I’m pleased to say a slice of summer returned to us this week, meaning my 5 minutes out in the park could continue, Mark’s summer series orienteering is in the dry and we could get the new mountain bikes out! It’s a novelty to go out and do something sporting together, as we usually are way to different in fitness or ability, or competitiveness!
Queens Park has been host to Shakespeare in the Park this year again, but it was a formal show rather than incidental scenes dotted about to find, so we didn’t go. I preferred the less formal approach. Queens park still looks stunning though, as always.
Team MARBEL are now onto their final run down, all the last big swim, bikes and runs are done, and now we are on taper. This time next week we will be all finished, hopefully, and in celebration mode!
We waved Ben off to Wellington this weekend, and filled our weekend with sport! On Saturday we decided to get the brand new mountain bikes out and ride a bit of the Round the Mountains bike trail. Beautiful scenery, boring trail though! We started at Lumsden and went to just past Five a Rivers. We did stop there at the cafe though, which is hilarious because we have driven past in a car many times and never bothered to stop!
We had intended to go to Athol, but decided to turn round 12km before hand, 3 hours or so in the saddle of a brand new bike was quite enough for Mark’s butt, which was much more used to running rather than sitting! As for me, give me sitting any day!
It was just brilliant to spend the day doing something together though, we are already planning our next trip, up in Central where the trails are more scenic.
We went for an Indian for valentines day, to our favourite restaurant. They had decorated for the occasion but had western romance music on instead of the traditional Bollywood which was a bit strange! We both had traditional Indian deserts too, brave, but hmmm, not as expected! Still a lovely meal out.
We are still working hard on the clean nutrition front, the Magic bullet is getting good use, some smoothies tasting good, some a little less so! We have kale, chai, flax seed, spinach and a whole host of other stuff going into them! Our taste preferences have changed remarkably and I no longer crave sweet things at all, which is most odd. I feel more hungry after training, and now know that no hunger = no food needed. It’s easy to forget that and over eat! Our progress is still going well, and I’m almost up to my first stone lost, I feel so much better already.
The weekend ended with a swim race at the local Awarua Bay, my last before Challenge Wanaka next weekend. Mark came down to support and I’m glad he did. The results were rather surprising!
Man it was a tough swim, very shallow, could have walked it all, but gosh a strong outgoing tide meant that the turn 200-300m I was almost swept off my feet. When I looked up, everyone in front was clinging onto the pylon and trying to walk! It was a two lap race too! Darn it!
I was encouraged to stay for the prize giving and free sausage, and I’m glad I did, because I took away a trophy for being female club champion! What a shock! When he announced it I thought it was really strange that there was another Mel, I didn’t for a moment think it was me!
What a great way to end the weekend! 😀
Melanie Magowan 