We, me and Dasha, are very active people and we like variety of sports, especially if we talk about outdoor sports.
Personally I really like to be outside in the mountains and I think the best way to move through this environment is simply to run. I put a trail running into my life as a part of training for Alpinism, but running has taken over and I have been participating more in ultra-trailrunning races than climbing in last three years. But it will change very soon! Within ten days I am going to run another ultra. It is 100 km loop around our beloved Wanaka, and it is first time I have spent five months in structured training which doesn’t allow cross-training. I hope all the hours will pay back on the day. Once this mission will be done, I can’t wait to climb, bike and do yoga again.
Dasha likes running as well. She trains for her first trail marathon now. It doesn’t mean she has never run/walk a marathon distance, but she has set a goal to run continuously entire distance without switching to walking mode. The race is in March, so she still has a bit of time to train and I hope I will be fit enough after my 100 km race. I promised Dasha that I am going to support her right on a course and we are going to run side by side.
When we allow ourselves to not follow our training plans, we are going for a hike somewhere, where we can enjoy all the magnificent views. Our last trip was up to French Ridge Hut and to Quarterdeck Pass in Aspiring National Park. It was a good substitution of endurance training. Day one was 6,5 hour hike up the hut. Next day we got up at 4 am, had a breakfast and left the hut at 5 o’clock. It was Dasha’s first glacier tour, so we were slightly slower but still safe. However it was her first tour, she climbed over a crevasse and felt like a badass when she climbed a 50° steep snowfield. I am glad for her. After we reached the top of Quearterdeck slightly after 9 am, we enjoyed views of Mt. Aspiring, Bonar Glaciar and other peaks around. Because we wanted to return back to our car that day, we decided to skip climbing to the top of Mt. French and started our descend towards the hut. After a wee rest at the hut we continued down to valley floor. We reached the car just before sun set about 9:30pm. It was BIG and AWESOME weekend outside!
When we don’t hike or climb somewhere we visit a local yoga studio or do yoga on our English friends deck. Also we are really looking forward to go Stand Up Paddleboarding and go for a biking at Cardrona Alpine resort where we are going to refresh our biking skills before our journey.
Also Dasha signed up for few week GIRLS ONLY biking course, where we hope, she will gain some confidence of downhill and technical trail riding.
