Succinct doesn't always = accurate

I saw this sign at a garden nursery on the way to doing a day's volunteering for my cycle club way out woop woop (Aussie for back of beyond)......it's unintentional humour kept me smiling most of the loooong boring day being a corner marshall:

apologies for the appalling quality of the pix...my phone bleached out all of the colour (the sign was a bright yellow) and resulting in mega manipulation having to be applied. 

Time Trials

The last 3 TT's I've raced have all looked pretty much like this...although this one was a bit lumpier than the other 2

I'm getting better at racing round corners!

The names of the places where the 3 took place are VERY Australian..first there was Kialla, then Balliang and this one was at Paraparap.
Generally speaking my fitness is improving and although the avg speed of this race was much the same as the others, it was a tougher course..both in it's lumpiness and also in the deadness and in some places roughness of the road surface.  Anyhow it was 23+km and I got round in 39 mins+ some seconds, the fastest rider on the day took ~35mins...and I was the happy recipient of the prize for the fastest on age and gender corrected time.

Now, of course I'm shattered and look forward to reaping the benefits  in 10 days time of what was a hard race when I race the 17km TT at Maryborough.  Last year I raced it in  25min 10seconds...bring it on!

More on the OS TT front
I've made an executive decision to travel with only 1 bike this year, with a changeover TT saddle and road bars/extension set up for my beautiful Baum road bike..  The reason is that my main TT race  this year  has  very steep up and downhill sections and the TT bike, as well as being heavier(uphill issue) is also more awkward/sketchy to ride, (downhill hair pin bend issues).  All the bits have been sourced and bought and will be well tested before I travel to make sure this decision is the right one.

Cycling pix

I'm not sure where these pix are from..the photographers should be acknowledged I know..but.....

Cycling in all climates:  

looks like Tuscany and the strade bianche to me

when you've been doing ALOT of riding in the sun!

last week in Melbourne  we were cycling in weather that could approximate to the first 2 pictures, this week it's more like the last one! (well not quite! but it's much colder and acclimatising takes longer than the day we were granted).  Last week I didn't even think of wearing an undershirt, it was far too hot, this week I had the full works on: undershirt with goretex front, goretex fronted sleeveless jacket, warmest jersey, leg and arm warmers!!!  Had to peel most of it off mid ride of course....but that's Melbourne for you.....

Camoflage and racing

couldn't see him to begin with

I knew what would happen if I opened the door, so the above pix was taken through the glass and then  when he realised he'd been sprung........

Racing:

I was s'posed to race a TT yesterday on the Kew Boulevarde but the weather turned nasty the day before and the road was wet and littered with debris and so I piked.  I'll race  a 24km TT at Paraparap with Geelong Supervets on Wednesday instead.  More on that anon.

Its too hot and humid to bother with anything

c'mon Autumn..come back ..all is forgiven!

it's the overnight minimums that get to you....21 is a nice day time temp...not a night time one.  And the humidity...yuk!

My training's going ok and I'm losing a bit of weight...fat becomes somewhat reluctant to leave one's body as one gets older.  My recipe..no ETOH, no snacks and I've changed from cappucino/latte to earl grey tea no milk.   Hunger pangs are my new best friends!  To keep motivated I look at the profiles of my races in Italy and Austria.

next race...next week on the somewhat lumpy Kew Boulevarde circuit.

And they're off...!

2 lap course at Balliang = a 20km TT

The Northern vets cycling club held their Age Standard TT Championships at Balliang today.  Here's what I did:

 2 laps, 8 corners 20km 34 minutes and some.  Not bad, but not as fast as I'd hoped, although 8 corners when you're not good at corners does effect the result.  I only did 1  to a level that I felt was anywhere near good (the 7th).  Anyhow...currently my TT'ing is a work in progress. 

I was in excess of 9 minutes faster than my age standard (~22%) and so won the event plus also won the faster female on age standard.  Thanks to Northern Vets for a well run event, the $$ and the medal.