Everything happens for a reason

Yesterday morning I woke up in a world of hurt. Well, more hurt than usual.

The day before was our 'rest' day in Wanaka. We decided to hike Mt. Roy, elevation gain approx. 1500m. The hike was totally 100% most definitely worth it (see the pic). But oh, the legs the day after.
Even though all I wanted to do was lie in my sleeping bag and cover myself in Tiger Balm, I convinced myself that we should get back on the bikes. So off we rolled.

As seems to be the case every time we leave a town, we were confronted by a hill within the first 5 minutes of starting out. It was a wimpy hill really, short, kinda steep, but really not that bad. I however, thought I was going to die...or at least cry.
I threw my bike down at the top, sat down and pouted. There was NO WAY I was going to make it the rest of the day.
Great! I was low now too...and right after breakfast when I am normally running higher.
I KNEW I should have stayed in bed.
After some juice, a sit down and a "we can turn back if you want to" chat with Robbie, I decided there was no way that I was going back to set up a tent where I had just taken it down 15 minutes earlier. Call it stubborn...
So I got back on my steed and rode, and rode, rode...with a scowl on my face...(mom, you know the one). Luckily, the road was pretty much flat or rolling from there until we rolled into a little town around lunch time. There was a little park with trees, shade, grass and the cleanest, nicest public washrooms I have ever seen.
This is where I was going to sleep tonight...no doubt about it.

That's when Tim and Cindie rolled in.
Two cyclists loaded up with all kinds of gear. "New York's that way, right?". Americans.
They sat down to chat and have lunch in the shade. We learned that they had started cycling 6 years ago and just haven't stopped! They are on a world-wide cycling tour, writing books, articles, blogging, keeping websites and inspiring people around the world.
They invited us to ride with them and said they didn't go fast so not to worry.
YEAH RIGHT!
Feeling rested after a long lunch, we joined them anyways.

True to their word, they did not ride fast. In fact, it was like riding behind a pace car.
They were the most relaxed, easy going riders I have ever seen.
Rob and I tucked right in behind them and just went for the ride.
They like to climb to music, so for each big incline the tunes would come on from Tim's handlebar bag...Grateful Dead and Neil Young tooks us higher and higher.
Before long we were standing on top of the Crown Range...the highest paved road in al of New Zealand, with a 700 meter climb behind us.

Everything happens for a reason, and for me yesterday, meeting Tim and Cindie was the only reason I got up and over that pass.

Oh and my blood sugar...a perfect 4.8!

Check out Tim and Cindie Travis and their cycling adventures...www.downtheroad.org