Pathway to Taupo

It was a series of coincidences that sent me on this journey. Cycling had become a way of life - albeit a very small one. I cycled to work and home, nearly every day. It began as frustration - driving to work meant a daily payment for parking; walking to work meant a long walk, after dropping a child at daycare. I watched in envy as the cyclists passed me on Oriental Parade - for them, a ten minute commute: for me, 40 minutes.

One morning, high in an apartment looking over Oriental Bay I spied an advertisement in the newspaper. $199.00 for a bike at The Warehouse. Now, money was short, but $200 was feasible. So I did it, I bought the bike.

I then set myself a challenge. Ride to work 30 times, and a new bike - a decent bike would be in order. It took a long, long time. The first few times, I didn't think I would make it. The wind around The Bays is awful - very hard on a beginner. The showers at work were a welcome, and necessary blessing.

30 rides down, and I started looking for a real bike. A friend counselled me that an Avanti Blade Sport would be the one - an entry level road bike, built especially for commuters. I bought it.

After about three years of riding around the Bays to work, I moved. To Karori. Karori is at the top of a very large hill. I took up walking to work (it was closer), and put away the bike. It wasn't the hill that scared me, it was riding down the hill. Too steep. Too fast.

Eventually I gave it a go. Rode to work - very slowly. Almost wore out the brakes that day. That evening I set off for home. 55 minutes later I arrived - absolutely drenched in sweat and worn out. I'd walked a fair distance.

But I kept at it, managed to get my time up the hill to 25 minutes - riding all the way, even the last bit which was a huge effort.

Last year, I'd thought I could have a go at the Taupo race - 40kms, a huge challenge. But I piked out. Not enough training. Not enough time.

This year though, I spotted a poster at my chiropractors - join Gearshifters - train for Taupo. A training group. Hmmmmmm. I checked out the website, sent an email. 'Sorry to see you are booked out, but I'm keen to join for your next training group'. I received one back - there was space for me!

So I joined. Paid my money. With not a little trepidation.

13 weeks to Taupo. It didn't start well. The first group ride I had another commitment, so I rode to Johnsonville the week before. It was HARD. 22kms, and I was a gibbering wreck. I called for pickup.

Then I did start with the group, and discovered a bent for hills. That was after I discovered this great spray stuff of caffiene and taurine. A spray or two of that, and I was good to go!

Some training rides were great, but a couple were really hard. The last few long ones, I struggled. I found it exceptionally hard on the flat. So I decided to do 80kms instead of the full Taupo. Then my relay rider pulled out, and I found another one. Then I got sick. Out for two days with a chest infection, which turned into two weeks off the bike. Then another ride and that was really hard. 86kms, flat, everything I struggled with.

I went home and declared I wouldn't do it. I wasn't well enough. I would go as support only, and not attempt the lake this year. After all, I had learnt huge amounts in the training, and didn't need to actually do the race.

I'd booked my bike in for a fitting anyway, and still did that. And found it made a huge difference - when I got back on the bike after 3 weeks off. That was the Thursday. 8 minutes down the hill and I was a convert - I could do it! I walked into work, announced my new decision - that I would do the full 160kms. Friday we loaded up the bike and drove to Taupo.

Taupo: 160kms. 27 hills - three of them hard ones. 160kms - the equivalent of Auckland to Whangarei - or Auckland to Hamilton and nearly back again. I'd had three weeks off the bike. I hadn't ridden further than 86kms in one go, and the 86km ride had left me shattered.

Leppin. Muesli bars. Water. My magic caffiene / taurine spray. Sunscreen. 9.30am (or close to it), Group 8 was let out of the start line. An early crash quietened the group a little, and soon enough there was just me and my mate riding together. Mr Positive he was - and boy did I need it.

The countryside was just beautiful. The bike was... OK. At first we stopped only at the water stations - about every 20kms or so. Then I started stopping just a little earlier - twice I stopped for a breather then rode around the corner and discovered a sign: '200m to water station'. So I rode 200m, then stopped again for a refill and a chat.

Towards the 80km mark, halfway around the lake, I was doubting myself. How could I possibly spend another four or five hours on the bike? The sun was wicked - we had resorted to shade stops every now and then. Then we got to 80kms. Faster to carry on around than to go back was the call. One woman loaded her bike on the back of the mechanic's van, and hopped in. She was done. I looked, thought about it, then with some encouragement from Mr Positive, got back on the bike.

That last stop was at the top of Waihi Hill. A sign there read 'caution, long downhill'. Caution? Caution? I was dying for a long downhill! This hill wasn't taken as fast as some of the others. There were a few 35 and 45km corners, and I didn't want to fall off any time soon. Down we went, then along the long, long flat towards Turangi.

Off the hill it didn't seem so hot. The long flat ride had been dreaded a bit, but great company kept me going. We still stopped now and again, more often than we should have, but often enough to keep the pain away. Only 80kms, two small bumps, then Hatepe. Don't think about Hatepe, the signs kept on saying. Sure thing.

But then, we saw it. Not huge, not the biggest hill I've tackled. The first few hundred metres were ok, but then a rest was in order. I looked back and forward - only one other rider - Mr Positive - cycled all the way up that hill. A few (possibly hundred) metres of walking, then I regained my seat and cycled to the top. Phew. Only 25kms to go.

That last 25kms took a good hour. Yes, it was flat with bits of downhill. But slow. The legs just weren't pushing the bike hard enough to get momentum. But, with a few more stops, we found ourselves on the outskirts of Taupo. Last seen that morning.

The end of the road was nigh. 10 hours on the bike, a bit of a sunburn, a sore butt, weak legs, but 160kms behind me. Three of us rode in together - Mr Positive who stayed with me the whole way around, and another who had joined us around the 80km mark. We did it - 10 hours and six minutes was my official time - a long way past the 7 or 8 hours that I had hoped for. But I had pushed my body much, much further than I had ever pushed it before.

Wow - me - from couch potato to Taupo cycle challenge completer.

Will I go back? You betcha! I'm going to shave an hour off my time, and cycle all of Hatepe hill. Roll on 2011!