Akaroa beckons....

Another great week of training down. The house got passed in, but apparently there are a few interested parties in the wings, but nothing yet...

Anyhow, this week was my thrid repetition of the previous two weeks, with a mix of core work, tempo running, lots of hills and long distance and technique swims. The week ended with a bike ride to Akaroa and back, well almost. Bec, Ginni and I rode to Little River, accompanied by lots of freeloading lake flies- disgusting and worse than magpies. Then I headed on up Hill Top, down to Barrys Bay and up the sting in the tail hills to Akaroa. A quick coffee and refeul then back to Little River, where I was supposed to be meeting Bede. Well he got held up coming back from a work do on the coast (read lots of hungover people needing breakfast, so left late..) and so I had a quick pit stop and continued on. The hills were indeed testing, but great fun even with temperatures in the 20s and a strong headwind all the way home. Nevertheless I got a flat 2km out from Motukarara, then another....and another....having so proudly changed the tubes I later found the bastard piece of glass sneakily tucked in the outside of the tyre- couldn't for the life of me find it the first two times. But anyway, with no more tubes, I called Bede for an SOS from Tai Tapu- I was only 20km from home damn it! Still a great 150km ride, with big hills- about 6.5hrs riding and having eaten lots I felt I had done enough....

I watched a great film on Saturday night- On a Clear Day about a guy who gets made redundant having worked all his life in the docks building ships, and sets out to swim the English Channel. There a more touching plot about his relationship with his wife and son, but an amazing accomplishment, and based on a true story. Made me feel that whenever I am swimming and finding it tough, 3.8km, is NOT the Channel, just suck it up! You are not that bad a swimmer after all!

Another 3hr flat ride and a 30 min run yesterday (having gone and bought some new tubes!) , a yummy chicken roast and then I farewelled Bede up to Auckland to start his new job on Monday.

Over 20hrs of training this week, I know a bit on the heavy side already, but a ride to Akaroa and back was on my wish list for a long time! I biked the Le Race route last Feb, and got a bus home, this time there was no way I was going to do that! But I have discovered I CAN do longer rides, and I can almost...fix a flat....I did two for practice on Sunday morning a lot faster than usual, with no help. Yey!

Recovery week this week, and in Auckland for the weekend, so will just run and swim. Finish work on Friday, I will be sooooo happy!