So the last 10 days have been very quiet.  After being able to slowly get back into exercising, my lungs decided to pack it in and I developed a chest infection, which I am only just getting over now.  I did however get out for my first mountain bike ride with my brother and it was so much fun!

We met at the carpark of Bottle Lake and it’s fair to say I had butterflies in my stomach.  I had no idea what I was getting myself in for and was nervous that I would be scared and have a kayaking situation on my hands again. We set out quietly following the tracks.  I followed behind the bro, taking his lines and trying to remember all the things the Chch adventure park people had said to my school kids when they had come out. keep your feet level, knees bent and off your seat, lean into the turns etc.  Well it turns out it isnt nearly as bad as I had thought.  It took about 15mins for me to trust my bike and that I’m not going to skid out on shingle (18months of panicking on a road bike every time there is shingle can ingrain some interesting fears).  By the end of it I was look for the hills, fast downs etc. It was great fun, but more importantly it was great to get out with the bro and just have some sibling time.  An hour though and I was shattered.

It turns out though that what I thought was just a long time recovering from radiation was in fact the chest infection. I have even taken two consecutive days off school.  I dont think I even did that during 6 months of chemo!!! But Im back on the mend and energy levels are returning, hooray!  and I have another bike ride scheduled Saturday with Mel, one of the gals Im doing the Spring Challenge with.

So once again, here’s hoping I’ll have something more to write about next week in preparation for Spring Challenge!

There are first times for everything, first trip to China, first international adventure race and first DNF. Only three weeks before the start date the Greenhorns discovered we were invited to China to race the Xtrail Altay Expedition, a 500km adventure race involving navigation, trekking, mountain biking, kayaking, rafting and a mystery activity. Xtrail had presented an unpredicted offer to cover the entry fee and a large part of the cost of flights for a number of youth teams to compete in the race. Our Greenhorns team from GODZone this year jumped at the opportunity and put in an application. We were one of nine lucky teams that received funding to go to the race. I couldn’t quite believe that I was suddenly going to get the opportunity to take on my first international race.

With only a couple of weeks to prepare it was hectic, booking flights, getting visas, doing assignments and getting gear ready to go. I had a lot of assignments to get done before leaving and had some due while I would be away that had to be completed early. Luckily I managed to get an extension on one big assignment. I was lucky with my family helping out with my Dad and partner building me a bike box while I studied. Eventually we headed off to China. It was an adventure in itself getting there, three flights, security checks and traveling with lots gear/bikes. We spent a couple of days in Kanas prepping before the race.

The day before the race the course details were released. We spent the rest of the day packing the gear boxes and getting everything set to go. The next morning before we got on the bus we got the maps. We had two hours to look at the maps and plan the course. Then we were off on the bus to the start line.

Stage 1 – Run (3km)

The nerves had started (as per normal) as the start of the race drew nearer. Then we were off with a run. We settled into a nice pace as we ran towards Lake Kanas. It felt like a long 3 km but before we knew it we were transitioning into the kayaks.

Stage 2 –Kayak (25km)

Into the kayaks and we were off on a paddle across Lake Kanas to the CP. It was a nice day; the weather was great as we paddled across the flat lake with fantastic scenery. With none of us having done much paddle training we were doing okay.

Stage 3 – Raft (12km)

The raft was fun. After a quick transition we all crammed into a small budget raft and headed down the river. There were some fun rapids which caused us some trouble as the raft was not self-bailing and it started to fill up with water. Luckily we had some bailing devices and got onto it very quickly but not before Nathan got tipped out the side. We also nearly missed the take out. We saw it just in time, but got stuck in an eddy which felt like it took ages to get across. We then had to carry all our gear and the raft up the hill.

