Kiwi Brevet Day 6

Day 6 - St Arnaud to Blenheim - 260km approx

We got out of bed about 6.30am, anticipating a big day. We were too close to Blenhiem not to finish today - I was feeling some nervous anticipation as it was going to be a big day. I managed to eat leftover 2 minute noodles for breakfast and about 7.10am, after taping my shoes to my feet, we were on our way.

For some reason I remembered the road to Nelson to be hilly, I was pleasantly surprised when the incline was very much down and we made good time. The weather was again, bright and sunny and before long we were at the Reay Saddle, and stripping arm warmers and vests off.

One of the elements that makes a brevet interesting is that when there is a seemingly direct route somewhere you are sent on the scenic one. Of course when you are tired this becomes frustrating and is how we felt about Eighty Eight Valley Road. Thankfully it wasn't too long and was quite a nice road and so by mid morning we were in Wakefield. We were slightly short of food as our last purchases had been in Murchison so we took the time to stock up with donuts (food of champions) and Powerade. I noticed the Wakefield Four Square had a post shop and at this point we decided to post anything we wouldn't need in the next 24 hours home, now we were committed to finishing that day.  I was left with shorts and a t-shirt to wear home after we finished, and a rainjacket and tools.

The route towards Nelson took us through endless cycle paths. We got lost in a suburban street, and found it generally dreary.  It seemed to drag and take ages to get to Nelson proper. Once we reached the CBD we headed to the first place we saw, McDonalds, for coffee, chips and milkshakes, then we headed to the Shell for more cookies and by 1pm we were heading up the Matai Valley.

It was another hot day and we were pleased to take the deviation into the Dun Mountain Trail. Hopefully one day soon we can return as the trail really was enjoyable. The Mangatapu track was next and it was longer than I remembered. We rode what we could but were conscious that we still had a lot of kilometres ahead, so conserved our energy. The descent towards Pelorus Bridge passed by quickly and we soon heading towards the main road. Within one kilometre I got my only puncture of the trip, front tyre too. We never found the cause, this always worries me. Mangatapu Road has several farms on it and we happened to pass by just on milking time. The local farmer had all his gates open and electric fences across the road, we were not sure if they were live and Tim wouldn't test them for me.

Eventually we reached Pelorus Bridge, and came across our first bad driver of the trip. The driver chose to ignore that I was already on the one lane bridge and that he had the give way sign. I can't believe he didn't see me as I right in the middle of the lane and man was I angry! I had to take evasive action to avoid a collision. Apart from this incident we found most drivers to be courteous and far more patient than anyone you find in Wellington.

We kept riding until we reached Canvas Town (me fuelled on adrenalin) where we stopped at the Trout Hotel for beer, coke and chips. We also thought we had better organise some accommodation in Blenheim. After a couple of calls we found out it was Marlborough Wine and Food festival weekend....in 2010 I had this problem too. After a couple texts and half an hour Auntie Wendy had this under control for us & we knew a motel room would be waiting.

We look ok after here 1000km in - Havelock - Photo Helen Brumby

Just as we reached Havelock we ran into Dean and Helen on their way south. It was weird, they were so out of place that I didn't recognise them! Running into them lifted our spirits, it was great to see some familiar, happy faces.

Waiving to Dean and Helen - thanks for the photo Helen

We filled our water bottles at the church at Linkwater and prepared for the hilly section of Queen Charlotte Drive. It really is a nice part of the country with great views in the fading light. I was impressed by the waterfront campsites at Momorangi and the white sands. As we reached the lookout over Piction it was time to turn our lights on. We blasted through Picton and headed along Waikawa Road.  We knew Auntie Wendy was waiting outside her house to great us. Again, it was nice to see a friendly face and be refuelled with still warm bacon and egg pie. After a 20 minute break and a couple of pieces of pie we ended towards Port Underwood or "Port Underpants" as it was soon christened by Tim. We left Waikawa about 9.20pm.

When we hit the first hill we already had 200km in our legs, not to mention the other 800 or so from the days prior. The first hill felt long but we were positive, then a guy in a ute came past and and exclaimed that were out late, and that the good news was we were halfway up the hill! My heart sank, I was convinced we were near the top. Then my GPS batteries died and so we had no idea where we were.

The next section was a blur. At the top of the climb before heading into Robin Hood Bay Tim stopped at the top to wait for me. I sat down beside him in newly mown, soft, warm grass. All I wanted to do was lie down and go to sleep it was so inviting.....but before long we were off again. Once we had climbed out of Robin Hood Bay we could see some lights in the distance - Blenheim but still a way away. As we passed Whites Bay I knew didn't have far to go but it seemed to drag on and on and when we reached the tarseal I assumed it would all be downhill.....

Finally we reached Rarangi and had 14km left. I just sat on Tim's wheel and put my head down. Again there was no wind and so the conditions were pleasant. It didn't seem to take us long to get to Blenheim and to be weaving in and out of the streets. When we reach Seymour Square we sat on a park bench for a few minutes and enjoyed the "finishing feeling" - the time was 2.48am and we had been on the move for 19.5 hours.

Clockwise or Anti Clockwise?

In total the brevet took us 5 days 17 hours and 50 minutes. Two years ago I took 5 days and 10 hours. So, which way was harder? In 2010 the event went in an anticlockwise direction, this year in a clockwise one. In 2012 I certainly rode for less hours and had more sleep (no early starts this year), my butt was fine, my back good, hands good, I only noticed slightly numb feet and sore knees on the last day. Two years ago I had bad chafing, sore knees from standing as my butt was sore, really numb feet, a hand that took 6 weeks to use properly again, and I really felt smashed.

We had great weather and what felt like a tail wind most of the way and this made the clockwise direction seem easy. However, there are roads that I think are certainly best ridden in an anticlockwise direction.  These are, Mangatapu Road, Porika Track, Big River, and Molesworth/ Awatere Valley. I enjoyed crossing the Southern Alps East to West and the descent out of St Arnaud. Roads like Port Underwood are always going to hurt, however I think this road is best ridden early in the event and so......I am undecided which is easier, but what I do know, whatever the direction the brevet format is the winner.

Kiwi Brevet Day 3, 4 and 5

Day Three – Lees Valley to Bealy – 150km? ish

We had a restless sleep as in my haste to put up the tent I didn't pick an exactly flat spot. Under the trees we were bone dry and there wasn't even the hint of dew. We got up about 6 and were on the road at 6.50am. Breakfast for me was a small packet of Pringles.

The roll down Lees Valley was nice and cruisy and we had the added pleasure of helping a farmer move his stock. The noise of my Hope Hub sure made the cows move!

We nearly missed the turn off to Wharfedale but the arrival of Jimmy and Tor saved us. We followed the track into Wharfedale and I managed to get the four of us lost for about 5 minutes (don't follow the person with the GPS). Once we were back on track the hike to the hut wasn't too bad. Clearly there had been quite a bit of rain overnight as the ground was wet and there was still moisture in the air.

At the hut we stopped for bread and pate, we didn't stop for long as it was drizzly, the people at the hut were loud, and the sand flies were massive. Neither of us particularly enjoyed the trek out of Wharfedale and were pleased to see the car park at the end. As we got closer to the end we saw more and more people. There was one man dragging his young son up the track. The father was saying what a great track it is, the son was just about crying – this is how to put your kids off mountain biking in one easy lesson. We won't be hurrying back to Wharfedale in the near future.

On the access road we took the chance to wash ourselves and our bikes in the ford. Having clean legs and a clean face makes all the difference. Soon enough we heading towards the Waimak Bridge and Sheffield. In the distance we saw a roadie and low and behold it was Michelle. She turned and rode to Sheffield with us. It was great to have some other company and someone to tell our tales too. Richard was waiting at Sheffield and made the smart suggestion we stay at Bealy – thanks Richard. After 2 pies, and a spare in our packs, and posting our camping gear home we were off towards Porters Pass.

As it was Waitangi Day the road heading back to Christchurch was super busy. Porters Pass was better than I remembered, it was just a grind and once we crested the summit we were rewarded with some great downhills only punctuated by the occasional climb that was never too long. By this time the weather was hot and super sunny. We both remarked how great the scenery was and it is somewhere we would like to spend a bit more time in the future.

As we passed landmarks I reminisced about the 2010 brevet and Coast to Coast. The last 21km to Bealy just dragged. We reeled in Jimmy again just before Bealy and he was looking bad!

