Super stoked to meet these two (super nice) guys at the Tarawera Ultramarathon
“You have to commit” One of the elites said at the Q & A, I think it was Dylan Bowman: wise words. So with that in mind it was “till death do us part”. I was resolute in finishing this race no matter what. Rotorua, 7th of Febuary, 6am : Nestled in towering redwoods – 1000 runners gathered for the start of the 2015 Tarawera Ultramarathon. Through the dark and cold the runners headlamps bounced around like a sea of glow worms dropped into a fast flowing river weaving its way through the majestic redwoods. Each light heading for its own destination: a win, a placing, to run further than ever before, for fun, to silence the naysayers........... Starting at the back I wanted to clog my enthusiasm to run out too fast. This worked, maybe a little too well, but I was playing it safe in my first 100k. My goal sub 15hrs, this is what I had publicly declared on social media. *We made our way through native bush, with our feet cushioned by the soft undergrowth. The group of a 1000 runners moving like a giant conga line through the ever changing landscape. If you were to define the runner’s ultimate trail you would use this as an example. The track winds around the Blue lake, widens then narrows, your feet then hit tarmac, then you're plunged into darkness submerged within the dense bush, trees throwing out slippery roots to test your footing out. CLICK CLICK you’re getting photographed running across the sandy beach of lake Okareka. The trail continually changes keeping your mind active, no mindless road running monotony here, full engagement with mind and body is what trail running is about, Tarawera served up a 12 course meal and more. It was the BOMB. *I use the term “we” to describe the collective feeling of running with 1000 other runners: we're all in this crazy race together. Looking forward to Okataina I would get to see my wife, sister and my parents. I hit the aid station at around 5hr 16min a little slow ( for a sub 15hr) however I felt good. After a quick chat with loved ones, I was off. Time to make up some ground. Paul Charteris said do not underestimate the technicality of this section, it certainly is a sea of jumbled up roots, but with beautiful views of the lake most of the way I really enjoyed this section. I would see my family at most of the Aid stations from now on and this always lifted my spirits as I ran Aid Station to Aid Station. Coming into Awaroa before “The loop of despair” I was surprised to find out they had run out of water, remembering the ginger runner had said adapt to the situation to sort out problems on the go, I spotted some ice, and filled my UD bottle with them. Soon the ice melted and we were back in business. Felt pretty good on this loop, chatting to the lady who won a free entry from Ultimate Direction. She was a fun person to run with, so positive and upbeat it made the loop of despair pretty damn easy. Only 20ks to go, still running the down hills and flats but slowing down now. Taking 1hr 44min to cover the next 10.8ks to Fisherman's bridge I could see my sub 15hr finish slipping through my fingers.
I had a secret weapon though my wife Julie would pace me to the finish; I needed to cover the last 9.2 ks in under 1hr 10. From the point Julie joined me I felt energized I picked up the pace a little and we got to the River Road Aid station at 95k with half an hour to spare. I’m not sure how I did what I did next, but I decided to go for a sub 30min 5k. It felt great to catch people up they yelled out “finish strong” which made me run faster. Soon I was in full stride relaxed and well a little possessed, moving through the darkness, it was magical. I was overwhelmed to finally see the finish line, my family, with a 100k medal around my neck and a clock that read -Fourteen Hours and Fifty six minutes: Priceless. May you run with the spirit of the land under your feet, and the spirit of it's people in your heart. Matt Akehurst Next post in the making Vegetarianism and running So as 2015 is looming just around the corner, I thought I would make a jump on these new years resolutions. On the back-burner for a long time was to do some charity work, but what? then about a month ago I saw this Guy Mal Law running up Mt Iron on the TV (click here for video ) as a prelude to 50 mountain marathons in 50 days fundraising campaign for Mental health. So I have signed up as a support runner and will be running on Day 29, Mt Oxford on the 7th of March 2015. Check out my page at http://www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/MattAkehurst/. Welcome to Joe Blogs runner. If I was a top athlete I would be blogging about my training runs, what I eat, my VO2 max, plugging my sponsors, my sleep patterns, reasons why I did not win races, my injuries etc.... I’m average runner thus I won’t bore you with that crap. What I aim to do is let you know about the few races I have entered and what they are all about. Upcoming races Kepler 60k mountain run and the Tarawera 100k. I also make beer, and have been using left over maltodextrin which is an unfermentable sugar added to beer to sweeten it, to make my own sports gels and save some money. Stay tuned or not.......
