Ouch.

Unfortunately this is going to have to be short as Im writing with one hand, but I’ll get to that later. The last two weeks have been really exciting as the training has really started to ramp up.  We have been kayaking twice thanks to Arawa Canoe Club, which have given us some fantastic tips on correcting our stroke.  The highlight though, finally using a kayak with a rudder and pedals, which I is definitely needed on the Avon I think, especially with the amount of rowers, whitebaiters and geese to try and avoid!! Feeling a lot more confident in a kayak though and looking forward to doing our grade 2, although this has now had to be pushed out 5 weeks.

Richard also had us back up in the porthills with instructions of going off track and exploring! I was quite tentative at first but after a couple of hours I settled in and found my rhythm.  The views are quite spectacular!  Our last few weekends have consisted of this and Mike and I have really enjoyed getting out and about! Our weekends have also consisted of cycling.  With our first CP group session last week.  It’s fair to say this really killed me.  It was the first time I have truly wondered whether I can do this.  We were warned that we were in for quite a challenge but I had no idea quite how extreme.  We were to bike up Mt Pleasant across the top and back down Dyers Pass.  So now come the excuses… my legs were already sore, I have done very little hill work,  and Im still getting used to cleats.  Unfortunately all of these excuses resulted in not making it to the top, and my legs being so jelly I couldnt even enjoy the ride down.  I had to walk!!! OUCH. This however was the wakeup call I needed and I decided to put everything into the follow week!

So the weekdays have consisted of short runs which have been great and Ive loved having Mike run with me, I am a lot faster with him there to motivate me.  We have also had 1hour bike rides.  One was in the storm we had, which although mad, was good fun, another was along summit road, again it was a challenge but doable and the other is the reason I am typing with one hand!

It was Thursday just been, I had biked to Rapaki, ran up rapaki (with multiple stops) and was on my home when I suddenly found myself on the footpath with a little finger at right angles. (bike wheel got caught in the railway tracks and I went flying).  A trip to A&E and what I thought was a dislocation is actually a clean break in two!!! 5 weeks in a splint where I cant move my fingers! DOUBLE OUCH. But although Im wounded again, Im not out, in fact even more driven to knock this off the memories list (bucket list). We managed two, 3 hours walks (one up around Godley heads) this weekend and a strength workout and all with keeping the arm elevated – only condition the doctor gave me.

A massive thank you to the 3 cars and cyclist that stopped and waited with me, to my brother Euan for dropping everything and driving me to the hospital, mum for staying with me through although the x-rays and straightening and of course Mike for keeping me motivated!