The Karri Cup Ride..or..how i learnt to love more hills-sorry long post

Right. On the 2006 event I didn't make it through stage 3 as it was 38c & I was shall I say rather unfit.
http://www.greatkarriride.com.au/schedule.htm

Forward one year..I am a bit fitter, still a turtle however more prepared do to 105km(somehow though my odometer only says 90km??) Who cares if i finished almost last. I know i have endurance but lack speed.:o

Breakfast on Sunday morning was pure hell to eat. I managed to down my honey laden bagels & gatorade but just. I really had to sit & relax, eat a mouthful, relax, etc..

We loaded our stuff into the car for the short jaunt up to the Gloucster Ridge Winery in Pemberton(we stayed in the town). We found our friends & threw our food/drink in thier car as they were our support crew.

Stage 1-..Guess what we started on..A very steep hil..:o Steep hill was fine, granny geared up it & went on my merry way. By this time I was wayyyyy behind everyone else but i didn't care as my goal was to finish. As always, after a big hill, there's a dowhill-:) I felt pretty ok on this stage, was eating when my reminder went off on my odometer & thought i was drinking enough. The end of the stage is one BIG STEEP UPHILL climb :) I loved it & just kept pedalling up.
I was a bit late getting in but the crew were there-I had about 10min to have a drink, a banana & get my hydration pack & food sorted.

Stage 2-I set my odometer & knew I had to be at Warren Bend Farm by 1200-Set off down the steep hill we'd just ventured up..weeeeeeeeeee..:) This stage was a cruise stage, the hills weren't that bad actually. I think i only met one hill that I didn't quite get up :o
It was in the middle of stage 2 that I began to panic a bit...my odometer had me arriving at the farm at 100:eek: ..Just as I wondered if i was going to make it..Around 1135..I came down a large hill & saw a field with quite a few cars & some tents.:) Phew..You don't know how relieved i was..

Found the crew-had my baked potato(don't ask how that was cooked..), raisins & endura..sat down &..Ian said I had too much bounce & wondered what i'd been drinking o Got myself ready for stage 3-(trekhawk thanks for the mini fig newtons :) ) powergels, fig newtons & my drink. Sunscreen on but didn't need the insect repellent as the march flies stayed away :)

Stage 3-Warren Bend Roller Coaster-my nemesis- This is the hilliest stage-last year it was hell-this year it didn't seem as bad..Then again when it's 25C, all is much better :). It's the hardest stage as some of the hills were :eek: Even Ian had to walk a couple. I was proud of myself though as there was one uphill that was all pea gravel but i made it up:). I had to stay in lower gear but i got up the hills. Just when I thought there was more..it was over :) I'd made it through stage 3...I don't remember much of it as I was reminding myself of Welshpool Road East & the TE ladies that were probably sending me good hill vibes. It was hard but I just kept going as I knew there was a nice downhill after every big hill..

I realized at the end of stage 3 that i'd have very little time for stage 4-I had time to eat part of a banana, get my gels, water etc ready & then go.

I started stage 4-most of it was white sand & wasn't too deep. As I was zooming along I saw two riders riding back my way..:confused: Turns out we'd missed an arrow along the trail. Good thing it wasn't too far back before we found the trail. I followed the guys for a bit & was trying to ensure i sped up a bit as i had to be at stage 5 by about 415 to get myself ready for the next stage at 430. My odometer showed my ETA at 405pm & arrived around then..Phew...I didn't have much time to recover before I had to get my stuff ready for the next bit..I was just about out of oomph & mental energy.

Stage 5-this is the pure mtn bike stage around the Round Tu It park in Northcliffe. It's 90% singletrack & in the shade. I didn't think a power gel would help me through most of this stage as my brain wasn't working as well as it could...I just wanted to do it to say i'd made it through the whole day. Whoever put the BIG hill :eek: :mad: in the course towards the end needs to have a good kick in the rear..I walked up..I'd had enough...

I made it though :) There's some discrepency regarding the km''s..My odometer says one amt, someone else's says another..Who knows how far we rode-105km or 100km or 90km? I was in a bit of a panic as i'd no idea if i'd drank or ate enough, as it just passed like a blur. So much fun trying to find a flat area to have gu & food..too funny having a power gel in your mouth going zoooommmmm downhill thinking :eek: will this work...:o

Here's the "after"pic..

Congratulations CC - thats a bl**dy long way on a mountain bike. Glad to hear the weather behaved for you. The pic is great (AV jersey looks fab) and you look so good after such an epic ride.:)