21.1km

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Back-to-back 21s #1: Taihape Half Marathon

Date: 21 March 2015
Distance: 21.5
Time: 2:18.45

Registration just down the road, under a tree. 🙂
Course map.
Runners, walkers and spectators at the event HQ.
Is that a Tarawera T I’m spotting? 😉
And that’s the total field of half marathon runners – with me and Gerry (taking the photo) right at the back.
Beautiful winding road up ahead.
Running with the smell of freshly turned soil in the air.
A nice bit of downhill before the next uphill.
This is the life!
The gravel road stretch between farms was really special – tranquil and serene.
Running in an environment like this is good for your body and soul.
The little bits of shade was on the cold side for me.
At the end of the out-and-back stretch is a water station with friendly volunteers.
The weather couldn’t have been more perfect (at least for most people).
This is a lovely event – one we would definitely keep on the calendar in future.
Classic rural New Zealand.
A lovely bunch of volunteers at the final water station – sure to put a smile on anybody’s face!
With roads and scenery like this, one can carry on all day long.
On the last 1.5km stretch back on the sealed road, with the finish in sight.
Sausage sizzle and a small Lindauer bubbly on the house, we opted for a beer and sausage while waiting for prize-giving to start. Hot-cross buns with cheese and coffee shortened the trip back home.

Taihape is a bit of a drive for us, but we needed the training and truth be told, if we tried to run back-to-back 21’s on our own, it probably wouldn’t have happened. Besides it’s so much more fun doing events, even if you are last and run most of the way on your own. You have support along the route and get to run on new roads, giving your mind and body a bit of a break from your usual training paths. Plus you support a local community, so why not? Continue reading →

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Hatuma Lime Half Marathon

All smiles at the start of the race: Johann and Nettie who joined us again for this event, moi and Gerry.
A large-ish field for a small town event.
Some super heroes also took part. I was trying to catch the “well endowed” banana, but he stayed a few hundred metres in front of us.
And away we go! The blue t-shirt worn by the lady in front of us is the official race t-shirt, kindly sponsored by Hatuma Lime.
Nettie and Johann in the first kilometre which is an out-and-back stretch to make up the distance for a 21.1km event.
Me at the second turn, finally about to head out on the open road.
A typical scene of me in three layers while the locals wear T’s and shorts.
The snow-capped mountains made for beautiful scenery (and a bit of a nip in the air).
Country ro-o-ads, take me h-o-o-ome!
A nice chap next to the road had beers on offer. Would have loved to just park there and share a couple of beers with him. Next time!
The transition and water points were usually a jollyfication with lots of supporters and team members cheering runners on.
Fly, fly away.
The last few kilometres are run in the streets of Waipukurau.

I recently read in Runner’s World magazine that a PB has an expire date … of about 3 years or so. And here I thought I could still claim my PB’s from when I was in my early thirties.

But I think most runners have an urge, or a longing to reach those goals that have always been eluding you. Whether it’s a 5km, 10km, half or full marathon (or whatever distance), there will always be a little voice in the back of your head wondering if you can still go faster. Even if you’re 15 years older and much weaker. And even though it hasn’t been a conscious decision for me to try and improve on my fastest 21.1km time, I have been hoping to still one day complete a marathon in under four hours. I have never really trained for it, and with 4 hours being a very reasonable target, I’m sure it’s still do-able. Continue reading →

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Manawatu Striders Half Marathon

A few minutes before the start of the half marathon.
All smiles in anticipation of the run ahead on a glorious day with near perfect weather. [Photo by Johann vd Merwe]
The start of the 21.1km. Chris Sanson in the middle, also the overall winner. [Photo courtesy of Rob Weir, Manawatu Striders]
Gerry speeding towards the finish line. [Photo by Johann vd Merwe]
The finish line at the Massey Rec site with Gerry approaching the finish banner. [Photo by Johann vd Merwe]
Me with only a few more metres to go. And June at the finish to welcome me back with a hug. Thanks June! [Photo by Johann vd Merwe]
At the prize-giving with Club President Kevin Palmer. I was very surprised to have won the club female Handicap Cup. [Photo courtesy of Rob Weir, Manawatu Striders]
Gerry also winning the male Handicap Cup. [Photo courtesy of Rob Weir, Manawatu Striders]

I think it’s fair to say that I’m not a very competitive animal. Or am I?

