I Will Do it Tomorrow! - Part 2

As mentioned previously, I have had a couple of equipment ‘incidents’. Both of which involve stupidity on my part and were totally avoidable!

Incident Number 1 – Put bike on roof of car after a race at Ruapuna, drive home, go up the driveway and …Bang! Yes. I had forgotten about the very sturdy rose trellis ¾ of the way down the drive.
Result: One unsafe road bike with a creased downtube and warped back brakes, one twisted bike rack, one bent roof bar, and a small dent in the rose trellis! Doh!

Incident Number 2 – Plan a paddle on the Waimak followed by a bike ride. Drive to river, see it looks brown and fast flowing (not good), try to put kayak in just before some willows. River forces me into willows and trying to make way through branches.
Result: Paddle slips from grip. Good bye expensive wing paddle and end of training session! Doh!

Both these incidents happened just before Christmas but both have a happy ending! The insurance company paid up for the bike so I was able to buy a replacement and take the best components off my old bike! As for the paddle, it turned up a month later 15 km downstream (not far from the river mouth) washed up on the high tide mark! Yes, I have learnt a lesson or two!

I Will Do It Tomorrow (Part 1)

It is amazing how the days fly by when there is so much to do. For a long while now I have been thinking, ‘Tomorrow, I will update the blog’. However, ‘tomorrow’ comes and then there is something else to do!

Obviously, the busy Christmas period has been and gone since my last entry but also work has been hectic and the garden has needed tending and... However, training has gone on regardless give or take a couple of ‘equipment incidents.’

We spent Christmas at home, with Helen and Ian staying over for a few days. Christmas day itself was great. A warm and sunny day enticed us all to the beach for a morning dip or in my case surfing. Then it was back home to stuff ourselves on a large traditional Christmas dinner! Rose and Ally joined us late afternoon and we spent Christmas evening eating, drinking, spinning vinyl (Stone Roses, Funkadelic, Primal Scream) and playing Trivial Pursuit. After allowing myself a Christmas Day training break, normal service was resumed on Boxing Day with a long bike/run combination.
Even though, I indulged in the usual Christmas/New Year festivities I did not overdo the drinking side of things so was able to maintain my training program. I was pretty pleased with the way I balanced things and even managed to get on the course for a run on the mountain section and a paddle through the Gorge.

The ‘run’ did not go quite how I hoped as I accompanied a newbie over the course. Oh! The perils of using Sportzhub website to arrange things with people you have not met! My intended 5 hour training run turned into an epic 7 ½ hour test of patience bush bashing and looking for high routes because my partners were very nervous of the river crossings. Admittedly, the river was high and running fast but it was frustrating!

As for the paddle through the Gorge, I must admit that it raised a number of doubts. I had two ‘swims’. One of which was a long one and had me bouncing off a bluff and getting momentarily pulled underwater even though I was wearing a very good PFD. The second swim came not long after the first whilst I was still a bit cold and a bit tentative with my paddling. After that one, my confidence had gone and I had a tense final hour or so paddling to the end. The key to staying dry is confidence and aggression!

I intend to get on the course a few more times yet so hopefully things will go well. Otherwise, I will have to switch to the two day event! By the way, I will write about my equipment 'incidents' another time.

A Day Off!

It's now mid-November so for Christchurch that means 'Show Week'! Traditionally, this is when countryfolk come to town to show their pigs, chickens, shiny tractors, wood choppng skills and to race their nags! The main events of the week are the three day A & P Show (like the New Forest Show), Tuesday's Cup Day, and Saturday at Riccarton Races.

'Cup Day' as it is known is when the top sulky racers (horse and cart racing!) compete for the New Zealand Trotting Cup at Addington Raceway. It's a dressy day when everone starts out in their finest threads, drinks plenty of bubbles and ends up in a heap on the ground. As well as showing the elegant winners of the 'Fashion in the Field' competition, the local paper is very fond of showing shots of women being carried on shoulders or sitting with their heads between their knees examining the pavement!

Once again though we went along to Riccarton Racecourse for flat racing's New Zealand Cup. (There is a third New Zealand Cup during the week: a greyhound one at Addington Raceway). Again, hats are bought and people dress up for a day at the races. As is now our tradition, the day started with us having friends around for a champagne breakfast before heading off to the races. Actually, as I am training, my day started rather earlier with an intense training run!

At the races bets were laid (even though Chantal had no idea what the trifecta she betted on was), drinks were had, sausages barbecued and the sun threatened to come out! Unfortunately, there was a persistently cold wind all day and the high of 24 degrees never eventuated!

