Xterra #7 - Hunua

Quote of the day #1: "I would be more aerodynamic if I kept my mouth shut but I just can't stop smiling" ~ Michael Hoogeveen (I believe) about 4km in.

Quote of the day #2: "There's always one more uphill" ~ heard halfway along Pukapuka track.

XTerra Hunua (SuperLong) is a race of two halves. The first 10km is flat(ish) mtb tracks and gravel roads and the second half is grunty bush tracks. The weather forecast was for heavy showers and for once it was actually correct. A cold shower rolled through just after 8am, but the sun broke out just in time for race start at 9am. Another couple of bouts of rain throughout the morning kept everything damp (and the carpark marshals busy afterwards pushing cars out of the muddy field).

The first 10km of the SuperLong course is mostly on well-formed MTB tracks and gravel roads and is fairly flat and fast. This is the only one out of the 7 Xterra races which did not start with an uphill! As we gathered for briefing Ben Frith asked if "The Midget" was racing today. Like many other people, Ben mistakenly assumed that Reegan Absolum is my brother because we are both short, fair-haired, young trail runners. The pace was hot right from the get-go and I went out uncharacteristically hard for me. After a couple of hundred metres of road it was onto windy gravel MTB tracks with small undulations. I was going well for the first 4km but then it was as if someone flicked a switch inside my head. Suddenly my mental muscle was exhausted and I found myself walking even the gentle hills. I tried to talk myself around to running strongly again but to no avail. My body was saying that it was already dealing with enough stress & tiredness and didn't want any more. In the end I simply resigned myself to not racing and instead determined simply to finish. It was hard watching everyone fly past. A slow trot was all I could muster even on the flat.

A long, flat gravel road brought us to the second water station at the bottom of the National Downhill MTB track. With a name like that it was obvious that the climb would be long and steep. It was raining by now and on the way up I chatted with Sharon from Orewa which helped to pass the time. Once at the top it was across the road and onto the notorious 6km long Pukapuka track. Normally I would relish a good technical bush track like this, but not today. Every now and then we could hear the loudspeakers at the event base way down in the valley. Several people were glad to have their compulsory raincoats as it was a bit cool up in the cloud if you were not moving particularly fast. There was the odd glimpse out to the Firth of Thames or east toward Hunua, but mostly just dense bush.

The track seemed to go on and on (and up and up) and the crest of each climb promised to be the last. With great relief we eventually broke out into the open and could see down to the Upper Mangatawhiri Reservoir. The water level was surprisingly low, but nonetheless it showed that the end was nigh. I stopped for a swig of Gu at the final water station at the top of Lilburne Rd then it was steep gravel road down to the dam. As we crossed the dam and passed the 1km to go marker, the guy in front of me suddenly stopped dead in his tracks with a bad case of cramp. A long 3:45 hours after starting I finally finished the 22km course. I had hoped to finish the Xterra series on a high note but not everything in life goes according to plan.

Thanks Brent for sharing your chips with me at the finish. Just what I needed!

Event website
Results

The Legend

They say curiosity killed the cat. It also killed my calves.

Marathons are often regarded by non-runners (and many runners) as the pinnacle event of running and having never completed an official marathon before I thought The Legend marathon would be a good opportunity to fix this omission. I was curious to see what a road race was like compared to trail running - I know I am not fast on the road, but how hard could it be? After all it is only 42km. The Legend course follows the famous training route of Sir Arthur Lydiard from New Lynn, up West Coast Road through Waiatarua, and down Scenic Drive.

Cycling 4km from home to the start line was a perfect warm up. The heavy rain overnight had cleared but the cloud was hanging low around the treetops. We set off at 6:30am and I was surprised by the comfortable pace with which most of the pack started out. I had expected to be spat out the back fairly quickly. The first 7km loop along Portage Road, Margan Ave, Titirangi Road, and Golf Road was extremely familiar territory as my usual morning run covers much of the same route. My game plan for the day was to run conservatively, especially on the downhills, as I knew from training that my ankles and calves were going to take a pounding. 41 minutes saw me back on Portage Rd after the 7km loop.

