Out of shape but still up for an event

I've rested myself quite a bit over the last two weeks due to some fun and games with my shoulder, and just doing some maintenance paddling at the moment and I guess time heels all wounds so that's the way we have to look at it.

A random paddle on Sunday out to Mana Island and back is more than enough for Saturday's Portage Event and I'm happy to play it as it comes over on the Mainland.
 Just a quick brief on the event.......which is an adventure from Wellington to Picton and back..... with the event in between.
Firstly we do the old walk on walk off thing with our Kayaks on the Interislander on Friday, head to our accommodation, which is around 500 metres from the Ferry that's the second of the warm up Portage... (the first was getting on the Ferry)

The event starts on the Picton Foreshore.... the first leg is a 10 km paddle across Queen Charlotte Sound to Torea Bay......leg two is a 2 km portage to Portage Bay where the Portage Hotel sits (either carrying your

kayak or ski or you can use wheels) it's a good tarsealed road on this leg so all good.
We are now in the Kenepuru Sounds and paddling again on leg three we head South 7 km down to Te Mahia Bay.........back out again for a nice long 3 km Portage up and over a track, then road, then a pot holed road/track down to Mistletoe Bay.
Leg 5 is the drag race home, flat water and 10 km back to the Picton Foreshore again.
If everything works out I should cut it out in under 3 hours the top paddlers have done it as quick as 2 hrs 25 minutes in a double.....and not that much slower in a single.

Paddlers to watch out for at the front Andrew Martin, Nathan Faavae, Richard Ussher, Elina Ussher, Wendy Riach and Ian Huntsman....... sometimes the feilds are quite small but you always seem to get the speedsters there and it's very difficult to place in the top 10 even when you're paddling well!

As I say there are heaps of people taking a casual approach to the event...but best of all it's always great to catch up with the Christchurch,

Nelson and Marlborough Paddlers.

This year they are including Waka Ama over a couple of other courses and next year they are likely to include SUP's.......watch this space..... for more info on the event http://marlboroughmultisport.wordpress.com/ and keep an eye out for an article and results which I'll place here on the Ferry ride back to Wellington

Fit or not who cares.... life's a Journey not a race.

Photos from when I last completed in the event in 2010...........I withdrew in 2012 (I know I suck) due to a rudder malfunction (always check your boat over with a fine tooth comb, before you leave Wellington)

click on any photo to enlarge