Ride: Carrabolla

 

Whoa! Today's ride was my most difficult hit out by far. I cannot  believe those hills, even though  I have driven the route almost every week for the years or so. There were hills of every variety; long low,  long steep, long hard followed by a pinch near the top.  A one point,  south of Lostock Dam I was in granny gear and still needed to zig  zag to make headway.  Phew!

Now the downhills were  really something. I see to speed on Strava was 54kph, my fastest yet and I was probably at Terminal Speed for some time.  Even then there was some stress with worry about mechanical failure that may have sent me skidding down the road.  But it all worked out and I almost made it to work before I got picked up by my daughter (3k  short of my destination). 

As much as the hills were difficult to negotiate,  they were also the most majestic aspect of the ride. The traffic was very light, road quality was gravel or poor quality sealed road.  But we persevered,  and reflections on the pain of children with cancer and that of their families,  visited me on the closing stages of the most difficult climbs.  Basically,  riding is never hard, and each ride finishes with great satisfaction. 

My new Seat Post Bag arrived in the post today.  And musings of a video I watched of mountain bike riders completing the Hunt100 come to mind.  Leaving Canberra and cycling trails in the Snowy Mountains and Victorian Alps,  bike hiking up steed roses and across swollen streams,  averaging 140km over 7 days. I was pushing so hard to achieve nearly 60k on a single day. I have far to go,  but also,  I have come far. 

TOTAL FOR THE MONTH: 277 of 500k GOAL

Peace.