Last Training Sessions and New York Bound

My training in the racing wheelchair concluded on Tuesday and we are now travelling to New York!  My last few training sessions have gone pretty well since my last post although there has been plenty of other stuff going on as well. During Labour weekend Denise and I had a few goals including the filling of the raised garden next to the deck and completion some training sessions. With regard to the raised garden, David Askin (Council's  Parks Manager) was very helpfully by arranging the delivery two loads of 'ballast' - left over grave diggings and some shingle. He also dropped off 2 large wheelbarrows and 2 shovels, all we needed now was some labour to operate them!

First thing Saturday morning after a bit of a lay in we headed off to the garden centre where we purchased a crab apple tree which will be a feature in our new garden.  We also purchased some weed mat and stakes to form a root barrier. While shopping Henry my builder and deck modifier rang to say he would be around to do the finishing touches to the deck ramps, this was great as we wanted to get the deck and planter box sorted before heading away. Henry ended up finishing at about 5pm and I ended up a bit frustrated from the lack of training. I therefore decided to jump on the rowing machine and cut out about 30 hard minutes, at 23 minutes though the fire duty pager went off, I was doing duty as Don was at Neil Daimond in Dunedin. The next day I woke early, SEMI FINAL time in the rugby world cup All Blacks vs Springboks. Great game, very close with the All Blacks just doing enough 30-28. Denise and I then used the early start to go swimming. Starting slowly I managed to work my way into a decent swim doing 42 lengths, just over 1km, this is followed later by a push. The day is fine and cool with a southerly blowing. I am aiming to complete a vigorous push on the EASTERN route, the start of the push is into the breeze but down a steady grade and I really push hard and average a good pace. The course after about 5km then swings north east and the wind is coming across my right shoulder and I have about 7km of false flat, gentle uphill grade - learnt this term off Brent Kircher a real cyclist. Again I push it hard and find the side wind making steering a bit of a challenge, the 7km is tough going but the tail breeze helps. On the next left turn the wind is directly behind us and we are past halfway and I hang in there and keep pushing hard to finish off another 23km. I am pretty spent but happy when I look at the time, 6 minutes quicker than I have ever finished this route.

Session stats;

Distance: 23.4km  Time: 1 hour 32 minutes  Avg Speed: 15.1km/hr

After a training session in new Catwalk gear.

Later that day the kids arrive after having been down to Dunedin with Jane to help celebrate her brother Jonathan's birthday.  Kate can't stay in Ashburton with art and photography boards needing completion. Thomas is also unable to stay with a mission to pick windsurfing gear pressing. Lucky we are left with the strong and willing HARRY!  My plans of getting two strong offspring to help move grave spoil is halved.....but up steps Denise.  With the Tiguan hardly out of the drive Denise and Harry make a start on the toil.  With the gravel all deposited and a few loads of soil thrown in for good measure things are halted for Lasagna, Dr Who and bed!!  Monday morning I manage to escape to Lake Hood for a short row and a goodbye to my fellow rowers. For the 'workers' the lions share of Labour Day Monday is spent moving the soil and eventually the job is completed after lunch and the results are magnificent. We finish the day by taking Harry back to Christchurch and having a farewell meal with Kate and Thomas, a really nice meal at Little India.

Harry and Denise Awesome Work with Great Results

With only one push during Labour Weekend I feel a need for one more push on Tuesday afternoon. Bruce Welch is willing for one last outting and we head up the road along the usual route NW of Ashburton and manage to cut out 20km. I push relatively hard at the start but then ease back on the downhill trip home. I complete the push and feel good at the end and find getting out of the chair relatively easy!!

Distance: 20km  Time: 1 hour 22 minutes

Training is complete!!! I have managed to finish this blog while flying to Auckland from Christchurch and then finalised on the leg from Auckland to LA. We are now with team Achilles and we get to meet the gang of athletes and helpers. It has just ticked over midnight so it must be time to say goodnight. I hope to publish this post with a team Achilles photo after we land in LA.

Too Much Taper???

Finally went out for a push this morning with Bruce Day after a slack time over the last week.  Since my last post when I did a push with Bruce Day at Staveley last Wednesday nothing has been happening, not even an erg rowing session.

Surprisingly my life has been getting in way of my training.  Thursday last week Jo Stevens (Trumper) old work colleague now living in Scotland was in town and some of my fellow "lifer" work colleagues from the council had a meal out with Jo and her family at the new Japanese restaurant.  The next evening Denise and I were off to an art and photography viewing at St Margarets College with Kate O'Neill one of the feature artists and photographers. The next morning we were off to Wellington, I was up at 3:30am. We were off to the Opera, but prior to this we had breakfast with Hugh, Donna & Amy at a cafe on the south coast.  We then checked into the hotel on Cuba Street, very central.  From here we went shopping and then eventually went for a swim at the hotel lap pool....some exercise.  Prior to the opera we have a meal at Stephen's favourite restaurant - Estana Malaysia.  After a great meal we head to the opera house and take our seats two rows back from the orchestra pit...wheelchair seats always the best in the house.  The opera was awesome, Simon O'Neill (Ashburton boy) is brilliant as Cavaradossi and the passion and drama of the opera is appreciated by all our companions who include Nigel and Amanda Ingram who join Denise, Stephen, Judie and I.  After a long day I sink in the hotel bed gratefully although the France vs All Black World Cup 1/4 final looms the next morning.  Stephen picks up Denise and I and we enjoy both the All Black victory and a tasty breakfast from Stephen.  More shopping on Sunday morning and arvo and then back home Monday morning.

