Spin class as Tour of the Bay training

My Tour of the Bay training hasn't been as good as I'd hoped. I don't even have an excuse with daylight savings and the perfect weather we've been having.

In saying that, I did get up early this morning and go to a spin class with a friend.

Cue 45 minutes of an over energetic instructor yelling at you to 'climb that hill' and 'be aggressive' minutes after you've woken up, and with a belly void of food I might add.

During the six minute hill climbs and the sprints to the finish line, I was hating the class, but in all honestly afterwards I felt great.

Apparently you burn 1,000 calories doing a spin class, and what better way to train for the race. This weekend I'll get out in the sun (it's meant to be raining on Saturday so Sunday it is).

How's your training going?

Guest Bloggers: Tour of the Bay training schedule

This week's Guest Blogger is Rochelle who's completing the 50km Tour of the Bay next weekend (eekkk). Hear how her training is going.


After initial feelings of ‘what have I got myself into’ and questions to laughing colleges like ‘How far is 50 kms, is that more than from Napier to Hastings?’ I decided I might as well get into it. So on week one, I completed my first bike ride to the Avanti shop in Taradale and back to Tamatea.

The friendly staff serviced my bike while I shopped. Turns out I needed new brake pads. That was lucky. The knowledgeable lady helped me with arm warmers, a bike pump and a flash odometer thing so I can see how fast I’m going. Really impressed with their service; they attached the odometer, new front light, bottle holder and pump while I continued shopping!

The next weekend I decided more of a challenge was needed. So, ignoring my Dad’s advise of a small loop on the map, I decided on some different roads that looked a bit longer and biked off, new arm warmers on and odometer ready. Maps don’t show hills. Three hours and 45kms later and after puffing around Puketapu, Puketitiri, Apley and Dartmoor Roads I arrived home exhausted but happy I’d accomplished it.

Every cyclist I met waved and said “hello”, it was a great experience. It was only sheer determination of “if that person can bike up the hill without getting off, so can I” that got me through it.

Highlight: 52.4 km/hr down a hill on Apley Road, yeeee haa!

On week three I biked with a group of people, including my Dad. He taught me how to bike in the slipstream of the person in front and how to rotate who the leader is. Like the lycra-clad cyclists speeding around the velodrome. Except there was no velodrome and thank god, no lycra. It was a bit scary at first, but by the end of the 38kms I was more comfortable with it.

I didn’t go for a bike ride last weekend, but may do the 45km route again this Sunday and try to improve my time. That’s what I’m planning from the warm comfort of my office chair, anyway.

Guest Bloggers: Tour of the Bay novices

This week we talked to Rochelle Elgie who's cycling with myself and two others from Hastings District Council in the Tour the Bay 50km event next month.


Karen, (me) and Rochelle ready for the challenge!

How much cycling do you do?
None this year. Last year I worked for the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and biked there a handful of times, but I live in Napier so it wasn’t far.

When you are planning on biking into work
That’s a bit daunting at the moment, I’m used to the car radio and doing 100 kmph on the expressway! I might try a weekend bike in a few weeks just to see how long it takes and if I can do it and be functional for work.

What other training will you do?
Weekend bike rides

What kind of bike will you ride?
An Avanti Women’s road bike. The one with the normal sized tyres and comfy seat.

How competent a rider you are?
Average. I’m a bit nervous about biking with a bunch of people, I don’t want to fall off!

Have you entered in anything like this before
No!

So why are you entering the Tour the Bay?
I want to improve my fitness and get in shape a bit and this is the perfect motivation.

Guest Bloggers: Angela Hirst's fancy new wheels

This week we talked to Angela Hirst who recently purchased a new bike to cruise with her six year old son Jack. A real flash bike too we might add! Enjoy :)

O3 September 2011: Today I am officially a bike owner. But not just any bike.

For years I said I would never be caught dead on a bike. I have a real dislike for lycra and I don’t do exercise at the best of times.

The tipping point came a few weeks ago when Jack, my six year old told me that I should not be scared to ride a bike and that I could get trainer wheels if I am shaky. He went on to say that if I was really scared his dad (my husband) could hold the back of the seat and run while I got used to it. I assured him I would not need any help and that I had rode a bike many years ago. I really didn’t think he believed me though!

04 September 2011: It’s a beautiful day. Jack really wanted to go out for a ride. So by 4pm I had given in. I told Jack that as it was my first bike ride in years so we needed to take it easy and keep it short. Up onto the marine parade we went. It was beautiful on the pathway and what a thrill to have the sea breeze and the wind in my hair.

We passed some tourist who actually had the balls to point at my bike. Jack said ''Don’t worry Mum, they’re just jealous of your flash ride.” I had to agree. I love my new bike!

Guest Bloggers: Remembering the first time

This week we took a trip down memory lane with Abbie Harker who remembers what it was like to learn to ride a bike without training wheels. We're sure a lot of iWay fans will relate to this weeks post :) Happy weekend everyone xx







Recently my four year old daughter Nat decided she was ready to pass another of life’s big milestones – riding her two wheel bike without training wheels.

Finally sun and a Sunday afternoon coincided so we headed down to the Domain to give it a go.

This brought my own memories flooding back. That summery day wobbling along the grass at home feeling so proud at how fast I was going and so impressed that dad was keeping up (he was of course holding onto my seat to keep me upright). And as I looked over my shoulder to give him a cheeky grin as if to say ‘yay us’ I realised he wasn’t there ... I was riding all by myself!

There’s been no looking back since then. I can remember mum campaigning for everyone to have helmets, family bike rides with kids strategically placed next to the footpath, heading to the river with friends and (before I was too ‘cool’ for a helmet and walked) my daily ride to school. While I never went on to ride Tour de France or launch myself down a steep narrow track on the side of a mountain, I did spend a lot of time on my bike as a child/teen growing up in The Bay. So when we got to the Domain the other weekend with Nat’s newly training-wheel-less bike I’m not sure who was more excited at what lay ahead – Nat or I!

Fully briefed, Nat was ready to go with her Pop-pop holding her up. There were a few inevitable spills but determined wee thing that she is, she bounced back up to keep trying.

The elation in her voice when she got to riding solo was undeniable. After an hour (and a worn out support crew) the offer of a bit of a play in the playground was most emphatically refused. Nope, must keep practicing. And now we’re off to the park to practice on a regular basis and looking forward to making the most of the Rotary pathways this summer. Which I guess means I should get myself a bike. Apparently you never really forget how to ride which is a good thing as I have no doubt I’ll be pretty rusty!