The things you do for coffee and a scone!!

I learnt first hand today that it is definitely important to get yourself a training buddy (if you are able to) who's not only on your same wavelength, but are also at a similar level of training/fitness.  If not - they need to be incredibly patient and understanding when you eventually do hold them up!!  BUT they also need to be different from you, because it is this difference, that can push you through trying times when you least expect it.  My wonderful training buddy pushed me mentally and physically, pretty hard today!
I welcome Lee-Anne to my blog.  Lee-Anne and I have lived across the road from each other for the last 4.5years and up until 2 months ago, we had never met. It was by chance that I was chatting to a friend of hers about my training and she suggested I get in touch with Lee-Anne.  The rest, as they say, is history.
In the short few months starting to do a little bit of training alongside Lee-Anne, she has taught me a great many things.  Of the many things that she has taught me, these are the things that I hope rub off on me.

• Her determination and commitment to training sessions - she will never pike out if she has committed to something (I on the other hand had no hesitations switching off the alarm last Saturday morning when I had a bad case of 'wine flu')
• She mentioned that maybe I needed to swap my 'bottle' of wine - for a glass or two.  Wise words - as have had a few dodgy training sessions feeling decidedly BLAHHHHHHH after consuming a bottly or few the night before....
• Her time management and organisation - she is always on time to pick me up (sadly the same can't be said for me - we were horribly late to an open water swim a few weeks back because I was late and in charge of the driving that night!) and she is always organised with an individual bag for each training session - legend.
• Her fitness - she just goes and goes and goes and goes!
• And finally - her ability to talk me into things that I really and I mean REALLY don't want to do.

Those of you who know me, know that I am not one to do something I really don't want to do.  I'm pretty stubborn and when I have had enough - that's it, all over.  Lee-Anne not only talked me into going along to the swim squad this morning, but to also follow that up with a cycle up one of the nastiest hills in the whole of NZ and then cycle the loop road back to the cafe for a coffee and scone!!  (Well the hill maybe was not going to be that bad - but pretty nasty.  For those from Rotorua - the 'Tarawera Road/Okareka/Blue Lake loop road' circuit).  

As I was swimming, I had already made my mind up that I wasn't going to do the bike ride she suggested.  I mentioned this to her in my jovial fashion in the pool and she just fobbed it off saying - nah, you will be fine AND we are doing it!

Hmmmmmmm time for another tactic....

In the car as we arrived at our start point I suggested we just head out along the flat.  'Um, nope' said Lee-Anne with a grin, 'we are going to head up that hill!!!!'  BUGGER - this was one tough customer - so my mind told me to suck it up Steff and just get on with it. And that I did.  

It was as bad as she had mentioned it was and at times I felt like I was not only standing still whilst still biking, but actually going backwards.  But the one thing that kept me going was that Lee-Anne was there waiting for me (0h and of course the coffee and scone at 'The Office Cafe' on our return).  And she was waiting for me at the top of every hill with her beaming smile urging me along.  And as I sit here now reflecting on my day, I'm so pleased I have knocked that b%$#@%^&d off as every other hill now is going to feel like a mere blip on my radar!

So thanks Lee-Anne for just being you. Cheers!!