I run for fun. I would never be able to win an event, or be amongst the first 10, or 100 finishers (unless there’s only ten participants), so I don’t do fartleks, or hill repeats or speed work. I just run, for myself and the sense of achievement when completing the odd serious challenge. And for my health. When your doctor and your cardiologist plus your dietician all agree that you should run, you run boy. No questions asked. Every now and again, for whatever reason (wintery weather? laziness?), we take ‘breaks’, where we would completely stop running for a couple of months. But usually we get into again, not without lots of swearing and complaining for allowing ourselves to lose all our fitness and having to start right at the bottom again – what a pain! One great way to break out of an “off” streak, is to enter for an event that would border on the “crazy” side for most non-runners. I firmly believe one should do things that scares you a little. Life begins the moment you step out of your comfort zone, right? And that’s more or less the gist of our running regime for the past 14 years. Continue reading →

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Norsewood to Takapau – 21.1km

What to do when you’re a crowd of three? If not the three musketeers, the three wise men, three blind mice, three little pigs, three Stooges or the Bee Gees, it has to be the three wise monkeys!
Registration in the Gallipoli Room, Community Centre Norsewood.
Nettie, myself and Gerry at the start on a lovely sunny, albeit chilly, morning. [Photo © Johann van der Merwe]
Brand spanking new shoes for Nettie and Johann. Don’t think it is necessary to “run in” trainers these days anymore. [Photo © Johann van der Merwe]
Coronation Street, Norsewood. Bustling with activity outside the registration venue.
Race briefing. The cyclists in front of the runners. [Photo © Johann van der Merwe]
Participants were invited to dress up for the event, but only a few fancy dress outfits were around at the start.
Looks like a huge field shortly after the start. Keeping clear of other runners, cyclists and support vehicles proved quite a challenge on the very narrow country roads.
Going strong on a sunny, cold morning.
Lots of rain the previous night made the roads shine in the sun.
Beautiful scenery in rural NZ with snow on the Ruahines. [Photo © Johann van der Merwe]
A short out-and-back section with the turnaround point at the 5km mark.
Not sure what the scarecrow in the front was trying to do … :-). [Photo © Johann van der Merwe]
Johann with a bounce in his step thanks to his new shoes, while Nettie is jogging along comfortably.
A nice downhill in a valley.
Blue skies and a winter sun helping to warm us up.
Yeah! The 10km point also had a “woohoo” in the road. These types of signs give me a smile everytime.
I just love these country runs.
Waterpoint with friendly volunteers. Three en route at approximately 5km intervals.
Very happy to have a sunny run after the night’s rain.
Rolling green hills in the countryside. [Photo © Johann van der Merwe]
The last kilometres is run through the small town of Takapau.
Johann and Nettie still looking strong at finished.
Just a couple more steps.

Since the Wellington marathon three weeks ago, we ran an average of four times per week. Not too bad, I guess, but not as much as I hoped. There were too many days of foul weather and laziness. We also did a trail run, the first of many more to come leading up to the Tarawera 100. Yep, we took the plunge and entered for the beast – something I’ve been wanting to do for the past few years. (Am I repeating myself?)

As is always the case (at least for me) with your weekly long-run training, it is so much nicer to cover the distance with other people. Knowing you’ve got company out there, even if you don’t utter a single word to anyone else, is enough to make the run easier. The joys of running for most people might be that they get alone time. Time to switch off and have only their own thoughts to keep them company. I get that. I do that too! But I still prefer to have other people around, just to see them even if I am caught up in my own thoughts and pretty much ignoring everybody else. Continue reading →

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Te Mata Terrific Tui 21km trail run (Hawke’s Bay) – 18 May

 

Queueing at registration.
Johann, Nettie, me and Gerry shortly before the start.
Race briefing on a lovely sunny day in Hawke’s Bay.
And away we go – first lap around the cement reservoir and back.
Second lap – the organisers’ plan to spread out the field was definitely effective.
Up and up and up.
Jumping over gates and fences – many times. Red arrows were for the 21km run, blue for the 13 and green for the 7.5.
Beautiful views at the top of the rolling green hills.
On private land with lots of fence crossings.
Nice downhill section through a paddock.
Up and up again.
A wee dam on the farm.
Poor startled sheep not sure which way to go.
Gerry coming out the redwood forest.
A hilly section on the Te Mata track.
Single track paths once you reach the Te Mata track.
Some very steep and technical sections needs to be negotiated.
What goes down, must go up. The trig point is visible at the top where the only marshal en route takes down race numbers.
Finally at the highest point with wonderful views over Hawke’s Bay.
Serious downhill swithbacks to quickly get down the hill.
Down, down, down. Finally.
Deja vu! Our second outing on the Te Mata track after following the earlier markers.
Sausage sizzle in the lovely countryside.

When last did you find yourself knee-deep in poo? Not that it is a prerequisite for this event, but if the opportunity presents itself, why not grab it with all four paws? Continue reading →