Lunch to the FINISH LINE!!

Hello again - so a week has passed and I am finally going to finish the grand adventure that was the Ride to Conquer Cancer. Before I go on, can I say, that the last two stages were our favourite part of this adventure!! This entire journey was difficult.... really difficult, but then again, so is Cancer!! But at this point, after being refueled and feeling fresh again, we were ready to hit the streets and make our way to the finish line. The rain had hit hard again while eating lunch and now the skies were beginning to clear and there were only two more stages to go!!

So we have travelled a total of 192.55km now, according to my trusty little ordometer and unfortunately, so far, it hasn't been wrong! When my brain was convincing my body to continue on for a total of 118k until tent city, my ordometer told us that it was over 120k until we pulled into the camp site, so the sign above told us that it was 49k to go to the end - that meant my trusty ordometer would have to say 241.55k for us to have reached the very end. The brain was now telling the body the rules - no walking! No stopping! The end is only 49k to go AND we still had one more rest stop. The only place acceptable to stop is the final stop to change back into my Ride jersey (as Carly had a white jersey on at the moment). But before leaving, as advised by Dad, time to put on dry socks! It would make the rest of the ride much more comfortable. Check the socks... hmmm, all soggy! Maybe someone should have told me that saddle bags are not waterproof! So on the road we go, soggy socks and all!

This feels familiar, suburbia, this is the environment in which we had done the small amount of training that had been done before the great adventure! Granted, on the Gold Coast and not Brisbane, but suburbia none the less!! This felt really good! Traffic, traffic lights, bike lanes, signalling, rolling hills. Fantastic! So now, I apologise Michelle (she had ridden with us through some of the insane hills and we vowed to keep on track through these areas - once again, I took off on Michelle! I explained to her that I just had to take advantage of the feeling that I could be strong through these areas, before we hit another area where everyone else could overtake us again!! She seemed to understand and was happy to let us go off at our own pace!). My pace was great fun. I enjoyed it immensely, we found other like-minded riders and I have to say, that from this point on, not one hill conquered us! Although without the help of one of the riders, one definately would have. I'll tell you about that one later.

We rode through suburbia, past some amazing homes, through an industrial estate and along more suburban streets until we hit the final pit stop somewhere between Redbank Plains and Inala. Our change stop and as time went on, what became a gasbag stop. It was here that we ended up having some conversations with some other riders, riders that (gasp and surprise!!) were impressed with our riding, we discovered that we had been utilised as a challenging pace by a number of riders that were around us. Did I mention that this stage felt really good! We zoomed down rolling hills and dropped into a heavy gear and pushed up small steep hills with strength and left riders behind! None of the 'leaving behind' bits had been happening in any of the other stages! It really felt fantastic. So next thing, we have spoken with Sharn and given her an extimate of our arrival as both her and mum were waiting for us on the roundabout at the finish. Based on the intensity of the last stage and the length of it, we estimated that we would be coming in at about 3pm (not the smartest estimation, as at this stage it was 2:14pm!!) and I was still chatting to several other riders! So when we jumped onto the bike after changing into the 'Ride' jersey (which was wet!) if was close to 3pm already and we still had to travel 23.3k to the end. This was a truly enjoyable ride with plenty to look at. One part of the ride getting closer to St Lucia had amazing properties to rival Toorak! We rode through a HUGE round about with lots of traffic which was quite an adventure. It appeared to be an exit off a freeway and had a large shopping centre nearby. Despite being in the thick of suburbia, there were still some challenging hills to dig into which made the ride enjoyable AND challenging! I had been riding on and off with several of the people that I had chatted to at the last stop, one of these riders had trained around these areas and had noticed my earlier weakness with long intense hills - she prewarned me about an upcoming hill at the very end. We rode together up to that point, then she slipped ahead and told me to look down and focus on her back wheel and not to look up - not even once. She knew that I could make it, but if I looked up, I may just convince myself that I couldn't! I only wish that I could remember her name, but, unfortunately, I cannot! This hill was insane! This hill was steep! This hill was a killer! This hill was a first gear only hill! So we rode... and rode... and rode, until I had no more gears to move through, my poor little legs were peddaling and my bike was barely moving, but I wasn't stopping and each time I lost that back tyre, I wouldn't look up, I would just dig deeper and pedal harder until I could see that back wheel again. Until it happened! The hill crested! I yelled a thankyou to my wonderful assistant, who just smiled and told me that she wouldn't have bothered if she didn't think I could do it and then she took off - unfortunately, taking off was not an option for me - I was spent! I rode leisurely on the last 1.8k to the end. I went around one corner and could already hear cheering and the sound of the announcements! As I rode on, I went around a round about and came along a stretch and there in front of me at the very next round about were two very big smiley faces - one blowing kisses and one waving, between clapping and cheering. What a complete buzz! Not only had we finally finished this epic ride, but we had people waiting for us to get in too!

As we crossed the line, I heard Carly's name getting announced - no-one mentioned me, but I know that they were all watching me! I held pride of place on the handlebars after all!