Hot and sun burnt we arrived at the Bealy Hotel just before 7pm. It didn't take us long to get a couple of pints each and head to our room where we enjoyed incredible views down the Waimakariri Valley. We were able to wash our clothes and get a good meal as well as buy enough food to get us through to Ikamatua 110km up the road. Owen and Michael were also at Bealy and Thomas and Julie arrived later on.

Day Four – Bealy to Reefton – 200km approx

After some sandwiches for breakfast we were on the road at 6.50am and into a pleasant morning. We could see the day was going to outstanding however the first few hours were mighty cold.

We covered the 12kms to Arthurs Pass with ease and passed Jimmy who looked more worse for wear and he was the last brevet rider we came across for over 24 hours. Once we reached the top of the hill it was time for the descent down the Otira Viaduct. At the top I let a fully laden chemical truck past thinking I would rather not have him right behind me – what a mistake! He held us up down the viaduct proper, however it was a great thrill smashing past him and it was a good 15 minutes until he caught us again.

We were cold and seemed to be chasing the sun, eventually we caught it and stopped for a snack at the Deception footbridge (more Coast to Coast reminiscing went on).

Next was Jacksons and then the lovely ride around the back of Lake Brunner. The road surface was great and the scenery neat with a mix of sun and shade. The road to Stillwater dragged and as we approached the Blackball turn off I needed some food and so we decided it was time for lunch. Tim was keen to head to Blackball for a beer but there was no way I was riding up that hill.

I took the opportunity to book a motel in Reefton. The motelier said he would be up late, surely we'd arrive before 11pm? I wasn't so sure as my memory of the next part of the trip was horrific.

We arrived in Ikamatua just after 2pm, and of course the kitchen closed at 2pm! So we had a pie and 2 pints for lunch. We also stocked up at the general store as we knew we would need some food for dinner. Soup and 2 minute noodles were again on the menu.

The sign said 17km to Waiuta but in reality it was only 14km, so straightaway this was a win. We paused at Waiuta for a quick drink and were soon in the Waiuta Track proper. The track was in great condition and clearly DOC has spent a lot of time and money upgrading it. I kept pointing out to Tim where there used to be a stream crossing of epic death, and then another and another, I just couldn't believe the difference in the track.Before long we rounded a corner and there was a generator – odd. As we progressed to the saddle we came across a couple of miners hard at work. They even had huts that must have been airlifted in. It was very out of place and weird to come across this in the middle of nowhere. We reached Big River much quicker than anticipated, this was much aided by the awesome boardwalk across the swamp and all the corduroy steps.

On the way up Waiuta Tim had noticed that my right shoe was falling part. The sole was coming away from the bottom of the shoe, and by the time we reached Big River the shoe was very close to being totally useless.

We had a quick look around at Big River and then were on our way down towards Reefton. I remembered it as being down, but there was quite a bit of up and it was much rougher than expected. Once we reached the access road it was time to use our lights for the first time.

At one stage we rounded a corner and on the hill top in the distance was a brightly lit gold mine, it certainly looked alien and out of place. We arrived in Reefton just before 10pm. I had booked the Bellbird Motel. Malcolm the proprietor was fantastic. He provided some glue and a hairdryer so I could fix my shoe, then being concerned for our welfare delivered some pasta mix and some bread and cheese. Thanks Malcolm :)

Day Five – Reefton to St Arnaud – 200km approx

As we arrived late the previous night and as we needed to get supplies we decided a sleep in until 7am. Neither of us slept well as we had heaters going to dry our clothes and so we were out the door at 7.10 and heading to the Mobil for supplies. My shoes seemed to be holding up OK and so after a sausage roll we were on our way.

The ride up the Rahu Saddle was gentle and we enjoyed the scenery and also the lack of traffic. The sun was again out and I was pleased to be sitting happily on Tim's wheel. A couple of hours later we arrived at Springs Junction. My first stop was the service station as my left shoe had now started to disintegrate and taping my foot into my shoe was the only option. I also taped the right shoe as a precaution.

After a coffee and some chips it was off towards Murchison. This part is really a blur, it was hot, and I was feeling low, my feet were uncomfortable and my butt was starting to feel like I had been riding for a number of days. The climb over the Maruia Saddle was short and really enjoyable and before long we were steaming down towards the Matariki Valley, through beech forest and across white sandy streams. The upper Matariki Valley was stunning, with the rivers inviting and the landscape spectacular. We were offered a cup of tea by some people in a camper van but decided to keep moving. The 29km into Murchison seemed to drag on and on and on. We were exposed to the beating sun and the valley seemed endless and seemed to go up quite a bit too.

We stopped at the River Cafe in Murchison for a late lunch. Food, coffee and a beer later we were ready to. I booked some accommodation in St Arnaud before we left. We got the motelier to leave a key for us and charge our credit card as we would be in and out before their office opened. Again we shopped for packet pasta for dinner.

We headed up the Mangles Valley through yet more thick gravel. It was still pretty hot and every time we paused the sand flies attacked. Just as we reached the road to Rotoroa we saw a guy camped in the full sun on the side of the road covered in a mosquito net. We said hello, we think he was a brevet rider, and he was the last one we saw.

Once at Rotoroa it was on to the Porika track. I took the time to refill my bottles at the campsite and was pleased I did. Even though it was late in the day the temperature was still hot. Porika was steep and took about an hour to climb. By the top my shoes had both come apart again and more tape was required. I was really pleased that I kept Tim in site the whole way up and he was pleased that as he started walking back down to help me I was right there.

At the bottom of the hill Tim nearly took the gate out, and it looked like several other people had had the same problem too. By the time we reached the main road, SH63 I think we got our lights ready and rode the longest piece of straight road I have ever seen. As we had nothing better to do we measured it, and counted out the kilometres as 3.8km. The road felt dead and I'm pretty sure it was a false flat. Eventually we reached St Arnaud around 9pm. We noticed 4 other bikes outside the Alpine Hotel as we passed by to our motel.

The usual washing of clothes and eating followed and then the restless nights sleep whilst trying to dry clothes in front of the heater again.

Kiwi Brevet Day One and Two

In 2010 I had such a good time at the Kiwi Brevet that I wasn't sure that I could repeat the positive experience, how could it get any better? After Le Petit Brevet I casually mentioned to Tim that it might be fun if we rode together and he agreed, and so it was a team approach for 2012.

The end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012 were extremely busy for us and it wasn't until after our wedding in mid January that we applied for leave and the Kiwi Brevet was all go!

Our physical preparation was limited, Tim was commuting daily by bike and I was riding where I could but with a huge amount of travelling required for work this was a challenge. On day one Tim mentioned after an hour and 40 minutes that this was now his longest ride of the year, mine came at 2 hours 40. We were confident that if we rode conservatively we'd fine, after all the brevet isn't a race...........

Day One – Blenheim to Molesworth - 118km 7.5 hours riding

The day dawned overcast and grey, however this didn't last long and by 10.30am there was bright sunshine and a clear blue sky.

As this wasn't a race I was happy to sit back at the neutralised start and sift along just keeping Tim in my view up ahead. It was great to chat to people along the way and I was surprised how many people knew who I was and had read my 2010 account of this event.

Once we crossed the styles it was all on and people just went for it. Tim and I cruised together. The initial plan was to camp at Molesworth, however we decided if we reached Molesworth in enough time we'd make for Hanmer Springs (more to come about this...)

As we progressed up the Awatere Valley the temperature got hotter and hotter and I regretted my choice of clothing. I did test my Icebreaker cycle top around Wellington and found it really comfortable on hot days but this was hotter and I was too hot. I was uncomfortable and sweating madly.

The scenery was varied, starting with vineyards and moving to farmland with a gradual incline and a few hills. We remarked that we were making good time, and maybe should be heading for Hanmer. At this stage I was already hot and upping the pace was a mistake.

We stopped for lunch (fresh bread and cheese) in the midday sun. After this the day went down hill for me and the route went up and up. The heat was bothering me and the hills seemed emense and I started with cramp in my left leg, then my right leg and then my left again. I was sure I was drinking enough. Eventually I sent Tim off ahead to set up camp at Molesworth, I knew he was getting impaitent waiting for me. Even though I felt I was crawling along there were people worse off than me and I passed several in my crippled state. I can tell you that the sign that says “Molesworth 10km” is wrong unless of course 14.85km is 10km?

