Apres Velo Blog

Finally, after hours of glueing, stitching & patching..... 20 Apres Velo Directors Chairs are finished. Each chair has my DNA imprinted into the fabric...I cannot tell you how many times I sewed my fingers (I'm not good at maths or counting beyond 10 'cause that's all my digits) when trying to sew the tyres and tubes onto the canvas.
I used up most of the tee shirt strike-offs and also have to thank Bike Addiction for the extra tyres, tubes & puncture patches( James looks at me like I'm a weirdo when I buy all his patches and i like the ones with orange rubber around the edges -don't you?).
So, here they are, ready to send to the Women's Honda/Lotto Team in Yooorope to rest up on, apres racing/riding. Go girls.
They deserve to have the coolest, funkiest Chairs to sit on.






At the very end is a back view of one of the chairs -each chair is of course completely different.

So many people ask me this amongst other common questions like "are you ADD?" or "what drug are you on - I want some of it".
I also get mistaken for being much younger than I am (although being asked whether I'm 4 is somewhat confusing).. I like to think it's because I am covered in local mud mixed with horse poo a lot of the time (which is good for your skin?) and I do exercsie a lot and eat a really healthy diet washed down with 3 cups of anti-oxidising Flat White coffees.

Years ago whilst over-training for the 6 Foot Track Marathon (in order to do a rooly rooooly fast time), working long hours and looking after children etc and sleeping minimal hours (2-3 a night) I got very tired. I would go for  5-6 hour weekend long run and drag myself all the way around and end up on my doorstep crying, saying my energy system just wasn't working. Once my hubby had to pick me up 1km from home lying on a grass verge as i just didn't have the energy to get the last bit home. 
 
After blood tests it was confirmed I'd contracted Glandular fever on top of my existing Haemochromatosis. I had a wonderful doctor who prescribed me: less exercise, more sleep, CoQ10 and Anthogenol. So sensible.... insert rolling of eyes....
I was back running and winning races within 6 months and bouncing off the walls again. Below are 2 websites about the products I take and use still, years after.
   http://www.addslife.com.au/    http://www.bloomshealth.com.au/

The more reading & research I do, the more important I realise it is to consume the right food. Supplementing with CoQ10 & a powerful antioxident such as Anthogenol is important as no-one can eat the quantity of fruit and veg each day to get enough anitoxidents for your body, as an athlete of any sort. Getting enough sleep is important (not that I do) and listening to your body MOST important. Rest when you're tired or sick.
 
I DO eat loads of fruit and veg, eat wholegrains and very natural foods, drink water and only have electrolyte drinks if exercising hard for over an hour. I make my own food bars or pack fruit, dried fruits and nuts. My mum used to say eat 30 different things a day....which in a bowl of muesli half of this can be tallied up, followed by salads or stir-frys, easy!
 
I won't ever consume those Goo things or eat commercial bars full of crap: chemical numbers, sugar & fat. I eat enormous quatnites of Sonoma sourdough breads (my favourite) or make my own sourdough loaves. Look for my recipes on other blogs for my "energy" or "protein" bars & muffins.

I've never had another bout of GF. I bounce around most days and do a hell-of-a-lot-of-stuff each day. I DO get tired but usually because I've done so much each day any normal person would be staggeringly buggered. My good buddy Dave says I'm an alien
and when he saw Avatar he knew where I was from......ooooooh.

There you go, all my secrets. I tell you guys everything.

Below is a photo of the Dirty Torquers (moi, Joel & Andrew) 2nd overall after a 27hour Adventure race down the coast in the Eurobodalla National Park. We may look good - but geez we were stinky! 

 

 

 

 

This is my Uncle Russ and me. I wasn't standing up straight -that's why I look smaller. I have 4 "little" cousins as well who are all bigger and tallerer than Uncle Russ - obviously my mum didn't feed me right when i was a kid and this also explains why everytime i see my Aunty Andy she has a kitchen full of cakes and bickies for me to take home.
 
Anyhow, I digress... this is the shed of dreams and everytime i go out to Dural and enter this shed... it's like I'm home. This is only a tiny bit of it and every wall and even the roof has stuff carefully stored to be used at some time down the track. It smells of oil, petrol and rust and I love it.

Uncle Russ can make & fix anything -so when i send my mad hatter sketches to him he says "no worries, Rene". Below are pictures of the new stands he made out of old bike bits. He's retired...and he's so kind to make these for me. Aren't they cool, though?


He's made 6 different ones for Bike Temples to try out. I have sent more drawings to him that we will make up including shelves and hanging racks made from handlebars.

I'm off (I know) to make chairs for the Team Lottof Girls to rest their weary behinds after winning races- Apres Velo!

CTM.