Towards the end of the afternoon, we decided to leave the windswept pastures to the hardier horsey folk and retreat to the sanctuary of Pomeroy's to watch New Zealand 's World Cup qualifier game against Bahrain . It was great watching a game of football in the pub at a normal time. In the past, we have watched England or The Netherlands at some riduculous time like 5am when the pubs do a roaring trade in pots of tea and bacon butties! For the record, the 'All Whites' won so they will be going to South Africa ! As per usual, Pom's provided good beer, food and company! It's a hard place to leave!

All in all, a good day was had! In case you are wondering, I did mange to clear the head to go for a bike ride on Sunday morning! I also took Tuesday afternoon off work to fit in the bike/long run session that I missed at the weekend. Training must not be neglected!

Halfway There!

I am now half way through my training program so the big race is just over three months away. So far I have not slacked off from my training program! Yes, I adjust it to fit around races and other activities (i.e. visits to Pom’s) but then that is expected as I am using a generic training program.

Overall, I am happy with how things are going as I can see and feel big improvements. This has been borne out by the improved times I have clocked in recent races, compared to ones from last year.

The last race I competed in was the Christchurch Multisport race (17 km run, 28 km cycle & 6 km paddle). This year I finished in 3:10:04 hrs which was a whopping 20 minutes faster than last year! I was stoked! A huge chunk of time was gained on the paddle. Admittedly, I paddled a multisport boat, this year, instead of our old Puffin sea kayak but I am also a much improved paddler, anyway! I also managed to shave some time off the run and bike legs. (Maybe shaving the legs will save me a few more precious seconds!)

I was also very pleased to beat two other people, who will remain nameless. Passing these two on the run up the Rapaki Track was very satisfying. Knowing they were behind really helped me dig in and keep going strongly, on the cycle and paddle legs! There is nothing like competition to provide motivation!

Support crew duties were performed by Chantal who did a great job of helping me transition from one leg to the other. Multisporters really rely on their support crews so it’s important to not forget them and even reward them. So yes, Chantal, you can go and buy a fascinator or hatinator to wear to the races on Saturday!

Restful Weekends

The weekend before last was a very sporty one. We arose early, on Saturday morning, for the drive to Flagpole Farm, where we were taking part in the Flagpole Hill Run-up. Although, for me, there was no running involved as I had entered the walk category. Walkers are on the whole slower than runners. Therefore, my start was an hour before the runners. Pete was aware of this but certainly not impressed...

Not having been on the course before I did not really know what I was letting myself into. Pete had told me a few things, so at least I had a vague idea. It was probably just as well that I did not know too much. The 5km slog up Flagpole Hill was steep but I managed it, and still felt fit enough to tackle the remaining 16km! Once Flagpole Hill was out of the way, I descended into the Selwyn River Gorge. The scenery here was absolutely beautiful, and I was enjoying myself until I came across the first real river crossing. The river was a little deeper, and flowing swifter, than I had anticipated. However, I safely crossed it and the following 12 other river crossings without any mishaps or swims!

Pete passed me about 2.5 hours after I had started. He was running well and in the top 25. I had an idea I was doing pretty well, too as I knew that not too many people were ahead of me. I kept the pace up as I felt really good, without any aches or pains. I managed to shake off 2 ladies right near the finish line and crossed the line in 3.25.26. I then found out I came first in my age category, 2nd in the women and 5th overall. Not a bad effort, if I say so myself… and I even got a prize for my efforts!

I really enjoyed myself and now wonder why I ever bothered to jog half marathons! Incidentally, Pete did do really well, too. He beat last year’s time by 4 minutes and finished 23rd out of 233 in 1.54.36. hrs. He wants to make the top 20 next year!

Saturday night we rested our weary legs, but only in the way of wearing Skins. We were invited to a BBQ at a friends' house but did not make it too late, as we had to be up early again on Sunday.

On the start line

Sunday morning was another early wake-up call; 7am is just too early! We had to be at the Waimakariri Gorge Bridge by 9am, for the second race of the Down River Kayak Racing Club series. Pete participates in these races to gain more experience of kayaking Grade 2 rivers.

Anyway, Sunday saw Pete enter the Waimakariri River at Horseshoe Bend. This is approximately the last 15km of the Coast to Coast river section, which meant it would be very good training for Pete. As the races have only started this year, they do not yet attract a big field, which means the races have a nice, friendly feel. However, people are out to win so serious paddling is the order of the day. On Sunday Pete shared the river with Steve Gurney, who holds the record of winning the Coast to Coast 9 times! Incidentally, Pete is currently reading Steve's biography!