I arrived at Molesworth at 4.38 about 30 minutes behind Tim. As I arrived a group of about 11 riders headed into the station proper. We decided that we would never get through by 7pm and decided to sit tight and leave in the morning.

We were the first to camp at Molesworth and gradually over the next 3 hours the campsite filled up with 30 or so brevet riders. We camped with Josh and Michelle, Julie and Thomas and Craig with his weird and wonderful set up. It was a fun night with good company, a river to swim in, toilets, warm temperatures, coffee and a pasta meal. We were inbed by 8pm and had a great rest.

Day Two – Molesworth to a piece of road in Lees Valley – 200km and 14 hours riding

The Ranger was kind enough to open the gate at 6am and so Tim and I struggled out of our cozy tent at 5am. Having a cooker meant I was able to have a quick coffee before we headed off. Time tends to get away from Tim and I so we weren't actually on the move until 6.15am, things often happen slowly in our world especially in the mornings.

The climb over Ward Pass was rewarding and not as long as I expected New Zealand's highest road pass to be. We stopped at the top with Josh and Michelle to look at the view and watch some others come up the hill behind us. Before long we were filling our bottles from the ford on Isolated Flat. It was no where near as corrigated as two years ago and its downhill incline was most welcome. Tim and I rode well, and Tim was pleased that everytime he checked where I was I was right there on his wheel. We made good time and were approaching Acheron before long. The scenary really is spectacular and I couldn't help wondering about winter time and amounts of snow the area could get.

We met a ridiculous number of 4WDs as we entered Acheron, approximately 20. We were pleased not to meet them on the road as they were pretty aggressive drivers. I couldn't see the point of driving in a dust convoy, all they were going to see was dust! I heard later on someone had a slow speed head-on with these guys.

As we approached Jollys pass we passed Jimmy who 10 minutes later passed us at a crazy rate of knots yahooing down the hill. I half expected to find him off the edge of the track.

At Hanmer Tim headed for the pub and I did the shopping for dinner, breakfast and lunch the next day. Bread, packet soup, pate, pringles and 2 minute noodles were on the menu. We were soon joined by Josh and Michelle. After wedges, 2 coffees and the first beer of the trip Tim and I headed 50km down the road past Culverden and to the Hurunui Pub where we tried to eat more and had another beer. We were conscious that the next place to buy food was at Sheffield 130km or so away. The Hurunui pub was great, the service friendly and the food fast. We sat outside and soon at company from Julie and Thomas, Pat and another guy whose name I don't recall (an English dude).

The next section was an unrewarding 30km of thick gravel leading into MacDonald Downs station. We had no navigation issues here however I believe others did. Once into the station the navigation was easy as a main trail flowed through the station. The trail was 23km long and we hardly saw any animals. I am still blown away with the size of the station, just massive. Near the end Tim and I stopped for a bread and pate break, most tasty and very timely. With food in our tummys our spirits lifted and we head for Okuku Pass Road. At this point Tor caught us and we all rode together until we met Jimmy who had decided to camp by the first river crossing. By this time it was 7pm and Tor decided to camp too. I wasn't ready to stop, why waste day light? We took the opportunity to replemish our water supplies, add some iodine and then headed over Okuku Pass and into Lees Valley. At around 8pm we decided that it was best to set up camp in the light and so we chose a spot on the side of the road and under a tree. We cooked our soup and noodles and enjoyed the scenery and retired about 9.30pm. As we were going to bed two riders cruised by.....they ended up camping just round the corner.

Around 11.30pm so random animal was sniffing and snuffling around our tent, a possum, or hedghog maybe? Neither of us could be bothered moving to find out!

Le Petit Brevet 2011

Two weeks ago (it seems like an age) Tim and I flew to Rotorua to participate in the Great Forest Rogaine. Last year we did this on foot (8 hours) and according to Tim it took a year for his toe nail to grow back! This year the event was 6 hours and we decided a mountain bike was a much better idea.

Navigation is not our strong point, and our night navigation is shocking. However, we found every control we wanted with relative ease and were very pleased with what we found at night. We didn't rush and so didn't make stupid mistakes, our next challenge is to move a bit faster. It is always great to ride in the Redwoods and the rogaine was even cooler as we went places we would never normally.

The wonderful thing about flying was that we were home on Sunday by 2pm after having been for a two hour ride and a leisurely breakfast.

The next weekend rolled around way too quickly. I was far busier at work than I wanted to be and had far less sleep than I needed. Before I knew it I was on the plane to Christchurch and being picked up by the lovely Michelle.

My brevet kit consisted of my Santa Cruz Highball with WTB Vulpine tyres, a Topeak seatpost rack (I have reservations about using my Freeload on a carbon frame), a 20L pack pack, a GPS and 2 drink bottles. In the dry bag on the rack I had a Vaude Bivvy Bag and a summer weight (tiny and cold) sleeping bag as well some spare food and my tools and so keeping as much weight as possible off my back. In my pack I had a dry bag with a light merino hoodie and polypro top, my softshell waterproof jacket a beanie and some leggings, and of course food. I felt like I had a lot of gear......but on arriving at the start the amount I carried was about average.

After a sleep that was way too short Michelle accompanied me to the start and all too soon we were off. Even though Rapaki was closed everyone opted to use it and I followed. Everyone started at a frantic pace and before I knew it I was dead last. The traverse across Summit Road was hard going with the wind and the gear on my rack but before long I was on the Little River Rail Trail. I made a slight navigational error and jumped on to the trail about 1km after I should have and ended up ahead of group of guys - this confused them greatly!

Once I reached Birdlings Flat I followed the instructions to head out to sea and then as promised I saw the trail required, it was difficult to spot and I was grateful this section of the journey was completed in daylight.

The climb up Bossu Road was ok, I found it quite depressing with low cloud and a very cold wind. The view out over Lake Ellesmere was pretty cool. I enjoyed having the GPS and I was able to see how high we were but due to my lack of preparation I didn't actually know how high any of climbs were. After about 2 hills I realised that 600m was a minimum!

The run down to Little River was good fun and the weather improved significantly. I made a quick stop, replenishing my water - it never occurred to me to carry an extra bottle. By this time it was 12.30pm.

The climb up to Waipuna Saddle and Double Fence Line Track was a longest and highest in the event, and after I digested my sausage roll and rode up it strongly. I passed a few people and oddly shaped trees on double fenceline and then made a another error that saw me bush bash through the scrub, cut my leg and get a slow puncture. It was great to get onto the seal again and be able to see Akaroa down below - what a long 24km of riding it was to get there with a couple of mean hills in the way. I ran out out water again and had to stop a couple of times to put air in my front tyre. I am sure the scenery was beautiful but I didn't really notice as I was grovelling big time.

I arrived at Akaroa, the halfway point at about 6pm, and headed straight for the Four Square, this time I thought to carry some extra liquid. Then I found the fish and chip shop, rang home, and changed my front tyre. I felt a lot better after a good meal and a considerable quantity of water and by 7pm I was ready to go again. I had to text Tim and say I was feeling better and to ignore my grizzle.

I think Purple Peak Road is the steepest sealed road I have ever seen, it was just ridiculous and I have no idea how they managed to stop the seal sliding down the road. I was sure I was the last to leave Akaroa and was surprised to see Jasper coming up the hill behind me (the pub was very good apparently). By the time I reached the summit (and the shelter looked kind of appealing) there wasn't much light left and by the time I reached the Le Bons Bay turn off it was pitch black. The sunset was outstanding and it was a great night to be out and about.

The next section is all a blur, Le Bons Bay, up and down and Okains Bay, and up and down and up again. There were heaps of possums and really dumb rabbits to chase in the dark. Once I reached Okains Bay maybe 10.30ish, but who knows I decided as I was pretty cold, even with my jacket on and so decided to push on a bit. I kept telling myself another 15km means 15km less for tomorrow. I eventually descended into little Akaloa and as the descent wasn't huge and I didn't get too cold it was a good time to stop.

