My Blog

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.