The usual people did well in the race but Pete is not up there with the contenders… yet! Partly due to the fact that our Beachcomber is a lsea kayak, whereas the others have sleek, fast multisport boats. Anyway, Pete is confident in his ‘barge’ and wants to concentrate on a good paddle technique rather than get fatigued keeping a tippy boat upright!

After the race a skills course was set out. Only the really confident and good paddlers took part in this technically challenging exercise. In the end, it was between Steve Gurney and Ian Huntsman to set the winning time. They both thrive on competition, so we were there a while.....all good fun though!Steve Gurney on the skills course

For Pete, his training weekend was not yet complete as he still had to fit in a bike ride, that afternoon. I decided to cycle, too, so we found a nice circular route around Darfield. For Pete it was easy, as he has been training for a while, but I know I need to get out on my bike more. The 50 km ride we did was not that easy. Luckily I have a bit of time until my next event, a 60km road bike race at the end of January!

A Touch of Frost

Even though it is now mid-spring, this morning Christchurch awoke to a frost. Not a hard one but one that did leave the grass semi crunchy and the roof tops white. (I was glad that I had put my tomato plants in the garage!)

Awaking at 5:30 for a training paddle, I must admit that I didn’t particularly fancy it and seriously considered a run instead (staying in bed was not an option). Nevertheless, I packed my bag and cycled round to Arawa Canoe Club to use a club boat (Eclipse 5.7). I must say that once I was on the water I did not feel cold at all. The pogies kept my hands warm and a beanie kept my head toasty. In a ‘Wuthering Heights’ kind of way, it was quite beautiful paddling through the suspended mist and with the early morning sun shining at an oblique and blinding angle. There was just me, another kayaker, a few rowers, the hardy whitebaiters and the wildlife. Swans, ducks and the odd pukeko! I do like pukekoes! If you don’t know what one is you need to google it.

As part of my training program, I am entering various lead in races. It is important to enter various events so that transitions can be practised, the body gets used to using different muscle groups and progress can be gauged. There are two basic approaches to entering these races: use it purely as a training event, or race it. Personally, I feel that if I have paid money to enter an event then I want to do the best I can (even if it is someway down the finishing field).

Unloading the kayak at Rakaia Gorge Bridge.

Last Saturday, I competed in the Frostbuster Multisport Race (8.5 km trail run, 26 km road cycle & 15 km kayak). Last year, even though there was not a frost, it was an aptly named event: cold rain/sleet & windy. This year, however, the weather was pretty much perfect. There was no discernible wind and it was a good temperature. I had high hopes of beating last years running and cycling times, and posting a decent kayaking time.Kayaks lined at the transition

Pleasingly, I completed the race in 2:54.27 hrs, and beating my target time of 3 hrs. I knocked two minutes off last year’s run time, five minutes off the bike leg and clocked the same time for the kayak leg as I did in a kayak race a fortnight ago! I am pleased but already want to do better. I reckon I can knock 10 minutes off my kayak time if I have a multisport kayak!

Finishing this short (compared to other multisport events) race with an aching and tired body, did bring home to me how much training and effort I need to put in just to make the cut off times and complete the one day Coast to Coast race! Oh well, just under four months to go!Chantal helping me transition from the cycle leg to kayak.

Fitter, Stronger!

Life sure has been busy recently. Obviously, training is taking up a large chunk of my time but I have also spent time in Wellington on work business and had a weekend away support crewing for Chantal’s Spring Challenge team. Nevertheless, I feel that training has not suffered. However, I have had to tweak it and fit it around things. For example, tomorrow night, I will be sampling Epic Brewery’s range of beers at Pomeroy’s. Mmmmmmmmmmm! Don’t worry! I will be squeezing in an hour of kayaking before hand…and a cycle ride home from the pub!

Phase One (Strength and Endurance) of my training programme has drawn to a close and I’m pleased to say that my training is well on course. I feel fit, strong and do not have any niggling injuries. There is no chance that I will be playing cricket or summer hockey until after the Coast to Coast race!

I now have a valid race entry as I passed my Kayaking Grade 2 certificate, on Sunday. It means that I can concentrate on Phase Two (Speed and Endurance) of my training programme. Unlike the forecasted weather, it was a lovely, warm day. There was not a cloud in the sky, the water was turquoise and the surrounding hills were sprinkled with the previous day’s snow. It was a great day for a paddle through the Rakaia Gorge but I can say from experience that the water is still too cold for swimming!

Living in New Zealand can be tough sometimes!

