As we ride more, we learn a few things along the way.
1. If your trying to fall back and get back into line don't look back and don't cut in even thou there is a gap for you. Your meant to fall back on the right and when you see the gap, SLOWLY ease back into and say something like "cutting in". My mistake was i cut in to quick and trying to look where Keong was, which made him a bit scared - my bad guys.
2. If your muscles starts to clamp up, move to the right side and don't slow down. Don't look back because your just going to lose a bit of balance & slow down on the left side, I did this and the girls at the back nearly ran into me. I was how nub can I be.
3. Don't dilute your Powerade powder drinks, the chemical balance is design that you get enough "magnesium" (thanks John H) into your muscles, if you don't it will result in cramps (even though you have warmed up)
4. Last of ALL.. eat snack bars or bananas!!
I did the right thing at the very start, had a big breakfast well kind of, i had cereal when i normally don't have any for a 30km ride, i would just have a fruit and that's it.
Ok back to my random story.
At stage 1, i was a happy chappy I had so much energy and was cruising at 40kph in the pack and loved every minute. When it was my turn to take lead I was loving it and the head wind did not effect my speed. The new bike was awesome Cervelo S2 Dura-Ace group set made the ride so nice.
So it was my turn to take the lead with a Scottish guy next to me we got told by someone to slow down a bit because the gap was getting big and we did, but he wanted to drop off because he has been leading the whole morning (he was a tough guy) so while I was back in the pack i looked up and Keong was at the front with Charlie pushing his hardest to lead (Charlie he has strong legs) but when they dropped off Keong didn't look to well, he was really tired. It is the first time I have ever seen Keong so tired. Normally I am the guy who is breathing heavily and gasping for air. We were told there was another group behind us so I told him to slow down and cruise it. But when i looked back the 3rd pack was pretty far back. So we decided that I would lead and he will just draft off me and recover. We were like 100-150meters back from the 2nd group, As we slowly increased our speed to catch up, he was asking me "you tired nghia?" "nope i think i still have 70% in the tank". We figured out why he was so tired, he didn't have breakfast (normally he doesn't have breakfast anyways), he had another late night staying up watching soccer.
So at our first stop he got some snack bars and drank some more water. I just drank a few more water and top up my 1st bottle (big mistake). So 2nd part of the trek i started to fall back, i don't really remember why, I was at the back of the 1st pack, went under the bridge (at leach hwy) slowed down (ah i know why, before we reached the bridge I was really working hard to stay up and when we got to the bridge my muscles did not like that the constant stop and go). There was alot of traffic on the PSP towards Canning Hwy and then I could feel my calf muscles hurting.
Lesson No.2
I was so annoyed at my self that it had to clamp, I was so looking forward to that stretch of the PSP, it was the "sprint stretch" I really wanted to test the S2 out against Keong and Charlie. So I rode around 20kph towards the park before the Narrows where the group has stopped. Keong offered me half his stack bar, I thought I had energy left to last me but I was so wrong. Anyways Keong got all his energy back from the snack bar at stop 1. and what I heard from him, he & Charlie was racing to stop 2 and Charlie won.
Charlie asks him "what did you just inject your self with?" (Charlie was amazed because at stage 1, Keong was struggling)
Keong "this snack bar you want half?"
The rest of the way back to Joondalup was nothing great apart from it SUCKS, I cramped up my calf muscle again this time it was bad, I limped back, started cursing and wanting to pop onto the train but Keong pushed me along and we got back to my car. I was so looking forward to meet up with the pack again but Keong had to get home.
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