I had planned my stop on the way down as I wanted to avoid getting too cold. I found a posy close to the facilities but slightly away from the road. As I got ready another rider arrived, who knows how I ended up ahead of him? I thought he had kept going but when I got up in the morning he was camped about 20m from me! I took off everything wet as quickly as I could and put on my dry merino and polypro top and my leggings, I jumped into my bivvy and sleeping bag bit couldn't get warm. I listened to the waves hitting the near by beach but was shivering badly. I eventually got my survival blanket out and put it between my sleeping bag and the bivvy bag and this was enough to keep the cold from seeping up from the ground. I estimate I had 3 hours sleep - pretty good for my first night ever out by myself!

I woke up as it was getting light about 5am and decided to relax for a few minutes and the next thing I knew it was 5.40am and so by the time I packed up it was 6. I struggled to eat any food and it took about 30 minutes to eat a muesli bar. I decided to get into the sugar as at least I could eat the sour snakes.

The climb out of Little Akaloa was brutal and seemingly endless, I was pleased that I stopped when I did as the night before I was in no state for this climb. The day was stunning and the view back down to Akaroa was spectacular especially with the two cruise liners in the harbour.

There is very little flat land in Banks Peninsular and before I knew it I was heading down to Pigeon Bay and a the nice coastal section that lead to another huge hill leading to Port Levy. At this stage a group of three caught me. Peter and his two friends had left Okains Bay that morning and looking strong. It was nice to have some company. These guys were never too far from me for the rest of the ride.

Port Levy was pretty cool and by this time there was more traffic and more signs of civilisation. One of the highlights of the trip was reaching the saddle between Diamond Harbour and Port Levy, suddenly, I could see Lyttleton, and I was nearly there.

The area around Diamond Harbour is outstanding and I would like to have a look around some other time. The day was perfect with no wind and brilliant sunshine.

I was thankful to arrive at 11.02 and so miss the 11am ferry. There was time for a much needed pie and a couple of drinks. There were four of us on the ferry and before we knew it we were heading to Governors Bay and Dyers Pass Road. I would like to ride this again one day and see what it is really like......Once I reached the Sign of the Kiwi I sparked up and made good progress to the top of Rapaki. I texted Michelle and she met me at the bottom and we headed back to her place for a much needed beer! I was pleased to finish and was very pleased to finish in 29 hours and 37 minutes. I had thoughts of riding through the night but in retrospect, stopping was the right thing to do

I was pretty tired all week. On reflection, I certainly didn't drink or eat enough and so totally wasted myself. Last week was a long week.....

This brevet was a great challenge, and a lot of fun, heaps of climbing, good weather, camping out, and a weekend of riding! As time moves on the memories become more and more positive and the memories of the hard times disappear.....so I'll probably be back

In the end we pulled the pin on the Huka Challenge. I had driven 1000km for work by Wednesday and the last thing I needed was more driving time. There will always be next year!

I'm a very bad blogger

In fact my application to blogging is so bad it is surprising I actually manage to ride my bike on a regular basis!

Since Tim and I rode the Heaphy track in May my world has been full of work, work and more work, with some riding and running slotted in. I have completed a few events including the Santoft Sizzler in Foxton where I struggled to 3rd place (so I wasn't as fit as I thought!). I have enjoyed a couple of cyclocross races (I see another bike on the horizon) as well as my first road criterium. I certainly see more of these short, all out efforts in my future. I also completed a Wellington Mountain Bike Orienteering Series with great success, somehow managing to win the series.



This weekend was the beginning of a "Big November" (after all I have a wedding dress to fit in January and there is nothing like the extra motivation to get you moving).



Big November Weekend 1: Revolve 6 hour Race - Nov 5th



That was yesterday and what a great day out it was. The Revolve team were slick and the event was very good. My aim to ride consistently for 6 hours and try and make my first lap the same speed as my last lap. I have to say I failed with this. My first lap was really slow, somehow I managed to be talking when the race started and got held up big time, and so my last lap was about a minute faster than my first. After I settled into the day, I really enjoyed it. The climb wasn't long enough to really hurt, Magic Carpet was fun, and the descent was long enough to recover. Even though the course was short and lacking any technical challenge, it was not boring at all and the laps just disappeared and suddenly I had completed 14. I felt strong and really gave it my all. I ended up 3rd in what I think was quite a solo strong field and 4th overall.



I would like to thank all the ladies who kindly pulled over and let my past so quickly and nicely, it really made my day! Sorry about the very load hub too!

And, thanks for the photo Pete Marshall.

I was pleased to get some good solid kilometres into my legs and topped it off with a quiet hill run today!


Big November Weekend 2: Great Forest Rogaine Rotorua with Tim - 12th Nov

Big November Weekend 3: Le Petit Brevet http://lepetitebrevet.blogspot.com/

Big November Weekend 4: Huka Challenge - far more interesting than an Election

So, what is all this leading up to? (not just my wedding) the http://kiwibrevet.blogspot.com/2011/11/2012-course.html. So, for at least the month of November there should be some blogging again!

Heaphy Track

Tim booked our Heaphy Track trip in December, soon after the announcement of the 3 year mountain bike trial. After 5 months of anticipation the trip kind of creapt up on us.

The plan was to fly to Takaka on Golden Bay Air on Friday, spend the night at Brown Hut, then ride through to James Mackay for Saturday night, spend Sunday night in Karamea and then ride to Westport to fly home on Monday. Things didn't exactly go to plan. The weather conditions in Wellington and Takaka prevented Golden Bay Air Flying, I thought this would be the end of our trip however Golden Bay Air flew us to Nelson, drove over and picked us up and then shuttled us to Takaka. I have to say they were fantastic and totally exceeded our expectations.

On arrival at Takaka we made a last minute decision to stay at the Junction Hotel, put our bikes together in the dry, and have a warm comfortable night. The weather in Takaka was very wet, and as we had got soaked through on the tarmac at Wellington staying was an easy decision.

The Golden Bay Air pilot kindly picked us up at 7am (on his day off) and dropped us ot the first ford on the Heaphy Access road. We used the farmers bridge to cross this one, the second ford was up to my waist and the water was moving fast, Tim had to rescue me from the main flow when I got stuck!

The rain was steadily falling and it wasn't exactly warm. All our gear was in plastic bags inside our dry bags, and secured to Freeload Racks. We both put most of the weight on the bike.

I wore a jacket, baggies, a merino base layer, and cycle top, Tim had the same plus his wet suit top, and long skins. By the time we reached Aorere Shelter we were both frozen. For some reason we found the climb, about 12km very slow, it was wet, with various sized rocks, but the gradient wasn't too bad. Due to the weather I spent most of the time looking at the ground.

At the shelter we were glad of the gas cooker we were carrying. I cooked us a hot meal and a hot drink, and we had a general purpose grizzle. We were concerned about our lack of progress and started to worry we weren't going to make it to James Mackay before dark. We made a conscious decision to up the pace.

After half an hour more riding we made it to Perry Saddle Hut, the gradient here was almost flat and we were heartened when passing the sign noting the "highest point on the Heaphy track." - 910m we think

After Perry Saddle the ride was down hill and rocky. On this part of the track the rocks were sharp so some care was required. The descent was great fun and it was wet enough for the mud on the trail to slow you. On reflection this was my favourite part of the ride. We were still focused on moving at a good rate and started passing people who had started over an hour before us.

We made it to Gouland Downs in what seemed like no time. The ride on the downs was undulating, there were big boulders and fast moving rivers. I am sure it was quite pretty, but we just couldn't see anything. We met the first two swing bridges on the downs - what a pain! They were hard to cross, energy sapping, cloth snagging, and dry bag ripping. We found out later that a rider in a group behind us had decided to cross the river with his bike, rather than use the swing bridge, he got swept 40m downstream and was close to drowning!

We had a coffee break at Saxton Hut and then headed up the climb so we could descend to James Mackay Hut. This section of the track floods regularly and we were lucky not to have a flood. The descent to the Hut was very wet and the type of mud seemed to change from grippy to slippery. Just before we reached the hut I caught a whiff of a coal fire - I never thought a coal fire smell would be so welcoming.

The first day took us 7 hours including all breaks etc. I think we had at least 1 hour inside huts and could have moved quite a lot faster in the first few hours. I ripped my dry bag on a swing bridge and so double bagging our kit paid off. The hut was warm and it was easy to dry our stuff, and we stayed warm in 2 season sleeping bags all night. We were comfortable in the hut and managed to consume about 1.5 litres of wine! (Thanks for carrying the cask Tim)

We were joined in the hut by 12 members of the Ground Effect team. Guy, Laurence, and the guys were exceptional company! It is easy to see why Ground Effect is such a successful business, the enthusiasm and positive manner of the group was neat.

