This year we decided to tackle the 65km course (or 70km according to the Bikely course map), which was a step-up from our 40km-come-20km effort last year.

After a hot couple of days in Melbourne leading up to the event, the weather on the day proved to be almost ideal conditions for riding–mild and overcast–although at times there was quite a strong headwind to contend with, particularly through the coastal areas around Breamlea.

The chosen route was not overly difficult. The climb upwards at Leopold was the most challenging hill, with most of the terrain thereafter pretty flat, open and slightly undulating. The breath-taking scenery on the bluff at Barwon Heads was the highlight, with uninterrupted views of the ocean. On the bike you get a real appreciation of the scenery. You can see it, feel it, taste it, smell it and hear it. All of your senses are engaged, compared to witnessing it visually through a 1/4 inch piece of hardened glass in your car. It’s difficult to explain, but it’s almost like you become part of the scenery. I suppose that is a large part of the attraction of cycling for me–feeling closer to nature, and being more at one with the environment.

Having recently completed the Coastal Explorer Ride and getting through the 85km leg on day two comfortably, I went into this ride very confident that the 65km would be a breeze. However, with about 10km to go I started to feel a little soreness in the right thigh. I changed down a cog to make the pedalling a little easier to ride it out for a while. That seemed to work as it came good, and the soreness disappeared. Until, a couple of kilometers later the pain returned and I also started experiencing similar pains in my left thighs. It was cramp. I was completely incapacitated. My left leg ‘locked’ and I just couldn’t move it. I nearly came off my bike, and swinging my leg over the saddle to get off the bike proved a major challenge.

I’ve never experienced anything like it before–not cycling, nor doing any other sport. I can’t say what caused it, although I discovered later when removing my bike from the car rack that I have a slight buckle in the rear wheel of my bike. This causes the brake to grab at the untrue wheel in spots, which I suspect may have added extra load to the energy of pedalling. It’s plausible, but it’s more likely that the cramping was the result of dehydration. Despite carrying two bidons and drinking plenty of fluids during the ride, a few days of hot, dry weather before the ride had taken its toll. A lesson learned for next time!

So, for the last 5 kilometers, I had to put up with Tony chiding me about having to walk up hills and for holding up the team. But despite that–and my ailment–I really enjoyed the ride. It’s a great way to start off the new year and Tony and I got to do an extended GTD review along the way. An exciting year lies ahead.

Perhaps next year it’ll be the 120km course? Those guys passed us at about the 55km mark, putting them a good 60km ahead of us–although we did stop to smell the coffee, take in the magnificent vista and soak up the atmosphere.

I’m sitting in a cafe after spending the morning exploring Wilsons Prom. It was a great day for it–perfect weather, and a day off the bike.

Shortly after getting there, I took off on the Lilly Pilly Gully walk, which in total ended up being about a 10km trek there and back from Tidal River. It was a fantastic walk though with some beautiful rainforest, and some unbelievable views from near the top of Mt Bishop.

After getting back from the walk, I paddled in Tidal River, cooling my legs after tackling yet even more hills. I still can’t believe that I decided to go on a walk up the side of a big hill after the day I had yesterday. It was good though to stretch it out and use a few different muscles.

I spent some time sketching before wading into the ocean up to my waste. It wasn’t really warm enough to go in all the way, but I wanted to get the benefits of the cool water to help with the recovery.

So, after three long days my trip has all but come to an end. All that’s left to do is to pack up my tent, put my bike on the truck, grab a bite to eat for dinner and jump on the bus home. We should arrive back in Melbourne around 20:00, exhausted.

I’ve had a lot of fun, and really enjoyed the break from the hustle and bustle of life in the city. As the ideal holiday, it’s probably not everyone’s cup of tea, but I had a blast and rate it highly. Now to start planning for the next one, perhaps even the whole shebang next time — around 500km in 9 days!

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.

Route.

I made it okay! Actually today’s ride was not too bad.

As planned, I made an early, waking at 0500 to the sound of birds. I sat at the beach for an hour and then headed up to get breakfast at around 0700. Phillip Island isn’t really a thriving metropolis, so nothing was open. I decided to head back to camp. I packed up my gear– which took about half an hour–and got changed into my riding gear so that I could load my bags onto a truck that would cart everything to our next camp site.

After packing up, I headed back into town and managed to get myself a cup of coffee and a muffin for breakfast. I drank my coffee and chatted to other riders about the days ahead. Soon after, the event was on. I was heading back to camp, where the starting point was, but soon discovered that a lot of people had already left and were riding along the main road out of Cowes. I was already on route, so decided to just keep going.

The first 20 kilometers were pretty easy going–it went really quickly and it was relatively flat. I reached the ‘lunch’ spot around 1030, perhaps a little earlier, and tucked into a bread roll and banana to boost up the energy for the next stage, which I knew was going to be more challenging.

After crossing the bridge from the lunch spot at Newhaven into San Remo, the terrain became a lot more undulating with quite a few steep climbs before reaching the roundabout on the Bass Coast Highway. From here, there was another decent climb. You’re rewarded for your efforts here, with spectacular views of the coastline and beaches of Kilcunda. I stopped for a quick breather and to take a couple of photos.

At Kilcunda I took a bit of a detour off the road to check out the view along the coastline. While I was there, I noticed the entrance to a rail trail that went directly to Wonthaggi, and decided to follow it. I figured this way–along the coast–would be more scenic. I didn’t realise that it would eventually take nearly 10km off my trip, as the main group turned left outside Kilcunda and up to Archies Creek before descending into Wonthaggi. I wasn’t alone though. Quite a few others were on the trail. Besides, it was a nice ride, through some nice coastal scrub and farm land.

