So it has been a while since I last posted, many changes have occurred in my life! Becoming a father getting into a stable job and having some routine to my training I have taken on a number of challenges and am still yet to complete my first triathlon!!
In September I participated in the Canberra Times 10k Fun Run hoping to get a sub 50 time and killed that, but thats another story! I have done two Duathlons which was fun and I achieved my outcomes and learnt many things about myself!
However the story I want to share today is the great cycle challenge, it raises money and awareness for kids cancer. I thought this year would be a great year to debut and do my bit for the charity, I signed up and organised 2 group rides. One was local around Lake Burley Griffin and another was to Goulburn and back! Now considering my newness back into things I was up for the challenge!!
Lake Burley Griffin ride was great it was a social thing and I had about 10 people show up to cycle the 30km loop. The Goulburn ride had 3 to start, with one turning around at Collector. Most I had ridden to this stage was 40-60km and here I was taking on 180km!!!
We hit the road and I ensured I had all my bases covered, I had a mate who was happy to drive a support car and meet us at checkpoints (and he took amazing photographs of us). The ride itself was a challenge and when I would start to think about giving up I would think about the fact the kids I was riding for with cancer can’t just “give up”!
So two of us made the full distance, I was the tail dragging the pace but I managed to survive 7.5hrs of moving time a little faster than my usual average speed!! It took us from 7am through to 4pm with a decent lunch stop in Goulburn to refuel for the trek back.
I learnt that highway cycling isn’t as scary as I had in my head, and my legs were fine when I arrived home! It was my breathing and my right pectoral muscle was sore, further research shows this is common after long rides when you aren’t used to it! So I have 130kms to complete the challenge and have had a whole week in recovery hoping I get better and finish the kilometres!!
Let alone the fact I have my first Triathlon in 2 weekends time!!!
You can still donate to the cause at https://greatcyclechallenge.com.au/Riders/RichardMarks
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