Welcome to the world India (Indie) Grace Coombes.
Check out how gorgeous she is (taking after mum of course)
and how proud Sophie and Geoff are of their new daughter!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Friday, May 9, 2008
Not just any sunrise
A few weeks back a core group of TDC riders recommenced the usual training regime.
5am at Maiseys........ north to Mona Vale Hospital and back for breakfast in Manly. Tough I know!
On this morning there was a secondary group leaving at 6.30am Something about it's too early to go at that time................Too Cold to get out there then..............My Pillow just won't let me go.............
Needless to say, on this morning when many emails had gone around the group, bantering over the pro's and con's of taking the extra hour sleep in, seeing as we are not officially training for a TDC ride we experienced what I believe was the SUNRISE of the YEAR.
For those of you who don't have an alarm go off at 4.35am, Lycra read to pull on, lights charged, tyres pumped and water bottle filled (to our partners who put up with the noise we make getting all this ready....we thank you!) then you would have missed and most likely do miss the incredible sunrises at this time of year.
Here are some pics..................This is why we get up so damn early (beside the great coffee, good company and rush of endorphins)
5am at Maiseys........ north to Mona Vale Hospital and back for breakfast in Manly. Tough I know!
On this morning there was a secondary group leaving at 6.30am Something about it's too early to go at that time................Too Cold to get out there then..............My Pillow just won't let me go.............
Needless to say, on this morning when many emails had gone around the group, bantering over the pro's and con's of taking the extra hour sleep in, seeing as we are not officially training for a TDC ride we experienced what I believe was the SUNRISE of the YEAR.
For those of you who don't have an alarm go off at 4.35am, Lycra read to pull on, lights charged, tyres pumped and water bottle filled (to our partners who put up with the noise we make getting all this ready....we thank you!) then you would have missed and most likely do miss the incredible sunrises at this time of year.
Here are some pics..................This is why we get up so damn early (beside the great coffee, good company and rush of endorphins)
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Eating their way to Sydney
Well the riding has come to an end for 2008, and a fantastic job by all involved to make it to Sydney in one piece. I know many of the guys and girls had to dig deep, especially on the hills. As the dietitian on tour I can appreciate the effort it took to get from Melbourne to Sydney in just nine days.
1200km with a total hill climb that adds up to more than climbing Everest. The riders each burnt an average of 14,000 kilojoules a day, and that’s just the part of the day spent in the saddle! Each day they also sweated out 5 litres of fluid. No wonder I spent most of the day telling them to eat and drink more.
And eat and drink they did. In a single morning (not including breakfast and lunch) the team went through 30 cereal bars, 18 coffees, 38 muffins, 13 bananas, 14 packs of lollies, 40 Gu sachets, and 49 litres of fluid. In this regard I have to say an enormous thank you to the girls from Canadian Kitchen for their fantastic catering - their passion for the tour matches that of everyone else involved. Thank you also to Kelloggs and Powerade who generously donated food and drinks. Without these contributions an event like this wouldn’t be possible.
As a sports dietitian, I can't tell you how good it is to work with such a motivated group of athletes as the Tour de Cure team. Their enthusiasm and willingness to learn was far beyond what I see in professional sporting teams, and is a credit to the commitment and passion they share for the tour and everything it stands for. It is difficult for the average punter to comprehend what these guys have put their bodies through over the last few months. For a group who normally only get to ride a couple of days a week to back up 9 days in a row, many of them the longest distance they’d ever done in a single day, is nothing short of inspirational.
Congratulations to all involved with the Tour de Cure. It was a fantastic week for me to be involved with such a great cause. I hope the donations continue to come in thick and fast, and you smash your targets. I hope you also learnt plenty about how your bodies work, and can take that back with you to your everyday cycling.
Until next year,
Alan McCubbin – Sports Dietitian, Recover Sports Medicine http://www.recoversportsmed.com.au/
1200km with a total hill climb that adds up to more than climbing Everest. The riders each burnt an average of 14,000 kilojoules a day, and that’s just the part of the day spent in the saddle! Each day they also sweated out 5 litres of fluid. No wonder I spent most of the day telling them to eat and drink more.
