Post nationals

Nationals was a good experience. We made some good progress.

The time trial course was a mostly flat corse which we had ridden at Otago champs. On thursday when we raced it, we had a huge head.tail wind. This wind had thrown other cyclists off their bikes and if I hadn't been concentrating so hard I am sure I would have been scared. We raced 2 other tabde4ms. One of the couples had been to the worlds and this set an awesome benchmark for us to see how much work we really have to do. The night before our race the paralumpic manager had rung up and told Annaliisa that we had to get within 20% of the international paralympic qualifying time so get to Oceanias. He asked her not to do her own time trial. Annaliisa thought about this but in the end decided she knew hwe own limits and would be fine doing both races- and she got a gold giving it 60% effort, what a legend!

Anyway our ride on tandem I found very hard on the way out. The head wind kept us at about 23kmph. At the turnaround things were different as the tail wind picked up. But it wasn't till about 5km out that things got really good. Annaliisa was yelling me the distances they had marked beside the course as well as our speed. We ended up going 65kmph! It was awesome fun! The fastest I have ever ridden a tt course! We did the xourse in 34.27 which meant we are probably into the Oceaniasin Oz next year. We will need conformation from managment first though! We were still about a minute behind the girls who went to worlds, which says to me I have a lot of work to do!

The road race was a different story. Two nights before I had gone out in Oamaru to watch the blue penguins. I had not taken a jacket and the ordeal was a long one so I ended up very cold. The next day I started coughing up phlegm and this continued to the next morning. Anyway Annaliisa and I started our road race as planned to see if I could do it. After about 1 lap it was obvious I couldn't as my breathing was very heavy and difficult after every hill and I just couldn't recover. We pulled out and I got in the car and left for chch. It was disappointing but I think it was the right thing to do. Next year will be a different story I am sure.

So we have met our first goal on te road to beijing!

I will keep you posted on progress to Oz.

Neelu

Nerves...

It is monday morning. We go down to Palmerston for nationals on wednesday. It is very close. I am a little nervous.

I am nervous not brcause I don't think Annaliisa and I are doing well, but nervous because I do not know how well we are doing compared to the other tandems.

Though this race doesn't mean a whole lot, it is important for me psychologivally.

I am getting butterflies in my stomach thinking about it so I will write again after nationals.

Wish us luck...!

Write soon.