It’s been over three months of continuous travel following a season of racing for the 2009 NZ summer. It’s been racing nearly every weekend since the end of December, through that time I have stayed in 16 different accommodations where my bed ranged from a sleeping bag on a hallway floor… and I had to share the hallway, I slept in a tent that got rained on so hard I had to move into the back of a van, later a blow up bed in a random sun room all the way to a very flash apartment by the beach that had flash everything – I only stayed one night there because it was too flash and I still had to sleep in my sleeping bag on top of the bed so I didn’t make a mess… When you stay away for so long you truly begin to appreciate how good sleeping at home is, in your own bed, where the cupboards are always full of food and mum is around. Continue reading ‘08/09 Summer Done And Dusted’
Monthly Archive for March, 2009
It was a tough day at the office this weekend when I got to experience my first Karapoti in its true challenging form. Not only is it tough enough to complete the gruelling 50km course with all its steep mountain climbing, bogs and deep rivers but to still get round it despite a number of punctures and a broken shoe added an extra bit of flavour to the classic race. If you are ever going to have a mechanical issue in a race it will be the Karapoti and there will be multiple. Continue reading ‘Classic Karapoti’
Down at the bottom of Brook Valley in rainy Nelson was the biggest mud fest race of the season called Nationals. The race that brings out riders from all across the country to be in their best form for the season and battle it out for the title of being New Zealand’s National Champ… Even Rosara Joseph came out of the woodwork to show all of us kiwis how it’s done and she did, riding strong to win the elite woman’s race. I was back racing the Under 23 grade, I placed second after a battle with Katy O’Neill, she rode really well and pulled away to take home the U23 title… and the jersey. Continue reading ‘2009 National XC Champs’
