Impact Massage has changed locations.
I am now located in Fitzroy. I am working from Vigor Health and Fitness, which is a great space to be massaging in.
They say change is as good as a holiday and I might be inclined to believe it. With a new clinic environment to be working in, I have a whole new set of systems to learn. The challenge to adapt to new protocols and ways of doing things is definitely keeping my brain busy.
I’m excited about the potential this opportunity can provide and see it as a big step forward in providing sports and remedial massage to cyclists, the active and the athlete and expanding my own client base again.
Come in and check it out. You can still call or text me, or book online via the Vigor website.
There are times in life where work, family, relationships can take up a lot of energy, where not everything feels like it’s going to plan or heading in the right direction.
At times like these a good solid ride can provide some balance, bringing back a spring to the step and a grin to give the frown lines a rest.
I participated in the Dirty Gran Fondo on Sunday hosted by the good people of Big Hill Events. It was a solid 90km hit out on fire roads up and around Wandong and included something like 2000m of climbing. Very much my kind of ride, even if it felt a little short. 4 hours ride time barely gives me time to warm up normally, but obviously the pace was a bit above my usual steady rolling. Read More
As part of the requirements to maintain registration with Australian Association of Massage Therapists, I am required to maintain a certain number of CPE (Continuing Professional Education) points. These can be gained from attending conferences, volunteer work, mentoring or further courses of study.
There are a few modalities of treatment that I would like to add to my repertoire and one of them happens to be dry needling. I was lucky enough to find a course that was local, fitted within my time frame and affordable. The course I did is only available to practicing therapists. Indeed, most of the people doing the course were qualified osteopaths. Read More
So a friend asked me on learning about an idea I have of putting on an event of sorts. The idea of racing consecutive mountain bike enduros has always intrigued me. One of the years that I raced at Rosewhite for the Gravity 12 Hour, the Wombat 100 happened to be on the next day. The idea of racing both appealed to me and I was quite intrigued about what sort of people would take it on. At the time, it just felt like a seed of an idea and the logistics a little too overwhelming, apart from cutting short the excellent atmosphere post-race that the Gravity offered.
As I was looking through the race calendar, I noticed that the Rosewhite 12 Hours is back on the books and there is a proposed 6 hour to be raced at Buxton. I jumped onto Google maps and started wondering, had I found a format of racing and riding that’s been burning in the back of my head for a good 5 years? I believed so, and the Buxton Joyride was born. It is still tentative, in that the Buxton 6 hour is yet to be confirmed for the Sunday following Rosewhite, but here is the plan as it stands at the moment. Race the Rosewhite 12 Hour, ride to Buxton (235km, asphalt/dirt road mix) and race the 6 hour. Read More
- Thursday in the afternoon.
Thursday’s might be my lucky day. I always used to think it was Tuesdays.
As you can see by the pictogram, I was out riding bikes going to cool places, hangin’ out with some cats doin’ stuff. We were actually doing something constructive and not (just) loafing off work.
I was out with a pair that could start a band called the Enablers, Angry and Blakey, doing recon for the upcoming Gravel Grinders. The ride started out at Belgrave station, and with my new found enthusiasm for being a big k rider, I rode out from home, with the intent of riding back home post recon. Read More
Eat boy, eat.
With all the goings on at the shop at the moment, Thursdays are a little hectic. With the new room on it’s way, I’m stuck for somewhere to treat from. While I have been keeping an eye out for an alternative, Thursdays have become my big k’s day.
Sweet Thursday!
Maybe I should label it long ride day instead of big k day, because at the moment a 3 hour ride takes me about 5 hours. Anyway, I could dribble on until the point is lost, so back to my sweet Thursday.
With belated entry plans for the 6 hour enduro at the You Yangs (crazy 6), I figured it was time to get a solid ride in. As a health professional, I always advise against trying to do any “last minute” training as it tends to lead to overuse injuries. You can’t cram physiological adaptations. But you can try. Read More
I’ve been riding single speed mountain bikes for over 10 years now. Long enough to forget why I really started. I’m assuming it had something to do with my contrarian nature, or maybe it just seemed like a good idea at the time. For the whole length of that time, I have run a 2:1 gear, 34:17. I even have an email address ending in 3417. I have recently changed it, not by much though, but minimal change can still feel like a big idea. I always figured if I were no longer strong enough to push my 34:17 around, it would be time to get a geared bike, or hang it up altogether.
I crossed that line in the sand. Regardless of the fact that it was a very sensible thing to do, it was still a huge mental shift for me, a new paradigm. It feels like I’m finally acknowledging the fact that a different approach to problems can be beneficial. So, I’ve embraced change and realised that riding in steep alpine environments (Mt Buller) and the fact that I no longer ride for a living or race terribly often, my approach needed some tweaking. So now I’m hitting the hills with my 34:18 and whooping it up. I almost feel new again. Read More
Dirt, how I’ve missed it. The last month or so have been pretty hectic. Between the holiday season, getting the business kicking over again, moving house and some standard lethargy, time on the bike has been missing.
No one to blame but myself. I don’t know where the oomph has gone, but I haven’t been feeling the usual excitement about hitting out for a ride. I guess a flat spot had to come sooner or later, considering the 20000k a year I used to ride when couriering. I just didn’t expect the guilt to come with it. Read More
I have extended my operating hours. I am now available from 10 til 7 Monday to Wednesday and Fridays. If you need a treatment outside these hours, we might be able to work something out, all you have to do is ask.
I will be away doing the family Christmas from December 24th until the 29th. Very much looking forward to spending some time with the family on the lovely south coast of NSW.
The next events in the pipeline for this soignie will be the Australian Open Road Cycling Championships in Ballarat and the Tour of Wellington at the end of January. It’s going to be great to see the new Green Edge squad bring the heat to the nationals this year. I’m super excited to be working with the Genesys squad again at the Tour of Wellington, new Zealand is such a great place to visit.
While business has been growing again, I have had a little spare time on my hands. Lucky for me I know a few good places to ride and good buddies to keep me company. It’s been awesome to catch up with my favourite rides of Melbourne. I have ticked off all my old loops around Eltham, Arthur’s Creek and Kinglake, all except Pidgeon Bank Lane, it will keep.
I have also been back to the trusty local Yarra trails and Castlemaine with the MTB and was shown some new trails around Smith’s Gully. A friend lent me a Yeti ASR-5 and I was truly amazed at what this bike can do.
Time to get out and ride again!
Everyone have a safe festive season and tell the people close to you that you care.
Winners are grinners.
So many posts, so little time. I have definitely run well behind schedule in keeping my blog up to date. Sometimes it’s not hard to get caught up in the whirlwind.
I am currently back in Melbourne and getting the business rolling again. My mate Dominic is kindly sharing some clinic space with me at First Place Osteopathy on High St, Northcote.
We were also both living the soignie life at the recent Jayco Herald Sun Tour, which is the biggest race in Australia open to local teams. I was lucky enough to work with the Genesys Wealth Advisors squad. We managed to win the tour with Nathan Haas, plus the sprint, U23, and teams classifications. Big win for a small team. Just goes to show the strength of Australian cycling when the big teams can no longer roll into town and dominate a race at will. The sunny is another story I will have to get around telling one day.
If you want to hear some stories of the soignie life in Europe or Australia, come see me in the clinic. I may charge you for the chat, but I will throw in a free massage!