Click here to view my video diary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6I9TiBKAzE
My day began at 5:30 am making sure that everything was all packed and ready for my big ride. After a live radio interview with Dewayne and Sarah from the Central Coast 2GO Radio I said my goodbyes to my lovely friends who let me crash on their couch and it was the time to begin.
The official departure point was from the North side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and started unfortunately at rush hour so as I weaved through the traffic I also tried to solve the problem of WHY WAS MY KNEE SO SORE!!! About a week before I flew to Sydney my knee had started to play up on a training bike ride. In the last three months I have not had a single problem and now, right before the BIG ride they both start to hurt, A LOT.
This just won’t do. I am not even out of the city about to ride 1, 400 km and I am close to tears with the pain. Trying to fix the problem or at least give my knees some support I stop at a pharmacy and bought knee supports, as I was exiting I realised that there was a cycle store across the road. Like a light bulb I think that the height of the seat is the problem. Turns out it was about an inch shorter than normal from when I had the computer fitted. They had re-set the seat to the scratch lines on the bike; unfortunately they were the wrong scratch lines. I assumed that they were right and never checked so when I flew to Sydney I set the bike the same, Woops. Problem solved I was able to finally start the big ride. Knees are still sore but at least they have a chance to heal now that the bike is set right.
Aside from this I have to say that I was feeling apprehensive at the start mainly because I am riding SOLO as a female and had some concerns about leaving the City however they all proved to be unnecessary. The pacific Hwy is a bicyclist dream – minutes the hills, but is full of lush green trees and not very many cars. I had a lovely cyclist’s join me for an hour and the rest of the journey was just me, the tree and the iPod…
I arrived at Gosford at 1pm and decided to find the paper office, unfortunately I got lost… So I will try again tomorrow. Staying at the YHA in Terrigal about 10 km from Gosford, iced the knees and apart from the general tiredness I feel great also found out that I made the front page on the Sunshine Coast to take a look at the article here.
Bring on tomorrow!
Click here to view my Video Diary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6I9TiBKAzE
