Tour Te Waipounamu: The Race. On Monday, around 10pm I knocked the bastard off. A 1329 km bikepacking ride of epic proportions from Cape Farewell to Slope Point (the top to the bottom of Te Waipounamu). Here are some photos with a wee explanation. To say it was tough is an understatement. As good friend Andrew Trevelyan said in the movie about the 1st race...it was Brutal. Certainly the toughest biking thing I've ever done. The days were long and the sleeps were short. I cycled, pushed and carried my bike, self-supported, over an 8 day and 17 hour period to get to the end. Although it was seen as a physical challenge, it was the mental side of things that ultimately got me there. I spent a lot of time by myself and needed to keep things positive. I kept reminding myself that I needed to keep moving forward and that no one had told me I had to do this event. In fact was a privileged position that I needed to capitalise on. Thanks to Anna Lindsay and the kids for knowing that cycling centres me and allows me to re-create anew.
Link to the Tour Te Waiponamu site.
https://www.tourtewaipounamu.co.nz/