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Manawatu Striders – winter series (5km) – 12 June 2011

Me at the start of the walking event (except for a couple of eager beavers in front!) – the runners were to follow a few minutes later.
Directions to the event with lovely winter sun peaking over the trees.
One might think is was a hot summer’s day if you look at the dress code! We were less brave.
A short section next to the Manawatu River with the Fitzherbert bridge in the distance.
hortly after the 3km mark, running on Fitzherbert Avenue.
he turn around point clearly marked, but everybody followed each other to turn after the second cone leading to the little path on the left, which takes you to the other side of the bridge making us miss the route markers. The 10km runners went straight ahead for an additional loop around Massey campus.
Gerry, flying over the Manawatu River bridge on Fitzherbert Avenue.

We took a little hiatus from running since the T42. I just felt like I was running myself unfit, going slower with every run, which resulted in discouragement and general lack of commitment. We have entered for the Auckland marathon, happening at the end of October, and knew that we must get on the road soon, but the motivation was next to nothing. And with winter in full swing; rain, wind and generally cold unpleasant weather, just the thought of running made me run for cover. Continue reading →

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Running up that hill

King and queen of the mountains!

King and queen of the mountains!

When Wouna and I started running, we stayed in a hilly neighbourhood. No matter which direction you ran, you’d hit a hill within about a kilometer. Even our little 4km daily loop automatically doubled as a hill-session. One hill on our daily run was particularly challenging. When we first started running it felt totally insurmountable, and we were in awe of any runner we saw who actually ran over the hill. It ended up taking us a couple of months of running before the big day came where we were finally able to run all the way over it. We felt like we had finally joined some elite club of super-runners!

Even after this realisation that it was actually possible to top the hill without walking, it remained an important indicator of ability – each time we had a bit of a lapse in our running, or a layoff due to injury, the distance we could run up that hill before slowing to a walk, became a measure of our progress. Continue reading →

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T42 trail marathon – 7 May 2011

Gerry and I on Friday afternoon at the race headquarters – The Park Travellers’ Lodge – just after registration and gear check. Nervously brave.
The Park, where registration and gear checks were taking place.
Doing some carbo-loading at the Speights Ale House.
At the start, with a long queue at the porta-loos on the left.
Gerry, making his way through the DOC footbath, just to ease into running wet.
Foam coming from my shoes after the footbath. Remnants of my attempt to eliminate the pong in my shoes.
Hopping over a fence for a loop through a farm.
Gerry going strong on a grassy patch.
In the early stages of the race, when we could still see some other participants.
A wee bit of a view when the clouds subsided.
Running through the water makes it no less wet.
One of many river crossings. Forget about dry feet!
The widest and deepest river crossing en route.
Mud, mud and more mud. Imagine what the MTB’ers looked like.
Gerry enjoying the hospitality of some very friendly volunteers at the water point/aid station.
Some lovely stretches on gravel road.
More mud, with a very apt caution sign for the MTB’ers.
Not far to go.
Relieved smiles at an almost deserted finish.
Tackling another mountain – this time a Mountain Burger at the Speights Ale House. Much appreciated after a day of jelly babies and water.

On Wednesday, 4 May, we received the fourth and final email update from Total Sport concerning the T42 Central Plateau marathon. Things that were covered in the email, included:

  • Weather update
  • Event contingency date
  • Compulsory gear update
  • Event course update
  • Department of Conservation / Didymo
  • Safety on the course
  • Event start times & locations
  • Course cut-off times
  • Aid stations
  • Gear drop off at start
  • Transport
  • Registration at The Park
  • Post event at Owhango
  • Prize Money
  • Event Photos
  • Dinner & post event at The Park

Continue reading →

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Opiki School Country Half Marathon – 17 April 2011

Gerry, approximately 5km from the finish with some threatening clouds on the way.
Is that a nervous smile? Almost the whole field of participants are standing around waiting to get going.
Bede Gilmore, the school principal, explaining the course before setting us off.
A short patch of dirt road.
And then mud …
… and more mud. Planning the best path through.
Gerry getting water at about 5km into the race.
Route marker on a typical kiwi farmer temporary fence pole.
The finish “banner” aka the school entrance gate :).

After a week of wonderful, wind-free evenings and perfect weather, it started to rain the day before this event, coupled with some wind. As we got up on the Sunday morning, it was pouring, with a nasty wind, and it took all the motivation I had left in me to get up, get dressed and drive to Opiki, all along thinking that I will just check out the scene and bail before we even start.

Continue reading →

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Manawatu Gorge Track & Tunnel Walk (10 April 2011)

Ju-huu-st the two of us…
Gerry, with Ballance bridge in the back.
Monkey business on the train track.
Scary stuff crossing the bridges.
Gerry concentrating hard on another train bridge without railings.
The Manawatu River quite far down.
Tunnel coming up! Torches out.
Light at the end of the tunnel.
Abseilers as seen from the train track side.
The last stretch which flattens out towards Ashhurst.
Walkers on the train bridge, as see from the road.
A nice touch – little certificate to show that you’ve completed the walk.

Once a year the Woodville Lions Club organise an approximately 8km walk on the train track through the Manawatu gorge, starting at the Ballance Bridge end (Woodville side) in the east and walking back to the Ashhurst Domain on the west side of the gorge.

I’ve often wondered what the gorge would look like from the other side. If you are on the one side of a river, you always long to see the other side, and vice versa. That’s life, I guess … :). We’ve driven though the gorge on several occasions by road, which is on the one side of the river, while I always look across to the train track, also carved into the cliffs of the gorge, and wonder how the graffiti got onto the concrete slabs underneath the track. With the river way below and near vertical cliffs to get to the track, the willpower of graffiti artists always amazes me. Continue reading →