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rogerdogerOk so yesterday I go for my big mountain bike ride.
Wasnt really feeling the thrill of it, had a bit of a headache but knew that would probably go once I got the blood pumping. I parked up at Blue Lake not only so I could ride the full xterra course, but so I could get a brick in and run a lap of the lake when I got off the the bike. I was figuring the bike should be about 2 maybe 2 and half hours. Well when I'm faced with two paths both in life and on the trail you can bet I'll always take the wrong one. Even with the map i got lost on the course over and over again. The first time I came down off the mountain and half way down met some guys. Asked them where I was supposed to turn off at and they said Id missed it and could only go all the way down to the bottom and climb all the way back to the top again! On the climb back up I met another group that gave me directions to where I needed to go. Why is it Kiwi's will tell you a simple thing like "oh yeah you just go straight down this road until you come to a tee section then turn left" but fail to tell you there will be numerous turn offs that look like a tee section, or the road you are supposed to be on veers off in one direction or the other. I got completely lost..but I didn't know I was lost, so carried on trying to ride the directions I was given, this got me really really lost. Id gone down huge mountain sides and the feeling of "oh christ if I have to go back up this again" was getting stronger and stronger. I'm so deep in the woods and in valleys that i cant see where the sun is, or get any idea of my bearings and its now gone 4.00 and im getting a bit cold and tired. I really started to think, "I can get seriously lost in here and end up spending the night out here". Eventually I came to a sign that I was able to find on the map. I was miles from where I should be and the map still didn't make sense. There was only one thing to do, back track all the way back out to a main road miles back up the hillside. I got back onto the road and a truck drove past. i should have stopped him, but somehow the road gave me the confidence that I was going the right way. A few miles up the road and there is the truck parked up with another truck. turns out these guys are rangers. So I stop and ask where am I. Im still miles away from where I should be and heading in the wrong direction! They give me new directions and show me on the map where I went wrong. Now all is clear at least and I know every pedal stroke is a pedal stroke closer to the finish. I get back and Ive been riding for 4 hours. I dont know how I did it, but I got my running shoes on and still got a lap in around the lake and actually put in a pretty good time. My legs were killing me when I finished and today they are pretty sore too. But wow I did what I meant to do and more! Taper now.
While I was having fun on the ride I did stop and take a couple of pics of these cool looking mushrooms.
And while Im posting pictures. Rotorua is known for its volcanic activity. The whole area has little clouds of steam coming out of the strangest of places. Some morning you see them coming right out of the sewer manhole covers. In the heart of town is a park that has a number of small lakes and pools with thermal activity. Every year at least one dog and sometimes a person dies when they either accidentally fall in or a new sink hole opens up and they fall in. Anyway its still a lovely little park.
this mud would strip you to the bone if you get splattered with it.
With all this activity, its amazing that these houses are so close.
Wasnt really feeling the thrill of it, had a bit of a headache but knew that would probably go once I got the blood pumping. I parked up at Blue Lake not only so I could ride the full xterra course, but so I could get a brick in and run a lap of the lake when I got off the the bike. I was figuring the bike should be about 2 maybe 2 and half hours. Well when I'm faced with two paths both in life and on the trail you can bet I'll always take the wrong one. Even with the map i got lost on the course over and over again. The first time I came down off the mountain and half way down met some guys. Asked them where I was supposed to turn off at and they said Id missed it and could only go all the way down to the bottom and climb all the way back to the top again! On the climb back up I met another group that gave me directions to where I needed to go. Why is it Kiwi's will tell you a simple thing like "oh yeah you just go straight down this road until you come to a tee section then turn left" but fail to tell you there will be numerous turn offs that look like a tee section, or the road you are supposed to be on veers off in one direction or the other. I got completely lost..but I didn't know I was lost, so carried on trying to ride the directions I was given, this got me really really lost. Id gone down huge mountain sides and the feeling of "oh christ if I have to go back up this again" was getting stronger and stronger. I'm so deep in the woods and in valleys that i cant see where the sun is, or get any idea of my bearings and its now gone 4.00 and im getting a bit cold and tired. I really started to think, "I can get seriously lost in here and end up spending the night out here". Eventually I came to a sign that I was able to find on the map. I was miles from where I should be and the map still didn't make sense. There was only one thing to do, back track all the way back out to a main road miles back up the hillside. I got back onto the road and a truck drove past. i should have stopped him, but somehow the road gave me the confidence that I was going the right way. A few miles up the road and there is the truck parked up with another truck. turns out these guys are rangers. So I stop and ask where am I. Im still miles away from where I should be and heading in the wrong direction! They give me new directions and show me on the map where I went wrong. Now all is clear at least and I know every pedal stroke is a pedal stroke closer to the finish. I get back and Ive been riding for 4 hours. I dont know how I did it, but I got my running shoes on and still got a lap in around the lake and actually put in a pretty good time. My legs were killing me when I finished and today they are pretty sore too. But wow I did what I meant to do and more! Taper now.
While I was having fun on the ride I did stop and take a couple of pics of these cool looking mushrooms.
And while Im posting pictures. Rotorua is known for its volcanic activity. The whole area has little clouds of steam coming out of the strangest of places. Some morning you see them coming right out of the sewer manhole covers. In the heart of town is a park that has a number of small lakes and pools with thermal activity. Every year at least one dog and sometimes a person dies when they either accidentally fall in or a new sink hole opens up and they fall in. Anyway its still a lovely little park.
this mud would strip you to the bone if you get splattered with it.
With all this activity, its amazing that these houses are so close.
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no subject
Date: 2010-03-29 12:49 pm (UTC)BTW, you've inspired me. I'm planning on selling my house and moving to different places around the world for several months at a time.
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Date: 2010-03-29 11:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-29 01:15 pm (UTC)Highly toxic. Also what the Vikings had before battle to put them into "battle mode", it's said. Apparently you hallucinate and have really cool visions and go on roaring rampages--kinda like steroids, except they kill you faster :-)
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Date: 2010-03-29 11:05 pm (UTC)