Assembling at the start line

Back along Margan Ave and over to West Coast Road. There was a bit of traffic through Glen Eden so all the intersections required care. My left calf started to feel a bit niggly along here. It had been very sore after my two long training runs so I nursed it carefully for the next few kilometres. As each 2km marker was passed I amused myself by calculating what proportion of the race was left (and other trivial statistics). As we started the long climb up to Scenic Drive I chatted to a couple of other runners; one of whom was a road runner but didn't know the course, and the other was a fellow local first-time marathoner. We settled in for the long haul and steadily climbed up through the cloud. The steep pinch just before Forest Hill Road was a good opportunity to ease off to a walk and take a gel.

Old Titirangi Road (about 4km in)

After 2 hours the top of West Coast Road was reached and we turned left onto Scenic Drive (20km) and were able to stretch out our legs on the gentle descent. Along Scenic Drive I ran with Graeme from the Wairarapa who had traveled up especially for the event. It was nice to be surrounded by native bush but unfortunately we were still in the cloud so there were no scenic views from Scenic Drive. Not much traffic along this stretch (which was nice) just the occasional car, often supporters. The gravel of Exhibition Drive provided a welcome relief from pounding the tarmac and gave the feet a bit of respite. Going out and back to each end of Exhibition meant a chance to see many of the other runners, including several familiar faces. This is the first time I have ever considered the flat part of the course to be the most enjoyable!

Heading over to West Coast Road
(on Croydon Road, 10km)

I ate half a banana while walking up Shaw Road back to Scenic Drive. The sun had briefly broken through the cloud but the first of several showers rolled in just as we hit the road. From here there are just a couple of undulations and then it is all downhill and flat to the finish. The steep descent down Godley Road was hard on the legs and I reined my stride in to minimise the pounding. Reegan gave me a high-five out the car window as they were driving home up the hill. The road through Green Bay is dead straight so you could see almost to the finish. Time for one last effort for the final 2km. I crossed the line in 4:05 hours. My anticipated time was 4:20 so I was quite happy with my time. The gentle cycle home loosened up my legs a little but couldn't shake the tightness out of my calves and ankles.

Thanks to Photos4Sale for the opportunity to race. I am glad to have done The Legend and put another tick on my bucket list, but my curiosity about road racing has been well and truly satisfied.

A big thanks also to the air cadets who were out marshalling all morning. The smiles and encouragement at all the intersections were much appreciated. Cheers from the supporters all around the course made me smile (especially the YMCA ladies with their red wigs!).

Event website
Map
Results



Photos

My worst running blister ever.
I've run in the same shoes & socks countless times and never had a problem before.

Xterra #6 - Riverhead

The rain drumming on the roof on Saturday night boded a miserable race day, but by dawn the rain had eased to light drizzle. This made for a perfect running climate but also meant that Riverhead was resplendent in its full muddy glory.

The crowd at the start line seemed smaller than usual and as we set off there seemed to be less congestion than the first race at Riverhead three months ago. The course began with a short section of gravel before heading into single track. At Riverhead single track pretty much means clay, and clay plus rain equals lots and lots of mud. Slippery mud, sticky mud, thick mud, sloppy mud, puddles of mud - the works. The downhills proved quite entertaining as grownups slithered around like toddlers on an ice rink. There were plenty of spectacular tumbles! Chris Hope claimed that he found the descents easy because it was simply "controlled falling". Personally, I tend more toward 'controlled' rather than 'falling' but there were plenty who appeared well acquainted with the latter.

