NSW SMIDDY - DAY ONE
North Ryde to Norah Head
Statistics for the day
Distance: 168
Average speed 25.1kmph
Maximum speed: 61.8 kmph
Elevation climbed: 2019 metres
Riding time: 6:42:00
Min Temp: 17 Degrees
Max Temp: 28 Degrees
The second Bottlemart Smiddy NSW Challenge left North Ryde in Sydney under very wet conditions. The skies were a deep dark black and the threat of a good drenching looked 100% certain. The rain started the night before and the 32 riders and nine road crew awoke to a morning that was best spent sleeping in and not sitting on a bike. But the show must go on regardless and while last year's ride presented a problem on day one thanks to a scattering of deceased body parts on the M1, this year's test was to be the wet conditions. The road crew were on the ball early and prepared a fabulous breakfast and organised a rousing send off from our nine road crew members and numbers swelled to an unbelievable 13 thanks to four past Smiddy riders who dropped in on their way to work!
Doug's New Adventurous Route Out Of Sydney
The forecast was for drenching flooding and very wet rain all day, but once again Smiddy luck was on the peletons side when the rain eased at 7am and eventually stopped altogether by the time we rolled out at 7:15am. For the next five hours it was more a constant English country type drizzle than an outright downpour, and even though it was very muggy with the humidity sitting at 85% the conditions presented to us were actually very ridable. Now in yesterdays blog you read about the Doug factor and his role as the founder of NSW Smiddy. Well Doug has been working long and hard on routing the safest route possible with regards to keeping us out of the Sydney rush hour traffic in order for the riders to clear the outer northern suburbs of Sydney. Well this very entertaining route, while keeping us off the main roads, involved bike tracks slick with moss, Paris Raboix type cobble stones, creek crossings, deep black dark tunnels rife with killer bats looking to bite unsuspecting Smiddy riders, flood debris and other technical stuff that mountain bike riders would have had trouble negotiating. The whole time I was thinking Doug has turned this first section into his own version of a Bottlemart adventure race. I couldn't have been happier! The riders showed incredible skill to get through those first testing 20 kilometres without incident, well there was one small one when a certain person by the name of Sharky, decided to give the riders a short rest when he punctured not once but twice in the space of 200 metres. Kevvy was heard to say, "he bloody well rode 4000 kilometres last September without a puncture and he gets two in two minutes!"
Smiddy Riders Chertsey School Visit
Anyway after the forced rest break the group was on the road again and enjoying the challenging route that took us north along the old Pacific Highway heading first for morning tea at 70 very hungry kilometres, and then our fun visit to Chertsey Primary School, which was meant to be at 118 kilometres, but our faithful lead vehicle with Mike 'Stubbsy' Stubs and Marianne Grace decided that the riders were looking remarkable fresh and threw in a ten kilometre detour! Rowan Foster, later that night, while entertaining the crew with his special ability to pay out on people without anyone taking offense, took full blame for the extra distance due to a few mapping discrepancies in the road crew booklet. Anyway a long and tiring 130 kilometres later and a full 90 minutes behind schedule we rolled into the school with six students on their BMX bikes as escorts. The educational but fun visit to the school consisted of a talk by me to the kids about sun-safe while riding bikes. I then handed over to Rowan Foster, who was let loose to entertain the kids, which involved six riders volunteering forcibly by Rowan, while six children were chosen from the 200 children present by the Principal John Anderson. As Rowan explained: the kids had 30 seconds to put as much zinc on the riders face as possible, with a 200 strong kido-scream-o-metre declaring the most popular decorated winner, which was taken out convincingly by Mark Latkowski from Pernod Ricard. No offense to Mark but I have to admit he really won by default as he was last in the scream-o-metre line and the kids just plain loved screaming without getting into trouble from the principleI! To finish up with the school I just wanted to acknowledge and thank John Anderson for allowing us into their school and for the generosity in providing lunch to the riders. A huge thank you also to the students for fundraising for Smiddy and for their special presentation of $112,00. As the riders left the school right on three-pm, the kids formed a guard of honour and high fived the riders with plenty of screaming and encouragement to send us on our way.