NOTE: Some Photos were not taken on race day, but days you could actually see the mountain. The countdown started, the air horn went off prematurely, confusion minor, smiles major. This race had an old school quality to it organised by passionate people, who thought this would be a bloody great place for a running event – they were right! Nestled in the foothills behind Oxford is Coopers Creek, the starting and finishing point of the Ultimate Direction Mt Oxford Odyssey. At a respectable time of 9am competitors and supporters started to gather. Spirits were not dampened by the constant drizzle that fell; some would say perfect running conditions. Mt Oxford itself hid for the day within a blanket of cloud, not seeing it could be taken as a blessing in disguise. The first section of the race is along farmlands and as everyone settled into a comfortable pace, I watched from mid pack as the front runners’ powered up a small hill and then disappeared into the distance. For mere mortals like myself I have a long time known that any type of placing is out of my reach, I’m a self confessed mid packer. It’s nice to know within our winning obsessed culture that most people who enter these races are finding their achievements away from the podium. The first achievement would be getting up this mountain. Most runners are aware that small groups form as the race progresses and it is sometimes within these small groups we find our challenges. As I climbed the mountain I latched onto the back of a group that can only be described as middle aged guys that use beer as a sports supplement. About half way up I started to fall away from the group, so be it. I continued up at my own pace. Somewhat enjoying the low cloud and the surreal landscape of the upper alpine section, the top was a welcome relief.
The last section is down a valley that had a few up hills to remind your quads of the preceding punishment dished out by the mountain. At this point you can sense the finish line, I encouraged my legs to go a little faster. Managing to hold onto my place as someone started to gain on me from behind, often we place value on achievements that can only be recognised by others: for example, coming first, second or third. But what I love about running is the internal recognition of your own race, only you yourself can pat yourself on the back for catching someone in 36th place or not being passed late in the race by another middle aged mid packer. Book this race for 2015, great location, achievable distance for newbie trail runners, probably a good speed session for the elites, it is also well placed in the running calendar for training for other races, I guess proof of this was the top runners were there, maybe using it as training for the likes of the Coast to Coast or the Tarawera ultra marathon. The prize giving was held at Coopers Creek hall where you could support the local Lions club by purchasing a steak sandwich, hot soup, chips etc. Spot prizes were great, I managed to grab a running techniques session with Complete Performance company which was well worth it , watch out mid packers I will be back next year with glute muscles that actually fire.
Avalanche Peak 2014 Avalanche Peak
The only thing that is constant is change, and as Avalanche peak challenge moves into a new chapter in its history, it was nice to be standing at the start line. To get your head around the change maybe it’s better to think of it as a completely different race, as one of the winners put it there was no let up it was full on from start to finish, of course if you’re a Joe Blogs runner you can always stop for a breather. The new course started in the heart of Arthurs Pass at the Arthurs Chalet straight down the road toward Christchurch for a couple of hundred metres then looped around the back of the chalet then onto the road and to the start of the track. This start was a good way to separate the runners for the single track to come and offered more for supporters. The climb is relentless so I tried not to look up after the first half an hour and concentrated on finding my happy place, your heart beat offers a nice dance beat that makes club music seem like a waltz. After 45min of clambering up tree roots and small rock faces I popped out at the tree line to see runners disappearing over distant peaks. To the west clouds loomed, fierce winds swirled around rock faces to greet runners with a bit more resistance to overcome. Could of, should of stayed home and partook in more socially accepted pass times shopping, DIY, Brunch? Nah - the top is just over the next peak. The designated top was just short of the actual top, which was out of reach due to the wind: good call. Next was an off the track detour across the side of a rock strewn steep slope, slipping and sliding. Then onto Scotts track, it was a brutal downhill of loose rocks and toe catching tree roots. The legs muscles started that weird tense shaky thing, but with glimpses of Arthurs Pass township getting closer my spirits lifted. The track turned into a stream, then a board walk then one last steep section, and finally a road. My legs didn’t trust the flatness of the road, I felt like I wobbled to the finish and then to the bar for a pint. Great race. |