Up and down, repeat as necessary

Still suffering from the monthly madness, too much work stress last week has exacerbated symptoms. So this morning I got fed up with this and decided to risk a ride. With next weekend's exciting and scary challenge I thought it might be good to practice going downhill faster. For the first time ever I loaded my bike onto my car and drove to the top of the seal on Kennedy's Bush. I was working on the theory that if my back seized because of the pain I could just coast back to the car and not have to ring Pete to come and get me.

It was a lovely morning and I was stoked to be back in the saddle after such a frustrating week. I rode up the zig-zaggy singletrack to warm my legs into climbing and then crossed onto the 4wd track. I cruised up to the first gate, turned round and blasted down the single track as fast as I could. A couple of hairy corners and some bouncy braking and I was grinning like a loon and heading back up the steepish 4wd at the beginning for another go. I did this 3 more times. On my 4th ascent for the morning my stomach started rebelling against the painkillers I'd taken before heading out and I knew this would be the last run for the day. I dropping down the back singletrack first and absolutely pinned it, even getting a little bit of air at the bottom, I love that bit of track. Cruised back up the 4wd and then back down the front. This was definitely the fastest I've ever gone down there and I had to tell myself off a couple of times when I slipped off the second and forth corners. I was very glad that my ability to recover from these miscalculations has improved dramatically in the last few months. I really nailed the bottom flowing section, carrying good speed into the switchbacks, particularly the really sweet 2nd one. I was flying through the gorse so fast that it actually made me bleed a bit rather than the usual little scratches.

It was a brilliant ride (car free shuttles!) and I think I might treat myself to a few more sessions like that this week in preparation for the Super D. When I think its only been a year since I was too scared of that track to ride it at all and now I'm really pushing my boundaries it really motivates me to lose this weight. I know its holding me back so it has to go! Only 4 weeks to Mt Somers, I'm looking forward to this race a lot. I need to get at least 3 hill rides a week in to feel prepared for it so after this fun week of play I'll be back to grinding up Kennedy's and Rapaki (with lights no doubt!).