Parapara Peak

Within 24 hours of arriving in Takaka for our Christmas holiday with Tom's family, I ask my brother-in-law Joe, if there are any trig beacons nearby.  He's a DOC ranger and well qualified to send me the way of a nice trig I could pick up on a short run.  He looks out the lounge window at this mountain range providing a towering vista, and says "There's Parapara."

And, instead of explaining that I was thinking more of a 5-10km trail run, I'm immediately captivated and nothing but the best (highest/hardest) will do.  I think I possibly need counselling for this obsessive trait.

Anyway, the grandparents offer to look after the kids, and we leave early morning nearly a week later.  I don't want to leave the kids for too long on our family holiday, so we figure by leaving before they wake up, we gain a bit of time.

We carefully rock hop the first creek, having planned to keep our feet dry and in good condition for a full days walk ahead.  Within five minutes of that, my socks are drenched from the long grass we're walking through.

The track to Parapara peak is not really advertised, DOC do some maintenance but not a lot, it's generally a walk for locals and the experienced.

We walk up this creek bed which has huge slips and blockages from recent storms.  At one stage we have to balance across a tree trunk resting.

 The first HOURS are up.  Straight up.  Sometimes we're pushing with our hands on our knees, at other times we're pulling ourselves on tree branches.  I'm sick of going up, but I'm also realising that this is SO steep, it's going to be just as hard to come down. 

My lunch box.  The boys carried all the water and proper food.  I was trying to slow them down with heavy packs, but had to make sure I could survive in the wilderness if we got separated.  

Eventually we make it to the top for our hard earned lunch.

But the trig station is all the way over............. there - leading to another walk!

A chance to air my soggy feet at the top, hoping the clouds will clear.  Got some snatches of a brilliant view, will have to return for the full 360.

The walk back down was a killer.  I was pushing the pace a little, anxious to get back to the kids.  You know that incessant pounding of your quads, where each step you are dropping, gravity assisted, but then your muscles have to contract to stop you??  Repeat a million times.  On some of the gentler slopes I was jogging, which may seem mad, but actually stretching out my muscles felt blissful.  I got to the stage where my legs were visibly shaking when we stopped for a rest.  Oh the pain.  It was nearly as bad as it got two days later when my legs were still screaming at me!  :)









1300m gain.  AND loss.  :) 

Birthday Bliss

My birthday present this year was a complete surprise!  Masterminded by my husband, with childcare duties by Mum, we headed to Rotorua on Monday afternoon.  We had a lovely swim in Blue Lake before checking into our hotel.  Or it would have been lovely, if Tom the gimpy swimmer, hadn't completely kicked my ass and dropped me.  I do realise, this was a social swim, not a race, but it was still a marked difference from a year ago when I laughed when he hopped in the pool. 

He's spent the last four months, up at 5am twice a week, in an ex-olympian's swim squad.  He's swum through the embarrassment, the pain, the breathlessness, and this week, he swam right past me.  I'm incredibly proud of him............  but it was the ONLY thing I can do better than him and now I'M the gimpy swimmer.  :/

Anyway, Tuesday morning we head off to the Redwoods together.  Together.  For parents of two small children, we manage to squeeze an awful lot of training and fun in, both with the kids and each on our own.  But, together??  Is very rare. 

Today I start my 12 month goal, of riding all the (non expert) trails in the Redwoods.  I can tick off:

A-Trail
Be Rude Not 2
Dragon Tail
Bunny Jugs
Bunny Jugs 2
Lion Trail
Tokorangi
Exit Trail


Not a bad bag for the first session out. 

Moment of the day:  Following Tom through a little technical bit of the A-Trail that's got some unfortunate ruts lately, and he calls back "Woah, get off for that bit".  Having ridden it within the last couple of weeks, I back myself and head through quite happily.  He stops and looks at me and says "You're quite a good rider you know."  I'll hold that little bit close for a while.  :)

Merry Christmas everyone! 

