Monday 19 September 2011

Training we don't mention.

[CS] As an addendum to yesterdays post - We don't discuss Saturdays surfski paddle which had Jerry and I swimming around in Cook Strait looking for Happy feet before abandoning the plan and making for the nearest warm, dry land. Dave of course was having a whale of a time in the surf. Jerry and I have decided to reconvene in less lumpy, windy, cold water next paddle session.

Sunday 18 September 2011

Nice training session

[CS] Sunday saw 2/3 of the team (minus jerome) heading out for a decent length of bike/walk/bike. Weather wasn't playing ball despite being reasonably OK on the way out. We headed North up the Hutt Valley to 'Kiwi Ranch' which is at the base of Puffer Saddle - otherwise known as the Gateway to marchant Ridge and the wider Tararuas. A speedy bike up there had us starting to trek in an ever increasnig rain band. Into Smiths Creek was wet wet wet and the climb back out up to the ridge was hard work. Nice loop though. Getting back on the bikes the weather seemed to have turned from the South which meant a nice headwind. The pelting rain was a bit sore on the way into Te Marua and a dairy stop for Coke was just the ticket. Great grind back home though - if it isn't raniing then it isn't training.

Spot track can be found here (for all sessions actually) : http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0Tvpqi6dAiS7Qf328OJvFK6oHW18y8QqG

Monday 5 September 2011

Great sunny weekend

(Col) Yet another fantastic weekend of chilly nights/clear days. After the last few reasonably hectic weekends it was nice to have some more time to actually indulge in life ! Saturday had Jerome, Dave and I heading out past the massive south coast swells to grind up the Tip Track. Welly really is the place to live for riding. 25 mins of uphill unleashed a single track-fest back into town. A quick ride over Newtown saw us installed in the Spa supping post ride refreshments. Very necessary. Sunday saw a lovely walk over the back of Eastbourne into the 'feature' - a crazy weird freaky natural spot where you stand with one foot in the stream and literally 2 meters away the stream passes you again 20m down. Odd thing is the bend in stream has no big drops or distance. Totally inexplicable. But very cool. A long jaunt out to butterfly creek and along the tops before we dropped into Eastbourne. Nice wander on a sunny day.
This week of course is Rugby World Cup - awesome to see then new All Blacks sign up near the airport and of course my first game on Sunday night - South Africa v Wales. Go the Leeks. Going to be tough to fit training, work and rugby in !!!.