This is a photo of Team WAIMR on our last training ride in Kings Park on Saturday morning. I can't believe there's only a few days to go until the big event! I must say I'm really looking forward to it after all this training and fundraising.

I received a fantastic email from my friend Peter and thought I'd share it on this page in case other riders are taking a look - it contains wonderful advice for next weekend.

My recommendations are:

1) make the Wednesday your last ride and have a break Thurs & Fri. Your legs will be fresh enough after 2 days but still conditioned. Your last hard ride should be on the Sat & Sun. Suggest you do a hard ride on each day so as to simulate what it may be like the following weekend. Rides on Mon - Wed are to take away lactic acid and should be easy and no more than an hour in duration. Just keep the legs turning at high rotation (cadence of 80 or above).

 2) stop at every feeding station which is every 25 - 30km, get off your bike, hydrate, eat and replenish but don't stop walking around as your legs will cease up. Take your shoes off if necessary. This makes the trip more manageable in short stages.

 3) make sure you have the proper hydration and nourishment. 1 bottle water, 1 bottle electrolytes, proper cycle nourishment. I will drop a selection of things around this arvo. You can find most of it is Coles or Woolies at Floreat Forum but the good electrolytes are at the bike shop usually. The powdered version of Powerade made up slightly stronger than recommended should however do the trick for electrolytes in this instance. Make sure you test them before the ride so you get used to them. General rule through each stage/ 30km stop is to consume 1 bottle electrolytes plus water as required, 1 Gu and 1 nutrition bar or food sustenance. This is very important.

 4) get a rub down after day 1 if they provide it. Take emogel and nurofen or whatever you use for aches and pain. Remember to stretch and warm up and down. Temptation will be to go gangbusters at the start of each day. Just take a steady pace that your are comfortable with. 

 5) have fun along the way. Don't focus on the distance. Focus on why you are there. Enjoy every stage . It's not about the destination or distance but the journey and it doesn't matter how long it takes to get there. This is even more important than any of the above.

 Good luck with it Caz. You've come a long way and I have no doubt you will rock it over that weekend.

Training is going really well. It helps now that the weather has brightened up. Training in Kings Park is lovely with all the wildflowers blooming.. although I must say the hills seem... Everlasting!!

Support My Ride to Conquer Cancer

WOW!! What a great day - I have reached my fundraising target of $10,000. Thank you so much to everybody who supported me through my fundraising event, cake stall and good old fashioned donations. I really appreciate it and cycled 70 km today in your honour xx

----------------------------------------------------

The photo you see is my front verandah, where a hand knitted blanket takes pride of place and provides a cosy spot for a cup of coffee. My Aunty Roma spent many hours of her life knitting these lovely blankets, never making a profit but simply giving them away.

She was a very generous and warm hearted woman. I really hope that spirit lives on with my fundraising, because that is what she deserves. I am dedicating my bike ride to her memory and hoping that one day there'll be a cure for the melanoma which ended her life in September after the cancer on the sole of her foot spread to her ribs.

2011 was a sad year for my family as my Uncle Johnny (My Mum's and Roma's brother) also died from melamona in June, and I'll be thinking of how he bravely hung on to life, while I struggle along for 200km on October 20 and 21st this year. We need to find a cure!

This is why I'm training hard.

If you came along to my fundraising event, many thanks.. It was a great night and I raised more than $2,000 with the raffles, auctions and by charging you all to ask questions of Rob Broadfield and Gary Adshead. There were some good questions too!! With ticket sales to the event I raised well over $6,000.

Congratulations to Kim who won the ladies' pamper pack and Craig who won the mens' Footy pack as well as buying the signed Dockers jersey. Liz is the proud owner of the beautiful necklace from Clarity and Peter is sure to enjoy his gourmet pack.

Thanks to Christina, Helen, Carole, Sarah, Kylie, Donna and Janet for providing the delicious finger food, passed around by Alicia... and Jo and Craig for doing the coin toss.

Amanda sang wonderfully and Tina did a brilliant job as MC, while Craig, Bryce and Dave were star bartenders.

A great big thank you must go to Lesley, who secured the venue and ensured everything went smoothly and Jeanette who ran the kitchen perfectly. What a team.

But at the end of the day, all hugs are reserved for my wonderful family - Tony, Connor and Ella who worked hard and made me very proud.  XXXX