Thunder and lightning entertained us overnight and we awoke to a southerly change and more rain. After a hearty porridge breakfast we were off. Both Tim and I put on every piece of clothing we had, we were both comfortably warm on the 1.5 hour down hill ride to Lewis Hut.

The descent was heaps of fun, and certainly the most technical part of the trail. I really enjoyed it, it challenged me but was still fun. We both had a couple of crashes, I was most amused to see Tim slowly go over the handle bars in one of those slow speed crashes you can't do much about.

After Lewis Hut we were greeted by 4 more swing bridges and a lot of energy sapping mud! We started to get cold at this point. We were both wet through and waiting at the bridges didn't help retain heat. I think I whinged a lot on this section. We lubed our chains regularly on this section but both still got chain suck. My drive train was brand new (wrecked now) and so I'm not sure what else I could have done to prevent this.

Finally we reached Heaphy Hut and we had lunch with the ground Effect crew heading in our direction. They were a lot warmer than we were (superior kit maybe?), I was pleased to be wearing my Helter Skelters, why I carried them all day on Saturday and never put them on is beyond me.

The terrain after Heaphy Hut was pretty much flat and coastal. There was a lot of getting on and off bikes to cross streams, sandy sections and more mud. I think this was the most scenic section with huge forests of Nikau Palms right down to the sea. After about 1.5 hours we reached the track end.

At the track end it started raining again and we realised our 16km ride into Karamea was going to be into a 100kph head wind! As we were riding past the very green coastal farms even the cows looked unhappy and Tim said to mention he was riding with his right eye closed to keep the hail out! (I was drafting and sheltering of course)

After an eternity we arrived at our motel, Karamea River Motels. These guys were excellent. Kay and Joe had the heater on in the room and the washing machine ready. Kay then took us to the Last Resort for a yummy dinner. When having dinner we mentioned that given the weather we would try and get a lift to Westport, Joe didn't hesitate to offer us a ride as he was heading that way anyway. If you are in Karamea I thoroughly recommend the Karamea River Motel

In the morning Kay and Joe drove us to Westport and we learnt a lot about the history of the area on the way. We managed to waste the day in Westport with coffee, food, beer tasting, coffee and food. We just about didn't make out of Westport as our plane had trouble finding a gap in the clouds to land.

It was a challenging weekend indeed mainly because of the weather, my advice is:

• double and triple bag your stuff when in dry bags
• wear polypro, merino is not warm enough
• take matches to light the cookers
• 2 season bags are warm enough
• take some extra brake pads just in case (neither of us wore out a set but nearly - we are not hard on brakes)
• take a little gas stove for emergency warm food
• candles are useful in the huts
• take lots of lube and use it, also make sure your drive chain is in good condition
• there are pots etc in most of the huts
• Hot chocolate sachets rock
• If you can keep your back wheel off the ground when crossing the swing bridges it is easier

World 24 Hour Solo Champs 2010

Waiting five weeks or so to write a race report is nothing but slack. I have discovered that it is easy to write when you are really happy with the result and very difficult when you are not.

Tim and I have decided that there will be another 24 Hour World Solo race sometime in the future - I have unfnished business. I really believed I had a chance at a podium finish in my age group and I am disappointed not to have achieved this.



My preparation was as good as I could have expected given the weather and the very major distraction of being made redundant! There are a couple of things I would change next time but nothing major. I would like to thank Lisa Morgan, my long suffering coach for preparing me so well for the event.

The race started well for me and I quickly settled into a relaxed pace. I can't say I care for le mans starts! I really enjoyed the course with the first ascent to the top being an easy gradient with a few rocks to keep you honest. Unfortunately there were not many places to eat or drink. The descent down the back through Western Wedgetail and Pork Barrell were rocky and reasonably steep. I am pleased to say I rode every section in the light and dark. I put my foot down once, I think, when a lady ended up down a bank in the dark, I thought it would be nice to pull her bike off her!

The 2nd climb to the top was mostly 4wd track, in my practise laps and during the first 8 hours or so this wasn't much fun – it felt very hot. After about 5am I enjoyed this climb as so many people were walking! It is great motivation to give a little more when other people have given up!

The descent back to the pits was fun, the first 3 corners of Rollercoaster got a bit sketchy after awhile and of course the corners on luge were always fun! I think the total descent time was 12 – 15 minutes.

The race fell apart for me early on, after about 9 hours. I just did not drink enough, it was quite hot and with the excitement of the race I just didn't drink. I came into the pits and said to Juliet and Tim that I was in trouble, at which point I was shaking like it was cold. It wasn't cold as both Tim and Juliet were still wearing t-shirts. At this point Juliet and Tim realised I was dehydrated and did their best to get me to drink. After an hour and a half I was back out there, after one lap I felt good however after the 2nd I was back in the state I had been a few hours before. This time it took me longer to get going. I stopped again about 1.30am and didn't get going until 4am. In total I had 5 hours off the bike – easily 2 laps and quite possibly 3 missed. I hate doing these numbers it makes it clear what might have been.

Once I got started again I started to feel much better. I was pleased to be still riding and was determinded to salvage something from what was a disaster for me. I kept riding strongly, and made sure I finished my bottle every lap, I also “paused” at the top at each pass to eat a gel. This strategy worked well and I got 5 laps in between 4am and just after midday.

I am disappointed with how I went, I am pleased that I got out there and kept riding at the end. How easy would it have been to pack up and go home?

A special thanks to the following, R&R Sport, Juliet for being my Pit Crew Manager, Tim for giving up his birthday to support me, my Mum, my Dad, Marc from R&R in Dunedin for tuning the Tallboy during the night, all the other people cheering and yelling and all the people back in NZ watching the event on the net – next time I'll deliver....

Wednesday in Canberra

I arrived in Sydney on Monday to rain. The drive to Canberra led to better weather, and it is sunny right now and was outstanding yesterday.

I am pretty busy doing nothing, it is amazing how much time you can consume by resting, building bikes and going to the supermarket at least 3 times a day! I am just about to do a proper shop - this is where I need to concentrate on what I am buying.

I rode a lap of the course yesterday. It is very dry, you could almost say some light rain would be nice. I am really happy with the course, there is nothing too hard when you are not tired. I enjoy the rocks as it adds a nice dimension and interest to the ride. Pork Barrell is pretty cool but I was say the best part is the descent at the end a good ten minutes of Skyline, Rollercoaster and Luge. The most disconcerting thing is the signs saying "snakes seen recently in the is area!" The climbing is ok, and there is one section on the 2nd ascent of the hill that will become a painful fire road climb

I am unsure how long each lap will be as I haven't yet done a complete lap without stopping, over an hour most certainly. I have a pretty good pit space and with my crew being able to see clearly on the course.

Juliet, my sister, and Pit Crew Manager arrives tomorrow, and Tim and my Mum on Friday. It's getting pretty exciting now and I can't wait to get going.

Five Days to Go

Last time I looked it was August, somehow it is now October!

The last few weeks have been spent organising gear, packing gear and spending endless quantities of money, however I found time to complete my preparation by participating in my first road race for over 5 years. The Wellington Veterans Cycle Club put a great event and fantastic weather in Featherston this year. I opted for the shorter 64km ride, there would have been about 100 people in this event and when I saw the amount of fluro I headed to the 2^nd row of the start.

Pretty soon there was a breakaway of three riders, four to five of us managed to reel them in after about 5 minutes, then we hit the first hill and I promptly got dropped! This left me in no mans land, I could see the first bunch but couldn't quite get there and when I looked back there was no sign of anyone chasing. I decided to put my head down and time trial and wait until I caught. In the meantime I was catching the tail enders from the 80km and I picked up a rider from my bunch who had also been dropped.

I pulled this guy around the rest of the course, I would do a heap of work and he would come to the front and give me a rest and then as soon as he slowed I would take the lead again. He kept saying he wasn't pulling his weight but it did help me as I certainly would have been slower without him.

In the end we finished in 2.03 and the 2^nd bunch never caught us, though at times I could see them. I had to do an epic 1km sprint at the end as a girl from the 2^nd bunch had bridged the gap and there was no way she was finishing ahead of me. The results aren't up yet, however I am sure I was 2^nd girl and in the top ten to cross the line.

