Riders are well on their way to completing their lead up training programs to the Victoria Park Race. One of the big learnings from today was the importance of wearing our riding glasses. There is the chance that stones on the track catch in the vehicle wheels and can flick through into the body of the vehicle. We noticed today that this could result in stones hitting your face and eyes. There are just three full weeks of training and preparation left and we will be on our way to Adelaide. It really is amazing to see how well our team are riding. Their team work, support and encouragement of one another and confidence has grown at an astounding rate. Today we sat down and asked our riders to reflect on some of the points about Pedal Prix preparation that they perceive as points of personal growth. We would love to share some of their comments with you! Archie Coote
" All of our riders have been building confidence, It's been great to figure out peoples strengths. Reagan is really good at going up hills." Axel Stephenson "It's good to test how much power you have in your body. It;s a great challenge and fun to hang out at lunch with your mates." Hunter Smith "I think that the Pedal Prix booklet has been really useful. I have been reading it once or twice a week to make sure I understand the event and have prepared myself. I think one improvement to the handbook would be to to put in some more information about 'Crash Corner'. I want to know more about what happens if you have a crash." Iluka Sanderson "It's been fun also using the Nikon digital camera. I have learnt how the focus works by pressing the silver button half way" To add some context to Iluka's statement over the last few weeks we have provided a DSLR Camera for students to being to experiment with and gain some confidence in using prior to heading through to Adelaide. The camera's have large zoom lenses and take fantastic action photographs - many of which are used on our website to help capture the excitement of being involved in Pedal Prix. Students have learnt by inquiry how to change settings, swap from auto to manual focus, take photograph 'bursts', review and delete photos, decide on which image is 'best' and explain why its composition or focus is better than others.
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The last few weeks have presented the 6/7 team with some challenging weather conditions. We have been building our perseverance and resourcefulness working through training in medium to heavy rain on occasion. With some of our practice vehicles having open canopies, riders have certainly worked through feelings of being wet and cold. They have also come to understand that a wet track presents other problems with water and mud flicking up from the tyres, socks being wet and uncomfortable and riding glasses fogging up. In our closed vehicles we have also found it difficult to maintain clear visibility as the inside of the vehicle can fog through the heat of exercising bodies. The outside of the windscreen is not permitted to have windscreen wipers so the use of water beading spray will be an important addition to the tool kit. Riders have loved the adventure of riding in the rain and have a clear understanding as to how this can impact motor vehicle drivers with braking distances increasing and windscreen fog and rain hampering visibility.
One of the other important considerations is to not walk around in the cycling cleats. As you can see from the image below, there is a lot of wear and tear on the locking mechanism which fits into the pedals. Scuffing the edges unnecessarily means that the cleats can 'slip' out of position when riding as their neat and snug fit into the attachment is loosened. Having to re-secure the cleats can cause time delays as this is something that the rider must manage on their own when out on the track. This means a loss of momentum during racing. Being responsible and showing care for our equipment is something that we have supported each other to learn. We are especially mindful of this because lots of the equipment that we have available has been donated or purchased through the support of local Port Lincoln businesses. |
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