Spring Challenge 2009

Once again, I took place in the all women adventure race named the Spring Challenge. The race format requires a team of three women to race together at all times, with no more than 50 meters distance between any team member. This year I took part with a different team from last year, hoping to do better! My team mates were Rose and Michelle, who are also my work colleagues. Our team motto: To be finished before dark! For last year’s blog article, click here: http://phandcr.blogspot.com/2008_10_01_archive.html
Having participated in the same event last year, in Kaikoura, when a very cold southerly change took us by surprise, we felt that this year we were much better prepared when it came to equipment. A couple of waterproof coats were purchased in the lead up to this year’s event, we all made sure we had warm and waterproof gloves and plenty of thermals would be carried by us all.
Training wise, we found it hard to train together due to holidays (Rose went away to America for 2 weeks in August, and of course I was over in the UK/Holland for a month in June/July). However, we felt that with working out in the gym, coupled with weekly runs up a hill, mountain bike rides in Bottle Lake Forest as well as taking part in three Night Nav races we would be well trained to start the event. Unfortunately I was only able to join in the weekly hill run twice, as I cracked a few ribs during a hockey game. Only 7 weeks out from the Spring Challenge – I was so angry as I really wanted to do well and was just about to up my training :-( Instead, I had to take it easy in the gym for quite a few weeks, which was incredibly frustrating.

The weather forecast for the race day a few days before the event did not sound too promising, and with snow warnings for the Lewis Pass it looked like it would even be problematic just trying to get to St Arnauds.
My challenge actually started on Friday, the day before race day, as I was going to be driving all the way to Murchison (where we were staying), and I was very nervous about having to drive over the Lewis Pass. Luckily Rose and Michelle were very good passengers, and the route to Murchison is an easy one (not that many main roads in the South Island – it is hard to get lost).
Fortunately, the weather gods were kind and the drive from Christchurch to St Arnauds on Friday was quite uneventful. We stopped for lunch at Maruia Falls, which was just a normal river until the 1929 earthquake (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenandoah_Highway). Although this is not far from Murchison, by now, after over 3 hours of driving we wanted to stretch our legs, as well as admiring some of the beautiful scenery that we had been driving through.
Rose and I got very excited once we very near our accommodation, as we really wanted to see the pet farm animals that were part of the complex we were staying at. So as soon as we had checked in, unloaded the car and stocked the fridge we went in search of the animals. That did not take very long, as they were right outside the chalet!
A few hours later our support crew, the boys (Pete, Ally – Rose’s fiancée and Paul – Michelle’s fiancée) arrived. We left Ally and Paul to cook our dinner, while Pete drove us to St Arnaud for our raft and race briefing. At the race briefing we were handed a map as well as race notes. The course was going to be 36km in distance and we would be climbing up to a height of 1200m. During the event we would be rafting, mountain biking and hiking. Armed with that information we went back to our accommodation to plan our expected routes as well as time guidelines for our support crew.
Next was packing our transition bags. We would be transitioning twice, which is the place to take on more water and food as well as more/less clothing. We needed to make sure we had our spare gear readily available, in case it was needed. This got our nerves going and sleep did not come easily that night.


This is how our support crew prepared for the following day:
Saturday morning arrived, and we were ready to race. The sun was out – but we did not want to get a false sense of security as this was exactly how the race in Kaikoura started the year previous! We got to the start line with plenty of time which was needed as the first challenge of the day presented itself there and then: How can one ever quickly get into a wetsuit? Once that ordeal was over with, we wandered over to the allocated raft, and met our raft guide and raft team mates (in this event the rafts are shared by two teams). After putting on our lifejackets and getting our positions sorted we strolled over to the start line. Just after 10am the start signal was given and a few hundred women all sprinted to their raft, eager to be the first on the water. That is where the journey began. A few kms were spent paddling across the beautifully serene lake Rotoiti, before reaching the Buller River. The water levels were very low, which made our rafting trip a physically hard one. We had to get out of our raft so many times, to try and dislodge it from yet again another rock, that we stopped counting after 20 times. What should have been an exhilarating trip down the Buller became a tediously hard one. But after 2 and a half hours we finally saw our support crew! Unfortunately we then had to carry our very heavy raft up on the riverbank before we could run into transition and change into our biking gear. Our support crew was fantastic and helped us transition very quickly and within no time we were on our bikes and started a 4km journey to Checkpoint 1. From there we had to hike up a steep track to Checkpoint 2, find our way to Checkpoint 3 and then a run back down to Checkpoint 1. We got back on our bikes and cycled a few more hills, including such a steep and rutted track that even Michelle with a 50 pound bet attached would not conquer. But as the saying goes, what goes up must go down, so our efforts were rewarded with a quite technical downhill section with only one mishap when Rose fell off her bike in slow motion. Within no time at all we were at Transition 2.