Stage 4 – Trek (49km)

This was my favorite part of the race. Unluckily, when we got to the transition I discovered that a tube of

ointment had exploded all over my gear in the transition box. This made for a messy transition, but it did help relieve the pain of the sunburn I managed to get on the paddle legs of the race. I was surprised to get sunburnt so badly, finding that I forgot to apply sunscreen before the start of the race, oops! We set off along some boardwalk near the road and then cut across the road and headed up a hill. The sun was beating down and hot, which was a big change coming from New Zealand’s winter. We settled into a steady pace and the more we got into the mountains the more incredible the scenery became. We were surrounded by mountains, some with snow and got up to 2500m. I definitely felt I was worker harder than normal at our pace because of the altitude. It was exciting as we were walking into a storm of black clouds, we heard thunder and even saw lighting in the direction we were heading.

We ran into team Terra Adventure-Finalin a couple of times, they would get past us and then we would beat them to the control with slightly better navigation choices. Levi and Tom were doing really well on the navigation and it was paying off. After the CP energy levels were starting to drop off, we saw another team head into the CP just after us and they caught as just as we decided to look for a place to sleep. After a 2 hour nap energy levels were feeling good as we set off to finish the trek. We then got to do some orienteering around Hemu Village, a village with largely traditional buildings occupied by the Mongolian Tuwa tribe, which was cool experience.

Stage 5 – Mountain Bike (201km)

It was still early morning when we got into the transition. We had a smooth transition and then set of on the bikes. We saw some other teams in the transition such as Terra Adventure-Finalin again; many of them had not banked any sleep like we had. The morning had been chilly but the sun was starting to come out. We headed along the road and then turned onto a four-wheel drive track. This was nice until we hit a climb that turned into a long time pushing our bikes up the hill and being bitten by mosquitoes. Eventually we made it to the top and then enjoyed a short downhill section. Then there was more four-wheel drive track until the next CP, and then another climb. We then got an amazing downhill ride which was heaps of fun and made me forget the pain. We had some fun with animals on this section getting in our way. We had massive groups of goats, horses and cows blocking the track, which we somehow had to get around or wait for. It was then onto another hill, we saw the team who passed us the previous night who had stopped for noodles. At this point it was pretty hot, so whenever we were stopping for water supplies I was pouring water all over myself to cool my body down. The heat was taking a massive toll on everyone; I had never raced or trained much in those temperatures (another team had a team member pull out with heat stroke).

Going up the hill I was not feeling great and Tom had already taken some gear/weight off me. Nathan had been having some issues with his bike. We ended up stopping and seeing what was happening. We weren’t quite sure what to do so walked our bikes for a bit and then rode some more (while trying to figure out what to do) but it wasn’t far before we stopped again as his bike still wasn’t working. The drive chain was just way too worn out, was skipping and getting stuck/jamming and was not going to last the 140km we still had to go. The conditions we were riding in were taking a big toll on the bikes. We decided the best bet was to try and swap the chain from my bike onto Nathans as it was a much newer chain. I was still not feeling great. Tom gave me some of his protein shake and I took a 20min nap (in the hope that I would feel better again) while the boys set to changing the chains. Unfortunately this was not successful as the chains were different lengths due to the different cassettes sizes on the bikes. This left us with two options: to try and tow, or walk the bikes for the next 35-40km to the noodle house and see what could be done there or send a message on the yellow brick to find out other options. It was a tough decision to make, it was decided that even if we made it to the noodle house there wasn’t a way we could fix the bike and it was still 100km from there to the next transition. So we sent a message on the brick asking what our options were. I was heart broken and gutted, despite not feeling great I wanted to keep going. We waited hours for a response; we chased the shade going slightly down the hill to stay out of the hot sun. Eventually we sent another message which was pre programed asking for help. We got a response after then that help was on its way. We decided to head down the hill to the small village that was a military control point to wait and find some food. We hung out with some locals and got a yummy feed while we waited for our ride.

The adventure was not over yet as four of us were crammed into the back of a four-wheel drive with two bikes and our gear in the back with two left behind. We then experienced some crazy driving back up the hill and across the desert for a couple of hours to the noodle house (it was late at night when we arrived). There we were fed and I contemplated how three of us could continue racing; but the language barrier created issues trying to organise for three of us to keep going and finish race. We were therefore taken all the way to Altay where it was effectively race over.

