Tarawera 100km race report

I just need to start off by saying how awesome this race is and what a great job the R.D Paul has done growing this event down here in NZ.

I arrived in Rotorua on wednesday afternoon. I'll admit, I sure didn't want to leave Raglan as I truely fell in love with the place but there was a race that had to be run! My host lady, Robyn, came and picked me up at the bus station and so generously invited me into her home for the next 5 days. Robyn, you were such a great host and I thank you so much for all your generosity over that time.

I felt kind of guilty for just bumming around in Rotorua over the next few days. Besides walking around town I really didn't do a whole lot. I had a blast running on the trails for the 7.5km "Fun Run" Paul hosted in the Redwoods forest on Thursday evening and there was a great turn out of people. I'll admit, it was a pretty hilly run and I defintly worked way harder on that run than I had in the last days and was cursing him a little bit as if he were trying to tire us out before the race!

The run was followed by a showing of the Western States 100 movie 'Unbreakable'. We watched it in a beautiful outdoor sitting area in the redwoods forest. I was just smiling from ear to ear watching it as it was fimled the same year that Peter and I did it. Even though I knew how it all unfolded, it was pretty awesome watching it happen all over again. Friday was pretty uneventful. I went for a short 20 minute run and eventually made my way over to package pick-up. I was pretty stoked that our race shirts were going to be Ice Breaker shirts. They are awesome.

The next morning, I woke up at 5am, did my thing, ate some breafast. Actually, normally I have toast with PB and banana but my whole trip I had been having oats with seeds and raisins, banana, PB, and yogurt and I decided to have it that morning as well. Wow, I had such great energy levels at the start (and throughout) of my run that I think that combo is a keeper!

Ok the run...The first 60km of this run are unbelievable. You run on the most amazing single track and I couldn't help but compare it to trails back home in North Vancouver. They were technical and unlike North Van, were super flowy as they winded their way along and around lakes and rivers. A lot of people were pretty slow going along the technical stuff but that is where I know my strength lies and continuously passed others on these sections as well as going downhill. It's always a back and forth game as I do get passed going back uphills. There were so many people running in the Vibrum 5 fingers and minimalist shoes. Not a single Hoka one one found here! I even saw a guy running in crocks...and he came 3rd male in the 60km!

Early on in the race, we ran through some pretty flooded trails and my shoes filled with sand and rocks.


(One of the flooded sections)

I stopped once to empty them but I ran with sand in my socks for the entire race. I was actually surprised my feet were not in worse shape. It was hard to tell what distances people were running as out bibs all looked the same. However, from very early on I was the first woman and I held on from there. I felt amazingly good for the first 60km.


(Tarawera Falls- The only time I purposly stopped to take in the scenery)

The next 40km however, I will admit I was not looking as forward to it as I knew it was all gravel road. Mentally, it was very challenging. However, my body responded better than it ever has to fuelling. Normally, it a race this long I start rejecting my fuel plan but I was fine. I drank a lot of water and I am sure that helped. Everytime I filled my camelbak I put in about 45 drops of elite (a liquid electrolyte solution) and I had no cramping issues all day. My hands didn't swell at all and I was just stoked that I finally found something that worked for me.

In this race, if you feel good, if you were registered for the 60km you could carry on keep going, doing either the 85km or the 100km. Similiarly, if you felt like crap, you could choose to drop down as well. I did have thoughts of how nice it would be to stop at the 85km but once youve done 85km, your pretty much there. When I had 10km to go I pretty much jumped for joy! By this point however I was only consuming coke and watermelon. I'd choke down the odd honey stinger chew but those werent going so well anymore. I thought a lot about my family and Peter and the words of encouragement they gave me before the race. Tips to keep me lifted when I start to feel low. I didn't have a pacer in the end but managed to stick pretty close by another guy and his and that helped heeps. Also, having Robyn there with my fuel at the aid stations made for very quick transitions.

In the end, I finished first women, 9th overall, in a time of 10:26. I took 63 minutes off the old course record and I really couldnt have been happier with my performance out there. I was convinced that the 100km was not my distance having only completed 2 in my last 4 attempts but this was an exceptional day. The course only had about 9,000ft of elevation gain which suited me well as I am a stronger runner than I am mountain climber. My body felt great all day and I just seemed to be able to maintain a really consistant pace. I met so many great people over the course of a few days and everyone has been super awesome. I have had more than a few invites to come check out their home town here in NZ and run on the trails.


