I also have a 6.00 am start - but be at the start line at 530am locked in. Oh. my. goodness. It may not be about whether I can physically do the ride now, but whether I can stay awake - no, yeah, I can, I do that every day. And hey, adrenalin, oliveral tablets, arnica, kali phos, and mineral tablets....better do the job they are designed to do, as indeed I need to on the day!.
The early start, as advised by the Course Director means "my crew" will be be riding the old route - relay route - to miss the elite riders "platooning" us! Fair enough! Less hills - should be to my advantage - at least in the first leg.
This is my last post....pre Taupo ;-) There is still some way to go on the bigger jounney, so I'll be keeping this Blog going post Taupo. There's the journey stuff to blog about, but also there will be more cycling stuff. I'm going to keep cycling (indoors and outdoors) no matter what, and set new cycling goals and challenges.
But for today, the focus is Taupo. Just a day or so away. Mrs Strawhouse asked me on the train this yesterday what I'll think about for 8 hours on the road. In no particular order, here's what I'll probably think about - other than F**** that was an early start, and "wow, I'm doing Taupo":
- My favourite Rocky quote; re its not how many times you can get hit, but taking the hits, and keep moving forward
- The video clip where its about inch by inch
- Tracks and lines from various music on my i-pod
- How good it feels to be "doing Taupo"
- How "fresh" I feel after 3 days "rest"
- How easy it is because I have trained and prepared
- How easy the hills are and awesome I find I don't need to use the covers Mario gave me
- How awesome it is I'm riding so fast
- Various RPM instructors and their favourite lines, like "do not let this beat you..we've got this...or AK's line: faster faster...)
- How the Head Coach (TJ) said a year or so ago, she'd support me in the journey - and she has been true to her word, and how that has helped 'make a difference' ;-) in believing in myself - and others
- How CH has supported me with good pratical advice, positive encouragementy, and reminded me of the importance of pursuing adventure
- How FH has taught me, yeah it's OK to have a GP;-) and other stuff - and yeah, faith counts in healing
- How cool it is I am not alone on the road or the journey
- How blessed I feel to have good friends in my life who will be waiting for me at the finish line
- How blessed I feel to have people in my life who wont be at the finish line but have supported me by believing in me
- How blessed I feel to have a family I love and they love me, even though we don't really say it as often as we should, and even though life is not always sunshine and roses for us
- How I love my bike, I love cycling and the joy it brings
- About how awesome it is going to be to have a shared dinner (MEAT - and hopefully CREAM!), a few drinks, fireworks, and heaps of laughs (unless I go to sleep - nah, that's not going to happen!)
- How my roof and house needs painting
- How I have a couple of house boards that need repair
- How I have peas, and more potatoes to plant
- How I hope my strawberry plants will be prolific
- Will I ever get the perfect lawn that I want for the small lawn patch I now have
- Could I build a fence across my driveway
- Do I want a fence across my driveway because its time to get a dog - dog, lover, or maybe both?
- Will I get a new (secondhand) car before Christmas
- Should I start APs to start paying my tax bill off now, or get a new (secondhand car) - the car will win
- How awesome it is going to be to have a car again - AWESOME
- About getting a new PASSPORT issued, so I can travel in 2012
- I'll remember my Mum and Dad, and the gifts I inherited from each of them: music from my Mum and how hooking into the rythym is important in all aspects of life; a love of the land and colour from my Dad
- How people we love can die of cancer, and it can hurt, and that's why when we live, we have to live life as best we can - we really do have to LIVESTRONG
- How the quality of my life can be determined by the choices I make
- I'll think about my beautiful black cat Ali and how gifted and loving he is
- I'll think about the importance of love - in life, and for life, and for sharing love, and I how I feel strong enough to love, again...
- What New Zealand would look like if every voter decided to vote Green while I was cycling around Taupo :-)
- How beautiful the landscape of Taupo is, even the hills
- How awesome it is to be meeting new people
- Whether I'll hold off for the next toilet stop or just go on the side of the road - knowing I'm unlikely to see the people passing me again
- How this may be my slowest Taupo time, but in some ways it maybe my sweetest Taupo time becasue it is my first time, so I want to savour every minute, every interaction, every "switchback", every climb, every downhill, and best of all when I see my name on the screen at the finishline - that will be AWESOME (I'e seen they do it on Youtube!)
- How blessed I feel to have a job where the people are positive and supportive, there is good energy and a good vibe
- How I'm moving forward inch by inch
- Should I get a dishwasher?
- Christmas in Auckland - it will be a first, and different
- The fireworks
- How awesome there is no wind, at least not like the last weekend when the wind was crazy
- How awesome it is ride a new route with thousands of other people, and its an amazing way to spend a November Saturday
I probably wont think about world peace:-)
OK.....for 8 hours, it is actually possible I may think of none of the above - but just about keeping my feet going, the road ahead, what speed I'm going and reaching the finish line before dark!
Be back post Taupo ;-)
To be continued....
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