.......LONG BAYS .....4 TIMES?

Well it was a pretty good week of training. My training week starts on a Sunday, so from my ride to Blenheim till Saturday I did short bays a few times, halswell-sumner, summit road. Had a terrible ride Saturday morning across the summit, so was a bit worried about my big Sunday ride.

A few weeks back I was talking to Scotty Wilder. Scott is bit of a tough man when it comes to rides and he was telling me that he had ridden the long bays 4 times. This was about 8 weeks ago, about the same time I started training. I just thought he was insane, long bays 4 times. Now, most of us have ridden the long bays. It's an iconic ride and the long bays race is a legendary event on the cycling calendar. I said to him, last week “I'm going to do long bays 5 times”. He pretty much said it couldn’t be done! Don’t tell me it can’t be done pal!
I headed off at 5:30am. I had EVERY intention to ride until it was done. Along the way (before it got really hot) I had an amazing amount of people ride past and chat for a minute. Thanks to all of you for the kind words. This charity ride is making people feel like they can get behind something really special. At the end of the second lap I had lunch in Sumner with Yvette and hung out at COFFEE CULTURE. Ski was there of coarse filling my up with coffee for the next 3 laps. It was now noon and the heat was insane. The 3rd lap was really hard mentally. You’re riding along saying to yourself, why am I doing this again? I wanted to do this ride for JUST that reason. When you ride out of town, you have no choice but to get to the end. Riding close to home, you have to be mentally tough and tell yourself not to just turn off and go home! I was climbing ok and the legs weren’t hurting too much. The heat was insane. I felt like my insides were getting cooked. It was pretty lonely on the 3rd as there was no one out riding. I broke a spoke on my GOLD SHAMAL wheels. I waited on the side of the road for Aidan and Amanda to drop a wheel off to me! Thanks guys! Climbing up Evens Pass the 3rd time I felt really tired. Luckily the NE winds were helping my ride out to the Gebbies turn off. But on the 4th lap of my least favourite piece of road, it's fair to say I blew. I went up Gebbies pretty slow. The little hard hills around near Governers bay just took everything out of the pins. Riding up evens for the last time I simply said “that’s it” and decided to call it a day. I was totally broken, raw and sore and there was NOTHING left in the tank. Now, I could have kept going, I would have got to Gebbies again for sure, but I think I would have thrown my bike and given up cycling.

4 laps of long bays, 323km from door to door. That’s further than my ride to Blenheim last weekend. I can pretty much say that that is the hardest ride I have done. The hills just smash ya legs. I was so pissed off with myself. I wanted so bad to do 5 laps and get close to the 400k mark, but I guess the tank was so empty, I should be pleased.
Will go out tomorrow for a wee ride. It's fair to say the old butt is a bit sore, so the ride will depend on the butt, not the pins.

Have an amazing week. Thanks SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo much for all the support.



Keep donating and telling everyone. Dont let anyone miss out on the excitement brewing!



:)