That Time of Year Again

[Pip]

So, any Kiwi women out there planning on doing Taupo? I was going to be doing it for the second time, and was on track to knock around half an hour off last year. Unfortunately I just got sidelined thanks to surgery. Bah.

Next year Taupo will be mine!

[MillieNZ]

Currently on track for my second year at Taupo............ here's hoping the weather is as nice as last year and not this appalling windy crappy days we are getting.....

So does that mean you wont be doing rotorua 1/2 iron man either ??

[Pip]

Nope, no half Ironman either. I actually had brain surgery. Google endoscopic third ventriculostomy if you want to know what the exact procedure was. Essentially the surgeon drilled a hole in my head, stuck a probe in my brain and then made a hole in one of the ventricles to let the cerebrospinal fluid drain out.

It's been just over two weeks and I'm hopeful of getting back on a stationery bike this week, but training for Taupo and Rotorua were going badly enough before the migraines started, let alone post-surgery! I was hoping I might be back into things in time to do the Taranaki ride in January, but that seems unlikely as well. So I'll aim for the 130km race in Buller on April 17, hopefully the Rotorua marathon again, the Taupo Cycle Challenge, and then the Challenge Wanaka 70.3 in January 2011.

I hope you're right about the weather. It's been horrific here in Wellington. We've actually had to cancel group rides because it it, and that never happens!

[MillieNZ]

sounds quite nasty Hope you are feeling better................Next year will be your year

I'm so over the wind............although not when it's behind me Still there's always the hot pools if it all turns to poop

Are you up to taking Madei for a spin round Wellington when she arrives in NZ ??? See the thread in adventure stories

[Pip]

I've volunteered to take Maidei for a spin! Great thread.

I'm feeling frustrated today to be honest. My doctor told me off for going back to work and told me to stay home for the rest of the week. I just want to be recovered already. Having coffee with my usual pack after their ride on Saturday then watching a triathlon on Sunday probably didn't help! Plus the guy who sits next to me at work is training for Taupo as well and getting some great rides in.

Guess I'm not a great patient!

[MillieNZ]

I remeber how frustrated I was last year being sick Feel for you but hopefully you'll come right soon

anyho, have you seen the weather forscast for the weekend ?!?!?!?! wet & windy...... oh boy, going to be interesting ride !

[crazycanuck]

Pip-how are ye feeling this week? Sure hope you're recovering quietly & taking care of yourself!

Mnz..be careful @ the Round Taupo esp with the weather forecast!

weeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[MillieNZ]

CC & Pip - It was a ok day in the end, not windy (thank god) but wet at the bottom of the lake round the mountain................. there was a heap of falls though, a couple nasty looking

Very happy with my effort, powered up the hills overtaking which amazed me Finished 6.33......... As alwasy I'm so impressed with the organisation of the this ride, they do a outstanding effort to get 11, 000 riders round the lake !

If you come out to visit the rellies again, pop down to Taupo , there a fab new mountain bike track from Whakaipo Bay to Kinloch...... 14kms with plenty of hillies we walked it on sunday and I was wishing I'd have brought the mountain bike down as well

[Pip]

Hey everyone. Wow, I forget to check into the NZ thread for a few days and you both start posting! Congrats on your Taupo time Millie. That's around the time I did last year. I was hoping for closer to six hours this year ....

As for recovery, it's taking longer than I would like. Ironically it's not the brain surgery itself that's causing me grief, it's my neck. It's so spasmed up that it's actually pulsing! I decided today that enough was enough, so went on a short run - my first in around two months. Phew do I need to rebuild my leg strength! Tomorrow I'm hoping to run/walk a local 10k fun run.

Your experience of the race matches my friends' reports. I was quite relieved the weather wasn't as bad as reports indicated it might be. It was a horrid day here in Wellington. Seems some had trouble with the cold, others were fine.

Like you Millie I remember overtaking everyone on the hills last year, but I was being overtaken on the downhill. I'd been really working on my technique before the operation to try to prevent that happening again.

It was stunning here today so there were heaps of cyclists out around the Bays. I was suffering serious pangs of envy. Time to get my road bike out again this week I think!