Training Log Archive: Vaala

Up to the summit and over Mt Somers with Lara. Wasn't nearly as long as I was hoping for. Well, more like not as long as I was supposed to do but I have tired cycling legs still. Beautiful day for an adventure on the tops.

Up Huntsbury, down Rapaki. I'm so tired.

Bashing round in the wet bush with Lara. Fun but I was feeling a bit under the weather so wasn't moving very fast. Feeling like all my training has fallen apart! Will try and get back on track next week.

Stressful day putting Molly in the cattery. I feel like I spent more than half the day crying or feeling like I was going to cry.

Home! Racing it along the rail trail with a nice apple eating stop to chat to some other cycle tourists we had met at each campground then a rather hot climb up the Basdrat and down Dyers to home...and fighting cats. I'm tired.

Straight up Big Hill Road which is exactly how it sounds, if not bigger! Then, because neither of us had actually really looked all that closely at the map, headed left down the super gravelly Goat Rock Rd which sucked lots and the weather was crap. But it all got a lot worse when we reached a farm gate and the "road" turned into a grassy track leading off somewhere not very helpful so we had to turn around and head back up the horribly gravelly woe of a hill. Eventually we found the correct turnoff, a few kms further up the road. At the Panama Rd turnoff we took one look down it and I had a panic attack so we tried to see if the other road went down into the bay too but no luck so yep, back to Panama Rd it was. We walked the first section 'cause it was so insanely steep and gravelly (I guess I am grateful we didn't have to "bike" up it - if someone bikes all the way up that road then I'll bake them a cake). Made it down to Le Bons Bay where I fuelled up on cake before we headed straight back up again (up the main road this time). That is one long climb. No stops allowed until we got to the top and lay down for a rest. Finally cruised round and down to Akaroa for an extremely late lunch before riding round the bays and back up to the Summit Rd via Pigeon Bay Rd. Made it to the super cool campground in Okuti Valley in time for dinner. They were expecting us.

C • Looks like the ridge road d... 2

Nice little cruise in the valley.

After more cat drama than I can handle we finally got away. Brutal start straight up Rapaki then along the tops and round to Diamond Harbour for a quick stop to devour leftover pizza. Feeling pretty damn miserable at the point, stressed about Molly and hating the strong, cold wind. But then the adventure got going and all (but my legs and lungs) was well. Up over the monument saddle and down to Port Levy then over some fun gravel roads into Pigeon Bay where I got to devour cake. Then up out of that bay and round the tops before the speedy descent into Okains Bay in time for tea and a nice hot shower!

On the mtb but on the road... from work up Dyers to the rogaine.

Fun times in the tussock with Lara. We were both feeling a bit shattered.

Slowly down the hill then home 'cause my bike light was super dodgy and prone to just turning itself off which was a bit frightening.

From work out to the TT.

Tough work with some pretty cruel winds and some shattered legs. Now I really am exhausted.

Home again very slowly! Met Chris in the river (well, he was in the river. We sensibly stayed on the road).

Too sleepy and too windy and cold outside for running. Rode over to explore the status of our house instead.

Hot hot hot jaunt around the hills above Arrowtown with Lara. Those hills are STEEP! Came back a little too early but it was so hard to judge how long it was going to take to get back along the river. Legs were pretty achy from all the 4wd road running.

Cruisey adventure in the hills with some of my workmates.

Up the Rapakis and down the Dyers with the M on the tandem. Bit of a time trial pace up Rapaki. For reference (i.e. to see who is faster - me by myself or the tandem) it was 6:08 from the dip to just past the cattlestop at the top. The challenge has now been set.

With M over to Lyttelton via the bluffs and all that. So hot with no wind in the valley on the way up but quite nice on the tops. Was faster than M for the first time in, like, EVER. He was super tired though so in reality I'm still probably much slower.

Cruisey-paced tandem ride with M (funnily enough) up Rapaki and along the tops then down Evans Pass and home via our danger-zone house. Kind of exciting to see it all wrapped in clingfilm.

Couldn't be bothered getting the bike out the night before so just ran straight from Viv's which meant some boring flat road running which I suck at. Then up and down in a couple of valleys which was really quite lovely since it's all dried out again.

Cold ride from work up Rapaki and down Huntsbury. I was a bit too tired and cold to go round Mt Vernon so just took the road. Rapaki is evil. It lulls you in by being an 'easy' ride but then there are so many people you have to try and race past that by the top you are shattered.

Started with the Wed night run crew up the hill to the kiwi in the howling wind, which then got way too howling as we tried to get round the back of the Sugar Loaf and I kept falling over into the tussock. It was such a relief to make it safely into shelter. Then I left the others and had to re-evaluate the plan since I couldn't stand up on the tops let alone run. Forced my way down into Bowenvale for a bit of a tiki tour round the tracks there before a boring flat run round the river back to the house. There was barely any wind down the bottom which was a bit weird.

Perfect evening for a tandem ride with M up Huntsbury and along the tops to Evans Pass. Then we raced super fast back from Sumner in time for a delicious vegan BBQ :-)

We seem to be settling in okay I guess but I really just want to go home. I mean, Molly actually used the litterbox and so far hasn't driven Viv's household crazy yet.

From Viv's to our house...via Lyttelton. Getting pretty windy up there. So windy in fact that I had to walk some of the Witch Hill track on the way back 'cause my feet were refusing to land in the intended places (i.e. on the track). There was also some walking on the way down 'cause the stabbing pain in my stomach has returned.

So tired. Spent the whole day cat supervising whilst M did all the hard work so I feel bad for feeling so rotten. Felt like the longest day ever.

Slow jaunt in the valley and all that jazz. Must have pushed my legs harder than I thought last night so I had no strength left in my legs.

Being big and brave and riding by myself for once...in the howling wind. Felt really good riding up the hill but had a lot of trouble staying on my bike round Mt Vernon 'cause of the ridiculous wind and had to push a bit which sucked. I needed lead weights in my pack or something.