Le Race Petite proved to be an event of two funs. The type 2 fun, (the type that hurts at the time) came early on in the day when my left knee made too close an acquaintance with the gutter; again. Any one who rides up Dyers Pass Rd has probably noticed that strip of mounded asphalt on road side of the gutter. Well I hit it, all on my own, and was into the gutter at the feet of the crowd. It was a long, hot and very windy trip from there to the type 1 fun at the domain in Akaroa. Richard rolled me an ice cream, took a picture and made it all better! Best ice cream ever.

Easter provided 4 days of uninterrupted training opportunities kicking off on Good Friday with a climb up to the Packhorse Hut from the Kaituna Valley side. Simply gorgeous views all around and the Easter Bunny had been out and about. It wouldn’t be a walk without some steps for the collection… Saturday was vigorous gardening day, aka lumber-jacking with my favourite weapons the pruning saw and long handled loppers! Take that trees! That was going well until I disturbed a wasp nest and conducted a hasty tactical withdrawal. I wasn’t quite fast enough not to get stung several times though. This gardening business is hard yakka. So Sunday it was back to the hills and a super quick recce of Mt Isobel at Hanmer. It’s been on my mind for a long time that I really should climb my namesake one day. Another gorgeous day and I went far enough to see that I’ll have to come back another time and with some experienced company. It looked like coming back down was going to give me more trouble than going up but I was pleased with how much I did and what I’ve learned for next time. I was so focused on the mission and the time frame I had available I completely forgot about taking any pictures! I can tell you that the view is staggering in all directions but especially along the Waiau Valley.

So what about the bike? Yes I thought I’d better do some pedaling with the Grape Ride Taster coming up next and I found this super lane complete with gravel sections to practice on across the Waimak around Clarkville. It wasn’t so sunny today and even a few spits of rain that was lending a gloomy backdrop to my lowering mood when I found these roads. I love riding new territory and making discoveries along the way. It never feels like training at all when it’s an adventure.

Ok, now Le Race is only a week away, my course ride went ok, hit a wee wall in the second half and took longer than I would have liked but I need to remember it was all by myself and race day is a different kettle of fish with bunches, people to chase and people to get away from to hopefully reduce my race time.

Overall, I am feeling pretty good about the race, I have a few concerns but they are more tactical than fitness related so hopefully I will have finalized my plan and worked them out come race day.  I have been working on my homework for Richard, having an event planning background it is probably slightly overkill but hey, I like my lists.

Only had to do one ride on the indoor trainer this week, with Geoff away, so I am pretty happy with that; thank you to Grandparents and Aunties and Uncles that have babysat.  Funnily enough couldn’t find anyone to babysit at 5.30am so I have been training in the daylight this week and I must say I have enjoyed it.  Not so much all the bugs about on the warmer evening rides (I seemed to swallow a fair few – extra protein!) but training in the daylight has been good.  Unfortunately, I managed to re-aggravate my hamstring which is frustrating being this close to the race and made even more frustrating by the fact it wasn’t even during training it was doing the lawn edges of all things!!

So with one week to go and this week being about the rest, planning and preparation, I am off to finish my lists and checklists I have decided on my theme song “Supermans got nothing on me” so if you come across someone singing this on the course, or saying wheee going down hills and around corners, or making car noises, that will be me 🙂

Today is the original date for the inaugural two up mountain time trial at Coronet Peak. It’s been postponed to 2017 but I was still hoping to do it around this time but all kinds of personal events overtook me and I’m on track now for the last week of April. In the lead up then I’ve planned a series of events to break up the training and extend my experience. Next up then was last Sunday’s Canterbury Cycling Development Trust’s road race at Cust. Owing to road works outside Rangiora the course was altered to an out and back of the Ashley Gorge. I like this route better anyway, way more interesting than the flat bits! It also means you get to see the leading bunches coming back towards you. I was really pleased with how I paced myself and my food and fluids, it was around 30C up there. Great to see some other Team CP folk too. It wasn’t until I was browsing the results the next day or so that I realised I’d actually come second in my age group. Holy moly that’s my first ever podium finish when there have actually been more than three people entered!

