Like a steam train.... toot toot!

Tonight is the famous 'Ride through the Suburbs' which takes place each Thursday night through the Northern suburbs of Melbourne. It's a short 40 odd km ride but it is quick and very hilly. I ride with the boys from the Richmond cyclery who are a super bunch of blokes who are also very competitive. There will be about 100 riders out there tonight and if we're lucky, maybe 5 of us.

We will work in together in trying to take a couple of important sections of the ride. 1st there is the climb up Doncaster Road. This is a heavily contested hill climb that lasts approximately 2 km's. By the end of it I am really gasping for air, the legs are burning and the sweet is dripping from the brow. It doesn't matter how much pain I'm in at the end of this climb, I can't show it as it will give the other riders the impression that they are better than me.

The second section that is heavily contested is 'Col de Burgundy'. Another steep climb that is a little shorter but very steep. I've never challenged for this section, but tonight may be the night.

The last section is the 'Red Rooster Sprint' which takes place at the end of the ride. To challenge for this you want to be sprinting at around 65 km's per hour through the bunch (coming through like a steam train..... toot toot!). Whoever takes this has bragging rights until next week.

Through all of this I'm hoping that I'm training enough to be able to keep up with the guys and girls come May. I guess time will tell, but I know I need to get some longer rides in to ensure that I've got the gas to finish the mighty Tour.