I was really impressed with the roadie seen and might just join in a bit more!

I'm in transit to Canberra right now, by the time I post this I'll might even be there. I feel under control and maybe a little apprensive, whatever happens, it will be fun.

Last big Weekend

In three weeks today I'll be in Canberra putting my bikes together, and in three weeks on Saturday the World Solo 24 Hours Champs start. Time has got away from me and is now moving very fast and there is a lot to do!

Last weekend was my last big weekend of training. On Saturday I headed out for a 10 hour road bike. I was lucky with the weather, it was slighly damp in Whiteman's Valley, a little windy at the bottom of the Akatarawa's and mighty freezing going down. It was warm in the bus stop on the corner of SH1 and Peka Peka Rd when, I was changing a puncture, and calm and sunny behind Te Horo. At Otaki Beach people were swimming and between Waikanae and Paraparumu I needed a sail to take advantage of the wind and then a shelter as I changed my 2nd puncture! I was glad of the wind over the Paekakariki Hill and cursing the wind swirl on the Haywards, and then smiling all the way home. It was a great day out with 230 plus kilometres of riding.

Sunday dawned bright and sunny. I sprung out of bed and headed on my mountain bike towards Makara Peak for a planned 8 hours. At the very top of Makara the rain started, and oh did it rain! This is when I realised I was quite tired, and some mental fortitude would be required. As the rain poured down I really couldn't be bothered with whole thing and decided I was going home. By the time I was back at the Hutt River the sun was out again so I changed my mind, and headed along the Hutt River Trail, over the Kennedy Good Bridge and then home. Once home I decided I was soft and should try and resurrect my ride. After putting on dry clothes and gloves I was like a new person and headed off to Pencarrow Lakes with renewed spirit. It was great to ride in places I hadn't ridden for ages, of course I had forgotten about the evil head wind on the Pencarrow Road. I eventually returned home after 6 hours and 30 minutes satisfied that I hadn't totally given up.

I have a busy three weeks ahead of me getting ready for Australia - best I start now!

Stromlo Forest, Canberra

Last weekend I made a quick trip to Canberra to see what the terrain could be like for the worlds. A couple of months ago I found a 7 hour race that fitted nicely with my plans. My Mother joined me for the trip. We left Wellington at 6.45am on Saturday morning and finally arrived in Canberra about 1pm Australian time - wild life count, one dead Wombat!

After a quick supermarket stop it was off to Stromlo Forest to get a practise lap in. I was really surprised how wet the track was. It had rained all week and the hill was literally weeping - lucky we have had a lot of rain as this didn't phase me. There was a lot of panic from the Australians, an apology for there being mud at the race briefing, and the race marshall's putting wooden planks over the worst of the mud!

The race started at 7am on Sunday, with a very cold 3 degree temperature. The day was sunny but cold. I still managed some tan lines though. The first lap was a total pain. The course headed into single track far too early and there were very polite queues waiting to enter. The standard of riding was very high, everyone was polite when passing or being passed - a refreshing change from the aggression of Moonride or Daynight Thriller.

The course was neat, with lots of variety and plenty of rocks. This required concentration and so the time just disappeared. The course really didn't suit me as in the 10km lap there was 200m of climbing all at once, I am much better with a bit of undulation. By the end of the day the most of the muddy sections were unrideable however the downhill was still just fantastic.

I didn't have a good day and I didn't have a bad day, my head wasn't quite in it, and the early start the day before took its toll. I finished 7th out of 17 women and my only regret is deciding not to complete an 11th lap, if I had done this I would have come 4th. The field was strong with the first 3 finishers all contenders for the world 24 hour solo world title.

We headed back to Sydney straight after the race and I was home by 3.30pm on Monday.

New Sponsor, Taupo, and other stuff

It has been a long time since I posted anything and this probably reflects how pre-occupied I've been. I ridden my bike a lot, been to two 65 birthday parties, completed a lot of house renovation and got a new sponsor. R&R Sport have kindly agreed to sponsor me. I am greatful for this support especially given the present tough economic times. So if you need some new kit (tent for the summer perhaps, some skis, or a new bike) you know where to go!!!

Since the race at Santoft, I've done a lot of riding but no races. I completed my longest ride about 4 weeks ago - twice around Lake Taupo and a few deviations.

I started at 4am in a relatively mild Taupo, I had so many layers on I could hardly move. As I got close to Kinloch I rode into a freezing fog. I knew the road was a little frozen and so was exceptionally careful and also very slow. It was pretty cold and tough to drink and I was kind off my drink because there were "chunks" it - I was questioning my bottle washing ability. When it got light I realised it was ice and my drink was semi- frozen. It was so cold any moisture on me, on my jacket, gloves, shoe covers, cables and lights had frozen. It really didn't melt until I got to Turangi.

I stopped to top up my food at the Motel in Taupo and headed out for my 2nd lap. This seemed to take forever and I was pleased to finally reach Kuratau Hill. Near Pukawa I had a chat to a chap out on his road bike. He asked where I had been/was going I mentioned I was riding around the lake, he commented that I was looking good and riding well. If only he had known it was my 2nd lap! Just outside Turangi I got a puncture and managed to limp to the BP where I bought a pie and a hot chocolate, and fixed the puncture.

After Turangi I developed a severe dislike of the rumble edge strip used on SH1. Between Turangi and Motuoapa there has been two attempts at placing the edgeline. The first attempt has been ripped up and the next set placed slightly further into the lane. Unfortunately the actual "rumble" is has not been removed and so the ride is super uncomfortable.

Just before Hatepe Hill, a car cruised by, and I realised it was my car, out jumped Tim and Belle, with tonic water, sharkies, and Red Bull. It was fantastic and I flew up the hill I really hadn't been looking forward to. Tim also mentioned the rain in Taupo. Up until this point I had been very lucky with the weather.

When I reached Taupo I decided to call it quites as it was raining and of course dark again. After 15.5 hours, about 380km and 3000+ metres on climbing I was pretty happy. Tim had chicken and salad waiting as well as a hot spa and red wine.

The next day I dropped Tim off at the start of the W2K track and drove around to Kinloch to meet him. I felt so good that I managed a 2 hour walk with Belle!

It has been two months since I've raced and I'm really looking forward to my adventure this weekend...watch this space sometime next week

Wet, Windy and Muddy Weekend

Nothing very exciting has happened since Moonride 2 months ago. There has been a lot of kilometers ridden, a lot of rain and a lot of wind. Sometimes, as much as I like training, I get sick of it, and this is when I know it is time to find a race to do. It is fair to say that in the last two weeks I have been well and truely over getting wet, getting sand blasted by the wind, and of course the mud, so on Sunday I decided to head to Bulls to the Santoft Sizzler 5 hour event.

Santoft was on Sunday, so what better way to enjoy a particularly vicious southerly storm than to go and ride in it for 5 hours on Saturday. For some reason I decided riding to the top of the Akatarawas would be a good idea, I am particularly good at poor route choices! The road was closed for an unknown reason, and I made it to the top enjoying the lack of traffic. The ride home was a slog straight into the southerly. It was so windy I nearly didn't make it around the corner into Point Howard. All character building stuff. Did I mention how windy and cold it was?

The poor weather continued all day and all night and Sunday did not dawn bright. During the drive up to Santoft the weather didn't seem to improve. It was ;ucky the trails were in a very sheltered area. The canpoy of tree cover protected us somewhat from the from the wind and rain. Thanks to Shane I got a great park and elected not to do a warm up lap, instead I idilly chatted and watched the dirty riders come back from their practise laps.

The race started bang on time and I couldn't see Jude. It turned out she kind of missed the start and got stuck behind some people who proved very difficult to get past. I had to ride faster in the first lap than I really wanted to as I was constantly being held up. Once I got some clear track ahead of me I found my rhythm and rode a consistent pace.

The course was awesome and considering how wet it was it held up very well. There were losts of pinch climbs and no long climbs and so playing to my strengths. The course was swoopy and lots of fun. As the day wore on the laps got longer and longer as the track got chewed up and porridgy. The last couple of laps were really hard work with the track being a super mudfest. It seems that the Santoft mud is special and is super glued to my bike! I need to have a 2nd attempt at cleaning it.

I was so impressed with everyone who participated. It was very relaxed with people pulling over to let me past before I even got close, kids keeping out of your way and faster people calling early and being cheery. The event had a great spirit and is maybe reflective of the attitude of the Manawatu Mountain Bike Club - they certainly seem to attract a neat bunch of enthusiastic people.

