Training To Taper

With less than a week before we get on the plane to New York I have started to taper my training. We were back in Ashburton with the builders having another break from their work. When I got back from Clearwater I was greeted with the scaffolding around the house for the roofing contractor. With a bar across the ramp I couldn't get to the back door. I tried knocking metal pins that held the bar in place with some timber off cuts but they wouldn't budge so I rang for help and John (Ferg) Ferguson came round with a hammer and sorted things out. I headed out for a push after this in quite windy conditions. The rubber on my left push rim unfortunately came loose so I headed back home early completing only 14km.

The next day we had red wind warnings and states of emergency declared for Canterbury. I decided it would be a good rest day. It was very windy but not as bad as September 2013 when about 400 hectares of Council plantations were damaged by wind. With less wind yesterday I decided to do a long session, about 2 hrs 30 min and just over 34km. This did include quite a long stop at half way where I again sorted out problems with the rubber on my push rim, the other side this time. I was also having issues with my steering which I sorted out as I started to push back home. I was quite pleased with how the body held up to this longer session. 

This morning I got out before the wind got too strong. I completed the 20km push in 2hrs 23min, I ground out the push up the grade and into the wind averaging only 11 km/hr but came home with a tail breeze with the fastest kilometre averaging over 20 km/hr. After I completed today's training my Samsung Health app pinged the message above that I have completed over 3,000 kilometres in my racing chair since I started training in February. I had no idea that I had been that far.

I will try to complete another three shorter training sessions in the racing chair before we head away. I will also do a bit of cross training on the rowing machine at Clearwater.