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Thursday 1 November 2012

A well overdue post from Lea

I have to be honest I have not been feeling very inspired to sit and write.  It wasn't that I didn't have news to share.  It was simply just that I couldn't actually get the words flowing to put here on the blog.  So much has happened the last little while.  So much to process and get my head around, but anyway.

I realised with a shock that in just a bit more than 1 month I will doing this 'lovely' little bike ride on the 8th of December.  Don't ask me why.  I agreed in a moment of insanity to be part of a team doing a half ironman distance event.  So a friend will be doing a 2km swim (about 1.24 miles), another friend will run 21km (about 13.04 miles) and I will do a 90km (55.92 miles) bike ride. 

Just a few weekends ago my friend Rose and I went to Taupo (where the event will be) to get an idea of what this course will look like and be like.  We met up with Denise (our other friend - the one who will do the swim) and she drove us along the course.  The next morning Rose and I set off to try out our courses.  She went on the run course and I went on the bike course.  We were only going to do about an hour and so I set off. 

The first bit was hard.  It has this long, gradual (really deceptive) hill that nearly killed me off and I had to stop 3 times to catch my breath and let my legs settle down (they went into a bit of a shock at that point).  Once I got through that bit though it was actually not too bad and I was going along pretty well.  I then thought that I wanted to go a bit longer and so I texted Rose to let her know that I wanted to go for a bit longer and that was all set. 

It was actually quite peaceful.  This quiet road, mostly flat with some slight and gradual little hills.  You go past some farms with some really cool animals - my favourite by far were the little calves.  When I got to the halfway bit I felt really good.  A bit tired, but pleased that it was all really manageable so far.  At that point I turned around. 

When I got to about 60 km (37.28 miles) my body started complaining a bit.  By about 70km (43.49 miles) everything was sore.  My butt, legs, back, arms. Everything.  I remembered that Paul said "no pain no gain" and so I thought "heck, this gain better be worth it because it was a lot of pain at that point". 

What made it worse was that this road just kept going and going and going and I kept wondering where the stupid sign was to show that the town centre area was not too far away.

I managed to get to about 80km (49.7 miles) at which point my body gave up.  It was like it said "remember I told you a while back that enough was enough and you didn't want to listen..."  So there I sat on the side of the road, after I called Rose and asked her to please come and get me and all these other cyclists came cycling past me laughing at this pathetic sight that I must have been. 

So yes, I still have a bit more work to put in to get ready.   With that in mind recently I finally attempted this one route I have been avoiding.  It is a tough hilly ride that Paul loves.  Don't ask me the distance it felt like it was going on forever.  And it is this non-stop gradual uphill until you get to the summit.  So there I was struggling along, when another cyclist came past and he cheerfully said "you're already half-way" and I thought "oh no, I'm only half-way".  I didn't actually end up getting to the top, but it was a good effort I think.

But all in all, I do enjoy cycling.  Yes, I think it is crazy to think I'm going to have to cycle a 90km distance, but hey, won't it just be so amazing to achieve this? Scary, but it will be a huge achievement and something I know I will be so proud of!

Well that's it from me for now.  What have you been up to?

8 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness, I have not been up to anything as exciting as you! Good luck to you. You are young, you can do it!
    I love that the biker told you that you were already halfway up, sometimes words of encouragement are so important. Please take this comment as the same, YOU CAN DO IT!! xx
    Be hardy!

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  2. Oh my gosh Lea 80 km you should be very proud of yourself that is awesome and I know they were not laughing at you.
    This is incredible I am so impressed by your strength and endurance. I would have not made it 10 km.
    You will make it up that hill. B

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  3. I am full of admiration for you and your determination. I would have given up at the first hurdle, so to speak. I agree with Kay G, encouraging words can get you far and with that kind of determination I know you will make it to the end, with a flourish.

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  4. WOW! I'm aching just reading about it. Sounds like you need to do some daily training or at least every other day with a day of recovery in between.

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  5. If I had done what you did Lea, I would be very proud of myself, and that is how you should feel too. Good luck with the big one. Go Lea!

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  6. I am tired just thinking about the 80km you did, I would have been exhausted too! I am sure that you will be able to complete the full 90km by the time you compete in December. Good Luck and keep on working at it.

    Kevin and Ruth
    www.travelwithkevinandruth.com

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  7. Lea!! I've found you! I've so missed your visits to, and comments on my blog. And it's been months since you wrote a post on your blog :-( As you were a 'no reply blogger' I couldn't send you an email to see how you were. Sounds like you are a very busy lady and are also doing amazing things with your cycling. As Aussies say, 'Don't be a stranger' come 'visit' me (blog) when you get a chance. I've become a follower of this blog too

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  8. Hey, you have such a wonderful website, couldn't help commenting on it! And there is also one thing that I wanted to ask you. Is this a premium blog theme which you can purchase online or a common one?

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