King for a day!

Since late last year, I have been riding the Maling Room Ride (MRR) with steady improvement in that time. I started being waaaay off the pace and finishing it solo without a rider in sight. But since then I have picked up my pace to the point where I can not only keep them in sight but even set the pace along the less hilly sections and finish the hills mid pack.

In that time the ride itself has evolved into several different groups (speeds) as the main groups pace has gotten faster and faster (up from an average of 26kph to 31kph).

But try as I might, I have never taken out any of the “points” along the route (we have several fun “points” sections to add in some spice to the ride, just like the Tour de France).

Until this day...

PDL and I started the MRR in our usual way, feeling the hills on our ride to the start and as always, wondering if we were up to it that day. There is something about those hills on the way that always makes us hurt as we are still waking up and warming up our legs.

After arriving at the start and taking off with the group, I was very pleased to stick on PDL and Silkishuge’s wheels up Canterbury Rd hill for the first time ever. Boy that felt great NOT to be dropped.

Along Middleborough Rd I was feeling good so I poured on the power up in an attempt to make it first up. However I dug TOO deep and by the time I got to the top I was 1mm away from blowing chunks. My guts were churning and I really didn’t feel great at all.

A quick recovery and I was back on the front with Silk, pushing a decent pace along Maroondah Hwy when that feeling in my tummy returned and I had to drop back off the front. I was worried that I was done for the day and even said as much to a few people around me as I slipped back a bit in the pack, but after about 2 mins of backing off my pace, I recovered and pushed on again, leading the way onto Mitcham Rd. Weird- one second I felt crap, next I’m pouring on the power.

Along Doncaster Rd and I was second, siting on Outlook’s wheel through the single file section. Outlook was going at a decent pace for a while till he started slowing a bit so I took the front to give him a break/draft for a while. It was then that Springvale Rd hit us.

I wasn't "trying" to sprint off, I was just ploughing along trying to keep a good steady pace up for the pack when the lights changed as I entered the intersection. Thinking that a good few must have made it through on my wheel, I looked back to see that I was alone! Doh! So I soft pedalled to the top of the hill waiting for the pack but with the lights STILL red behind me, I just decided to ride along at 80% thinking I would be gobbled up anyway. Plus my tummy was right on the edge of chucking the whole way so I didn't want to have the pack pass me as I painted the sidewalk, so it was a careful balance of speed v puke.

Somehow, probably a combination of my break away and their copping more red lights than me, they never caught me. Up Shoppingtown Hill I was expecting to be passed as its a heartbreak hill for me but nope! I took King o' Shoppingtown. Woot!

Over the top of Shoppingtown Hill I caught multiple red lights, but still no one caught me. I even descended down Elgar at an easy pace once again waiting for the pack but nope- no one!

Up Belmore I was spinning along at about 19-18kph when I could have sworn I heard a bike down shift behind me. Thinking that I was about to be swamped like usual I just kept up my pace and when I crossed the line, I looked back to see who was there but found no one as far as the eye could see. Cool. My first King o' Belmore (second king for the day).

It was about here that I was again very, VERY close to throwing up (no idea why I felt so crap today), so I backed it right off again, down to 12kph for a hundred meters or so until I recovered (again!).

Around the roundabout and over the last of the Belmore uphill, I started descending when, caught up with re-catching my breath and busy clicking up gears on the downhill, I looked up to see the lights just turning red and with me about to sail through them. I’m embarrassed to say that the light was far too red for my liking and I was cursing myself for getting myself into that situation in the first place. Bad vidman, bad!

Down into the King of the Valley section, I saw that there was no one behind me so I cruised down the hill for my 3rd "king" moment of the ride.

Turning into Belmore Rd and I could see some mice/rabbits (the slower groups that start earlier) ahead of me so again I picked up the pace, but kept getting caught by the lights every time I started to reel them in.

Up past Fintona School (a nasty steep bump in the road) I pushed again and took King o' the Bump (4th king!!) and set out to hunt down the small prey ahead of me.

I finally caught them at the corner of Canterbury Rd and sprinted down Canterbury to arrive first at Mailing Rd and on the edge of puking once again. Blarrrgh!

I was pretty chuffed to do so well, even if i DID have an unfair traffic light advantage. Still, I felt I rode the MRR stronger than I ever had, even with my crook guts.

Unfortunately, when I posted my ride report on the forum (very close to the above) as many of us do for fun, some people took it to be me getting a big head when nothing could be further from the truth. I know damn well that in a fair fight, I would have nothing for the usual suspects up the hills. All I would see of them is their blinkies in the distance. But for me, I felt I rode really well as compared to my OWN past rides. And for that I AM proud of my own personal improvement.

King for a day!