Day 15

I am at home now. Absolutely shattered. My head cold has got a little worse and I am wanting for my bed. But I am still smiling when I think of the whole camp riding around the last corner at Bluff and reaching the end of the road at the bottom of New Zealand and Lordy cracking the champage, it was a perfect last day.

The day started on the cool side but as we cycled into the Catlins the sun came out and the tailwind got stronger. I have heard this is a beautiful part of New Zealand and I think we saw it at its best. Some good hills to ride but riding through native bush with some magic sea views was memorable. 180km done some of us decided to follow Molina and ride up Bluff Hill. I have head it was an incredibly steep climb. It was and I only just managed to keep going on the steepest section with my 39 25 gearing. The view at the top was brilliant out to Stewart Island.

We finished Epic Camp with a run around Bluff Hill. But in true Epic Camp style and the there is no easy way motto John decided to take the better track that went straight back up over the top of Bluff. A very cool run but bloody steep and hard at times. So two summits of Bluff hill and my Epic camp was complete.

I will summarise the camp in a day or two and mention all those people that helped us all cope and make it through this Epic journey. I am so pleased I took on the challenge and so pleased I made it the length of NZ. Now I need a rest!

Day 14

I woke up feeling a bit under par. The camp cold had been threatening for a day or two and my throat was a little sore. Once I got moving and took some drugs and more importantly had a bowl Latte I was feeling pretty good about life and the fact we only had two days for camp completion. The Mill House that we stayed in was very impressive. The original old stone building renovated into accommodation and restaurant. The day was cool but not threatening rain and promised a tail wind. The plan was 180km total from Waianakarua to Balclutha with a stop in Dunedin to do an aquathon. Reports were coming out of Dunedin, via a friend of Nicks, that the harbor water temp was only 14 degrees. This info along with the cool wind and the fact that a number of campers including Gordo were starting to get sick put paid to the open water aquathon idea. A very good call in hindsight.

The first 50 km of riding was great. Tailwind and a good draft. I was sitting behind Big E and experienced the much talk about draft from the 6ft 8inch Eric. His is a very good bike rider so I enjoyed following his wheel. A better view than he had as he was behind Russell who’s cycling shorts had seen better days, wearing a bit thin, not a good look.

We headed towards the KOM for the day the Hill before Port Charmers. It was a really tough climb with some very steep sections. I felt good and gave it a nudge. By half way the usual suspects were up the road. I hung on to Jo’s wheel for a while until Tara came passed as well as the machine David Craig and Petro. They rode away so I concentrated on keeping as good a pace as possible to avoid getting caught by Dave Langley who was in sight but still far enough away to hold off. The views at the top once again did not disappoint. On the way down Petro, Tara and DC stopped to take a photo with the sea views behind. I joined them so will get them sent to me so I can post up on line to show you what we saw. Then it was on through to Dunedin. We had our tour leader Nick who lived here and went to med school at Otago. A stop in town at the bike shop for Charlseys bike repair. His de railer cable broke so was climbing the hill in a 14. Despite being an unbelievable cyclist he had to run 2k up the hill so was keen to get it repaired.

Out of town we took the coast road but not before climbing another bloody steep and long hill. He headed towards Brighton on the coast road for lunch stop at the 115km mark. The ride along the coast was once again fantastic. Riding with sea views, beaches and headlands makes it’s so much more enjoyable. This was turning out to be one of the best rides for me on camp. A total contrast to the Coromandel but just as spectacular.

The pace as always was solid. It seems if its not Lordy its DC or one of the other strong riders willing to keep the pace strong at all times, that’s 35-40km an hour depending on the wind. Of course it’s always your choice to stay on or drop back to your own pace.

After another great lunch provided by the support crew who do everything for us. We headed towards Balclutha. We were warned about some hills but once again as previously today they where some of the hardest hills we have climbed all tour. The climb from the coast at the Taieri Mouth was very steep and went on for a long time with lots of drops down and just when you thought the next steep rise was the top it would descend again only to climb once more. We then had a fast decent down to join the main highway. Then towards Milton. Rob Hill and I had been talking about a coffee stop and Milton gave us the opportunity. With a strong tail wind and around 20k to go we stopped at the only cafe open. It was perfect. Couches and really nice coffee. So good we had two rounds before we could extract ourselves and re mount the bikes. A hilly but nice ride due to the tailwind into Balcutha.

