The pain game

Yesterday was the first day back at work as a bike courier after a six-week break. It usually takes two weeks to get the body back in the swing of things. Riding Melbourne streets for an eight-hour shift can take its toll. Melbourne put on a beauty for me, gale force winds, rain patches and the footy parade, boy it’s great to back. The commute home had me conserving energy having signed up for Joel Read's tour of pain in the Dandenongs on Saturday morning. That boy knows how to dish out pain and he does it in large doses.

So, 7am this morning has a small but elite MTB crew meet near the base of the Dandenongs for their doses of pain. For me the pain began nice and early. This photo show my heart rate at the base of the tourist road. Keep in mind my max is about 175, but it’s no secret that I’m a sucker for pain.

This next photo was taken a couple km’s up, yep everyone is in the group bar me.

Some hills are supposed to be admired but not ridden. This is definitely the case with Terrys Ave, also know as Belgrave – Ferry Creek Rd. I have been riding in the Dandenongs for 14 years and I have never attempted to climb this puppy. The gradient from the base is enough to make your legs quiver. Thirteen minutes at an average speed of just 9km/h and a cadence of under 50 RPM’s we were all at the top only to find out Joel started the climb as a joke and was expecting us all to turn around. I don’t think anyone was laughing, especially me.

Ride highlight was descending the 'one in twenty' as a pack. My heart rate was higher than I usually climb at. It’s so much fun pushing the limits of your machine and ability. Ash Thomas, coming back from time off, was happy to sit back and watch as we disappeared into the distance with knee down Casey Stoner style. Yeh baby.