22/01/08
So, I just had my first full day in Wellington, and I must say, I’m quite cultured now! As this is the capital, there is definitely lots of cultural experiences to have here, so I took advantage of several of them. I’ve been getting late starts here, as it’s just so nice to be able to listen to some music, play on the computer, watch TV, use the Internet, do laundry, etc. Funny how you miss even the domestic things when you’re on the road. Well, the other reason I’ve been a little slow here is that the weather hasn’t been super. Have I mentioned the possibility of a cyclone in Wellington? No? Well, that was yesterday, with winds gusting up to 130 km/hr. Travis, the fellow who’s place I’m staying at, and is a lifelong Wellington resident, says he can’t remember Wellington ever being under a cyclone warning. Crazy isn’t it? This is my second one in 2 months though, so I guess I’m pretty used to them myself. Ha ha. Anyway, read on for a little more about what I did for the day in Wellington and don’t forget to check out the map.
01/03/08
Hello sports fans, and welcome back to another chapter in the ActiveSteve saga. Today’s story is a familiar one folks. I woke up, it was raining. I cycled, and it rained. I got to my hostel, and it’s raining. As such, I find myself with very little in the way of exciting stories to share with you at the moment. I assure you that this isn’t a result of my lack of desire to write a lovely story for you, but there simply wasn’t all that much going on with me. However, I have, as usual, prepared a map for you, detailing my comings and goings, and I’m still prepared to give you an account of my day if you’re willing to read it. The highlight of course was the fact that I finally was able to find an Internet connection and upload my latest few posts and maps. Sorry for the delay, but as it turns out, the world wide web hasn’t fully made its way to the Catlins Coast yet. Anywho, read on for more about my enjoyable day.
03/01/08
Hi friends! ActiveSteve here again. Well, you might start thinking that I’m getting lazy with all these days off, but you know what? I came here to experience New Zealand, not just thrash myself biking all around it, so that’s just what I’m doing in Rotorua. Today was my day full of cultural experiences of the Maori civilization. It actually started a little last night with a self-guided city walking tour I went on that took me to a Maori village in town. Today, I continued that theme by going to Te Whakarewarewa Marori village, the Rotorua Museum, which had oodles of Maori stuff, as well as my evening at Mitai Maori Village for a concert, nature walk, and traditional Hangi meal cooked by Maoris. Although I’ll probably keep the post relatively short, the experiences were nothing short of remarkable, and memorable. Or at least I hope they’ll be. Tomorrow, I’m sticking around, and planning to do some serious mountain biking in Whaka forest, where the Worlds were this year. After that, off to Taupo. Check the map and read on for more.
42.2km. 28,133 strides. 2,400+ calories burned, 12 small cups of gatorade consumed. 2 gel packs consumed. Several pounds of sweat. 3hrs 16mins and 30seconds. 1 giant smile, and a cool medal. That, in a nutshell, summarizes my efforts on Sunday, May 29th at the Ottawa Race Weekend where I ran the marathon. It was my 6th time running a standalone marathon, and I can still honestly say the running a marathon is one of the toughest events I do. The effort required to run nearly flat-out for 42,200m can not be understated. We all know people who glibly say “I could run a marathon”. I just smile and agree with them. But those words generally haunt anyone who has taken it upon themselves to prove it. Particularly in those who attempt to prove it with any sort of respectable finishing time. Now don’t jump on me, every single person who crosses the line has accomplished something few have, but there is ‘participating’, and then there is ‘running’ or ‘competing’. Me, I run, I don’t compete. I am my only competition in this event. If you are so inclined, I invite you to read the rest of my thoughts on this race following the link. Also, you can check out just a few snaps I have post-race of the event. As you’ll see, I wasn’t the only one to toe the line at the ORW!
