Karen writes: 2 weeks to Taupo

Less than 2 weeks to the Taupo cycle challenge.  The big bikeride with Kate on Friday did lots for my confidence though, 5 really enjoyable hours on the road, circumnavigating the whole of the Hunua ranges and covering 105 spectacular km.  This was the course followed for the SRAM Tour de ranges held in January of each year, or pretty close to it, I forgot the map and relied on the "I'm sure we just keep turning left" style of navigating.

It is so much more enjoyable to do these things in company, picture us starting out by climbing the hills out the back of Clevedon until we were way above the tallest power pylons, stopping for a snack and to take in the view. Then plunging along the rollercoaster roads past Hunua, stopping for a snack and to take in a view.  Next racing along the beautiful coastal road at Kaiaua looking towards the Coromandal, stopping for a snack and to take in the view. At last, grinding up winding (hilly) roads through gorgeous bush before Kawakawa bay, stopping for a snack and to take in the view, then finally racing back to Clevedon again.  I snagged an icecream on the way home (seeing any themes here?), more than happy with the day's efforts, but reflecting that it looks like my time for the 160 km Taupo ride isn't likely to improve any this year.  This ride turned out to have an average of 21km/hour, and it was only that high because Kate had a rush of blood to the head (legs) and set a tough pace for the last 20 or so km.

I was grumpy on Friday afternoon, I apologised to the kids (AFTER they had tidied their bedrooms, picked up their junk in the lounge, got fermenting lunchboxes out of school bags and put dirty uniforms in the wash), they seem to understand that it's part of having a mum in the intensive 'building up' phase of her fitness. Experience says it will pass as I spend more hours on the road and my body and mind get used to the extreme effort again.  Saturday I swam up and down Maraetai beach for half an hour, the water was gorgeous, obviously people from town have come to the same conclusion because the beach was crowded with visitors and there were plenty of heads bobbing up and down in the water for me to practice defensive swimming around.

The Sunday run with the Te Puru runners started out with a sluggish heavy-legged trot from home to Te Puru park, then I ended up running in the bush at a faster than usual pace for me, and felt sensational by the time I came home 2 hours later.  Not so tired (or grumpy) after this effort, nothing hurt, there is hope.

Now, a day after a hard 3 days of effort, I am furiously and unreasonably hungry, so what else is new?

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