Karen writes: Longest ride before Taupo

128km on the bike this morning, that's the longest ride on the programme before the Taupo challenge which is now 2 weeks away.   Early start, beautiful day.   I took an olfactory tour of the backroads of south-east Auckland.   Funny, I have limited sense of smell, but on the bike I get everything.   Pungent but inoffensive rural aromas...hot tractor, privet flowers, gorse, mown grass, turned dirt.  Past the airport there was avgas, warming tarmac, the fresh smell of light rain.  Closer to Takanini though the deep drains on the side of the road wafted stagnant fumes, with suspicious hints of corruption, I followed the exhaust of too many vehicles, rode through smoke and inhaled unidentified chemical smells.    

Home feeling fine, but the legs might not be up to the usual Sunday run.  Just been up the road to pick up the 5yo from a party.  I talked to some other mums, my conversation is very boring, it usually ends up something to do with the days/weeks exercise efforts or what next planned event is.   But what else to talk about…I’m immersed in the stuff, saturated and marinated in it, inevitably exercise is the thing uppermost in my mind.