A lot of the group are feeling pretty tired. I had a really enjoyable day and feel tired but upbeat and really happy about getting through with now only 1 day to go to reach Bluff. Time for dinner so until day 15 of Epic Camp

Day 13

Today we had one of the Epic Camp traditions to complete. The 400IM (individual medley) competition. In the past this has been very amusing for those watching the lesser accomplished swimmers battling their way through one of the toughest events in swimming. We had the whole Geraldine outdoor 25m pool to ourselves for 2 hours. So some of the guys took the opportunity to swim a 6km session, others the standard 3km and some who already have the total swim distance for camp completion finished did just the 400IM.

My knee was a little stiff when I woke but seemed all ok once I got moving. The camera man questioned why I was in my swim gear at the pool as I was told not to swim for a day or so. I explained that the 400IM was required for the camp completion and I wasn’t going to miss that after biking 2000km , swimming 27km and running over 100km with only 2 days to go.

The IM was won by Steve Lord just held off Scott by 2 seconds in a time of 5min 55. John was third then Nick & Petro just on the 6min mark. I had a good first 25 fly then it was all hard work. I hear Molina made some funny comments from pool side about my rapid decline in swimming ability, which was pretty accurate. I managed to survive coming in around the 7:30 mark. It’s a bloody tough event to do but was pleased to have notched up an Epic Camp 400IM

Once all that was done it was back for breakfast and off on the bike. 150km from Geraldine to Waianakarua which is just south of Oamaru. It was an uneventful ride down state highway 1 but finished with some of the best road we have traveled so far. The coastal road from just outside Oamaru through to Waianakarua was spectacular. It may have been the contrast from the boring main road with heavy traffic to the quiet road following the coastline that made it that much more enjoyable, but everyone loved it. I was with a group of 8 riders. At one point we come to a road closed sign but decided we would follow the planed route. It become obvious why that section of Beach road was closed as the sea had eroded the cliffs so much that it had eaten sections of the tarmac away. Dave Craig took some photos as it was an amazing site. Luckily the road meet up with the open road again and with a bit of cyclocross and climbing over dirt piles we were back on track. I never knew this road existed so it was a very cool way to finish the ride and always good to see new parts of my own country.

I think everyone is happy that we are now close to completing the journey. A few people are getting sniffles and the odd cough so the heavy training load is starting to take its toll. I am feeling good generally considering what we have done. Felt tired when we stopped riding and had a small sleep before my massage. The massages have been fantastic and I am sure have made a huge impact on my ability to recover and keep going.

Tomorrow we head to Balcluther. 180km ride but plan to stop at Dunedin for an Aquathon. 2km Harbor swim and 7km run depending on conditions. So another Epic day in store for us tomorrow.

Day 12

After a good nights sleep I was on the footpath with my bags at 6:30am waiting for the van to pick me up to head to Sumner. It was a nice morning for the planed run up Capt Thomas track, out to Godley Head and return along the Boulder bay coastal track. This is one of the best runs in Christchurch and with the sun out it was spectacular. 18km done it was straight to coffee culture for my coffee fix.

We departed at 10:45 for Geraldine with the knowledge of a southerly front heading towards us. It hit us a couple of hours into the ride and made it tough riding conditions. Unfortunately in the blustery conditions the bunch was surging a little. One of these surges caused some breaking and I was not quick enough to avoid running up the back of Nicks bike. Nearly managed to hold it up but failed and ended up on the deck. The hard chip on the road edge took a few gauges out of my knee but otherwise I was ok. The rest of the ride was cold and wet up to the lunch stop. After lunch Clas decided to warm things up and got a train going. We covered the last 50k in good time and got to Geraldine sometime around 4pm.

Super Dave organised a trip to the doc for me to get checked out. The amusing part of this was Scott the camera man came to film the whole process (not a lot of other exciting events happened today) . Pleased to say it wasn't bad, just a clean up and a bandage. I am not supposed to swim for a day, but we have pool games tomorrow. The classic Epic camp 400IM and I do not want to miss out now I have come so far.

I am feeling good after today. Defiantly got over the fatigue I had in Kaikoura. Looking forward to tomorrow.

