Saturday, 1 November 2008

MS Sydney to the Gong Ride

Tomorrow, I will participate in my first ever MS Sydney to the Gong ride. The ride goes from St. Peters to Wollongong, via Brighton Le Sands, the Royal National Park, and the Sea Cliff Bridge, totaling 90 km. Personally, I hope to finish in 5-6 hours. The event is held to help raise money and awareness for MS - Multiple Sclerosis - an autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system.

Preparation for any endurance event is of utmost importance, and this is no different. Equipment must be checked and rechecked, supplies readied. For this event, the most important equipment will be the bike. It has been serviced a couple of days ago, and all gears and brakes are checked. The tyre pressures are also checked, as are the pedals and the shoes. Aside from the bike, there are the clothing, helmut, gloves, shoes, camelpak for hydration and some light energy snacks for along the way.

But perhaps the most important thing is human preparation, both mentally and physically. I have no idea how I will go as I have never ridden this far before. Unfortunately, I haven't had much time to train up for this event, unlike for the Oxfam Trailwalker, but hopefully I will finish tomorrow.