climbing aboard

I ride the day after Lake Mountain to clear the legs—36.62kms at 25.1kph—but I cannot remember where I ride. The next day I race out to Fosterville, flat to gently undulating, keeping both speed and cadence as high as possible—51.46 kms at 29.0kph.

Work occupies the next three days. Daylight saving kills any chance of riding before or after work. Finally on Saturday afternoon after reading the paper, walking the dog, and seeing my grand-daughter after my daughter took her up north for a month, I roll out to Mount Alexander late on a warm afternoon.

It must be close to a year since I climbed Mt Alex. I pootle along for a while then crank it up through Sedgwick and up the gap at Harcourt North. I bolt into Harcourt then start climbing the old Calder Highway to Faraday, hang a left into the Sutton Grange road, climb some more, and finally push into the southern end of Joseph Young Drive.

Both ascents of Mount Alex are cruel. The north is a pig. The south’s special nastiness is breaking into an eleven per cent grade from the get-go. It takes mercy at nine and then seven per cent, before pitching back up to eleven.  There’s a kilometre of downhill then the final three kms start at seven per cent.

All in all the south ascent of Joseph Young Drive rises 270 metres in five kilometres. The north ascent (from the turn-off) rises 350 metres in four kms. I descend the north side gingerly and push for home. The ride is 84.86kms at 25 dead.

I handle the climb much better than Lake Mountain. My weekly total is 240kms. The Carmichael training system is a distant memory. Fuck it! I just need to ride up stuff as often as I can.