Cycling, since my diagnosis, became an important part of my life… However, I learned quickly that “PREPARATION” is the key…
Before I decided to take on the Sydney to Coffs Harbour Ride, (600+Ks in 5 Days). I commenced a cycling & fitness regime that saw me cycling 300+km per week, for 12 weeks, before my starting day came along. Making the cycling far more pleasurable…
M7 TRAINING RIDES
M7 BIKE PATH START FROM KINGS LANGLEY
Commencing from Monday October 30, we will be utilising the M7 Bike Path for our Training RIDES. There's some On-Road Parking along Joseph Banks Dve if coming by car. Bella Vista Metro is also nearby for those wishing to travel by this mode, as many already do... The M7 is ideal for Training Rides as it is approx' 40km in each direction
M7 CYCLEWAY from
KINGS LANGLEY to PRESTONS
Commencing from Monday October 30, provides four (4) weeks of Riding preparation doing ZONE 2 / 3 Endurance Rides. Completely 'Voluntary' however, I would recommend attending as many of these as possible, it will help those unfamiliar Riding Two Abreast, while practicing COMMUNICATION in order to prepare for the "ON-ROAD" Event SUNDAY DEC' 03
To assist ALL our Riders to prepare for the SECRET DYARUBBIN RIVER RIDE, we are holding ZONE 2 / 3 “Endurance Building’ Training rides along the M7. While we will be moving at a relatively easy conversational pace, we will also be practising two abreast “NO DROP – NO PASS” riding skills & using Peloton Jargon messaging to be adequately prepared for our ON-ROAD Ride event on SUNDAY DECEMBER 03 from 06:00 hours in front of the Macquarie Arms Pub in Windsor.
Our M7 Training Rides are completely voluntary, however, we do recommend attending as many of these rides as you able…
We will meet at the designated Dates & Times below. Always starting from the Kings Langley M7 Bike Path entrance (as shown in the Map above) IF IT’S WET? IT’S NOT ON! Any questions – steven(at)mpn-mate (dot com)
DATES ARE AS FOLLOWS “Weather Gods Permitting”:
- 9AM, MONDAY OCTOBER 30
- 8AM THURSDAY NOVEMBER 2
- 7AM SATURDAY NOVEMBER 4
- 9AM MONDAY NOVEMBER 6
- 8AM THURSDAY NOVEMBER 9
- 7AM SATURDAY NOVEMBER 11
- 9AM, MONDAY NOVEMBER 13
- 8AM THURSDAY NOVEMBER 16
- 7AM SATURDAY NOVEMBER 18
- 9AM MONDAY NOVEMBER 20
- 8AM THURSDAY NOVEMBER 23
- 7AM SATURDAY NOVEMBER 25
- 7AM SUNDAY NOVEMBER 26 (SPECIAL TO PRESTONS)
- 9AM, MONDAY NOVEMBER 27
- 8AM THURSDAY NOVEMBER 30 (BUBBLER ONLY RIDE)
Kent Williams from ENTOURE (Specialists in Cycle Event Management), has provided the following “Training TIPS” and hopefully you might find them useful to in preparing yourselves for this scenic and historic adventure in and around the mighty Hawkesbury “Dyarubbin” River.
Hello and welcome to your training plan for the 2023 MPN-MATE RF “SECRET DYARUBBIN RIVER RIDE”. Entoure has been engaged to run the on-road logistics for this year’s historic adventure and part of our role is to ensure all participants in the event understand what’s required when it comes to rider preparedness. This event is fully supported and its important all participants reach an agreed base level of fitness and experience to be able to ride safely in a peloton handle bar to handle bar. A key factor in what our footprint looks like depends largely on people’s ability to ride as a team, safely look after each other and be able to ride a consistent pace. For this event, the base level when it comes to average speed has been set at around 19–22 k an hour; this is the target average speed riders should be aiming at as a minimum to be able to hold over the duration of the course. (Even though there will be frequent stopping & Rest breaks along the way).
Although “The Secret Dyarubbin River Ride” is a “NO DROP – NO PASS” Cycling Tour (& NOT A RACE). The General Training Tips supplied by Kent & ENTOURE, do still very much apply… Hence, I strongly recommend that Riders acquaint themselves with the Media Files attached in RED below for your convenience, thank you Kent!
Cycling Essentials – Bunch Riding Guide Cycling Group Riding Ettiquette
Cycling, Training
MATES Ongoing Pledge for MPN Research...
Some day in to the ‘not to distant future’ I still hope to again contemplate my circumnavigation of Australia RIDE in Under 200 Days. I will need to average circa 130-150kms per day. Depending upon the terrain, and the weather, I will be in the saddle for between Three & Five days consecutively before taking a Rest Day. At sixty four (64yo), I might be needing even more rest days… In preparation, I am cycling as often as I can for as long as I can, in order to be able to achieve these desirable goals. However, there is also the small fact concerning my illness, and how that might impact upon my efforts, as it has done during these preparations previously…
Having now completed my SYDNEY TO COFFS HARBOUR (600ks in 5 Days) RIDE back in April 2021. I am now much more aware of just how much pre–planning is required to bring such an “Epic” riding event together…
ALWAYS LOOKING TO HEAR FROM ANY GENEROUS SPONSORS WILLING TO BACK MY/OUR EFFORTS!
Hence, this is my Pledge to the Reader;
The MPN-MATE RESEARCH FOUNDATION is an Australian Registered ‘Not-For-Profit’ Health Promotion Charity organisation. As such, our Constitution MUST stipulate the purpose and the allocation of the funds raised. Specific Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPNs – rare blood cancer) Research in Australia is our mandate.
“In the event, (for any reason what-so-ever), I am unable to continue any RIDE once started… Then naturally, whatever funds have been raised will go to Specific MPN Research as stated above. We have previously worked in collaboration with the Peter MAC Cancer Foundation in Victoria & we are ALWAYS looking to contribute to Research Studies that are specific to MPN Research and hopefully help discover a range of better treatment regimes, and ultimately a CURE!”
Steven Shah – Sydney, Australia
SYDNEY TO COFFS HARBOUR ~ MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
SYDNEY TO COFFS HARBOUR COMMENCED SATURDAY APRIL 10 ~ CONCLUDED SATURDAY APRIL 17
SYDNEY TO COFFS HARBOUR ~ Seven Day Journey ‘Cycling For A Cure’ – Please see SPONSORS Page
ALL STAGE RIDES (1-5) ARE SHOWN BELOW…
Below, periodically, I will update everyone as to my current ride data via Strava Links, (activity links below right), and I will post other events that I also enter, to help raise MPN Awareness, (Socrates Smith is my Strava Avatar alias)
SYDNEY to the GONG – MS Ride
On November 3, 2019, a few of my Riding buddies, (Frank, Merv, William, Rick, Vinod, Jimmy & myself), all rode in the Sydney to the Gong Ride for MS. However, Frank & I, (pictured above), also wore our own MPN-MATE JERSEY Kits, as a small marketing exercise for greater MPN Awareness…