Hhhmmmm....Another 24 Hour?

Mid January 2013 I had the realisation that the World 24 Hour Champs was just not going to happen for me this year.  I may have been able to handle work, dogs and training, but throwing nearly 4 months of study in there between February and June as well was just a recipe for stress, disappointment, and training and riding because I had to and not for the love of it.  

Instead, I was thinking of preparing for building up to the Summer National Series and a few enduros, maybe planning for hitting up the Australian 24 Hour Champs in April 2014.  But maybe my return to 24s may come a few months early.....  The Wombat 24 Hour in November at Woodend is looking pretty good.  I may have to throw out the feelers for a support team though.  I wonder if brother Gav is up for a flight to Viccy?  Followed by a drive to Canberra at Easter?

A Few Rides To Keep Sane

I've been on the bike a few times this week while at uni, certainly not because I have time, but to put all lectures, learning, assignments and work behind me for a short while and let myself be free from thoughts.  Tuesday was late by the time lectures finished, but I didn't care - I was brain dead, mentally exhausted, cranky, sick of people and just wanted to get away. 

Once I got on the bike I didn't want to stop.  It was dark in the single track and hard to see, but I didn't care - I kept riding cause I was enjoying it so much.  By the time I rolled back into uni it watch pitch black, having done the last section of climbing from the lake back up the hill in the dimmest of light.

It was a bit dark in the Oak forest, but this was only the beginning of my ride

Thursday was much the same - only one day to go of my subject lectures (and 4 weeks of assignments), but I was out of there by 4:30pm and free on the bike.  I went exploring seeing as I had some extra daylight - found this great view, some really fun fast, rocky fire trail, a couple of girls from uni out walking, and a really nice trail bike rider named Gavin who also has a Cannondale and rides the trails around Creswick. 

After my chats I decided to do another loop of the fun stuff, then climb back from the lake to uni feeling much refreshed and ready for another 5 hours of assignment study.

 

A Quick Update From Creswick

Well, I'm back once again at Creswick for uni.  Thanks to my super mum for living at my house for 2 weeks and looking after the babies while I'm at uni.  

My final subject - YAY!!  And of course, in true Dr Kevin Tolhurst form, it is nothing but intense.  But I guess we got to burn stuff today, so that's always fun.  A humorous thing happened during our burning experiments - the DSE group had a doozy of a burn going (as one would expect) which ended up in a firebrand being caught in a convection current, rising 4 feet above the fire and gently heading our direction, where it fell slowly into our already extinguished burn experiment !!  A perfectly executed example of a backburn performing its role in a bushfire.  A good laugh was had by all.  

I've only had 2 opportunities for rides - one by myself on Monday morning before my first lecture, and one this afternoon with Shauna.  And although the weather has been less than desirable, the sun came out for most of our ride this afternoon - just in time to get a piccy of Shauna in the sun after the final climb (and she certainly does look happy to have that climb behind her, after tackling a quad injury that was screaming at her the entire climb).  I had no excuse for going slow - just unfit and fat.  

I felt relaxed and content after the ride - not because it tired me out, but being out on the bike is such a pleasure and puts me in such a good, healthy space.  After dinner at pub, this enabled me to do a few good hours tonight of my previous subject's final assignment.  

I'm hanging out for 5 weeks time - all assignments finalised, only a year long project to complete at work - when I can ride all I want and get back into racing again.  National XC Series, Endurance, here I come.  Well, soon....