The RACV Great Ocean & Otway Classic Ride is one of Australia’s premier and most spectacular rides, attracting competitors from both Australia and from around the World. The 145km ride features over 90km of road closures through the picturesque farmlands of the Otway ranges to Lorne and then back along the famous Great Ocean Road to Torquay. Spectacular scenery along the course with the opportunity to stop in the townships of Moriac, Deans Marsh and along the Great Ocean Road at Lorne, Aireys Inlet & Anglesea.
Ride the Ranges is a fundraising cycle event run by the Euroa Rotary Club. A spectacular Autumn ride in the foothills of the Victorian Strathbogie Ranges ~ supporting the local ‘Kids on Bikes’ program.
Amy’s Gran Fondo is a world-class standard event on fully closed roads in one of the world’s most idyllic destinations, a fully timed, mass participation competitive event based on finishing time – true ‘Gran Fondo’ style. ‘Gran Fondo’ is an age old Italian cycling tradition, meaning ‘great endurance’. The distance, terrain and sensational scenery of Amy’s Gran Fondo makes for a challenging ride, worthy of its status as a UCI World Amateur Road Cycling Championships qualifier event!
Training, fitness and good health all go hand in hand, but what is often missed in this thinking, is the mental health and the visionary aspects as opposed to the more common perception of physical health benefits. Having a challenge will almost always galvanise the mind into producing the habits and mental disciplines to get us out of bed in the morning and train, but a challenge has a way of firing up the embers and exciting all aspects of our previously mundane life.
I guess it’s a lot like the ‘Chicken or the Egg’ – the reality is that we need both, just take that first step -right? – but for me it’s always been about the vision first, a vision that I can touch and feel, you know the type of vision that fills your quiet moments, that lift your spirits into action. For me the physical stuff just follows to serve my vision. When it comes to the “rubber hitting the road” action part of this equation, I would have to say its pretty dam ugly sometimes – taking that first step on a run or the strong head wind on a colder morning as my pedals do not serve up the expected power ratios…hmmm why am I here again? I am the only one that thinks that way…right?
Goals sound like such an over rated cheesey cliché that haunts us from the shadows and very often freezes me into temporary inaction, but the reality is this… every time I have succeeded there were ALWAYS 5 things that were working for me…
‘Vision’ – and it was my unique Steve type vision
‘Challenge’ that was born from my vision
‘Very Small Goals’ plus some medium sized goals that set me on the path
‘Ugly Action’ was OK – passing a parked car going the other way was at least a start
Evolution – evolution represented a story unfolding and it was my story
So what comes first? the Vision or the Challenge…because in my books the other 3 points will never come into play until I have bought into the ‘Challenge’ part..What do you reckon?
If you are in Victoria and its getting chillier by the day, just maybe this challenge will reach out and touch your vision?