Isobel – Settling down into something like progress.

All this fabulous weather (well, apart from a couple of Wednesday evenings for some reason!) and I’ve been steadily adding frequency and height to the climbs. Bit by bit I have now made it up to the Takahe and Evans Pass. The hill climbing on the bike is still complemented by hill walking which I love the most but I find myself at last enjoying the biking too. To be frank it began as a chore, a means to an end, and that end is fundraising for the Pinc and Steel Cancer Rehabilitation Trust. Now I’ve learned to re love the bike more for its own sake. Apart from the Wednesday Team CP ride, I ride alone for the most part but a couple of weekends ago a bunch of more ‘mature’ gentlemen swept me into their pace line until we parted ways at Lincoln. I still say that there is nothing like bike riding for just falling into informal, friendly groups on the road.

Next up for me is the Charity Classic at Cust, half Le Race and the Graperide taster. It’s great to have so many events to choose from, each one another step towards Coronet Peak at the end of April. I will take a rain check on some of the more rocky tracks on the Port Hills and let the earth settle down a bit so there may not be so many step photos which will probably be a relief for the viewers! I found these rutted, ‘sort of’ steps on the Kennedys Bush trail. Onwards and upwards!