Tarawera Dark / Light / Dark Run

The weekend was one of contrasts starting from our arrival in hot  muggy North Island from cool clear Canterbury on Friday. The day before the run was ominous as heavy rain fell just 10 hours before the race.

My support crew of Moira, John , Chrisanne and Maggie were all well versed with the course  and projected target times to supply me with encouragement and changes of socks/shoes along the way.

Bleary eyed in the dark at 6.30am in the Rotorua Redwoods. Must have had too much porridge.

After 30 mins we emerged out of the gloom of the forest. The start was mostly walking as 300 or so runners sorted themselves out along the narrow trail.

 The first of several lakes at 9km - Blue lake - and the first of the aid stations. All the food was like a children's party platter with jelly beans, jet planes, water melon, fizzy drinks, water, jam sandwiches etc. Crystallized ginger was very digestible  

 This is Lake Okareka at approx 20 kms into the run. The day was unfolding to be sunny and spectacular.

Support crew cooling their heels

Offloading some gear to John at Lake Okataina aid station, 37 km

Tarawera falls at 57km. This was a welcome sight as the track had started to gently go downhill as it followed the river gorge from here. The previous 10 km had been really hard with picking my way over roots and rocks on the banks of Lake Tarawera. I had arrived at the Tarawera Outlet Aid station at 55 km really doubting my ability  to finish. For some reason it had seemed much harder than last year  - which I think was because I had run most of this stretch on my own this year. The GPS later showed that this section was certainly my slowest spell -being mostly at a fast walk pace of 6.4kmh . The aid station would have been in danger of running out of food if I had stayed much longer as I was ravenously hungry eating peanut butter and marmite on hot cross buns - a new experience for me. The arrival of Malcom Sewell a couple of minutes behind me telling me to stop stuffing my face and just get on with it also spurred me to get back on the trail.

 The 60 km runners finished at the Tarawera aid station, and the run changed to broad forest roads which was easier underfoot and with fewer sharp hills except for......

the route up the dusty hill of the Awaroa Loop at  80 km. This is the view as the sun was setting on the descent. This was where I pulled out my secret weapon of WALKING POLES. With Malcolm Sewell questioning if I had meant to bring my Zimmer Frame,  I determined to show that this technological marvel was worth every cent. They enabled me to use my upper body to propel my legs into a faster pace, as by now my legs had lost their "oomph". By virtue of these I managed to run the last 40 km a full 33 minutes faster than I had done the previous year.

Moira and the family were there with a beer and clean clothes at the end and I was relieved and delighted to have crossed the line 43 minutes earlier than I had done the previous year.

Many thanks to everyone for all the messages of support and above all to Moira and the children for their support on a very long day. Special thanks also to Malcom Sewell for "keeping me honest" - his words not mine!

Ka kite.

Keeping it Brown

This weekend has involved a trip to Twizel supporting  Ashburton College with the South Island Secondary Schools Rowing Championships. They did well to gain a few placings in the boys and girls fours and pairs categories. Good test  before the national champs in 2 weeks.

I managed to sneak off for  a few hours with 2 of our other children on their Mountain bikes to run 18km beneath massive skies on the Dusky Trail.

The local conservation message is curiously "keep it brown" as the proposed irrigation schemes will transform this beige landscape into a fawn and Lincoln green check with fertile irrigated paddocks next to naturally dry dessicated tussockland. It is 6 days to the Tarawera Ultramarathon, and the landscape could not be more contrasting. Great training run with a cool soak in the river afterwards.

Ka kite.

Bit of Cross Training

Amid the aftershocks  I have been tapering.  My last back to back run was really a run followed by a bike in the Burkes Pass to Albury Pub Mountain bike race in South Canterbury. At 36 km this was longer than I wanted to run so I joined the mountain bikers. This is the third time we have done it and the muddiest that it has been ( no photos so take my word for it!)

First snow of 2011 covers the hills

The rest of the week has been flat track runs of 20/12+12km runs . Rest day tomorrow then off to Twizel where my son is rowing and hope to fit in a couple more runs to keep the legs working.

Ka kite

Final long runs

It is an eerie time running with the memory of the devastation in Christchurch still very fresh.

There has been a quiet exodus of thousands from the city as the population shrinks there to swell the smaller towns in Canterbury and beyond.

Work has been strangely normal and even quieter, as people are  pre-occupied with matters other than what they normally would see their doctor about.

This week has been my last  long mileage week , with 120 kms in the past 7 days. My legs had been pretty heavy after back to back runs of 45k/35k last weekend and 15k runs either side. However a run in the hills up Woolshed Creek, shook out the tiredness this morning and helped suppress any worries that chances of finishing the Tarawera run might be something less than 50/50. It was also surprising to encounter a fellow competitor out training, who will be starting the same race in 2 weeks time. It is always comforting to meet up with like minded people out there.

Jeremy and Richard contemplating at the saddle above Woolshed Creek

Looking forward to the downhill

The local newspaper ( Ashburton Guardian ) interviewed me on Wednesday. They printed a good wee photo and piece about the running for Beat Bowel Cancer Aotearoa in today's issue.

It is 2 weeks to the Tarawera run. The race starts at 7 am 19th March at the Redwood Visitor centre in Rotorua and hopefully finish by 11 pm on the same day. Moira and the children will be driving and following around along the route where possible. If anyone is travelling to the event, we look forward to seeing you there.

Ka kite