The challenges that were super tough and sometimes completely unexpected were what made this adventure so completely amazing. Also, I'm not sure if you picked up on it, but the one main goal I set for myself - DO NOT GET SWEPT - I achieved! We may have walked some of it and we may have struggled through some of it, we may have considered allowing the sweep vehicle to pick us up while the skies were pouring gallons of water onto us and we were spending a massive amount of time climbing evil hills (and adding blisters to the back of our heels - did I mention that bike shoes are designed to ride your bike in, not climb hills in), but no matter what challenge was thrown at us (even falling - ok, so that really wasn't very dramatic!) we did not get swept!!

So we got back to the finish area, grabbed a bite to eat and a cuppa and got out of the soggy nix, sox and jersey and climbed into some comfortable, dry clothes and went over to the sign up tent to sign up for the ride next year! So our team already has three riders so far and we are really keen to recruit! Sign up fee is only $50 and includes all of your food, your glorious sleeping quarters and entertainment! All you need to do is join in our fundraising adventures and raise a minimum of $2500 for the cause and you have until August next year to raise it by!! So what are you waiting for, have you clicked on the link yet? www.conquercancer.org.au join our team - Curves Southport.

Watch this fantastic video to get a taste of the adventure! This was posted by one of the other riders, who has kindly given me permission to add it into my blog. Thanks Casey. If anyone knows how I can embed this into the blog - please let me know, meanwhile head on over to Casey's youtube vid and check this out!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk6f4sb-Wmk

So, that was my adventure and I am Cwa - Cat with Attitude! Cheshire Grins to you!!

Next week, I will be blogging to you all about our little walk we will be going on! We are so lucky to be on the Gold Coast - there are some amazing beaches here, so next Saturday, we will be walking on them and taking full advantage of them....the catch....we are aiming to be walking with a minumum of 150 people to raise funds for the Cancer Council. Our event - the Challenge to Conquer Cancer has been embraced by the Cancer Council as the official launch event for Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the launch of Pink Ribbon promotions - so please, join us! Everyone is welcome, as cancer does not discriminate. It is only $15 and 100% of the funds are being donated. We will also be providing a light breakfast at the end of the event. You can choose to walk 5k or to run 10k. Wear your most fantastic pink gear and if you are game - your bra (or your wives, girlfriends, mothers and best girly friend - if you are male - you know you want to!!) on the outside to highlight the event is for Breast Cancer Awareness. We would love to see you there. Saturday 1st October @ 7.30am at Narrowneck Surf Beach, Main Beach Parade on the Gold Coast.

Remember, individually we are strong,

but together, we can change the world!

Smiles to you, Cwa!

From camp onwards!

The portable showers which were worth the wait!!

Hello.

So it has been a little while since we have been in to update the blog and I know that you are all hanging in complete suspense. Right?
Well, anyway, this blog will be a little longer and I will be getting back on at least once a week to update from now on! A cat's life - sometimes life just gets in the way.
So.... where was I? That's right. End of Day 1.

This event is so well organised, the only thing that they needed more of, was people to massage our tired and exhausted bodies. Unfortunately, we didn't go to check the massage tent until after the shower and by that time there was a wait list sooooo long that they had stopped taking people on for massage. I pity the poor people who were volunteering their time to rub down these sore bodies, I am sure that they would have been feeling the pain in their own bodies by the next day.

Directly next door was the Yoga tent and opposite were areas to chill out and as the day wore on, we had hit our sleeping bag, the chill areas kept on going. Fires were lit for people to lounge around with a beverage or two and they could sit around outside and listen to the live music going on inside the MASSIVE tent.

The other thing that was fabulous was the MASSIVE tent that had tables set up for everyone to eat at and a stage for the speeches, presentations and live band and entertainment. I was so keen for bed after the shower that I hit the dinner spread by about 4.45pm, ate, forgot about everything else and headed off to the tent (in the tent city) to read for a little while and go to sleep nice and early. Really, not such a silly idea. Remember, the night was to be spent in a tent city. I would be sleeping within very close proximity of many other bodies - bodies that snore, talk in their sleep, moan, snore, and did I mention snore! Wow, I have never heard such an orchestra of sound such as that of a snoring tent city.

After a while, the snoring becomes a sound that equates to people sleeping soundly and doesn't really bother me too much. The new mat that I am sleeping on is comfortable - the first one that Carly has ever owned! The new sleeping bag that I am sleeping in is lovely and cosy - also the first one that Carly has ever owned! and curling up beside Carly is wonderful as she is wearing brand new thermals and is very warm and toasty. The 13 year old kid sleeping directly beside us in the next tent, however, is somewhat annoying. He woke up about six times throughout the night - "Dad, are you awake? Dad, I'm not sleeping. I'm bored now because I'm awake. Wake up, I want someone to talk to." To which 'Dad' does not reply, go to sleep, everyone else will wake up - you are sleeping in a tent! But proceeds to say, oh really, what do you want to talk about? Oh I don't know - (son), etc. So every two to three hours this conversation would start back up and continue. I discovered that 'Mum' had been in their tent and hidden lollies and chocolates, had changed their pillows, had added extra blankets, that sometimes the satellite phone would work, but that other times it had no signal amongst other tidbits that were revealed through the night.