Day 11- Epic heads to Hometown Christchurch

I woke this morning with a solid headache and some apprehension on how the day would shape up. After yesterdays tough ride into the wind I was respectful of the days planed 180km ride to Christchurch. Before the ride we had a 2k jog down to the local outdoor pool for our standard 3k swim session. The air was chilly and it was easy to see why. The mountain range surrounding Kaikoura had a topping of snow. The call had been made to wear wetsuits for the swim as it was thought the pool temp would be pretty cold. The pool was located next to the sea and allowed for a spectacular view of the snow capped mountains. There was a number of photos taken. Some of the boys trying to look like swim suit models, but couldn't really pull it off. Check out the photos on the epic camp web page. As it turned out the temp was OK and the wetsuit made for a very pleasant swim. We jogged back for breakfast and the usual routine of packing bags, bike gear on, bottles filled and ready to roll. The days ride had a KOM in the first 20km and then a straight ride to Christchurch. You will have to read the other blogs to find out what happened at the front end of the KOM. As we left the coast line and headed inland the climb started. I didn't stay with the front bunch for long and tried just riding solid on the climb as I was still fatigued from yesterday and knew I could not go a lot faster. I ended the climb just behind Russell and Dave L then rolled to the drink stop. From there once we all got on the train lead by Daniel it was a fast trip to our first stop at Cheviot. Dan & Kaye had to leave the camp today to run their Newton expo at the Wanaka Ironman. So sad to see him and Kaye go. They were both fantastic on the camp, adding value in many respects and always fun to be around. Thanks for your hard work Kaye and your company and back wheel Dan.

The rest of the ride in was great and we arrived in ahead of schedule. I am having a night at home in my own bed which will be nice. We run Godley head in the morning from Scott's place in Sumner so will be familiar territory and enjoyable run if the legs are not to tired.

On reflection its been an amazing 11 days. We have gone so far, done some much and been through some beautiful country since we left Kaitia. We have 4 big days of riding left to complete the journey. Not to mention the odd run and swim. Also there is some real competion still alive for the red jersey with Dave & Petro going hard. Petro currently holds it but with Dave's ability to just run as far as he needs with no obvious negative effect its not an easy job. Dave went out for a 25km run after the ride today and I think Mark P was going to match him. It will be an interesting battle to watch over the next few days.

The body feels better tonight, still tired but much better, what a difference a day can make. Looking forward to tomorrow.

Day 10 – Kaikoura

Today started with a walk down to the pool for a 6am start to our swim session. I decided it would good morning to knock off the 3k medley set. This consisted of 100m medley then 150mm free x 12 to give 3k total. All for just 1 bonus point. That done it was back to breakfast and then ready for the relatively short 130k ride to Kaikoura. We rolled out easy through town. A kom was only 15km from the start. The first attack was started by Nic showing power not seen to date (1003 watts). I chased and got on. Steve lord burst past with Clas and Petro on his wheel. I ended up in the break. We got to the bottom of the climb and I dropped off as the pace had been to hot. Petro lasted a little longer than me but was left on the lower slope but hung on for 6th. My pace was slow and the main bunch passed me. This was the start of a tough day for me. Apparently at the top clas took the KOM with Steve second. I was passed by Dan just before the summit. Needless to say my competion with Tara on the KOMs was dealt a blow as she finished a number of places ahead of me. I rolled on down to the drink stop. I was feeling empty with not extra energy in the legs. Lucky for me Nick and Russell waited and I sat on for the ride to the next aid station. The main group was still there when we arrived. They had been there for a while so headed off not long after we arrived. I ended up missing the train and had a long 70k ride into the strong southerly wind on my own. At under 20k and hour it took a long time to get to Kiakoura but the spectacular coast line, sea and seals made it a little easier. The cravings for a steak and cheese pie become strong towards the end of the 5 :30 hr ride. After days of carbs something savory is very attractive. I had to stop at the café over the road for said pie and ice chocolate.

Some recovery drink and an hours rest then it was off for the 10km run to the seal colony. I joined Russell and had a nice run feeling surprisingly ok. After more rest then dinner. Everyone had a tougher day than expected due to the wind.

Tomorrow we head to Christchurch and home for me. I am hoping I feel better and can enjoy the ride home.

