A challenging end to a challenging week...

I have not had one of the best weeks on the bike. It's been a pretty tough week all round - but it's another week down.

I felt like some company and some flogging - I really had to get on the bike and do some k's - so I got myself out of bed just in time to meet the South Perth Rouleurs. I have only been living in Tuart Hill for a week now and I still haven't perfected the leave with 5s to spare routine. Luckily for me, SPR are not like my old group and were still chin-wagging when I had got my breath back from the sprint to get there.

We were to be riding several challenging hills today and I had been actively avoiding at least 2 of them during my climbing career. Melvyn set a cracking pace down Albany Hwy and pulled off just when I was about to have a heart attack. I don't know how I managed to do it, but everytime I pulled off the front I ended up in second or third wheel, which meant I was on the front for way too long. Straight to the back next time!

Clare met us at the bottom of Kahuna (1st hill avoided), apparently having waited so long she thought she'd missed us. I reassured her that we hadn't been slacking on the way there, but getting every red light didn't seem to help. Psyche - I was ready. Kahuna wasn't too bad but I very quickly found myself at the back of the group. About half way up I started to pull in a few people in front of me. One down.

Then we headed across to the highschool, down Urch and up Peet (2nd hill avoided). I think I started this climb well but faded towards the end. I have ridden Raeburn Rd so many times that I knew how to tackle it. I was also challenging Bec a bit and I don't think she was expecting the pace I managed to pull off at the end. Needless to say, heart attack number 2 occured at the top.

We then had a pleasant spin down Brookton Hwy to come up Canning Mills Rd. I had never ridden or heard much about this hill. horrible. What got me on this hill (which I rename the neverending story) was the decieving twists. Every time there was a curve in the road my heart wished it was over but it wasn't. It never ended. Well it did but not for a long time. Obviously one I need to practice a few more times. I really did finish this one last.

We were to head over to Kalamunda for coffee - one last series of climbs ending with Mundairing Weir Rd. I had decided that I was dead and was going to avoid the climbs by going the long way. Pete announced my decision to the group and there went my chance to slack off. Bec wouldn't let me go so I climbed. No taxi required just a tissue. Still some work to do...