(Awards at Abracadabra)

There was a really great awards brunch the next day at Abracadabra- yummy food! It was great catching up with people and hearing stories about their day. I won a free day at the Spa to hang out in the hot pools and took advanatge of that, that day.

Now I am in Taupo. The weather here is pretty bad. Yesterday it was sideways winds and rain and today it's just windy. I'm off to explore the huka falls!

Thanks again to Paul and all the amazing volunteers that made this event extremely memorable! I am sorry if there are any spelling errors as I had no internet time to proof-read (sorry mom)!

Day 4,5,6,7

I am back! I guess I last left off thinking about a hike up to Mt. Edan, which is exactly what I did. Since I have all the time in the world, I decided to walk there. I stopped in at a local running store along the way as I have been dying for some cushier shoes but @ $299 a pair I just can't do it! The view from Mt. Edan is sensational...truly. You can see everything. Pretty cool considering it only takes 15 minutes to reach the top. Lot's of runners and bikers were doing hill repeats on the road you can drive to the top. From there I walked back towards the hostel and ended up in a movie theater because...why not! I saw "This means war" and I laughed out loud more than once. I totally recommend seeing it! Ladies the leading men are easy on the eyes if you know what I mean.

The next day I got up with the intention of going over to Rangitoto which is a volcanic island a 25 min ferry right from Auckland. I thought it left at 9:30am but it was 9:15 so I missed it. The next one was not until 10:30 and the last ferry back was 3:30 so I figured it wasn't worth it with how much time I would have. So today, I pretty much wandered aimlessly all day. I went back to the African Organic cafe for the most amazing blueberry muffin. I had been thinking about it ever since I went there on day 1, so it had to be done. I visited New Market and found a library with free internet for me to use. I also attempted to find Mission Bay which has a beach but I had a hard time following the directions I got from a high school girl and ended up in what I would call Auckland's British Properties. That's OK, I stumbled upon this park where a swing set lay and for some reason I had been craving some swings. I even busted out a mini workout on a bench- push-ups,tri-dips,ab circuit on the grass. I walked back to the hostel, exhausted and ate dinner and went to bed.

On Saturday I got up nice and early to catch the 7:30am ferry to Rangitoto. Little did I know the amazing day that lay before me. Pretty much, right off the ferry I was onto beautiful single track that took me up to the summit of this volcano. I thought I would be the first one up but there was a young couple sitting up there. Turns out they had taken their own boat to this island. Rangitoto has another island,Manutapo, that joins into it via a small causeway (bridge). I just started going and followed some sign that went to the Outdoor education Center, which is like New Zealand's version of outdoor school...but better! I chatted with the manager about how to get back to Rangitoto via a trail I saw on the map and he pointed me at the right direction. But first, he told me to head in the other direction to check out Billy Goat point. All the trails I took on this island offered spectacular views of the ocean and the land in the distance. Just crazy! The trail back was pretty much just on a grass field and there were old war bunkers everywhere. Once back on Rangitoto I followed a sign to a trail called the coastal trail that took me back to the ferry. Well, this trail was the coolest trail I have ever been on. The entire thing was Volcanic rock and just super gnarly. If you fell on this stuff you would be pretty banged up as the rock was super sharp. I definitely ran slow but was smiling from ear to ear. Once back at the ferry, I got to chatting with another couple who were out there running. They were training for a race that was happening here in 2 weeks called the Dual. They are coming to Vancouver in 6 months and have actually signed up for a tour in whistler just to see the bears. This always confuses me as I try my best to stray far away from deadly animals but I guess it would interest you if you come from a place that has no wild animals. My adventure today was about 4 hours and was the best thing I have done by far in Auckland.

