Day 2: To Varsity Lakes and back - Over the ditch - CycleBlaze

April 20, 2024

Day 2: To Varsity Lakes and back

Tricia Graham hit the nail on the head when she commented on yesterday's post, "Wonder where you will find a Park Run? I bet this will influence your route..."

Our Gold Coast/Brisbane cycle tour has indeed been planned around a couple of parkruns, and once we fly home I will be the ridiculously proud bearer of a parkrun alphabet - a complete set of 25 different parkrun events around the world, each beginning with a letter of the alphabet.  And what better way to achieve this than by cycle touring? My two favourite activities working together to bring me next-level happiness . . .

Aha, you may think, what's with just 25 letters? Can't she count? The reality is that nowhere in the world is there an event starting with an X. Not yet anyway.

Mad obsession this may be but it's surely a healthy one!

Today's ride gets off to an early start. Leaving our unit around 6.15am, you'd expect we'd find empty streets, closed shops, safe cycling  conditions. But no. Queensland has rejected daylight saving hours so its residents get up with the sun (currently 6.08am). Cafés are open, people are exercising and the main road is already too busy for comfort.

But we turn off the main drag relatively quickly and follow a much quieter route inland to Varsity Lakes.

It's a beautiful setting for a very enjoyable run and great socialising after at the nearby cafè. 

Homeward bound and loaded up with groceries instead of the usual panniers, we detour to another bike shop (for another forgotten item). This turns out to be a ride through suburban streets - much more enjoyable than the outward leg. 

Back at our resort, we park the bikes outside and treat our tired legs to a day on the couch. We'll try to do better tomorrow.

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Today's ride: 13 km (8 miles)
Total: 77 km (48 miles)

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Jill BrinsleyI know this is all about the cycling, but well done on the Parkrun alphabet achievement !
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7 months ago
Robyn RichardsTo Jill BrinsleyThanks Jill. I can't help but bring parkrun into my journals!
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7 months ago
Tricia GrahamWhat is the other letter you need. I know you got z in the Netherlands last year !
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7 months ago
Robyn RichardsTo Tricia GrahamY. Also unavailable in NZ but there are plenty in Oz.
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7 months ago