Journal of a Enduro MTB Wannabe: Torture Loop Version 2.1

Saturday saw a new version of the Torture Loop… we decided to try it in reverse with an extra loop around Urriara. Rolling out at 6.30am it was a brisk pace out to Stromlo to start the real fun. The morning still had traces from the fire reduction burn the previous day but nowhere near as bad as anticipated.
Down into Urriara Crossing and out the otherside we went at it, with me glancing down to see number in excess of 300w + all the way along to Mt McDonald.
Some recovery over the top and down into Pierces Creek, by this stage the sun was out in force and I was sweating up and storm, the day was super humid and the sweat wasn't evaporating.
Up Pierces we caught another two rider riders near the top and rolled with them for a while. By roll with I mean recover, admire their bikes (Colnago C50 and a bright red Time VRX) before I got bored at the pace being too slow and we took off on our own again.
Somewhere over the next 10k to the base of Corin I hit the wall hard, and knew the next couple of hours were going to be a big trip into hurt box.
We called a truce riding up Corin, Big Jase was on recovery mode still and I was trying to pace myself so as to make it through the ride without going too cross eyed.
Near the top Jase gassed it and I just kept rolling.
A regrouping at the far cattle grate and we wer off for the next target, Apollo Road.
By this stage we were both doing mental calculations to see how much time we had left and whether we could make the trip to the top of Fitz's and back to town before lunch.
My math said no, so we scrubbed that part and just hit up Apollo Road.
As soon as it got steep Jase was gone and I had the pleasure of the road to myself...well me and the flies that and appeared from nowhere.
Up through the steepest part of the climb the cadence was dropping as low as 45rpm with my breathing sounding close to hyperventilation before greatfully the road levelled out for the final 5k to top.
FIlling the water bottles up and talking sh!t for a couple of minutes before we hit up the descent back into town.

Numbers

I have run a Multi analysis for the past two weekends rides. Bearing in mind that the first lot of data wasn't mine, and I felt like crap this last time, there was a 5% difference in the two rides.
But the interesting thing from a PE perspective is that both Jase and I agreed that the version this past weekend felt alot harder even though the numbers don't actually show it.