Racing again! In Tassie.

First off, I finally got the approval to go to work from the national medical board. However, the chief of the medical staff - who had to sign off on my hospital privileges - was off for the day, so I still can't work officially until tomorrow. I spent the morning and early afternoon putting together an impromptu teaching service with 3 medical students who were standing around hoping that someone would teach them something, and then a few interns and junior residents. I couldn't actually provide any medical care or direct advise, but didn't need a license to provide some teaching - some fairly indirect, and other with more direct applicability to clinical cases: "If the patient is still moving (as this one is) one could conceivably give additional propofol (like maybe another 50 mg for this guy). Actually had some interesting cases and since I wasn't "really" working, it was nice and low pressure. But with one more avoidable delay, I went home mid afternoon, since I had other offers.

Launceston's mountain bike club runs a Wedesday evening MTB twilight race series that I'd heard about from several sources - so I rode my 'cross bike over to watch. Met one of our nuc med techs, a radiologist, and an ER nurse there and road the men's course with Nick on my cross bike. It was OK at warm-up pace, but would've been problematic at race pace. But there was a "D" group that the guys convinced me to sign up for and race - the course eliminated the rocky technical section. Left me with one dismount over a log pile that was quite rideable (and for some racers, quite crashable) on a MTB. So at the start there were about a dozen teenagers, 6 or 8 women, and 2 men - me on the 'cross bike. The cross bike generated a lot of cheering, and laughter at the mount/dismount. It was a huge amount of fun.

I got to meet one of the locals who I'd been in Facebook contact with, and met perhaps another 10 of his friends - and set up plans for a ride with those guys on Saturday (and then a birthday party at his house). So, my range of acquaintances on bikes has grown rapidly and the whole experience was quite a hoot.

Spent some time after the MTB race talking about plans for a few 'cross races this fall (we're entering fall down here). Since they estimate that only 10-12 folks will show up to race, I suggested to them that a pattern similar to the Wednesday morning training races at the Elks' club in Boulder would be adequate: get one of the faster guys to just lead a warm-up lap or two to establish the course, then stop take a break, and let the carnage begin. Eliminate worrying about tape and 3 meter wide lanes and stuff. Might make life a bit easier for a first ever Tasmanian CX race.

Riding around Lonnie is amazing - the hills are only 50 - 100 meters high, and less than a kilometer in length, but there are many in excess of 20% - and I rode down one labeled as 32% on the traffic sign!! I have to admit that I didn't ride back up the same hill - took the easy one that was only 22%. I'll try the 32% some other day.

Rode out into the countryside - pretty rolling roads, gradually rising through the farmland and eventually up into eucalyptus forests with higher up some pine forest. Reminded me of the Sierra foothills around Solvang.

Found a pretty deep cut basalt canyon.

Good to be back on the roads and riding.