The Amy Gillett Foundation team are turning the corner into the finishing straight – for the Foundation team, the arrival of the riders in Sydney, the Gala Dinner on Monday evening, and the launch the next morning is our first finish line! Then, we embark upon the epic Tour with you, our very special riders, support crew and special guests!
Our workspace looks a bit like a peloton have swept through it, and yes, our heart rates are definitely elevated!!! Hopefully all of your hard yards are also paying off. Only seven more sleeps before you pack your bike and gear, get spruced up for the Gala Dinner and finalise your sponsorship tally … No time left for anything in reserve, including with your fundraising contacts – the competition for the highest fundraiser is certainly hotting up!
What to expect at the Launch
After departing the hotel at 8.15 riders will arrive at Hickson Road Reserve between 8.30 and 8.40 (you will be reminded all of this in the briefing the night before).
Attending the launch will be the Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney, Clover Moore, other government representatives, cycling and corporate dignitaries, sponsors, media and our newsletter, facebook and twitter followers.
The Lord Mayor will officially launch the STRT prior to media photo opportunities. We encourage you to be a part of the ‘colour’ of the Tour and get your faces in the picture (please follow instructions on the day).
Cadel Evans and Rochelle Gilmore will officially lead you out at 9.30!
Day Six – our final day – Northern Beaches and Centennial Park
Northern Beaches
Pittwater and the Northern Beaches, including Palm Beach, was the land of the Garigal and Cannalgal people, part of the Guringai language group. Fish was the staple diet, including shellfish such as oysters, whelks, and mussels. Stranded whales were eaten, but not hunted directly. Men and women were highly skilled at fishing, both from the shore and from canoes using spears, lines with shell or bone hooks, and nets, with chewed shellfish or discarded fish for bait. Often a small fire was kept alight on a bed of seaweed in the canoe and the catch cooked on board. Other food sources were birds, reptiles, marsupials, as well as roots, fruits, berries, and nuts.
Centennial Park
Centennial Park has a distinctive and special place in Australian history and culture. It was once a huge catchment of creeks, swamps, springs, sand dunes and ponds fed by ground water, and were traditionally home to the Gadi people.
In 1811, Governor Lachlan Macquarie designated the area as the second Sydney Common and it was used for grazing, lime burning and timber clearing.
In 1825, convict labour was used to build a 3.5 km underground aqueduct, known as Busbys Bore, from the swamps to Hyde Park. This bore supplied Sydney’s main water supply from 1837 to 1859.
In 1888, Sir Henry Parkes dedicated Centennial Park as a public open space for the enjoyment of the people of NSW. Hundreds of unemployed men were enlisted to turn swamps, scrub and rock into a grand park in the Victorian tradition with formal gardens, ponds, statues and wide avenues for Sydneysiders to drive their carriages around to ‘take the air’.
On 1 January 1901, Centennial Park became the focus of the nation as the site of the inauguration of Australian Federation (this event is commemorated today by the Federation Pavilion).
Fundraising – A last look before we depart
So far we have three riders who have reached their $7500 target and in a couple of cases exceeded. Tony Gaudry has moved past Hodgie and is chasing down The Support Crew who has almost doubled
Support Crew $14560
Tony Gaudry $12960
Stephen Hodge $12500
Paul O’Dwyer $7648
Steve Cesinger $7500
Hodgie’s STRT Training Notes #8 – Last efforts before the Ride!
Time for a rest! All the work is done for our Share the Road Tour and we can concentrate this week on light training and final tuning of our bikes and bodies. I mentioned last week that I wanted to discuss the mindset and attitudes that have made this event such an enjoyable and positive experience in the past. I’ll get onto that in just a sec.
Last week’s note from Margie, our physio and masseur, was a great reminder of what to do and not to do for our bodies. I have just booked in for a massage for Tuesday and my osteo for Thursday to ensure I have dealt with any niggles before we start in Sydney next week.
I have to admit that after two weeks travelling (and no cycling) I was in need of some serious distance and packed in a big weekend here in Canberra with the all in ‘Bakery Gallop’ (~85km) on Saturday and Fitz’s Challenge (165km) on Sunday. I am now sore and tired and in need of that massage!!
I have had a few questions from friends and family of STRT participants worried that their friend/partner will struggle to keep up in the group of highly experienced riders. So I think it is worth just mentioning how we organise ourselves and the mindset we adopt to ensure we all enjoy what should be a privileged week doing something we all love, riding a bike for a good cause in a great part of the world with good friends.
Firstly, we approach this ride not as a competition to see who can impress the other riders with their prowess on the bike, but as an inclusive group ride where everyone is out to enjoy themselves and get to the end of each day’s challenging ride together and in good spirits. Of course there are some times when the riders who want to stretch their legs can ‘give it a nudge’ and this is usually a big climb or other discrete sector following which there is a general regrouping to allow everyone to continue to the finish.
Secondly, we organise ourselves into groups based on our abilities and with each group on the road we have Tour hosts to ride and pass on tips and ensure we stay together, as well as assisting riders along the way. There is the freedom to move between groups if we feel like taking it easier or looking for more of a challenge. Being in discrete and organised groups is also a key strategy to manage safety on the road as we are aware of where all riders are at all times and each group is accompanied by a following vehicle. The rider briefing on Monday will cover all this and more.
The tour hosts also move around between groups so you will have a chance to talk to Phil, Rochelle and all of us during the course of the ride. You’ll also meet and get to know everyone on the ride and there will be plenty of chance to share jokes and ‘tall stories’ during the week.
So, what should you be doing this week?
Over the next 7 days, you should have at least 3 days off the bike. On the other days you should keep the volume down to around ½ to 2/3 of your normal weekly training and this weekend you can fit in one ride that has a good hit-out or some intensity to pep yourself up before our departure on Tuesday.
In summary, give yourself at least an extra two days rest this week, on one day have a bit of a hard ride, but not excessively long, fit in a couple of easy rolling rides when you can.
Looking forward to seeing you all for the Gala dinner.
Regards, Stephen
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