Things I've Learned at Summer Series MTB Racing

1. Teenage boys and young men cycle faster than the speed of light.
2.  Tweenage boys sprint beautifully for the first km of a race.
3.  Above tweenage boys are not able to manipulate a gear change under pressure, and generally hit the first hill, get chain suck, fall off, and hold everyone behind them up.
4.  It is good strategy to hit the first single track ahead of cyclists #3.
5.  Cyclists #3 tend to be faster downhill riders than old ladies by myself and will generally catch you on these sections and sit right on your rear wheel with their derailleurs clanging Jingle Bells.
6.  DO NOT BE TEMPTED to show courtesy and make space for them to pass, as within one kilometre, one will fall off and one will slip his chain.  See #3 above.
7.  This must not be confused with cyclists #1 above who will generally LAP old ladies in short lap races.
8.  Being lapped by #1 is no great embarrassment.  Get lapped twice and I reckon you have to cycle home rather than take the walk of shame through the car park.
9.  In this completely un-marshalled, and un-marked race, it is important to know that CONES ARE OUT.  A cone on a trail means "don't go this way", rather than "follow me" as it does in every other competitive sporting event internationally.
10.  Do not presume that seeing as you'll be near the back of the pack, you'll just be able to follow other cyclists around the unmarked and unmarshalled course.  You may be SO FAR behind the next cyclist, you can't see where they go.  

The ride.... and the plan for 2014

Try as I might, I couldn't find a friend to come riding in the Redwoods with me this week.  Actually, now I read that first sentence - is it that no one wants to ride with ME?  Surely not, it was the Redwoods on offer, that would far outweigh any negatives that being in my company might bring.

So, I was Nigel No Mates, heading to Green Lake on my own.  Green Lake, because I wanted to try out the Xterra MTB course, and that's where I thought it starts.  But it turns out, it starts at Blue Lake, and I couldn't even get to Green Lake on the closed logging road, so I drove all the way back to Blue Lake, which I'd passed nearly half an hour ago.  Let's not dwell on this either.

We are so fortunate to have so many Redwoods trails which are nearly better with a little rain.  I didn't see another rider all day, probably a combination of the rain, the outback trails which I stuck to, and the fact I did a lot of hill climbing.  But even the climbs were peaceful today, in that lovely, newly cleansed forest way.  A small wallaby was about the only other mammal I came across.

I rode all of Billy T, an intermediate/advanced track, without putting my feet down.  The last time I rode it, (some months ago) was two days after I badly broke my finger and had done some home doctoring, taping it to an ice block stick.  As a result, I could hold the handlebar, or I could apply the brakes, but I couldn't do both at once with that hand.  Billy T has some rooty sections, and I learned just how much you need both hands to be properly balanced.  What resulted was some very awkward sections with one foot out of my clips, and Clare growling me for this horrendous technique which I despise in others.  When MTBing, I firmly believe that you either commit, or get off.  Turns out I'm not much good at practising what I preach.  I canned off, which I also don't believe in doing, and am only just getting my confidence back now.

Anyway, this week, Billy T, in the rain, on my own, with no feet down, rode it all the way.  It wasn't always pretty, and my Garmin shows I actually had a higher speed on the way up Frontal Lobotomy, but it's still a big psychological hurdle for me.  Bonus.

After another decent hill climb, I'm heading down Split Enz.  This trail is gold.  Sweeping berms, great speed, natural lines.  One of those trails that a rider of any ability feels like they're flying on.  I realise that my cheeks are actually hurting, a result of the beaming grin I didn't even realise I had.

I love Mountain biking.  It's my favourite thing at the moment.  So, my big bucket list for next year.... the big reveal.......

To ride all the (non-expert) trails in the Redwoods.


That's going to be so much fun. 

Summer Series

I'm riding the Summer Series.  Monday night MTB racing at Summerhill, throughout the summer.  I'm not too sure how this happened?  I thought it would be a good idea to push myself seeing as I'm naturally lazy and don't like to feel tired.  I thought it might make me ride a couple of those tricky corners that my lack of confidence lately has seen me doing the Nana walk on.  I thought I'd just turn up, see what they were doing, and maybe ride on a different trail instead.  Nek Minnit, I've paid my $5, got a race number and I'm sitting on the imaginary start line.  Me, three other women, a teenage girl, and fifty-something testosterone filled MTBers of varying ability, all gunning for the first single track.  Holy Shit. 