It was a sucky way to end the race but it emphasised the importance of preparation and how to deal with adverse situations. In this case, there was not a lot we could do to fix the bike while we were in the race. It was a fantastic opportunity we were given to get to go over and race in China, it gave us the chance to build our experience at racing expedition races even if it didn’t turn out as planned. We can use it as an experience to learn from and to make us stronger as a team. In some ways it was better that this happened at a race where we had not done much specific training for it, as it was such late notice.

We spent the rest of our time hanging out and exploring Altay. We got to see team Seagate finish and win the race that was exciting although they were surprised to see us and another young NZ team Sneaky Weasel Gang welcoming them in. We got the opportunity to meet a lot of awesome people and adventure races. I got the chance to go out and visit a transition area with a team supporter which was nice as I was gutted to miss out on seeing the scenery of the other race legs. After this adventure I’m now back in New Zealand and have just finished my semester break. It’s now time to get back into study and finish my final semester of my degree while also doing some Spring Challenge training.

With each new day comes a different challenge – that’s what makes life so interesting. My challenge on Sunday was to get out of bed after a really fun afternoon/evening attending a friend’s wedding, and head out on my bike for my training session. It is fair to say I thoroughly enjoyed myself at the wedding, and there were significantly less hours slept on Saturday night compared to normal, so I was feeling a little jaded!

My planned session was 1.5hrs…but to get myself out the door, I decided I would aim for an hour – that would be better than nothing. I also knew that once I got out there I would likely continue for the scheduled time…I just had to take the first step! And sure enough after about 20mins I started to find my rhythm – this ride was feeling good. I can and I will do my set 1.5hr session. I also turned my attention to my surroundings and focused on the present moment. I literally smiled and thought it doesn’t get much better than this. I have the sun on my back, the views are stunning across the Canterbury Plains and I’m fortunate to have the freedom to be able to make this part of my day.

The first hour of my ride was strong, but the legs did start to fatigue towards the end as I was doing my best to push harder on the return. Perhaps the 3hrs of solid dancing from the night before was starting to catch up on me! That must count as training too right…?!

While I felt tired when I got home, I was proud of myself for completing my session and sticking to my plan, and I felt good as a result, which lead on to a very productive afternoon.
I could have stayed in bed, or lay on the couch resting and thinking “it’s only one session, it won’t matter”, but that’s not me. Getting out the door and turning those pedals over signified much more than just hours on the bike and getting the heart rate up. It reminded me I can overcome challenges, I have mental strength and I can push myself. And those three elements are going to be vital as I build up to what is going to be a physically and mentally demanding 3 days of cycling!

Penelope Watson
Team CP Sports Coach
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Call me a geek, but I love learning! I am always fascinated by new information and enjoy continuing to fill my fountain of knowledge!

So last week when the opportunity came up to participate in an Anaerobic Threshold Cycle Test, I of course put my hand up. Thanks to Steve at University of Canterbury, this was a great experience.

Steve, and his right hand helper Gemma, were very friendly and efficient from the moment I walked in the door. After everything was set up and paperwork complete, I was on the bike and underway. Steve very clearly talked me through all the stats and figures on the computer screen in front of me so I could see the changes during the period I was being tested.

The test involved cycling on a Spin Bike for approx. half an hour, during which time two key things happened every four minutes; 1) the Watts (resistance) increased, and 2) Steve took a blood sample from my finger. This sample was tested and provided key information regarding the lactate build up in my blood as the intensity of the exercise increased.

Analyzing this data in graph form provides information regarding my Aerobic Threshold and Anaerobic Threshold, and at what training intensities these occur. Knowing these zones according to my heart beat, enables me to be able to ensure my training is efficient and plan my sessions better so they are as effective and beneficial as possible in the build up to my event.

