Epic camp mini NZ - day 4 - The Final Grind. Murchison to Nelson.( 152km 1400m asc, ~ 400m swim, 2km run )

Had surprisingly the best sleep on Sunday night in Murchison, even in the 1970's porn movie style motel room, but it had the comfiest bed :-). My legs didnt feel too bad when I woke up considering the day before, had a bit of food fatigue so couldnt force much down for brekky other than chopped apple and peanut butter with a bit of banana. It had looked a pleasant morning but by the time the grupetto was ready to roll, it was drizzling which got slightly heavier for a bit. Ugh. It was 35km on the highway to the St Arnaud turn off which is rolling but a net uphill, the road was not too busy but any traffic that did come seemed to be a huge logging truck; for us which always seemed to occur on the part of the road that had zero shoulder. Most of them were pretty good although it does feel a little like Russian roulette at times. Once we turned off at St Arnaud, its a very quiet rolling road which winds up by the Buller river ( guessing the source must be Lake Rotoiti...). I have to admit I was feeling a bit dark about the whole thing, my right glute was burning and I felt a little annoyed about the bumps in the road so guess I needed to eat more. ....... We rolled in to the lake front greeted by the local gang of sandflies, bees and of course the other campers who had had a nice leisurely break to rest the legs... 15 mins til eliminator run start time. Eh ?!! Shoved down a half pack of Gu blocks then we did the first 500m just as a warm up off our times, Rebecca and I were off on the 30 sec handicap and we had also been in the same bunch so we lamented the lack of rest in our legs !! Needless to say once we hit the 2nd lap ( 50 m smash it downhill, 450 m run hard ) we were both eliminated although looking at the 5km times people submitted I'd say there was a LOT of sand bagging!! I trotted another 1km by the lake track to get the legs moving differently then it was swim time, hopefully to get away from all the winged pests that were gatecrashing our party. It was pretty fresh in there ( ice cream head +13 deg ?), but oooohhhhh so therapeutic on the muscles, super clear, deep water and bonus was I didnt spot any eels lurking underneath. Almost felt like a new woman when I emerged from the lake - even better I had fresh full cycling kit to change into, sure my bum would be thankful too. Scoffed a wrap,shrouded myself in a cloud of DEET, a bit of pizza, some fruit, bit of choccy ( hmmmmm, def underfueled this morning) then we were off under the illusion of a fast 88km of net downhill to Nelson which started with a bit of a climb , rolling , then a reasonable slog up to Tophouse saddle. Our little group of 4 had splintered apart by now but I had some music to keep me company and distract me from abject misery and deep existential nihilism. Its a super quiet road but was grey and bleak up there, almost with the threat of rain. The road then turned onto a rolling road which led to Wakefield, it had a few pinchy climbs interspersed with long false flats ( both up and down ). Arrived at Wakefield and an enthused bunch of campers at the aid station, had a quick pee stop and grabbed some food and bent to peer pressure to leave with everyone else so again, didnt get much rest and as anticipated, the speed bunnies sped off and I tried to hang on as best i could but eventually my foo foo valve did blow butonly 18 km to go. Nicole kindly waited on me in Richmond as was worried I didnt know where I was going ( I didnt really know where I was going ) and we manged to wind our way through the bike paths and do an extra tour of the wee estuary by Monaco and add 4km on... !! Rolled in to a reception of coffee, hot chips, smoothies, beer... bloody brilliant!! Final dinner was a tasty 3 course repast at the Anchor Inn.... another camp ticked off!! Thanks to Gail and Kylie for their unwavering support and enthusiasm for us all and to John for his excellent organisation and route choices. Herding a load of hangry cats takes a special type of person !! I'll write an epilogue in next few days to wrap up my personal thoughts but for now ( back home as I write this) I had better tackle the mounds of smelly, damp kit that needs washing and psych myself up for dealing with work tomorrow. :-(

