The weekend in Hawkes Bay for Mike's half marathon

 Hi,

I packed the car at 4pm after work on Friday and landed in bumper to bumper traffic from town all the way up SH2 to Upper Hutt.

Really?

Anyway, stopped at Caltex in Upper Hutt to get a full tank and the next stop was the Sol Y Mar B&B just north of Napier.  Google maps took me up SH50.  No traffic that way.  Nice.

Into bed by 10pm and up at 5.30am to fuel the athletes.  Mike, Janine and Ana - me and Daniel on support.

We left the B&B at 6.30am and we were at Splash Planet car park around 7.10am.  The race competitors queued for a toilet stop and then it was time for getting into the start chute.  8am and they were off at a slow shuffle.  There were a lot of people.

Fueling for the race at 5.30am

Start line athletes

They're off racing - and I am checking out iced lattes

Daniel and I wandered back to the car and went to have brekkie at Bay Espresso - where we used to go when we had NY up here in 2018.  Wonderful still.  Go eat there if you're in the region.  Great vege options including a plant-based section.

Daniel and I then drove to the finish line. What a well-run event.  We went the long way - with no traffic - to Elephant Hill winery via the back of Te Mata peak.  Beautiful scenery.  Into the car park with so many cars.  Parked.  Took the constant stream of shuttle buses to the winery.  Found the finish chute and Ana wasn't far away.

She crossed with a time of 1.57 for her first half marathon.  Wow.

Mike was next, close to 2.23.  He was a bit shattered.  Left it all on the course!  Oosshh.  Well done Mike.

Janine was next with 2.38 (but two stops for tummy issues - her moving time was more like 2.25 or so).

Well done to them all.

Being across from the medical tent as we waited was not a lot of fun.  :-(  I hope everyone is ok.

Finisher! Winner!

Happy face

Ate at the winery - there was this awesome Marsala Dosa at one of the trucks.  Absolutely scrumptious.  Then off to a wee bus back to the car park and to a supermarket for dinner options.  Havelock North New World.  Very nice supermarket.

We ate nibbles and ended up too full for dinner.  Off to bed and a good sleep.  Up to a gorgeous day Sunday.

Pics above show the sunrise Sunday morning

Mike and Janine went to the Farmers market in Hastings opposite the house we stayed in a few years back.  The Blue House.

I went into the mountain bike park with Daniel and Ana.  The B&B backs onto the trail.  We went to the start and did Boars Nest.  Up Dragon Fly.  Up Snoopy.  Then Ana and Daniel went to a black trail and I went down Smooth Operator.  Then up the side road and down Boars Nest again.

Mountain biking face

View back over the B&B

Such a wonderful way to spend my morning.  Back to the house for a shower and reading in the sun.  Mike and Janine got back and we ate lunch after some chippies.

Ana and Daniel got back and we packed up the car and headed home around 3pm.  Fairly busy traffic home.  Filled up in Dannevirke at the Caltex there.

Dropped Janine home around 6.30pm and we were home not long after.  Cats were happy to see us.  We ate a Buddha bowl and went to bed around 8pm.  :-)

Moxley in a box

Had lots of sleep.  Wet morning Monday morning.  Bus in for me and gym session.  

Bench weights Monday morning

Busy day at work.  Work dinner after work today.  Trying to convince Mike to drive in and collect me after it.  :-p

Have a good week.

Love,

Angela