At 5am, it was time to rise and greet the morning!
Now the showers had no wait whatsoever!

I went on to the MASSIVE tent to see what the breakfast spread had to offer. Pancakes, snags, bacon and poached eggs. Plenty of protein on offer. Top that off with a steamy hot chocolate and we are almost fueled up and ready to go. This time we know what is ahead of us - 120.55 kilometres to go till we reach the end! Plenty of hills, lots of potholes and suburbia towards the end. We know that there are pitstops approximately every 25 kilometres apart and our mindset is fabulous! A little knowledge makes a huge difference. We also know that those massive hills will be tackled from the opposite direction as the route is just reversed. This is good, as we know how many times we got off and walked yesterday, so today the challenge is on to try not to walk as much!! You'll notice that I didn't say not to walk at all. Again.... knowledge.

Collecting my bike at 5.56am Sunday morning

So, getup, fall out of bed, drag a comb across my head, make the bus in seconds flat...this is what is going on inside my head for the first two hours of the day! Credit to the Beatles for these lyrics. The good news is it keeps Carly pedalling over the hills, hills that previously she had walked. Look down at the ground and move the legs in time to the lyrics and make it up and over the hill! Yay! (See pics to the left - one of the first hills we hit! You will see Carly riding her bike down on the lower left side of the  first shot - white top and what looks like a purple helmet, in the second shot, still pedalling further up - didn't stop on this hill). Then we hit one, one that stops us, that moment that you are trying to push your way up and over the hill and your eyes look up instead of down and you catch sight of them - the people that have got off their bikes to walk! Your brain says, 'Well, there you go. You can do it now. Get off. It's hard - this hill. Walk. They are. You can.' Next thing you know - we are off the bike. That wasn't the plan! The plan was ride the hills, look down and ride. The problem was, we are riding on our own, we looked up and all of a sudden (I truly believe that the body could have gone on!) the brain convinces the body that the jig is up. So as we are walking up the hill, Carly starts a conversation with Michelle, a lady that she doesn't know about this exact thing. They decide that once they get to the top of this hill, they will jump back on their bikes and ride each of the hills as far as they can, then not let each other give up. Good theory, except that Carly & I like zooming down hills, Michelle is not as keen. It still helps for a while though. We get to the first pitstop without another walk!

The second stage is much of the same. However, I lose contact with Michelle quite a few times, don't walk any hills and get along quite nicely. Hit the next pitstop, refuel, refill the water with gatorade (I am struggling a little now!), catch back up with Michelle and head off again.

In the third stage is where things begin to change a little. No walking! Okay, so some walking. But only once and it really was a HUGE hill and it wasn't my fault (or Carlys) truly. The intention was to ride. Looking down, not up, pushing the legs around, using body weight to get the pedals around. Carly looks down and notices that because she is getting tired on this hill, the bike is swaying a little from side to side. The thought pop's into her ead - 'Be careful Carly, the side of the road drops down to the clay, you don't want to hit that edge' and what happens within less that a second? Boom! We hit the edge of the road, the bike drops, Carly is still cleated into the pedals and we both go down! Now we walk. Michelle is there and the first thing Carly does is yell out to her - 'we're fine, don't you dare stop pedalling - get to the top of the hill, you are almost there!!'. Michelle stops. Carly has super mild grazing, nowhere near good enough to elicit any sympathy from anyone, on her right palm and right knee. Now we are all walking. 

We get to the top of the hill and go through the usual - take off and enjoy the downhill ride. Head down, Bum up and go!! The speedo on the bike hits 62.5km, which wouldn't be fast in a car, but feels awesome on a bike! Then we notice the clouds come across and then the rain hits along with crazy winds! Crazy cross winds, with big butted hills! At 62.5km per hour on a bike. Hold on... tight. The rain turns into a deluge, a downpour, if you live in Qld, you may remember it. It really got wet on that Sunday! I know. I was in it. We rode through this along Pine Mountain Road - the road with the potholes - but now, the potholes are filled with water - now they're not as easy to see! We finally turn off Pine Mountain Road and head towards suburbia and in to Ipswich, we are still riding in crazy crosswinds and rain. We ride in this until we got close to lunch, then about five minutes away from the lunch stop - it stopped! Yay, at least we could eat without rain.

Grabbed our yummy lunches, sat down in a beautiful gazebo and the sky opened up with force! The rain was so heavy it was like sheets of white gossamer. All I can say is yay to the gazebo! There was something quite soothing about sitting under cover with the rain hitting the roof and being sheltered while eating lunch.
Did I mention that the food is super yummy! Lunch today is a salad with chicken, pasta, pesto and chilli - soooo good. If you want an adventure with yummy benefits, do this ride next year. Truly. This yummy lunch made up for the hills, potholes, rain and gail force winds.

Anyway, my little paws are getting sore from all of this typing, so until I blog again, Cheshire grins to you.

I am Cwa, Cat with Adventures and this was my big bike adventure - Ride to Conquer Cancer.