Training

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North Range Road training run

All smiles in the early morning.
After starting on a good gravel road, the route soon gives way to a jeep track.
Between about 4 and 10kms, the route is quite rough – definitely 4×4 terrain.
Along the route, there are many service roads turn-offs which could potentially be confusing, but these are all locked with huge “No entry” signs, so no risks of missing the correct route.
It’s not all windmills – there are some trees too.
For the most part, North Range Road is pleasantly undulating.
Some small puddles can be jumped…
…while bigger ones have to be negotiated more carefully.
The result of stepping into a muddy section on the side of one of the larger water puddles.
A great morning for a run.
The majestic wind turbines form a scenic backdrop for the run.
Still very happy with my new Salomon hydration pack – it fits like a dream.
The windfarm features a range of different turbine types.
We only met two other people en route – this mountain-biker coming past from behind, and later a hiker passing us in the opposite direction.
What a view!
For the most part, the route consists of very well-maintained gravel roads.
The route winds its way through the hills and valleys of the Tararuas.
Flying down one of the downhills of Hall Block Road.
When you get to the end of the track at Gorge Road, it’s just a small distance to the Bridge Cafe.
Very stoked with our new training route – what a great morning out!

One of the problems when training for ultra-long events, is that you need to spend a lot of time on the road. Which means, unless you are inordinately blessed with a limitless supply of training routes and trails close to where you live, you are bound to end up traversing the same routes over and over. Using events as training runs is a great way to break the monotony, mix things up and keep your running exciting, but given the cost of many races in NZ, it also is one of the best ways to blow your budget faster than you can say “marathon”, as we dearly discovered during these past few months. Continue reading →

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Running for Research at the AMI Round the Bays

In less than 2 weeks time, Wouna and I hope to be lining up for the 2014 AMI Round the Bays Half Marathon in Wellington. The race has been on our radar for a couple of years, mainly because a major theme of the event is Running for Research, with all participants having the opportunity to set up a sponsorship page to help collect funds for the event’s main beneficiary, the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research. Continue reading →

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Super Seven Series – race 4

For this week's run we were treated to a glorious, sunny day, so the complementary sunblock was a welcome sight.

For this week’s run we were treated to a glorious, sunny day, so the complementary sunblock was a welcome sight.

With every step I take, I feel my lungs burn, I hear myself breath hard and fast and there’s a knot in my stomach that just won’t go away.

The reason? I’m going all out, trying to see how fast I can finish the 7 kilometre course of the Manawatu Striders Super Seven Series.

It’s week 4 of the series. Wouna and I unfortunately missed week 2, but for the first and third runs we kept to a fairly casual trot. Being far from racing fit, this seemed like a good approach, allowing us to enjoy our runs while still finishing fresh.

This week, however, being the halfway mark of the series, we decided to not run together like we always do, but each rather going at our own pace, to try and push it a little to see where our fitness levels are. Continue reading →

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Super Seven Series 2014 – Race 1

We arrived early before the registration area gets too busy.
Wouna doing a lazy pre-run stretch. Or maybe she’s praying :-).
Announcements before the run.
Lots of eager legs ready for the start.
The masses at the starting line.
Running along the Bridle Track next to the Manawatu River.
Runners getting moral support from atop the Manawatu bridge.
The return leg, through the leafy suburb of Hokowhitu.
Thumbs up for another great event.
The sausage sizzle is a post-run highlight.
Gerry with post-run banana and sausage sizzle – another happy Manawatu Striders customer.

It’s summer in the Manawatu, and the Super Seven Series is under way. As reported in the local newspaper, the Manawatu Standard, “You know it is summer when the Striders Super Sevens starts up again.”

Tuesday evening we participated in the first of the 2014 series of runs (seven races of seven kilometres each) taking place on consecutive Tuesdays through January/February. And what an evening it turned out to be, with the rather foul weather of the previous few days making way for a lovely, balmy evening in Palmy. Which may in part explain why a whopping 1 659 people turned up. Continue reading →

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A sorry sight.

Yesterday, before discarding our 2013 year-planner (that had been stuck on the bathroom door for the past year), we decided, with some reservations, to add up the numbers and get an idea of our running/walking “accomplishments” of 2013.

I’m putting accomplishments in inverted commas because 2013 must have been more or less our worst running year since we first took up the habit at the turn of the century. Despite our best intentions, and numerous attempts to get back into some training schedule, our running just never got off the ground, and until the last quarter of the year we pretty much never managed to get beyond the breakdown phase of our training. Continue reading →