This time we'd run it clean, unlike my disasterous last attempt where we all blew up and walked out cramping. I was so confident we'd run clean and easy, I decided the 40kms wasn't far enough, I wanted tp pull a 100km ride, so tacked on the ride to Queenbeyan Maccas for breaky, then ride home from Googers via Little Burra.
It was a good plan, but meant I'd have to leave home in the dark at 5am, and it was around 0'C. A pretty cold, but fast run to Maccas, and I think in hindsight, it was a little dangerous on the road between Hume and Queenbeyan, there's no street lighting and emergency lane. I got away with being here at 6am, but I imagine during the day, taking this road would be death. I arrived early and enjoyed a couple of B&E McMuffins and Toast, fuel for the ride, or so I thought :)
Tim then gave me a lift upto Googong, where we met Adam, who like us, arrived a little early, meaning we were on the bikes and riding right on 7am, perfect. The run down from the gate in 0'C is hell, 50km/h at that temperature is painful to say the least, but it's brief thankfully :)
At the bottom we cut around the back of the Dam Wall and commenced the climb up the range to the East of the Dam, it's a big climb, and the laughs keep coming because everytime you think you're at the top, there's more climb to do. An hour in I found I was struggling, so I popped some SportZ Beans and kept pushing on. I had to walk the steep climbs, watching Adam just cruise on up (he managed to ride the whole run).
More climbing later and we arrived at Gormon Trig, time for a powerbar and the hope that the climbing's over... ha! As if! Gunning down the other side, we're met with more climbing, and the sketchiest decent I've done in a while, so steep and slippery that I had both front and back brakes locked and there was no slowing down, at all, scary stuff! Feathering the steering I managed to make the corner at the bottom, Tim wasn't as lucky and over shot the corner taking a little rest in the bushes :)
Feeling pretty tired and run down, we pushed on the Gelignite Crossing, and one of the creek crossings on the way I rod onto what I thouht was water, but it cracked beneath me and my bike was turned into an ice breaker :) Awesome sound as the front wheel cracks it's way through the shallow frozen water.
From Gelignite crossing, I thought it was all plain sailing back to the car, that's how I remembered it from last time, but I kept seeing things I didn't remember, it was bizarre. The GPS track confirmed I had been in these places before, but I just didn't recognise them at all. Obviously I was in a delerious daze last time!
From there it was a lot of climbs back to the cars, and many apologies from me to the crew for saying it was an easy run back to the cars... it aint, it's tough as hell, but we did manage to ride all the way, unlike all the climbs I'd walked in the first half of the ride.
At the cars there was cheers and smiles of relief, we'd made it in 4 hours, which was 4 hours quicker than last time :) I was pretty chuffed, but drained, I scoffed a Protein bar and headed off for home via Litle Burra down Old Cooma Road, it's all uphill for the first 20kms, low grade (only 200vm), but I could feel it hurting me, from there it's 15kms all down hill to the Monaro and home, riding through rural farming land, the view is nice and the weather was fantastic, 16'C and sunny.
Ripped home down the storm water drains, but was truely too tired to do any radical jumps or hammer the pedals, I was so tired I got a bit lost and ended up going the wrong way via Bonython, ooops!
Got home and was a bit disheartened by my efforts really, it was 100kms and 2vkm, and I felt toasted. At the recent 8hr race I did similar numbers, but felt great, putting down a hot lap for my last lap, today I was crap by comparison. I put some of this down to food, perhaps McBreaky isn't the best start, and a 100km ride needs more than two food bars and a handful of beans (5MJ exerted, 3MJ eaten on the bike).
Next weekend at Mt Ginini I'll have to have a more serious fueling strategy...
The crew:
| Adam | SC Blur |
| Tim | Kona Kula |
| Jason | Giant Trance |
The Stats:
| Distance | 103km |
| Time | 7:24 |
| Climb | 2090vm |