I only had time and went for a ride up Transient from Aro Valley. It felt much, much harder than last week. I had to take a number of stops along the way to catch my breath and let the nausea pass.
Overall I dealt better with what I’d describe as the harder parts of the track – the wee pinch climbs and so on. The biggest issue is fitness, I am really struggling to keep my concentration on the trickier bits as I’m so stuffed.
I may attempt to ride it again this afternoon if the opportunity arises – I feel it’s a great training ride for me and I really want to be able to get to the top without 1) being forced to stop by the terrain; and 2) stopping because I’m knackered.
I take heart from the lessons I’ve already learned about perseverance and that things do get easier with practice.
There was one big upside, which were my new Ground Effect Underdog padded shorts. They were super comfy, I didn’t notice I was wearing them, and my butt was in no discomfort. Usually after a ride like that I would feel something – but not this time.