With the advice from the girl at the hostel, I left Auckland today and boarded a bus to Hamilton and then another one to Raglan, my final destination. I guess this town would compare to Tofino- a total surf and arts town. At most of the shops- they make everything themselves. They had a wicked farmers market and all the cafes & restaurants serve up pretty wicked healthy wholesome food. The atmosphere is super laid back...the complete opposite to Auckland. My hostel has only a capacity to hold 50ppl versus 50ppl at the last one. There is a hot tub, sauna, hammocks, free bikes & kayaks. There is yoga and you can rent surf gear right at the hostel. I am pretty much living in house on the beach and I only had to pay 2 more dollars. And my bed, its a queen size! As you can see I am very happy here. I wish I had more time here but I will leave Wednesday. I just spent the day relaxing and reading, exactly what I wanted to do here. Tapering should be pretty easy in Raglan! Oh, also, apparently jack Johnson has a house here.

This morning I got up and went for a quick 30 minute run. It's pretty cloudy and windy but it made the amazing coffee they serve up here taste that much better. I am really enjoying the book I am reading- the help. I haven't seen the movie yet but I'm looking forward to it. I plan to go for a kayak later. A bunch of us were going to go Surfing but apparently it's not a very good day for it. Oh darn! I tried to post pics the other day but blogspot was being a bit slow so I'll try again in a day or so!

There is quite a bit of hype around the Tarawera 100. Especially since Anton Krupicka is signed up...not sure if he is running. They had a big article on it in the paper in Auckland. I'm stoked to run on Saturday! Until next time,

Nic

NEW ZEALAND: DAY 1,2,3

Wow, I feel like I have been here for weeks but I am only on day 3!

I arrived in Auckland at 6am. I flew 14hrs direct with Air New Zealand and I was so impresed with the airline. Free wine with dinner, yes please!!!! I even got to watch the descendants, great movie. I managed to sleep quite a bit through the night but only because I fully cover myself (head included) with the blanket. I got dropped off on Queens street (main street) and went to the closest hostel I could find. I wasn't able to check in until 1pm, so I put my bag in storage, changed into my run clothes and set out for the first run of the trip.

My legs felt like lead and were pretty swollen from the flight, even though I wore compression socks. I ran along the harbour, which is kind of like a sea wall with lanes for walkers and bikers. I followed some lady up and over some over pass and just randomly ran around. I ran into a guy who worked for Air NZ along the way and chatted with him about what to see in Auckland. I carried on and decided to stop at this cute organic cafe. I had a coffee and the best falafals with beet hummus ever! After that I found myself running by the University of Auckland (nice campus) and eventually ended up in Albert Park. Finally, I ended back at my hostel and it was time to check in! At this piont I crashed in my room for a bit and chatted with some of the girls who were staying with me. After a quick nap I went out for adventure number 2. One of the girls stayed at a hostel not too far from the one we were at in Ponseby. It kind of reminds me of the Commercial Street area. Tons of wonderful restaurants. I found my first Lululemon and a running store! It's truely insane how much things cost here. A pair of Brooke runners cost b/w $250-$299. I made my way back towards the hostel, stopping off at the grocery store and got the fixings to make some dinner. Aunt Julie, you'd be happy to know that Vogels bread is a staple of my diet everyday!

Day 2: After the best sleep of my life I got up and set off on the Ferry to the island of Weiheke (sp?). This passanger only ferry was about 35 minutes and such a beautiful ride. A girl (from the U.S) who was working at Lulu yesterday recommended I go to this island and hike to Stoneyridge which is where these awesome boulders are. I can remember Peter showing me a picture of them a couple years back. I bussed as far as I could and then had to run 4km along a paved road and then 7 along un-sealed road (dirt road). The views I got along the dirt road were just stunning. There were cows and lamb/sheep everywhere. I even hitch hiked about 2km of the dirt road because it was so damn hot (only brought 500ml of water) and I just wanted to get there. The boulders were so awesome as if they were just plunked down from the sky. I ran into a guy later who actually climbed them. Apparently there is a guide book. There is quite a bit of history in that area as well because during world war 2, army men set up their base camp up there. The run back was uneventful but the finish was so rewarding- a stunning beach. I wish I had brought a towel and I may have jumped in. I probably should have just jumped in regardless. I hung out with this older couple from South Carolina for the next 30 minutes or so and the 3 of us hitchhiked to the stoneyridge winery (this island has dozens of them). People are just so nice here. The guy who picked us up couldnt have been more delighted to take us out of his way and up to this windery. We were only there a short time as we had a bus to catch. After that I showered, did the internet thing, grabbed groceries and crashed.