In the end I completed 10 laps in 4hours 45 minutes and achieved all my goals for the day. My I really wanted ride consistently and not hold anything back and I did this well. I was first female, Thomas Lindup and first male (I am pretty sure I was the next rider after Thomas), Jude was 2nd female and Shane and Ken came third in their category, so all in all Wellington riders did very well and took home a selection of nicley sprayed painted pine cones.

As I had hoped a hard race has blown on my cobwebs and I am ready to get my head down and focus on some quality training days. In fact, I'm fizzing :)

Cateye Moonride 2010

Finally my first 24 hour race was here. Before I say anything else I want to thank the two people who made it happen, my support team. Juliet and Tim were awesome, I couldn't have asked for more from a support crew!!!

One thing that concerned me about Moonride was the 10pm start, effectively meaning that a 40 hour stint without much sleep was required. In the week leading up I made sure I went to bed early and slept in until 7.30am. Maybe extra sleep makes you super sleepy because all day Friday I couldn't stop yawning.

The lead up to the start was very relaxed, I had spent the two weekends previous, packing stuff into boxes, getting food ready and writing instructions for my crew and so I really didn't have much to do once we arrived in Rotorua.

On Friday I was pleased to see a nice layer of cloud and so keeping the temperature warm. Of course, as darkness fell the clouds cleared and it started to get really cold. We registered and set up camp at 4pm. We camped next to Paul and backed our easy ups together so that our support crew had company all night.

After a quick plate of pasta at Fat Dog it was back to the ranch and bed for me. I got 2 hours lying down but didn't sleep - there was too much laughing at America's next Top Model going on next door.

I got to the start at 9.30pm and didn't bother with a warm up, it was mighty cold and I made a last minute decision to wear a beanie under my helmet and I was pleased I did. The first 3 laps were a blur, getting used to the track, getting passed by people all enthused on their first lap, finding good lines and trying to relax. By about lap 6 a felt settled and relaxed and was getting feedback that my lap times were consistent.

My first milestone was a battery change after 3 hours and these first 3 hours just disappeared. Poor Juliet wasn't looking warm at all and was wearing 2 puffers!!! Prior to the start and after a practise lap I set a goal of completing 45 laps. I thought if I got to 40 I'd be happy and 45 would be great. After a few hours I realised that 45 was certainly on as my lap times were consistently under 30 minutes.

Somewhere during the night Juliet told me my calorie consumption was trending down and because it was cold and I was not drinking as much as anticipated I needed to eat more. So, I forced some more food down. This was awesome, early feedback and prevented me from being in a deficit position that would be very hard to come back from.

The hardest time of the night was about 4am. I realised I was struggling as I was feeling a little nausious and so came into the pits for a sit down in front of the heater, some hot soup and some bread. I started to get pretty cold and didn't stop for long. By the time I got half way around the next lap I felt great so it was well worth the stop.

Just before daylight it got pretty cold and there was an eiry mist in the forest. Once it got light it was like we were riding on a new track. Everything was new and new lines opened up. As a consequence the next few laps flew by and I sped up considerably. It was suggested I slow down a little as there was still along was to go. I never really got warm and kept all my thermal clothing on.

Tim had gone back to the Ranch for a nights sleep and arrived back at around 8am. I had set a goal to get to 20 laps by the time he arrived and I think I was on 21 or 22 so was super pleased. Juliet then headed back for a sleep.

At this point I swapped bikes for a lap while Tim gave the Santa Cruz a clean and lube at this point I managed to go out on a lap without a drink bottle! After this I stopped every lap for a small mug of soup and to grab some food (bread mostly) as well as a Sharkys resupply. This strategy seemed to work very well. The odd cup of coffee that I was provided with was most welcome too.

I couldn't have timed the start of the 12 hour any worse. Just as I was going over the bridge the first guys passed me. I was kind of unimpressed with the behaviour, and Chris Sherwood was unfortunate enough to hear what came out of my mouth as I got hit. It was nice to hear other riders give the aggressive ones a hard time.

The 12 hour people eventually settled down. I was disappointed to be hit by 12 hour riders 4 times. There seemed to be a lot of aggression and lack of paitence and I hope some people new to mountain biking weren't put off by this.

Sometime before Juliet returned, possibly about 3pm, I had a bit of a grizzle and said to Tim I wanted to stop. He of course took this literally - I was just having a grizzle. Tim even texted Lisa but lucky for me Megan had just gone past and when I caught her and had a chat I felt a lot better and so by the time I got to the pits again I was happy. Tim was very confused and claims that it will never ever be possible to understand women!

I continued to pause every lap, and a mercy dash for extra soup was required! I saw Jude a few times and found out she had had a flat tyre in the night. As darkness fell I lost my way a little and slowed a lot. I just didn't have a goal, time seemed to be standing still.

Then just after 8pm I heard I was catching the girl in front. My enthusiam multiplied and I was off! I wanted to see how close I could get. I pulled out 3 of my 10 fastest laps in the last 3 laps. In the end she did 49 laps and I finished with 48. I can't help but wonder if I could have caught her with a couple more hours notice!

I am really pleased with my how I went in my first 24 hour event. I've got one more of these lined up and then I think I'll find something new involving long distance and mountain bikes!

Weekend of Super Hyper Training – April 2010

Leading up to my first 24 hour solo event some I have been riding my bike big distances. Since the Brevet I have been confident in my ability to ride long and so was looking forward to the weekend (kind of). Lucky for em the weather gods played ball and the weather really couldn’t have been much better.

This was my 2nd weekend of hyper training. The first involved 10 hours and then 5 hours the next day, and this one was 12 hours plus 6 hours. After much contemplation of route, i.e. should I fly to Auckland and see how far home I can get in two days etc, I decided riding most of the way “around the block” would be a good option. Tim offered to leave the car in Featherston for me and so eliminating finishing the 12 hours with a climb over the Rimutakas.

So, at 4.45am on Saturday morning I left home heading for the Akatarawas. At home it was about 7 degrees with a light northwesterly and so I was quite comfortable in my short sleeved Helly Hansen top, arm warmers, cycle shirt and wind proof vest. This didn’t last for long, the temperature plummerted at Silverstream and the during the descent into Waikanae it was 3 degrees.

I always enjoy riding the Aka’s, it didn’t really get light until Staglands and so progress felt good. By the time I reached Waikanae I was pleased to feel the change in temperature because I was super cold. My plan was to stop in Waikanae for a coffee but I ended up going through to Levin as the traffic was light and the wind favourable. It was a nice feeling to have ridden for 4 hours and be barely feeling it. At BP Levin I bought some food and a coffee and rode through Levin drinking my coffee (until I dropped it and covered one foot in coffee!)

The section from Levin through to “top of” Palmerston North was just horrible. The road surface was rough, and there is very little road shoulder. The behaviour of motorists was bad too. Twice, a car overtook a truck just when I was passing in the other direction forcing me to ride on the grass!

I tested a Red Bull Shot at the bottom of Pahiatua Track and it made the climb over seem pretty good – the nice tail wind was also very helpful. I decided to go to Pahiatua for some lunch rather than take to more direct route to Masterton and started to get ahead of my planned timing. I picked up some lunch and another coffee and headed to Eketahuna. I was anticipating a tail wind and instead battled a very strong wind that wasn’t quite head. It was also a false flat. This was a low point for me but there is no point in grizzling when there you don’t have an audience.

I soon started to warm up (8.5 hours into the ride) and took my jacket and arm warmers off and then my ride became awesome. After Mt Bruce there was 30km of down hill with a tail wind into Masterton! My attitude changed and everything looked good again! It did help that it was warm and sunny. The further south I got the better the weather got too.

At Masterton I knew I would be about an hour early to Featherston so did some loops to make up the time arriving at the car at exactly 12 hours. The day ended with a spectacular sunset.

As my new bike arrived on Thursday I was super keen to ride it, so why not ride it for 6 hours on Sunday? So off to Wainui I headed. A couple of loops of the park and only 1.5 hours elapsed – I stopped for a grizzle where Tim and Shane were digging and ate the lunch Tim had carried for me. I then headed up to the fire road and along to the top of Blue Mountains Rd, following the Crazyman course. I really started to enjoy the new bike. It climbs really well and eats up bumps nicely. Considering how tired I was I think I rode really well and the route is pretty hilly! I managed 5 hours 45 all up.

