Claire Thomas
What do they call an injured runner? A cyclist! After I was told a foot injury in May 2016 was going to sideline me 6 weeks, only to be followed by a very tedious walk/run program, I bought a road bike and haven’t looked back.
Riding a bike is like meditation on adrenaline. I love pushing the limits mentally and physically. I also happen to be blessed with a ridiculously competitive streak, mainly against myself! Cycling is a time for me to de-stress and process whatever life is choosing to throw my way at the time.
I’ve only been in the cycling game for 7 months and haven’t encountered any negativity yet. I love being a chick and pushing as hard if not harder than some of the blokes. Girl power and all that.
My husband and I decided we would pack up our campervan with the dog, a fridge full of cold beers and a couple of road bikes and hit the road over Christmas. We only decided about a week before hand that we would try and have a crack at the 7 Peaks. And have a crack we did: 7 Peaks, 8 days, 2 rest days, 1 double, 3 peaks in 24 hours, 1 trail run (just to spice things up a bit) and a fridge full of cold beers, now empty. Heaven.
The highlight was Lake Mountain; a perfect mix of a gnarly and gritty climb to get the party started for the first 4km, followed by a more civilised but still challenging gradient for the remaining 18km along smooth bitumen. We were also treated to a perfect day for climbing; enjoying having the sun on our backs without it being oppressive, with the scenery on the way up getting better and more idyllic the higher we climbed.
The infamous Baw Baw was also a major highlight, by the time I unclipped at the top I’d developed a love hate relationship with this beast! Smashing mince pies with double cream by the lake at the top of Falls Creek was a standout on Christmas morning.
All good rides should be followed by a refreshing splash in a cool river, strong coffee and tasty local beer at the brewery. Thankfully North Eastern Victoria has this in spades. It’s all about a balance right?!