Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?
- Oh, The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss
It's been pretty hectic round here lately...
The weekend after we got back from our South Island adventure I was competing in TONIC (The Orienteering North Island Champs), 4 days of full-on racing on various maps in Woodhill Forest. From fast, open forest to thick native bush to the Maze, an open area filled with impassable patches of scrub that proved a technical minefield it was one very intense weekend.
Here's the last control on Day 2 (this course was one hell of a bush crash) peeping out from the forest.
The view down towards the West Coast and the Kaipara Harbour on the road into Day 3.
Fruit salad in the sun after Day 3's racing. Glorious.
The next weekend was spent putting in some last minute mountain bike training at Woodhill before competing in the P6 the following weekend. The P6 is an annual 6 hour adventure race held North of Auckland by Lactic Turkey, known for some pretty fun and crazy events. This was no exception. The event involved mountain biking (always my bane), running and tubbing (swimming down a river inside an inner tube from a car tyre) as well as mystery activities to earn extra points all while trying to navigate your way around the course.
Chaos as the beginning of leg 2 as everyone tries to work out exactly what's going on.
The P6 was our first race together as just the 2 of us and hopefully not our last. Just next time we'll remember to bring sunblock!
While visiting my new local health food shop, Huckleberry Farms, in search of lara bars for the various races I discovered they now also stock a selection of Clif and Luna bars so obviously I had to get some to test...
First up, Luna Bars. So far I've tried Caramel Nut Brownie, Cookies 'n Cream Delight and Chocolate Peppermint Stick. Honestly? They taste kinda artificial or something but I keep desperately trying to like them (they look so pretty after all!). Perhaps a non-chocolate flavour will be better. I have an Iced Oatmeal Raisin flavour so I'm hanging great hopes on it!
Clif Bars. Here I've only tried the Chocolate Brownie and Oatmeal Raisin Walnut flavours and J has tried the Cranberry Apple Cherry. I definitely prefer the Clif bars to the Luna bars but the Chocolate Brownie was way too dense and sweet, especially before a race! Next time, stick to the fruity, oatmeal flavours!
So basically, Lara Bars win hands down! I've yet to meet a flavour I don't like.
Amongst all our adventuring we've still had to eat. Here's last night's dinner - Pumpkin Gnocchi with soy sausages, capsicum, courgette, mushrooms, baby spinach and tinned tomatoes. One day I will have to try my hand at making gnocchi but for now Delmaine make a pretty good version for those days you don't have much time to spend in the kitchen (like every day lately!).
I don't like Luna Bars that much either. They are wayyyy to sweet and fake tasting to me. Clif Bars are okay, I'll buy one if thats the only thing there but not really a favorite. I just bought a ton of Larabars but I've only tried 1 flavor. They are good so far!
ReplyDeletePumpkin Gnocchi???!!! I gotta try that =)
I've never tried clif bars, but I used to eat the occasional luna bar back in the US. I seem to remember a chai flavoured one that was good, and maybe something with cranberries? I was never big on the chocolate flavours... I'd rather just eat a block of chocolate :)
ReplyDeleteThat gnocchi looks divine!
Shame that you didn't like the luna and clif bars much! You can't buy either here in the UK and I have always been desperate to try them but after you're experience it doesn't seem worth the postage to buy them online! Clif builder bars are good though, if you ever get a chance to try them!
ReplyDeleteAt least you got a nice stash of larabars!
I'm struck by how bright your pictures are; like a rainbow :o).
ReplyDeleteHave you tried the Jocalat Larabars? The plain chocolate flavor is amazing when microwaved for just 10-15 seconds-- like a warm brownie!
eating such a beautiful fruit salad while sitting in the sun just has to be what perfection tastes like.
ReplyDelete