Death March.....Well not quite

Saturday was the first long road ride I have done in about 6 weeks since the 12hr race at Penrith in January. So the plan was to meet up with Big Jase and cruise to join the Belconnen Bunch, a lap of Uriara, then home via Corin Dam. All up the plan was for about 5.5hrs and a fair old bit of climbing. The loop with the bunch was a bit up and down, the normal surging fast riding you get for a bunch out for a 2hr hit-out. Bascially smashing it up Mt McDonald and out of the 'crossing.
The group turned off for Belconnen and we pulled into Stromlo Park to top the fluids up, as there is no water stop between there and home. "How about a tester up Mt Stromlo" says Big Jase "Sure why not!" replies I...yeah this was going to bite me in the arse later.
So we do our little TT up the Stromlo, 9.30min (not bad for a first attempt) and roll down again and start heading for Pierce's Creek and the grovel out of there.
By this stage I'm starting to feel it in the legs, a bit heavier, a bit slower and there is that nagging in the back of my head...I still have 40min of climbing up to the top of Corin. The road to Corin isn't flat and rolls or drags the entire way with a couple of steep pinch climbs and a nasty false flat past the space tracking station.
When we got close I could see jase was chompin' to go hard up the climb so I let him go and really just went into tempo mode right from the bottom, 400w up the small rises and coasting down the flats (well you really have no choice but to go hard up the rises....or fall off!) I could see Jase the entire 12k up the climb but do you think I could close the gap? Not today, I really had nothing! I wasn't blown and could have kept climbing like that at a steady tempo for alot longer but I just couldn't lift it to save myself.
Well we crest the top and are greated by this,



Corinbank Festival- Hippie Get together in the middle of no where

Now at this stage all I wanted was a drink, a nice cold can of coke. There's a store at the top and I bought the money. And what do I get? A camp ground full of Hippies! Now I'm normally a tolerate semi-non-violent person but at this stage, I was real low on sugar and if one person said "Hey Man, wanta buy some incense?" I was going to loose it and punch 'em in the mouth.
So the camp ground is a mass of tents and the shop is looking shut so we clamber over a gate and go looking for someone selling drinks. I manage to find a tent where everyones lined up 5 deep ordering breakfast "Can I have a B&E roll and a coffee please?" So I line up patiently waiting my turn...you know that feeling where the brain just starts shutting down after you get off the bike? Well thats what I started getting, so here I am waiting in line trying not to scream at the top of my lungs "Will you just hurry the f^&k up! How hard is it to order a B&E Roll?"
When I spy the caravan next door, now this is staffed by a couple of asians (No I am not being racial here) but here ever one is lined up at the tent next door not giving this place a second look. If I had of been there in civvies that would have been the place I would have gone for food, but there's not a single person queued. I'm thinking what are the chances they have something cold??? Someone cracks before I do and wanders over "You got any cold softdrinks?" "Yes, we do what would you like?". Thats it and I'm off, head kinda spinning and next one in line.
So we get the drinks and relax back on the grass just taking it all in, it's not far to go but still a 20k from home so I'm taking my time. Anyway short story... long, I make it home in one piece and a new adventure in the books.

Summary for the day

Km's: 155
Time: 5:40hrs
Energy: 4400cals
Avg power: That would be telling ;), but no messing around
Fun factor: 3.5/5