Merry Xmas from the Lads

First Xmas with the boys, so very cool. Its all about the wrapping this year!

Couple of pics from first thing this morning, its time to fly, quite literally for Daddy and Jordan!

We hope eveyone is having a fantastic day :)

Razor in Xmas Eve Bike Disaster!

Ok, it wasn't a motorbike, and it wasn't really elephants that I ran into.

However, me and the Fish and Chips had an incident with a power pole this evening when the brake cable snapped on my trusty mountainbike.

I am delighted to report the dinner was unscathed. I can also confirm the author is unscathed, apart from a tiny little graze on the knee, so unfortunately no cool war wounds for Xmas dinner anecdotes I'm afraid.

I knew all those crazy mountainbike trips where its almost compulsory to fall off were for good reason, it teaches you how to fall off properly and safely.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!

The Kepler Challenge 2008

5th time round. Damn it felt good! 60km, I never knew I could do it once let alone 5 times. Now I want the 10 year medal...

The thing I always take away from Kepler is the Te Anau people- their spirit and the sheer will and guts of all the other competitors. Martin Lukes after 4 second places now has won the thing twice in a row. Costley got the record for the Grunt to go with his Kepler record.

But what really sticks in the head is the stories, the lady with cancer who gave her medal away to a committee member who was just starting her own cancer battle. The couple on their honeymoon, fortunately they finished together. Not sure about the rest of their 'holiday' though! The identical twins who finished together. The identical twins who finished an hour apart! The thousands of $$$ raised for the Te Anau community. The hospitality of Pete and Jane et al. The stories at the Moose that night. The Town of Silly Walks (aka The Kepler Shuffle). And on it goes- you have to see it to believe it!


Glenn nailed the crap out of me, but so he should have, with what he is training for in the Himalaya's soon! Hats off to Madman Marvin though, he took over an hour off his time from last year romping round in about 8 and a half hours. A Magnificent effort, I had him in my sights 2 hours along but ate his dust the rest of the day.


I was delighted to finish in 9hrs 17 mins- within around half an hour of last years time, and I certainly felt in better shape on the finish line, which was surprising given how the training went this year compared to last. Augurs well for sub 8hrs 30 in 2009!

No boring blurb this year, just a few pretty pics. Being the 5th time round I decided it was time I took a camera and got some nice pics to share, so here they are!

Hats off to Glenn for a fantastic run, and well done on getting the trophy that I'm going to win back in the next year or so... ;-)

Mulling around on the start line at 6am with 400 other mad men and women

One of these men purchased approximately half of Gore and two thirds of Mataura the previous day. Care to guess who?

View back to the start from Luxmore Hut, 2 hours in

The Kepler Challenge is truly the best organised event in NZ, because its all done by the community, for the community. They really look after us on this race!

Janes Office, the Murchison Mountains, and South Fiord below

The Kepler is a wonderful track. I'm pretty sure you could bike it....

There was just a wee dusting of snow the night before. Enough to make for cool crisp running and spectacular views

Starting the long knee crunching descent into the Iris Burn. Eighty odd switchbacks on a solid 30-45 minute downhill grind. Nearly Half way at the bottom...gulp!

Everytime you hit the wall on this race (a regular feeling) you just need to look around to be re-energised.. This is the stunningly beautiful Iris Burn.

...And the best lake in NZ, Lake Manapouri

Yes....its a mirror on the sign! But such a welcome sign :)

....And that makes five successful Kepler's for Razor

Bye Bye to the Razor - Marvin Trophy...FOR NOW!!!!!

Read This Often.....

There are many blogs out there. Many are Sports Blogs. Very few are Blogs by actual topline international sportsmen.


So I bring you to the attention of a fantastic blog run by Black Caps bowler Iain O'Brien. If ever you wanted to get inside the sanctum of what it would be like to play international cricket, then Iain is your man.

An absolute must read for anyone who even has a passing interest in cricket. Resfreshing, alive and honest. Read, support Iain, and enjoy, well done Mr O'Brien!

His Blog is Here

For all your movie needs...

What did you think it said you dirty sods?

Everything A Rock Band Should Be

In case you wonder why us Maiden Fans are so excited about February, well I'll let this little 15 minute CNN ditty tell the story.

Counting the days :)

IRON MAIDEN Somewhere back in Time 1/2
by Sacripan

Updates coming soon...Promise!

Yes....still here....

Its been a busy month!