The 4wd roads had numerous large vehicle-size mud puddles which I diligently avoided as there was no telling how deep they were. The gravel roads were simply a necessary evil and as usual lots of people passed me on these sections. Thankfully these road stints were shorter than I had been expecting from the map. Malcolm Law caught up just before halfway and we had a bit of a chat before embarking on a game of leapfrog which continued all the way to the finish. One thing which I have enjoyed about the Xterra Series is the feeling of camaraderie which develops from running with some of the same people at each race, most of whom I don't even know by name.

The course was mostly runnable (apart from a few slippery uphills) and I really enjoyed it. Definitely seemed to be a nicer course than the first Xterra race at Riverhead. I ran at a comfortable long distance pace, picking up the intensity a little over the last 7km. 2:12 for a muddy 21km was a morning well spent.

Photos thanks to Photos4sale
Results

Waihi Reconnaissance

Spent a glorious day in the bush near Waihi today running 40km of fantastic bush tracks as reconnaissance for the XTerra Waihi 60km in October.

Emma, Heather, and Claire

The first of many river crossings

Nearing Franklin Road

At the edge of Ananui Falls.

160m straight down!

Ananui Falls

Looking out towards Matakana Island.
(Mt Maunganui on the far right)

Daly's Clearing Hut

Click here for a map of our route

Xterra #5 - Waharau

I had been looking forward to this race in the Hunua Ranges as it was touted as the most technical of the Xterra series, with lots of climbing and proper bush single track. It did not disappoint!

 The event base was set up at a superb location with grassy flats, native bush, a small stream, and sheep grazing peacefully nearby. Idyllic. A short race briefing at the start line as usual, but Dave forgot to mention the two closed gates within the first few hundred meters. Agility was a bonus here as I simply climbed over the gates rather than queuing up for the stile. I had been warned that the single track started fairly soon so I pushed a little harder than I normally would from the start so as not to be caught up in any traffic jams. A kilometer or so of gently uphill gravel before we turned right and headed steeply up the Upper Link track and then onto the Waharau Ridge to the first aid station at 4.5km. It was a bit of a game of cat-and-mouse as people jostled for position but I encountered no real issues with congestion. I reached the aid station in 35 minutes and headed right onto the Super long course while the Longies turned left. Ahead of us lay a glorious 10km loop of rugged single track over the highest point in the Hunua Ranges (and the Auckland region) at 688m.

The wide downhill track to a stream was nice to stretch the legs after the relentless climb, then it was a few kilometers up the Mangatangi Ridge towards Kohukohunui Trig (688m). I was relishing the bush and technical trails and felt completely at home, despite never having run in the Hunuas before. The field was very spread out which meant I was free to run at my own pace. I reached the trig in 1:25 hours and was almost tempted to climb the lookout tower but instead carried on down the nice long section of undulating muddy downhill. This was so much fun and I wanted this track to just keep on going! Many of the knobs on Kohukohunui Track were grassy, providing excellent views towards the Firth of Thames and the Coromandel Peninsula, as well as occasionally back towards the Hauraki Gulf.

I flew through the aid station at 15km and began the long, long descent back towards the event base. I'm sure the descent was longer than the ascent at the beginning! I was still feeling great and in some ways I wished we could do another loop. After a glorious run I finished strongly in 2:46 hours. This course definitely suited my strengths and is the best race of the Xterra series!

Once again a huge thankyou to Photos4sale for their support of my racing this year.

Map
Results
Photos by Photos4sale

Xterra #4 – Dome Valley

Due to flooded rivers the course has been shortened - the announcement at the start line was greeted by a mixture of cheers and boos. Originally the Superlong was 25km, but this decreased to 21km after storm damage a week ago. Now we were told that we would only be running 16km. The showers which had been passing through all morning cleared as we lined up for the start and many people soon found themselves overdressed.

The first 5km is gravel road, mostly uphill, so the pack soon spread out. I liked being up high with views over an area I haven’t seen before. From the water station at 5km the fun began as we headed straight downhill to the river 100m below. The 4wd track started off grassy with a bit of mud, but gradually the grass gave way to mud and by the bottom it was simply greasy clay. It was amusing to watch people’s attempts to stay upright, and we thought that this was where the photographers should have been! Running down the water ruts proved the best option as all the loose dirt had been washed out so there was reasonable traction.

