What was I thinking!

So, event number 40 had snuck up... well not really snuck up... I had worked my butt off to get there by Christmas to give me the 4 week break over the holiday to refresh a bit.

However after 4 double-headers followed by a 3:40 run in the Goat the week before... I was anything but fresh. As usual the plan was to take it easy and see what happened.

Three of my new running 'family' were there, Chris and Laurie Wilson were sharing the run with half each and Jane Thompson was like me in for the full Monty!

I had climber Karioi once before several years earlier and remembered it as a good climb that worked up a nice sweat. It turned out the the race started from the very place that I started my climb those years ago... so at least I had some knowledge of part of the course.

So away I went, run a little, walk a lot. 550 metres vertical in the first 3km, what a start. You know it is going to be a tough day when you reach the 5km mark and your Garmin says 1:29:30!

Even the few flat bits were just about un-runnable with tree roots and very tricky footing. Throw in some ladders and an abseil down a tricky bit using large link chains as ropes and you have a challenging start to the race. Once the ridge along the top has been sorted the descent starts, all the way from 700+ metres elevation down to 200 metres and the first aid station. Then a quick cruise along the road which being a gravel road was not unpleasant.

Then, out of the blue there is a Marshall by the road pointing through the gate... "Up there" he says...

As we run up into the farm I see a trail over to the left.... surely we just do a small loop and come back there I thought... nope... another 200 Metre vertical climb through the farm - a quick stop at the top marshall to get my photo taken and then rapidly back down to the road had me wishing I had taken the shortcut at the bottom!

Back on the road and I was having some back and right hip problems after two such large downhills, so I cruised along as best I could into Whale Bay where we were to turn back up for the second traverse of the hill.

I stopped for several minutes at the Aid Station while I seriously considered pulling the plug... however the desire to be at 40 events by Christmas and the knowledge that I had 4 weeks spurred me into carrying on... ten minutes later I actually sat down on a log by the trail and contemplated going back, the hip was really hurting.

But that magic number 40 spurred me on and I grafted my way up the hill, frequent stops and lots of drinks. Some fantastic views at the ridge, but I wasn't really in the mood.

Finally, past the last marshall, a bit more traverse and then the downhill to the finish in a mere 6 hours 31 minutes. According to Garmin my moving time was only 4:45 which means 1:45 standing still! I wasn't stopped anywhere near that long, but it shows that sometimes my climbing speed was so slow it seemed I wasn't moving.

Fortunately Lorraine had spent the day in town with daughter Kelsie and wasn't treated to hours waiting for me at the finish!

Afterwards a lovely massage/osteo session and after that I only felt half dead.... the 4 weeks off. Yippee! 40 down 12 (or so) to go!