Next up is Le Petite Race so I have been hill climbing at almost every opportunity. Nasty little pitches like Whaka Tce, fell off on Hollis Ave, Kennedys Bush, Dyers Pass. Vanessa has been outstandingly patient with me on Wednesday evenings, I’m pretty darn slow but I get there eventually. This morning I set out from Lyttelton to ride around to Diamond Harbour. Boy was it cold! The weather has suddenly gone from 30C to 3C but it was sunny and calm. This has to be one of the most scenic rides almost anywhere and it was simply beautiful out there. I came back over on the Ferry in time to check out the market too! It doesn’t feel like training at all and that’s just magic.

That doesn’t mean I don’t get tired and stiff though, I just have so much fun doing so I hardly notice at the time. I head off to yoga to undo the stiffness and tackle the tiredness by not gardening! Managing my energy has been quite different post chemo, that and just plain old getting older I suspect has meant I don’t recover as fast as I used to. I’m more than OK though with going at my own pace even if that pace is pretty slow. I figure it just gives me more time to view the scenery. Onwards and upwards!

The countdown is on, only a few days between me and the Motatapu ride.

On the western side of the Lake Hayes track, heading South.

I’ve been lucky this year on two counts.  The first is that I won a competition for entry into the 2016 Motatapu event.  This also came with the added benefit of Pure drink powder and coaching from the esteemed Richard Greer!  Now spare a thought for Richard as that old adage regarding a Sow’s ear and silk purses floats around.  I’m not what you’d call performance athlete material: in my 50s, with a perfect example of a Dad bod rather than the normal image expected for cycling, and close to the ‘Clydesdale’ category if truth be told.

I‘ve got an idea of what to expect as I’ve biked the Motatapu event 5 times previously: 2002, ’03, and ’04 were from Arrowtown to Wanaka, then ’10 and ’15 from Wanaka to Arrowtown.  Each time I’d get 2/3 through and think “not enough training” alongside “this is the last time”.  However my buildup has always been a little, sh7all we say, unfocused.   A few hill rides to build up the legs and a few more rides to get the distance. My goals have been simply to ‘enjoy the scenery’ and ‘cross the finish line a little better than last time’.  Having a coach has been a welcome surprise: not only the discipline of the rides I should be doing and why, but the things to focus on weekly and how they’ll assist me come race day.  Nothing keeps you more honest to your training than submitting the gpx logs of rides as homework!  Of course life/work/travel does get in the way, and that’s been handled superbly by Richard and the coaching calendar as well.  I suspect I’ll be largely preaching to the Choir, but for those of you entertaining the idea I’d highly recommend a coach no matter what level you’re at.

On the Twin Rivers ride, beside the Kawarau river, heading for the Shotover.

Looking Northeast on the Lake Hayes track

I said I’ve been lucky on two counts.  The second has been the opportunity to train on and around the Queenstown Trail tracks over January and parts of February.  My normal haunt is Dunedin, and while the Peninsula and Mt Cargill have a lot going for them as scenic rides, in my book they don’t come anywhere close to the scenery, selection, and quality of trails around the Wakatipu.  The Motatapu Event gives people access to stunning valleys that are private most of the year but the views are just as spectacular all around the area.  Christmas holidays then weekend trips to Arrowtown as a base has allowed me to explore the wider area.  This is all in the name of required training you understand, certainly not (purely) as a tonic for the soul.

Giving the poor steed a rest at the top of Tobin’s Track, looking South over the Wakatipu basin.

So, will I be ready for the big ride on the 5th of March? Well another month or so of training would always help physically, but apart from that, yes. Yes I will be.  Will I be up there with the strong, the fit, the full-time athletes, with times that would challenge a 4WD? Of course not!  The engine for the bike is still that overweight Dad-bod that I started with after Christmas, but I’m fitter and mentally keen.  I’m looking forward to being able to enjoy the ride as well as my own personal performance.  See you there!

