Month: November 2018

Good: Misty, calm early morning along the (pinch climbs) of the Waikato river trail. Better with fresh legs! Zigzags better than I’d imagined. Lunch in Tokoroa that wasn’t an OSM. Erik bearing lollies on the Mamaku hill. Zooming into Rotorua!

Bad: Almond OSM for breakfast. By FAR the worst flavour.

Ugly: Those sweat marks on my riding top are not improving over time.

Songs: After Tokoroa, Wonderland came back on endless repeat.

Yay under five days, seemed like an impossible goal but we did it! Ended up riding with Brent P the whole way and we generally kept pace with the more experienced riders which was awesome 🙂

Might do a proper write up when I’ve recovered. No time for TA style blogging on this event!

Good: Made it to Mangakino and five days in sight 🙂 Great conditions, cool and not much rain. Timber trail much less muddy than it was in July. Awesome descent from centre of north island (new appreciation for how hard it is going other way). Nice to finish at 6 and have some time to relax! Coastal crew and Brent C and Nathan and Craig refuelled at Mangakino and determinedly headed on.

Bad: the climb to the timber trail summit is definitely harder this way round. Legs starting to wear.

Ugly: Brent’s tent pole fell off. He went back 3km up giant hill to look for it. Luckily Brent C had retrieved them. Meanwhile, I enjoyed a rest!

New song today rotating in head Just like Fire by Pink but Selena annoyingly hanging in there.

210km, 11:09 moving time!!

Good: Managed to start to 6! Great first three hours, route today much more beautiful and lots of bush. Felt much stronger today. Moving cleats was a good idea. Made it to Ongarue, beyond optimistic target 🙂 Most km, most ascent and most moving time ever for me!

Bad: couple of heinous hills between Ohura and Taumarunui. Shorts falling apart.

Ugly: people did give me wide berth in Taumarunui New World.

Wonderland now alternating with Wolves by Selena Gomez (chorus only). A step backwards.

167km, 3000m of ascent, 9:49 moving time!

The good: I thought 9 hours moving time was my limit…

The bad: little hills but millions of them. Feet! Moved cleats (again) tonight. ‘Why is this fun’, thought a number of times between 10am and 2pm.

The ugly: deep fried chicken burger mingling with energy drink and chocolate milk in stomach while going up large hill.

Goals for tomorrow: Taumarunui and remove Wonderland from repeat.

Kilometres: 178

Good: mostly felt strong, river trail through Hamilton unexpectedly beautiful and fast, including trail angels (Dad!). Arrived here at hotpools 5.48, before self imposed cut off 6pm but still decided to stop. Early start tomorrow. Also rain stayed away.

Bad: most expensive and worst muffin in NZ at Putaruru, mildly annoying left foot numbness by end of day, many dairying vistas.

Ugly: Brendan, writer of excellent blogs, being taken out of the event by a magpie.

Song on endless repeat in head: Taylor Swift’s Wonderland