Wellington Phoenix Draw

A quick 30minute rest after driving back from Taupo Day Night Thriller and it was straight into the Stadium and a corporate box, thanks Gary, to watch the Phoenix play.

Phoenix versus Central Coast Mariners, nil all.  A game played by the goalies, they both played well with Moss having his best game of the season so far.  I do think I enjoyed my pie more though.

Check out Yellow Fever for more banter on the game, team and much more…

Jamis Day Night Thriller 12hr MTB Taupo 2008

“Da da, Da da, I am dancing in my pants!”

It is Monday and I have finally found out how many laps I rode in the 12hr solo MTB ride in Taupo on Saturday… drum roll please… 19 laps of an 8km circuit!  I came 4th in the female solo section kicking arse of a lot of males and teams.  Yes, that is 152km’s equivalent to riding 304km’son a sealed road. I am happy with the outcome as it was my first solo. Check out Day Night Thriller for results and photo’s.

The day did not feel too long, first 3-4hrs flew by nicely, the count down to the half way mark was a little daunting.  The 6hr teams and solo riders were finishing which made it nicer on the track, 150 less riders, but it made me realise I still had 6hrs to go and the body was just starting to hurt.

Then it was 6pm, time to eat some hot pasta and done on the warmer clothes and lights for the night time hours.  This was a nice change for the day but the feeling soon diminished.  I kept thinking I would come in at a certain time but I would be half an hour quicker which threw me and made me realise I had five laps left. 

I thought I was on my last lap but I had 45Min’s to go, time for one more, so around I went again finishing with 12 minutes to spare.  But still none the wiser on how many laps I did Grr!

The solo community out there on the bike is brilliant, everyone cheers each other on and often chat for a minute on their way passed.  Even some of the team competitors cheer you on or give you a slap on the back or push you a little on their way passed.  All encouragement is appreciated!

The overall atmosphere of the event is fun, there was Darth Vader, a gorilla, a yellow cat suit (male), fat people in baby blue Tour de France team uniforms. It was crazy!

I saw everything on the track from tandem’s, to road bikes, pants up butt to boys in dresses – it kept me entertained.

And, yes, I will do it again.

Boycott Gotham Cafe in Chews Lane Wellington

It was a last minute decision to go to Gotham cafe in Chews Lane today for lunch and it will be my last.

I had a bad experience there today, so I am never going back and recommending others not to go there either – you are not missing much.

We had eaten our food, the plates were cleared and we got our paper work out, this was 30 minutes maximum and this big huge mammoth of a woman comes over and says can I get you anything else?  No, we put heads back down.

Mammoth comes back 10minutes later and says can you please leave I can sell this table.

I have told everyone at work and anyone who will listen not to go there.

Her English was appalling, I cannot remember what she called the cutlery but I remember cringing at the time, little did I know what was to come next.

Down with the mammoth from Gotham.

Queen’s Award 2008

Congratulations Chrystal on achieving your Queen’s Badge for Rangers/Girl Guides.  It was fun to share your special day with you.

I cannot believe how much your mum looks like mine with her new hair style!

Yes, we are cousins

A Great Day Skiing

A cruisier start to the day a 5:40am pick up and we wereoff heading towards a magical day on Turoa.

A bit icy to start with but by lunch time we were skiing on spring snow – it was fun!  As there is a 4.6m base at Turoa you can ski anywhere, limited rocks to get in the way.

We stopped at the Chocolate Eclair bakery on the way home for the best home made food.

I like day trips, you get back in time to crash in front of TV for an hour before bed.

N-Duro Highlander 80km MTB Marathon Event 2008

It’s Saturday 23rd August 8:45am, briefing time for the 80km marathon MTB event in Rotorua’s RedWood Forest.  Hmm… am I ready?  Do I have enough food?  Enough gear?  Do I know where I am going?  How long is this going to take?  Will the course people still be out in force when I come through in the late afternoon?  Boy, these people look like pro’s… hmm.  “Is that a light on your helmet?” I ask a pro – he was very put out that I thought he was planning on being out there in the dark.  It was a video recorder.

Please do not let it rain!

Sunday, driving home, in the rain…

I survived!  And the weather was perfect! And… I’m not walking to badly today … the back hurts more than the legs.

I came second in my category and only 20Min’s behind a bunch of blokes, so not too bad.  6:58:34hrs for 80km’s over pretty tough terrain.  The first guy was three hours faster than me <gulp> Cabin Leishman - the legend.

What a brilliant ride up hill including various tracks, soak hole, frontal lobotomy (must need one of those to do this) through the forest up the ridge line to the start of the New Zealand down hill track Billy T.  I have my first feed and chat with the marshals.

I am now heading towards one of my favourite tracks, Split Ends, it flows downhill nicely.

Oh look they have thrown in a piece where I need to walk, that is nice… little did I know what was coming later :)

Wow, another rider – oh no he’s got the wrong colour number plate, shit have I gone the wrong way, panic, panic, brain thinking back visualising the signs miles back while I am still surging forward.

Wow, how stunning does the Green Lake look? I feel like a swim.  Water truck 100m – a human being, it is exciting!  And, no, it wasn’t me that went the wrong way, the other guy missed his turn off for the 40km race that started later in the day.

Now the real race begins, off up to the look out (shit did I remember to look out at all) and down deep into the outback through an amazing overgrown part of the forest.  Carrying my bike up and down stairs, over fallen logs bigger than Ben Hur, through mud, past rusty old cars.

OMG another water stop, this means a human being – yeah! What, you say I have 30km’s to go, that means about 3hrs… oh boy

But charge on I did with much gusto and 1 1/2hrs later I made my way back to the Waipa Mill car park over more familiar tracks.

Lucky Chinese menu tracks were not my favourite, they are only Grade Two but they are a head ache for much of the time, all over the place, no flow – Grr!  By this stage I was talking to myself quite a bit as it had been a lonely day riding all by myself with very limited people contact.  I did two bad gear changes and berated myself and said sorry bike my bad out loud.  If I burped after sucking on the water I laughed out loud.

As I am dropping into another track a marshal said I have 5km’s to go – yippee!  I can do this, no sweat.  That was the longest 5km’s I have ever come across… a dogie call that one.  I popped out on to the 4WD track just as the van was going past with the DNF riders in it.  This was exciting the car park was right there.  Oh… what was that out of the corner of my right eye, another sign pointing back into the bush.  Bottom said Pooh as I turn around to face a Grade 4 track, and to top it off I had to cross a river to finish – I walked a log while my bike had a swim.

But I made it in to time to see everyone start packing up.

My legs were okay pain wise, it was my back and neck that were killing me.  I needed a bath.

The guy running the event was friendly enough but the grumpy old tart running the computer system could have done with a happy pill or two.

Looking forward to going back and riding the Green Lake and outback again with a camera and some friends.