Great Day for a Wake-up Call

Buds!! G & Mo

2013 comes to a close today.  It's been an interesting year.  I guess they all are for various reasons.  This one, like many, has had big highs and big lows.  But I'm ending the year on an upward swing, and very happy to be able to report that.

Me & Klafter

Last night spent the evening with some of my favourite triathletes, laughing and having a few drinks.  Was great to see them.  We should definitely do that more!!

Today I took part in the '4th Annual New Year's Eve 3-Gap Ride'.  Just a group of my fellow triathletes, doing the kind of shit that makes people look at us and say we are crazy!  Brett is the ringleader on this particular brand of crazy, and I've actually never been able to participate before.  I've either been so inexperienced (first year), or on holiday, or caught up with other responsibilities.  But this year I was here, and I was determined to finally participate.  So I joined Brett, Jim, Fred and Mark, and headed out on the front 3 Gaps at 9am.  And it was a chilly ride, to say the least.  With 3 layers on the bottom, and 5 on the top, along with headband, hat, and double gloves, I was ready to face the cold.  It wasn't actually that bad considering it is the middle of winter, and several thousand feet in elevation.  I've been out in April when it felt a heck of a lot colder (of course I wasn't wearing all those layers!).  And no surprise to those who have slogged up Neels and Wolfpen, I was fully unzipped and heavy gloves off all the way up.  It was about freezing at the bottom, definitely sub-zero t the top, and lord knows what the 'feels like' temp was on the way down.  I do know I lost feeling in the fingers coming down Neels, got an ice-cream headache down Wolfpen, and couldn't feel my toes down Woody.

I definitely could've done without the 30mph headwind gusts in the face on the way up Neels.  Still not quite sure how I managed to keep moving forward...frankly I wasn't moving that fast (7.5mph?), and I feel quite positive the wind was moving considerably faster into my face than I was moving up the mountain.  Would love to see the power file, but no power on the roadie yet.  (workin on that).   To be honest, wasn't sure what this ride was going to bring.  Almost didn't go, because wasn't sure I could keep up or even finish.  But on the other hand, I don't let fear like that run my life anymore and I figured it would be a great baseline.  I have some work to do to get where I want to get to, and I wanted to see where I was compared to when I could really scoot up that mountain.  And I'm so glad I showed up.  Was a great ride, despite the cold, and it gave me an opportunity to confirm my commitment to myself and my goals for the coming year.  Definitely slower than I've been in the past, although not by that much actually, but good to know where I am at as I move into what I hope is a fantastic year for me in my sport.

4th Annual NYE 3-Gap Ride (Brett, Mark, Fred taking pic, Jim, Me)

me & my Tri Boys (Luis, me, Klafter, G, Mo, Marcus)

Thanks boys, those last night, and those this morning, for a great ending to 2013.  Finish off the old one the way you want to spend the new one, my Mum always says.  Here's to everyone going after their goals in 2014, and continuing to challenge your fears and achieving your dreams.

May you have a wonderful, happy, prosperous 2014
Happy New Year!!!

Happy Training,
Kat