Character Building

I'm starting to get used to this Toowoomba "thing". I miss home a lot during the week as I spend a few days up here on my own, then commute Thursdays and Friday's. It's wearing on mind and body. Having spent so much time over the last 17 years with my boy, not being with him every day is a constant source of angst. I feel like I'm missing out on so much of his life, especially his sporting life to which he's an absolute champion.

At least I can get a bit of riding in while I'm up here. Like yesterday's epic-ness. What I thought would be a reasonable, "run of the mill" 60k ride turned into a ride of epic proportions, for me anyway. Only 60k I hear you say? read on dear folks...

I left in the daylight with a slight breeze blowing in from the west, something that hasn't happened for a few weeks. Generally, over the last month, it's been an absolute gale force chill wind, with temps in the low teens to lower. Last Wednesday, with the wind chill, it was equivalent to 6 degrees celsius all day. Not particularly pleasant.Most days are the same in winter up here apparently!

From 2k out (from the uni where I work) the road turns rapidly from reasonable to ridiculous, with barely a shoulder to ride on, and idiots driving past yelling obscenities. That's not particularly helpful when the following vehicle is a massive cattle truck with several trailers worth of prime beef.

Anyway, after traversing some awful bitumen, I turned eastwards and was able to relax and take in the countryside. Late in the afternoon it's quite nice. The wind had all but dropped and I was just humming along smelling the roses, looking at tractors and saying "moo" to all the cows. Then it all started....

From that moment on it seemed every hill was at least 12% and they just kept coming, leading up to what they call locally, 'the wall", a bloody steep hill (15%?) that seemed never ending. By then it was dark and I had the Ay-Ups blazing away. All I could think at that moment was WTF is this???

After cresting that one, a short flattish road section and then came "The Descent". A massive downhill that would have been awesome in daylight, but was downright dangerous in the pitch black. Gravel here and there and twisting turns (not to mention on-coming speedsters) made me quite circumspect and so I kept the speed to around the 60kph mark, just in case there was a kangaroo or cow in the middle of the road (you do think of strange things in the middle of the night). I'd passed several "roo's" on the verge of the road already and so the idea of hitting one and going OTB had me a little spooked.

The "flatland", it's all relative I guess, went by quickly and I think, in daylight, it would be a really scenic place between the valleys. I'll have to go back and check it out one day soon. One thing about living up here is that country drivers don't get the idea of dipping their headlights when approaching someone on a bike on a very narrow road at night. I spent a lot of time off the road waiting for cars to pass because I couldn't see a damn thing!

Finally I got to the bottom of the range, where I knew what was coming. Having nothing much for lunch and only a gel I'd consumed an hour beforehand I was feeling pretty drained and just wanted it to be over. It was never going to happen so easily because this particular piece of road (4k's) is stupidly steep. The temperature was getting chilly (that's Toowoomba speak for cold) and I was daydreaming (onset of delirium?) of a burning hot shower and a Big Mac (and I hate Macca's!!!). Focus, focus Jeff!!

The Range - Flagstone Creek Road Ascent.

This would likely be one of my most pathetic (time wise) and yet character building experiences. I was already pretty much "hitting the wall" when I hit the first segment. A really steep pinch of only 80 or so metres (and maybe 15%-17%), but honestly, I was shattered. The first upwards pitch and I was struggling. Select "granny gear" (God, where's my mtb when I need it!) and just try to keep moving. The pitch tamed it was a short but oh-so-good "flattish" section before hitting another pinch. This went on for for 40 minutes. During that time I was chewing the bars and thinking of walking the whole mountain. And I did walk for 20-30 metres twice, just to get my heart rate down.. and I couldn't care. I kept it together mentally and got to the final hill, where I felt a wave of euphoria wash over me. I don't think I've ever felt as bad (or as good) as I did after riding (only) 60k's. That distance is normally an easy morning spin, not a "will I ever get back home" sufferfest. It was a very weird experience.

At last I got back to my tiny cabin and made myself a coffee, and just sat outside on the steps, in the cold, going back over the ride. I didn't think about anything much but that moment in time, and those last 3 hours of hell. I was "home", in one piece, the bike itself was outstanding in those conditions (smooth and surefooted) and feeling like I'd accomplished something meaningful, if only for my own ego.

There's a cycling blog called "Being Kristian Manietta" (http://kristianmanietta.com/momento-mori/) and in it, one of his rides is titled "Momento Mori", which means "remember your mortality". I thought about that a lot during the ride. Like Manietta says, "understanding that concept is a start to living". Manietta goes on to say "Why do we rush through life? Rarely pausing to soak in the experiences, the views, the smells and at times the freshness of it all". Well I did that last night, I spent at least an hour in the "solitary" hurt box, and I loved every stinking minute of it.

Today my legs hurt, I've felt sick in the guts, and I can't wait for another burning hot shower tonight. But if I had to do it all over again, I'd gladly jump back on the bike and hit that route one more time. 

Bike? Check. Lights? Check. Wattles bottles? Check.

Cow country

Getting nearer the ascent to hell..and they say it's downhill? Some people have no idea, it's all about the "up".

Ride route and profile

Stay right side up everyone.

Till next time.