All this fabulous weather (well, apart from a couple of Wednesday evenings for some reason!) and I’ve been steadily adding frequency and height to the climbs. Bit by bit I have now made it up to the Takahe and Evans Pass. The hill climbing on the bike is still complemented by hill walking which I love the most but I find myself at last enjoying the biking too. To be frank it began as a chore, a means to an end, and that end is fundraising for the Pinc and Steel Cancer Rehabilitation Trust. Now I’ve learned to re love the bike more for its own sake. Apart from the Wednesday Team CP ride, I ride alone for the most part but a couple of weekends ago a bunch of more ‘mature’ gentlemen swept me into their pace line until we parted ways at Lincoln. I still say that there is nothing like bike riding for just falling into informal, friendly groups on the road.

Next up for me is the Charity Classic at Cust, half Le Race and the Graperide taster. It’s great to have so many events to choose from, each one another step towards Coronet Peak at the end of April. I will take a rain check on some of the more rocky tracks on the Port Hills and let the earth settle down a bit so there may not be so many step photos which will probably be a relief for the viewers! I found these rutted, ‘sort of’ steps on the Kennedys Bush trail. Onwards and upwards!

This time last week, I was standing on the beach of Skippers Canyon waiting for the start of the Shotover Moonlight Mountain Marathon. While I was anxious in the lead-up I was reasonably calm on the day. As calm as you can be, with 42 km and 2500 m of climbing between you and the finish at Moke Lake.

The forecast was nor-west with a southerly change, with a potential downpour at 11 am. The storm didn’t eventuate, with the weather staying mild, with a refreshing drizzle for the final three hours. I was grateful it wasn’t a 30 degree Central Otago Day.

The race started with a gentle stroll along the canyon edge, before heading steeply away from the Shotover onto some narrow tracks which contoured across the landscape. The terrain was an interesting mix of rocky outcrops, water races, tussock fields, beech forests, and river beds.

Looking back towards Stoney Creek Siphon, about 5 km into the race

There was no pressure to run up any of the hills, and I found them actually relaxing and an opportunity to eat and recover. My breathing was under control, and was able to work the bigger leg muscles, rather that burning the calves. Before the race I’d bought a new pack with bottles on the front, and they proved to be a winner, with refills at aid stations only taking a few seconds.

The first real climb of the day. Plenty more to come!

Before making it to Moonlight Lodge and Ben Lomond station there was a glorious scree descent before heading into the river. The ankle gaiters proved to be a winner as well.

By the time I made it to the lodges, I was starting to slow down. Despite eating and drinking a lot, my head was hurting a little. One of my friends caught up to me and we ran together for a bit. He’s a veteran of multiple Kepler Challenges, and I was thinking perhaps he is a bit older and wiser than me and better at pacing, but he said he was struggling with some of the terrain.

The climb up to The Point was long, but pretty. There were a few more false summits than expected.  The descent  to Moonlight Creek was the low-light of the day. It was long and steep, and my quads were screaming. The slog back up Sefferstown Hill was a welcome relief.

The last 5 km along Moke Creek was lonely. The people I had been running with for the last hour had disappeared into the distance. Each creek crossing sucked a little more energy. At this stage it’s a mental game.

Descending towards ‘Death ridge’. Not really that deadly, but a neat track.

The finish

My time was 7:29:14, which put me 29/42 in my category and 58/132 overall. Not too bad for my first marathon of any description.

I wasn’t feeling too beaten up (apart from the quads), and was generally in an ok mood. I was disappointed for slowing down at the end.

After a shower, nice dinner with friends in Arthur’s Point, and an early night I was felling better.

The drive back to Christchurch was nicely broken up with a leisurely raft down the Tekapo River with Whitewater Canoe Club (WWCC) who where there for a recreational  dam release. It was a hot day and the water was a welcome relief.

