Source to Sea.
..is a cycle ride on the south island, 100 miles long, split into three sections, from St Arnaud to Westport. There aren't too many reasons to visit Westport so I suspect some underhand skulduggery going on to boost tourist numbers for the year. The official line is that the route is mostly downhill, but I have my suspicions.
Lisa and I had been training for three months to gird our loins, increase stamina and toughen up the hide on our rumps. One week out and on the last of these training runs I was cycling down a hill to meet up with Lisa before heading out around the bays (a 50k route with plenty of hills and a head wind that sadistically blows in your face no matter which direction you're going).
I had a cycle computer telling me that I was travelling at around 20k/hr when I spotted a guy on a give way junction edge out slightly, before accelerating full speed into my broadside. The slow motion event had a few expletives that were unfortunately not removed for the lunch time audience and included a crunching metal, bike vs car sound effect with some screeching tires and brakes. I closed my eyes and hoped for the best. I opened them again to find kindly locals throwing jackets over me while I wiggled toes and fingers to assess the damage. Thankfully only my collar bone was broken but I was ambulanced to hospital to make sure. Bike was a right-off and my highly effective high-vis reflective was cut off en route.
Lisa has been a star and a wonderful temporary replacement for my left arm. However, I have long known that my calling in life has been sitting at home undressed, watching DVDs, excuses for personal hygiene and bemoaning my plight during every waking hour. The road to recovery is an uncomfortable grind.
The following friday, Lisa took her bike on the ferry with a mate from work, met up with Jen's parents and made it for 8am race registration the next morning. She completed her section of the ride in around 2 hours, averaged over 22k/hr and hit a top speed of 55k/hr, which ain't bad with a tank of a mountain bike. Most of the other competitors had road bikes with carbon fibre this, titanium that, plenty of lycra and aerodynamic thighs. Pah!! 
Reward for the considerable exertion was a night out in Granity.
