Last 2 days and a wrap.

Wow – its over.

As i sit here almost exactly 48 hours after we rolled into Sydney Park, life has resumed its normal routine, nice coffee, home cooked food and family – its good to be home.

Like everything the pain of any journey is soon forgotten and the good memories remain.  Already only 2 days later, its hard to recall much detail of the last 2 days.  I guess i’m lucky, so many of us are lucky, we can do these things and put ourselves under some stress, but when its over we pack up and head home.  I guess that's the take away from Tour de Kids and why we go back and do it again and ask our friends and family to put up with us and use it as a reason to raise some money along the way.

Days 6 and 7 took us from Canberra to Bowral and then on to Sydney Park.  Mostly highways and mostly pretty dull.  A few guys joined us in Canberra for a 2 day ride and a few more in Bowral, so they increased the peloton size.  Cruising along Lake George at over 50 kph was certainly fun, but downhill runs on the dual carriageway with headwinds buffeting you and B doubles flying past 2 metres away doing at least 110 kph was less so.

The last evening’s dinner at Briars was fun and a good way to end.  We managed to raise, from donations within the room an additional $30,000!

Rolling into Sydney was, as i think the end of many journey’s is, anti climactic.  The rain we hit on the edge of town only served to further dampen the event – arrival being a Friday also meant that lots of families werent able to be there.

The GG was good to her word and put a short story and some images up on her web site

http://www.gg.gov.au/governorgeneral/gallery.php?action=view&id=949

Final Stats

Total Distance: 1240 km

Total Vertical Distance: just under 13km

Total Year 10 TDK Funds Raised:  $400,000.

A few thank you’s

To Simone, Lucy, Julia and Annabel thank you for putting up with me and then not having me there to help.

To the sponsors, thank you – without you its just a ride.

The committee and in particular this tour Andrew (Gibbo) Gibbons did an outstanding job and really make it all possible!

And last but by no means least the support crew – a few familiar faces and 3 or 4 new ones.  Justine and Emma from Starlight, Mike, Heidi and Steve and V, Kyle, Emma and Simone all work hard in support vehicles all day then when we finish their real work begins.  A tough gig and much appreciated.

A steady day some self awareness and a Governor General

Adaminaby to Canberra – 180km – 1500m vertical – 11 hours in lycra…

Very hard to get started this morning.  Took all of 30km before i felt vaguely human and capable of continuing.

But it led to an interesting realisation.  As my legs refused to move (again) and breakfast sat very heavy I thought what if i just cant go on, when would my body just say no.  And then i noticed a few guys were doing it even tougher than i was, going a bit slower up the morning’s hills.  Somehow that helped me keep going, spurred me on.

So why was that? Is it Schodefrueder (sp?) am i taking pleasure  in the misfortune of others?  I’d like to think not, but perhaps i was??  I certainly had time to ponder it and bounce the idea with some other riders,  as we rolled on to Cooma and coffee, and i rationalised it that it wasnt, but rather something more subtle.  I think in fact it was that if i know they are hurting, then who the hell am i to complain.

Coffee in Cooma was great and saw a mate and sponsor, Blair, to boot.  Roll onto to Canberra was uneventful and then we went to one of our major sponsor’s Harvey Norman, to present John Maclean with a cheque for young Hannah’ special needs change table.

On to Yarralumla and met her Excellency (yes in Lycra) and even got to have a chat to her (and a photo i hope to publish when i get it).  She remembered my Mum and Dad and recalled my Mum with great fondness i think for a moment there there was perhaps a in both our eyes – so that was kinda nice.  She had a remarkable memory, and reckons she may have even nursed me – but i reckon just maybe she made that bit up.

At the Crown Plaza now (also a major sponsor) and am pooped, so that is all

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Days 3 and 4

Hills, wind, a flat and then lots more hills

As i type this its the end of day 4 – my real tour de kids day, but more on Day 4 later.

Day 3 – Bright to Corryong.  183km, 1700 m vertical – 8 hours

So first things first i held back on the double nix on day 3, saved them for day 4 – i knew you’d want to know…

2 big hills and pretty flat in between, I went with the early group again (more on that below) and whilst it was a long hard day, i was reasonably comfortable, although no where near the front at the top of either hill – the last 40km (after the 2nd hill) seemed to take a long time and lots of little ups and downs.  To be honest, as I sit here after day 4, i cant actually recall much more of yesterday.

However during the long flat run from the end of the first hill into lunch (in the RSL where the CWA ladies made us sandwiches) I managed to hit a rock and get a flat about half way and a quick tyre change was immediately followed by the highlight of the day – a 60kph run back up to the bunch drafting ehind the van.

The day ended on what at the time seemed to be a low point – the boys decided i needed to go with the later (faster) bunch for the big hills of Day 4  - that had me worried.

Day 4 – Corryong to Adaminaby. 140km, 3,450m vertical – 8 hours

Despite protestations i was indeed forced to ride with the back group – referred to by some as the Racing Pilots.  Hmmmm, well i was no wing man, probably more of an aircraft carrier.  I got dropped on each and every hill of the day, and some poor bugger would have to drop back and ride up with me and the constant drone of the truck sitting 10m behind me – i did find a few occasions to go back to the truck for “support” – it did seem to happen on the really steep bit too!

Seriously big long hills today and by lunch (and 2500m up) I decided i needed a bigger cog on the back and swapped with Tim for a 27 (i had in fact tried to shuffle rear clusters the night before, but fount the 25 i am running was jammed tight onto the soft aluminium freewheel).  After lunch was more down than up, but we still did about 1000m vertical (we passed a sign that said 1500m elevation – went down a great descent, only to climb back up to 1480m, and then 1390m)

I am pretty sure its my biggest vertical climbing day ever.

In the end, well in fact pretty early really, today was my tour de kids day – that’s the day i ‘get’ why i do this, i usually end up pretty close to tears and think about quitting – and when you get to that point you really do think about the fact that is is transitory but the kids get it forever, so you try and open a can of tuffen up and stick woth it.  Almost cracked a few times and had to stop and just take a moment each time, and perhaps leave the sunnies on just a smidge longer than i needed.

It turns out that the early starters that i would have liked to have gone with took a wrong turn early in the day and did more vertically (400m) and 20km longer on the ground, and those who completed it did 10 hours out there – go figure.

Into Canberra tomorrow – sausage sizzle at Harvey Norman (a major sponsor) and then we ride our bikes into GG’s house at Yaralumla and have a chat in Lycra – should be fun!!