Training Log Archive: slow-twitch

Bark Bay to Marahau. Approx 20km, pretty much continuous with the few little stops adding up to no more than half an hour or so in total, so not surprising we were both fading a bit by the end. Started pre-dawn because all that daylight yesterday was a bit much apparently... and also Stace had a flight to catch. Love being out and about already when the day-shift birds start waking up and the forest gradually eases into daylight. Unfortunately the cloud over Nelson was just heavy enough to make the sunrise a bit insipid but still a beautiful morning for it. On a sunday in one of the most visited parts of the conservation estate didn't see a single other person on the track until Yellow Point (south of the Anchorage junction) and it only got busy in the last hour.

Anchorage to Bark Bay, high tide route. We probably could have used the low tide shortcut, but for all the facilities they had at Anchorage the tide tables hadn't been updated past the end of June, and there isn't the information about how long the low tide 'window' is that there is for the Awaroa crossing. But the longer route is still very enjoyable and I imagine the wading would have been COLD. Was well over 4 hours hut to hut but we were totally cruising it, and both a bit tired from last night for some strange reason.

Semi-spontaneous Abel Tasman weekend. Tramping by moon- and torchlight, Marahau to Anchorage 'Hut'. Fully recommend night-time tramping, (although the other occupant of the emptiest bunkroom might have disagreed when we arrived at 10:30) and we came to the conclusion that it really is the best way to start a there-and-back trip, as it means some of the scenery on the last day is still 'new'. Not to mention you don't bump into any penguins on the track in the daytime.

Climb up to Cattle Ridge from Catchpool with a nice hefty load then putting possum traps out along the ridgeline. Good productive day with lots of little flags added to the GPS. Nice to get up the hill too after 2 days of shed work, which if I'd known about in advance I would have brought the running shoes and had a cruise up the valley. Need to get as much back in the habit as all this fieldwork allows.

O-gang run (although I believe I am still just a prospect, still waiting for the initiation). I think up Silver sky, a short stretch of the skyline and down Crow's Nest. Let R1 take the lead on the uphill which seemed a bad idea but either I'm in better shape than I thought or he was playing gentle with Ellie and me. Then successfully rendezvoused with Sarah at the top of the hill which was good because I'm not sure the rest of us knew the way down. ..