So, some good miles banked, now for the important job of recovery!

Easter 2010

After the cool experience of the Kiwi Brevet I was keen for Tim and I to do some touring with minimum gear and so we decided on a biking trip for Easter.

We took the 6.30pm Interislander to Picton on the Thursday before Easter. As we had bikes and had to wait for all trains, and vehicles to be loaded first we were last on. Of course, as this was the busiest sailing of the year there were no seats and so we had 3 hours sitting on the floor!

We stayed at the Tombstone Backpackers in Picton and I would thoroughly recommend them. Cost effective, modern, clean, pleasant staff and close to the Ferry with a good outlook.

On Friday we set out for Port Underwood Road. The day was sunny and warm and with a tail wind the ride was great. After fixing some problems with Tim’s rack we were on our way. I forgot how many hills there are on this road and I enjoyed being able to stay ahead of Tim on some of the climbs. At some point around Cable Bay Tim mentioned he was having a hungry emergency and we agreed that we’d stop lunch in the next bay. In the last 2 hours we had climbed one big hill and then lots of little ones that dropped into nice relaxing looking bays. Not this time, 35 minutes later we were at the top of the next hill and as we headed into Robin Hood Bay and had a quick stop. There was a very brisk northerly blowing and so with full stomachs we headed up another big climb that lead to a decent into Whites Bay. We had planned to ride the Whites Bay loop but decided instead to go and sit on the beach (a decision I am now regretting). To me, Whites Bay was a pleasant surprise. It was sheltered and the beach flat and smooth. We brewed up a cup of coffee and generally relaxed. We made a plan to head to Spring Creek and the pub.

As we headed in the direction of Blenheim Tim quickly ran out of gears and so it was my turn to continually check he was still there (that made a change). Tim was dreaming of strawberry milk, and cranberry juice (the contents of our fridge) as he was still feeling the effects of his hungry emergency. Then disaster, the Pub and the Four Square at Spring Creek were both closed! Lucky there was a small icecream shop/takeaways open. This was a perfect opportunity for another brew, 1.5 litres of coke zero, hot chips and Strawberry milk for Tim, and an icecream.

There was a serious headwind on our trip back to Picton on SH1. I love that there is so much space on the road and the consideration the traffic gave us. Back in Picton it was time for a beer then a spa and then dinner and wine to go with our slight sunburn. All up about 100km and 1700m of climbing.

Saturday was our big day - The Queen Charlotte Walkway all in one day. It wasn’t like we weren’t a little tired from the day before! We left Picton on the 8am water taxi to Ship Cove. I always enjoy a trip through the sounds and especially enjoy Queen Charlotte Sound.

The only way to describe the climb out of Ship Cove is “brutal,” and on a full stomach it is even worse! After 26 minutes we were at the top and enjoying a cool traverse with views of Resolution Bay and then a neat descent into Furneaux Lodge. One thing that surprised me was the number of rocks on the trail, I suppose I was expecting more dirt and tree roots. At Furneaux Lodge we had a quick beer in the sun and luckily the wind was strong enough to keep us moving.

We were passed by a group of cyclists also riding right through. It was a situation where they could see us and so they smashed past us, and then couldn’t get away. They had a girl with them who couldn’t keep up and so we ended up stuck between them. Eventually we let them go, or Tim opened a gate and they went through and left Tim to shut it! They clearly thought they were better riders than us and were getting frustrated with their girls inability to pass us. Of course, we just cruising, knowing we had a long day ahead. The ride around the coast was nice and we passed many walkers who always let us past.

Next stop was Camp Bay. I didn’t realise that we could have avoided a big climb by not going into Camp Bay. At Camp Bay because of the wind our coffee took an age to brew and a Weka stole my sandwich. I can tell you I was not amused! I chased it through he bush until it dropped it. There was no way I was giving up my food supplies! Of course, this was entertainment to at least 10 German Tourists!

We found the next section of the track hard going. There is something about pine trees that just doesn’t cut it after native bush, there were also a lot of small pitches in the track making it hard work. Just as the track got nice Tim got a puncture – sidewall tear in the small block 8.

I really enjoyed the section along the ridge where you could see Queen Charlotte Sound on one side and Kenepuru on the other, then there was a long descent into Portage. By this time it was 3.30pm and we had covered 50km. There were still 21km and one big climb to go.

In this last section we had passed two lots of couples. On both occasions the girl was at the back grovelling and the guy was up to 1km ahead waiting impatiently. We couldn’t help but notice the tension in the air. It didn’t seem like a fun weekend for either party. Tim and I are lucky we can ride at a similar pace and can enjoy long rides together. (well, I can ride fast enough not to annoy Tim)

I started to make another coffee while was decided what to do. Lesson learned – it was too windy for the Bialetti to work, it just wouldn’t get hot enough. In the end 30 minutes was wasted. This swayed our decision and we headed along the road from Portage to Havelock adding 10km to our trip but cutting out climbing. It was 50km to Havelock, and in no way flat. The road was pretty and quiet and it was neat riding out of Kenepuru Sound to Mahu and the Pelorus, though the hill over to Pelorus was totally mean and unexpected.

After 10 hours of riding we arrived at Havelock with Tim redlining and having another hungry emergency. I can recommend the pub at Havelock for a good meal at a reasonable price.

It was fair to say that the YHA Havelock is pretty average and after a terrible sleep, the inability to get food early on Easter Sunday and being kind of tired we decided to head back to Picton and head home rather than tackle Nydia Bay.

The ride back to Picton was nice and easy with a stop in Anakiwa. At this stage I kind of regretted skipping the last 20km of the track…..so, we’ll have to go back I think.

Karapoti 2010

The 2010 Karapoti was my 4th Karapoti. When I think back to the first time I went around Karapoti, the big hills, the mud, getting lost with my Dad, I never thought I would enter agin far less 3 more times. Karapoti has that pull factor and it is one event I really don't want to miss.

Just like a marathon, sub 4 hours has always been the goal for me. This should have happened in 2009 but wet, muddy conditions prevented this. Going into 2010 I was really unsure how I would go. I felt fully recovered from the Brevet but who knows I was still having those "I can't be bothered moments." I was pretty confident I could do a pb.

Two days before the race I made a random new bike purchase, a hard tail when I am used a full suspension and decided to use brand new untested tyres.

I am always a slow starter and it felt like every female in the field had passed me by the top of Deadwood. For some reason the hills didn't seem so long but I felt very slow. On the rolling hills across to the Rock Garden I managed to pass a lot of people. In fact I am pretty sure know one passed from from behind after the top of Deadwood. I felt really good in this section and strong too. Big wheels are great for carrying momentum and when you have to ride around people off the riding line.

This year there seemed to be a lot of people in my way. This is the problem in starting with the last group. This year I seemed to be catching more people than in the past and the slower riders from the groups ahead seem to have little awareness that there are faster people coming from behind. I suppose this is one of things that makes Karapoti what it is, all sorts of people big and small, fast and slow come out and have a go.

My riding in the rock garden was limited to the first drop and by then my inexperience on a hardtail and people everywhere reduced me to a run. At the bottom of the Rock Garden I had an involuntary mud bath much to the joy of my fellow riders. The push up the Devils Stair Case was as always tough but I always find it a turning point in the race as this is when I try and pick up the pace.

At this point I started to smash it and got past another 3 girls. The new bike decended like a dream and when I roared through the stream at the bottom of Titi I knew I was on for a pb.

I caught poor Rachel at the bottom of Dopers who had had a puncture nightmare and really pushed myself up Dopers to keep up with her. I cramped about 3/4 up and the cramp stop seemed to work. About 1/4 of the way down I spotted Rachel again and then "bang" and high speed crash! Lucky there was no damage done. Within no time I was at the bottom of Dopers and heading down the gorge. I must have passed 30 people in the gorge, cramped gain and then saw Rachel again walking with more puncture problems. I couldn't help as I only has 29" tubes but as soon as I finished I spotted Liam and he went to Rachels rescue.

I was pleased to finish in 3:52 in 4th place in my category - 20 minutes faster than last year and 1 hour and 7 minutes faster than four years ago. I know I can go faster - I felt I didn't pace myself correctly as I started too slow. 3:35 next year....watch this space