Saturday 2 November 2013

Training Partners ...

Training has been steady for the last six weeks and I am starting to feel the benefits, fitness wise. Study for the year is nearly over one more assignment to hand in!

I have been riding three times a week, while it has been going well, it has not been all smooth sailing, for a while I had a wee niggly knee injury. With a few adjustments to my set up and changing my massage routine from a one hour session a fortnight to a 30 minute session once a week, it has disappeared!

Thanks to Keith Boot, my masseuse for the help, even though I met Keith in the mid nineties while out sea kayaking I have been going to Keith for massages for six years now and he has not just been a masseuse but a mentor as well, Keith's huge background in endurance racing has definitely been freely shared!




One of the joys which makes cycling fun is getting out there with friends, family or colleagues.  Each week has pretty much been one mountain bike ride and two road rides which has been good to break up the boredom, also breaking up the boredom has been the different training buddies ...

Fridays after work mountain bike ... I have been joining a small group from work who range from the total newbie 22 year old to the cunning sinewy 60 year old! A very competitive bunch, plenty of entertainment along the way with smack talk all Friday prior to departure.

I have been able to get in one or two evening rides which have been fun, my favorite trials take on a different persona and keeps it interesting!

Looking over Christchurch early evening from the top of Kennedys

Saturday's ride I often get to ride with one or both of my favourite two riding buddies. My wonderful partner Chris (catch her blog a velolassie.blogspot.co.nz ) normally involves coffee then ride then more coffee! Chris is in training for Ironman Taupo this will be Ironman number 7! Having finished six and crashed out of 1. The house is fairly busy coordinating training, meals, etc.



My other buddy is Anja, my 12 year old daughter.

Anja after finishing the Little River Rail Trail


Anja and I have our own adventure the week before Christmas, we are off to ride the Otago Rail Trail, a 150 kilometre route in Central Otago about five hours drive from Christchurch. We will let you know how it goes!

Meanwhile November is looking good for heaps of riding with a small interruption, while I manage the safety of the riders during the Southern Alps Tour, leaving from Dunedin heading through the Caitlins to Invercargill upto Te Anau into Milford Sound before finishing in Queenstown. Some very spectacular country and am looking forward to it! I am a firm believer that it is good to give back to the sport, as sports/events run on volunteers ... apart from that it will be a BLOODY good time!