Day 3: I got to go for a 2 hour run with Malcolm Law. he is a local here, origionally from the UK, and took me on an awesome run. I wish I had some picks but I forgot my camera. Well...my internet is about to run out and my pictures wont download for some reason so all you get is words. I think i might go hike up mount Edan today...its not to challenging but offeres spectacular views of Auckland.

So far my taper hasn't been very taper-esque...hard to do on vacation!

Can't wait for the race a week Saturday in Rotorua!
ps- I had no time to spell check so I hope it's not to bad!

LAST WEEKEND IN FEBRUARY

The countdown is officially on...T-minus 7 days until I am on a plane to New Zealand.

On the weekend I finally tackled a goal I have had for a while now, the big run to Squamish. I went to do this run a while back sometime in 2011 but just wasn't quite into it and turned around at Nelson Creek in Caulfield. I decided that when I would attempt this run again I would start there because the run from North Van to Nelson Creek is pretty boring. Peter dropped me off in the morning and off I went.

I have been seriously lacking some motivation. I am not to sure why but perhaps its a combination of solo training, horrible weather, and just wanting to be doing other things. Yes, believe it or not, I don't ALWAYS want to be running...With that said, I have been pretty good about just getting out there, even if it does take the nudge and support of my partner Peter. Coach Watson has been pretty good at reminding me how much better I will feel if I just get out there and run and he is right about 100% of the time. This weekend, I guess I was in need of a mission, something more than just spending 4 hours running around in the trails I always run around in.



The weather was just stunning- chilly with a near blue bird sky. I was wearing full length tights, a long sleeve shirt, a windbreaker, and gloves. The only thing I took off were the gloves but they went back on several times.

There was a sign early on that said 44km to Squamish. That's a little over a marathon, I thought...perfect! From there I broke it down into 6 mile chunks and each time 6 miles was ticked off it was like little mini victories that got me closer to the finish. It's a great run because you pass by all these little sub sections: Lions Bay, Porteau Cove, Furry Creek, Brittania, and lastly, Shannon Falls and the Chief.

I am not to sure what it was about this run but it was just awesome. Perhaps it's the landscape which just seems to get more and more beautiful as you near Squamish. Maybe it was the fact that I was the only person propelling myself on foot across the Sea to Sky Highway. I didn't even see any road bikers this day, which you often see training for the Whistler Grand Fondo. Nonetheless, I was pretty bliss-ed out the whole time.


(If my run had finished here in Brittania, I would have been eating at this local joint- Mountain Woman).

As far as car traffic goes, I never felt scared or worried about vehicles as the shoulder in most cases is pretty wide. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun adventure. It took me approx. 4 hours to reach downtown Squamish which is way faster than I had anticipated. For some reason I thought it would be more like 6-7 hours but I was wrong. The hills were all very runnable and running the entire thing was no problem.


(Peter and I on the Lions Gate Bridge, the windiest day ever!)

The previous day, Saturday, I woke up a little tired and minorly hung over from quite simply way to much fun the night before. The combination of Raclette and an end of the night jam session was killer. I may have also broke my back trying to attempt the worm.

It was a beautiful day, and we decided to head out for some "Urban Mountain Biking". That's just slang for riding our Mtn Bikes around the city. We started over the lions Gate bridge. I knew there was a wind warning for greater Vancouver but holy crap was it nuts out. We...ok...I...were moving at a snails pace and it was all I could do not to be blown over. I just couldn't stop laughing it was all to hilarious. There was a guy running just ahead of us who was having to hold his hat on his head but perhaps holding the bum flap on his short shorts would have been better.

Next we descended onto the Stanly Park Sea Wall where the waves were just crashing up all over it. It was just nutty! We then proceeded over to Granville Island for some lunch. I always forget how awesome this place is and how I should come over here more often. Yes, it is a busy place but I think that adds to the excitement. After some soup and the best doughnut I have ever sunk my teeth into we crossed the Granville Street Bridge. However, just before we merged off the bridge Peter pulls over and starts yelling something at me. He's telling me to take out my phone and call 911. He saw this guy fall out his window 4 floors down and land on a sub roof. After a few minutes it was evident that he was in fact still alive and breathing but he was not moving.

