Strenuous ride today – my legs felt weary and sore from the get-go (still hadn’t fully recovered from squats session in gym a few days earlier).

But I had two strong reasons to ride: (1) to witness and participate in an ‘Everesting challenge’ and (2) to complete a decently difficult training ride to help prepare me for the Gold Coast Peaks Challenge.

Today was one of the best examples I have seen of cycling camaraderie: four gutsy Everesting contenders; 30+ riders doing a few laps in support; family and friends on the side of the road assisting with hydration, nutrition and moral support, and general chatter, with new and old friends, about bikes and how much we are all enjoying cycling in Canberra.

I was surprised to see the pleasantly cheerful mood of the Everesting contenders – I guess you got to stay positive to complete such a demanding ride!

My goal for this training ride was to ride for about five hours, attaining as much elevation as I could up and down one hill. I eventually rode 20 laps of the Arboretum clockwise. Felt okay and I could have gone on for longer. I feel this is progress in the right direction – toward successful completion of the Gold Coast Peaks Challenge – though more improvement is needed.

Things I still need to improve:

  • Hydration – only drank three bidons in 4.5 hours. Left leg started to cramp up at the end. Maybe due to lack of hydration
  • Out of saddle technique. I did ride quite a lot out of saddle, particularly on steeper segments, and as my technique improves, the more efficient and effortless I can become, conserving energy and giving my leg muscles a bit of a rest (as riding out of saddle engages the core muscles more than the leg muscles).

15-06-20

Food:

  • Breakfast: oats, red grapes, chia seeds, mixed berries, protein powder (Rich Roll), cinnamon powder, soy milk.
  • Lunch: vege soup noodles ($12 from Belconnen Westfield); 1.5kg watermelon
  • Dinner: rice (white rice, black rice); red emperor fish (fish, soy sauce, white pepper); tofu (tofu, soy sauce, chilli oil)
  • Other: food eaten on ride (two half-paninis filled with peanut butter and strawberry jam, three homemade rice cakes, one Winners gel, one Clif bar).

Exercise

  • From Industry House to Arboretum for 20 laps, and then back. Strava data here.