Jafalete

Just Another Frigging Aucklander is a term New Zealanders ‘affectionately’ give to the obnoxious nouveau riche in the biggest city in the country. Naturally, as Aucklanders, we consider this a compliment. I mean, we’ve never taken the time to come up with a nickname for anyone else in the country, have we?

Just Another Frigging Athlete refers to Auckland athletes. We can arrange running trainings and cycle rides around cafes at will, we can turn up to an event with all the latest gear, plenty of enthusiasm and absolutely no clue, coming last and stopping for a latte on the way- but eventually, somebody, somewhere, will still get envious. They’ll still complain about frigging Aucklanders.

This journal is a chronicle of a chronic Jafalete. I’ve lived in Auckland for about nine years now, and I don’t consider a day’s training done unless there was a good meal at the end of it. I think nothing of ordering a latte from the sports field, and I refuse to call a race anything other than an ‘event’ because my goal is simply to finish.

I am qualified in mountain push biking, adept at swimming (next to my K1) and have a degree in stumbling (as opposed to being a long distance runner or a walker.) I used to play canoe polo rather well, although now I have to be content with playing poorly. I sometimes have the ability to orienteer, so long as orienteering is defined as getting lost in the middle of the city.

I have a couple of other sites but this is my training log, which will probably end up more amusing than anything I actually put effort into writing…