Four minutes later, I realise that I actually have jelly legs, from pure adrenaline, or possibly the shock of the mass start.  I've already ridden over a stile I normally dismount for, having to time perfectly my pedal or get it stuck in the slatted wood.  I've ridden that first horrendous corner, which is bricked (I guess for traction as it's so steep and about 150 degrees, but it just seems like a brain killer to me).  Normally I'm scared just walking that.  I'm near the back of the pack, but have managed to stick amongst the other women, and have not suffered the embarrassment of being outsprinted by a ten year old. 

I missed the first two races, but have been first woman in races 3-5.  Please remember I mentioned there were only three women the first week, and that was actually the best female turn out I've seen.  And now I am the official 'series leader'.  This is quite momentous, and I must pop over to the website for a screen shot to record this moment forever.  Here it is:




I AM working harder than I do in solo training, and I AM riding bits I don't really want to.  But I'm still not really sure I like it....

Tect Run

Sunday 24 November - The Tauranga Boys College Cross Country Team's run at the TECT All Terrain Park.

I hitch a ride with Clare, and contemplate in the car that, coming off 7 weeks of no running, I'm feeling fairly underdone in the preparation stakes.  Then I realise, that I don't think I've done a running race at all in the last......  17 years???  Triathlons, duathlons, orienteering, but not a straight running race.  This is a surprisingly cheerful thought, because as a complete novice in my adult life, I can't have high expectations can I? 

Trying to blog this race, two weeks after the event, all I can think of is that it was hot.  Stinking hot.  Oppressively hot.  This was my first time ever at the TECT park, which had some lovely bushed trail sections but was mostly cleared pines and exposed dusty roads.  However, I don't like to whinge........

After guzzling a protein drink, visiting the bathroom and trotting down to the start line, we run about 500m and I need to go again.  I know, that's ridiculous, but it's my reality and I won't go into details.  It's a horrible feeling and I know I'm wasting energy and already getting myself in a negative frame of mind.  Miraculously, after less than a kilometre we weave through the high ropes car park, complete with toilet.  I bound happily through the gardens, too relieved to even be embarrassed, encouraging Clare to keep going and I'll catch her up.  I'd like to point out that I was immediately followed by other women, who probably also have children. 

As a result of this, I think my next blog will be entitled "52 awkward toilet stops in 52 weeks".  I'd have no problem gathering material, which of course no one would want to read.  There was that time running to Kaituna Cut, up in the sand dunes with a boat just off shore.  Or behind Fashion Island because I didn't realise the public toilets don't open until the mall does,, which is much later than 6am.  Or borrowing a portaloo at a building site. 

Anyway, the trail run felt pretty good.  I definitely can run much faster when there is someone in front of me, and fortunately there's always someone in front of me when I'm running.  Lots of target practise.  My friendly foes of the day, were a group of ladies who Clare had pointed out before the race, as looking fairly well equipped.  I found myself in amongst the five of them for most of the run, occasionally dropping a couple, and for a while running with one of the ladies ahead of the rest.  I must admit, the leader was waiting regularly for her mates to catch up, otherwise I probably wouldn't have been able to keep up with her.  Running in behind her, I was impressed with her long strides.  Some African culture has a word for a hunter's gait, it means something like "eats up the ground".  I wonder what that tribe's translation of my own plodding gait would be. Her ankles, though, were rolling all over the place, nearly making me wince.  Chatting at one point later on, she shared that she only runs on the road and was struggling with the rough ground.   I tried hard to be proud of my strong ankles, and well adjusted nerve receptors, rather than envious of her strides.  I could gain ground on them through the trails, but when we hit the open roads out in the sun, my body just wilted and the tail of the caterpillar would bunch back up again. 

After the last aid station, they were all far quicker up the road than I was.  I watched them steadily pull away, trying to stay with them, but knowing I didn't have it in me.  Untrained, coming back from injury, lacking natural talent, and without Roadrunner legs, I figured I'd done well to stick with them that far.  Then we dipped down a little hill, entered the forest, and the magical 2km left sign popped up.  "Bugger this" I thought, "I've got 2k left in me, and now I'm on a trail, I can do a trail."  I sped up, caught them on a narrow part of the trail, and bounded past them, spritely enough that one of them commented that I must have got my second wind.  Trying hard to sound completely effortless, I just replied that I was on a trail now and good to go. 

