Met Nelson up thi hill at what will be our new house in a few weeks time, for another test run on my fitness for riding. I've been riding to work every day this week so was already a little tired so wasnt expecting massive results, but was surprised with how it came to pass...
We headed up through Vic Park me only remembering to turn on MMR in the approach to the Skidder Site above the 19th and Ranger Station... (all that altitude wasted!). Up the grovelly K2 next to Sesame St, nearly getting the better of me but I chuffed on through it. Nelson is at 'race weight' at the mo, just with a little less strength, so he hauled ass up the hill. Up past Brake Free and on up to top of Vic. Thomsons, 1 and 2, and then up the road heading for Marleys. My ass was starting to get rather sore on this climb. Slow up the last bit of road then big stretch and rest at the top before heading up the entrance to Nun...
Into the descent. Felt pretty good, but trying to get my head around holding my body differently to how I always did, and this affected traction, balance, weight distribution a lot. Tricky getting used to all that. Good blat down and we pulled out road for a break and to let some Park rubes down ahead. Once they were clear we dropped in and I was amazed at how sore my forearms were getting. Really sore by the bottom... Got a lot of condition to get back.
Up road, drudgy climb and into top of Vic, down around, dropping through rock garden into Gummies, taking the old line (which gives way more bang for buck than the droppy swoop trail i did the other week) then out to Skidder Site and up top of 19th again, dropping over down and out next to the Ranger Base. Around the road and into the top Dog Park carpark, finding the new-to-us trail in the bushes, which, super fun, swoops back and forth down into the oak forest above the 35 corner Harry Ell track. Into a brief climb up to the lower Dog Park carpark and then the last blast down the back of the Amherst Pl houses.
So, if you add in the extra bits, about 10kms with 360 or so metres climbed.