So now with this new knowledge, this past week I’ve made sure I am always wearing my watch and HR monitor, and my sessions have an added level of interest as I work hard to hit my training zones, and monitor my heart rate, to ensure the time I am dedicating to training is effective, and not wasted. If you are going to commit to an event, make sacrifices in your day and dedicate time to training, then that precious time may as well be used to its full potential!

I am not an elite athlete, nor am I aiming to place during the Velothon event, but I still want to give it my best shot. And when I set a goal I commit to it 110% and take the training and preparation seriously. So for me, these awesome opportunities to learn more about what I am doing, how it is affecting my body and how I can train effectively during every session are exciting and enjoyable. Plus they make the overall journey even more rewarding and fulfilling!

Penelope Watson
Team CP Sports Coach
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The highlight of my training last week was sharing my Saturday long ride with someone else.

Julz, one of our awesome Team CP members and an all-round super cool person (who kicks arse on the bike!) is also training hard at the moment, and kindly let me tag along on her flat ride over the weekend.

Motivated and excited about having a training partner, I bounced out of bed Saturday morning ready to train well! And as I reflect on our ride, I realize how much I got out of it, other than just the training! Riding with someone who is a stronger ride than myself made me push harder; a) so I didn’t slow Julz down (too much!) but also b) I found myself sub consciously following her rhythm and I realized that I can actually maintain a higher intensity for longer. It is so easy when I’m riding alone to get into a comfortable pace and forget to challenge myself to pick up the speed, so this really lifted me.

It was also really refreshing to ride somewhere new and learn a different route. We headed out through Tai Tapu and Lincoln, along quiet country roads and through beautiful countryside, areas I know but hadn’t ventured through on my bike previously. I am sometimes a little cautious when riding alone about where I go or how much traffic is around, but it’s amazing how my confidence grows when I am with someone else. And of course, I want many different options for the coming months of places to go so it is perfect to add a new route to my training log.

And then there is the banter and conversation! This took my mind off how far we had been and how far we still had to go, stopping the ‘clock watching’, which when your alone can be mentally tough. Further to this though, I learnt new things, loved sharing training stories and tips and got a whole lot more enjoyment out of the session. Which of course, as I have said before, enjoyment and laughter are key elements for me on this journey.

So I really shouldn’t have been surprised when we were getting close to home and Julz said “we’ve done 70km”. Really?! Wicked! I had taken very little notice of my watch over the past couple of hours so hadn’t even thought about how far we had been. Re-energised by this, after waving Julz off at her house I took a slightly longer way back home so I could tick over 3hrs, and hit the 80km mark.

When I pulled up my driveway I was stoked. I hadn’t ridden that distance in ages, and I was feeling good. I had just done (almost) the distance of one of the Velothon stages. This was just the confidence boost I needed!

So thanks Julz for sharing your ride with me ? Any time you are keen for company let me know!

And anyone else keen to join forces and ride together then get in touch! I think for me, training buddies and attending our Team CP group sessions might just be the key to lifting my performance in preparation for the Velothon Sunshine Coast.

Penelope Watson
Team CP Sports Coach
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The restlessness at the beginning of the day, working away on everything but my fitness, and riding home over a railway bypass that felt more difficult than usual highlighted the need to get a goal, a Big Hairy Audacious Goals (B-HAGS), and fast.

In the nature of my work coaching there’s always something, a race or a challenge to work towards. They usually get suggested by someone and the journey starts with a “Yeah, I could do that…” and the training begins. But this time was different.

 You hear the idea chucked around that we need a ‘why’ to truly do our goals justice and I absolutely believe this is true. However, I have a big hairy question to go with that which I don’t think many people actually consider.. Is it your why? Is it truly something you want to do because you want to do it?  This was what I posed to myself anyway. Sure Challenge Wanaka is a cool idea as is Godzone, and sure I’ll do them one day simply because I can. Right now though, I wanted to do something because I wanted to do it, not just because it’s there.  There have been races and challenges on my list that I’ve put in a box in the past. I really want to do them but not just yet box.  Well if not start towards them now then when?

