Catorce

Penultimate day here on the south island and the riding was magnificent. J and I rolled early from the Mill House after leaving a latte bowl and a BBQ stuffed to the gills with bacon and sausage, we embarked on the 190km journey towards Balclutha (by way of Dunedin). The south island support crew consisting of Janet, Suzie, Bruce, and Paul are killing it. Thanks for the all day support guys.

The route consisted of some really nice climbs with breathtaking coastal and valley views at every turn. The endless white sand beaches were deserted (and this on a summer sunny Saturday ... ok maybe on the chilly side). On our way down the Mt Cargill climb (5mi, 1100ft) into Port Chalmers, I grabbed a quick photo of my trusty rig adjacent to a port memorial anchor (the sweeping right hander which followed the stop was one not to be missed). The fitness plan of the day called for an aquathon at the Port Chalmers Yacht Club, so we rolled over there (cold cold cold) and then headed straight back into town for coffee and treats at the Port Royale cafe (really nice ambiance with some grooving tunes to boot). Refreshed and ready to roll we jammed through the beautiful Dunedin city center and up and over to the beach roads up to the Taieri Mouth River. From there, the road tilted to the sky in an endless string of risers (4mi, 1100ft). My self snapshot above is from the top, I was tempted to run across the green fields singing, "the hills are alive," but with all the "gun club" signs around, I thought better of it.

The descent was fast and furious and at first the run in to the hotel was a breeze. But this is Epic Camp, and the last 10k was pretty tough with eight stingers before the well worn signs lead us to the recovery suite!

Janet hooked me up with a quick massage, then J and I ran to the pool and back to cap off the last swim/bike/run day.

Fitness:

190km stellar ride on the south island

6km run (to/from Balclutha Public Pool)

2.5km swim behind the Lord of the Mark train (felt great in the water).

Blanco