What goes up....

Round 3 of the GMBC Winter Series. A 30 km loop that took had us riding what seemed like every bit of trail in the park.

Like the last round of the series it was raining heavily in Melbourne this morning, my brain was running through a long list of 'better things to do' and another of 'why it would be bad to race', I drove on. By the time I reached the race start at the Kurrajong picnic grounds the rain had stopped and though cold was shaping up for some good racing.

Before the race Jim and I decided to work together, start at a moderate pace and pick up riders who had gone too early. Not long after the start, while I breathed hard to hold the wheel in front of me, I began to think our strategy had been forgotten by my stalwart companion. As the course started to slowly rise I hit my stride and started to work turns with Jim, we were dropped along a long stretch of fire road but still sitting pretty before the climb up the link track.

The black descent (run #4) delivered some relief to lactate filled legs and giggles to our faces, we even managed to catch up the rider in front. Our tactic was soon to end when Jimmy had a small mechanical, I pushed on feeling good on the bike, but the small pinches were starting to take their toll.

When I reached the half way mark on the stockyards fire road climb and saw the arrows not pointing up to the right but rather down the fire road to the left, I must admit I was relieved. I had lost a lot of time up the climb and I was determined to make it back. I took considerable time out of the rider in front of me but the occasional rise in the road sapped my speed and sadly I never quite made it across to his wheel.

9th Place
1:30.51
34 km
530m climbed (gained)
7268 heart beats
7 giggles
1 mono
2 tired legs
3 post race sausages.

See you at the handicap!