Where else but Queensland

Its been two weeks since 70.3 Sunshine Coast and I have been soaking up the sun and fun on the Gold Coast. The weather has been ridiculously brilliant and I have to admit I have been feeling a little bit pleased with myself whenever I see tweets coming from Melbourne peeps about the rain/wind/cold down south.

It was only a couple of days after the HIM but I couldn't pass up dad's invitation to join him on his ocean swims from Burleigh to North Burleigh. My dad is 65 years old and swims either 2km (from Burleigh to N.Burleigh) or 4km (return) every day. What a champion. I figured the sun was out and he assured me he is slow and we'd go easy so the sun worshipper in me couldn't say no.

Well Dad may be old-er but he is FAST. All those years surfing and swimming in the open water have built up some serious strength....No wonder he can knock out ~15km ocean swimming a week!  Best part was finishing with a coffee in the sun....all before 9:30am. Bliss.

Otherwise, my busy schedule has consisted of daily naps, easing back into training, lots of coffee dates,  friend catch ups, family time and twilight wines. And its been heavenly.

With my Queensland cat, Kiri. Smooch extraordinaire

Hanging with my home girl Daisy

Pauly after KILLING the crit @ Gold Coast Festival of Cycling

Yesterday, after 2 weeks of recovering, the body felt back on track and ready to go for the Robbie McEwen Gran Fondo. This was part of the Gold Coast Festival of Cycling, a whole weekend of events from fun runs, to criteriums and culminating in the fondo rides yesterday.

I had been having mild anxiety over this ride because the elevation profile was slightly ball busting (for me). Lots of 12%+ registered on the Strava profile which was a big deal for me given, as most inner city Melbourne folk know, there ain't nothing hilly about Melbourne unless you trek out on the weekend for a couple of hours hunting for them. I don't think I'd ridden something over 10% until yesterday (so a hill PB for me!) I was also riding a rented bike and it was 2 weeks after a half ironman. So really, if things were going to go arse up, yesterday was going to be the day.

#beforethepain

WELL. I won't lie. It was bloody hard and consensus around the place was that Robbie was "a bastard" and that it was the toughest ride most (all?) had done. Ever. Me and Paul included. What made it so hard, you ask?
- It was 117km with no flat sections, all constant sharp or rolling climbs.
- The road was dead. Totally dead. The picture below is what the road surface was like the whole time, kinda like pushing the bike through tar.

I'm sure the locals didn't think twice about this, but the whole time I'm looking down thinking "WTF"

- It was unrelentingly hot
- It was windy
- There were two long, hard, steep, bitchy, angry climbs. The first up Mount Tamborine which helpfully came sign posted with "12%", "13%", "15%" warnings along the way (more then one rider was heard to cry in agony 'there can't be more....can there?'). There was a lot of bikes being walked up, there were several riders on the side of the road staring out into the distance having a word to themselves, the aid stations were littered with weary riders flat out on their backs hot, drenched in sweat, exhausted.

It was the kind of ride that you have those dark moments of hating life, bonking, recovering from the bonk, feeling a million bucks, then repeating. But it was hands down the best ride i've ever done and hands down the HARDEST. Anyone who is keen for the challenge I would highly recommend looking into it for next year.

And so begins another week on the Gold Coast #sunsoutgunsout its time for brunch with friends, a little jog and maybe a swim. Life's good