Other excuses for the following week include Kate's leavers diner on Monday and then sports massage on Tuesday and rest required afterwards.

The push today was not great, I felt sluggish and lacking energy. The stats from todays push;

 

Distance: 23.4km   Time:   1 hour 40 min (ish, GPS not set correctly)

More taper training required over the next few days!!

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School Holidays Family Time, Peak to Pub & Lots More.....

I looked at starting this blog almost 3 weeks ago during the Peak to Pub weekend but got side tracked and have been either too slack or just too busy to get it done. I restarted this post with only 2 weeks before we leave for New York and my training starting to taper. As indicated in the last post it was school holiday time with Harry and Kate in Ashburton and initially Thomas was on the West Coast helping out on Marcus's farm. Thomas though would soon be heading back from the Coast to take part in the Peak to Pub. 

The Peak to Pub is a multi sports event which is a lttle different. There is no long swim legs or kayaking, instead you start off barrelling down Mt Hutt on skis or snowboard after doing a run through the snow at the top of the mountain. You then travel down the ski field road on your mountain bike to the main cross roads with Route 72 and run the rest of the way to the Blue Pub in Methven. This year one of the teams entered was the "3 O'NEILLS", Harry O'Neill was our skier, Thomas anchored our team and was the runner and I was competing in the Mt Bike leg with my offroad handbike. The most important part of the team was the support crew; Kate team manager and Denise driver and catering.

The day for the race was great with bright sunshine and mild temperatures. We did have a bit of a hiccup on the way up with road closed due to congestion at base building and the carpark full.  This meant when we eventually got to the base buildings we needed to drop our gear off and then get our car back down to the lower carpark at the Rakaia Saddle. Harry with a history of ski racing for Waihi School was well primed with his streamlined haircut (he chose not to wear a helmet) and he did not disappoint being the 3rd down the mountain in the teams event. From here I took over and I unfortunately did not keep up Harry's good pace.  I cranked the handbike as quickly as I could and had the power assist helping me but the competition on 2 wheels flew past me.  The handbike certainly bounced around alot and was difficult to control on the corners, especially the off camber corners designed to stop ski bunnies driving off the road. I eventually made it to the cross roads and past the bid onto Thomas who was about the last team runner waiting to go. I followed Thomas doing the run down the road section on the handbike and saw in dive into the Rangitata Diversion Race, a very cold 8m swim. We all then meet at the Blue Pub and Thomas did a very good 10km + run in 46 minutes. No prizes were run but much fun was had!

Three O'Neills Team - Peak to Pub

Following the Peak to Pub I did 3 rowing machine sessions followed by another push at Staveley with Thomas. We again climbed the hill up to the Skating Rink and set a new record of 55km/hr down the hill. When back at the store we headed up Route72, this involved generally a steady climb with some steeper pinches to test you. We got past the old Alford Forest store and the Moas and eventually turned around near the one way bridges. It was then pretty much all downhill back to the store followed by another short hill and then coffee. To finish the week off on Saturday Denise and the boys went skiing and I did a really good 37km push with Brent Kircher. It was another good day and we headed out the usual way but this time completed the circuit back to Mitcham Road.

Thursday: 1 hr 53 mins  27km
Saturday: 2 hr 34mins 37.4km

The next week we had Hugh and Donna down who were following Amy and the Wellington Girls East netball team in the National Secondary Competition. I was keen to go out for push with Hugh but it was windy as hell so I did not manage any training until a row on Wednesday followed by a push on Friday with Thomas. This was only made possible after withdrawing from a regional fire exercise at Raincliff in South Canterbury. This also allowed me to complete my last long duration marathon training last weekend. The weekend pushes did not go that smoothly. I headed out on Saturday with Denise intending to do about 35km on the usual route but after doing about 12km I got my first flat tyre. After Denise couldn't find anybody at home at the closest house a passing motorist stopped and we used her mobile to call Thomas to rescue us. With a couple of new tubes and the bike repaired we headed out again on Sunday. Thomas went with me this time and it was warm, proabably in the mid 20's so I wore shorts and only my skins top. After having rowed in the morning I still hoped to do about 30km. With heat however I reviewed this to 26km.

Friday: 1hr 41mins  24.5km

Saturday: 55min 12.1km

Sunday: 1hr 45min  26km

Heat Goes On...Shorts Go On!

I am now entering the taper period of my training. This means I reduced the length of training sessions but make them more intense. I started this taper period by joining the college rowers at a group erg (rowing machine) session. This had me completing a pretty intense 40 minutes, longest erg session since my accident. On Wednesday this this week I did another trip to Staveley with Bruce Day. Another hill session but a shorter but vigorous push of 19km. I feel quite fresh after this and enjoy a coffee and famous sausage roll at the Staveley Store.

Bruce Day with me at Staveley

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