Still the hills keep on coming:
As you can see by the stats at the start of this blog it was a very hilly day of riding with the group climbing just over 2000 metres, which is equivalent to a quarter of the way up Mt Everest. The ride into the school was stupid hilly, I was so close at times to getting off my bike and walking up the short, sharp and maximum lactic acid type climbs. The bad news for the riders after a gut-full of barbecue sausages was the ride out of the school was pretty much the same for the next ten kilometres. But finally after what seemed like all day when we were going either up or down, we were at last rewarded with some flat terrain for the last 20 kilometres into Norah Head. I have no idea who Norah is but boy I was glad to meet here that afternoon as we rolled in at 4:30pm. I was not alone in that department as over ten riders admitted to todays ride being their longest ever day in the saddle. We stopped at the entrance to the Norah Heads Caravan Park and finished with the traditional Smiddy huddle where the group converges to acknowledge the road crew and to think about their own reasons for doing this ride.
Honourable mentions for the day.
As on any Smiddy event there are always stand out performances and incidents throughout the day that are worthy of a mention. Today a special mention goes out to the following people:
Mathew McGuire from McGuire's Hotels, who was feeling most unwell and on one steep climb recorded a maximum heart rate of 220 beats per minute. He hung in there as long as he could but his body forced him out after lunch at the school.
Sarah Holman majority of her training was completed on a spin bike on a boat due to working at sea. She is one tough young lady and I have nicknamed her 'Pocket Rocket', for her pint sized frame but with a heart bigger than Pharlap. Today was her longest ride and she is one of our highest fundraisers with over $5000 donated so far!
Shane Walsh for actually having the best Zinc face but being unfortunate that he was fifth in the line and the screams had yet to reach their crescendo of being sixth in line.
Brett Jarvis for wanting to get to know me on the bike. His hand slipped off his handlebars throwing him into me on a descent. I went bush, somehow stayed upright, while Brett felt bad and apologised sincerely but secretly enjoyed getting to know me better.
Amanda Ashbrook nearly did not start this event due to hurting her back a week prior to todays start. She suffered today but finished and put her finish down to a healthy supply of Nurofen. Although I suspect it was because she also has a big heart and should be proud of her performance.
Greg Casey one week ago drove into his carport with his bike still attached to the roof racks. The end result: one written off $8000 bike, a slightly bent carport and a puff of steam ejecting from a very mad head. Greg was lent a replacement and made the trip and started with training that consisted of two river loops!
Anyway hope you enjoyed this blog. Stayed tuned for day two of NSW Smiddy.
Sharky
Wednesday 29 February 2012
NSW SMIDDY - The Doug and David Factor
How did NSW Smiddy come about?
In 2007 Bottlemart came on board as a sponsor for the second running of the Smiling for Smiddy Challenge from Brisbane to Townsville. In 2008 they increased their sponsorship to become our very first naming rights sponsor. Bottlemart is a subsidiary of a company called Liquor Marketing Group, or LMG, and the CEO, Doug Misener, is not just a keen cyclist but lives and breathes the sport. That same year in 2008, Doug made a decision that would cement the current professional but friendly relationship that exists between LMG and Smiling for Smiddy up to this day. For it was in that year that Doug signed up, along with David Gyte, who was the Marketing manager for LMG in Qld and also a super keen cyclist, who had a strong influence on Doug's decision to do his first Smiddy Challenge to Townsville. Which in turn lead to his eventual decision to bring Smiddy to NSW.
The Smiddy effect on Doug and David
For those reading this that have yet to complete a Smiddy event; what happens out there on the road is home to an amazing transgression. Riders sign up every year and prepare themselves physically for their chosen event, but not until actually in the thick of it does the realisation hit that this is not just a physical challenge but an extremely mental one. To this day I can still recall exactly the words that Doug spoke at our nightly function in Jambin, which was on day three with over 650 kilometres of riding behind us; Doug said: "As long as I am CEO of LMG, Bottlemart will always be associated with Smiling for Smiddy." You see, Doug had just spent three grueling days where he saw what the riders put themselves through for up to eight hours a day. He saw the incredible kindness and generosity of the locals at each of the community functions. He felt the joy that our educational and awareness visit to Thangool Primary School brought the kids. He witnessed firsthand the heartbreaking stories from riders and locals that had lost love ones to cancer. In just three days Doug had left the business world behind and made the switch from a sponsor and a rider, to a rider and a sponsor who now fully understood what Smiling for Smiddy was all about and the people that we gave hope to through our actions.
