Triathlon!

This shot I like to call "Ahmed and his harem". Yeah Right.

This is Kathryn, Femke, Ahmed, Sarah and moi just before the start.


My goals were:

• Don't stop on the run, and follow through from the hip (Thanks Damon!)
• Improve on (my best) 6min30 per km run time
• Cycle with fast RPMs and do it in under an hour
• Swim non stop and pass lots of people in the pool

Well, I did all that. Yay me.

I ran 6 minute kms (4 km in 24:07)


I did the 18 km cycle in 47:45


In training I had got down to swimming 300m in 5:40, but in the race I did it in a pathetic 7:07.
I meant to do tumble turns in the swim as I had been in training but there were just too many people hanging around at the ends to do it safely. I did pass about 20 people in the pool though. Note also my high elbow and streamlined head and body position in this shot; excellent form.
The official time is 1:18:59 which put me in 14th place (out of 20) in my age group, and 38th (out of 72) out of all the women.

All photos taken by my personal photographer on his new camera. Thanks Sammy!

PAR-TAY!

Lauren goes back to Canada very soon. Boo!

So we are going to have a farewell party. Yay!

We are also forcing you to look the part. Come in your national dress, or the national dress of some other country. Make an effort or else!!

Be warned that if you dress as an All Black you will probably get beaten up. Unless you dress as Dan Carter. Lauren will probably take you upstairs for a while. Just kidding, Lauren! :)

Anyway, be at our place on Saturday 3 November from about 8pm.

BYO.

Back in Town

We arrived back from Wanganui last night and managed to last for about 2 minutes before turning the computer on; not bad. Anyway, here's some pics from our wee road trip.

Kirsten's car is not really made for five adults. (Like whose is?) We made the most of it anyway. This is early in the journey on Friday evening.

We stopped at Raukawa Falls along the way. The river is a bit high. And dirty.

We stopped in Bulls at The WORST Subway Ever (tm) where the service was crap and the bread was stale. Good thing we had Fruit Bursts to tide us over till morning.

The next day we travelled to Waitomo, just missing being there the same time as a Kiwi Experience bus. (Ah, the memories!)

Here's a (poorly focussed) shot from inside the Aranui caves. Photography is forbidden in the glow worm caves unfortunately. When you are inside the cave they call the Cathedral, they always do this spiel about how the acoustics are great and how Dame Kiri Te Kanawa has sung in there, and would anyone like to sing a song? I've been twice before and always been too chicken, but this time, Lauren and I got brave and sang the beginning of Pie Jesu. We were ok, I guess. The acoustics were actually not that good though - it's nice to have a *little* echo, but the limestone absorbs absolutely *everything*. Anyway, we got a little round of applause from the tourists in our group.

On Sunday we drove over 65km of metalled road (via Athens, London, and Jerusalem!) to arrive at Pipiriki, where we rode a jetboat to the Bridge to Nowhere.

We took loads of Obligatory Self Portraits (OSPs)

And Obligatory Tourist Shots (OTSs)

This is a swingbridge on the way to the Bridge to Nowhere.

The infamous Bridge to Nowhere. The land up here was gifted to returned WWI soldiers. Unfortunately the land proved unsuitable for farming once the forest was cleared and most of the families had left by the time the bridge was completed in the 1940s.

We stopped in Taihape on the way home for Iced Chocolate and coffees and things. Yum!

This sign is just out of Maungaweka. It cracks me up every time. "Peach Teats, calves love 'em!"

We were SO over the back seat by this stage, but still managed a weak smile. I certainly enjoyed getting home and leaping into a warm shower then bed. Many thanks to Rich for organising us and being the Dad. And to Kirsten for supplying the car and being the Mum.

**********

The Naenae Triathlon is less than a week away! I have to do one more trial of the whole course and one more bike ride before I feel fully prepared. Think of me on Sunday morning!

four hours sleep does not a happy fish make

That is all

I'm sure we all knew this already, but...

Kiwi women most promiscuous in the world - survey

Here we go!

Canyon Swing #1

I went first, mainly as I thought I would chicken out if I had to watch others go ahead of me. In the end it still took me a while to get off the edge, but I got there in the end! I think going over backwards was way easier, as I couldn't see the drop. Although at one stage I take a quick peek over my shoulder. Please excuse the swearing :)

Canyon Swing #2

This time I went forwards, which was really scary as I kept looking down and psyching myself out. The two guys kept freaking me out too - pushing me and then pulling me back in. One of them poked the back of my knee to try and make me tumble too, which nearly earned him a slap. In the end I asked the guy holding me to just push me and I would go with it... he reckons he didn't push me, but I think he did. But hey, at least I got value for money with the dvd footage - 4 minutes worth!

It's good to be home

I posted my canyon swing videos on facebook today. I will get them up here soon for those that don't use facebook, but until then, try this link and click on "videos" just below my photo.

Dunno if that will work; let me know!

Chch

Oh yeah, I'm alive after my canyon swing. Having too much fun doing other stuff to spend much time on the computer, so I'll upload my canyon video later in the week.

In Christchurch now, then Kaikoura tomorrow. Gonna swim with the dolphins - yay!

If you're interested, you can see more news of our travels on Lauren's blog.

Q-town

We are in Queenstown, about to do the canyon swing this afternoon. Eek!! You can read about it here, and if you have a flash player, check out the jump styles link also. I'm planning on the back flip and perhaps a pin drop if I do a second one. I just have to keep telling myself that it's just a big swing, and swings are fun, right?

Kayaking in Franz Joseph was awesome. I have some photos on disc which I will upload soon. The water was mirror smooth in places, which made for some pretty shots.

Monday night is karaoke night at the backpacker's pub. Bring it on!