So today was another ride. This time there was a twist. there was a race on. The rules were simple, initially. My OH had to go to Rannoch Station and have coffee and cake, and produce evidence of it that was recognisably Rannoch Station café. He then had to return to my route and follow me around the loch. Only I decided it wasn't fair. If there were 2 of us in this race, then there should be 2 coffees and 2 cakes
I had intended that he only have 2 coffees and 2 cakes in 1 café, but he misinterpreted me and I decided to let it live. Coffee and cake in 2 cafes and evidence to support both was to be submitted.... OK.
So rules in place, the race would start and end at the bottom of the track (mainly because I can't take the track very fast... ) There would be 2 races, a total time elapsed race (so basically first one back wins) and a total ride time race (shortest ride time wins)....
However, there was also to be an unexpected Cyclechat twist to this race which I was only to find out about much later on into the race and neither of us knew about at the start...
So setting out. It didn't take long for me to stop again wanting a photo.
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I had intended it to be a wing mirror shot, but the truth be told it deserved much more, the autumn colours were just great, so I got out of my trike and took a shot back down the road.
From there is was a touch of sadness, a dead red squirrel kit at the side of the road and very recently dead as well, however I was soon to get a wonderfully long view and great chat with a red squirrel on the far side of the loch when I spotted it in the road and stopped when it didn't run off. It then proceed to recross the road, then ran towards me for 50-100m and stopped. We had a chat about the green cross code and all that and it left the scene leaving me feeling better about life.
I had a narrow miss with a bucket of water being thrown across the road when I slowed momentarily to let a BT car van pass me on a single track. I paused behind a white van in an entrance and in the same instance came the bucket of water being emptied across the road. A very sheepish decorator apologised and checked that he had actually missed me. I would have been needing to return to the cottage for a change of clothes had it not been for that BT car/van!
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Further along and another set of trees (which have always caught the light and my eye) were doing exactly that... Schiehallion (mountain in case you have not worked this one out) was peeking above the road as well.
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Then it was another set of trees and a snack needed.... This one, you just need to understand me and trees and light and well, nature really. And I just love this set of trees and the lichens growing on them and well all of it really.
Then life took a CC twist of its own. I spotted a motorbike coming towards me, thought nothing of it except that it suddenly slowed down and then stopped. Random thoughts crossed my mind such as lost or asking for directions until the rider took off his helmet and asked if I was called "xyz"... And so the CC twist took its own turn, because our own
@Brandane having no work on today and having said he would like to see the autumn colours up on Loch Rannoch before they went, had done exactly that - he had come up here to see them and whilst at Rannoch Station café had encountered an English speaking cyclist and asked if he was SNSSO's OH.... And so the race and my route was given to him and he had decided that if he had not encountered me before Kinloch Rannoch he would come back down the south side of the loch for 5 minutes to see if he could find me... And before long my OH arrived on the scene as well!
Once they had both departed and left me to the south shore, I was on my own again and with the day getting colder wondering if there were any more photos to be had today... there were but I will only bore you all with a couple of them. I was conscience of the time and that fact that I had mucked up my refuelling stops today and I was alone (though knowing that I wouldn't be for too long) and I was getting very tired...
So I decided I wouldn't stop to take any more photos until I had finished the race. And these were those.
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Looking across the loch from the bottom of the track and the end of the race. I was first back to base!
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Looking up the loch towards Rannoch Moor and well my favourite area.
My OH arrived 2 minutes later. His ride time is apparently 20 minutes less than mine (yet to be confirmed) but he lingered too long in the 2nd café trying to download a BBC podcast
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His evidence...
Incidentally, I have knocked 17 minutes off my fastest (ride) time of the loch lap since fitting the new tyres, so I am feeling pretty happy with that and the 9.6mph average I made today!
https://www.strava.com/activities/413571260
There is one last lap of Loch Rannoch to be done tomorrow with it being our last day, but tomorrow will not be on my trike!
PS - the final count for today was 3 live red squirrels, 1 dead one, 1 dead hedgehog, 1 dead weasel and a field load of (live) coos.