RandoTips

My First 300km

On Sunday, 15 January, 2012 I did my first 300km bike ride.

This was a chance occurrence and just the right combination of things came together to give me the whole day for riding.

It seems that the vast majority of longer rides end up occurring by chance, rather than being explicitly planned. This has its upsides and downsides, but overall it’s quite nice to just have some rides in mind, and then just jump on one when the opportunity presents itself.

The Night Before

The plan was to head North for 150km, turn around, then head home. At least, that was the plan.

On the Saturday morning I was not feeling too well, in retrospect I think that terrible eating the day before was carrying over to the next day. Well, it only took one small waffle to set my stomach alight and that was it for the Saturday afternoon. I’ll spare the details, but I did lose my meal and only felt better that night after my custom created stomach remedy…

Popcorn and sweets.

This combination is not as crazy as it sounds, and here’s my completely BS reason why. The popcorn helps to softly absorb much of the nasty stuff in your stomach, soothing any discomfort. The sweets, in this case Frutips, help to replace sugars lost when throwing up and not eating well. This is not intended to hold up to critical study, but it is what I do.

In any case, by midnight I was ready for sleep and lay my head down for a pretty good four hours of sleep.

Heading Off

At a tad after 4:00 in the morning I set out for a long slog into the North wind that is a constant companion on any riding on Taiwan’s West coast.

I was prepared for some pretty cold weather and had bought a new (my first ever) outer shell for the ride. It was good in the beginning, but didn’t stay long for long as my body temperature inside the jacket increased rapidly.

Early in the morning is a fantastic time to go riding. There are no cars on the road, or at least incredibly few on the roads I ride on and you get the benefit of cooler air and slightly lower humidity. It’s extremely peaceful and I’ve always had a liking for mornings even though I’m not an early riser on the average day.

First Puncture

It was around the 14km mark that I heard the dreaded hiss that was to be my first puncture of the day.

I thankfully had all the equipment I needed, so without too much fuss I changed it. At this stage I still had the thought of going home, but the challenge of setting a new personal goal was enough to keep me on track. And besides, I had planned more than enough time to get my ride done even if there were a few mishaps.

It took a little longer than expected to change the tube because of the limited light, but like much of Taiwan, there is always some light, so I waited for passing cars to provide any added light when needed.

I pumped up the tube and headed along, taking in the sounds of the birds bustling about nearby.

Slow Going

I didn’t quite realize how slowly I was going until I clocked in the first 60km in close to four hours. Now, even with the puncture stop that was a little on the slow side and realized I would not get the speeds I had managed with my 200km ride two months before.

By this stage the sun was out, but the weather was still coldish. Only my continuing movement stopped my body from really feeling the chill from the outside. My arm warmers continuing to perform their function adequately after more than a decade of use.

My speedometer was giving me an ominous message when I got this puncture.

I was also feeling a bit better than when I started my ride.

Being more prepared, with plenty of sports drinks and sandwiches to keep me nourished my stomach was feeling much better and was pretty much on its way to recovery from the abuse I had dished out to it the day before.

And then that familiar sound started again. This time a much smaller sound, but that same distinctive hiss that threatens to pounce at any time.

The Second Puncture

This time I was out of tubes. So out came the patches.

I have a bad habit of holding on to old tubes far longer than is probably healthy. Many look like a patchwork when they reach the end of their lives. The end coming either when there is a valve failure or some kind, or they find themselves at the end of the line when a new tube happens to arrive on the block.

Having to sit and wait for a tube to dry is quite refreshing at times. Being forced to stop and just wait gives me a chance to just take in my surroundings and notice the vegetation and animal life.

The tube that I had taken out earlier in the day turned out to be a total wreak. The nail that had caused the previous puncture had severed the tube from one side to the other, leaving one smallish hole and one much larger one, so I opted for fixing the tube I had brought, which had one small hole.

Breakfast Time

At around 10:00, I stopped for breakfast, and for the first time ever I had a hard time finishing a small pasta meal. Considering the four fat sandwiches I had already eaten that shouldn’t have been surprising.

My spaghetti breakfast at the 7-11 around the 120km mark.

But the breakfast stop also gave me a chance to use the bicycle tools available at all 7-11 stores in Taiwan.

Every 7-11 has a rudimentary set of tools for bikes. These are all-in-one tools which won’t help for any major overhauls but with a spoke key and a range of allen keys, there is very little that can’t be fixed. No patch kits though.