So the box got opened and I’ve pulled out a nice big hairy one, and I feel alive again, thriving again in not just my physical wellbeing but mentally across everything I pursue.  I don’t believe there are any goals or events that can’t be done by putting your mind to it, committing and having a desire to do it. If you do then start small and build.  It could be a two, six, twelve or even 24 month preparation to get there. There could be multiple attempts and learnings you didn’t expect. It could consume you, but ultimately its a drive and a journey. My BHAG has me fizzing, planning, cohorting and excited and its almost a year away, it’s not even in this continent which poses challenges of its own.  The challenge and the benefits of simply working towards it take care of everything. I’m more driven not only physically but in my work, my business and ultimately my purpose.

So if you don’t have a BHAG and life’s getting you down then get one by simply asking yourself: What is extraordinary to you? and make it “Your extraordinary”.

Team CP Backroad 100
North Canterbury, 8/9 April 2017.

After a week of wet and stormy weather, I was super excited to see a clear sky and the stars shining when I got up on Saturday morning, ready for our 100km back road cycling adventure.

We set off bright and early from Christchurch in two vans, eager to get underway and see what this Backroad 100 event had in store for us. After a couple of pickups along the way, and a highly demanded coffee stop(!), we were soon in Waikari – the starting location for the day.

Stage One started with an 11km neutral section to get the legs warmed up and allow the group to settle in. But then the competition started! We were organized into teams of four, and the next section was an 11km Team Time Trial, each team set off at different times. I was put with three stronger riders than myself, and boy did they push me along! However, as the weaker rider I was very well looked after by a very supportive team. Kat (a fellow Team CP Coach) was instrumental in keeping us working together as a team, ensured we had great communication and when I started to drop off the pace, organized us well to keep me in the group and supported, as we sped along eager to catch the team ahead of us! This team time trial was a new experience for me, I hadn’t before cycled like this and it was awesome. Working together, rotating through the lead cyclist and great verbal communication and encouragement, were the key factors in us succeeding so well as a group. We didn’t record the fastest time nor win the section, but for me the win came from being pushed to dig deep and ride hard – extending me beyond my current level.

We then had another neutral section, before a 14km bunch ride with sprint finish. We were set off in two waves, however the bunch riding part didn’t really happen. Instead we got kind of spread out, and the sprint finish was up hill! So it was more of ‘push yourself as hard as you can’ section! This brought us through to the beautiful Motanau Beach – what a stunning spot. After soaking up the sights and grabbing a team photo, we loaded up our bikes onto the vans/trailers and headed through to Domett for some food and coffee.

Stage Two was a total of 21km, with a flat start, then a good ‘ol hill climb to burn off the late morning tea we had consumed…refueling is key when cycling! ? If you haven’t been to Mainline Station Café in Domett, it is a must with a gorgeous sunny garden, friendly staff and delicious food and drink!

Anyway I digress…once up the hill we weaved along the road until we were met with spectacular views along the coast line. Halfway down the descent into Gore Bay we pulled over to enjoy a stunning sight, ‘The Cathedrals’ – eroded siltstone pillars. Geez our NZ landscape is cool! After a few selfies, we continued down into Gore Bay to regroup, and then cruised as a bunch out to Cheviot where we slightly overwhelmed the Two Rivers Café with 20 hungry cyclists! We enjoyed a late lunch in their sunny garden, and joked that perhaps the rest of the afternoon could be spent here with a beer in hand…! However that wasn’t in the schedule, so we jumped into the vans and drove up the road to start Stage Three from Parnassus.

