Karen Darke | Athlete | Speaker | Author

It’s 55 degrees hotter here in Australia than at home in Scotland. Going outside is like stepping into an oven, and going training on the bike means being wrung dry of every last drop of fluid. Even at 8am this morning, I was cycling through the sprinklers in the park to cool down. Had the good fortune last week of meeting an Aussie handbiking champion – he holds so many world records I lost track, both for biking and weight lifting. He looked like a condom stuffed full of walnuts, and left me for crumbs as he sprinted off up the hills. Him in his lycra, bare chest and tattoos, me in my pink crocs, baggy shirt and beach wear! It made me think I’ve a long way to go before I’m anywhere near racing speed, but he told me his secrets, and I’ve since adopted a training programme more like his. Less is more, and quality not quantity, which is a relief given the hours of time training has been taking up…more time to sit in the shade, play with nephews and eat ice cream! And at the end of the week, Patagonia beckons…what a great start to 2009. Happy New Year, and hope you have a good one.