Epic mini NZ day 3 - a day for Grinders

Today was a big day, we rode from Takaka to Murchison which is stunning, the weather gods played ball + the sun was out, no rain. 180 km with almost 2k climbing. Im too tired to write too much tonight, so just check out the pics and have noted a few bullet points of random musings :- - climb from Takaka side of Takaka Hill was not as bad as anticipated. Better than the Bastard (( local Chch climb) - I know why its called Hope Saddle.... - I was literally and figuratively 3rd wheel as Graham towed myself and Laurence home from the top of Hope Saddle  - Dinner at the Commercial was ready as soon as we got there and the beer was cold - and they had soft cushioned seats, much to everyone's delight- glad was not just me with a sore bum!! - Thanks to Darryn for sorting my cleat , shim removed so hoping can get both sit bones on the saddle tomorrw. -

Epic camp mini NZ day2 - Takaka: where the animals go in two by two....

Day 2 beckoned after a reasonable sleep, after a delicious meal and a wine or 2 last night, woken up occasionally by the sound of the heat pump - eh ? Nope, that was rain. I was awake at 5.30 am and couldnt get back to sleep, made some coffee while watching the rain go from torrential to biblical to torrential with a few wind gusts in between. Plan was a swim at Tata beach, 100m elimination reps. Driving there past stormy, brown seas and waves bouncing off rocks wasn't particularly filing any of us with excitement but it was slightly calmer at the beach ( ie pretty rough and decent Northerly wind gusts making the rain horizontal ) . Hamish spotted a seal swimming which at least assured us there weren't any sharks around. I did get into my wetsuit but decided against getting in, being the slowest I was to be first guinea pig in the water anyway but it was just too rough for me. Yes, yes- I know you dont improve by not tackling the rough stuff but I know my limits. I did make use of the time by rescuing errant jandals that were flying off in the wind, always got to see the positives - would hate to see thongless campers . Ha. Kudos to everyone that braved the conditions !! We returned for brekky then left at 10.30 for the drive to Farewell Spit ( was supposed to be a ride but it was THAT wet and also windy- shame as would have been a great ride, almost trafficless). We headed up a load of paths over rolling gren cliff tops, some parts very muddy, some sandy, rooty. I had decided against wearing contact lenses after a blurring incident descending Mt Luxmore in the rain at Kepler... bad idea as I couldnt see very well and was descending like a mountain snail ( again!! Sorry John Hancock, I think I am deserved of your moniker now....). The trepidation of a potential rolled ankle and being stuck there didnt appeal so I proceeded with ( a lot of ) caution. It was wild, windy and could see the wild Tasman sea bashing against the cliffs below- nature at her best !! We had to cut it short and head down a shingle road due to some flooding but thenwere able to join a coastal path to Whiriraki beach, then turned around, piled into the steamy van and back to Takaka for 2nd hot shower of the day. Gail and Kylie our super support crew laid on a fabulous lunch including soup, perfect!! I am sharing a unit with Jana and our living room/ bathroom is like a Chinese laundry, its not really too cold but the heat pump has been on to dry clothes all day........ yes, its still biblical out there and its 7pm :-) A few of us walked down the main street to grab a coffee then back and loaded into the van as John was taking us to a tourist destination for a walk. We ended up on the track to Wainui Falls which is part of the Abel Tasman National Park ( its probably just over the hill from Totaranui somewhere). That was a spectacular amount of water and worth the 3rd soaking of the day, in fact absolutely drenched.... however, I'll take it is we can get a dry day tomorrow as a big ride to Murchison is on tap. Guess my butt will be happier tomorrow for a day off the bike today, lack of recent long rides never tells in fitness I find but in all the other areas......!!!! Right its nearly dinner time, heading to some other local joint tonight. As long as its licensed, I don't care. Just cooked myself a head of broccoli from the supermarket as it was only a dollar and I was craving some greens. #weirdo. Also spotted 2 shoeless people wading through puddles with their groceries - wtf is the deal with this place ??? !!!!!

