Tuesday 19 February 2008

MORE MONEY INCENTIVES

Our fingers are numb and scarred from lactates and bloods, the milk in our fridge is coated in thickets of cream, and for lasting impressions, after a few dining hall visits, we were finally endowed with pancakes for breakfast! We had a busy final day, so it was a shame that the intensity came late in the afternoon. Our final test was another time trial effort and I really couldn’t wait for it to be over. Nobody ever wants to start first and today was no exception. So when I fronted on the line to roll off, Wazza gave me an incentive. Bird was to start second, and if I could hold her off, I would win myself $50! Mission accomplished and a brew stop to be shouted! Obviously Nikki won’t be joining us at coffee. But not only did her first University exam run smoothly on Monday, so did her surgery yesterday. Although there was a delay in courier services, I’m hoping that she awoke to a bunch of pleasant flowers beside her bed! =)

Our road trip began at 7:20am with 6 athletes, 3 staff, 2 vans and a trailer. I managed to sleep for the first hour after which we had the first of our 5 toilet stops…after all, we are females. Sandwiches provided by the AIS food hall only assisted in suppressing our appetite, so we pulled into a picturesque country cafĂ© hoping for some good food. I started off with a chocolate milkshake and brownie…but I didn’t regret it after receiving my main meal order of ceaser salad. Three words: tasteless, expensive and a pitiful serving size. After 9.5hours of travel, 35 degree temperatures, and continuously dwelling upon passing up the steak sandwich at lunch, I wasn’t prepared to make the same mistake again. Rib-eye or porterhouse? I chose via sizing and was presented with a 600g rib-eye steak, cascaded in mushroom sauce, surrounded by chips and vegetables…my new version of heaven! Josie and I didn’t hold back, almost self-cleaning our own dishes =)

We are staying at the Riverglen Holiday Park along the river in Geelong. I am rooming with Josie and Tiff in a self-contained apartment where internet is extremely expensive, so forgive me if my blog’s are delayed. We woke to rain and turned on the television to observe the sunshine in Canberra. Training was delayed; we rode the course in wind and rain, and then tried to motor pace unsuccessfully on the way home. I was then in a hurry to prepare for a photo shoot in promotion of the Geelong World Cup with two Geelong football club players. Transportation was a slight problem. Wazza had this great idea that I could drive the 12-seater van there myself until he discovered that I was only on my ‘L’ plates! Josie has suddenly fallen sick through the day after what we suspect was the consumption of bad food. The day is almost over and she has been taken to the hospital after a bout of vomiting, no dinner, and not much hope of starting the tour tomorrow =(