Allabout...
Congratulations! Don't you feel good! On my front… It's been just a year since I did my first ride of more than 20k when I entered the baby leg of the Tour Down Under. I did the 30k as a present to myself so I wouldn't feel too bad about turning 50 a few weeks later. I kept doing around that distance through the year - when the 2006 Tour was announced, the baby leg was only 23k and I knew I could do that easily, so went for the next distance, which was 93k. Big jump! It was just last Nov that I did more than 50k, just riding around the city. In Jan I did the Tour in 40 odd degree F heat, and was elated. Buoyed by that, in Feb I completed the Coast to Coast (120k, Adelaide to Victor Harbor 120k). Hard, but made it. It was just a couple of days before my 51st birthday (Feb 23). Never knowing when to leave well enough alone, I've registered for the Grand Slam through Bike SA. Last Sunday I rode the first event; 80k through the Adelaide Hills, from Mt Torrens through Mt Pleasant (from a cyclist's perspective, appallingly mis-named - LOL!), Crick's Hill, Martin's Hill, Forreston, Gumeracha and Kenton Valley. Aaaargh!!! Temp was about 36F, it took me about 7 hours, and I was completely knackered when I finished (second to last - last was Lil, who is 82!). It's hills, hills, hills, and when the Big Whoever was drawing them, they forgot about the down bits! Just up, then across, up then across - all the down bits were on the drive home. I have to figure out hills - because I've registered for the series and the next one is 100k in the same area (April), then it's 120k (June),150k (Aug) finishing with 200k in Sept. Sometimes I can't believe I'm doing this, and nor can most of my friends, most of whom think I'm a brick short of a full load. But oh Eva, the feeling of absolute satisfaction when you finish! You get out there, do that metric century, and Ride Like A Girl!
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