Another great day on Epic Camp. Felt a little jaded today on the bike – probably same reason as in Italy – I did a tough day on the easy day and most others didn’t. So relative to the rest I was probably tired. Not too bad though.

Started the day with a catch up swim. Great swimming out with the sun coming up over the horizon. That was until I spotted this rather similarly shaped large grey rocks and then realising they were some sort of ray. Tara and John confirmed Stingrays so we turned back to show and swam parallel to shore away from them.

After breakie we headed out to Takaka to race up the hill from this side. This time only for KOM points so I wasn’t that interested in taking it too hard especially as there was an  Aquathon later for points. John decided to keep us honest, “It’s not called Easy Camp”, and hammered it all the way there. Over the rollers initially the group was split up. I consoled myself by thinking there must be others feeling it worst. At least we were regrouping at Upper Takaka before the climb. BUT NO! As we approached Upper Takaka I noticed John and others taking gels. I realised that typical Epic Camp we going straight for it. Finally the two gels I’d been carrying all camp “just in case” came in handy. I necked them both. I was right at the back of a single line of over a dozen cyclists when the action started at the front. This did me some favours as I decided it really wasn’t worth trying to jump up to the front. I headed up at my own pace and finished middle of the pack. Piccie above is me at the top.

Long descent to this gorgeous beach for the aquathon. It was about a 2k swim followed by a 8k run. Heath got away again and I lead the next pack. Soon I was on Chris’s toes getting a great draft. As we approached the beach I thought Scott came alongside me a great rate of knots. I was impressed. He then took his wetsuit off in the water and pegged it up the beach. It wasn’t till I was exiting transition that i realised it was Heath. He’d gone off course. Scott wasn’t with us in that pack. I was second out but soon John went by, then Lou and then Bevan towards the end of the first lap. No one else did and I came 5th. Pretty happy with that. Did a steady run but not a bust your balls run.

From then it was a matter of riding back to the hotel. John kept us honest again. Superb effort from him – he more or less TT’d the whole route on the front making us all suffer. Some campers went to a vineyard for wine. Jo and I headed back – started working hard to try and get her 150km within time – she only had till 5.20 as she’d got up early to run. I couldn’t hack the pace and let Jo go. I stopped for an icecream as I had loads of time for 150km but not enough for 180. After the icecream  we managed to bump into each other and head for a coffee. I racked on a couple of KM at the end for the 150. Finished the day with:

1hr10 swim – ~4.5k

5h26 Bike – 150km

~35min run – ~8k

Tomorrow is the last full day of the camp I believe. Sunday is meant to be “Special Events”