I picked up my jersey on Saturday morning after my KX Pilates session. This was my 2nd pilates session and it was much more demanding than the first so I am thinking that either I booked into the wrong session or the instructor (who is a replacement for the usual) could have confused the classes around...anyways, I completed it and pushed my body beyond it's comfort zone. The strength session have helped to adjust with the load especially around the shoulders and arms.
The 100km was something out of my comfort zone. I have not been on the bike for 100km since....before Ironman of 2014 but I had been on the saddle for more than 5 hours. I drove to Elwood Life Saving Club around 6:45am and got ready. I have been using Velotoze for a few weeks now and this morning, I wore the black ones which I bought on Saturday (update - they were shredded by the end of the ride). A couple of the girls and I rode to the start and there were already plenty of ladies there for the ride. At the start of the ride, I got caught up in the fast paced group, we rode at speeds up to 45km/hr. I decided that I needed to step back so once I got to Mordialloc, I slowed down and rode with other girls I knew who rode the hills on Saturday and didn't want to smash themselves either. Once we go to the back of Oliver's hill, I couldn't keep up but I knew which way to go so once I did the right turn, people then rode past me again who took the wrong turn. I had never ridden on Walkers Road before (off Humphries Road) then to Canadian Bay road towards Two Bays.
I have gone down Two Bays Road before and always thought that it was a steep hill that I would not be strong enough to climb but today I climbed it with little issues. I was waiting on the sharp pinch or the surprise incline but I stayed in my saddle the entire way and just pushed the little legs along. On the way back, I followed a group who turned off at Overport Road instead of going all the way down Humphries Road (and then down Oliver's). I really enjoyed the Overport Road way as it was a nice descent through small rolling hills. The wind picked up when we reached Nepean Hwy and I ended up just riding with a girl named Ania from Frankston back to St Kilda. We took rolling turns but as I carried nutrition on me, I could pedal more out the front and we rotated when I wanted a rest.
It was a tough ride back to St Kilda. If it wasn't for this event, I don't think I would have pushed myself beyond my comfort zone. Even though I stayed in the small chain ring, I was either in the middle of the cassette or my small 11 cog. I pushed through the wind by putting my head down and just pedalled and counted in my head to stop getting bored.
We ended up riding up Barkly Street instead of riding down to BP in St Kilda. The finish was at Tom's Organic and we had a serve of yoghurt with some muesli. I then rode back to Elwood with the girls I started with and then that was that.
This event brought me out of my comfort zone. I pushed myself in terms of distance, strength and intensity, something which I hadn't done in a while. It was great during the ride knowing that the girls I rode passed or the group who rode passed me were part of the same group/event. I know that I am not the strongest cyclist and there is so much more work I need to do both on and off the bike from now until September (Amy's Gran Fondo), October (Around the Bay), November (Challenge Shepparton) and then the big event in March (3 Peaks). A positive out of today which I am happy about is that I am looking forward to improving myself. I didn't throw in the towel or my bike after the event. Super pumped to improve.
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