An early start coming off a bad nights sleep after a nasty day in the sun.
Sounds like a receipe for success? Absolutely, with help from my friends 🥰
The Statistics
A long day – over a 12 hour ride – in heat that started at 5 degrees this morning at 5:45am and maxed out at 28.
The Night Before the Ride
I didn’t sleep well at all, but better than what I might have.
Bannockburn was the launch point for this leg, but all of the hut accommodation in the camp ground had been taken. The alternatives were a tent site, or something in Cromwell, which was off the beaten track.
I weighed up there options with Vic who suggested tenting in Bannockburn and launching from there. Cromwell is dead kilometers.
There was heaps of tent spaces in the Bannockburn domain. It’s a nice tidy camping ground, and I pitched my tent under a tree to reduce dew.
But the night was chilling down big time, and I had no desire of a cold night followed by the biggest climb on this tour.
A camp resident, Annabelle had the answer: screw sleeping in a tent – I’m the only tent person, and I need my sleep – sleep in the couch in the kitchen.
And that’s what I did. There was one guy surfing the net until 10:00, but when he buggered off, I slept on the couch.
Perfect – except I slept in my clothes, the same clothes I rode that day in, and the same clothes I’d ride this day in. And I was all bent out of shape from the angles of the arm wrests.
But the night on the couch was a million times better than a night in a tent. But when they alarm went off at 5:00 I only had a small number of things to do before I hit the road.
I hit the road at 5:45am.
The ride
Everything today was almost all up. It took me 5 hours to walk up the near 1000 meter climb between the base of the hill and it’s top using my 10 meter at a time push technique. There were parts that were stupidly steep – like hardcore stupidly steep.
Here’s a link to the high def pic 🙂
Today, because of how the day started, and what I had to physically do, I was in the hurt cave.
I’m starting to fall asleep as I write this. There’s a lot more to say and pictures to add.
Both Rebecca and Vic helped out. I was a bit of an emotional hurricane this morning, but after talking with Rebecca (there might have been tears ..) my attitude spun on a dime.
And then, I was absolutely good to go!
Throughout the day Vic gave me encouraging texts – she was following me on a weekend! I had my own satellite Vic watching me.
And now I’m going to flake out on bed.
Big day. Thanks ladies 🤗