Ride 12 - Final ride! Ride to shops on Halloween

My final ride done last Thursday! Just had to do a short one to finish off, which is fortunate, because something was having a go at my energy levels last week. May be a virus, may be hayfever. Who knows!

Anyway, took a quick ride to the shops for some essentials and stopped by a friend's place on the way home for some neighbourly garden bartering. Lemons exchanged for lettuce and snowpeas.

The shops were in the next suburb and when I arrived in the suburb, Halloween was in full swing. I don't "do" the Halloween "thing" myself, so it wasn't even in my mental frame of reference. It's also usually a bit of a non-event in my own suburb. So I was a bit taken by surprise to find it full swing over the "border" and having to negotiated little pods of children (and some parents) every 100m or so! And a whole gathering of families just milling around outside the shops (and a few adults inside restocking with lollies, thaving been cleaned out already!!). Was glad to get back over the border into my home turf where things were much quieter!

Anyway, all done for another year. It was pointed out to me on the weekend that I have done 944km towards the GCC over the last 9 years. Given that I didn't have a target of 100km for the first few of those years, I'm pretty pleased with that! (Though if I'd realised I was this close to 1,000km, I might have pedalled a bit harder!). Oh well, next year!

No photos from this post, as it would only have been of crowds of kids, and I don't like to post photos of kids without parental permission.

Rides 9 and10 - 2 lakes

2 more rides done over the weekend, including a group ride and an unexpected achievement or two!

One of the best things about this cycle challenge is the amazingly supportive community you get to be part of. Everyone who rides the challenge is a hero, and I have found everyone that I've encountered, either through Facebook, or in person, so inspirational and supportive. With my goal being very humble compared to some others (up to 3000km!!), I should have expected to feel inadequate, but no-one allows that to happen. Everyone is lauded for whatever they achieve and not an unkind, judgemental, or competitive word is uttered.

Yesterday, on a group ride around Lake Tuggeranong, I met some of these lovely people, on a ride that totally suited my fitness level. It was great to meet them and ride with them and talk about our reasons for riding and the challenges we all face. The group leader suffers himself from cancer, so the cause is poignant for him. His daughter was with him.

And my unexpected achievements? Firstly, this October I have incorporated rides around all the lakes in Canberra! - Yerrabi, Gungahlin, Ginninderra, Burley Griffin, and Tuggeranong! Added to this is my other favourite waterway, Sullivan's Creek, which features every year. I didn't really plan this, but they are all great places to ride, easy-going and scenic! I think I shall try to make the lakes an annual thing.

Secondly, yesterday my Samsung app let me know I had ridden a huge 1,500km since starting to use the app on my current phone (late 2020). Pretty happy with that!

Well, nearly done now. Only 3 km to go. And I've got a whole 4 days to do it in! Just as well too, as I now have a cold so the energy levels have waned somewhat! But I think I can manage 3km.

Ride 8 - Another ride to work

Another go at riding to work yesterday. A little less stressful than last time, on account of deciding not to try and use the indoor bike storage, and not having a broken basket and riding in the dark (thankyou daylight savings!).

Thank you to the National Circuit EPIC group and Trek Cycles, who treated my trusty steed to a free health check while I was at work. I'm pleased to report that after 10 years together, she is as good as new. Or will be after a couple of routine maintenance items are sorted (new break pads and chain). She also looks a bit shinier too after they gave her a clean (though not in this photo because it was before the check up)

And a big thank you again to the team at Capital Clinic Physiotherapy, for their ongoing support. They sponsor me every year, and also keep me flexible and fit enough to ride!

Thought I'd give a shout out to Lake Burley Griffin in this post, as it has just turned 60!! It features regulary in my ride photos, because it is such beautiful and easy place to ride! And it has been part of my life for all of my life. A man-made lake only a few years older than me, it was officially "finished" in 1964. (Although the dam was completed in 1963, a severe drought over the summer meant it took a whole year to fill!). I was born by its shores, played by its shores in Commonwealth Park as I was growing up, and have been working by its shores for the last 30 years at the Nash! (that's the National Library for those who don't know the lingo). I've even seen The Queen there!! And for at least the last 10 years, I've loved riding along it's shores and taking photos as I go. Although man-made, it is such a beautiful place. It looks different at each hour of the day, and each season of the year. It's wonderful to watch both the humans and the creatures bring it to life one way or another, every day! Happy 60th Birthday LBG!!

On the downhill run with my kms now. Nearly there!

Ride 6 and 7

2 more rides this week, which is better than I'd hoped, given the weather forecast. But the full week of rain never eventuated, so riding it was. Only a short ride during the week, as I had been a bit unwell, but I needed a ride to re-oil the hip joints after the extra time in bed. And it was good to get out in the lovely weather and enjoy the birds, both in sight and in sound!

Then today, I did a longer ride, this time with the sound of frogs for company (all very active and alert after yesteday's rain). It was election day in the ACT so instead of the local primary school (5 minutes walk away), I followed the alluring aroma of democracy sausage to one in a neighbouring suburb! Voting done, I sat down for a couple of the ole snags, then continued on my merry way. Rode through the town centre, stopping by the bakery to pick up some treats for afternoon tea, and by the time I got home, 11km had clocked up and I am now very much on the downhill run to my target!