After a while the paramedics came and low and behold, my good friend Shauna's boyfriend, Josh, was one of them! We watched the entire process. The firefighters came and had to hoist up their ladder onto the sub roof. In the end, he got taken away in the ambulance. I asked Josh the next day what had happened and apparently the guy was just trying to fix his curtain. He was standing on a chair and one of the legs broke and he fell through the glass window. He broke his hip, hand, and maybe his pelvis and had internal bleeding. It just boggles my mind how one minute your fixing your curtain and then the next your in the hospital. I am glad he survived.

We finished off the evening with a little outside boulder session at cypress Falls. I think I bouldered for a combined total of 10 minutes and my obliques are just destroyed. Ha! It hurts to touch.

Alright that's all to report. Time to go do some push-ups and toughen the hell up.

ORCAS ISLAND 50KM RACE REPORT

(The view from the ferry on our way over to Orcas Island)

I have wanted to do Orcas Island 50km for a few years now. I was signed up in 2010 but had to transfer my entry because I was unable to race. I was lucky enough to enter this sold out event and was excited to be taking part. With a 100km looming over my head on March 17, I figured I should be able to at least run 50km by this point.

I found out that Jen Segger was also entered and asked her if I could carpool with her. Turns out my good friend Jenni Chancey was coming down as well. She was not racing but rather, just out to support and get a weekend away. My new friend Poala Chadwick also came along for the ride. Both are training for the Gorge Waterfalls 50km in March!

I got picked up around 10:30am on Friday and we swiftly made our way to Bellingham, making sure to stop at Trader Joe's along the way. Oh, how I love that store. We also managed to hit up one of my favorite cafe's (Jen's too) in Fairhaven for some amazing sandwiches. I don't remember the name but I always go to it after doing the Chuckanut 50km.

We got to the Ferry in Anacortes at 2:47pm. There was a 3pm, 4pm and a 7pm sailing over to orcas Island. We were told that the 3pm was full and that the 4pm was broken down and they may or may not have it fixed by then. We were not stoked about getting on the 7pm and waiting around the ferry terminal for 4 hours but in the end, they had fixed the 4pm and all was good again!

Once on Orcas, we quickly made out way over to grab our race packages and then went straight to the cabin we had rented on the beach for some dinner (thanks Paola!!). The cabin was super cute, rustic, and it was great falling asleep to the sound of the waves crashing up on the beach.






I woke up at 6:15am excited for the day. The race start was cold and I was happy to be wearing 3/4 length tights and a long sleeve shirt. After a quick race briefing from James and a 10 second countdown...we were off!


(The race start, Photo by Glenn Tachiyama)

To my surprise I ended up being right beside my favorite ultra runner, Pam Smith. I just think the world of Pam and was so happy to see her. I quickly fell in behind her and Amy Sproston, another great runner and the 3 of us ran together for the first 4-6 miles. Amy ended up dropping back and Pam and I went back and forth a couple times. At some point though she got ahead of me on a hill and then I never saw her again! She went on to win by quite a gap.


(One of the spectacular views, photo by Jenni Chancey)

The trails were beautiful and I would highly recommend this race to anyone. The views at the tops of the climbs are out of this world. Linda Barton, Gary Robbins main squeeze told me prior to the race that it was a tough one and I would agree with that. There were 3 major climbs, which made for some wicked descents.


(Having way to much fun smiling for the camera, Photo by Glenn Tachiyama)

I personally struggled a bit and went through a couple highs and lows, which I guess is pretty typical in an ultra. However, I met some really wicked people out there. The encouragement you get from strangers is so cool.


(Tom Craik and I before he dropped me like a bad habit, Photo by Jenni Chancey)

I was pretty beat in the last 10 miles, but I`ll blame Tom Craik (my nemesis) for that one as he caught up to me, got me chatting, wasted all my energy, and then left me in his dust!

