Katina's over the hill!

6am Sunday: There were four of us freezing cold Wonder Women at the ferry stop. Talk has turned to arm warmers. We all want them. Jacqui has already picked some up for $10 at rebel sport. The slow but steady descent into the lycra-clad "serious" cyclist that we all scoffed at this time last year continues!

Jacqui and Michelle headed off on the Toohey Forest route, picking up Jacque and Emma along the way. Katina and I went in the other direction, over the Go Between Bridge and over to Mount Coot-tha Road.

 We crossed the footbridge over the highway, past the Legacy Way tunnel works and pulled up alongside the Botanical Gardens for one last gulp of water and one final nose-blow. Then a big deep breath, crank down to the Granny Gear and away we go!...

It was slow going and I had time to contemplate whether it was better or worse second time round. Possibly a bit worse. Perhaps because I wasn't so nervous so I didn't have all that adrenalin running through me. Katina said it was challenging but she kept on going. There was plenty of heavy breathing going on from both of us. And plenty of cyclists passing us - even a jogger! (how embarrassing). It was only when we rounded the final bend that she tentatively asked if it was much further. Thank God I didn't have to lie when I said "that's it!". Almost exactly half an hour's hard work from the Botanical Gardens to Channel Ten. I still had that feeling of elation getting to the top. It's a grand feeling! We pulled in to Channel 10 so I could get Darren the Security Guard to take our picture...

Thanks, Darren!

 Then we were off again - up over the peak of the mountain and then down and up and down like that for a while until we reached the lookout. It was a glorious morning...(or should that be Coot-tha morning hawhaw)

There was so much glare I couldn't see my thumb over the lens - d'oh!

I'm going to try and do it again in a few weeks. I'll let you know in case anyone fancies giving some or all of it a try.