Notes for next time

• Don’t start too far back. There were lots of people going really slowly down some non-technical descents. I’m not sure if this is because the 30 km and 42 km events start together, or just lots of people aren’t used to this sort of terrain (which was the easiest of the course!) Going slow wastes time and energy. Fortunately I was able to sneak past on the outside.
• Don’t start too fast. I felt really good for the first 15 km, but perhaps should have taken in a little easier and paced myself.
• Train for downhill. My quads were smashed at the end.
• Keep the hips loose. Kayaking is not the ideal training for running. (I knew this beforehand…). Running on narrow tracks particularly works the hips.
• Have fun.

Not a bad fake smile, for 5+ hours into the event

Coast to Coast was awesome. It was heaps of fun but of course hard work as well. I enjoyed it heaps and am keen to give it another shot next year. The week before the race was pretty cruisy as I was tapering. It was my first week back studying but I was so excited to race I could barely focus on anything other than Coast to Coast.

I drove from Christchurch to Kumara with my support crew (Mum, Dad and my boyfriend) on Thursday. We stopped to check out the transition points along the way and the start line so we had some idea of how they were set up. At the campsite, I did a last check of my gear and finalised my food so I was all ready for the next day.

Day 1 – 3 km run, 55 km cycle and 30.5 km mountain run

Not long after reaching the start line, we were off on the 3 km run to the bikes. It was a quick scramble off the beach, over some rocks and onto the road – the pace was hot! I got to the bike huffing and puffing. I fumbled getting into my cycle shoes, and just missed getting into a bunch. I tried to catch the bunch, which left me riding by myself for a while until a guy caught up to me. I drafted off him and we tried, but didn’t manage to catch the bunch ahead. A bunch caught up with us and we settled in with them for the cycle. I focused on my nutrition during the ride as I wanted to have energy for the run.

Off the bike and onto the 30.5km run over Goat’s Pass. Early in the run my stomach didn’t feel good so my pace was pretty slow. Two individual females and some team runners passed me. I made myself slowly get through a gel as I would need the energy. Eventually my stomach settled down and with steady running I slowly started to catch people. I was excited to get to the first hut as this meant I was getting closer to the top section of the run where I enjoy scrambling over the rocks and boulders. I lost a bit of time missing a good line. I was super excited to reach Goats Pass Hut. I had a speedy gear check and headed up the rest of the hill. I was feeling pretty good on the way down and picked up the pace. I was over half way through the run and wanted to push hard to the finish. I finished day one in 12th place in the open women.

Day 2 – 15km cycle, 70km paddle through Waimakariri Gorge and 70km cycle to New Brighton Beach Christchurch.

Day 2 involved a nice early start – 4.30am for the support crew. They went to Mt White Bridge to get the kayak gear checked and ready to go. I slept until 6am, breakfasted and started in wave 6 about 7.36am with a few other females. I had a good 15km cycle and a slower run than I wanted in my mountain bike shoes down to the bridge and my kayak. I had a reasonably smooth transition into my kayak. The river was low which meant I had to pick good lines on the top section to avoid being grounded. The rock garden lines were a bit tighter than normal. One person flipped in front of me but I managed to get around then safely. I raced in a Shadow – a stable kayak that let me focus on paddling well. I passed a female early in the paddle. Another female caught me near the start of the gorge and we ended up paddling near each other for most of the gorge. Another guy flipped in front of me in a rapid. Luckily I had picked another line and got past him easily. Throughout the paddle, I continually drank Tailwind to keep my energy levels up. I was excited to reach Woodstock and know that there wasn’t to far to go. The last section required careful attention to avoid getting grounded.

I was stoked to reach to the Gorge Bridge and just have the 70km cycle into Christchurch to go. I had a good transition onto the bike and caught the female who just managed to get away on me during the paddle. We rode together and a guy joined us so we started a small bunch which grew and grew. It was cool for a while before it started to fall apart. After this, a female from a team and I started working together taking turns leading and drafting. I knew the ride was the last part of the race so I kept pushing towards the finish line, and finished with nothing left in the tank.