The final stage, Parnassus to Waiau – 36km. It is fair to say the energy levels in the group were a little low after sitting in the sun; however the King of the Mountain section of this last stage soon changed that! The competition was fierce and everyone pushed really hard to challenge themselves across this 6km stretch. Then to finish us off, we were back in our teams for a second time trial…this time predominantly downhill! The sun was getting low so extra concentration was needed as we sped off! I was left in my team mates dust on the downhill; I don’t have the nerve they do. However, once we regrouped we gave it everything we had through to the end, which resulted in a sprint finish between three teams! This was a highlight of the day with plenty of banter being thrown around and an exhilarating end to the final competitive section. As we then cruised the final 6km into Waiau, the sunset and scenery was magnificent, the perfect end to a perfect day.

Tired and a little puffed but on a natural high, we drove through to Hanmer to rest for the evening.  100km through the back roads of North Canterbury complete!

As I reflect on the weekend, I feel a great sense of achievement and have grown in confidence again, by improving my bunch riding skills, being challenged to lift my speed, and facing my fear of racing downhill at speed, a skill I need to continue to develop. To add to that, I joined a few riders the next day and backed up our big day with 40km on the bike around Hanmer. My bum wasn’t sore and my legs felt good – all positive signs my training is progressing well.

For me, nothing beats a day in the outdoors exploring our stunning countryside with a bunch of awesome and plenty of laughs.

It is no longer training. It is a soul enriching experience, offering the opportunity to learn, laugh and live. And is an excellent reminder to be grateful we have the freedom and ability to do such things.

Penelope Watson
Team CP Sports Coach
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100014542749257

1. Make exercise social – go with a group or at least 1 buddy
2. Gym – prevention, mobility, but make sure you have strength goals too.
3. Vary it up – sure have a major, but keep the minors too (also varies the social part).
4. Be adventurous – do days with friends/family away from town.
5. Local races – like Winter Worlds and the Brass Monkey series

It’s amazing how three short weeks in a row can make such a difference to my normal routine. 

Before I know it, it is the second week of May and suddenly my event is only 10 weeks away! After a long weekend, then two weekends away working, plus a week working on the Hawke’s Bay Marathon this week, suddenly I have gone from feeling on track & happy with my training, to a little ‘behind’ and more nervous about the looming three day challenge!

I have however, just described ‘life’! No two weeks are the same, opportunities present themselves that require additional planning or juggling of other commitments, and sometimes my days are simply not long enough to fit everything in. 

It is at this time I need to take a step back, look at the immediate future and plan my training for the up coming week.  Then also look at the ten weeks as a whole and earmark the significant training rides that must take priority. Plus add to the calendar major commitments I need to allow for. Then with these all in place, the rest of ‘life’ will fill the gaps. 

I think it is important the detailed training sessions for each week are planned for each week or fortnight when I know specifically what other activities I have on during those days. This allows more flexibility and puts less pressure on each session, knowing it has been planned according to the time and energy I can give that day.

But it is also really useful to have already put the bones of my schedule in place to ensure I am hitting my targets and know how I’m tracking. 

I also know I have to remember to be realistic. I am a very particular and committed person, so the boxes in my Training Peaks program need to be green!! However should one or two boxes be red, I just need to let it go. 

Life isn’t a plan, it’s a journey. And the most rewarding and fulfilling journeys are the ones that include corners, obstacles and challenges, resulting in an even more satisfying outcome. 

So when I cross the finish line after three days of riding some of the Sunshine Coasts most stunning roads, the sense of achievement will be even greater knowing I have managed to train for and complete the event, while also maintaining other areas of life.

Having balance in our day, week and journey isn’t a new concept, but it is important to check in and remind ourselves of this regularly. Because when I reflect on this particular part of my life journey in 6 months/12 months/5 years, I will remember the achievement, the enjoyment and the happiness I experienced as part of this challenge. Not the fact that I missed one or two training sessions!! 

So as I get into this new month with a refreshed outlook, I will remind myself daily of the need to stay balanced and be realistic. 

And to ride for the love of riding, not for the fear of a red box.

Penelope Watson
Team CP Sports Coach
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