Saturday, June 13, 2009

Goodbye South Australia!

After a well deserved break in Adelaide, Udeni has said goodbye to South Australia to embark on the final leg of his journey from Perth to Melbourne. 

The journey so far hasn't been easy: the distance, headwind and difficult terrain have definitely proved to be a challenge.  Heading into winter, Udeni's greatest challenge over the past few weeks has been the cold. Some days he has begun cycling in temperatures of 1 degree Celcius or less. Udeni's standard wear in these colder days has been 4 layers of pants (thermals, bike pants, skins and extra pants), three pairs of gloves, a thermal and cycling top and a balaclava- and it's STILL freezing!  

The challenges of his ride have however shown results: Udeni's power to weight ratio has increased, he has needed fewer and less frequent breaks (every 10km or so to take photos or write in his journal as opposed to every 5km) and he has had fewer muscle cramps. He's also about the weight he was when he was in high school! Luckily he has been having more frequent cooked meals now that he has finished the Nullabor (and the occasional free one from friendly hotel staff!) 

Stay posted for news about Udeni's home stretch!