We took on more food and water and set off for the last leg of the event. We hiked along a path that went alongside the Buller River, the same river that we had rafted down that morning. We had to do a bit of orienteering to find Checkpoint 5. We did not find this straight away but did not want to give up as missing a checkpoint would add 3 hours to our total time. An incentive enough to keep trying! Once we found CP5 we were well and truly on the home stretch. We could see the finish but knew we were still a couple of kms away. We wanted to save up a sprint to finish with, so we power walked all the way till we exited the forest and were out in the open. Just as we started to push out what we thought was a sprint to the finish line, Michelle twisted her ankle on a rock. However, she still managed to run, and all three of us were sporting huge smiles as we crossed the finish line. Total time: 8.24.21.
The weather throughout the day was great, and the newly acquired waterproof coats are still unused! In actual fact, we are all sporting sun kissed faces, as the sun was out the whole day!

Sunday morning, before the prize giving, us townies spent some time feeding the animals (although ham pizzas did not go to the pigs), petting as well as running away from them! As it turns out, Michelle has torn a ligament in her ankle, and perhaps even a hairline fracture. This might have actually happened very early on in the race, during on the many times we had to get out of the raft to drag it across yet again another rock. However, the adrenaline that the Spring Challenge gives you kept her going till the end. Great stuff!

Stout is Good for You!

I am mid way through week 6 of my program and must admit that I am feeling rather tired. Not only do my legs feel weary (no aches or strains, thankfully) but today I just want to sleep. That is even after today’s, later than normal, alarm call at 6:30!

Obviously, the combination of early mornings, aerobic exercise and not going to bed early enough is catching up! Oh! And I suppose spending Sunday evening at Pom’s sinking a number of pints and enjoying a big roast didn’t really help! Nevermind, it was good to sit, chat and drink with friends. Considering Pom’s has the last keg of the seasonal Three Boys Oyster Stout, it would have been rude not to have had a couple of pints before it runs out.

I think I will be having a few more pints over the weekend as I will be part of the support crew for Chantal’s Spring Challenge team, up in Nelson Lakes. The crew and Chantal’s team will be exactly the same people that I spent Sunday afternoon with! Obviously, my training will take a backseat this weekend as Chantal’s event will be the focus but I will be aiming to squeeze a run and bike ride in. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to fit in a paddle though.

Practising a ferry glide on the Waimakiriri River

On a final note though, I do need to make sure that I get enough sleep and listen to my body so that I don’t become run down and susceptible to injury and illness. Alternatively, I could keep drinking stout as I'm sure my mum said that she used to drink Mackeson's Stout to keep her strength up when pregnant!

How to Cook a Frog?

The good weather continues and so does the training. Over the last four weeks, the duration of each training session has increased gradually. The focus has been and continues to be building up strength and endurance.

Last week, time spent training totalled 10 ½ hours and this week’s total will be 12 ¼ hours. Next week (week 6), my total training time reaches 12 ½ hours before dropping down to 6 ½ in week 8. Why the drop? The body needs a chance to rest and recover (or in my case catch up with some gardening!) so it is important to have easier weeks. Week 8 will bring stage one of my program to a close. I’m not sure how Stage 2 looks as I have not received it yet.

So can I feel my strength and endurance building up? Stopping to think about it right now, the answer has to be yes. In just one month, regular kayaking and cycling has improved my endurance (and hopefully technique). I reckon that because the progress is gradual, one does not notice it. It’s not really an ‘Eureka’ moment but more of a ‘cooking a frog in slowly heated water’ process. Strangely enough though, cycling 2 ½ km to work seems harder than going out for a 40 km ride in the hills! Any ideas why?

The last couple of weekends have been dry, sunny and warm. In particular, the last one was gorgeous and was certainly not a weekend for being indoors. Ange and I had a really enjoyable paddle, on the Waimakariri on Sunday afternoon. To lengthen the trip, we put the kayaks in 4 or 5 km further upstream. The river had a good strong flow (Spring is here so this is partly due to snow melt from the mountains) so I was slightly concerned that Ange may have a few moments! As it turned out she was fine and enjoyed the stronger flows, choppy water and wave chains. It was so much more enjoyable than my experience out on the estuary during low tide, the weekend before. Having to climb out of the kayak to drag it over mud bars to a deeper channel is not fun when you are almost knee deep in stinking mud!

Here’s to another good weather of weather.