REGULAR FIT COACHED SESSIONS

Cycling - Fridays, 6.30am - 7.30am, West Block carkpark, Parkes

PLEASE NOTE: Friday morning coached cyling sessions have now ceased for winter 2010-- sessions will resume in September. Some people will keep riding at 6.30am but this will be an uncoached ride.

Friday sessions are conducted by FIT coaches and may involve road rides, hill training, interval training and various skill sessions for a bit of variety. Please be ready to ride at 6.30am sharp. See information below on use of bike lights in winter.

Rides commence from the West Block car park (behind old Parliament House) at 6.30am sharp.

Useful bunch riding skills information

Swimming - Wednesdays, 6.45pm - 8pm, CISAC Pool, Belconnen

Pool entry fee is $4.00 if you tell CISAC staff on entering that you are with FIT. Meet coaches at the shallow end of the pool where you add your name to the attendance sheet and contribute $3 per session for lane hire cost.

The coach will discuss plans for the evening's session before everyone gets in the water at 7:00pm for an hour of skills development and training. FIT has several lanes for these sessions, so there's room to stretch out and do some laps and drills and practice stroke improvement. All levels welcome.

Running - Tuesdays, 6.30am - 7.30am, Lennox Gardens (behind Hyatt Hotel)

These sessions are conducted by FIT member Jane Grey. They begin with a warm-up, followed by coaching in different running skills & techniques, including sprinting, hill training, running form etc. All levels welcome.

OTHER FIT SESSIONS (NOT COACHED)

Saturday morning running - 7.30am

This is one of our most popular events -- so come along & meet other FIT members to run/walk at different locations around Canberra each Saturday from 7.30am. Make sure you stay & join in when we adjourn afterwards to a local coffee shop for a long, loud breakfast! Don't be shy & don't worry about how far you can run -- we all start somewhere and the Saturday morning run is a great way to do it!! All levels are welcome and new people, including walkers, will be matched to those of similar ability where possible.

Here is the Saturday morning run schedule for 2010.

Saturday run locations are also included in the weekly Newsflash circulated to all members -- please email Julianne if you're a member & are not getting the Newsflash & she'll make sure you're added to the list.

Thursday morning running - 6.30am

An informal uncoached group runs on Thursday mornings from Yarralumla Bay, all welcome to join. Followed by breakfast at Bees and Co in Yarralumla.
Time: 6.30am
Meeting Point: Yarralumla Bay at the end of Hopetoun Circuit.

Wednesday cycling - 6.00 am

This is an uncoached ride leaving from the West Block car park at 6 am each Wednesday. This is a fast-paced ride and you need to be comfortable with bunch riding and able to find your own way back if you lose the bunch.

Schedule of Wednesday 6am rides (March- May 2010)

Bike lights for riding in winter

Winter in Canberra means sunrise is often not until or after 7am. As a result you MUST have lights on your bike if you are cycling at this time - remember to check/ change/charge the batteries regularly - you might be starrtled by how dim your lights have become over summer!

The Australian Road Rules state that:

The rider of a bicycle must not ride at night, or in hazardous weather conditions causing reduced visibility, unless the bicycle, or the rider, displays:
(a) a flashing or steady white light that is clearly visible for at least 200 metres from the front of the bicycle; and
(b) a flashing or steady red light that is clearly visible for at least 200 metres from the rear of the bicycle; and
(c) a red reflector that is clearly visible for at least 50 metres from the rear of the bicycle when light is projected onto it by a vehicle’s headlight on low-beam.
Being a law-abiding and safety conscious group, FIT will not allow riders to join FIT rides if they have no lights on their bikes when riding before sunrise.

Back lights are an easy decision, and probably the most essential for riding on roads, as most cars that approach you are from behind. Various red lights are available from bike shops, and are generally very reasonably priced. Many of them run on AA or AAA batteries. You need to make sure that it can be affixed to your bike in a visible location. You also need to ensure that your batteries are good enough to burn brightly.

Front lights are much more variable. You can choose from lights which are adequate for car drivers to see you, up to lights that can rival the high-beam on cars. Of course the prices vary too, as well as the size/weight of the lights and batteries, and the battery life/run time. You should consider your specific requirements when choosing lights. If you ride only on well-lit roads, you may not need the top of the line lights, while if you ride on unlit paths you may need more powerful lights. Again a range of headlights are available from bike shops, or even the internet.

Reflective material is also a very good safety option - particularly for visibility for cars approaching from the side. This can be in the form of reflectors on frames & wheels, reflective strips on clothing, or reflective ankle/arm bands.

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