to re-assert his authority

"Remember the massage and how much you enjoy Marissa's soft hands and warm oils?"

"No. We have had enough and that's final"

The time for diplomacy is over I know what to do next..

"Would you prefer me to take up running?" I know this is the ultimate threat and it does the trick.

"You can be a real bastard sometimes."

"Good. Let's go and win this thing."

The final starts and we all do a good job controlling Nicole until she jumps through a hole that I didn't know was there and establishes what looked like a match winning gap

"LEGS!" I shout

"WHAT?"

"WE HAVE TO REALLY GO NOW"

"WE KNOW. JUST SHUT UP AND RACE"

And so in a belated example of co-operation the legs, heart and lungs work like never before, pushed on by a head that just did not want to lose. Nicole is caught approaching the final bank and the brain correctly calculated there was no time to sit and relax behind her and told the body and bike to go around NOW and just drive for the line. Everyone obeyed and a memorable win is recorded.

"Boss?" whispers Lefty as I'm hanging on to the fence at the finish line fighting the shakes and trying hard not to vomit.

"Yes"

"Don't you dare throw up on us down here"

"I won't. We're finished. That'll do legs. That'll do."

Later that night we're all lying in bed trying to sleep

"Legs?"

"Yes" replies Righty rather tersely. He hasn't forgiven me yet

"I'm proud of you"

"Good"

"Oh and I forgot to mention....."

"We've got pursuit training tomorrow night and motorpacing the next morning"

"OUCH OUCH OUCH" I'm racked in pain as both legs spontaneously cramp.

Is is just me or is anyone else appalled by the attitude of an increasing number of Melbourne's motorists?

In particular I am noticing more and more people yacking on their phones in complete contempt of the road rules. It pisses me off big time. There should be a system where you can dob them in. Such a system is in place for littering so why not for talking on your phone? In fact it would be easier to prove as phone records could be accessed.

Anyway that's my gripe for the night. It's raining outside so no racing. Too much work and not enough bike makes Dino a grumpy boy.

It was quite simple really. I looked over my right shoulder. Rob dives down below my left.

I was half asleep. I knew it was going to happen and yet it still took me a second to react. By the time I do, Rob is a good 20 metres up the track and I know I'm in trouble. It's still 500 metres to the finish and Rob has gapped me and he has 4 inches more gearing than me. I know he's strong with better endurance than I and with a bigger gear how the hell am I going to catch him let alone get around him.

So I put the head down and spin like crazy to get his wheel. It takes at least half a lap for me to reach him and I'm exhausted. Coming around the bend for the last time I hesitate again for a fraction of a second, not sure when to pull out and try to come around. By the time I commit I'm too late. I hadn't given myself enough time to get over the top and the line is too close. I'm faster over the finish line but can't make up the last couple fo centimetres.

And there it is. I won all the heats only to lose the final. I was completely outsmarted by an opponent who had a definite plan and then the mind and ability to put it in place.

Well done Rob! It was a brilliant race. I wish you weren't my friend so I could curse you and stick pins in a voodoo doll. You deserve the win and we both learned heaps. And despite the heat, the wind and the fatigue it was lot of fun.

Those young guns in B grade better watch out. I may be 30 years older than them and they may be showing me a clean pair of cleats at the moment but I can feel my strength and endurance coming back and I reckon (hope) I'll be giving them a run for their money before too long.

For the first time in a long time I raced pain free on Saturday. A succession of crashes had left me sore from the hip down and at some point I've strained a quad but on Saturday the only problem I had was keeping my heart and lungs inside my chest at the pointy end of the races.

The scratch race was OK. I was stuck on the front with two to go and decided to swing up but in retrospect I should have stayed there dropped the speed to my comfort level then tried to turn the race into a short sprint on the last lap. By swinging off I lost control of the race, the pace was outside my comfort level and when the bell went it was all I could muster just to hang on for half a lap more before sitting up, completely blown.

I tried my hardest in the handicap, working with Ben Schofield for as long as I could but again I couldn't go the distance. An excuse of sorts was that i found my back wheel punctured just before the start and it was a mad scramble to get Nathan's spare wheel on. Thanks Nath!

