Back in the game

OK, have been absent from the keyboard, well more specifically from the blog keyboard this week (or three), have been learning photoshop and on the computer until my eyes were bleeding...well maybe that is a bit of an overstatement, but they were too sore and I have learned to back off and perhaps ride my bike more otfen.

Cycling - Raced in the Sale to Bairnsdale on ANZAC day and I was iniitally talked into entering B grade (there was A through to D) and right near the start someone who had looked at the start lists and saw the state mens 50-54yo TT champion amongst a few other very strong riders in the B grade list and said I could change to C - BEAUTY so I did it. At the start, I was lined up and saw a man walking over to me and proceeded to tell me that I couldnt change. So there I was in a race with a few very very good time triallists and 70km of mainly very good tailwind ahead.,...we will see what happens.

Ready - Set - Go - and we were off, at the first chance there was an attack and we are going 54kph (around 32mph) and then we hit the first hill, one I climb once a week and my top speed has been about 29kph at the top, well in the race I was getting dropped before the top doing 29kph!. So now I am chasing around 23 riders and on the next climb (only a rise) I am catching them and looking like things will be ok and further up the road the bunch had to slow down for a RH turn, now after that turn the bunch went like the clappers and I was still chasing, even though I got through the corner ok. I did manage to pick up two other riders and so had a group of three, but riding 55km off the bunch was no fun and I should have been allowed to ride one grade lower, especially when there were guys in the bunch that normally ride A grade......NOW PREPARE FOR THIS i AM ABOUT TO GET ON SOAPBOX

My BIG GRIPE is that an A grader is an A grader.....some people think that they are an A grader for a particular style of event, say crits, Time trials, road, hills etc, but in anything else....and I mean ANYTHING ELSE, they complain and say "I cant ride hills/crits/time trials/etc etc and request to drop a grade....NO NO NO.....if you are an A grader and can ride with the best of them in A grade in ANYTHING then you are a FRIGGIN A GRADER....SO SUCK IT UP AND RIDE WHERE YOU BELONG.....

..........................I feel much better now...thanks for reading....

PS...I did have a great ride, we averaged about 38kph in our group of three and I felt quite strong, but I have got some work to do as I am a bit behind the 8 ball at the moment, just havent had the best few months emotionally and everything, have been a bit flat at times which is not great but just plugging away here trying to sort out my life. I have a doctors appointment in Melb next Tuesday which will hopefully be good - who knows.
Got a speeding fine yesterday from a bloody camera in Melb from my last trp there and this week I had submitted 10 photos to a photo stock agency for review and approval so I can become a contributor and all ten rejected (no surprises there though.....it is a tough gig and I didnt really think they would be approved.......a bit too arty for them, they prefer pure clean pics of objects!!!!!!.....I liked the pics I sent), I also found a place in Hallam that does reasonably priced printing of photos and so that is also quite positive)

The wheels just keep turning.............................................