Brisbane to Gold Coast and back: 193km road ride

Fresh off a 4hour mountain ride a fortnight prior Dean and I decided it was time for me to tackle my first really long ride. It ended up being 193km, over 8 hours long, and I can honestly say there were times I seriously questioned my commitment to the sport.

The circuit was a Brisbane to Gold Coast ride with the return trip aided by Bryce’s back wheel. We shot out to the Gold Coast Half Ironman course for a bit of recon before setting back off the Gold Coast. We started early, I decided to ride the 15km to Bryce’s house and meet with him there, just to add a few extra kms to the planned ride, just so I could "beat him" and do more.

I wasn’t exactly sure what to take on the ride, or how to prepare. I had only done the one long ride, the mountain ride, and apart from that most of my rides where 2horus maximum. I didn’t want to have full pockets and knew from my 25km experience I could easily sustain myself with just gels shots. I took Gatorade as fluid, a handful of gel shots and a few bananas just in case I wanted some solid food.

I kicked off at 4.20, slowly riding to Bryce's to meet him at 5. I was anxiously excited; to finish for me would be a great experience and an achievement (although the plan was to do many long rides like this). However I just didn’t know what to expect, all the cyclists I rode with from time to time suggested not hitting it to hard, to early, but I thought I was capable given the correct speed.

The first section was fairly leisurely while we were still in the side streets, a lot of stops for lights etc made it difficult to get into a rhythm. Once we got out to the service road along the freeway we picked it up jumping from between 30kph and 40kph depending on the section. I tried to make sure I took some of the lead and do my part, but realistically Bryce was always going to lead the majority of the way being the experienced rider. I knew coming home, more than likely he would always be in front, carrying me home. I didn’t want to have this attitude, but I just mentally wanted to be prepared in case it did happen and I was in a world of pain with 3 hours to go.

We had our first stop at dream world, by that time I had already done around 70kms and had been riding for a little over 2 hours. It was at this point I realised the enormity of this ride. I was feeling a little sore and fatigued, I think a combination of the weeks work but also the consistent pace we had maintained took it out of me. We rang Dean to let him know of our progress and I took on two gel shots for energy.

Stopping was a big shock to the system. I seemed fine while riding, no aches or pains, but as soon as we stopped it all started to creep in. And stopping made starting again just that much harder. The physical side of things, but also mentally, having a short break only to return to another 4 hours of riding wasn’t something I was prepared for. I was a little concerned about making the distance.

We followed the service road all the way along until we were able to head out through Jacobs Well to the Half Ironman course. It was a lot windier along the section however we were able to maintain some good speed. I feel back into a rhythm shortly after we left again but my legs where starting to ache. Bryce took me over a small section of the course, pointing out critical areas and turn around points. It really didn’t mean that much to me, I couldn’t really fathom riding 90kms and then running a half marathon so it was merely a sight seeing exercise.

Before long we were back on the road to Surfers, things began to slow up as we made our way into traffic so we decided to ride out to the spit to get a few more Kms before heading back. Bryce took off down the small 3-4km section doing a time trial, I simply rode until he met with me on the way back as I was not in any state to do a time trial if I had to ride all the way back. We managed to hook on the back of 2 guys during the windy ride back. I never realised how much difference it really made sitting in a pack. You honestly don’t have to work to maintain speed and although it only lasted for 4kms or so, it was a well needed break on my legs.

The two peeled away not long after we met up and we made our way to McDonalds. I dont care what anyone said, I was having McDonalds. I was hungry, I was grumpy, I needed some comfort food. 110kms down.

After 20mins or so we commenced the homeward stretch. Getting out of Surfers and Southport was the easy part. Stop starting with traffic, it was a good way to ease my aching legs back into the ride. But as soon as we got onto better roads with fewer cars, Bryce was off. I have never sworn so much in my head before than I did at that moment. The wind had picked up substantially and without his support I dropped to 24kph. Dreadfully slow. He abandoned me, this wasn’t what we planned and as he slowly disappeared I realised how hard and lonely the return ride would be.

I understand he had to go faster, I was holding him back, but the purpose of this ride was for me to get the experience and he had said he would help me back. I didn’t take it well. Pissed off, exhausted, isn’t a good combination for a reformed...tantrum throwing? Anger fuelled guy. Not tantrums per se, more constructive criticism in a blunt and abrasive way.

Bryce stopped twice. Yay. It didn’t help at all, just another reminder as I once again watched him take off on me that he left me, "for dead" was the way I was thinking about it at the time. At the Jacobs Well turn off we decided to part ways (formally) as Bryce wanted to do extra Kms to make sure the ride reached 180kms. I continued on.

The last 40kms my phone came out, I was texting people. "Worst day of my life, I wish I was dead," and "seriously don’t think I will make this, I never want to ride again, I'm going to die," where the general tone of the messages. I think I needed to reach out to someone at some point. I was never going to give up, but I think it was more of me understanding that I wasn’t deathly alone, and to get some form of encouragement. I started to get really annoyed that no one knew I was doing this, the pain that I was in. I think that’s the difference between swimming and my new sport. When you’re in a squad, you have a team behind you, when your riding as I discovered your very much alone.

Bryce called me a little later, he had a flat. Karma. This cheered me up ever so slightly. By the time I got home I had done 193kms. My longest ride ever by over 100kms and over half it alone.

In retrospect although I went on a little rant upon Bryce’s return to training that afternoon, him leaving me behind was a good thing. Bryce needed to go his own pace, and I learnt a very hard truth very quickly. If you don’t have the legs at the time, you can be dropped very quickly. I swore I never wanted to ride again, for the whole afternoon I told myself I would never do an Ironman Triathlon ever. But in the end, I got there, I finished, and I didn’t stop. And with time I grew happy with it, and was glad to find another sport that could test me to the point of quitting.

We probably did hit it too hard to early. But it taught me so many things, and tested my commitment to the sport. I passed, with abusive rants, and numerous swear words and lots of finger pointing at Bryce. But in the end, when you’re on the bike, your alone. That’s the way its always going to be. And I had to get use to that. This was a good start, but in the future I would go through some troubling times before accepting and coming to terms with this. The real challenge in Ironman for me, was not being in a team anymore, being alone.