FAITH, FAST, FUN

Went riding today. One of the boys noticed the writing on my shorts and asked me about it. I told him that you need faith to do this kind of riding (especially true in my case), and you need to go fast. If you have faith and go fast then you'll have fun. He told me I should get that as a tatoo. "It's be hell gnarly!" :)

Flying NZ holiday

Just returned from a flying 3 weeks in kiwi land. Unfortunately, it was partly work related but here are a few bike related photos.

What my local bike shop, Derrico's, should do for their next van.

A new stock line for Derrico's -- sustainable ride-on mower.

Riding at Rotorua. Imagine - towering redwood pine forest, groomed trails loaded with berms and jumps, and a shuttle service! One heavenly Sunday!!

Thanks Zombiefrog and Bike Vegas - couldn't have done it without your help.

Riding with sheep in the Port Hills at Christchurch. How much more New Zealandish could you get?

Next time - take my own bike and gear to Queenstown!
1. Coronet Peak, up the chairlift and down, and up and down, etc. etc.
2. Skippers Canyon with shuttle
3. Up the Gondola and down the downhill track
4. Explore Seven Mile Creek
5. Heli-biking at The Remarkables
Oooooh Yeahhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FALL (Autumn)

I'm thanking my Father for a fantastic summer of riding. I've had more fun and faced more fear than I've experienced for a long time! And learned I have to find more faith. There is such a sense of freedom and fulfillment in being able to ride fast and flowy down a mountain, and sharing it with friends tops it off. Yesterday was the last race for the Tassie downhill mountain bike season. I had fun with friends on the slopes of Mt Wellington as freezing showers blew down the mountain. Winter is coming - time to get an exercise bike in front of the telly and the heater.

FAITH WORKS!

I prayed. I pedalled. I came first in the final race of the Tassie downhill series and first in the series overall for the females. Woohoo! What a fantastic first season of racing for me - a national championship and a state series win! Faith + fast = fun!!!!

FITNESS OR FASHION?

I am fed-up!

Recently I've had quite a few people telling me I've lost weight - which for some women might be a great complement, but for me it's not, as they are usually implying I am too thin. In the last six months I've dropped from 56kg to about 53kg. I wasn't fat to begin with, but now I have even less fat but more muscle. It's starting to get a little annoying. I'm having trouble finding pants to fit me as I'm too small. And people keep telling me I need to fatten up to look better. Finally, the guy at my local bike shop told me I was too skinny as I was asking him about hiring an exercise bike for those winter months when it's too cold and too dark in Tassie to get outside to ride before or after work, which I enjoy on our fabulously long summer days. So - I thought - what's more important - fitness or fashion? Should I fatten up to look good and risk losing my fitness? I feel good being this light and fit. I am fitter than I have ever been in my 47 years. And it is all thanks to faith and downhill mountain biking!

Fitness or fashion? - the answer is easy - FITNESS!! It's much more fun and combined with faith, helps me go faster!

MY FRIENDS - THE FLYING FLATMATES

My friends, Leigh and Emma, from Hobart came 1st and 2nd in the fifth and final round of the Australian National Downhill Mountainbike series on Sunday first March!!! And first and third in the series over all. YAY!! PTL! Well done girls.

http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2009/03/02/58771_sport-news.html

These girls are such an inspiration for me. They are always supportive and encouraging me to ride and race. I love them! And they deserve the success they'd had this season.

ANOTHER FORTYISH FEMALE FLYER!

So nice to know I'm no the only over forty female having a 'mid-life' crisis, confronting fear to enter the crazy world of downhilling. Check out this cool blog post:

http://minxcompendium.blogspot.com/2009/02/end-of-hibernation-start-of-my-mid-life.html