Taupo

So, this weekend was "Taupo" weekend.  How did it go?   Well, I heeded the advice of TJ, CH, and Mario to "take my time and enjoy" myself.   Each of these people gave me that advice!  I guess beacause they "know" it's important.  I may have heeded the advice a little too much re the taking my time factor.  Oh, and the enjoyment factor, both on the ride, and post ride :-)

According to my  bike computer, I completed the ride in under 8 hours.  That does not (signficantly) correspond with my official transponder time.  The reason being: time walking the hills when the computer doesn't register, and at the rest stops does not count.

I took the first hill real "easy".  So much so that 'Marama of Lower Hutt' commented she was pretty impressed by me doing that when we rode a little of the way together.  I took it so well, I was able to shout out to the official  "hill" photographer, I hope he got my best side!.   The second hill was Ok too.  Howerever, Kuratau and Hatepe I had to walk most of.  I guess I always knew that would be a possibility.  I had my shoe covers so walked.  The gradient of those hills doesn't  correspond with my weight.  That's why I find it easier to walk. 

One thing I found encouraging about the ride was how heaps of the riders (mostly the elite riders), and mostly the guys! - in the early part of the ride, when they passed me (usually going up the hills) would call out my name and say phrases "keep going, dig it in, not long to go now, your doing really well".  The first time it took me by surprise, as I thought 'whose that?' - then I realised they jsut read your name off your back bib.   It's "nice" they take the time to do that, and I hope that one day when I am much leaner, fitter and faster I will remember to do that - because it counts. I got a shout out to from the Head Coach, TJ, - which was cool.  Although not cool in the context that I left 3 hours before her!- and the point of the ride, at which she passed me!

The wind on the day was "crazy".  It was good I had practiced the weekend before.  But I would say the ride comprised about 3/4 of riding into the wind.

There's a whole lot of areas I could identify that if I can implement would reduce my time - hopefully by hours!  These being:

• not carry so much fluids - which is related to another dotpoint below
• not carry so many bananas and food - I took too much
• not carry so much weight (on my body)
• do weight work and strengthen my core 
• don't walk up the big hills
• don't have so many toilet and rest stops
• don't leave reserve in the tank - I was fresh enough at the finish, and this morning to go for a big walk around the lake! - although my knees felt like they were on fire  in the car on the way back..from not having enough leg room
• get more sleep the night before - I only got about 3 hours sleep, which wasn't ideal for a 6am start
• do more organised rides before - like from Jan!
• do more 100km rides on a regular basis

That's a fairly long list of points, and I note them for the sake of "lessons learned" than beating myself up about my time becasue of course, while I  had aspired to achieve an 8 hour time, the thing for me this year had to always be about completion".

I couldn't sustain 22 km to get within the 8 hours with the wind.  I think my average time when riding was 17km.  My average time when resting was 0 ;-)

Ride time aside, does if feel good?  Yes, it does.  Very good.  Could I have done it this time last year?  No. Do I want to do significantly better next year?  Yes.  And I know I can if I can address the dot points above that it is possible to shred hours off.

As for a few stats:  There was a man who had one arm in plaster who finished ahead of me, however, the unicylists didn't.  160km on a unicycle is crazy.  Especially when they have to pedal downhill as well as uphill. 


So while the time I completed "Taupo" in is not flash.   What is important is that it has strenghthened the resolve to set new goals and challenges, because that is where the enjoyment comes - in that sense of achievement - that yeah I can nail something if I set my mind and heart to it - I do have an underlying determination to want things that are good and healthy and bring pleasure.

It's been good so far, and as FH would say "the best is yet to come".   But I think what Taupo taught me this year, while the best is still to come, I make the most of how it is today.  And that's how the ride yesterday felt.  That's what it means to give effect to the phrase "right here, right now". 

I end with a quote from Amy Taylor (author of the Taupo book guide) from her Taupo FB page:

I hope everyone had a great time at Taupo. I'm looking forward to hearing all of your adventures! With wind like that time was unfortunately irrelevant bringing home the fact that your final time is not the real outcome. Instead the journey and process along the way is the true outcome.

Yeah, I did have a great time! (not measured by the transponder) but measuring "time" in other ways, and it is part of the wider journey and outcome.

I'll post a few photos once I have them.