And eat and drink they did. In a single morning (not including breakfast and lunch) the team went through 30 cereal bars, 18 coffees, 38 muffins, 13 bananas, 14 packs of lollies, 40 Gu sachets, and 49 litres of fluid. In this regard I have to say an enormous thank you to the girls from Canadian Kitchen for their fantastic catering - their passion for the tour matches that of everyone else involved. Thank you also to Kelloggs and Powerade who generously donated food and drinks. Without these contributions an event like this wouldn’t be possible.As a sports dietitian, I can't tell you how good it is to work with such a motivated group of athletes as the Tour de Cure team. Their enthusiasm and willingness to learn was far beyond what I see in professional sporting teams, and is a credit to the commitment and passion they share for the tour and everything it stands for. It is difficult for the average punter to comprehend what these guys have put their bodies through over the last few months. For a group who normally only get to ride a couple of days a week to back up 9 days in a row, many of them the longest distance they’d ever done in a single day, is nothing short of inspirational.
Congratulations to all involved with the Tour de Cure. It was a fantastic week for me to be involved with such a great cause. I hope the donations continue to come in thick and fast, and you smash your targets. I hope you also learnt plenty about how your bodies work, and can take that back with you to your everyday cycling.
Until next year,
Alan McCubbin – Sports Dietitian, Recover Sports Medicine http://www.recoversportsmed.com.au/
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Andrew (CSC) Thanks
CSC (my employer) became involved in Tour de Cure not long before the tour began, so the other CSC Vic BUG people and I had a week before the Melbourne launch to take up the opportunity to do a day's ride with the Tour de Cure.It was obvious to me that the Tour de Cure riders had been planning and training for the ride for months, and had been serious about arranging the significant corporate sponsorship and their individual donations. I was left pleased to be representing one of the significant corporate sponsors - CSC, but conscious that I hadn't had to work on that part of the overall effort like the others, which is important for something like cancer that tends to touch so many of us when we least expect it.
So this is about my impressions of the way it worked - not so much the history of the day which was blogged by someone else right after the finish of the day's ride.
The organization was superb. Geoff on the road had safety and efficiency working really well, and Sam at all the stops had the arrangements and our movements planned. She had a great roster for the teams of riders at the end of each day, that seemed to give small but necessary tasks out for the smooth running of each overnight stop. The food from the mobile catering truck (Canadian Kitchens) was more than plentiful, tasty and highly nutritious. The porridge at the first of the two(!) breakfasts for the day was excellent, and the beef, beans and rice at lunch was also great!
The bike mechanics (Alex and Tricky Ricky) from King of the Mountain Cyclery were amazing. I had turned up on one of my sons' old Cadex road bike, and they gave it a check before I rode for the day. Their quick comment about the need for adjustment of handlebars and not needing to raise the seat were proved absolutely correct and left me comfortable and not sore at all at the end of the day. When I had a problem with my front derailleur, Alex's diagnosis took less a second or two, and his adjustment took under a minute. I could have done the same at home myself and maybe not got it right after an hour's fiddling! When people had flats they were fixed in a couple of minutes, and the two mechanics "towed" the rider back to the bunch whilst we slowed to maybe 20km/h. When Jack (my 15yo son, who was filling the 2nd CSC spot on the day) started to tire late in the ride they towed him back to the bunch a couple of times too. They were changing tyres for some others, and the occasional slowing for them to rejoin was never irritating - just a reasonable rest, and all the easier to chat to the other riders. This support from the King of the Mountain Cyclery mechanics was something that made the whole ride just work properly.
We cycled at a reasonably quick average pace - about 30 to 32 km/h on the bike computer average whilst moving, but quite often over 40 for some sections on the mostly flat terrain in the Latrobe Valley. For safety we needed to stay together as a group, and pushed on together in the afternoon as the Tour de Cure had a media appointment to keep on arrival in Traralgon. And media is important, when a focus of the event is fundraising.
I had not done a lot of bunch riding before and was impressed with the attention and correctness displayed by the group in communicating with hand signals and a small number of arranged shouted warnings to ensure safety. Many of those from Sydney had been doing extensive training for the tour - several averaging 500-600km/week for the couple of months leading up to the tour. I ride either 30 or 40 km each way to work most days, but feel I would want to do a few more longer rides in the lead up if doing the full distance.
It was a good experience for the day, and we would like to have stayed for the evening's Cateogry Jersey presentation and dinner, but had to catch a train back to Melbourne. As Jack commented on the way home, "Everyone there was just so nice to be around". I'd think that knowing about this level of support and structure would make people compete to be involved in the future.