But the most important thing is the floor pump.

When I used the floor pump to inflate my tires I realized that in my haste I had only pumped my rear tire to 1.5 bar (25 psi), which is a far cry from the 4.5 bar (65 psi) that should be in there.

I suddenly realized why I felt a little heavy when riding. Duh!

2014 New Year Dongshan Ride

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-JVaSQ1_1jfY/Uu8AGKCo0VI/AAAAAAAARiU/_C1cmPxrVKU/s144-c-o/IMAG2331.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/DongshanPeakRide02#5975995336318570834″ caption=”Carrots” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2331.jpg” ]

Same ol’ story. Kids went to their aunty and uncle’s house so I went out for a ride. As I was dealing with an ample amount of time I decided against a flatland cruise and opted for the pristine beauty of the hills of Dongshan.

[pe2-image src=”//lh5.ggpht.com/-yE-2pvrrPvE/Uu8B__ySzgI/AAAAAAAARik/BqEilS9xnFY/s144-c-o/IMAG2332.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/DongshanPeakRide02#5975997429509705218″ caption=”Farm Road” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2332.jpg” ]

I set off at about 10:30 after a short chat with the neighbors kids who are here for the holidays. They were telling me that the other kid was there because her mother had stayed up all night playing majhong so was too tired to take of her and had just left her there while she went to sleep. Hmm, kids are so damn honest, not a soul would mention the illegal gambling there, despite how blatantly obvious it is.

Gambling aside, I headed off in the wonderfully warm weather that has been dished out this lunar new year.

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-JUAnqBsoU5c/Uu8F5tHMruI/AAAAAAAARi0/xnxXWqLhssw/s144-c-o/IMAG2333.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/DongshanPeakRide02#5976001719464406754″ caption=”Baked Sweet Potato” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2333.jpg” ]

After a long stretch I passed the familiar sweet potato guy. I really don’t know how much business he gets there, but he’s there almost everytime I pass by.

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-vzt8rdDU3HQ/Uu8Kih4iMTI/AAAAAAAARjE/D7inxkKwfsU/s144-c-o/IMAG2334.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/DongshanPeakRide02#5976006818871259442″ caption=”Betelnut Stand” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2334.jpg” ]

In Liujia I took a slightly different route which bypassed some of the more crowded parts of the town.

[pe2-image src=”//lh5.ggpht.com/-Cx4QtlFC1ZU/Uu8K69FqjpI/AAAAAAAARjQ/DRE0a8NNtO0/s144-c-o/IMAG2335.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/DongshanPeakRide02#5976007238490951314″ caption=”Liujia Sports Center” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2335.jpg” ]

The sports center was quite empty as the sun was out. Oh, the wonders of have the opposite thinking about sunny skies.

[pe2-image src=”//lh5.ggpht.com/-s4ZGcEopXUY/Uu8PBEtBgoI/AAAAAAAARjg/hIMp2P3Far8/s144-c-o/IMAG2336.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/DongshanPeakRide02#5976011741660807810″ caption=”Into the Hills” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2336.jpg” ]

Shortly after I hit the foothills. The picture above was for no reason other than “here are hills”.

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-qtmMNwr5w2s/Uu8QyHz03QI/AAAAAAAARjw/z08O9Hn2h6k/s144-c-o/IMAG2337.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/DongshanPeakRide02#5976013683819863298″ caption=”More into the Hills” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2337.jpg” ]

I took a short break to remove my shirt as I was getting quite warm and wanted to bathe in the sunshine.

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-bKiPaurDMrE/Uu8Ro-xXIqI/AAAAAAAARj8/7mNzT2yTNlM/s144-c-o/IMAG2338.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/DongshanPeakRide02#5976014626286412450″ caption=”174 Signpost” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2338.jpg” ]

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-ecSxErZbFnw/Uu8S7KcWOTI/AAAAAAAARkM/c8DjM1IDIdw/s144-c-o/IMAG2339.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/DongshanPeakRide02#5976016038168770866″ caption=”Cliff” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2339.jpg” ]

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-QP0EBsbuMmA/Uu8YOqUIddI/AAAAAAAARkg/hl-lmezTDn0/s144-c-o/IMAG2340.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/DongshanPeakRide02#5976021870699902418″ caption=”Rest Stop” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2340.jpg” ]

I was hot enough at the rest stop to need to fill up with Super Supau. The motorbikes in the view decided that trying to slip in before the convoy of cars would be a good idea, then changed their minds and just sat in the middle of one lane waiting to get hit. Never mind that behind the convoy was completely clear, they still wanted to squeeze in. Quality of driving… sigh.

