weekend gravel grind

Oof. I rode back to Owhiro Bay and the Red Rocks reserve this afternoon. 20 miles feels like a really big day. I've got quite a ways to go before I'm ready for SSUSA in July. At least I got to see some a fur seal rubbing itself on a rock for ten minutes.

Thank goodness I live in the land of unlimited adorable sweets. When I rolled back into the city, I rewarded my lack of fitness with some treats from Martha's Pantry, an adorable tea room on Cuba Street. Take a peek at the Google page, you won't regret it. 

It's probably a good thing I'm only in New Zealand for a few months. These dietary habits should really only happen once in a lifetime. 

friday bus trip

Today I did a blissfully smooth long run on the road. After last weekend's trail debacle, I'm okay with some concrete.

The sun was still shining bright at noon, and there was a 0% chance of rain. I couldn't make myself go to school. So my friend and I hopped on a bus in Wellington and rode it to the end of the route. We ended up a couple miles south of the city at a place called Island Bay. Here's what we found:

A long coastal track goes around the bays. You can either walk it or take a 4WD vehicle up the gravel path. We saw a few burly Jeeps and a whole bunch of dusty station wagons. Apparently the gravel branches off into a trail that winds up into the hills by my house. We didn't quite make it that far.

There's an official name for this place, but people call it Red Rocks. Creative.

We barely had time to check out the rocks before it started getting chilly and I started feeling guilty about the homework I didn't do. Whatever. Talking about Little Women doesn't quite take priority here.

I'm planning on taking my bike out there on Sunday.