From that point on, I felt like a lone gazelle hunted by a pack on hungry wolves.  It seemed unfair that there were five of them and only one of me, so I tried to pick up other helpers along the way.  Unfortunately, the next two men I passed I wasn't able to encourage to stick with me, and dropped them on the thigh burning steps, with a reminder to not let the wolves past them.   Even though I knew I was never going to be a placing finisher, all I could think of was that if those ladies caught me, I'd lost 5 places in an instant.  20th would sound so much better than 25th, don't you think?

Fortunately, the finish line came before those Roadrunner legs were able to start striding again, and I finished in 1.36, with no knee pain.  And feeling quite proud actually!

Fail x 2

Fail #1:  Most people go to their work Christmas function and then lament the effects of alcohol consumption the day before an event.  Seeing as I don't drink, I've had to go to extra lengths to come up with a good excuse for a poor performance in Sundays Tauranga Trail Run at the TECT park.  No run-of-the mill hangover for me, instead I'm sporting a lovely blister from shiny new pointy shoes that looked great but obviously didn't agree with my heels.

Fail # 2:  It is really not a good idea to have your first swim of the new season, starting from right in the middle of Pilot Bay on a brilliantly blue sky day with the beach jampacked full with families and picnics.  While the swimming in itself wasn't remarkable, the contortions required to install myself in the wetsuit (which has obviously dehydrated and shrunk during it's hibernation over winter) were alternately entertaining and appalling to the innocent bystanders. 

8km...pain free.....

So, I've run up to 8km, and my knee doesn't hurt.  Both my knees feel a bit strange though, possibly I'm just ultra aware now that the physio has pointed out I over extend my knees constanty and I'm NOT supposed to!  The physio has given me the all clear, a lovely list of exercises to keep strengthening and set me free.

Me though..... I'm feeling a bit uncertain, a little lost......?  Is it normal to develop an unhealthy attachment to physio advice?  I would like to keep going until he's diagnosed and corrected all of my physical failings, and THEN I can be superman!!!!!!! 

1km

It's nearly a month since my last run.  This round of physio is the first I've had for many years, seeing the physiotherapist once a week over the month.  Occasionally I've sprained something and had it seen to check it's not anything terrible, but I've not gone back for ongoing care.  Generally, I would have said that I know my body fairly well, most minor injuries I can rest then 'run off' sensibly.....

A bit older, a bit more decrepit, a bit wiser??  Maybe I just got a real fright at how sore my knee was when I ran.  Anyway, I have for the first time in my life, done all the stretches, exercises and rests recommended by the good physio.  (There was a brief hiccup the first week when I chose to interpet touch rugby as not coming under the "no running" instruction, as it wasn't 'going for a run').  (Oh, and I forgot to take the stretchy band thingy for my exercises when I went away for Queen's birthday weekend, so that killed a few days.)  Besides that, I've been awesome.  I've really tried to make the most of my chance to strengthen the many parts of me that have contributed to the injury, hoping that it'll see me right.  And doesn't it make sense that if my hamstrings are stronger I'll be able to run faster??

Anyway, I'm off for my first run in a month.  1km, maximum of two if it feels good.  I'm not sure that Roger, the physio, knows that the first km on my runs never feel good, it takes me over half an hour to get going and get over how much I hate running.  Instead of racing out the door right now, I can feel that I've lost all that hard fought momentum I had.  I'm anxious on two accounts.  Firstly, that my knee will still hurt and I'm not 'fixed' yet.  Secondly, that my knee won't hurt, but the rest of my body will feel like shit and I won't enjoy this run I've been so keen on.

I'm off.

 

I've entered an event......

Not a lot to say really...... 

I'm seeing the physio weekly and haven't been for a run for over three weeks.  I've been trying to get out on my bike regularly though, and 'in' on my windtrainer. 

After driving people mad with my to-ing and fro-ing, pondering and lamenting over the events I might enter, I have finally made some progress.