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-VC-nWmsk76U/Uu8ZAGwk9AI/AAAAAAAARks/0aa-_RpKVoM/s144-c-o/IMAG2341.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/DongshanPeakRide02#5976022720148993026″ caption=”River” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2341.jpg” ]

The rolling hills came and went. As I ride this area more and become familiar with the hills, so the easier they become. Perhaps it is for this same reason that I ride the flats so much. They are so familiar, there are no surprises, I know how long it will take to get home, I know when the next tough climb is and when I can get some water. I also know exactly what is good about the ride, similar to watching a favorite movie again and again.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-BS-poHqU2zQ/Uu8cCrpFXyI/AAAAAAAARk8/tY8CsWHMwRw/s144-c-o/IMAG2342.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/DongshanPeakRide02#5976026062944296738″ caption=”Sunny, Hot and Quiet” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2342.jpg” ]

[pe2-image src=”//lh5.ggpht.com/-DshcCOg3IP0/Uu8dD2nu4_I/AAAAAAAARlI/ddkaajEvbfI/s144-c-o/IMAG2343.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/DongshanPeakRide02#5976027182582916082″ caption=”Turnoff to main climb” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2343.jpg” ]

The turnoff to the temple signals the start of the main climbing portion of the ride. It heads up fairly steeply, but the road has been paved recently and is quite easy to zip up. The main portion to the temple took me around 20 minutes, but could be done in much less.

[pe2-image src=”//lh5.ggpht.com/-7hwafOeJryo/Uu8e3p__7CI/AAAAAAAARlY/_ogAalSh_CU/s144-c-o/IMAG2344.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/DongshanPeakRide02#5976029172059860002″ caption=”Enjoying the sun” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2344.jpg” ]

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-AgGWk7V2oso/Uu8gK_-DwXI/AAAAAAAARlo/_5GtwiRDjtk/s144-c-o/IMAG2345.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/DongshanPeakRide02#5976030603886444914″ caption=”Stairs for walkers” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2345.jpg” ]

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-beIcXMPfr7M/Uu8jMnhyKII/AAAAAAAARl4/lvH-tT2ckd0/s144-c-o/IMAG2346.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/DongshanPeakRide02#5976033930220021890″ caption=”Almost to the temple” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2346.jpg” ]

The temple is when the real fun begins because there are almost no cars or people up there. Although the road to the trailhead is rough, it’s still driveable. It’s a bit of cranking in very low gears on the bike. The short burst to the flatter top section is brief.

[pe2-image src=”//lh5.ggpht.com/-hiV6bvssUTg/Uu8nBKxlPGI/AAAAAAAARmI/iZiLXXhA3hg/s144-c-o/IMAG2347.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/DongshanPeakRide02#5976038131569605730″ caption=”Hiking Trail Map (I took the small loop just north of the You Are Here)” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2347.jpg” ]

There is trail system around here which I have never explored so today would be a good time to start. An MTB with slicks is not the most sensible choice, but is quite doable. Only the rockiest of trails are too tough to ride and those tend to be short sections.

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-eVoRQ37T5NU/Uu8pBLhWq8I/AAAAAAAARmY/mZvwBL9G1Nw/s144-c-o/IMAG2348.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/DongshanPeakRide02#5976040330793233346″ caption=”Tiny Paved Road” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2348.jpg” ]

The path up looked quite steep but started off with quite a promising cemented section. Usually this means that someone at some time has needed to get a car up there. That also means that it will be rideable, even with only slicks. Actually a road bike should be fine too, except for the lack of low gearing (ie. you just need stronger legs).

[pe2-image src=”//lh5.ggpht.com/-64ZNwNrgqfA/Uu8rV3NKCLI/AAAAAAAARmo/psDGI6qXOKo/s144-c-o/IMAG2349.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/DongshanPeakRide02#5976042885140318386″ caption=”Hiking Trail” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2349.jpg” ]

After passing a small house the cemented sections disappeared. But the trails that were left were wonderful. Having little gusto left in my legs I did have dismount for some rockier sections and take breaks after hard pushes. Sometimes the going is so steep that walking makes more sense and probably uses less energy overall.

