I really can't remember a lot of what's has happened over the last month or so. Work was stupidly busy beyond the first week of December, which is when I calculated that it should slow down.
I'm pretty sure I missed a teams fun race end of November while I was in Traralgon with work. I spent the next week in Mallacoota with the amazing Veg Management Officer Chris Lewis. Though Chris shared storms, rain, sunshine, beach, coastal vegetation, wonderful landholders, and ticks with me, I didn't get much bike time! And after traipsing through the bush all day it was difficult to get enough energy to hit the road.
I made it to Race 2 of the Summer Series. I was SHATTERED even before the race. But I turned up, I got to the start line, and I rode 5 laps of the course. I was hoping for 3 laps. All the laps were simply 'ridden'. No 'racing' occurred bar the last half a lap. My legs had a certain amount in them to ride each lap, but I didn't have anything more than that! With 4.5 laps down, no-one had passed me for a while so I thought I'd better put a bit in. Thankfully my 'bit' was mostly flat or downhill. I commanded the fast line on the final descent from a guy that was desperate to pass me, due to me going so slow, but I knew I had the good line and that I would nail it. Sure enough he followed me through my line and congratulated me at the end on such an awesome run down the descent. I'm not sure who this guy was, but he rode a mighty fine descent too.
A week later was the last race for the year - a teams relay short course of 3 laps each. I was teamed up with a guy I didn't know, and next time I will make sure that I take more note of what he looks like so that I can recognise him when he's coming through to transition! I was climbing up the long paddock climb slowly, but then I got into a rhythm on the windy, rocky single track. I unfortunately (stupidly) flatted on the last lap and had to run the last few hundred metres. There's a reason why I ride a bike, and that's cause I can't run. But my new Shimano mtb shoes were perfect (for the ride, not so much the run). And I was very happy that mtb fashion has gone back to black-styled shoes rather than the silly idea of white....who thought white mtb shoes would stay white for long! Next lot of racing photos will show swanky black/pink mtb shoes.
