who would have thought, 6 months ago, we would have come this far!

..6 months ago i was just starting to plan the event seriously and to think about training! We have come so far since then ... who would have imagined this! I have now completed 19 consecutive days of riding across 4,458km and 163 hours in the saddle.

But the 19th day was tough, in fact, it was the first time i couldn't write my blog before sleeping, as i was quite exhausted! So it is a quick blog this morning before i start today's ride! I rode from Ulladulla to Merimbula yesterday, 226km across rolling hills, and i mean ROLLING HILLS, constant ups and down particularly the last 70km. In fact, despite none of the rises being more than 150m above sea level, they were all 5-9% climbs. The result was the biggest day's riding in terms of vertical ascent ... 3,145m ... more than when i came through the Blue Mountains.

Note to self .... never take a short cut where a driver says the road is relatively flat ha ha! This was the route that covered the last 70km !!! It was a very scenic route but i was not a pretty site at the end ha ha! We went through many stunning beaches, inlets, coves, old bridges ..... But each time we had to go up a hill and down a decent, over and over again!!. I was very lucky to have put the 202s (with a cluster (12-26) designed for hills) on the Litespeed and taken the aerobars off otherwise i would have been cursing all the more, and believe me i was cursing a lot!!!.

So today was another day where chats and messages from friends really helped .. thank-you! :)

High: Finding a Chinese Restaurant and getting loads of rice - some good food if ever you find yourself in Merimbula - Ocean City is the go!

Low: the taste of Orange-Vanilla Perpetuum! The Cafe Latte rocks but this one ....sorry Hammer!

Magpies - 2 attacks but not as aggressive as those in Central NSW, must be a better gender mix here so there is less competition for mates during the breeding season!!!

Music - Immy's 6th playlist was the go in the morning, great tracks but don't know the names, sorry! AC/DC during the hills, once again "kick in the teeth" seemed an appropriate track, the day finished with my fave hill tracks plus "Poker Face", on repeat, during the last small climb to the motel (yeah right small = 150m ...phew!)

Stats

225.7km (total 4458km, 163 hours)

S 36' 52.954

E 149' 53.607

Sorry gotta go and ride now - !!!!