Epic camp mini NZ Day 1- Nelson to Takaka via Kaitereiteri with aquathon in the middle

Stats - ride ~ 121km, 1383m asc swim ~ 850m run- 4.2 km, trails + steps The grupetto ( mostly girls plus Paul ) set off at bang on 8.30, weather was dull, mild and little wind which is perfect riding weather. Finally made it through the rush hour traffic ( my god Nelson is busy, traffic, trucks everywhere. We turned off on to the road / climb to Moutere saddle which is very pleasant; full of fruit orchards and wineries. Quick aid station stop at 50km then on to Kaiteriteri which was a stop for a swim run. Ugh - after last night's uphill battle with the tide, I wasn't looking forward to it but it was awesome !! A bit fresher but the water is so clear. My Garmin said 225m ?? for 16 min ish of swimming. Piss off!!! Average readings on everyone elses was around 850 m so I'll take it, an improvement n last night! Quick T1 then a run up over the track to Little Kaiterteri ( read: multiple steps, sand, hilly trails ) return the same way then head up to a point at the other end of Kaiterteri. It was only 4km but a little gut busting!! An icy cold shower, change back into cycle kit and we were off, regrouping at the base of Takaka Hill to be chaperoned by Ian, the man in charge of traffic management for the whole site. The roadworks stretch 3.5km and the traffic is down to one lane; when you see the massive craters and work they are doing its an mammoth task! The rain had started as we left Kaiterteri and wa sgetting heavier and heavier as we climbed Takaka hill ( its 16 km from this side). Zero visibility, and was getting quite chilly.....not as bad as the Col d' Ordinho though eh!! A great climb, and I rode better than I expected. Added an extra layer or two at the top and then started the 10 km descent which was as fucking miserable as anticipated. Next bike is def going to have disc brakes, also thought that i would be challenging the mountain snail for his title of..... well, mountain snail!! The rain eased a bit at the base and I knew it was only 21 km to the motel so I just put the hammer down, listened to some stomping beats and hoofed it to Takaka where it wasnt raining. We are here for 2 nights which is great, once showered and snacked, John took us to Pupu Springs - google it, its amazing and serenely peaceful but I cant be bothered explaining right now( too tired :-) Dinner was at the Mussel Inn ( somewhere out of Takaka on the way to Collingwood), yummy. Self composting toilets too !! Heavy rain warnings are in place for tomorrow; so looking like a swim and trail run. I;d like to go have a look around Takaka as its 18 years since I was last here. People are still walking around without shoes on so seems like not much has changed !! Right - better get to bed, more exciting installments tomorrow ..... promise.

Epic camp mini NZ - Day 0.

Well, D- day is here. Started the day with a visit to the gym to roll out the creases and activate the dormant muscles as I need every single fibre in action for next few days!! Bid an emotional farewell to the dog ( me, not her) at the kennels then home to finish tidying. A gloriously sunny day beckoned for the flight to Nelson , lets hope the weather Gods play ball for the next few days although looks like might be showery on Saturday. Got to have one Epic day, right?!! First session of camp was a straight ~2 km swim from Nelson Yacht club to Tahuna Beach. Tide behind us, yeah right !! Felt a bit seasick at one point+ had a panic attack as thought wasnt going to make it in before dark. Phew, I did though. Dinner on site+ greetings, now frantically drying wetsuit ready for tomorrow. Off to Takaka via Kaiterteri with a swim/ run thrown in!!

Epic camp mini NZ prologue

Well hello there adoring fans and readers .......back in the blogosphere again as another Epic camp is imminent, this time at the top of the South Island here in NZ. Don't think we get blogging points on this one but I enjoy re reading my previous Epic diaries so why not document this one for good measure. Not sandbagging but not as aerobically fit pre camp as intended, slightly derailed by a cold a couple of weeks ago and also just general lack of motivation/ mental energy for training in the last couple of weeks as well as this is usually off season. Also, the local outdoor pool has shut and my usual swim pool is also closed so gettiung to the pool seems like a bit of a logistical hassle too..... not really, just my general apathy !!! I bargained with myself that at least if I didnt want to do a 5 hr ride, at least do something and also compensate for reduced engine capacity by making sure the chassis is at least strong and functional, something I've neglected a bit over the summer so have hit the gym a few times in the last week or 2 to try get the quads ready to cope with all the riding :-) Right enough waffle - I must pack, trying to pack light for a triathlon camp is nigh impossible; especially to be prepared for all weathers. However, in my heart of hearts I know I won't fry as much as I did leaving Sort or freeze as much as I did on the Port d"Envalira**** so I can cope with anything !! See you on the other side in Nelson. **** see previous Epic camp blog from 2019