Day 9 - Epic Goes South Island

Today was officially a shut down rest day with no points on offer. So the minimum for the day was to make the Ferry Crossing across cook straight and bike from Picton to Blenheim. This was a very much needed rest day for me as I was still feeling a bit shattered today. I think most of the others also appreciated it as well. Even though it was supposed to be an easy spin to Blenheim I found myself once again aboard the Dan McDonald express. We had rolled off the hill out of Picton to find Dan up the road in his familiar position low on his bars outputting mega watts. Lee in true green jersey fashion pushed hard to close the gap with encouragement from Clas sitting on his wheel along with a few of us following. 45km an hour plus meant that the group reduced to just Dan, Clas, myself and Scott with the others showing common sense and letting the express train go, or maybe they just blew! It made the short trip even shorter and 49 min latter we where in Blenheim pulling into our motel accommodation for the night.

I had a special treat waiting for me. My two girls Alex and Charlotte come over from their holiday in the sounds to see me. It was so nice to see them and give them a big hug. Also to catch up on some real life. After 8 days of total immersion in Epic camp lifestyle it was good to get a dose of reality and remember the life we left 9 days ago.

The South Island, mainland of New Zealand is now laid out before us starting with Kaikoura tomorrow. Hoping the rest day will have the energy levels up and the body willing.

A couple of pics

A bit of yoga practise on the ferry over to the Coromandel and the run leg of the Coromandel aquathon.

We made it to Wellington!

Day 8. One island complete and 1 to go. It was a tough day into Wellington. Not only did we have the substantial climb over the Rimatakas but we had to battle a fierce wind as well . The little riders got blown around. As a member of team Buddha I did not suffer from that problem. My thighs felt much better this morning. The easy ride pace yesterday must have allowed some recovery. The climb was raced hard. Read the blogs on the epic camp site to get the full story. I went 100 percent and just got chicked by Tara in the last 600m. She is pretty good so I was happy with that.....

Just got back from my massage. It was fantastic. We get 5 on tour and they are looked forward to and are so good. We are very well looked after with the support crew basically doing everything for us except the swim/bike/run sessions. We are all starting to get brain dead so are relying on the crew to provide the necessities of life.

The rest of the day consisted of a regroup then a downhill that ended with a Dan McDonald express train into Wellington. Highway Dan had us over 50k an hour for long periods and ended with just myself and Douglas stuck to his back wheel. Way too hard but a real blast. That's what its about having some fun.

Then into the hotel. 3pm run to Freyburg pool. I did my 1k bands only set. Then suffered through the hardest and slowest 2k of my life. When the pregnant lady passed me I knew I was in trouble. All I could think of was a latte and muffin. I talked Dave L and Rip into joining me at the café across the road for the best bowl latte and apple yogurt muffin. Then ran home into the wind. Day 8 done. Rest day tomorrow yeah!!

Pete

Day 7 - 200km Bike Ride

Day 7 - Another North Island city and another swim/bike/run day ahead of us. I apparently slept OK last night according to one of my room mates Scott Molina as he was complaining about my snoring. Sounds like he will make sure the rooming list do not have us sharing again! Sorry Scott but it was good to catch some sleep. We run to the Wanganui pool, just over 3km to do our swim. Nick Hutton who grew up in the Hawkes Bay and was a swimmer kid said this pool was fast. So we decided it would be a good opportunity to do a couple of the bonus points sets that Molina had set for the camp. So Dan McDonald, Nick and myself aimed to do the 10 x 200 set and the 200m fly as part of our 3k set. We where supposed to do the 200s on 3:35. Nick obviously got a bit excited about being in a familiar pool and lead the first 200 through in 2:40. Thank god he backed off and we got through that ok. Dan & Nick did it easy. Next the 200 fly. I was rather concerned about this as I tried it in Whangarei and only managed 75m before I gave up on threat of drowning. We watched Nick do his and managed like a pro cutting it out in 3:05, solid. Dan and I took off next. I tried the big glide between strokes technique which worked well for the first two lengths then I started running out of breath. By the end of the fifth length I was getting really concerned and starting to have a bit of a panic attack that I would not make it due to lack of oxygen. I decided to up the stroke rate to get in more breaths and that seemed to work. With only 2 lengths to go I was determined not to stop as I did not want to go through this pain again. The high rate got me through and my first ever 200m fly was done. Most probably my last as well. Tough way to earn a point. Thanks Scott.