I finished the 2 day Coast to Coast in 15hrs 18 minutes, making me 10th place overall in the open women. I was a little bit gutted about not placing better, but had a fantastic time and now know what I need to work on next time. My support crew did an awesome job. I couldn’t have done the race without them and the support gave me to even make it to the start line. After my experience racing Coast to Coast I totally recommend others give it a shot.

Man it is getting dark in the mornings, I have enough trouble with cars in the daylight! although I must say most cars and trucks (Thank you Ready Mix Trucks in particular) seem to be very courteous giving me a wide berth in the dark, whether that has anything to do with the fact I potentially look like a Christmas Tree with 3 front lights and 2 back lights I am not sure 🙂

It is the end of February but I am still trying to fit my rides around weekends away with fishing competitions and camping trips every up date seems to be filled with trips or holidays so I didn’t want to disappoint you all.

Le Race is now less than a month away and I must admit earlier on my focus during rides was on Le Race and ensuring I was getting the most out of each session to ensure I was ready for Le Race, but now as I am biking along I find myself thinking about what my next challenge might be; potentially not that great for focusing on the current training session.

After this morning’s ride I am beginning to remember the advantage of multi sport in that every training day is often different with having to complete training for a variety of disciplines where as training for a cycle race it is bike ride after bike ride!  One bike ride I decided to play spot the most interesting letterbox, this was my favourite one trying to be different amongst the crowd.  Apart from letterbox spotting the smiling assassin (Kate Woods) North Canterbury Group Rides definitely keeps things interesting on a Tuesday!

I am feeling pretty good leading up to the race although Geoff is away on a hunting trip my last week of training before I taper so I might be calling in all my favors that week.  Hopefully heading off to ride the whole race this weekend, so stay tuned for an up to date version of how I am feeling leading up to Le Race.

I’ve been glued to FB updates on CP team members on the Great Southern Brevet, The Pioneer, Coast to Coast, Buller Marathon, IM training rides and other feats of awesomeness this last week and weekend. These are really big adventures and I am simply amazed at what Team CP ers get up to. My own ‘adventures’ aren’t quite on that scale but I do appreciate the support and camaraderie there is in Team CP for anyone, no matter how small their adventure may be.

I got off to Dunedin over Waitangi for the NZ Master Games. There’s a wee video of my trip on FB. Now I am back home I can really knuckle down and get some regular training in. The Wednesday evening CP group ride has been a real challenge for me to get to and enjoy but I think I have finally cracked it and the last two sessions have been really valuable. The Tour de Coffee Culture is also motivation to add some more kilometers to the ride and is great fun.

So with all this preparation I have conquered the first part of Dyers Pass Rd this weekend and made it to the Cup. Yahoo! I have also completed 108 sun salutations (that’s yoga btw) and played the hill climber walking up Bowenvale to the Sugarloaf Trig and back. Thankfully I was safely back down at home for that rotten EQ. I do hope everyone is OK.

Yes of course I got some new step photos!

No frills steps these ones.

But these steps are quite frilly!

Well it has been a good five weeks or so since I started riding to a programme. With the goal of riding Le Race and the great support of Richard and the CP team, all thanks to winning the entry and coaching package following a rash decision to enter a Facebook competition, it feels like this goal could be achievable. I am loving the CP bunch rides (awesome lot of people and fab leadership and coaching) and I am finding that Richard’s programme is keeping me focused and is much easier to implement than I expected. All the while I am getting stronger.

I ride CTTA time trials which are a great measure of progress. Bar from today, when the gusty wind and carbon deep rims thwarted me, along with sketchy drivers and a bad warm up, I have progressed with PBs week after week. Stoked. Training rides aren’t without a bit of fun either. Here’s some pics of my blackberry picking pit stop in the weekend, out riding with my youngest son. New use for waterbottles, but the smoothies, magic. Perfect training food ;-)s