I thought I would be able to give the motorpace a red hot go but I knew I was in trouble early on. The pace seemed very high very early. Still, I had a bigger gear for this one (90" versus 88 for the other two) and was hanging in there. Then with three or four laps to go it all unravelled. I was sitting third wheel entering the back straight into the wind. Without warning Adin, arguably the strongest the B grader, peeled off early from second wheel. So suddenly I was exposed to the wind and had to put in a huge effort to bridge to Tyler who was behind the guerney. I had barely finished the bridge when Tyler finishes his turn and I have to work hard again to reach the motorbike. I complete my turn and peel off to the back but I'm blown and can't hold on. I'm fairly sure had Adin not peeled off when he did i would have been there in the final lap. I'm also pretty certain I wouldn't have figured in the finish but that's the way it goes.

Not counting Carl, who shouldn't have raced, I finished last at every start and yet I'm happy with the way things are going. The emphasis on my training will soon change from speed and sprint to strength and endurance. I know I've got a decent sprint and good top speed. Now I just need to have the stamina to use those attributes at the end of a race.

Next week is a dilemma. Match sprints on Sunday preceded by club racing on Saturday. I'd like to keep the legs fresh for Sunday but I will do the right thing and support the club by racing Saturday as well. I don't know if the legs and lungs can handle both.

Watch this space

I just downloaded my HRM file from the weekend's racing and riding and according to my Polar 725x my heart rate peaked during one of Saturday's races at 197bpm! Up until then I had considered my maximum heart rate to be 191 although I didn't see it often. And according to the ballpark formula of 220-your_age my maximum should be 177bpm. So I have some questions...

1. Am I about to die?
2. Am I a freak?
3. Am I super fit for a 43 year old?
4. Are heart rate monitors a complete waste of time and money?
5. Does anyone really care what time it is?

I suspect the answer to all the above is a loud "NO" but I'm wondering if anyone has a heart that makes sense?

Dino (I told you I was sick but no...) Apolito

A big week of cycling in Melbourne came to a close with a stinking hot Sunday that ended a particularly tiring weekend for me.

Why is it that when you have to get up real early you never sleep well the night before? Tossed and turned all Friday night before the alarm went off at 5.15am and I got out of bed already tired. Emily needed to be in the Alexandra Gardens by around 7am for the State final of the Vic. Schools Championships so the stress levels in the Apolito household were very high very early on Saturday!

It was a brilliant morning and a great experience for the kids. They got to race on the same circuit as the pros in the Herald-Sun tour complete with barricades, road closures, finish line marque, "professional" commentary and even a motor-bike escort with spare Zipp wheels. I joked to Emily she should feign a puncture so she could get a ride on one of those Zipp wheels!

She was VERY nervous and the course was quite technical with a hot-dog turn, short sharp climb and a tricky descent with a sharp right hander at the bottom of it. She did very well finishing midfield in about 10th place. Most of the girls ahead of her were from country Victoria and were very strong. (They probably all ride their bikes to school and have lots of quiet roads to train on!)

Emily's was the first race on the program and we stayed on to watch the fellow aboc'ers Will and Bridgette Thomas along with several more Blackburn juniors. It was a disappointing end however as Bridgette had a crash at the hot-dog bend. At the time she was leading.

We got back home around mid-day and it took a bit of coaxing to get Emily to back up for the BBN track meet. But to her credit she did so and rode very well, winning the progressive points score and placing in the other two races.

As for my races, let me just say that sometimes just finishing a race without incident is a good result! Yes, that's right- no crashes this week.  Only three of us in B grade and both Carl and I were blitzed by a young guy whose measure we had last summer. That's the problem with juniors - they make quantum improvements while us old blokes can only hope to make small gains or just hold on to what we've got. It did make me realise how much condition I've lost. Apart from the Trek match sprints these were my first races in about 3 months and I was gasping for air.

Presentation night on Saturday was good although we were all a little tired and could have done with an early rather than a late night. Then Sunday morning I left home at around 8.30am and did about 80km at a very slow E1 pace. I had intended to ride to Glenvale to watch Mick and Carl in the crits but I started from home too late and at the pace I was riding I never made it in time. What a stinking hot day and riding home into the head wind was bad!

In bed by 8.30pm last night and Monday is a quiet day at work - thank God!

Three crashes in the last 5 track meets. It's starting to piss me off. None of them were my fault and there was nothing I could do. I'll miss another week of training and possibly one or two weekends of racing. Oh and I'll need yet another helmet.

I'd enjoyed the match sprints the week before and was looking forward to a full season of club races. That lasted 10 laps. A touch of wheels in front of me a rider down and I have nowhere to go but straight into him and flying over the handle bars.

Please don't tell me I was lucky I didn't break my ribs again or do a collarbone or it could have been worse. I've got a right to be annoyed and I'm claiming it.

