The Ride Stats
10th September 2009Bunnies on board: Amanda and Annette
Meeting place: Gosford Regional Gallery
Set-off time: 9:30am
Finish time: 2pm (after coffee)
Attire: flouro vests and padded bums
Sunscreen: Oh yes indeed, very smeared up :)
Active riding time: 4 hours 15 minutes!
Distance covered: 50.5 km
Heart rate: 126 (average) 214 (max)
Calories burnt: 1737
Today's ride was mapped and predicted to be a big one, 50km to match the distance of the Sydney Spring Cycle event... (but with heaps more hills according to bunny-Amanda). Our adventure spanned more than 4 hours; 4 hours involving quite a few hysterical moments, where we literally 'fell apart' laughing our heads off on the side of the road. It's as if hilarious situations are dished up on cue whenever Amanda and I take to the roads... Starting with the Nigerian runner (freaked that one out :) ), we giggled our way to the land of pure exhaustion!
We set off from the gallery and cruised through East Gosford towards Erina... All was going well and we even managed to avoid the swooping magpies by taking a different street up to the cycle path along The Entrance Rd. Then we came upon a happily unaware (iPod plugged in) Nigerian runner bouncing along in front of us with enough side-swerv in his step to make a swift overtake impossible (not that swift overtakes are something I manage at the best of times, constantly confusing my lefts and rights (!) )... I rang my bell, but obvously he couldn't hear - and we were right on top of him by the time he realised that he was about to be run over by the biker bunnies from hell... Gave him a right fright as we doubled over with the giggles (yours truly had offered the suggestion of pinching his bum for attention - a big NO-NO as we'd have ended up in bunny detention!) and continued our merry way...
We managed to get all the way to the top of Ocean View Rd in Wamberal before our next serious incident, bunny Amanda even conquered this steep hill and rode all the way to the top! Then... we fell apart! Just past the roundabout I got a cramp in my foot... ouch it was painful! Jumping around on one foot, I followed Amanda's advice and took my shoe off... and so while I was impersonating a failed tap dancer; hobbling, waving my arms around and laughing (from the pain naturally), Amanda stood there taking photos!
In the middle of all this, 2 road-racers swished past us with a look of 'importance' about them. We decided that they were cheating and that we could carry ever so much more weight up a hill :P *cough*, needless to say we didn't call this out, nor did we give them the finger or stoop to any other Neanderthal behaviour... We just dropped our bikes on the pathway and laughed hysterically, tears running down our faces... Then to top things off; Amanda had this fantastic cramp-fixing idea... she'd hold her bike and I'd put my foot on her saddle... All very good until we realised how easily I could have kicked her straight into the traffic (she was standing very close to the edge of the path indeed...), although we managed the feat (and the cramp finally gave way), picturing the possible catastrophe: Good Samaritan brutally KICKED into oncoming traffic!! - was simply too much! Finally we scrambled back on our bikes and left the scene still laughing...
Tumbi Road went well, we stopped for a commemorative photo shoot on the Prado lady's driveway where one of the photos has us performing the Prado-jig (a ritual dance designed for these sorts of occasions). After taking on water we conquered along up to Wyong road, where we somehow were reduced to tears again (laughing), conjuring up this image of the pair of us being carted off in a paddy-wagon & placed in bunny-detention - for immediate deportation (no idea where that one came from!!)...... Somehow we made it to Lakedge avenue and followed the bike path up to Tuggerah. Having ridden this way before, we pretty much cruised through this flat part of our ride, devoting all our energy to staying focussed, sane and professional looking :)
The rest of our ride was completed with an air of equal measure zombie-state and determination. No calls to NRMA were made (although Amanda suggested fainting in Narara Medical centre, getting Dean to drive us home...), so with the sun still blaring from a bright blue sky - we knuckled down and somehow made it all the way back to the gallery, where we collapsed for a coffee!
Thank you for a hoot of a ride and look forward to the next adventure :)
The Photos (stay tuned for Amanda's contribution :) )
Amanda at the start
Conquering Ocean view Rd hill
The infamous Prado-lady's driveway
Amanda taking up Prado space...;)
Doing our PRADO-JIG
Resting at the Rugby field
I want to go home...
Amanda with her phone and flat-white
The Map
Annette :)
You didn't ask the Prado-lady if she wanted to be part of the photo! Perhaps next time? And it is more than possible that the Nigerian runner would have appreciated a photo opportunity. As I have already said, I am constantly amazed at the way you both seem to fly up hills - I really don't know how you do it. . . . .
ReplyDeleteOh I think you'd fly up hills too dear :)
ReplyDeleteThe scenery definitely helps (with or without photogenic Nigerian runners... ;) Thank you for all your happy encouraging comments, it's lovely to have such a dedicated follower!