Bursting to go...........

Well time to get back to the blog as I have allowed myself far too much time to elapse since I last posted about the Molesworth run.

Since the Molesworth I have been steadily getting back into training. I have been running 80-100 km per week which is more than what I was running at this time last year when I was also trying to fit in training for the Tarawera 100.

The Molesworth run took more out of me than I anticipated and it took about 2 weeks before I could jog and 3 weeks before I could run at a respectable pace.

I even ran on Christmas day  which was a first so I indulged less than usual over the festive period. We had a wee holiday in Wanaka with Moira doing the Lake Wanaka Half Ironman, so fitted in some hill runs there.

Moira on the run leg, Wanaka Half Ironman

View from top of Mt Iron, Wanaka

I adopted a training plan for the first time which advises several back to back runs. This means 2 runs of 3-5 hours each on a Saturday and a Sunday over the next 5 weeks. I am managing these quite comfortably  with a full pack to acclimatise for the Tarawera and North Face Blue Mountain Runs. I did however get lost on the Ashburton River Bed turning a 4 hour run into a 6 hour run, getting swooped by black backed gulls as I disturbed their nesting spots.

Lost on Ashburton River Bed

The Blue Mountain event organisers sent me a DVD of the event which left me with the feeling of "what have I let myself in for"! The ascent and descent is 5000 metres as well as being 101 km long. They also advise a compression crepe bandage in event of snake bites, which my UK based medical training did not really cover.

Today I did a 4 hour run up the Mt Hutt Ski road as I have neglected uphill runs in the last three weeks. The road itself is a bit dull but the views are great and the descent through black beech forest, makes it one of my favourite places to run. I am a bit daunted that the ascent/descent of the Blue Mountain Run is the equivalent of running up and down the ski road x4. Mental note to tackle that small matter when I get there.

Tomorrow involves a 3 hour run incorporating a 18 km run along the Ashburton river track as part of the Ashburton River Track Challenge event, so will be very familiar stomping ground.

Ka Kite