Doug's extremely tough 2008 Smiddy challenge
Now that year that Doug and David joined us will go down in Smiddy history as recording one of the hottest September's on record with daily temperatures closing in on the high 30's for all eight days of the Challenge. Doug kept it pretty quiet but he came into the event not entirely healthy. And by the end of day two's 242 kilometre stage into Eisdvold he knew he was in trouble once the nose bleeds began and dehydration had set in. His spirits were high, his mind strong but his body was rebelling at the eight hour days in the saddle. But Doug being the battle hard soldier that he is soldiered on and the further he went the more he suffered, until with 1200 kilometres in his legs and six days completed of the eight day journey, his body said enough is enough and he was forced to retire after the finish into Belyando Crossing. So it was on the morning of day seven we awoke to the news that Doug was on his way home to Sydney. It wasn't until we finished in Townsville that we received news of just how crook he had become. Doug lost close to seven kilograms in body weight and it was a good month before he fully recovered. To this day I still admire his dedication to finish, but mostly I respect the fact that he not only knew when it was time to stop, but that he was strong enough to stop! David went on to finish his first Smiddy Challenge that year, but I know his journey was incomplete at the loss of Doug over those last two days. Their relationship is one of a great friendship and utmost respect for each other in the boardroom,as well as on the bike.
Bottlemart support above and beyond for Smiddy!
Now even though Doug has never returned to finish those last two days he was infected by the Smiddy spirit and vowed to help Smiddy in the fight against cancer by each year continuing as naming rights sponsor. Plus on top of this amazing support Bottlemart fundraise for Smiling for Smiddy, which brings in over $100,000 each year for our cause. Doug and David's next step was creating NSW Smiddy and between them and their band of enthusiastic LMG co-workers, plus the backing of the Smiddy crew, this event became a reality in March of 2011. The event was held over four days over a hilly and scenic 600 kilometres, with invites extended to bike riders who worked within the liquor industry and suppliers to LMG. That year the ride raised a staggering amount of $140,000 with just 30 riders participating. It was an unequivocal success and Doug and David vowed that there would be a second NSW Smiddy in 2012, and true to their word here we are today; a day out from starting the event on February 29, with the threat of drenching rain for day one and more rain for the next two after that, but regardless of what the weather does the event will proceed and the field of 32 riders and nine road crew members will be out there doing their bit in the battle against cancer.
Smiling for Smiddy is so grateful
On behalf of Smiling for Smiddy I would like to pass on our greatest appreciation to Doug and David and their tireless machine of workers at LMG that helped make this event possible. I am in awe of a company and it's workers that have the gall to say; "enough is enough, time to pull up our sleeves and don the gloves, because we are helping Smiling for Smiddy to fight this terrible disease head on." The amount of money that LMG and Bottlemart have helped to raise for us over the past six years is in excess of half a million dollars! Without your belief and passion in Smiddy none of this would have been possible and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Be sure to say tuned this week to Sharky's blog for a daily update over the next four eventful days.
Cheers.
Sharky.
In 2007 Bottlemart came on board as a sponsor for the second running of the Smiling for Smiddy Challenge from Brisbane to Townsville. In 2008 they increased their sponsorship to become our very first naming rights sponsor. Bottlemart is a subsidiary of a company called Liquor Marketing Group, or LMG, and the CEO, Doug Misener, is not just a keen cyclist but lives and breathes the sport. That same year in 2008, Doug made a decision that would cement the current professional but friendly relationship that exists between LMG and Smiling for Smiddy up to this day. For it was in that year that Doug signed up, along with David Gyte, who was the Marketing manager for LMG in Qld and also a super keen cyclist, who had a strong influence on Doug's decision to do his first Smiddy Challenge to Townsville. Which in turn lead to his eventual decision to bring Smiddy to NSW.
