jo c - day 4

big shock first thing this morning was to find that my new/favourite/only bike shorts are worn through! so unfortunately the campers are going to have to spend the next 10 days seeing my butt breaching through the back of my shorts. Thank goodness for the Oomph Epic gear that we were given at the start of the camp. it was a pretty leisurely start to the day - for the campers, that is. The logistics side of coordinating the transfer to corramandel via ferry for us campers and our bikes, with the support vehicles by road or the support for john and the team were not so simple. After a tour of Auckland curtursy of local boy Douglas and ferry ride across the bay to corramandel, we donned wetsuits and lubed up for a sprint aquathon. John eyed out the 1km swim course around 3 of the buoys that mark the shipping lane, whilst Gordo measured 5km run route on his bike.

At the start of the swim, which i'd fully intended to go as hard as i could, i suffered a panic attack...which left me a long way behind the racing pack. i've never experienced this before, and consider that this is probably the usual panic that i experience at the swim start of a race - but without the prospect of the rest of the race to force me to swim through it. i admit this left me on a real low, swimming casually alone with dark thoughts. rather than exiting as per the aquathon course, i swam a second lap, to wind myself down a little. It was a pleasant swim and sufficient distraction from the fact that i was excluded from the race.

After some refreshments we started the day's ride around the bay and south to Matamata. With two climbs more or less straight off the bat, the second was a KOM race....then a lovely cruise along the winding coast road to our shaded lunch stop. with no more racing ahead of us, the tone off the ride after lunch was social - with Gordo leading the whole group as a single chain into teh headwind. i managed to secure myself the sweet spot in the bunch - behind 'big eric'. to give na idea how big, Big Eric is - his saddle is about as high as my armpit. Pretty sheltered riding for someone my size! We chained along for about 2hrs at a moderate pace, but were all ready for drinks when Gordo finally pulled over. The final 30-40km might have been very steady , had steven and class not ridden to the front - and shortly after right off it for a hammer-fest of their own - and picked the pace back up to around 32kph. it was a very pleasant pace - a little work, but not too much to prohibit conversation. A long day in the sun and we were all glad to arrive at our motel at 6pm. Great BBq dinner put on by the support crew...all a little later than planned so its 10pm as i write this. excuse the hurried ending! Looking forward to some great scenery tomorrow as we ride to lake Taupo after breakfast at 6.30.

swim 2.4?km
ride 160km