I didn't know quite what to expect on Sunday. For starters I was quite nervous about the day itself, not knowing how it would go, who would show up and how I would ride.

As one of the helpers my job was to prepare all the printed material. Most of that was pre-done but I was stressing about the little database program I'd written. We were only using it as a means to printing a neat draw for everyone but we only had a small amount of time to do the draw and get it printed once all the Flying 200's were done. In the end it went OK but there is still room for improvement.

Because I was needed at the data entry table I did my Flying 200 early. It was tough to make a quick clean transition from helper to racer and with very little warm up I did 14.72 seconds. Last summer I was under 14 seconds quite easily but a couple of weeks ago I was above 15 seconds so I wasn't too disappointed. I can improve on that time through the months ahead.

It was very disappointing to see Nathan have to withdraw with a back injury. Our times were very close and I was looking forward to racing him. Nathan is a natural sprinter and had worked very hard through the winter for this series. I hope he's back racing soon.

Because my fitness was suspect my overall plan for the day was to control the races as much as I could, keeping them at my pace, then jumping with the hope of opening a gap. I didn't want a long sprint and I didn't want a long drag race. At the same time I wanted the pace to be high enough so that I didn't have a lot of inertia to overcome in the kick. It was going to be tricky to balance all those.

My first race was against Leah Patterson. Leah and I had some ding dong battles in C grade last summer at Blackburn's regular track racing. Leah is strong and smart and has some experience at match sprints. I'd seen her training at DISC a few weeks ago and she looked good. I won the toss and elected to lead and by and large kept the race under control for the first lap and a half. Leah jumped from behind coming into the home straight with a lap and a bit to go. I didn't want a long sprint shoulder to shoulder from this far out so I let her get in front of me with the intention of sucking her wheel. But she kicked again and opened a good gap. For a moment I thought I was gone but dug deep and caught her wheel at the end of the back straight then proceeded to come around her outside. She drifted up a little as we hit the home straight but it worried the judges more than me and I went past her for a close win. It was a close thing and I had to really go deep into the red to catch and overtake Leah. I suddenly felt very tired and was worried about the other races.

I won the toss again for the second race against Maria. I didn't know much about Maria but had watched Rob Monteath beat her in the first round so I thought I would again lead and control things making making sure she didn't surprise me as Leah did. The plan went well and I feigned taking her up the bank with less than a lap to go before diving down, getting a gap and holding it for a win. Two out of two but would my energy hold out?

I watched Rob very impressively beat Leah in his second race with a long (approximately 400 metre) sprint. This had me worried. Rob's fitness was superior to mine. He would be able to drive for longer. If he went for home from a long way out I would have to just try to hang on to his wheel and sprint past at the end. But his gearing was quite a bit bigger than mine 91.8 versus 88.2 so I really wanted to avoid having to spin like crazy for such a long time just to hang on. So the plan was once again to take control and go for a short sprint with maximum acceleration.

Again I won the toss and again I decided to lead. The heat was in effect a dead rubber as we were both already into the final but there was a psychological advantage to be gained as well as aggregate points to consider. I pretty much tried the same thing I did with Maria, jumping at the same point. Coming into the home straight, the sun was behind me and I could only see one shadow - mine. So I thought I was clear but looked around just to make sure. And there was Rob charging at me. I tried to kick again but I was gone and Rob caught me on the line. Bugger. That's one that got away but full credit to Rob.

The final came around quicker than I would like. I was still licking my mental and physical wounds but I was determined to turn the tables on Rob for beating me in the heat. My plan was to keep to my plan. That is, take control and keep control and then execute the finish better than before. But this time I lost the toss. I was afraid Rob would lead and drag me around for a long sprint but alas he elected to follow. I tried to keep the pace down because I wanted to keep everything for one explosive burst at the end. But Rob would speed things up and since I didn't want him to take the lead I was forced to speed up also. A couple of time I considered jumping from the front when he fell back a little but he still had the height advantage and it was a long way from home so I decided against it. I was getting nervous and  gave Rob opportunity to dive under me but luckily he didn't take it.

As we went past the bell Rob was still above me. I thought if I went now, before the bank it would mean he would either have to contend with the slope or come down behind me. Either way it was a chance for me to get a gap. So I hit the pedals hard. Stuff the ribs, I was out of the saddle sprinting with every fibre in my being. I only sat back down after the 200 metre mark and just continued to drive with everything I had. There was a chance I'd blow up before the finish but I wanted to make sure I had as big a gap as possible. There was no point keeping something in reserve for a second kick, I was putting all my cards on the table now! (OK, no more cliche's)

I knew I was going fast and it was an effort to control the bike in the bend and keep in the sprinters lane. Straightening up for the line I didn't know where Rob was so I just buried myself and went over the line for the win. Totally exhausted but elated.