The Smiddy effect on Doug and David
For those reading this that have yet to complete a Smiddy event; what happens out there on the road is home to an amazing transgression. Riders sign up every year and prepare themselves physically for their chosen event, but not until actually in the thick of it does the realisation hit that this is not just a physical challenge but an extremely mental one. To this day I can still recall exactly the words that Doug spoke at our nightly function in Jambin, which was on day three with over 650 kilometres of riding behind us; Doug said: "As long as I am CEO of LMG, Bottlemart will always be associated with Smiling for Smiddy." You see, Doug had just spent three grueling days where he saw what the riders put themselves through for up to eight hours a day. He saw the incredible kindness and generosity of the locals at each of the community functions. He felt the joy that our educational and awareness visit to Thangool Primary School brought the kids. He witnessed firsthand the heartbreaking stories from riders and locals that had lost love ones to cancer. In just three days Doug had left the business world behind and made the switch from a sponsor and a rider, to a rider and a sponsor who now fully understood what Smiling for Smiddy was all about and the people that we gave hope to through our actions.
Doug's extremely tough 2008 Smiddy challenge
Now that year that Doug and David joined us will go down in Smiddy history as recording one of the hottest September's on record with daily temperatures closing in on the high 30's for all eight days of the Challenge. Doug kept it pretty quiet but he came into the event not entirely healthy. And by the end of day two's 242 kilometre stage into Eisdvold he knew he was in trouble once the nose bleeds began and dehydration had set in. His spirits were high, his mind strong but his body was rebelling at the eight hour days in the saddle. But Doug being the battle hard soldier that he is soldiered on and the further he went the more he suffered, until with 1200 kilometres in his legs and six days completed of the eight day journey, his body said enough is enough and he was forced to retire after the finish into Belyando Crossing. So it was on the morning of day seven we awoke to the news that Doug was on his way home to Sydney. It wasn't until we finished in Townsville that we received news of just how crook he had become. Doug lost close to seven kilograms in body weight and it was a good month before he fully recovered. To this day I still admire his dedication to finish, but mostly I respect the fact that he not only knew when it was time to stop, but that he was strong enough to stop! David went on to finish his first Smiddy Challenge that year, but I know his journey was incomplete at the loss of Doug over those last two days. Their relationship is one of a great friendship and utmost respect for each other in the boardroom,as well as on the bike.
Bottlemart support above and beyond for Smiddy!
Now even though Doug has never returned to finish those last two days he was infected by the Smiddy spirit and vowed to help Smiddy in the fight against cancer by each year continuing as naming rights sponsor. Plus on top of this amazing support Bottlemart fundraise for Smiling for Smiddy, which brings in over $100,000 each year for our cause. Doug and David's next step was creating NSW Smiddy and between them and their band of enthusiastic LMG co-workers, plus the backing of the Smiddy crew, this event became a reality in March of 2011. The event was held over four days over a hilly and scenic 600 kilometres, with invites extended to bike riders who worked within the liquor industry and suppliers to LMG. That year the ride raised a staggering amount of $140,000 with just 30 riders participating. It was an unequivocal success and Doug and David vowed that there would be a second NSW Smiddy in 2012, and true to their word here we are today; a day out from starting the event on February 29, with the threat of drenching rain for day one and more rain for the next two after that, but regardless of what the weather does the event will proceed and the field of 32 riders and nine road crew members will be out there doing their bit in the battle against cancer.
Smiling for Smiddy is so grateful
On behalf of Smiling for Smiddy I would like to pass on our greatest appreciation to Doug and David and their tireless machine of workers at LMG that helped make this event possible. I am in awe of a company and it's workers that have the gall to say; "enough is enough, time to pull up our sleeves and don the gloves, because we are helping Smiling for Smiddy to fight this terrible disease head on." The amount of money that LMG and Bottlemart have helped to raise for us over the past six years is in excess of half a million dollars! Without your belief and passion in Smiddy none of this would have been possible and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Be sure to say tuned this week to Sharky's blog for a daily update over the next four eventful days.
Cheers.
Sharky.
Thursday 23 February 2012
Hunter here we come!
The second annual Bottlemart Smiddy NSW Challenge starts on Wednesday 29 February with 32 cyclists challenging themselves to 600 kilometres over four days. Follow their journey live via our GPS tracking below.
Tuesday 21 February 2012
Time to get on Strava!
I have just downloaded this new app called Strava. If you have a Garmin device, iphone or Android smartphone I invite you to sign up and join the ‘Smiling for Smiddy’ club. How cool would it be to see collectively how many kilometres and metres climbed that Smiddy riders and have ridden during the year. Now while I am not all that competent with computers and the like I have to admit that this was so easy that even I was able to work it out.