On reaching the turbid river we reached a junction: an arrow and a Superlong sign pointed left, and a single arrow pointed right. A few men around me decided (correctly) that this must be the Long/Superlong split and headed right, while I turned left and headed downstream parallel to the river (some runners intending to do the Long course missed this turnoff and ended up doing the Superlong instead). Those who took their eyes off their feet and looked over their shoulder saw a thundering 30m high waterfall. The river was in flood and in about 5 places it was overflowing onto the track. The water in the first such place was up to mid-thigh, but each one got deeper until the 4^th time I was wading up to my hips. I joked that I’d be swimming if there were any more water crossings. They forgot to tell us to bring our life jackets! We saw a couple of motocross guys tinkering with one of their bikes by our last water crossing – obviously the water and mud were wreaking havoc on their day out as well.

Leaving the river we headed fairly steeply uphill on a wide clay track through native bush. Once again I stuck in the ruts as we grovelled our way up, except for one or two places where there were gushing rapids coursing down the track. I was grinning from ear to ear and several times laughed out loud with glee – I was having so much fun! Part way up I heard someone mention that we’d just done a 15 minute 1km! Eventually we reached the top of the ridge and were spat out onto a gravel road which led back to the water station. Here we expected to turn left and descend to the river again, but instead were directed back along the gravel road towards the event base. Apparently the first few runners did not get this message and ended up doing another loop down to the river.

The race plan hadn’t included this much gravel road, and I didn’t really enjoy slogging all the way back to join the Short course. Dodging through the slower and less confident short course people provided a challenge, and at the bottom of the track there was a particularly steep, greasy clay section where a rope had been fixed on one side as a hand rail. I just let gravity assist and slid/ran my way down. Almost immediately we headed up again, only this time the track was steeper, longer and greasier. So many people had already been up here that what footholds there were had all been churned up. There was a rope on one side and a feasible line up the scrub on the other, but I left these for the less confident people and charged straight up the middle. By the time I was halfway up I had to concede and join those on the edge of the scrub. The ascent eased off but kept on going for a while up to a gravel road, and from there it was all downhill to the finish.

The course may have only been 16km, but it still took me 2:15 hours!

Results

Xterra #3 - Woodhill

I should have known better. When walking to the start is painful, it might be a good idea not to race 23km. Last weekend I somehow injured my foot, and then aggravated it running in the Waitakeres on Saturday. Nevertheless I was determined not to pull out of Xterra Woodhill. Call it stubbornness, stoicism, or just downright stupidity.

As always, the long (19km) and superlong (23km) courses started together at 9am. The wide, sandy Inland Road was a perfect way to spread out the field and it was firm underfoot and the few bits of mud were easily avoided. Soon it was onto the single track where the open pine forest provided plenty of passing opportunities. Roughly 4km into the race was the long/superlong split, with the superlong runners heading out for a 4km loop up a gravel incline and back down a flowing sandy singletrack. This was the only real hill on the whole course! The course was relatively flat although there were plenty of small undulations.

We rejoined the long course at the 9km mark and from here the trail wound in and out through the pine forest for several more kilometres before turning and heading for home. I enjoyed running on the sandy tracks carpeted with pine needles as the sand wasn't loose and it made a nicely cushioned surface. My foot was getting more and more sore as time went on and by the water station at 15km I was running with an extremely uneven gait, chasseing downhill instead of running.

The final 5km was very flat and should have been very fast, but I was forced to stop and walk frequently which was rather frustrating as normally I finish strongly. The weather was brilliant for running; overcast and a perfect temperature with just a hint of breeze. This was a neat, fast course and I wish I could have done it justice.



Map
Results
Event website
Photos by Photos4sale