As I said in previous entries boredom is one thing we have to cope with seeing the size of our island. But these loops are necessary. They help us to build our stamina, endurance and patience!
Yet again I felt that today was a good ride.
Today I tried out my new bike. A Cannondale Caffeine C3. A smooth ride I must say. I still have to get used to the gears though as they are the opposite of what I was used to with my Bianchi. In fact I did mess up a couple of times. Not good when you are trying to negotiate a steep incline and tightening the gears instead of loosening them up. But it is all part of the training experience. This will enable me to get to know my bike faster!
As has become the norm, after a detailed briefing from Alan,we set off from Mater Dei. Today we are heading south towards the Airport – Hal Far Road.
As one of the first to leave Mater Dei, Paul and I couldn't help but comment that we should enjoy this placing within the group as it is the only time we are in the lead! All said in good humour of course. This is not a race. As experienced Lifecyclist William Saliba commented, it's not a matter of who comes in first or last. No one was singled out for coming in first or last.
I must admit my competitive spirit sometimes gets the better of me and falling behind, especially in the up hills annoys me. I try to keep in mind that there is no point in speeding up and burning myself out. What I need to do is keep a constant speed and follow the training programme that Alan prepared for us.
Our final checkpoint is at the Safi Band Club. Following directions given by the Backup team near Lister Barracks we head into a country lane towards Safi. Being a country lane, the road is not exactly smooth. Paul commented, good natured as ever, that cycling is a pain in the butt and is waiting desperately for numbness to sink in so that he won't feel the pain any more!
My sense of direction helps me to get to Safi, though I do stop to ask a man walking his dogs for directions. Sympathetically he looks at me and tells me that I am not far off. Do I look that bad I think to myself. Although it is hot and we have cycled for over 50kms I am not feeling dead but perhaps the impression I am giving is different.
I must admit that the Safi Band Club is a welcome sight. I still have to cycle home but I really feel like some coffee and a banana to give me some more energy. And catching up with the rest of the team is always something to look forward to. Comparing of notes, getting advice from the more experienced and sharing a joke is all part of the experience.
Some cyclists even found their way to Damascus today! - a bit earlier than expected!
Heading home with Maria, John and Robert the first phase of training comes to an end. This week will see us cycling 60kms instead of 40kms in the longer route days. An extra hour of training. Slowly building up.
I will end this entry by quoting Alan from his weekly write up “Lifecycle is not some kind of game, some “nice” experience, an “enjoyable” adventure, this is Life Cycle with all its blood and snot! Sore arses, stressed bodies and pressure cooker environment is what faces us not some walk in the mountains with a rucksack on your back”
This is what we are going to be facing and we'd better be prepared for it!
Photos courtesy of Ray Pace, pacemedia.tv Shirley Cefai
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