Sore Legs

The price for being smug about a good recovery from a run is ... sore legs. I went out with the Ashburton Spring Trail Runners last Saturday- the spring referring to the season, as we  are ( barring one) more in the early autumn of our lives. The run was 17 .4 km with 866 metres of elevation up Woolshed Creek, past the disused Blackburn Coalmine and up to the saddle between Pinnacles Hut and Woolshed Creek hut. The day was windy but eventually warm . I have managed some runs  (notably my slowest flat 21km in 2 months) since and my legs have decided to let me know about it. I even rubbed canola oil into my knees. It didn't work.

These photos are from the archives as my camera battery was not charged up for this run. 

Looking towards the Arrowsmith Range. April 2006

These photos were respectively taken at the extremes of snow cover so if you half close your eyes and imagine the snow as being halfway between the two then you will have a close approximation to the conditions that we ran in.

Chrisanne and John toiling up the snowy track to Woolshed Creek  June 2004.

Kia Kaha.

Recovery and panic

Lighter mornings. Still chilly though.

Well at risk of tempting fate, I am delighted to have beaten 4 hours for the Abel Tasman! Must be a  combination of cunning, better familarity with the course and possibly doing more 15-20 km runs midweek in training rather than runnning more days for fewer km's. This week have run  a 20 km/10km/15 km run and pleasingly my legs have not been as stiff as previous years.

I sat down on Monday night to form a rough draft of my plan of attack for the Molesworth Run, which being 85km I basically thought of a 65km distance run on one day at the end of October and tried to work out  distances around this. This "panic" formula came up with me aiming for about 140 km per week , so back to the drawing board for this programme.  Apart from the distance the intimidating part of the Molesworth is the cut off time of 10 hours. Suffice the training programme is still a work in progress.

Watch this space.

The Abel Tasman Coastal Classic

The first run of the four went underway as planned with the Abel Tasman Park being sheltered from the fierce storm that demolished a sports stadium in Invercargill, and cut off electricity to 14000 homes in North Island.

Cold weather gear  for the boat trip to the start!

The day started with a grey cold boat trip and a shivery roll call on the Awaroa airstrip before the starting gun. The decision to run in normal running gear soon paid off though as  the sun started to poke through the clouds.

The runners strung out along Onetahi Beach. ( 7km)  Moira is the tenth figure ahead of me here!

The day just got better and better. View Between Bark Bay and Torrent Bay ( about 16 km ). North Island is seen in the distance.

Nice flat bit next to Torrent Bay Estuary (about 20 km )

No photos taken for the next 16 km as I got a bit obsessed with trying to beat the 4 hours ( which I did by 1 minute 38 second). This is Moira, who was a short distance behind me, with Chrisanne supporting her on her left shoulder. Chrisanne accompanied Moira for the last 2 km encouraging her with "keep going Mum "  and "you can do it".

In summary a brilliant day with beautiful views of sea, sand and bush and the great company of fellow runners.

Many thanks for the text's and email received.

Now for the Molesworth run in 9 weeks time ......

36 hours to the Abel Tasman Coastal Classic

Big skies in Mid Canterbury today. For good measure  the biggest storm on the planet (a depression of 950 Hpa)  is positioned 1000km south of New Zealand promising to bring strong winds and heavy rain over the next 48 hours. This won't affect the run because .... it is in the bush and nice and sheltered. Yeah right.  If the weather conditions are not suitable, then the run will be altered from the  34 km Awaroa -Marahau one way trip, to the Marahau-Torrent Bay-Marahau 28 km run. There are also other minor considerations such as the flight to Nelson tomorrow and the boat trip to get to the start on Saturday morning.

The running shirt and cap  arrived courtesy of Rachel Holdaway who is the busy Ashburton Beat Bowel Cancer facilitator and has also been targeted by magpies recently.  Many thanks for this - Very smart! I will have to really run well now!

The link for the Abel Tasman run is http://www.nelsonevents.co.nz/AbelTasmanCoastalClassic.htm

I will  post some run photos on Sunday. Many thanks again for the contributions - there was $80 in the collection box in the last 3 days which is just great.

Ka kite.

You know spring is here when you start getting dive bombed

                                          

Therein a Magpie watches.

This morning I was happily running an easy 6km run in warm mild morning sun, only to be squawked and flapped at by a Autralasian Magpie. This set off the obligatory flapping of arms, expletives which do not rhyme with magpie  and a sudden spurt in running pace. Yes, the magpie season is upon us. This will last for the next 3 months, so runners and cyclists need to be vigilant to their presence. At least there was no contact this morning. 

So far I have experienced dive bombing by magpies, plovers and once by a New Zealand Falcon. The falcon was certainly the most awe inspiring as it was the perfect sniper attack, dropping in total silence to target and lacerate the thinning area at the top of my head. The wound was a true badge of honour to the predatory skill of such a raptor. Plovers are just stupid with their flailing legs  and you just want them to shut up. The magpie however is my true adversary simply throught its persistence and by weight of numbers. Last year a most intent magpie attacked me 8 times over a stretch of 100 meters or so. I was very happy when its belt of pines was chopped down for firewood the following winter.

Apart from magpies , I am enjoying the relaxed countdown to the Abel Tasman Run, with touch wood, no injuries. My Beat Bowel Cancer Running Shirt will be ready tomorrow.

Ka Kite.

6 days to the Abel Tasman Coastal Classic

Please excuse this shot but the intention of this picture is to show that I am not just a fair weather runner! Conditions have been a bit mixed this week but have managed 76 kms in the last 7 days. The earth is still trembling with aftershocks round here but nowhere near as sustained or strong as last weekend.  I am looking forward to easing down this week. Moira is showing me a clean pair of heels being 30+seconds faster than me per Km. We keep telling each other it is not a competition.........

Many thanks to those who have donated to Beat Bowel Cancer Aotearoa

Post Earthquake run

Not Bushmansfriend - nice symmetry and soft velvety leaves.

Canterbury had a major earthquake this weekend. Christchurch suffered  very badly, although Ashburton has been very fortunate to escape relatively unscathed.

24km run today in warm  nor-westery conditions along the Ashburton Rivertrack and back around Lake Hood. Nice to start a run in daylight for a change.

I had always thought the above plant was called Bushmansfriend ( rangiora ) for its utility as toilet paper when you get caught short in the bush but apparently this is not so. Until I hear otherwise  I shall call it runners friend instead.

Thursday's run (17km) started in darkness to give me the sun sneaking between Mid-Canterbury's horizon and stratocumulus clouds before it disappeared above the grey at 7 a.m. My podcast ( "Things You Should Know" ), which I sometimes listen to when running, tells me that each photon of light that hits us has been bouncing around inside the sun for half a million years before it warms our skin. Somehow I do not feel quite so old!