Run back to the accom then quick breakfast and off on the longest ride to date. 200k to Masterton. My legs had nothing in them after yesterday. I was lucky enough to get a massage from Russell (fantastic masseur! and amazing ultra runner) the night before and that also may have deadened the legs a bit. So I started of with the second group on the rode. After 20k the pace picked up and Nick said he was backing off. After 10 seconds deliberation I decided I would stick to my plan for the day to ride as easy as possible and try and get some recovery, or not do any more damage. So Nick and I with Rob C rode together for the whole day. It was a really nice ride with a tail wind. Enough hills and changing scenery to make it interesting and quiet roads. Nick and I chatted for most of the 7 hours and Rob who was feeling tired today (we all have days like that) sat in. We decided we would stop for a beer in the last part of the ride. As it happened that was on the outskirts of Masterton. Nick had to do two laps of the pub carpark to break 200km distance for the first time in his life. A good reason to celebrate with a cold beer in the sun. The acomm was only 2k away so a nice finish to the day.

Tomorrow is to Wellington and we will have completed the North Island, unbelievable.

Until then

Day 6 begins with another swim in Lake Taupo

Quick summary of the day. 6.30am 3k lake swim - 8:30am 180km bike - 4pm 10k run. Today ended up a tough day with everyone looking stuffed by the end. The swim was ok. I enjoyed the lake again and felt ok. The ride was hard. We had a long climb out within a few km of the climb and it must have been 5k or more to the top. It was also raining and head wind. I ended up tagged onto the lead bunch at the top of the hill. About 9 of us. After 42k there was the option to climb to the Whakapapa ski field and race for the KOM points. I was struggling to hang on to this group so did not want to climb the 10k up and make it a 200km day. Luckily for me Molina opted to miss the climb as well so I had one of the best wheels on camp to sit on for the ride towards Wanganui. It cleared as we went and we had some good downhill sections. After lunch there was a lot of rolling hills and the wind got stronger. A real tough ride in. Some recovery chocolate milk and off for the 10k run. I did it with Douglas who is a pretty good runner so just over 50mins latter we were all done.

I felt bloody shattered but had to lay in the sun and have a couple of cold beers.

I managed to get online and see the points table and I am sitting in the top half so far. I am going to have to look after myself as much as possible, as does everyone, as we are all starting to get run down and tired. The motivation is getting stronger to get to Bluff and gain full camp completion every day I get closer the more I want to make sure I make it. So better get some sleep. Another big day tomorrow

Pete

Day 5 was Epic

First real signs of fatigue are starting to set in. It seems the same for most of the guys who are doing all the sessions. Today was a 180k ride to Turangi. I started with the last group out again which was only 12 strong. Everyone else opted to get away early to ride at their own pace. It was a nice ride with plenty of rolling hills gaining a lot of altitude. That was until 30 odd k out from lunch when Steve Lord decided to ride steady at the front. I eventually got dropped as the thighs had had enough. Steve and Clas ended up dropping everyone even Gordo before they hit the lunch stop. Similar story after lunch. I ended up riding in with Jo Carrit and had a nice ride and chat. This is a really good group of people who so far are mixing well and having fun. Lots of interesting types with different backgrounds. It will be interesting to see how we all cope as the tour slowly sucks the energy away each day.

After our ride and sorting accommodation, we had an hours rest then it was down to Lake Taupo for a 3k wetsuit swim. My new orca 3.8 is just the best suit to swim in. Enjoyed the fresh water swim, but started feeling a bit tired at the end of the 51 min. Then it was out of the wetsuits and on with the running gear for our 10k run. Felt good once warmed up but by the last couple km my legs were sore so was pleased to finish. Dinner in the resturant was great. Lots of talk about tomorrow as there is an optional KOM ride up the road to the Whakapapa ski field. This will add 20k onto the day and make it a 200k day. We do the 3km lake swim again before breakfast. So a little crazy. I intend to climb at this stage and flag any run tomorrow as my legs need a rest from running. And I am on track to do my runs for camp completion which is now taking priority as the fatigue builds. I have probably going a bit harder on the bike than I should so far. But it has been fun to bike with such good riders and sitting on the bunch at speed is what its about.

Its now getting tough but still lots of guys gunning for the points. I think you can check out the points table on the epic camp web site to see what's happening. Also there are plenty of other blogs about the camp - here. Had trouble getting to sleep last night as the body takes a long time to settle after training all day. Hopefully tonight will be better. Until tomorrow...

Pete.