As a result of the short-trip today, I’m now even more worried about tomorrow. The route from Wonthaggi to Foster is 84km. I’ve never ridden that far before, so it’s going to be a big challenge. The last time that I did a long ride–a 60km ride through the Macedon Ranges–I had a lot more preparation. I’d been on the bike a lot more and was a little more bike fit. My plan is to take it steady and strong, no rushing. Just keeping a good pace and making plenty of stops.

I went for a walk in Wonthaggi earlier to try and walk off a little of the soreness from today’s ride and to warm down. Amazingly, I managed to find a nice little cafe that sold decent coffee. After the walk, I came back to the tent and had a little snooze, which invigotated me.

I’m ready for dinner now, which is about to be served. I’m expecting large queues, so I think that I’ll go now and then turn in early again tonight. It’ll be another early start in the morning–the route opens at 0630 tomorrow.

Cycling
Riding, legs pumping like pistons
Faster, faster, driving the machine
Wind in my face, scenery breath-taking
Serene, calm, invigorating.

So, here I am. I’m lying on a half-inch thick piece of foam that some call a mattress. I’m in my tent, alone. It’s 7:30pm in the evening and I’m wondering what to do with myself.

I don’t feel much like eating dinner tonight–I had a late lunch and really can’t be troubled with organising anything. I’ll eat a small piece of chocolate and a few nuts, that should tie me over until breakfast in the morning.

I’m not wanting to seek out company, not because I’m shy or can’t make the effort, it’s just that I don’t often get the opportunity to spend too much time without people around me–in solitude. It actually takes a bit of getting used to. At first I didn’t know what to do with myself, and was wondering around the canpsite aimlessly, just passing the time. Eventually I decided to put my time to better use and spent some time down at the beach meditating.

I’m in a much different state of mind now–happy to just lie here and snooze, and listen to the sounds of other campers, the seagulls scavenging and the cars passing by on a nearby road. Don’t get me wrong–I haven’t gone vague or something, I’m just happy being.

It’s nice to be happy to be with me, There were times when I wasn’t.

I’m so grateful for the opportunity to do this for myself–to get out and clear the cobwebs so to speak–enjoying my own company.

The campsite is a footy oval and is a sea of tents and bikes. The vibe is one of excitement and anticipation as everyone prepares for what should be a relatively easy start to the ride tomorrow. It’s a very civilized start time of 0900 to allow people to arrive in the morning.

Even though I’m feeling somewhat under-prepared to tackle the 141 kilometers I will ride over the next two days, I’m looking forward to the challenge. I rode into the city for a meeting yesterday–a 30km trip there and back–and I felt quite ill at one stage. I was also, really tired last night. I do wish I’d spent more time on the bike over the past couple of weeks. Oh well, no point dwelling on the past. I’m just going to get on the bike in the morning and put one pedal in front of the other. Yes it’s going to hurt, but a little bit of soreness is a good thing. I recall when I started taekwondo and how I was ‘really’ sore every single day for two years. But it was worth it–and I’m much fitter and healthier than I was when I started that journey.

I’m planning to get up early in the morning. I want to spend more time down at the beach with my meditation practice, which has ebbed of late. I figure that I can sit for an hour before breakfast, then find somewhere in Phillip Island that sells half-decent coffee (I have to be realistic!) and be back at camp by 0800. That will give me an hour to pack up my gear and dismantle the tent before the ride gets under way.

Being
Alone, and happy to be
Quiet reflection, loving me
There are sounds of other travelers nearby
But uninterested, I lie silently
I am.

One of the things about this trip that really struck me was people’s stories, and their willingness to share them. I deliberately didn’t socialise a lot on the trip, but everyone that I did speak to seemed to have a story to tell. Perhaps I’m a little more attuned to stories because of the work that I do, but I think that it also has something to do with being away with strangers, in strange places. Telling stories is how we make connections with others.

Here is my account of just a few compelling stories that I heard (names changed to protect the identities of the storytellers):

Jill - is studying at University and is having a well deserved break after exams. She is traveling with her parents before getting married in the new year.

Jan — joined with her personal trainer on the ride as a kind of personal memorial or gift to her late husband, whom she lost five or six months ago from a brain tumor.

Jack — recently lost a finger in an accident with a power saw. He had it re-attached, but there were complications after the initial surgery. He was told later that he had died on the operating table. Following this he barely survived an embolism and pneumonia. He was now literally on the road to recovery, and planning a more challenging bike trip through Nepal next year.

John - was desperately missing his girlfriend who had recently taken a job in South America. They are going to be separated for the next six months. He also talked of his separation from his wife and having the responsibility and challenge of raising a 7 year old boy amidst the chaos of his relationships.

Jeff - had lost his wallet, including all of his money, on the night before the ride. He was heading home on the first bus that was traveling back to Melbourne. It was not because he didn’t want to ride, he just had to get back to go back to work and earn back the money he’d lost. After three days of looking for it and making all the ‘arrangements’ to cancel credit cards etc., he felt sick just talking about it.

These stories were real gifts to me. They represent people being genuine, raw and honest. They were willing to be exposed and vulnerable and above all else, immensely human.

So, inspired by the willingness of others to share their own stories, over the coming days I will be telling my own little story –  from the pages of my journal, my own personal account of the ride.