An aside:

This has started me thinking how rideable these trails are for a regular (front suspension, knobbly tires) mountain bike. There are further trails to explore and it turns out that I’d picked the short “tourist hike” which has a stairway straight up from the temple below. Something for another day.

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-jzwwLRgaT2A/Uu8tgRmLFLI/AAAAAAAARm4/eWGRTJ19Fgw/s144-c-o/IMAG2352.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/DongshanPeakRide02#5976045263046513842″ caption=”Trail Map” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2352.jpg” ]

The scale is so large that the orange loop on the map above is, by my calculations, barely a square kilometer.

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-7gWC13N8ERY/Uu8uStgsXiI/AAAAAAAARnE/-KJF4_rS28I/s144-c-o/IMAG2353.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/DongshanPeakRide02#5976046129533181474″ caption=”Panorama from the peak” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2353.jpg” ]

From the top it’s a bird’s eye view of the hills. The clouds had come over and blocked the view somewhat, but it was good. I had a long chat with some folks at the top, and the most talkative guy suggested I should start an English school in his town and he’d invest financially. Who knows?

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-CU8F8jsKoNg/Uu86FGBe3WI/AAAAAAAARnY/oLHHaWRl-F8/s144-c-o/IMAG2356.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/DongshanPeakRide02#5976059089734524258″ caption=”Big temple” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2356.jpg” ]

I made the dash home as I was feeling tired, the main temple came and went.

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-NXKoA2Y4BdM/Uu89_A8ouQI/AAAAAAAARno/O6UtXbf9kn8/s144-c-o/IMAG2357.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/DongshanPeakRide02#5976063383339317506″ caption=”Not so big temple” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2357.jpg” ]

I stopped in briefly at the other, smaller temple (is there a theme developing).

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-iXSTbb4sjbE/Uu9NxK0ASJI/AAAAAAAARn8/1u0stKcQ8y4/s144-c-o/IMAG2358.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/DongshanPeakRide02#5976080737655343250″ caption=”Resting on the road” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2358.jpg” ]

I just took in the miles, taking a rest by the road as I headed past Liujia.

I stopped at the sweet potato guy and ate two of those while on the road home, which provided some relief for my hungry tummy, although it didn’t relieve my headache. The headache was most likely from all the sun on my pale skin. Now that spring has sprung it’s time to get some rays.

[pe2-image src=”//lh5.ggpht.com/-l-S4VPCHuHQ/Uu9YHMSx1sI/AAAAAAAARoQ/ETaVprO0zj4/s144-c-o/IMAG2359.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/DongshanPeakRide02#5976092111126255298″ caption=”Farmlands near home” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2359.jpg” ]

And, as all my rides conclude I went through the farmlands. More and more I’m avoiding the towns and cities, I was shattered by this point, but still chose the tiny, unkept roads.

Next time around I’ll aim for the much longer trail to the south of the trailhead. It appears to be about 4km and lands up by the smaller temple above, even it becomes unrideable I can still push my bike. Preparing some appropriate footwear for walking, or just going barefoot, would be in order if I were to try that.

2013 Tropic of Cancer Randonneurs 400k

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-3hK7s4P3fos/UsT85xpLM9I/AAAAAAAARQ4/MePQpNJl5-8/s144-c-o/IMAG2150.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169876054160338″ caption=”Water Tower” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2150.jpg” ]

October 5th and 6th, 2013 were the 2013 Tropic of Cancer Randonneurs 400k. This ride was one of the most devastating I’ve ever done, it was fun, tiring and had an unexpected ending.

The day started with the typical commute to the start line. I headed off at around 4 in the morning to get the start line with plenty of time to take a quick rest, sign in and consume some food.

The water tower pictured above just caught my eye. I don’t see too many of these, so there you go. You’re welcome.

[pe2-image src=”//lh5.ggpht.com/-RPROjUn0-L8/UsT8534xdmI/AAAAAAAARQ4/JHGHXU4eSYM/s144-c-o/IMAG2151.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169877730195042″ caption=”Sunrise” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2151.jpg” ]

The sunrise was typically wonderful, rising over the hills to the east. I look forward to this every time I head to the start of these rides. The sun over the hills, the lush green fields, and I’ll conveniently forget the stench emitting from some of the nearby factories. Glorious for the eyes, though.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-8nv8_pAZH8Y/UsT85xJbsoI/AAAAAAAARQ0/5emBjFwIb54/s144-c-o/IMAG2154.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169875921023618″ caption=”Morning nap” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2154.jpg” ]

I got to the start with plenty of time. So I lay down and went to sleep for a while, remembering to turn on my alarm so that I wouldn’t just miss the start.

