Hi Blog Followers and welcome to April
Gosh the year is flying past and so is the time towards Ultraman Australia, which is mid next month (13-15 May 2017). Ultraman is the ‘1‘ of the 3+2+1=Charity, having completed the ‘3‘ Half Ironman events over ‘3’ consecutive weekends in December, and ‘2‘ full Ironman events over ‘2’ weeks in February / March.
UltraHumps versus the Wilderbeast is not an April Fools story. It is based on training last weekend. I had a 4 hour cycle scheduled by Coach Ray, which I completed on Saturday afternoon heading into dusk, to fit in with my partner’s work schedule in Wairoa.
I have a circuit which I always train on in that location as the traffic is quieter and the road shoulder is wider for safety purposes. Towards the end and on my last lap I was heading up the hill that heads to the beach. As I looked up a wild boar had wandered out of the bush and was standing on the tarseal road staring down at me. When I looked up I instantly thought “this isn’t going to end well if he has a go at me”. I quickly considered my options as the size of the wild boar had me worried. There was a deer fence to my right which I could scale in a hurry and the electric shock from the top wire would be worth it. To the left was open scrub to the beach where I could ditch my bike and run for it, then explain to Coach Ray later why I switched my Garmin to a sea swim. I could turn around and go for it on the bike down the hill but figured he would get me side on as I turned, or if I got the speed up going downhill and he took me out at speed the damage would be worse. Either options it was 4 legs versus 2 legs and the wild boar had more weight behind him than me.
Just as I made my option I looked back and a couple of local lads in their 4WD were slowly moving along with a caged trailer on the back. I decided then if the wild boar went for me I’d ditch my bike and leap into the trailer. Got to be better than trying to outrun 4 legs or getting an electric fence shock. The lads read my mind, but they had a better idea once they saw the look of horror (or nerves) on my face, which was going more pale by the second. They raced off past me and parked their 4WD and trailer between me and the wild boar to block it and they leapt out and were off after it.
I took my chance and kept riding over the hill and I was gone. I looked back and so were the lads. Their doors of their 4WD was still open and they were off at a full pace that Coach Ray would of been proud of and were after the wild boar. I didn’t hang around to see the end result, but found myself laughing, as no doubt the end result would be the wild boar in the back of their caged trailer heading to the hangi pit.
A small town like Wairoa, the story probably got around pretty fast. When my partner got home from work at the local Police Station she asked how my training was. When I said “no drama’s”, she smiled as if she knew I had been packing myself.
Take care team as I continue the journey to Ultraman Australia with Coach Ray. This weeks photos are from the Kelloggs Nutri-Grain Ironman New Zealand in Taupo which I completed in March.
If you wish to donate to my charity of the Children of the Fallen Heroes, which is what the 3+2+1=Charity is all about, then please use the enclosed link. 100% of the funds raised goes to the cause. I am paying all other expenses myself.