Scott Cycle For Life 2008

100 km / Clevedon and surrounding area
www.cycleforlife.co.nz
Time: 3:43:36
Category Place: 1st.

This was a fun little race. It coincided with the more prominent Lake Rotorua race and that's basically the only reason I won my category (but let's not get caught up on small details).

I felt exceptionally mud in the first 20 km, despite a 45 min warm up prior. I got dropped from the leading bunch and didn't put in much effort to catch up; I just lacked the motivation today. I'm a little vague of the route the course but we went up around the Maraetai/Beachlands coast and back through Whitford/Brookby, then out to Hunua and up Ponga Road hill back through to Clevedon (or something like that).

After riding solo for quite sometime I was caught by a few riders out along the Maraetai beach coast and I managed to stay with them. There was a 200 m or so hill in Brookby (I think) that I made some gains on and at this point started to meet up with a lot of riders who must have also been dropped from my first bunch. I stated to find my legs after the hill and picked up the pace somewhat.

There was a long flat/undulating section from about the 40-60 km mark and one other rider and myself slowly combined and reeled in riders to form a bunch of about 30 or so. For at least the first 15 km it was just myself and the other initial rider taking turns at the front. Far out, some people are lazy! Sitting on their laurels at the back of the bunch - it really grates my nerves to be honest! After about 15 km and after been on the front for about 10 minutes (a stupid time for a group this size!) I peeled to the right and slowed down to allow the bunch to pass me and slip into the back. I figured I've well and truly done my time! I suspect a lot of these riders don't regularly ride in bunches or have much experience as there was minimal communication (via hand signalling) of obstacles etc and the bunch was less than considerate of cars trying to get past. I wanted to start yelling, "CAR! LEFT!" etc but I didn't. In retrospect I feel like an idiot for being so passive. Sometimes I get scared of been perceived as condescending in these instances since a lot of riders are so much older than me.

Anyway, notable hill of the day is Ponga Road - this is a bloody gem; I can't wait to get to Auckland and ride it again! I think it was about 3 km but with quite a steep grade in parts. It's a semi-rural residential road so there is minimal traffic too.

As always, I passed lots of riders, stragglers and otherwise, on the hill. As this point, with 10 km to go, I started wondering how far up the front I was - in terms of female riders. I knew a few would have been doing the shorter 70 km ride which peeled off of the 100 km route and I knew I had gone quite far ahead of all the girls who were in my previous bunch on the flats. And I knew none had passed me. It was hardly a very fast ride by my standards so I didn't let myself speculate.

Got to the finish happy to have to not needed to stop at any point or have any mechanical issues.

I think I'll do this ride again next year, I really like the route - I love cycling around Clevedon and out to Kawa Kawa Bay/Okere Point and beyond. It holds special nostalgic meaning for me too, being the area I rode when I conquered my first 100 km ride which is only just over a year ago! I feel pretty stoked to have come along way since then! Not only in terms of speed and power, but also stamina - I remember feeling absolutely shattered after that first long ride and required a very long sleep immediately after. Now it's more like a standard morning exursion to me! It's all being good fun :)