My dad (who did a couple of Around the Bay rides with me) died of cancer in early 2006, my father-in-law found he had prostate cancer a couple of months ago, and I went to a funeral on the Friday afternoon of the ride (day 5) for my next door neighbour Lou, a really nice old guy who lost his battle to cancer the previous weekend.I don't think I am special in how cancer has touched me though, having seen the enthusiasm on Tour de Cure. It's not just some people out for an adventure - they are working at doing something good too...and finding a cure!
If you would like to make a donation to help this great cause please click on the link below. They are trying to reach $550,000 to go towards helping...
Men with cancer via the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia
Funds from Tour de Cure in 2008 will enable the convenor of each of the 73 Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia support groups, and their carer, to attend PCFA's inaugural national conference "Supporting Quality of Life for Men with Prostate Cancer" to be held on the Gold Coast over the 16th and 17th of November 2008. This conference will NOW bring together representatives of PCFA support groups from across Australia for the very FIRST TIME with some of the world's most respected authorities on the disease. It was Tour de Cure's 2007 donation that funded the national conference initiative. The initiative aims to create a forum of learning and education that will further work to find a cure.
Women with cancer via the National Breast Cancer Foundation
Money raised by the 2008 Tour de Cure is going towards sponsoring the 'Easie Evie' Robot throughout 2009. The 'Easie Evie' Robot can do in one hour what use to take 10 scientists two weeks and is the latest in breast tissue research and analysis. Through this the NBCF aims to identify better methods of detection and improved treatments for breast cancer sufferers, to improve survival rates and ultimately to work towards finding a cure for breast cancer.
Children with cancer via Camp Quality
A National Camp!!
The funds raised from the 2008 Tour de Cure will go towards the creation and implementation of a National Camp for children and their companions suffering with cancer.
This Camp will see children from all across Australia come together to experience the time of their lives! The destination for the 2009 Tour de Cure National Camp is a big secret!
The last national Camp was held in December 2006 and delivered laughter to
411 children and their companions.
CSC and Tour de Cure are on the rode to finding a cure for cancer!
cheers, Andrew Lavery (CSC Corporate Rider)
Sunday, April 13, 2008
TDC 08' Reflection
This is the email that i sent to the members of the 2008 Tour de Cure. I thought it would be great to share with the entire TDC family a few of the highlights as well as a few special thank you's.
I'd like to take the chance to thank everyone involved in the 2008 Tour de Cure for an amazing experience. Coming into the tour as a relative unknown I was instantly accepted and I cannot thank you all enough for making me feel so welcome. The Tour is an experience that has definitely changed my life. Not only has it put things into perspective but it has given me a greater appreciation for the good people in the world (that's all of you). The final couple of days allowed me to think a bit about what the Tour represents and what the outcomes were. Although the fundraising outcomes were nothing short of spectacular, there were a couple of highlights that really showed the effect that the Tour has had on people.
Bowling and Putt Putt with the Camp Quality Kids was for me close to the best part of the Tour. What really hit home was that unless you asked, you couldn't tell who the effected children were. They all had the same great attitudes and zest for life and deserved to be here just as much as the next kid. I think we have all been given a great lesson in life by these kids, that no matter how bad things may seem, you are only as happy or as sad as you choose to be.
However, it wasn't just the kids that made the tour special. There are a few people who deserve special thanks.
Firstly to James, David and Unit. Thank you all for so publicly sharing your stories. You are the real reasons for the Tour and are what gave me inspiration during the though times. It takes a strong person to get up in front of a crowd and share what is a very personal story and I will never forget those moments. I feel honored to have been a part of your Tour de Cure and am proud to call you all friends.
Secondly to the riders who toiled through the toughest of days. Coming into the tour with a very abbreviated training lead up I personally felt the wrath of both Victoria's and NSW hills. Although I neatly hid my pain under my cool, calm and collected exterior, there were many times where I was most definitely in the hurt basket. Saying that, there were many other riders that did it a lot tougher than me. There were days that riders were forced to dig deep and it was these moments that provided inspiration for the rest of us to keep pushing on.
Thirdly to the support team. You guys are what makes the Tour what it is. Without your incredible efforts we would still be somewhere in Victoria with no money in the bank, no direction and frozen to the bone.
