running

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Marshalling on Mt Holdsworth (Jumbo-Holdsworth Trail Race – 25 January)

24 January: Powell Hut via Gentle Annie, Totara Flat, Pig Flat and Holdsworth Track

New Powell hut.
New Powell hut.
New Powell hut.

The month of January is not even finished yet and I already felt like I needed a holiday. Luckily we had the prospect of the two days back in the Tararua Range. Since our tramp over New Year I’ve been keen to get back in the mountain, but on “easier” and more “human friendly” terrain. Continue reading →

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Tauranga marathon

Date: 20 September 2019
Distance: 42.2km
Time: 5:26.12
Previous: 2017 (inaugural)

Shortly after the start.
Check out that loo queue on the left.
Young Rob and I. A beautiful, sunny day with just a light breeze.
We moved towards the back of the starting shoot, but there were still quite a few runners and walkers behind us.
On Papamoa Beach Road.
Rounding the mount.
At the end of the Mt Maunganui loop.
Cars only had one lane and were backed up for miles.
A jaunt through the Port.
A scenic section overlooking Port Tauranga.
Very tempting to follow the Half Marathon course straight to the finish.
Yay!
The mount is getting smaller in the back.
Rob already miles ahead of us.
Checking out the 10km map and wondering what possessed me to do the marathon.
A lovely part of the course.
Another friendly aid station.
Running along the boardwalk.
The mount looks so far away.
The last aid station, less than 2km from the finish.
The finish in the main street of Tauranga City.

On Friday morning, shortly after breakfast, the power suddenly went out. That was when it dawned on us that council scheduled a power outage from 8:30 until 3pm. The house needed a vacuum, the washing machine was halfway through its cycle, the dishes needed cleaning, we hadn’t showered yet and I was still going to cook us something for the road and dinner. We couldn’t wait until after 3pm, so out came the broom while I was cussing away at the wall-to-wall carpet. Oh, how I hate thee! It’s just a breeding ground for allergies and impossible to truly clean. No matter how much water and soap you throw at it, unless you have suction that can peel the carpet off of the floor, you won’t be getting all the crap out. Ever. Well, that’s my take on it anyway. Continue reading →

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Hatuma Lime half marathon

Date: 15 September 2019
Distance: 21.1km
Time: 2:17
Previous:  2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017

MC in action.
Cath and Cheryl joined me for the pic.
hi Anita!
Hey Kev!
Lots of traffic on the course.
Gerry practicing his selfie skills.
A lovely section before and after the last change over point.
When there’s “running” in a sentence it can only mean one thing ;-).
Less than two kilometres from the finish.

It was our sixth outing to Waipukurau for the annual Hatuma Lime half marathon, still the event we’ve done the most times of all. Hard to say why we go back almost every year. Maybe because it has by now become a “thing” – the event we’ve done most times? Continue reading →

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Cape Egmont Half Marathon

Date: 14 July
Distance: 21.1 (we measured 21.4)
Time: 2:16:10

Wet and dark at the start.
Not quite convinced of our own sanity!
The race is run on sealed country roads.
Awesome volunteers braving the weather.
A bit messy with no bin after the aid station.
An unsealed section shortly beyond the second aid station and relay team hand-over.
Did I mention it was wet?
Happy to be done with it.
Cape Egmont lighthouse.
Good to be out of the rain, but still cold and wet.
The tail-end Charlie.

When training and running trail ultras, one tends to run yourself unfit with regards to normal road running. Unless, of course, you do all the homework for both disciplines and can still manage to run a decent, consistent pace whether it be on or off road. They are for the most part two very different types of sport and specificity is key when training for the one or the other. As someone who certainly enjoys both (running is running to me) I try to enter a variety of events, both on and off road. Continue reading →

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Ka Waewae Tātahi o Te Awa Tupua

Date: 6 April 2019
Distance: 57km
Time: 8:22

Warm-up.
Race briefing by headlamp.
Beautiful views from early on.
Sun starting to come through.
First transition point.
Cosy kayakers on the river.
Transition point.
Gerry on his way into the Marae to top up his water bottles.
All the Marae in the area we passed.
Stil found the breeze really cold, especially on my throat and ears.
Transition point.
This little piggy went to …
Flying Fox accommodation.
Selfie time!
Transition point at 15km to go.
Fuck this shit. I’m done. At least that’s how I felt at the time.
More beautiful scenery.
Some amusing roadside scenery.
Finally at the finish, and what a great welcome we received!
A whanau celebrating at the finish.
Race bibs, and we ironically also finished in that order, event Ts and bling.

What could have been an “easy” jaunt in six to seven hours, turned into an LSD run of more than eight hours on our feet. Just as well, as that is exactly what we need in preparation for the UTA. In terms of specificity, we were well off the mark with this event, but it was a good way to force ourselves to get the time and distance in. Continue reading →