Karen writes: Wandering on the bike

-
Well, wandering with a purpose, but it was still wandering, out towards Kawakawa bay where the cars with boat trailers play dodgems, to Takanini where the trucks and trailer units rock along the roads, and everywhere in between where motorists must have taken silly pills today.  I was brushed by dried palm fronds overhanging a trailer as it raced past, I stared with my mouth open as the woman in the white 4WD moved into my lane and overtook directly towards me, I swore with great inventiveness (when my heartrate slowed enough to allow me to find my voice) when the free end of a tiedown strap with a metal hook on it swung behind a boat on a trailer like a lethal scythe back and forth just missing me.

I did get to do a memorial lap of Ardmore airport as a private farewell to broadcaster Paul Holmes, actually Sir Paul Holmes, who was having his funeral in Parnell today, he was a big contributor to how me and many of my contemporaries viewed the world for years, I wonder if he ever knew how many managers used the "how would it be on the Holmes show?" as a crucial yardstick to make business decisions.  There is nothing on the current scene that can elicit quite the same response..."how would it look on 7 Sharp", RIP Sir Paul.

So the last real 'long' ride got done, a mere 5 hours 15 on the road, I mucked up the run-off-bike afterwards though by stopping and talking to the neighbour. Didn't do that well with the nutrition either, ran out of energy with 20km to go and couldn't be bothered sticking to my plan.  Not smart.

Its 21 days, 11 hours, 4 minutes and 22 seconds to go according to the Ironman website.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Still...swim, cycle, run...walk

-
Image
We've got some new staff at the organisation, which is now called " Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa ".  Sitting at the lunch table answering questions on the topic of endurance training and eventing, it reminds me of how long we've been doing the longer exercise efforts now, and that we take for granted how much we've learned over the years.   bike training isn't training without icecream Someone asked about nutrition in a long event and  I spouted off a bunch of words about the exact makeup of the breakfast that I've spent so many years messing around with, said something about a gel here and a banana there and a bumper bar somewhere else and a salt tablet when whatever and the importance of recovery nutrition...and then realised it sounded very much like I actually had it sorted.  I have to admit I don't really.  I'm not sure if anyone can ever say they have everything 100% nutrition or hydration wise for all conditions and circumstances,
Read more

Karen writes: Swimming pool blues

-
Image
I loathe the swimming pool.  With my severely cut down swim training I've been putting my effort into a few slow wetsuit swims in the sea, gently putting my dodgy shoulder under pressure to see how it copes with greater time in the water, not worrying about harder work just aiming to achieve the distance with a minimum of stress.  This week I just couldn't see how I could swim in the sea, the tide is way out in the mornings and evenings all week and it wont be possible to swim on the weekend. So I had to go to the Otara pool before work today.  Older daughter is off to school camp, tenting, so it was a bit muddly getting last minute items packed for her, is there enough sunscreen because its shaping up to be hot outside and what's the plan for the expected torrential rain?  Yep, good old Auckland smorgasbord weather, just pack everything.  Anyway, finally she was ready to go and I was too.  I had my togs under my clothes, wearing jandals, bag with undies/ towel/ toiletrie
Read more

Karen writes: Obstacles

-
Image
I went for a ride, of course that was not what the training plan said I should be doing, but it fitted.  Older daughter looked at my trademark pink legwarmers before I left, "are they new?" she says. "Nope".  "They're clean" she observed. I looked, they did look clean.  Why?  They were inside out. These poor things had been getting very grubby, more chain oil than clear space, but aha, here was a way to now double their reasonable lifespan. Anyway, with the old-new inside out pink legwarmers on, I took the easy route, headed off towards Clevedon and wandered round a bit there feeling uninspired. The most significant thing about this ride was something you only see when your training is mostly on country roads.  I came scooting around a corner on Monument Road and there was a significant obstacle.  Cows all over the road.  Ok I thought, they are just crossing I will wait for a car to push through and follow it. Well it turned out that from my low vant
Read more