Day 33 - Waimakariri Jumpers

Walked today - very little 6026 steps.

For some silly reason I set off to get to Waimakariri show today at 8:30am even though I had worked out before leaving Wellington that 9:30 would be heaps of time. A 5:45am alarm and on the road about 6:10am. Almost no traffic on the road. I got to Hornby about 8am and had an eat in rather than take away McDonalds breakfast. I did think about looking for somewhere that did bacon and eggs but thought I might not or a warm run to well after a big breakfast.

A great welcome from the South Island agility crowd and lots of donations in the bucket. FOr once I hadn't read the weather report. I turned up in shorts, tee shirt and a jersey, wearing jandals. I wish I had brought some long trousers with me - I did think about putting on the overtrousers - but only briefly.

Nic Furby has photographed the amazing blister on my left heel. I am open to bribes not to put the photo on flickr. Kathy K came to the rescue when I was doing contortions putting a dressing on my right heel - I had managed the left one by myself. The ground was too slippery to use my trail shows for running Rapid and I knew that the spikes would be agony. They went on just before each run and came straight off afterwards. Rapid didn't get a warm up or a wrm down.

We got 2 clear rounds - neither flash and 5 and 6 seconds off the winning time. I missed making one of my marks in Jumpers B1 and in Jumpers B2 I was so keen to get to the next bit in time I peeled off too soon and must have come close to getting na refusal. Dave Cook had three tunnels close together. There wa lots of muttering during the walking but all those I watched handled it really well - if you dog had a lead out it was actually quite easy.

I had a nap in the back of the van between courses - with a dog towel as a blanket over my legs. It occurred to me tonight I had sleeping bags in the van so I could havfe been properly warm. Rapid and Ella also had a big sleep - well actually several big sleeps.

Arrangements had been made for Fiona to be taken into Gerealdine this morning and taken back to the motor camp, about 5km out of town in the afternoon. Her ride in the morning ws Ok but the arrangements for the afternoon fell apart as the phone number she was given was wrong. She has now joined me in the blister club. They are very small so should respond to a bit of TLC and no more long walks.

On the way back home the traffic was really heavy going north, I presume people returning from yesterday's RWC match in Dunedin - I was glad I was going south. Just before Ashburton I found one of the highway patrol - he turned out to be head of station for Ashburton so I now have his email address to arrange an escort across the Rakaia River Bridge. I am worried that with it taking me 20 minutes to cross the bridge people will do something stupid in there impatience and cause an accident. It is other people getting hurt I'm worried about. It think the van driving behind me will keep me and the dogs safe.

After doing the shopping in Ashburton I picked up a hitch hiker eading for Timaru and took him as far as Orari. Rapid considered it necessary to bark as he got into and out of the van.

Fiona cooked a really nice dinner tonight - steak, spuds and salad and produced some nice fudge for afters. I'm not lookiong forward to a 5:30am alarm tomorrow,