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-fCve6S4ztq0/UsT852j6o2I/AAAAAAAARQ4/NSAnMJEKIkk/s144-c-o/IMAG2156.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169877374280546″ caption=”Registration table” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2156.jpg” ]

The organizers were all ready and I went to grab my numbers and other little bits before the start. Much the same as the 200k and 300k I did, but with slightly fewer entrants. Not too surprising really.

One fellow I had hoped to get a chat with was Jake Pollock who people were talking about as the foreigner with the fixie coming in before the final checkpoint had even opened. Well, we got to chat for a little bit, but as soon as the road went upward he left me in the dust. Really, hats off for doing it on a fixie, albeit a very nice fixie, and for going it at a pretty fast clip.

Worth mentioning is that Mark Roche wasn’t at this one, so I knew I’d have to find someone else to latch onto for some motivation later in the ride.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-3wEFND68cVs/UsT855B_6gI/AAAAAAAARQ0/CpFFsF-kxFk/s144-c-o/IMAG2158.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169878037326338″ caption=”First checkpoint” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2158.jpg” ]

I made quick work of the first checkin. I did the checkin and then pushed on. I had taken a bunch of stuff to eat with me, so gobbled down some on the road after leaving the checkpoint.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-6jPNvrEqfjk/UsT85-sDdGI/AAAAAAAARQ4/hMnKTnPjr7k/s144-c-o/IMAG2159.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169879555896418″ caption=”Bridge” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2159.jpg” ]

Cruising along, this bridge is one I usually avoid. There is a small, tree-lined road that provides a much nicer view and is slightly flatter and shorter. However, as I found when riding to Hehuan Mountain, there are no lights at night, so I’ll be relegated to this big road for night rides in the future.

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-IuW3Pkt7H_s/UsT85z2gWFI/AAAAAAAARQ4/d5xhwL3Wl40/s144-c-o/IMAG2161.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169876646942802″ caption=”Train track” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2161.jpg” ]

The main road goes over the train track, the alternative goes under it.

[pe2-image src=”//lh5.ggpht.com/-Ewgq0Vgz7zo/UsT853slEhI/AAAAAAAARQ4/WVd-iWU56mg/s144-c-o/IMAG2163.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169877679051282″ caption=”Which way?” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2163.jpg” ]

I had managed to stick with some fellow riders and was hoping that they would lead me in the right direction. However, they were as clueless as I was. We waited for some time for other riders to come. Some did come, told us to go straight, and that turned out to be the wrong way and we took and alternative sideroad to join back to the main road a little while later.

[pe2-image src=”//lh5.ggpht.com/-qhpjCWNjZzg/UsT85zo1ZeI/AAAAAAAARQ0/q3GGMHoJYjU/s144-c-o/IMAG2164.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169876589602274″ caption=”Some guys” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2164.jpg” ]

These guys got to pull me along for a while. We didn’t get to much chatting, but they did help me to keep up the pace for a bit.

Aside: I really dislike the pace of most of the riders I follow. Perhaps there is something to be said for the culture of cycling that I grew up with. For me, consistent pace is of utmost important. I find so often that the folks I ride with accelerate really quickly, but inevitably get caught at the next traffic light. I see this as completely inefficient. Gathering speed is really taxing and takes far more energy than maintaining speed. I’d much rather gather speed slowly, then keep up a good rhythm. Racing to a red light just seems silly to me. Slow down, cruise to the light and try to catch it as it turns green for the minimum of effort.

[pe2-image src=”//lh4.ggpht.com/-xBGwVniQUVQ/UsT85_4gMmI/AAAAAAAARQ4/_aID9oy0LX8/s144-c-o/IMAG2165.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169879876547170″ caption=”Old house” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2165.jpg” ]

This house looks awesome. Abandoned, but must have been great while in use.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-Sq1exsvt8gU/UsT85wYvmHI/AAAAAAAARQ4/0R78BjkGRrY/s144-c-o/IMAG2166.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169875716806770″ caption=”Yay! Downhill” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2166.jpg” ]

The reprieve after the first big climb. Not too many pictures after this.

