Back in October of 2012, during a week of mountain bike riding in New Zealand, I had a totally exhausting 100k ride on the Waikato River Trail (see earlier post). Let me tell you how I felt the next day!
My life force is missing, lost in Waikato somewhere
Struggling out of bed I really couldn’t care
If I didn’t see my bike for days or cycled another mile
Happy just to laze around do precious little for a while
But Anatomical Physio Theory suggests that I’d grow flaccid
If I didn’t soon get active and flush the lactic acid
So I point the front wheel forward toward the beautiful Blue Lake
It is only a few kilometres, that distance I could make
No, I didn’t ride straight into, but circled it instead
Following the walking track as along the edge it led
Walkers dodged me carefully as I weaved amongst the trees
Body now invigorated by the sunshine and the breeze
With Blue Lake track behind me green is the next hue
With energy returning I’ll check out this lake too
A peaceful glade of solitude, a jetty by the lake
Can’t just ride on by this a much earned rest I take
Then into a different glade where Redwood Giants rule
A shady lined avenue a precious hidden jewel!
Having feasted on forest delights I head on back to town
The road should be going up but seems to be heading down
Unsure I stop a man and his dog we pause and chat a bit
Point me in the right direction “That way home, you git!”
Rollin back to the car it’s difficult to believe
That I just covered fifty K’s by the lakes, under the trees.
lifesmorefunona29er 
Being around lakes was it generally flatter than the 100km ride you did the day before? Or was it less exhausting simply because you took it at a more relaxed pace (with a more relaxed outlook)?
It looks like a lovely place to go riding!
It was less steep than around the Waikato River. There were certainly still hills to ride up in the Redwood Forests, but not as unrelenting. And, true, I didn’t have to cover 100ks in a day and could therefore ride as much or as little as I liked. I was suprised I find I liked over 50ks!