The Lakes to Renwick 2006

Today I entered the 90 km road race from Lakes to Renwick.

I was meant to have entered with my girlfriend Jo, but she was unable to make it.

It was so daunting when I started out. There were 60 riders in my group and I suddenly felt very out of my depth.

Whoever said it was all down hill to renwick has never riden it!!!!!! There were some long gentle climbs that did catch you out but most of it was flat or slightly downhill.
At times I riding at 45km and had an average speed of 30 km but when the racing pack of riders past me, I had to check my speed as they left me in their wake. Man they were fast. They finished in 1 hour 40min...a record I am told.

At the 65km mark my back was hurting and my butt had lost all feeling and there were fleeting moments that I really wanted to pull up when I saw shane next and quit. But in those moments I also reminded myself why I was doing this and pushed on.

I think the worst part of the whole trip was the last 10km, that has to be the longest straight ever!!!!! The wind had changed direction and was more front on until you rounded that last corner and head down into Renwick. I looked up and it just went on forever. But at long last the Broadbridge stock yards came into view and the finish. I finished the whole thing in 2 hours 42 mins.




And here I am, I have just gone through the finish and am returning to shane at the car. See still smiling!!!

Rabbit Island Half Marathon

Two weeks ago a friend of mine asked if I would like to walk the half marathon with her and two others. Each of us would walk 5km and I thought....what a cool thing to do. So I was happy to accept. Well two days before the event her two mates decided she was not going to be competitive enough and pulled out to walk the whole thing on their own, so not wanting to let my friend down I suggested we still enter as a team and do two stints of 5 km. So the team name of "Double Trouble" was thought up and entered.

Saturday 28th October - it turned out to be a wonderfull day, full sun for the event and no cold wind. Excellent!!! My friend Jo headed out for the first leg and completed that in 40 mins, then I did the second leg in 38 mins.


Here I am whizzing past 2 people (I am in the white top)


The mistake I made was.......... after I finished my first 5km I headed over to shane and sat down for about 10mins. Boy did my legs tell me off when I went to stand up.......silly me should have walked around a little to cool down.

By this stage it was really hotting up and I could feel my face starting to burn but before I could go get sunscreen, wee Jo was back and I was ready to do my last 5km leg. Jo was a little slower this time at 44mins.

I raced off and passed 6 people but by the 4km mark my legs told me that they were very unfit and that I was a wicked person for putting them through this. I was still able to walk but no where near as fast as I had been so my last leg was done in 40 mins. Total time of 2 hours 43 mins. But the best news of all was ...... combined we bet both her friends who thought Jo would walk too slow. Yay and we came in 9th out of 35 teams.

We had the best day and yes both of us were very very sore for a few days after. I hobbled around for 3 days but my legs feel great now and are ready for a huge bike ride next weekend.