After the downhill I started to realize just how much I was struggling. I didn’t feel at all right and was wondering what it was.

I can pinpoint two things.

First was not riding my bike. Duh! Between the last big ride and this one I had hardly done any riding. I’m not the most regular at the best of times, but I had slipped out of shape without realizing it. It should have been obvious, but only when I thought back did I realize how little I’d done.

Secondly was single-leg pistol squats. An exercise I had added back into my training routine on the Thursday. Bad move. My hamstrings were sore, I thought they might loosen up over the ride, they did, but not enough. It was a lingering tiredness that raised its ugly head every time I put unnecessary pressure on the pedals, just spinning was fine at first, but even that got tiring later on.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-ty8xXorKL8M/UsT85wh_8_I/AAAAAAAARQ4/7IHNLSzydWQ/s144-c-o/IMAG2168.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169875755627506″ caption=”Panorama from bridge” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2168.jpg” ]

A little way before the turning point was this beautiful view of a valley. I always love these, even if the river is all destroyed. Cliffs pouring down into the valley are awesome.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-RZ0IgeUwifk/UsT85zBj0JI/AAAAAAAARQ4/Z3Qk7YNaJHc/s144-c-o/IMAG2169.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169876424872082″ caption=”Steep cliffs” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2169.jpg” ]

From the other side the cliff looked like this.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-3b61ZA81flc/UsT854InqEI/AAAAAAAARQ4/rCkMTx8hogI/s144-c-o/IMAG2170.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169877796661314″ caption=”Turn around point” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2170.jpg” ]

The turnaround point was not too much later and it turned out to be a much longer stop than I had hoped. I was very tired and had consumed a lot more food than I thought I’d need. That meant I was struggling, both because I could eat too much and because I was going slow enough to easily eat more.

I chatted with Noles, the organizer, for a bit and finally headed on.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-qr8vDbohUwY/UsT85zlnQpI/AAAAAAAARQ4/W7ovLR55qjk/s144-c-o/IMAG2171.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169876576092818″ caption=”The hills by the turnaround point” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2171.jpg” ]

[pe2-image src=”//lh5.ggpht.com/-5zuiTotv-ZQ/UsT858aF4NI/AAAAAAAARQ4/XgwvWXO1vP4/s144-c-o/IMAG2172.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169878943686866″ caption=”Sluice” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2172.jpg” ]

The next time I felt like taking a picture was at the sluice. I was hurting and not liking my chances of completion.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-sZRg0RcQEBc/UsT85yD_6SI/AAAAAAAARQ4/tbdz2fiXGOA/s144-c-o/IMAG2174.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169876166666530″ caption=”New friend” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2174.jpg” ]

At some point after I met this dude. He had a pace I could follow and we chatted for some time. We also helped to find the way as we were heading into the evening.

I was fading fast and becoming quite unmotivated.

[pe2-image src=”//lh6.ggpht.com/-q9VyIVu9gYQ/UsT85wECBvI/AAAAAAAARQ4/Rs_s71hh-Ek/s144-c-o/IMAG2175.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169875629934322″ caption=”Stuff by the road” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2175.jpg” ]

I even managed to start taking random photos of nothing.

[pe2-image src=”//lh3.ggpht.com/-n2KgPQlQJXk/UsT85xQT3xI/AAAAAAAARQ4/nwiGjKkgoNY/s144-c-o/IMAG2177.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/110249026098208712655/2013TropicOfCancerRandonneurs400k#5964169875949870866″ caption=”My handlebars” type=”image” alt=”IMAG2177.jpg” ]

I kept going over in my mind if I could make it to the finish. I hardly ever give up on a ride, but this time we passed within 25km of the house. I had very little left in me and decided to leave this battle for another day.

A quick call to the organizer to tell him I’d dropped out and then a slow ride back to my house.

If I’m going to continue to do these rides and continue to do the longer ones I’m going to have to ride more. I’ve put much less time into training these days, and it shows. Although I don’t have time for long training rides I think I’m going to have to at least incorporate some interval training into my exercise schedule. At least that way I’ll keep my cycling muscles in some sort of shape, rather than turning into jelly.

Finally, it needs to be said that this ride was great. I’ll need to give it a bash another time though.