Biggest ride yet

I have 2 weekends to report. Weekend one was challenging - 80km or so, Wolvi then a loop of Deep Ck rd on Saturday.
Last Sunday was our biggest ride yet. One of the riders wanted to check out the Noosa 160km course, so we rode over the gap, Kin Kin range then to Tewantin to inspect it. A quick coffee at Cooroy, then back the same way - 147 km. I was very pleased to make it. THe Kin Kin range is getting easier, but the 15% gradient at the gap seems just the same - almost impossible every time. I give myself a stern talking to about not walking it before every attempt.
During the week, the taped Giro was a great benefit to the windtraining sessions. We managed 3 lots in front of the telly. (Don't tell my mum that our bikes have now moved into the living room during the week)
The following Saturday was a quick 70km along the Sandy Ck route, but Sunday was a cycling write off. We drove to the Sunshine Coast for our daughter's music exam, and the closest I got to a bike was buying myself a new cycling jersey at Mountain Designs.
So far this week I have been running once and managed one session of windtraining. I am trying to get a cadence over 90 on the big chain ring, but am finding it rather tricky.
Our plan is one shorter ride and one longer ride on the weekend. Time is getting short!

Update, 8 weeks to go

Our heart rate monitors have been sent off for new batteries and servicing. I am realizing how much I depend on the computer to help me record my training - no posts since I sent the monitor away.
The last 10 days have been fairly easy, as a recovery after the increased ride distances. In order, there were 2 windtraining sessions, about 30 minutes each, then last weekend was an easy set of rides. 1x about 70k, with some steep hills (Kin Kin, 15% gradients), followed on Sunday by a rolling hilly ride, Mary Valley via Diamondfield, again about 70km. This week I ran for the first time in about 6 weeks -very slowly for an hour, and squeezed in another half hour windtraining session.
Today, friday, was a local holiday for the show. We rode out past Wolvi, with a return via East Deep Ck to add in some hills. I have not much idea about the distance, maybe just over 70km again.
Tomorrow we plan our longest ride yet, 145km. I plan to get to bed early.

More hills and more km

The second long weekend in a row for Queensland (Labour day). This is always a hard couple of weeks at work, as in our job, a day off simply means trying to squeeze 5 (or 6) days work into 4, so I should not have been surprized that I a)did not manage to cycle at all during the work week, and b)I started the weekend of riding feeling very flat and unenthusiastic.
On Saturday, I was working a half day, so had planned a 3 hour ride, around 65km, but instead turned around at the Gap, and was home by 8am, having only 45km or so under the belt.
I was able to catch up on some things at home before leaving for work - there are distinct advantages to a shorter ride.

However, the trip is looming, and there are some nasty pictures of mountain climbs on the internet, so on Sunday it was 110km to and from Kenilworth over the range again.
This was a terrific ride. There were only 3 riders, and we found a happy medium pace (I did struggle to keep up, but managed mostly), with perfect riding conditions aside from a gusty headwind which managed to change directions whilst we stopped for another excellent coffee at McGinns, so that we could enjoy resistance in both directions. I was tired in the afternoon, but managed to carry out normal weekend catch up activities and thought I was all set for another ride on Monday.
This was a new ride to me, an extension of the 80km return ride to Pomona by crossing the highway at Traveston, and coming back on Mary Valley Road.
The hills to Pomona were fine, and I did some stomach training for France by having a croissant with my coffee at the Pomona bakery. No problems there at all.
Unfortunately, I was putting my watch on the front of the bike after the coffee stop, and was passed closely by a bus, and fell off. Sore shoulder, bang on the head, but the bike was fine. I rode the rest of the way with a head and neck ache. This did not help over a 14% gradient hill and its two nasty unrated companions. Traveston crossing is hard work. I was really tired after the hills, and by the time I got home, after 90km, I was completely exhausted.
The ride took only 4 hours, with a coffee stop, but I did not achieve anything else all day.
I do not want to be lying around on a couch doing nothing after the rides in France. More training is required. This is unappealing this morning.