Keen to come on board? It is free and once you have signed up it is as easy as hooking up your Garmin and uploading your recent rides. For smartphones you upload via the free app or even choose to do it manually.
Here is what you do: Go to www.strava.com Click on the ‘Sign up for free’ button, fill out your details and click on ‘Create my account’. Now once you have done this you then need to join the Smiddy club, you will be directed to ‘The Dashboard’, once there click on ‘Explore’, then click on ‘Club’ then type in Smiddy and hit ‘Search’. Smiling for Smiddy will come up and once you add a ride you will automatically become a member of the Smiddy Club.
Strava is a fantastic way to log training, compare your efforts and be ranked among your fellow riders. We’ll also have a monthly Strava leaderboard for Smiddy riders @ http://cosmocatalano.com/strava/club_leaders/4125/#
Have a great day.
Sharky
Keen to come on board? It is free and once you have signed up it is as easy as hooking up your Garmin and uploading your recent rides. For smartphones you upload via the free app or even choose to do it manually.
Here is what you do: Go to www.strava.com Click on the ‘Sign up for free’ button, fill out your details and click on ‘Create my account’. Now once you have done this you then need to join the Smiddy club, you will be directed to ‘The Dashboard’, once there click on ‘Explore’, then click on ‘Club’ then type in Smiddy and hit ‘Search’. Smiling for Smiddy will come up and once you add a ride you will automatically become a member of the Smiddy Club.
Strava is a fantastic way to log training, compare your efforts and be ranked among your fellow riders. We’ll also have a monthly Strava leaderboard for Smiddy riders @ http://cosmocatalano.com/strava/club_leaders/4125/#
Have a great day.
Sharky
Monday 20 February 2012
Smiling for Smiddy's first training day for 2012
Sunday February 19 saw an amazing turnout of 62 Smiddy riders, who were training for either the Midi, Half or main Challenge. The starting point was Adam Smiddy Park in Milton and we rolled out of there about 5:45am. Now the team at Smiddy are proud of putting on well run cycling events and we like to think that extends to the training days. Maybe it was because it was our first group ride for the year...but we showed just how on the ball we were when just 200 metres from the start I lead the group the wrong way. That would be the first of three times that my face brightened a sunburnt red as I delivered a couple of u-turns to get the large peloton back on the correct route!
But besides these minor hiccups and a touch of wheels on Coronation Drive that brought down one rider, who quickly picked himself up and soldiered on, we delivered a spot on 100km looped course that the majority of riders had never been on before. It was a day that delivered clear blue skies and low temperatures for the first two hours of riding, with the heat not rearing it’s ugly head until the last hour of the ride from 9am.
For a first up ride to attract so many Smiddy riders was very pleasing for the team at Smiddy, but what was even more pleasing was the fact that the group gelled and rode so well together, especially over the last 50km’s.
Congratulations to everyone who attended, and especially to those riders who for the very first time cracked out their first 100km ride. I would also like to thank the stronger riders who helped out and for your patience on the day. As far as I could see you all possessed the right ingredients that make up a Smiddy rider; patience, determination, friendliness and a desire to help others and do you bit for raising funds for cancer research.
Take care out on the roads.
Sharky
Find more Bike Ride in QLD
But besides these minor hiccups and a touch of wheels on Coronation Drive that brought down one rider, who quickly picked himself up and soldiered on, we delivered a spot on 100km looped course that the majority of riders had never been on before. It was a day that delivered clear blue skies and low temperatures for the first two hours of riding, with the heat not rearing it’s ugly head until the last hour of the ride from 9am.
For a first up ride to attract so many Smiddy riders was very pleasing for the team at Smiddy, but what was even more pleasing was the fact that the group gelled and rode so well together, especially over the last 50km’s.
Congratulations to everyone who attended, and especially to those riders who for the very first time cracked out their first 100km ride. I would also like to thank the stronger riders who helped out and for your patience on the day. As far as I could see you all possessed the right ingredients that make up a Smiddy rider; patience, determination, friendliness and a desire to help others and do you bit for raising funds for cancer research.
Take care out on the roads.
Sharky
Find more Bike Ride in QLD
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