120km really was a lot further than I thought it would be. But I had a great ride!
I was hoping to do it in 4.5 – 5 hours and my time ended up being 5hrs, 5mins and 18 seconds. A little over but still pretty damn close. It was a huge effort. I feel like I’ve achieved something but I’m not sure exactly what. I have to say that by the end I was spending a bit of time out of the saddle as my butt was starting to hurt quite a bit.
The Bellarine Peninsula is stunningly beautiful. At once point we were riding along and the ocean was about 20 feet away and perfectly still. It was so gorgeous.
The ride was a bit hillier than I expected but it also gave me proof that my climbing has come along in leaps and bounds. The hill I struggled on last year was easier (still not a cruise because it is an short, sharp climb) but it didn’t feel anywhere near as much of a trial as last year. There were a few long, slow climbs that I didn’t even notice. The road surface was a bit crap but there’s not much you can do about it. As we were heading into Queenscliff, I developed huge cravings for a sandwich so we had a break and ate something that wasn’t an energy bar. The cafe we stopped at even had my favourite juice.
It was a different ride from last year. Apart from being longer, I was much fitter and better prepared. I did a lot more of the lead work and supported my riding buddy through to the end. Last year it was the other way around. It’s really satisfying to see how much I’ve improved. I’m stronger and fitter then I thought was. It hard to judge my progress when I don’t have anything to measure it against and don’t really set myself challenges. Perhaps I should.
Anyhoo… it was a great day out on the bike.
