For fifth Coast to Coast title
she said hampered her preparations for the 2018 race. She wasn’t at her best physically, either.
‘‘I didn’t feel like I was having a very good day. I felt a little bit unwell the whole day. There was a lot of stress leading up to the race.
‘‘I didn’t feel it was as good as I could go.’’
Her training had gone smoother this summer, with Richard even giving her a leave pass from work to train full time over the past month.
The couple trained together extensively in the past in the leadup to the race, but with Richard heavily involved with their business, Elina Ussher Elina has mainly trained on her own, which had been lonely.
Few competitors know the Coast to Coast race better than Ussher and what is required to perform at your absolute peak on the day.
Every year was different with weather conditions. Being able to stay composed, if issues popped up on the mountain run, bike, or paddle, was critical. ‘‘It’s a very technical course. It’s a long day out there and the conditions can change very quickly. There can be a lot of wind on the river or the last ride [into Christchurch].’’
Ussher’s longevity in the Coast to Coast speaks volumes about how much the event means to her and the way she looks after her body. She was unsure if this would be her last race with all her mental and physical energy geared towards doing well.
‘‘It’s a hard time of year to think about that kind of thing because I have to be so fully focused and I don’t want any kind of complications.
‘‘I’ll tell you after the race.’’
‘‘It’s a long day out there and the conditions can change very quickly.’’