with the lead up the the angry i wasn’t happy i didn’t get out to do a full discipline so i was determined to make time before the fling.
i had the one window which was last saturday even if it did mean setting out solo at 1.30pm in the warmth. it was a great move to do so as well. conditioning the body for heat, checking/testing foods and hydration and pushing out an almost 6hr ride i hope is going to be a great lead up to the race on sunday. i really wanted to focus on my food. the angry taught me a lot and the main thing was to keep eating no matter what.
the ride itself was awesome. i basically rode to the city via the M2, across the bridge, and returned along the M4. on the M2 the head wind wasn’t friendly but i dealt with it. the M2 is good to ride, you fell pretty safe and it does have some hills unlike that on the M4.
unfortunately the battery ran out on the M4
i made my way to the harbour bridge and once there i was feeling bloody unreal. i wasn’t sore as i had taken a good but not over zealous pace. the sky was blue, the air was fresh and the riding was just great.
as i crossed the bridge a P & O liner was departing through the harbour and under the bridge. it was a really blissful moment. the people on board were so happy, as was i, and they were pumping out the tunes [land downunder] super loud. i had to stop and take a pic and just generally soak up the moment.
… he just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich …
through the city is always slow and it breaks my rhythm everytime. to may stops and starts etc. i stopped to grab a drink and a mars bar, then kept on only to be held up on the pyrmont foot bridge as it closed after letting a boat through and into darling harbour.
once i hit the M4 i had a small tail wind and with its help i was flying along comfortably. i rode into the sun happy and still feeling reasonably good. when i hit mamre road i was starting to feel the km and i had weird notions of catching the train from penrith to springwood but there was just no way i was going to do that. i hit lapstone and the bastard hit me back big time. it’s a nasty hill after you have ridden 140km. it hurt my lungs more than my legs and about half way up i had to start a different breathing method. much deeper and longer just to keep on keeping on. i made it up – filled the bottles at glenbrook service station and just powered home.
in total it was a 165.72km ride – 5:40:23 time – with an average of 29.21km/hr. i really wanted to keep it above 30km/hr avg but the city killed me there.
its monday night and my legs are feeling good so i really think this will help me with the fling. i’m going to say it out loud – i have a target time of 5:45min for the fling. its a tall order, it is a 113km race now, but i will give it my best shot.
the one and only thing i was annoyed with on the ride was i didn’t have the film for the XA-2. i saw so many pic opportunities that just weren’t captured. more on the XA-2 Shortly. i may try and ride to work on wednesday as a mild paced hit out. all weather dependent.