43km for me. It's the end of winter here in New Zealand and my friends and I are just starting to crank up the rides again as we start training for the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge, a 160km ride in November. My trainer invited me to ride with her this afternoon and I was a bit intimidated when I realised that I was going to be the slowest person in the pack by far. I was even more intimidated when they said they were going to be riding a popular local loop (Makara, if there are any Wellington readers), but from the opposite direction to usual. That meant riding up a very steep, very long hill. I nearly wimped out, but I've made it my goal this year to stop whining and making excuses and just go out there and do it, so I hardened up and went for it. Of course I kept getting dropped, but I dealt with it. Part of my problem is a lack of technical ability. I really need to work on my cornering and descents. In the end though it was a great ride. We had wonderful spring-like conditions and that big hill, the one I'd built up in my mind to be as huge as a Tour de France mountain stage? Yeah, actually it wasn't that bad at all. It was a huge confidence builder and I'm hopeful that I'll be in a good place to really amp up the training this year and cut a good chunk of time off this year's Taupo circuit.