Tour of NZ 2010 Epic Epi-logue

Tour of NZ 2010 Epic Epilogue:

The start of this trip seemed like ages ago. I often have thought that life at Epic Camp comes to a standstill….slowwww….motion! Things that you did just that morning seem like a lifetime ago. Things that were a week ago, you can hardly remember. Some lasting memories I will have of this trip are the following:

Pre-Camp: Auckland. Hanging with the Ripster. Staying up to see the New Years fireworks over the tower with some folks I will be spending a lot of time with over the coming weeks.

Day 1 Triathlon. Run-Bike-Swim-Cramp. Running to lands end and feeling the race beginning as everyone hurried up the hill to run 15k NOT for time. Racing 10k flat out (FOR TIME) on not very gentle (not) Kiwi rollers….a total ass kicker of a 10k in just about 44 minutes!
-Getting clipped at the ankle running downhill by Blanco, almost laying it out HARD Pete Rose style in the first 15 miles of the camp.
-Cramping simultaneously with Gordo pushing off the wall with 200m to go in 1500m pool swim race at the end of the day. Never cramped so bad anywhere anytime.

Day 2 Mega swim day to put me in the red jersey. 6k swim with 200 fly, 3000 IM continuous and 1000 band only.

Day 3 total shutdown/detonation. It has happened before and the body did the same again. The 20 minute stand-down Gordo ordered when I was barely able to get 200 watts through the legs. I was a quivering shaking pool of a mess. The quote from the cashier at grocery to Gordo, ‘you look a heck of a lot better than your mate!’

Day 4 Gear trouble begins. Final 30k with two gears one being a 12. Riding in broken with Douglas and Big E.

Day 5 Broken. First 90k with two gears stuck in my 15 and big chaining. The absolute low of any day 5 epic camps, and I have had some pretty low day 5s. I was prepared for it to be bad but the gear issues over two days had me completely demoralized.

Cheeseburgers at Burger King with Gordo, two cheeseburger runs in one day had me feeling a lot better.

Day 6 Rolling out in miserable rain and only 6 of us did optional tack-on doing KOM up to Whakapapa hill where it turned more pleasant and nice.

Day 7 10 x 200s on 2:45 on the G-Lordy train in the pool. Winning the cheeseburger bet with Molina for making the 200s set. Feeling a little more normal with no racing and stopping for coffee and rolling in with Steady Wheel Rob Hill. Eating Pizza Hut pizza with Molina in the hotel room.

Day 8 Gail Force wind warnings with KOM up a nasty climb outside of Wellington. Riding back into civilization, Wellington, and having a great night’s sleep in a big comfy hotel bed!

Day 9 Waffles for breakfast!! Ferry Ride and a legit rest day. Felt almost normal for a day.

Day 10 Going Nordic. I absolutely drilled myself to the base of the climb on the Lordster train. Was torched through rest of the climb having to sprint at the top to get by Jo (average HR 177 for 19 minutes) feeling like an absolutely worked mess for the next 100k of the ride. NAP. Running up to Seal Colony lookout point with G.

Wheezing in bed all night (Dr. Nic telling me I am f'cked) from the hard effort on the bike thinking I was about to be sick and ruined for the rest of the camp.

Day 11 Biggest day Ever. 4k run/3k swimming/181k biking/25k running. Running circles in the park in Christchurch with Lordy, getting lost and having to call for directions. John Ellis and Bevan saw me running aimlessly lost.

Day 12 25k Godley Head Trail run on Molina’s home course. Beautiful stunning scenery. Riding in driving rain with Southerlies in our face all day. Getting off bike and heading out for 6k swim…Tara espress-swim train, and then wandering 3k back through town eating Subway all night in bed.

Day 13 Swimming 6k straight and first 3k with running shorts on and lost and found kids goggles. Timed 400 IM in 6:05 after swimming 3k with paddles and running shorts. Swimming 12k in less than 12 hours!

Day 14 Completely torched for first 50k of the day leading up to KOM….thinking I was going to be dead last in KOM and Aquathon and losing the red jersey on the final day of competition. Nice cruising ride after doing ok in KOM…rallied once the gun went off. Game time I was on!

Day 15 Final day riding into Bluff seeing the end of the country. Riding up to the top of Bluff Hill 18-25 percent grades. Photos with the Epic crew at the tip, and then running back up to the top of Bluff Hill. Jo carrying her bike up. Running down with G laughing (fatigue intoxication) all the way back down what we biked up!!!



Epic Camp. No other experience out there comes close…even Ironman. It seems a lot simpler on paper, and riding intensity is so much higher than expected unless you are a 4:30 IM biker.

Comment by Jeff who commented on my blog….
There's three times in a man's life when he has a right to yell at the moon: when he marries, when his children come, and... and when he finishes a job he had to be crazy to start". Red River (1948)

Once I obtained the red jersey, this quote summarizes my thoughts. I was losing it on many occasions, and yelling at the moon is rather appropriate. A memory (s) for a lifetime….

Thanks to all for helping me get through (so many of you played a BIG role to get me through a very mental/physical challenge for me!). A special thanks to the G-man for keeping a close eye on me!

BTW, I stepped on the scale getting off the plane at home. Weighed in at 181 lbs…9 lbs heavier than when I stepped onto the plane pre-camp. It must be muscle mass! ;)

Train safe and be well….cheers!!