Rotorua Half Ironman Team - I've pulled out.  Turns out the girls have their first gymnastics display that day, so instead of racing the event, I will be racing between supporting Tom in Rotorua, and cheering on the girls in Te Puke.  The bike leg was the only one I could count on being able to complete with a running injury and no swim training, and I can't say I'm weeping over not having to train and race for a 90km road ride.

Tarawera - happy to let it die a natural death but Clare may have sorted us a relay option.......

Nov 16th - MTB skills training in Rotorua.

KidsCan Santa Run - 2-3km in a Santa Suit on December 4th.

Come join me....

https://www.facebook.com/events/208915285953743/


Strangely content with a mindset change from poring over training plans for a 60km ultramarathon, to hoping I can do a 2km fundraising run in a little red suit.  I wonder if I have sneakers that will match?

Windtraining

For anyone who doesn't know, wind training is when you pop your bike on a special roller system in the garage, so when you pedal, you don't actually go anywhere.  It turns your bike into an exercycle so you can get your training session done without leaving home.

Personally, I think part of the point of training is actually to leave home?  But anyway, two mornings a week, Tom gets up at 5am to go swimming and I wake up.  I've tried for weeks to roll over and pretend I'm asleep, but actually I'm just lying there not wanting to get up so I've decided to do something worthwhile with that time.  Seeing as the girls are still sleeping, and I can't leave home, I have my bike set up on the windtrainer.  As a windtrainer novice, I've learned a few things over the last couple of months.

1  Start in an easy gear.  Otherwise, when you try to do a set on a harder gear to 'challenge' yourself, you will want to vomit.

2  Have a fan.  No matter if it's winter and you're in the garage, you're not actually moving.  It's amazing how warm the body gets when there is no wind chill factor.


3  Have a towel.  Because even if you don't sweat,  like me, chances are you will sweat on a windtrainer.

4.  Wear as little as possible.  Comfy bike shorts and a sports bra is more than enough as your body hits high temperatures.  It's the only time my muffin top is ever exposed in training, although sometimes the sight of it disturbs me and I pull the waistband of my shorts up and pretend I have abs.

5  Snot and Sweat.  Cycle gloves have little terry towel absorbent bits.  Left for sweat and right for snot.  On the road, snot can be snorted as long as no other cyclist is immediately behind you.  Husbands will frown on this practise on the garage floor beside the workbench.

6  Ensure the bike is firmly connected to the windtrainer.  Ejecting from the windtrainer while spinning at 90rpm only inches from the workbench with all manner of tools, equipment and broken toys waiting to be mended, can only be distastrous.

Physio

So, I've been to the physio today. 

It was better than a stage show. 

For the record, my chosen physio is highly recommended by a good physio friend, and a number of friends who use his services all completely rate him.  Even Tom reckons he's worth the money.  I have now experienced first hand, the magic of being truly 'physio-ed'.

He wobbled my legs, wiggled them, rotated them, pulled them, pushed them, on angles and planes I hadn't even imagined.  And then, in a moment which should be punctuated with "Eureka" he said "Do you feel that?"  I was completely oblivious but trying to look intelligent, which obviously he's used to because he repeated the movement. He holds my knee firm to the physio table where I am lying on my back and gently pulls my foot upwards (hyper extended the knee).  Left leg and I look politely interested as it slowly moves up a little.  Right leg, and hey presto, there's not any resistance, the foot just flies up.

An injury to a P-something in the back of my knee, alongside weaknesses in something and my hamstring, which aren't pulling my leg forward as they are supposed to after each step.  So the ITB is having to do the work which is then hurting in my knee.  

I find that quite magic, that in less than 5 minutes, he's discovered things about my body which I haven't even noticed in many years of living in it. That I've taken thousands of steps, on hockey fields, soccer pitches, roads, trails, and didn't know my hamstrings were crap. 

Treatment:  "Exercises and I'll see you next week.  Don't go for a run."  Or maybe he said "No running."  That might sound like the same thing to you, but I feel there is an important difference in the two running statements.  So, I have been very sensible and have not put on my running shoes, found a trail and "gone for a run".  However, there may have been a touch rugby game which we didn't have enough girls for, and that may have involved some running..............

Stolen Blog

Turns out supergenericgirl has my injury.  So I don't need to bother to write about it.

http://supergenericgirl.com/2013/03/13/this-pain-in-the-knee-is-a-pain-in-the-ass/

What she said.

