Live for Kids's Blog

A long day in the saddle for the first day of the 2014 Cycle Challenge. A head wind from the south was going to make life difficult on our longest day.

For 5 years we have ridden this leg from Coffs Harbour to Port Macquarie with a nice tail wind and sunshine, which for most of the day is a magic run.

But today wasn’t that. Headwind, clouds, and a good rain shower.

We did have a great first hour, which was supposed to be an hour and a half, but we went really well and fast.

We had a great presentation at Urunga Public School with some kids supported by the North Coast Vision team. These bikes will be left with the kids to use at school for sport and therapy, and when the kids move on to other schools, the vision team will move them on to other kids so they will be around for a long time.

After a long day on the road, I regretted numerous times the amount of training I had done. A hand ful of days training is not even close to enough training. I really shouldn’t have been able to ride much of the day today. But after trying to get off after that first hour, and suggested I keep going, and the same each time we stopped, until I realised I had half a chance at finishing the day.

While I almost popped on the last hill in Port Macquarie and suddenly though I wasn’t going to make it with a kilometre to go! I did make it to the finish. Completely wasted!

Not sure how tomorrow will go! Will see how I wake up tomorrow!!

Simon

In approximately 24 hours from now, the 2014 Live for Kids Cycle Challenge team will be arriving in Coffs Harbour to get set for a 3 day, 450km ride back to Newcastle – all to raise funds to help sick kids at the John Hunter Children’s Hospital and to purchase modified bikes for kids with disabilities.

Stay tuned to this blog for updates and images from the road!

The Live For Kids Team

Jeff says – Who’s ready to do it all again?
The wheels have barely stopped turning on the 2013 Live for Kids Cycle Classic – an 850km trek from the Gold Coast to Newcastle by 35 dedicated riders and an amazing support crew – and immediately the conversations turned to getting involved again next year! Yes, a certain craziness and delirium has obviously set in… the videos and photos shared would prove that beyond doubt.
For me, today was the icing on the cake of an amazing experience – another fine day with a fortuitous tailwind despite weather forecasts of rain and general poor conditions. The whole day today was dedicated as ‘Olivia’s Ride’ in honour of Simon and Dylan’s daughter.
We set off from Diamond Beach resort at 6.30am towards Nabiac, before joining the A1 and turning for home. A clear run along mostly concrete highway, with an average speed to be proud of considering the many miles already in our legs. Given the great efforts of our team and the conditions, we were ahead of schedule when we reached our stop at Heatherbrae, and made it to the Adamstown end of the Fernleigh Track with 2 minutes to spare! Lots of stories shared towards the end after a rather quiet start to the day (perhaps due to some vigorous celebrating the prior evening).
One of my special connections to the Live for Kids supported projects is that my son had a bike modified by the Technical Aids for the Disabled team at the age of around 4. My hope, and his aim, was to be able to ride a bike totally unassisted by the time he turned 10. So, you can imagine my pride at seeing him waiting at Redhead with some of the other Olivia’s Ride riders for us, having cycled from Belmont without stopping! He then proceeded to lead me back again, hitting speeds that will have him leading out peleton in a few years!
The reception at Belmont was brilliant, balloons and smiling faces and bands playing and jumping castles – like one big, bright and colourful party to celebrate the end of a great adventure and one inspiring little girl and her amazing family.
As I lay down to rest my weary head (at the same time as the kids!) I thank you again for allowing me to share my side of this journey – with as many emotional ups and downs as there were hills leading to Buledehlah (sp?).
I believe we are richer for our shared experience, and we have been able to enrich the lives of many kids in need in the process.
We rode our luck – and I for one, cannot wait to see what happens next.

Jeff’s report – We’re coming home!
Thanks to everyone who has read the blog this year. It’s been great to receive some positive feedback, and hopefully it’s provided some insight to what the riders to through during an event like this (well, the printable version of events anyway!).
Day five from Port Mac to Forster started with a difference – a cooked breakfast of yummy bacon and egg rolls by the kind folk at Coles! As much as I love my ‘Up & Go’s’, I’ve just about had my fill for a while.
The weather was overcast and cool, so the arm warmers and vests were out in force as we set off for the last challenge event – a hill climb up Matthew Flinders Drive, which looks almost vertical to me. While a group made the ascent to say we’d done it, a handful took it rather more seriously and put on a power display! Jared took the honours despite a potential protest for interference… no third umpire to make an official ruling otherwise.
Then it was off to Laurieton via the coastal road which is also the bike course for Ironman Australia in May each year. It’s a challenging 40km with hills, a dead road and very exposed to coastal winds – we also weren’t helped today by a shower of rain, just enough to wet us through and keep us cold.
Laurieton Coles also put on a morning tea for us and we got to meet Georgie again who had received a Freedom Wheels bike the previous night. We had also been joined on this leg by some Coles staff who are now keen to get more involved next year!!!
Next was a pretty uneventful trip down out to the highway and down to Taree for lunch. While the ever faithful chicken was on offer, some took the opportunity to grab some Macca’s and KFC, thinking we’ve probably earned the right to indulge. We also took the opportunity to pass the bucket around and collected $350 from patrons in the centre!!
Then was the final, rather tough section to our last nights accommodation at Diamond Beach.
Before joining the festivities at Chateau la Ninja, I headed out for a run with Matt Kirkman, who I also train with for triathlon events. Apparently, running after a ride is good practice for those events and while it may sound crazy, it actually felt good to get the body doing something different.
A great last night together with plenty of laughs and stories before we make the long last leg home to our families tomorrow. It feels a little strange that we will get back tomorrow and there will be no highlights video or photos from the road to sit down and watch together tomorrow night – no jerseys for best and fairest riders or king of the mountain – no turkey hats or traffic stops – we’ll get back and enjoy Olivia’s Ride and then go our separate ways and home to our families. What we have achieved and the difference we have made to the lives of some sick and disabled kids is priceless, and along with the adventures we’ve shared on this journey that will have covered over 850km in just six days, will stay with us all forever.
Maybe next year you might want to join our Live for Kids family!
Until then… wish us luck.

From: Troy Adams [mailto:googs1007@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, September 13, 2013 09:59 PM
To: Simon Burt
Subject: last nights Presentation Photos

From: Troy Adams [mailto:googs1007@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, September 13, 2013 10:07 PM
To: Simon Burt
Subject: Day 5 Photos

Yesterday was a really enjoyable day on the bike – a few riders (including myself) were feeling a bit of a day 4 slump at first but it was a pretty smooth run down the highway and a good lunch and some chocolate milk at Kempsey Coles soon had us all firing again.

Last night we gave two bikes to two gorgeous, energetic girls. The kids did laps of the carpark at the hotel and wore out a few riders trying to keep up with them. The girls were really excited with their bikes and one of them in particular – ‘Raa’ is keen to ride with us down the main street of Port next year so watch this space.

We have woken to rain clouds outside which is never good but hopefully we can stay dry as we head down the coast to Forster today. Day 5 is slightly shorter so we might have a chance to rest this afternoon before our longest (and most exciting) day tomorrow as we arrive home to our families and friends on the fernleigh track.

Conor