a lap of the lake

a lap of the lake

after having a look at the number of km i ride i desist that I need to get in some longer bike rides so as I’m still in taupo I might as well a lap of the lake- some people spend months training to do 1 ride around the lake when doing the fun ride as for me this years ride that im doing is some what longer then most peoples so I need to do longer training rides then most people end up doing when training : )

most of my riding over the last few months have been around the 40-80 km mark with a few around 100 km so todays ride should be fun at around 180 km - there is a few new peaces of gear that need to be tested on a longer ride as well

after packing a few things in the 2 small bag that sit on the bike (hander bar bag and a rack bag) I head up the first of the many hills to ride over - 12 km into the ride I get into taupo where I stop to get an new batter for my heart rate thing (the thing that sits on my hander bars to tell me what my heart rate is doing)  then after a look at the map ( so I don't end up going down any wrong roads - I don't get lost just some times the road that I end up on is not that road that I was planing to be on : ) 

riding up the hill I pass a big bike on the way out of town. working my way over some rolling hills spotting some of the places that I stopped for a nap on last years ride keeping an eye on the road signs until I see the side road that I need to take to keep riding around the lake. after getting on to S.H.32  finding my way is easy ( S.H 32 then on to S.H.41 at kuratu junction then a right turn at truangi on to S.H.1 to taupo) riding up one of the longer hills a car stops to ask about snow? ( I’m not sore what the people  was trying to ask -some thing about snow?) it's a windy day with strong head /side winds for most of the day just to add to the fun around 5 magpies fly low next to me ( I keep an eye on then in case they decide to try to hit me ) the odd misty rain shower pass’s over  giving my new jacket a good test (I have been looking for a wind and light shower poof jacket that I wont over heat in )

riding down the fun long down hill into tokaanu I take note of what the road is like (part of why im riding a lap of the lake 2 months out from the event is to cheek out what the road is like as well as part of doing some planing for the ride- as I cant drive to look on some thing on the road I need to ride out on the bike to do it ) stoping at turangi for some food ( I will have a differ diet on the ride so I wont need to stop to buy food along the way)I have one of my water bottlers on the hander bar to put some thing in it (electrolyte suff) only to have it fall off in the wind spilling the water out so its back to the service station to refill the bottle before getting back on the road. the ride from turangi to hatepe only has a few small hills (if you call then hills : ) at hatepe its time to ride up the HILL - its the last big hill for the day to ride over as one rides around the lake - each year that I done the ride with others I have see people walk they way up the hill as for me I just stay in my middle chain ring to easy climb up the hill ( a lot of climbing long hills over the years + low gears on the bike friday help to make it an easy climb for me ) 

 once past the down hill riding beside the Lake I see some white horses dancing on the lake (white tips on the small waves on the lake : ) getting into taupo I get some thing for tea then head up the last hill of the day just on dark - as im riding along i notice that my front lights that are power off the  hub in the new front wheel are now working ( when I give then a test before only one out of the 2 was working - some thing to have a play with some more? )

looks like I will need to get in some speed work training some where in the next 4 weeks or  so my Ave. speed will go to where I want it to be - its a little hard to tell where im at with training now because of the strong winds - as for pain I had a sore knee at one point for a bout 10 mins also a sore left shoulder off and on  (old injury from getting hit by a truck back in 2008 that plays up from time to time ) other that that I don't have any pain or parts that are sore as I type this - i would of gone out for a ride today but today is an rest day so i don't over do things on the bike (as I never get sore legs on the bike it can be hard for me not to over do things on the bike so I plan to have at lest one day of no riding each week : )