The stats :
Cateye Bicycle computer magaffy:
Time : 00.39.45
Distance : 9.67 km's
Average Speed : 14.6 km's/h
Max. Speed : 45.1 km's/h
Polar F11 HR Monitor :
Talk about butterflies in my stomach, but hang on this isn't even a race. What have I gotten myself into? Can I do this? What the hell was I thinking? Clearly I'm nutz? That's it! I hate hills!! It's okay to turn around - right, but that means it's uphill back to the start. Forget this, I'm going around. Crap - look at that hill!! How many more hills - YIKES!!
The decision has been made, I am definitely dropping my entry from the 70 km to the 12 km next weekend. We are staying with my best bud's Mom who stays at the Staff Village at Sun City. Thankfully that means we don't have a 02:30am start to the day but can get up at a more dignified hour. When I've finished we'll head to the Valley of Waves at the Lost City and the boys can have some fun. Not sure I'll brave swimwear just yet. LOL
Okay, so to answer one of my own questions - there are only 2 hills/climbs. I rode as much as I could up them and then I walked the rest of the way, literally huffing and puffing!! I managed to get around the track twice which is a massive achievement for me as I had told hubby I might not make it even 1/2 way around.
My gym workouts have prepared me to a point but they are not going to be enough. I am going to have to cut a few gym workouts and hit the track more often. The big race is 93 days away - I need to achieve getting around that track at least 10 times in one session and definitely NOT walking up hills but pedalling up hills to be able to get to a point where I will be able to finish 94.7 km's comfortably. I clearly have my work cut out for me.
I'm having too much fun to give up!! I hope it stays that way. I CAN do this!!
Hugs
On some days I wonder if taking up Golf would have been cheaper. I kid you not - cycling is turning out to be an expensive PASSION and it would help if I did not make mistakes along the way. I'm seriousley crossing my fingers that I haven't made any other serious boo-boos. In my excitement to get cycling shoes a while back, I didn't pay as much attention to the fit as I should of - I should have also demanded professional advise when purchasing said cycling shoes and gathered all the information that I could. When it comes to cycling alot of 'stuff' is UNISEX - it fits both us girls and the boys. So what I thought was my size shoe and what I thought was all comfy turned out to be slightly too BIG. This teeny nasty little fact did not show itself until I used my cycling shoes out on the road. This did not seem to be a bother in the spinning classes but when I tried them out at the race track on Wednesday - I had hot spots underneath my footsies.....OUCH!! My feet were clearly sliding up and down in my shoes - I guess walking up some hills also helped this 'problem' along. Which is why we ended up in Pretoria today - trying to track down some cycling shoes at a more affordable price i.e. on special but LO and BEHOLD - NONE in my size. Oh yeah and that was the last of the stock - nadda, no more - they are supposedly not making them anymore UGGGHHHHH!!! 
Thankfully it warmed up some. It was hard parting with the various layers of clothing I had on. LOL If you had told me that by the end of the day that I would have sunburn I would never have believed but YIKES I did. Not from the race but from the time we spent at the Valley of the Waves - I was lounging on the beach, drinking cocktails and apparently forgot how harsh the sun can be. 
The ride began with a long steep uphill. I hate hills and it is definitely a 'mind over matter' thing for me and something I work on everyday. I need to learn to embrace hills. I managed to cycle up about 600 meters but couldn't find a steady pace. Lot's of people stopping and buses and other vehicles coming up from behind had me climbing off my bik and walking up the rest of the hill toward the Entertainment Centre. From there back on the bike and we made our way towards the golf course. I was really having fun and that's when I knew the cycling bug had definitely bitten. I love this!! Some confusion reigned on the course and a bunch of us were directed to the finish sooner that we should have been and sadly I only ended up doing just under 10km's instead of the 12 km's. First thing hubby said to me is that I looked 'too fresh' and I agreed. I could have quite happily done it again. :-)) Hill and all.
This is the cycling shirt for the event. Isn't it gorgeous!! I'll fit into it one day soon. I didn't want to get one that fitted me now as what would be the point. This cycling shirt is way to gorgeous - so I definitely wanted a skinnier me wearing it :-)
This is the T-Shirt - not too bad but the printing on the front makes it a sweaty affair to wear. I find the printing especially the picture ends up clinging to you. I know I have another t-shirt that is buried in the cupboard for this very same reason. :-( But still, it was for a good cause.
Rest days are good, in actual fact YOU NEED THEM!! I just don't like taking them, as my schedule of late is proving. Eeeeeek!!
