Spinning and Walking

I am really enjoying the spin classes I am doing and I can really see the improvement in my fitness levels. I am now riding over 20 kilometres in the session which is a vast improvement when I started 18 months ago.



Peter Mills Body Business gym is a small boutique type gym but Peter is a wonderful teacher and is very generous with his time and experience. All the bikes are full each session and often there is a waiting list, which is a testament to Peter's skill of teaching.

Our riding groups on Friday and Sunday are also organized by Pete and they are always fun. Although last Friday, a little more excitement that what we had planned for when Peter had a fall and has broken two ribs. He will be sidelined for a few weeks, but no doubt he will mentor us from the sidelines.




As a training session for the Great Vic Bike ride, our group is entering the Port to Port charity race from Mildura to Echuca. I think this ride will test us out, but we all need to do some longer rides. I will report on this a bit more as we get a bit closer to the date.

Now that daylight saving has started I decided to also get up earlier and walk every morning. A friend decided she would like to walk also, so this morning we set out for a 3/4 hour walk around our Gol Gol neighbourhood area. Gol Gol is such a pretty area being right on the Murray River and at 7 a.m it is very pleasant.

Tomorrow morning I think I will take Diesel with me, as I think he could do with some extra exercise being a Labrador.

All this increased fitness activity has to help me with the big ride, we will have to wait and see.

Training by the Murray.

Sunday morning was one of those Sunraysia mornings that makes you glad you are alive. Started off a little overcast, a bit chilly but half an hour into our ride, sunny and gorgeous with a light breeze. Perfect cycling weather. We can only hope we have weather like this on our big ride.

We have been stepping up our cycling distances as we only have 8 weeks to the Great Victorian Bike Ride. My fitness has improved heaps, mainly due to the spin classes and the extra distances we have been completing on the bike.

Mildura doesn't have many hills but the ones that were bothering me months ago I can tackle confidently now. I am sure that I will struggle through the Strathbogie ranges though.

This morning we have ridden through the bike tracks between Johnsons Bend and Apex Park then onto the Mildura Marina and back through the streets to the must have coffee, before going home.



The Murray River looked magnificent this morning. The sun was shining off it, and due to flood waters upstream it is quite high and flowing strongly. The Sandbar at Apex Park has disappeared completely and a lot of boat owners have moved the position of their boats. There seemed to be a lot more paddle boats moored this morning and they are a lovely site.



Apparently we are in no danger of a big flood, but it is a long time since the Murray has had that much water in it, due to the prolonged drought. It is lovely sight to see.

Dinner with Friends

Had friends for dinner last night. With the weather being cold and rainy, a hearty meal was needed. I decided to slow cook a Moraccan Lamb shank recipe, served with roasted garlic potatoes, steamed green beans with a mustard/red vinegar dressing. Dessert was in keeping with the cold weather, a lovely berry clafoutis served with double cream "of course ". No wonder I need the cycling and spin classes.. Nevertheless it was a lovely night with a couple of glasses of red to accompany the meal. Thought I would share the delicious dessert.

Berry Clafoutis.

500g Mixed frozen berries.
250g soft goats cheese.
140g caster sugar.
4 eggs.
180g almond meal.
2tsp vanilla extract.
1tsp almond extract.
Icing sugar to dust.
Cream to serve.

Preheat the oven to 170deg in a fan forced oven. Grease 1 large 30cm gratin dish. Place the mixed berries in the base of the gratin dish.

Place goats cheese, caster sugar, eggs, almond meal, vanilla extract and almond extract in a food processor and process to form a smooth mixture.

Pour the goats cheese mixture over the cherries. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the batter is golden ad risen .

Dust with icing sugar, and serve warm with cream.

Enjoy.