An Epic Day 4

This is a short blog as its now 10pm and I need my recovery sleep. We had another beautiful day weather wise and scenery wise as well. This morning was a short 10k ride down to Devonport to catch a ferry across to the Coromandel. We got off at a typical North Island beach, small bay lined with pohutakawa trees. In Epic Camp style before we set out on our 150k bike we had a small aquathon to complete. A 1km open water swim and 5km run. So wetsuits on and into it. It was fantastic to swim in the sea. The water was a nice temperature. I started not too hard and really enjoyed it. Came out about 7th and got passed by a couple of the hard running guys. Tried to catch Daniel and Rip but after making no ground and with sore thighs I just tried to hold a steady pace and minimise leg damage. I finished 10th just ahead of Douglas. Then onto the bikes. Two good climbs started the ride with the second a KOM. I struggled at the top of the second climb. My legs where happy to be done. It was another fast descent then onto some of the best scenery of the camp so far. The narrow road followed the coast line passing beautiful beaches and bays. The day was perfect and with no pressure to ride hard it was very enjoyable. After a lunch stop the road become flat and straight as we headed to Matamata. Gordo sat at the front of the whole camp for over 60k. Fatigue was starting to creep in and my shoulders hurt like hell. A drink stop at 40k to go was welcome. It was a tail wind on the way so nice way to finish. It was 6pm when we got in so shower and dinner and the day was done. Support crew are doing a stellar job under tough conditions with so much travelling between days and lots of gear to cart. The routine is set and day 5 will be on me soon enough. Until then!

Epic Camp - Day 3

Day 3 started at 5.30am with a quick coffee and toast then at 5.50am we ran 2k to the local pool. Everyone completed their 3k set and ran back to camp. After beakfast it was an 8.30 departure for our 175km ride down to the North Shore and the Millennium Institute where we are staying. It was a hard ride with wind and relentless rolling hills. We rode past some beautiful beaches amongst spectacular native bush. The pace was solid with the usual strong riders at the front. Gordo, Clas and Steve doing most of the work. After lunch it got tough and I ended up in the front group with Clas, Steve Lord, Scott Molina and Douglas. After a number of tough climbs Clas and Steve left us to ride at their pace. In the end I had the very familiar position of sitting on Scott's wheel on the way home. Once in I had my 6k run to do to complete my 10k for the day. Luckily at the Institute they have a fantastic all weather 400m track as everywhere else is hilly. So I headed to the track with Clas and Steve to run laps. It was very pleasant as we chatted about training, racing and life while running a respectable just over 5min k pace. I know this because Clas has a GPS watch so it was official. The gadgets some of these guys have are amazing. Steve was doing his second 10k run for the day to get an extra bonus point in the yellow jersey comp. It meant he just pipped Gordo and takes the lead for now.

The story of the day was Rip. His bike broke down so he could not ride today until it was fixed. To gain points and kill some frustration he decided to use his time running and swimming. So he did his 10k the hit the pool. Not for 3k but for 15.5km. Yes over 3 and a half hours of swimming. He is an ultra man finisher and this is epic camp.

Until tomorrow

Epic Pete

Epic Camp - Day 2

Already I had to think what day of the camp it was and its only day 2. We pack in so much and travel so far each day it seems we fit in more than a day in our epic day. Today started with a 5.50am wake up shower and into my cycling gear. It was a cycle only today for official camp completion. As always there was the optional run and swim sessions for bonus points towards the jersey competions. To check out how the jersey comps are going log onto Epic Camp. I opted for breakfast and passed on the morning run due to very sore thighs.
The ride was 175k with a 5k KOM climb at the 30k mark. I had a good climb and ended up 8th to the top. Had to sprint past Tara who passed me just before the summit to gain an extra quat point. What we do when a competion is on.
The day had become cloudy with showers but the temp was still warm 15deg plus maybe. The wind was mostly behind. So apart from the water spray it was good riding conditions. I rode hard off the mountain. Epic is all about getting away early and not missing the bunches. I managed to bridge over to a group of 4 riders including Clas Bjorling, Rich and David Craig. After riding together for a while I ended up on Clas's wheel who towed me all the way to the aid station stop at 70k. Thanks Clas, what a fantasic rider. Then from the lunch quick stop and through to Whangerei. My legs where shattered but I feelt good and had plenty of time so I did my 10k run then went to the pool with most of the guys for the 3k swim. Some of the guns went for the bonus set and did a 6k set.
So the end of another day. I am feeling great so want to take it easy tomorrow so I can keep the energy levels up as long as possible.
As the days go on I am getting to know the other athletes. Its one of my favourite reasons for doing this, meeting new and interesting people. The film crew have a hand held diary cam that they wanted footage on. So Daniel and I went in search of the real story of the people taking part in Epic. We got some great interviews and I hope we can do some more. It was a fun way to find out more about everyone.
That's me until 5.50am tomorrow when we run to the pool for our swim session.