Day 10 Epic camp - finale, fly, fun + far too many beers 🤣

Last day!! Woke up feeling pretty smashed today ( as expected?!). Brekky was not until 7.30 so spent time trying to organise stuff + managed to exercise restraint at the buffet as we were swimming at 9 am.

Today’s schedule was filled with fun activities...🤔... a400 IM race, 200 kick race then a triathlon which was a1 km pool swim, 28 k bike( 2 laps.... not flat!) and 7.4 k run , partway on bike course( not flat).

The non fishies started first, 2 to a lane for the IM race+ John had said only fly was allowed; no polo ....the most fly I have ever done is 25 m at a time, with fins. I burst out laughing halfway thru the first length at the sheer ridiculousness of it, or more likely hypoxia induced euphoria! Somehow got through that and the rest of it, then we had a straight 200 K race, any K allowed ( no fins ) no strokes. Surprisingly I didn't finish last on this one, helped by a good breast stroke kick I think.

After that it was straight into 1000m for first part of final day triathlon, as expected I was DFL out of the water, took an age to get into my bike shoes etc then set off. Ouch, nothing in the legs today, I mean nothing....just had to do best I could but was probably only at Ironman watts to be honest. Again, DFL off the bike as hadn't made any inroads however from what I could see of everyone else, they appeared to be suffering just as badly ( strange, that?!!). The run started with an uphill km ( OUCH) out to a turn cone ~ 3.7 km away. All i could think in my head was that as each km ticked off, Epic camp would be done and altho I have had the most amazing time and climbed well out of my comfort zone, I think limits had been reached. I think the 400 IM was the final nail in the coffin :-)

Once done with that we had a wee challenge to do on the lawn outside the hotel- planking comp to see who could last the longest ( I think Seth won that one) , press ups ( I got to 32) then a wall sit which was over for me in about 30 secs as my poor quads couldn't take any more!!

Lunch, bike was packed ( rear derailleur unscrewed and taped to frame this time !!!), showered, ran an errand to the bank and to get decent free wifi in town centre then went for a beer or 2 with Pete and John D. Two pints of a tasty blanche beer and a slice of pizza later, we toddled back to the hotel as it was triathlon quiz time! Winner, winner chicken dinner, who is the biggest tri - geek of them all...?? !!!
We all then headed downtown to a bar and drank a little more beer and ate chips then a rather merry crew headed back to dinner, with a lot of laughter and hilarity........can't actually remember what we were laughing at, anyhoo. John then gave us a de brief of camp and awarded the jerseys - Seth won yellow, Ben got the red and I won the polka dot so was feeling rather chuffed. I was planning to head to bed but Oli said was I not coming to town with a few of the guys so we once again found a nice bar, more beer and then a round of shots of Genepi which is a liquor made from Alpine herbs that grow above 2000m.
More laughter, my abs hurt so much from the swimming that it was almost painful but nothing beats a decent belly cackle :-)
Got to bed around midnight, have hardly slept due to alcohol and panic about the early start as alarm was set for 4.50am as we were leaving for Toulouse at 5.30am. I ended up getting up at 10 to 4 ....... right now feeling a little dusty , not helped by a TSB of -110 as well as having gone cold turkey on the croissants and bread today. Almost ready to listen to some Pink Floyd haha.


Next up is 5 days in Zurich with Mum, a bit of shopping and ZERO training... then in one week's time I'll be back to winter in CHCh( but DECENT COFFEE....!!)

I'll post an Epic camp prologue when I've had a few days to reflect but what an amazing time with a great group of people. And this is a bit of a ramble today,