Wodonga High Plains Tour

Friday saw me head back up to the North East to compete in the Wodonga High Plains Tour. Dad accompanied me for the road trip which can take its time with a 5 hr drive minimum to get up to Falls Creek. Always nice to have some company to talk to and plus he likes skiing so he was wrapped to be getting on the ski's.

We spent Friday night in Bright and headed up early on Saturday morning to get organised for the race. We were greeted on our arrival up top to some seriously unpleasant weather. It was trying to snow, dumping sleet and freezing rain combined with a gail force wind, and low cloud.

I camped out in the YMCA where you pick up your number and waited for race time to get nearer before heading out into the shit weather to warm up.

Now I thought it was another classic race and headed up to the nordic bowl to warm up and quickly realised that I was on the wrong skis and that it was a freestyle race. So I quickly blasted back to the car and organised my other skis (luckily I had sorted them out) and boots.

I skated back up to the bowl and skied some of the course which contained some serious climbing for a big bloke like myself. After a warm up and a delay we lined up and we were ready for go time.

The race started in its usual fashion of mayhem and I just tried to take it easy to survive the race. I got caught in some traffic and then got tangled with another racer and over I went. I could quickly see that I was in trouble for this race. I got back on my feet and remained stuck in traffic and slowly climbed at other people's pace which I hate. We headed into a trail called Aitken's or Ropers which the organisers sent us up this 20% hill which made sure you were alive.

I was soon to realise that I was here to get through the race and not go well. I quickly came up behind a racer on the descent and went to pass on the outside and soon discovered that the edge of the trail due to the rain damage was soft.... very soft. I speared head first into the snow, not happy, but that is ski racing!

I again jumped up and got going again.... the rest of the race was not that much fun. The weather soon turned to hard falling wet snow, drenching my kit and when combined with the wind made me feel like a icicle.

I eventually crossed the line and was soon to pack up the kit and get the hell out of dodge as the weather was only for penguins and polar bears. It was Mt Beauty bakery time!

Sunday saw me return for what I hoped would be a good endurance session. Plans were foiled by hail, rain, zero visibility and little motivation. I ended up on the Mt Mackay road doing hill repeats as you could make out the trail by the trees on either side. After a hour and a half out there I was a little over it. I was skiing OK, just tired from the day before.

I watched the Inter Club Relay's and was impressed with the racing.... maybe next year.

I have entered my self in the Australian Ski Chase and will be interested to see what my overall ranking will be in the masters group after the last 2 weeks. The series gives you points per race and depending on how many races you get done in the season you are in the race for some great prizes.

Back on the bike this week as the next CTS is in a couple of weeks and after making a few plans for training some serious endurance miles on the roller skis.

Happy trails.