Well, I am at home right now resting up instead of at germ-infested university, in the attempt to keep well and healthy for the next week. Hopefully I can get some good riding in too!
Managed a 5hr MTB yesterday, testing out the new bike before Alice. Yes, we've decided to go. We're not sure if it's the best idea, but worst thing to happen would be we go, race poorly but enjoy the scenery and experience.
Glenn, Aido and I traipsed out to Bunya Forest, where wee rode all the trails in there, then headed across to Ironbark and pinged down the rough and aptly named Ballbreaker. Along some more fireroad, cutting across the rail trail we climbed up the dirt first to the Camp Mountain fireroad entrance, then up that beastly slog to the top. From here we headed down Camp on the road to link up to Nebo Rd, then schlepped up the hardest 8km of Nebo all of us had ever done (it is a lot harder with the knobblies!). Time for a gatorade, a few lollies (I had already demolished a bar and a gel mid-ride by this stage...) and then heading down the Goat Trak.
Since the catastrophic rainfall of January this year, the Goat Trak hasn't been the same, it's closed for traffic...but makes an awesome Super D! Hitting Samford-Glorious Rd, we whistled along the valley for 10km to a well-earned coffee stop four hours in.
I inhaled this sugary sugary butterscotch muffin (which was required at the time) and we headed through the scouthut trails, up the nasty 15% dirt climb up to Bygott's road, and then down through Summer Sunset in Ironbark. I was fed up with riding bikes at this point, being dragged around by elite male riders can be good, but it can break you!
I wanted to ride back on the road, but Aido made us ride up Ironbark again, through Bunya suburbs and down home via the bike path.
The last trail we hit was Banks' St Reserve, behind our house. We did a LOT of dirt, with only really the Samford Valley rd and the climb to Nebo on bitumen. I am feeling a bit shattered even today...though when I got home I quickly came good with coffee, sandwiches and sustagen.
I have some trainer efforts in store for this week...fingers crossed for 'miraculous form' to arrive. I keep checking the mail box but it's always empty!