If someone were to ask me what the hardest job on Tour was I'd definitely have to say a support team member. While us riders had all the cycling to do (with sore legs and bums to show for it), the support crew had all the thinking to do (with blank faces and massive yawns to show for it). I was very happy to get to bed at the end of every day, while I knew that the support crew still had many late night hours ahead of them to ensure that when we woke up everything was ready to go.
Yesterday someone asked me how we all came together to form the Tour and it got me to thinking about the common link between everyone. While Gary, Geoff and Sam were the Tour founders, somewhere along the line each member of the Tour decided to give a piece of themselves to the cause. As Gary put it, Coming together is a Challenge, Working together is an Achievement, Staying together is Success. (sorry if I misquoted) The success of the Tour has really relied on each and every member and the results are a testament to the type of people involved. After some consideration I answered the initial question of the common link with that the Tour attracts a certain type of person. While we all have very different jobs, lives and personalities, we all share the desire to change the lives of those less fortunate than us. Its no wonder we all got along so well when you consider that the foundations on which we base our lives are the same. I feel absolutely honored to have been a part of the 2008 Tour and to have shared the experience with such a high caliber of person.
All that remains is to look forward to the upcoming TDC events with anticipation of a reunion with all of the out of state (and country) members.
Best Wishes to you all,
Garrick Transell
Proud to be a 2008 Tour de Cure Member
I'd like to take the chance to thank everyone involved in the 2008 Tour de Cure for an amazing experience. Coming into the tour as a relative unknown I was instantly accepted and I cannot thank you all enough for making me feel so welcome. The Tour is an experience that has definitely changed my life. Not only has it put things into perspective but it has given me a greater appreciation for the good people in the world (that's all of you). The final couple of days allowed me to think a bit about what the Tour represents and what the outcomes were. Although the fundraising outcomes were nothing short of spectacular, there were a couple of highlights that really showed the effect that the Tour has had on people.
Bowling and Putt Putt with the Camp Quality Kids was for me close to the best part of the Tour. What really hit home was that unless you asked, you couldn't tell who the effected children were. They all had the same great attitudes and zest for life and deserved to be here just as much as the next kid. I think we have all been given a great lesson in life by these kids, that no matter how bad things may seem, you are only as happy or as sad as you choose to be.
However, it wasn't just the kids that made the tour special. There are a few people who deserve special thanks.
Firstly to James, David and Unit. Thank you all for so publicly sharing your stories. You are the real reasons for the Tour and are what gave me inspiration during the though times. It takes a strong person to get up in front of a crowd and share what is a very personal story and I will never forget those moments. I feel honored to have been a part of your Tour de Cure and am proud to call you all friends.
Secondly to the riders who toiled through the toughest of days. Coming into the tour with a very abbreviated training lead up I personally felt the wrath of both Victoria's and NSW hills. Although I neatly hid my pain under my cool, calm and collected exterior, there were many times where I was most definitely in the hurt basket. Saying that, there were many other riders that did it a lot tougher than me. There were days that riders were forced to dig deep and it was these moments that provided inspiration for the rest of us to keep pushing on.
Thirdly to the support team. You guys are what makes the Tour what it is. Without your incredible efforts we would still be somewhere in Victoria with no money in the bank, no direction and frozen to the bone.
If someone were to ask me what the hardest job on Tour was I'd definitely have to say a support team member. While us riders had all the cycling to do (with sore legs and bums to show for it), the support crew had all the thinking to do (with blank faces and massive yawns to show for it). I was very happy to get to bed at the end of every day, while I knew that the support crew still had many late night hours ahead of them to ensure that when we woke up everything was ready to go.
Yesterday someone asked me how we all came together to form the Tour and it got me to thinking about the common link between everyone. While Gary, Geoff and Sam were the Tour founders, somewhere along the line each member of the Tour decided to give a piece of themselves to the cause. As Gary put it, Coming together is a Challenge, Working together is an Achievement, Staying together is Success. (sorry if I misquoted) The success of the Tour has really relied on each and every member and the results are a testament to the type of people involved. After some consideration I answered the initial question of the common link with that the Tour attracts a certain type of person. While we all have very different jobs, lives and personalities, we all share the desire to change the lives of those less fortunate than us. Its no wonder we all got along so well when you consider that the foundations on which we base our lives are the same. I feel absolutely honored to have been a part of the 2008 Tour and to have shared the experience with such a high caliber of person.
