Day Two — Wonthaggi to Foster

25-Nov-2007: Day Two — Wonthaggi to Foster

Well it was tough going at times, but I managed to ride all the way to Foster without the assistance of the Sag Wagon! 84km in total today–25km more than the longest ride I’ve done, so a personal best for me. I was really pleased when I arrived–a real sense of achievement, and relief!

Words can’t describe how sore my rump is at the moment, but otherwise I’m pretty much unscathed. I’ve seen a couple of riders who weren’t so lucky–a few tumbles resulting in scraped knees and elbows.

Riding in such a big group this morning was difficult. The ‘traffic’ was quite bad on the coastal road through Cape Patterson on the way to Inverloch. The road (Bunenong Coastal route) was quite narrow and at times twisty. I managed to stay out of trouble by staying to the left and keeping up a steady pace.

The second stage from Inverloch to Tarwin was relatively uneventful–a mostly flat ride with a few small undulating hills. The traffic was managed well by police and Bicycle Victoria volunteers at intersections. From there to Fish Creek was a bit more of a climb. I must admit, I stopped on a couple of the longer climbs for a short break and a drink to rehydrate. Actually, I think this was a pretty good strategy, as I managed to get straight back on and to keep going.

After a longish lunch at Fish Creek, it was time to set off again. Knowing that we’d already traveled 2/3 of the way by lunchtime and that there was only 25km left to go to reach Foster was motivating. However, the motivation was quickly given a reality check. Riding out of Fish Creek and turning right was one of the most challenging hills of the ride so far. It was something no-one was looking forward to straight after lunch. But, once up the hill, there was quite a bit of downhill cruising from there on as we wound down towards Foster. There were a couple more small, steep hills, but they were manageable–even after 80km in the saddle.

So, I’m glad that I did it–that’s the end of riding for me on this trip–and grateful for a rest day tomorrow. I’m really looking forward to going to Wilsons Prom. and spending most of the day there before setting off for home. I might do a couple of short walks, and depending on the weather, go for a swim at the beach near Tidal River. Perhaps a swim will help aid my recovery and ensure that I don’t end up with aching muscles?

Hills
Like the little red caboose, I tell myself
“I think I can”, “I think I can”, “I think I can”
Heart pumping, legs on fire
Pushing, pushing, pushing
Just a little bit further, not far now.
Phew! I finally made it to the top.
From here I can see everything –
including the next hill in front of me.

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