One of the unexpected side issues of my children and husband's propensity for sporting endeavour is that we get to end up spending time in parts of the country that we wouldn't necessarily get to see in the ordinary course of events.

 

So it was that today, Rick and I drove up to Coromandel in order to watch Hannah and Andrew in the second day of the 2 day Coromandel Classic event.

They were competing as a 2 person team,  and we got there in time to see Hannah emerge as the first female home on the kayaking leg.

 

( Rick did remember to bring gumboots, so he could head into the river to help Hannah out of the kayak, as you do...)

 

She tagged Andrew, who then road over the hill ( the very large hill!) to Whangamata. From there he changed into running shoes, and headed inland and over another hill ( again - a rather large one. There are alot of substantial hills in the Coromandel, I observed) , as we drove round, via Waihi and Paeroa, arriving just in time for Hannah to be getting on her bike as he came into transition.

 

We then followed her as she headed into the head wind, all the way north of Thames, where they were the first 2 person team accross the finish line.

 

They are a different breed, these multisporters. It just doesn't seem to matter how gnarly and unpleasant the weather is, they   thrive on the challenge. These 2 were loading up their car with wet, smelly gear - kayaks, paddles, bikes, shoes, wheels, and clothing, as the black clouds rolled in and started dumping large rain drops, so fortunetely missed the worst - but as we headed back to Tauranga, and drove past the rest of the field finishing in conditions that had turned utterly miserable, I did ask myself for the umpteenth time, ' why would you?!"

 

Its not a question that, I personally, can answer, and its not one that either of those 2 needed too, becos the answer was writ large on their faces on the finish line - they love it!

 

 

This video  was taken last year, when the weather was atrocious for both days. What fascinates me, is that that doesn't put them off -  they come back and do it all  again!