Playing catch up since the last blog. Check it out to see how flat-out things have been. Some exciting news but not revealed until end.

The race in Aussie – Augusta Adventure fest has been and gone long ago. I came 5th place in a huge field and struggled to raise the heart rate all day. LOVED the race but a shame I couldn’t give my best result when challenging Aussie rivals. Especially since I was given THE number 1 bib! and it was specially marked with a kiwi silver fern to reflect my NZ representation – what an honour! The world best multisport athletes – NZer’s Braden Currie and Dougal Allan took 1st and 2nd place so NZ was still made proud. Olly Shaw – World class triathlete/Xterra athlete from Rotorua was also there to represent NZ, however like myself he also was suffering from a disobedient body – placing a still admirable 8th place. Pretty good consider he doesn’t paddle at all normally.

After the race Olly and I congratulated Braden Currie and Dougal Allan on their top placing, at the same time both were thinking about our own results: bugger this – time for a blow out. We drank beers till late that night, I dropped Olly at the international Airport two days later then I had a week in Perth clubbing at the bars till dawn and chilling at the local parks/beaches with my long lost cousins.

After getting to bed one morning at 6am I ended up borrowing a boat and entering a surf ski race 13km in the open sea that afternoon. I came nearly dead last but loved it. I could live in Perth – what a life!

 

As soon as I got home, one week of work then I ended up travelling to Queenstown the following weekend to compete in the Southern Lakes 24hr Adventure Race. Didn’t go quite to plan but we finished. I spent most of it half asleep ( from lack of sleep obviously) but the real issue was the part where we got very wet and cold… more than once.

Anyway.. one more week at work then again I was away that following weekend to Christchurch. This time to take my uncle on a guided trip over Goat pass (you know- the run section the Coast to Coast). Still lacking in sleep. Strong NW annnnd rain galore up in Arthurs Pass= rivers way to high.

We ran Avalanche peak instead (don’t get out of a planned run session that easily). Planned kayak trip down the Waimak the following day also cancelled due to high levels so I had a lovely paddle in a sea kayak around Godley Heads and Lyttleton harbour for 3 Hours…

ONE MORE week at work, orientated around it was squeezing in beers with the boys, early morning training and late night packing away gear to move out of my flat… That’s right I’ve moved out. 

A person who wants a super serious crack at C2C needs to have good quality training right?.

I have taken some serious time off work, unpaid of course to train full time until race day.

Exciting and scary, but damn exciting still. What is my body capable of? Will I over-train? Will I make the most of the time available to me now?

One the way down to Hawke’s Bay I detoured to Whangamata to compete in one the coolest mini Multisport races around – The Whangamata Multisport Challenge. 8km kayak, 9km Run, 25km Mountain bike. It was going well until I missed a few markers on the on the run section…  bugger, tried to make up for it and then did the SAME on the bloody Mountain bike!! ended up 3rd place to JJ Wilson from Christchurch and old mate Luke Osborne(aka 2nd Dad) from Hawke’s Bay. Amazing local seafood feed at the prize giving after too!

Now I am in Hawke’s Bay for my December training block. Staying in Wairoa in the house I grew up in, absolute paradise here. Amazing being with the family, must resist the temptation to keep drinking all the beers in the fridge and Hokey Pokey ice cream in the freezer!! Arrr!

Day after New Years I’ll be straight down to CHCH to live there until race day – live and breathe the Southern Alps and the Canterbury plains. 

Cheers for reading team, for watching me move around (backwards, sideways and sometimes forwards) and standing by me.

Please remember that the purpose of this blog is to capture the rise (and sometimes fall) of someone from a rather ordinary life to world class athlete in a shortish amount of time (four years so far!) through simply commitment and self-belief.

To prove that anyone can achieve anything so long as they want it enough. Who knows how I will cope with this 3.5 months off work full time training. Though may as well give it crack!

Don’t get too lost in the silly season. Stick to your goals. Stay inspired. Watch this space, big things are happening.