A New Dictionary

Saturday morning dawned crisp and clear; not a wisp of cloud or fog in sight around Cambridge. A perfect day to be outdoors. What was not so perfect was the fact that my front derailleur decided to quit working. It was working fine on Friday night but for some unknown reason was now unable to shift chain rings. Dad stuck it in the big chain ring, where it will have to stay for the whole race. Oh well, the first cycle leg is predominantly flat, with a few undulations towards the end.

As I join over 100 cyclists assembled on the start line I am a little apprehensive. Never before have I ridden in the cold (5°C), on the flat, or in a bunch – let alone all three together. The start of the 32km cycle is signalled and bunches swiftly form. I settle near the back of a 15 strong bunch. Some of the feeling in my feet is missing due to the temperature. Gradually smaller bunches are hauled in and individuals are dropped off the back. After a while I struggle to retain my place in the bunch, but a couple of determined sprints see me sucked on the back again. Everything changes when we leave the flats. Partly due to training in the Waitakeres, and partly due to being stuck in my big chain ring, I sail past quite a few people. It feels great to overtake people! For a few minutes I take part in a well organised bunch, before it disintegrates when swallowing up another bunch. I thoroughly enjoy my first experience at riding in a cohesive bunch. At the top of the next hill a herd of cattle is being shifted down the road. Due caution is exercised to avoid the beasts and the worst of the bovine excrement.

At the cycle/kayak transition

Arriving at the run transition I was elated at having passed so many people. Heading up the road on foot was tough, but by the time the off-road section of the 15km run is reached my legs had accustomed themselves to running. Not much running is done though, as the track soon got too steep. However, hill climbing is my forte and I steadily hauled people in. The climb to the top of Maungatautari is higher than the highest point in the Waitakeres, so I knew it was going to be a long haul. In places it was necessary to haul yourself up on roots; someone commented that it was just as well we weren't coming down this way. Once on the top ridge we had to keep our eyes peeled for track markers as there were false trails going off in all directions. Two people managed to get completely lost on this section and ended up on the other side of the mountain! As I gained the summit, a couple of tramping parties informed me that I was the 6th woman to reach the top, including team runners, and 72nd overall. The downhill was mostly runable which was nice. Nowhere near as steep as what we had come up. I am fairly cautious downhill due to a propensity for rolling my ankles so, as was to be expected, on the descent the tables were turned and I was the one being overtaken. I was quite pleased that I managed to post the 3rd fastest run time for individual females. The last 3km down the tar-sealed road was the hardest part of the whole run course!

Starting the kayak leg

It was a relief to reach the cycle transition as my feet were protesting at the amount of pounding they had endured. Unfortunately this second cycle leg is hillier than the first - and my bike was still stuck in the big chain ring. My hammered legs struggled to reach the top of each rise. There were a couple of steep ones that I only just made it up, but walking was not an option for me. I was no longer trying to go as fast as possible; I was just trying to keep going. 2km from the end, an AWOL arrow meant I rode an extra 18 km - turning it into a 30 km cycle instead of a mere 12km! This extra hour of cycling severely depleted my energy reserves.

Halfway down the paddle

By the time the kayak is reached I have just about had enough. The 9 km paddle down Lake Karapiro is straightforward enough, but my body is tired from the extra cycling. From several places along the bank support crews shout encouragement, and I slowly gain on Rudy Baptist's team but don't quite manage to catch them. On reaching the landing there is one last sprint up the hill to the finish line and the cheering crowd.