And so ended a great day. Everyone - competitors, helpers and spectators had a ball and we're all keen to do it again in November.

If you've done any sort of track racing before you are going to love this stuff. Thanks Carl for the vision and determination to make this happen.

Seven weeks ago when I was lying on my back at DISC with smashed ribs had you said to me I would be racing again within two months I would have politely thanked you for the encouragement and asked you to let me die in peace.

And in the couple of weeks following that crash I had some doubts about returning to track racing at all. So it was against this background of potential doom and gloom that I approached Sunday's match sprints in the inaugural Trek Summer Sprint Series. No matter what the result, good or bad, I would be happy - happy just to be amongst the thick of it again.

Winning three of the four heats and then winning the B grade final exceeded all expectations. I had returned to training a couple of weeks earlier but I was untested in the heat of battle. The longest ride I'd done was about 40k. I had done some sprints with Carl and some intervals on the wind trainer but my fitness was down. I still had a pretty good sprint and my kick was not bad but I lacked strength and stamina. I would need to use a smaller gear because I had lost some leg strength and I still had sufficient stiffness and soreness in the ribs and back to prevent me pulling on the handle bars.

So as I left home I told Emily not to be surprised if I lost all my races. By the end of the day I was kicking myself for not winning them all!

Setbacks, both minor and major, can be turned into a very positive experience. They give you a chance to put things in perspective, sit back and reflect. And as you recover and get back on your bike you appreciate every little step you take and you realise just how much fun and how therapeutic riding can be.

Later...

Earlier in the week I met Carl, John Lewis and Pat Dougherty at the BBN velodrome for some sprint training behind the motor bike. And because it was school holidays and her plans for the day fell through I brought Emily along as well.  I wasn't sure how much riding she'd fit in, she's not strong enough to mix it with the big boys and is still very much a novice on the track.

The plan was for Emily to jump on the track while us old farts rested between our flying 200's and Carl and Pat swapped rolls from cyclist to motor bike rider. This she did although it was obviously pretty boring for the kid to ride along on her own on a windy day.  So Carl decide to give her a turn chasing the motor bike. We were a bit apprehensive because she'd never been motor paced before but I felt she would be OK as she is naturally wheel shy so I didn't think she'd get too close to the motor bike.

Not true! Within a few laps Carl had her within inches of the motor bike and she was comfortably sitting on at 35kph (I think. Carl?) lap after lap. It was a pure joy to see the huge smile on her face as she chased the motor bike. Then at the bell lap Carl revved it up to 40kph (?) and she still sprinted past to easily take the win!

We thought that would have cooked her but Carl, forever the hard task master, had her straight back on his wheel and she did it all over again. The rest of us were shaking our heads in disbelief because....

1. Carl never sits that close to the motor bike himself but was telling Emily to get "within 15 cm" !!!

2. I can't get her to train that hard!

3. You're not supposed to have a big smile on your face when your being motor paced

She finished that effort feeling very proud of herself and promptly did it all over again with Pat a little while later

Emily sure has got a sprint in her for an 11 year old. Walking up hill to school will do that to your legs!

After my heroics last weekend I'm feeling pretty despondent again right now.

I thought I may have been ready to resume "normal" training this week and with this in mind I went to the Blackburn velodrome with my roadie for some max efforts, sprints and the like.

With the Trek Sprint Series only two weeks away I thought I would practise my Flying 200's. Well I couldn't even finish them. It was bad, bad, bad. I had to sit up before the finish line. I was gasping for breath; heart and lungs exploding out of my chest. I tried two more with the same result - namely no result. Who knows what the time was but it was very, very slow. The only excuse I can offer is the howling wind which was a block head wind in the home straight.

I had thought I might do some E3 intervals but gave that a miss and did some phantom match sprints instead. They were worse than the F200's. No kick. No acceleration. I couldn't hold my speed (as slow as it was) for a miserly lap.

All in all I ended up doing 6 max efforts (3xF200's and 3xsprints) in an hours training and came home feeling pretty shitty and pissed off with the world. Now I'm doubting whether I can even get back to where I was let alone where I wanted to be.

I told you a week was a long time in cycling.