Injured!

Within hours of creating my new super snazzy training plan.  I'm injured.  Brilliant.  Serves me right.  What a crappy way to start.  I was doing better BEFORE I had a training plan.  I was all excited about these goals I was going to achieve, heightened motivation, a real determination, so as a result, now I'm even more disappointed.  If I had known I was about to fall, I wouldn't have climbed the ladder to the roof.

I've got flat feet, and some womble at ASICS changed their footprint this year and they don't fit me anymore.  After months of uncertainty, my old shoes finally wore out completely, and I've been running in cheap shoes without stability control for months.  Since March actually.

Thought process:  "Those dastardly shoe corporations, with their emotive marketing strategies, I've wasted a FORTUNE on stability control shoes for years, because look, I've been running in these ones for months and I'm just FIIIIIIIIIIINE!!!!"

My knees been sore for the last few weeks, tender till I'm warmed up then niggly towards the end of  a run.  I'm doing more K's so thought that was natural and I'd soldier on, toughen up and get over it.  But last night's run, we went out to Otawa, doing our usual rough run over roots and brush.  It's hard going and can be jarring, particularly on the downhill, where I slipped a little on a mossy tree root.  We were at 9km, a shorter run because Clare wasn't feeling so well, and I was getting these sharp stabbing pains with each step.  Managed to finish the run, drove home and nearly rolled out of the car because I could hardly move it.  So sore after my shower that I could barely get up from the ground and had to find some drugs, which I hate taking. 

DR Google said something about an ITB, weak glutes and hamstrings, overpronating, blah blah blah.

So I rang a friend.  He works at Fisher & Paykel.  I see you're struggling to make the connection, but he's just one of those capable people who knows pretty much everything and you'd trust with your life.  He's SO amazing, he gave up a successful physio business to do some business-y scholarship overseas, and now, what he does for a job is beyond my intellectual understanding.  Anyways, I rang Johnmolloy.  (And you might think his name is John..... Molloy, but they're actually amalgamated and he's called Johnmolloy.  I'm sure it's a long story but I can't actually remember it.)

Gosh, I'm waffling tonight.  I think it's the anti-inflammatories.  I'm not good on drugs which is why I try to avoid them.

Anyway, the general gist that I got from Johnmolloy:
1  See a really good physio and get a whole lot of exercises to fix all the weak muscles in my body.  Booked.
2.  New shoes a good idea, but not as good an idea as some strengthening.   (Now I need to change all my workouts to include 10 mins exercises and stretches.)
3.  I can still run, within my limits.  (It was too blimmin sore to run, think I'll be avoiding that for a while)
4.  If biking feels good, go for it.  (Biking it is)
5.  It's a common runner's injury.

DID YOU HEAR THAT!!???  It's a runner's injury.  I'm a runner.   Johnmolloy said, so it must be true. 

Training Plan

Well, I spent hours yesterday sorting a training plan.  I used to love training plans, researching different things I 'should' be doing, setting up my days with a variety of sessions.... then within a couple of weeks they would be discarded, empty of any actual sessions to match those planned.

But, I've managed to maintain some actual training over the last month.  Windtraining excepted, where I missed 2 out of 4 sessions over two weeks, but that was never going to be a winner was it.  I'll blog about the torture of windtraining another day.

Anyway, I spent hours on this plan.  Googling different ones, considering what my goals are, and then exploring ways to use my Garming.  Check out this work of art. 



Pink bits are bikes I've done.  Blue bits are runs I've done.  Yellow and purple bits are my new workouts planned, mostly imported straight from the Garmin training website.  So, I can click on those runs and it tells me this:



That is SOOOOOOOOOOOO cool.  And it will upload to my watch, and my watch will tell me what to do!!!!!!!!!!  I'm envisaging this Army Major type voice screaming "Warm up over - 2 minute interval fast pace, GOGOGO!!!"  and "You're going TOOOO SLOOOOW! Think this is a picnic???"  and then after 2 minutes a lovely soothing voice "oooh, well done, now you can have one minute slow jog for a little rest". 

It's going to do wonders for my training.  Maybe.  If only it could actually run for me too.