All that remains is to look forward to the upcoming TDC events with anticipation of a reunion with all of the out of state (and country) members.
Best Wishes to you all,
Garrick Transell
Proud to be a 2008 Tour de Cure Member
TDC 2008 AWARDS
What a Tour...........So many highlights, memories and outstanding performances by the TDC team (Riders, Support, family and friends)
Celebrating our success and recognising individuals and the Team of the Tour was no easy task. Each and every TDC'r raised the bar in 2008! As we sit on $473,843 on our target of $550,000 the Tour de Cure has raised $877,000 in just over 11 months. WOW! Our first Tour began May 28th 2007................It is humbling to have such support from those directly involved, our corporate partners and each and every donor out there who has believed in what we are doing and financially committed to help find a cure for cancer.
The 2008 Tour de Cure Category Jersey Winners are:
Yellow – Phil Mouret (Team CSC)
Pink – James Buttelman (Team Boost Mobile)
Blue – David Campbell (Team Ella Bache)
Polka Dot – Alex Malone (Team Ella Bache)
Congratulations guys! We hope you will all be back in 2009 to defend your jersey!
The 2008 Tour de Cure Team of the Tour
TDC Team of the Tour is judged on the following criteria where teams were ranked 1 – 7
• Fundraising as an average per team member
• Fundraising on tour
• Team work & spirit of the tour
• Above and Beyonds (postcards nightly / rider etiquette / initiatives of PUP / PR & Ideas of Gary)
• Riding on Tour
THE 2008 TEAM OF THE TOUR is:
Team O’Sullivan Pullini
Lead by
* Amy Copcutt
And team includes
• Garren Cronin
• Gary Bertwistle
• Malcolm Heath
• Tom Hogbin (Pup)
Team O’Sullivan Pullini was a clear cut winner thanks to their incredible dedication to each of the judging criteria which directly reflect the values of the Tour de Cure. Congratulations guys! We hope you will all be back in 2009 to defend your title!
Phenominal result for 2nd place = three way tie between
• Team Icap
• Team CSC
• Team Boost Mobile
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed people can change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
Celebrating our success and recognising individuals and the Team of the Tour was no easy task. Each and every TDC'r raised the bar in 2008! As we sit on $473,843 on our target of $550,000 the Tour de Cure has raised $877,000 in just over 11 months. WOW! Our first Tour began May 28th 2007................It is humbling to have such support from those directly involved, our corporate partners and each and every donor out there who has believed in what we are doing and financially committed to help find a cure for cancer.
The 2008 Tour de Cure Category Jersey Winners are:
Yellow – Phil Mouret (Team CSC)
Pink – James Buttelman (Team Boost Mobile)
Blue – David Campbell (Team Ella Bache)
Polka Dot – Alex Malone (Team Ella Bache)
Congratulations guys! We hope you will all be back in 2009 to defend your jersey!
The 2008 Tour de Cure Team of the Tour
TDC Team of the Tour is judged on the following criteria where teams were ranked 1 – 7
• Fundraising as an average per team member
• Fundraising on tour
• Team work & spirit of the tour
• Above and Beyonds (postcards nightly / rider etiquette / initiatives of PUP / PR & Ideas of Gary)
• Riding on Tour
THE 2008 TEAM OF THE TOUR is:
Team O’Sullivan Pullini
Lead by
* Amy Copcutt
And team includes
• Garren Cronin
• Gary Bertwistle
• Malcolm Heath
• Tom Hogbin (Pup)
Team O’Sullivan Pullini was a clear cut winner thanks to their incredible dedication to each of the judging criteria which directly reflect the values of the Tour de Cure. Congratulations guys! We hope you will all be back in 2009 to defend your title!
Phenominal result for 2nd place = three way tie between
• Team Icap
• Team CSC
• Team Boost Mobile
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed people can change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
Uncle Pup
FINALLY!We in the Hogbin family only had to wait an extra 8 days, but I can very happily announce the arrival of my first nephew-
Baxter James was born at 11:36am and weighed in at 3.53kg
After all my belief and willing for the birth to occur whilst on Tour, Pup is now an uncle!
Woohoo!
I'll be up to visit the newest edition of the Hogbin clan on Anzac day and will be sure to give him the right advice on sporting equipment... Cannondale all way!
(Uncle) Pup
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
