'How's the training going?' A common question now asked by my teaching colleagues.
To be hopeful, I thought that with a basic degree of fitness, I would be fine to start the Te Araroa trail, and grow fitness along the way. I'm starting to doubt myself on that point.
As for my son Karl. He is an active 18 year old. He's just won a number of sporting trophies at the senior prizegiving for Morrinsville College. Nobody is really worrying about his level of fitness.
So, with a brand new pair of trail shoes - Salomon brand. Originally, we were going to use our traditional tramping style boots, however, after reading up about what to wear on your feet - trail runners are it. The tramping boots will become the hunting footwear from this point on.
I decided to load my Macpac to 14kgs and go for a stroll. In fact, why not leave the car in the driveway and hack a direct track to school at Tatuanui?
I stepped onto the roadside berm just on 6am. An overcast day and light drizzle greeted me. The outline of Mt Te Aroha glowed dimly in the distance. Along Thames Street and across the bridge out of town that spans the Piako River. I broke into a jog. 'Wouldn't want to get caught out by a speeding truck on this narrow bridge', I thought. 'Maybe Council needs to consider a pedestrian walkway in the future'.
Another 5 minutes walk and I'm passing through a reserve called Murray Oaks. A scenic grassed spot with plenty of ... oaks!
Now, the moment of truth. Walk the roadside with its traffic intensity growing? Or, take the railway corridor which is still used for freight to the Waitoa Dairy Factory? The train track appeared the quieter and safer option given I could easily scarper off the track if needed. Straight and long; I was bound to hear and see something coming. Freight trains don't move that quickly, do they?
It was a relief, none-the-less, to arrive at the roadside reserve opposite the Tatua Factory (whipped cream can makers, and much, much more). Not a train was encountered. Obviously too early. I'd covered a total of 6.8kms and was earlier to school than I would be usually.
Teach the day. Do the return walk home.
It's the shoulders that felt it the most! On the positive side - no foot hot spots or blisters.
The bottom line though - more training needed :)
