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Magpies are out and swooping again! I was riding to Beeac the other day from Forrest to attend a road race held by Colac Cycling Club. It is only around 52km from my house, a good warm up on a cold day.
The house across the road has a flag on top o the house and it was not moving one iota. However...having known that in previous times, the trees and surrounding hills of Forrest lessen the impact of any wind, I still gave myself 2 hours to get there. Luckily I did, as soon as I got out of Barwon Downs, the wind hit me with a NW, sort of head on with a cross wind. So my 26kmph average was most likely going to be the outcome now. Only 2kms out of B.Downs, I luckily saw the first magpie eyeing me off from above and no doubt he(or she) came in to swoop, but I was ready with my bird noises and arms and looking back at it. This was to happen 9 times with one magpie not leaving me alone. I was over it. Then about 20km away from Beeac - no more magpies but a fiesty little terrier sitting out the front of his house not liking me riding past. Gee I was totally over it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 15kms and I was there finally.
The road race was harsh - on the start line the wind was in full force as was the rain. I raced in C grade and the competition was the best I had experienced. A flattish course with painful undulations that sapped every bit of spark out of your legs as you were already going at full pace with a head wind. I managed to stay in the main bunch as we gradually dropped the rest throughout the first lap. The eventual winner made a breakaway where I thought he would, undulating hills with a massive tail wind - I just did not have the legs to go with him and nor did anyone else. Thanks Phil for giving me a lift home - within minutes I was laying in my hot bath and listening to the hail falling on the tin roof. So that was Saturday - and now I had to get ready for Sunday. Liz, Christy and me were racing in the TEVA Adventure race in Daylesford and I had to be up at 4:30am the next morning to get there in time. We started at 8:30am in about 0 degrees celcius and it was actually snowing. A great day was had and the race was a mixture of running and MTB with a bit of a paddle in lake Jubliee too! We saw some guys fall into freezing water. Then they continued to race - they were freezing. So now I am taking the rest of the week off...looking forward to getting back on the bike again.  |