Epic Pete

Day 1 - The Journey Begins

Day 1 of epic. We are back on the bus. A couple hour trip up to Cape Reinga to the top of new Zealand. I have never been to the most northern point before. I can not think of a better reason than starting a journey the length of my own country under my own power. OK that sounds slightly crazy, but ever since I have heard the tales and the experiences from those that took part in the first length of NZ race the Xerox 1990, I have wanted to do it.



The landscape has change to a sparse dry farmland Rolling !! and not to hilly for the bike back. We start with a 20km run. And have just been informed the last 10km will be a race for the competition points. Then onto the bike for 90km with the last 30k a time trail. Last a pool session to finish the day with a timed swim to find out the tour leaders. It will be interesting to see who races hard and who holds back for later in the camp.



Its now evening and Day 1 is over. A truly epic day to start the camp. Our final bus journey took us to the end of the road to the Cape Reinga Lighthouse. Everyone was pretty excited and nervous at actually getting to the start line. The reality of what lay ahead could no longer be ignored. It was time to start.



The morning cloud was burnt away by the hot sun so the scene was spectacular. With only 1 or two of the group having ever been there before it was tourist photo time with everyone getting photos. A team photo with our awesome epic jackets on then it was off.



It was really hot from the start as we started the first stage. It was just over 11k. I used my experience and made sure I was away with the first guys, did not want to have to make up any ground and wanted to run this as easy as possible. It was hilly on shingle road but a good chance to chat and find out more about the others. The camp has a film crew following us who are going to make a doco of Epic camp. So we had the cameras rolling! just like a reality show I am thinking there will be some interesting footage over the next two weeks.



We stop ed after 11k refuelled and started the 10k race to the finish. I enjoyed the run. Started steady and ran with Daniel McDonald and Scott for a while until Daniel moved ahead. I ended up picking it up in the last few K and finished with a sprint finish against Rip, which was fun but probably not so smart. I ran 48 something which I was very happy with.



Then after lunch. A great spread laid out by Mairs and Kaye. We biked back towards Kaitaia. Daniel and I both had helmet cams on. The film crew wanted some footage from the bikes during the TT. We had a nice tail wind and the hills weren't too bad. Daniel and I were ready so we rolled out before the main group and had an easy first 30k before the first group caught us. The next 30k was very steady at times with Andrew Charles hammering it at the front. Again I was thinking maybe a little too hard, but the draft was nice. After 60k we stopped and regrouped for the 30k TT. We started 30seconds apart in reverse order from the run result. I rode it pretty hard and felt ok until the last 5k where it got a bit tough. Ended up with a respectable time about 30 seconds behind Scott which is good for me.



Then we had a half hour to get ready to head to the pool for our swim session. Everyone was feeling it from the long run and the heat. The pool session was 1k warm up then a 1500m timed. It turned into a cramp fest with lots of us having bouts of cramp set in after the tumble turns. It must have looked amusing from the sidelines. I had a good bunch to swim with and we cut it out in 22:40. Again a very respectable time. 500m to finish the 3k requirement was as far as I and everyone else wanted to go.



It was a tough day and my legs are feeling sore. A lot of others feel the same so will see how it shapes up in the morning.



Tomorrow is a 175k bike over some very hilly roads, but with areas of native bush which looked really cool from the bus on the way up. The first 30k could be a hammer session with a KOM and points available at that point. It should be friendly!! riding from there until we hit Whangarei. Time to get some needed sleep now.

Off to Kaitaia where Epic Camp will begin

Watching a DVD of the 94 Kona Ironman on the long bus ride from Auckland to Kaitaia. With many of the team having gone and raced in Kona one even winning it, this seems the perfect way to start the camp. There is a real international flavour to the group with triathletes from the UK, America, Aussie and NZ making up the numbers.
Its a beautiful sunny day as we head up to the top of NZ. Hopeful we get plenty of this over the next two weeks. About to stop in Whangerei for lunch.