Early in the pre-dawn morning of Saturday the 19th of July in Australia, my sister called me to that our mother had just passed away.
Although deeply sad, the news also offered a form of relief as the last few days and weeks had been especially tough on my mother and those around her. I was reassured to hear that both my sister and our father were coping well in the circumstances.
The funeral will be next week on Wednesday the 30th of July and I am travelling back to the UK this weekend. In an email from my father to those invited to the funeral I read that my mother had asked that people donate to the my rather than buy flowers. An act typical of my mother.
Amongst many things I learnt from my mother the importance of a loving nature, hard work, selflessness, a cool head in adversity, and a slightly cheeky sense of humour.
I hope I can teach my children as well.
I look forward to a time in the not too distant future when my father will be able to join us here in Australia for the road trip we've always promised ourselves around this great brown land.
My efforts to participate in the Melbourne Ride to Conquer Cancer - an annual, two day, charity ride for The Peter Mac hospital in Melbourne raising funds for cancer research. I had the privilege to ride in the first Peter Mac Ride to Conquer Cancer in 2012 and have ridden each year since. In order to ride in a year, each rider needs to raise $2,500 or more in donations. This year the ride will take place on the weekend of 24-25 October, 2015
Shade Seekers On Buller

Shade Seekers On Buller
Thursday, 24 July 2014
Thursday, 3 July 2014
Winter training - early, dark, mornings
Quick snapshot of rides this week:
Monday: Short commute on my old faithful XC bike. 12km, dawn there, dark back
Tuesday: 3 x Laps of the Kew Boulevard road then commute to work and return. 68km. 5.30am start
Wednesday: Ride up to Sassafras and return (straight to work). 71km. 5.51am start
Thursday: Down to Beach road and Mordialloc. 70km. 5.40am start.
Friday: (intended). Short commute. 12km.
Why the mid-week push? Blame the weather forecast, good for Tue, Wed and Thu. Rain forecast for Fri, Sat and Sun. Also means I might get to seem more of the family and our new dog over the weekend.
Still hoping to get 250km in before the end of the week, but I think that will mean doing a little something over the weekend.
I'm compensating to make up for some soft weeks recently. Over the previous three weeks I've only managed 139km, 152km, and 119km during each week, whereas the week of June 2 - 8 was 379km. Obviously a fair weather rider :)
This is what Sassafras looks like at dawn mid-week....
Monday: Short commute on my old faithful XC bike. 12km, dawn there, dark back
Tuesday: 3 x Laps of the Kew Boulevard road then commute to work and return. 68km. 5.30am start
Wednesday: Ride up to Sassafras and return (straight to work). 71km. 5.51am start
Thursday: Down to Beach road and Mordialloc. 70km. 5.40am start.
Friday: (intended). Short commute. 12km.
Why the mid-week push? Blame the weather forecast, good for Tue, Wed and Thu. Rain forecast for Fri, Sat and Sun. Also means I might get to seem more of the family and our new dog over the weekend.
Still hoping to get 250km in before the end of the week, but I think that will mean doing a little something over the weekend.
I'm compensating to make up for some soft weeks recently. Over the previous three weeks I've only managed 139km, 152km, and 119km during each week, whereas the week of June 2 - 8 was 379km. Obviously a fair weather rider :)
This is what Sassafras looks like at dawn mid-week....
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