After running on Saturday I had a long ride in mind up the coast north of Wellington, NZ. It’s three hours, for me at least, to get into the back country farms roads and until then it was a bit of the same old same old. But once off the beaten track I was away and spent two hours on what was almost new ground, it had been so long. Eventually the cards lined up, not too hot, optimism and enthusiasm got the better of experience and I pressed on for what ended up being eight-plus hours, longest ride of the year to date.