Up hill and down dale

I used to race a bike: raced it here in Ballarat, raced in Castlemaine, and raced from Melbourne to Ballarat. By far the hardest race I ever did was the Mt Baw Baw Classic - 97 km from Warrigul to the summit of the mountain. It's a stunning route, out through the rolling green fields and hills and dairies of Jindivick and Neerim, then a long descent in to Noojee. Then it's a fairly long climb, not too steep, towards Icy Creek and Tanjil Bren, where a friend of mine has a cabin.

Then the party starts. When you get to the main gate in to the Baw Baw resort, you hit a wall. The next 6 kilometres, the last 6 kilometres, are an average of 13% gradient with a maximum somewhere around 22%. This section of the race took me 45 minutes, and I was in okay condition. It was a war site, bodies falling off bikes, legs cramping. It's considered one of the hardest and steepest roads in the world to race up. I recall laughing at one point as it was so steep I couldn't imagine moving up it without a ladder.

The weekend just past I think I found the local running equivalent to the final pitch on Baw Baw. The club had its round four race in Buninyong, a hilly township south of Ballarat. I chose the 3 km race rather than the 5 km - still getting my race fitness and legs, so to speak. I was warned it was steep so went the conservative option. I'm glad I did.

It was a handicap, and I was the back marker, 60 seconds behind the next runner and 14:10 from the front runners. Over a little bridge, left along a dirt track, down a dip and right, then climb. Easy at first, then on to moderate as we climbed up out of a court. Cross the road on to the track again and BANG. You are on Innes Hill, a short and extremely sharp climb to a lovely grassy hill.

The track wound left and right around spindly trees, blocking a view of the top. I knew it was coming so had started easy, hoping to push through the climb and make up big time on the others. It worked, but only because most people walked up it. About 75% through I could see the top, and lifted my eyes for a look. Then I had a Baw Baw moment, a short laugh. Somehow it got steeper and I nearly ground to a total stop, spinning my wheels in the gravel. A short burst and I was out and over, and caught the guy in front and four others in 200 metres more. That climb is the hardest 4 minutes of running I have ever done.

I reeled in 8 others and got tenth, and it appears I set a new club record for the 3km distance at this event, which is held yearly. I'm pretty pleased. But at the lake tonight with the training group, doing 500m sets, my legs were telling a different story. They were still on Innes Hill, or was it Baw Baw?

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A gorgeous autumn day today. Had a coffee early then drove west up Sturt Street towards work. A strong northerly was blowing piles and piles of golden leaves across the road, my window open to the warm air. It's such a good time.

MITB