The one where I ride around Lake Rotorua…
Amazing weekend on the training front. Not only did I have a great run yesterday, but today I managed my longest ride ever - a total of 50.5 kilometres around Lake Rotorua! STOKED!
Today was meant to be my first participation in a bunch ride. RATs run a social bunch ride every Sunday, led by scientist number 1 - Andy Tuthill. The group meets in town at a local bike shop and then rides out to Okere Falls Store (best coffee in town) - a 20 kilometre ride, and then back to town via whatever route takes their fancy. Andy assured me that the ride is (a) definitely social, (b) at a pace of about 20-25km an hour and (c) they never leave anyone behind.
I had planned on going on this ride since talking to Andy at the duathlon last week. However, the weather has been appalling this week so I wasn’t making any commitments. After the thunderstorm of yesterday and heavy rain overnight, I wasn’t holding my breath. However, the day dawned bright and sunny so I literally jumped out of bed, got the boys breakfast and got myself organised.
I had originally intended, and planned with Mike, that he would either drop me into town and I would join the ride out to Okere Falls and then back home again; or, ride into town and then Mike would come and pick me up from Okere Falls. The morning was the usual chaos so I got myself out the door and decided to ride into town to meet the group, yelling out the door as I went that I’d see Mike at Okere Falls.
I knew I was cutting it fine, which was probably a good thing as I didn’t have time to think about the fact that it was the first time on this bike (on loan from Dr Alice!) and the first time in bike shoes with clips. Hmm. Out the gate and up the road - feeling quite good actually. I kept up the pace the whole way into town - absolutely paranoid that I was going to miss the group, having finally made the decision to join them!
I eventually made it to the bike shop to meet scientist number 2, Toby, my fellow RATs awards dinner party planner, Irene, and Phil. Andy made five and we headed out. I thought I was going pretty well and managed to keep up. I slowed down at different points, but otherwise pretty good ride on the way out. I knew we had a hefty hill to get up before we reached the coffee stop, but was ready to brace myself for it.
Toby got the first puncture (and the second actually!) so Irene and I headed on up the hill while the boys fixed the flat. We arrived at the Okere Falls Store just as the boys whizzed in averaging 40 km/hour. A hot chocolate and a phone call to Mike later, and it appeared I would be cycling home after all. I drive that way every time I go over to Mt Maunganui and I knew I was in for some hills - and I was dreading them!
The group were great - full of tips, advice and motivation, and they got me up and over those hills and the whole way home - even when I wanted to bail at Hamurana and go to Mel’s house!
The hills were hard, but I got there, and I’m absolutely thrilled. My counter stopped at a variety of different points, so once home I mapped out the route on www.mapmyrun.com - I thought I’d done around 42 kilometres - I just about fell off my chair when it added up to 50 kilometres!
It was only on the drive up to Auckland this evening that I realised that distance is over the Tinman cycle leg in December, and more than half the distance of the cycle leg of the half Ironman in January. For the first time, I began to feel like I might just be able to do this thing after all.