In the end, I finished 4th female in a time of 5:30. Full results can be found here. and I was stoked to be out enjoying the trails on such a beautiful day with all my ultra folk. I can`t wait for my next event (yes, I say this now)! Thanks to James Varner for putting on such an amazing day. Not only is there a full on post race meal with a band playing music, there was a pizza dinner party, with free beer and a dance party!


(Jenni and Paola, the greatest ladies in the world)

Also, Thanks to Paola and Jenni for being out cheering and supporting Jen and I. Your smiles, cheering, and laughter were a big part of my day. And lastly, thanks to the guy who made the `Shit ultra runners say`` video as it gave us lot`s to laugh about the entire weekend.

Next up, Terawera 100km in New Zealand (March 17th) and 3 months of glorious exploring!

LATEST ESCAPADES

Last week was a good week training wise. I didn't do any crazy amounts of training but ramping up steady.

Friday I got out with 2 co-workers from MEC. John O, a fellow ultramarathoner, took me and Justine out on a wicked 18 mile run, he playing tour guide. The trails were all new to me and I found myself wondering how I had never been on them. Pretty much after you get off the east side of second narrows bridge (Vancouver side) you can get onto the TCT (Trans Canada Trail). This trail winds all the way up and down to Port Moody...and beyond of course. Can't wait to take some friends on this one.

Sunday I also got out for a 3 hour run, solo this time. The rain was hammering and stayed that way for the entire day. I felt really good though and had such a fun time splashing around in the puddles. There were even a few mountain bikers out! I guess not everyone is a fair weather rider like myself.

Monday, Peter and I ski toured to the Wendy Thompson hut up off the duffy. The skin in took about 2.5 hrs and boy did I get tired. But I finally clued in that maybe I just needed to eat something. After a package of honey stinger chews and some gatorade, I got a little pep back in my step! We were the only ones at the hut and it was so cool to have it all to ourselves. We spent the night playing travel scrabble and re-fuelling. It was the first time I had eaten a dehydrated pre-packaged meal. I had the veggie curry and rice and Peter had the mash potatoes and chicken. Mine was just alright and his was very tasty. Anyone know of any other good ones? There are so many to choose from!

Someone had left a box of wine there that was still good for another 30 days! I may have dabbled a bit. It went great with all the chocolate we had! I highly recommend the Camino dark chocolate and peanut butter bar.


(Peter and I outside the Wendy Thompson Hut, before our skin back to the car)





Tuesday, after eating breakfast, we headed out for a few laps before heading back to Van.







The weather was great and it had snowed about 5cm overnight. The sun even started to come out as we were heading back. Apparently, that was the only place it was shining because it was downpooring in Whistler, Squamish, and Vancouver.

I had to lead a running group that night through a hill training workout. I joined in at a moderate pace, mainly as the cheerleader, as my legs were on fire after all the skiing!

Looking forward to a recovery day today and excited about all the sun that is in the forecast!

See you in the trails!

RACING ABROAD

Ha, if you take a look at my race schedule, so far, none of the races are in Canada. This was very different from last year because pretty much all of my races were within driving distance. But, to be honest, my goal last year was to stick around and save some money so that this year, I could have a bit more flexibility. I feel like I accomplished this.

I had origionally planned on heading to NZ in January but I am really glad I didn't. Last year, I got back on my ski's for the first time in 13 years and I am so glad I did because since then, I have been to some outstandingly beautiful places.

Thursday of last week, Peter and I lucked out and had a mid-week day off together. Luckily for us, the forecast was just awesome and we went ski touring up on Geribaldi.







Man, the sky was just blue bird and the sun was hitting the snow capped mountain tops perfectly. The tint of my sunglasses made the hosizon look like the kind of ocean you would only find in paradise. Sensational. Had I fled off in January, I would have missed out on all this great skiing. Looks like were heading out again next Monday and Tuesday!

Today, I found out that I got into UTMB. This of course, was all apart of my plan but it didn't feel real until today. I am glad that I didn't do a 100 miler last year because it has made me feel pretty hungry for this one.

The weather here right now is pretty bananas. Basically, just a ton of rain and the trails are quite icy now from the snow we had the other week. Today for some reason I am longing for a nice warm, dry run but will take what I can get. At least its not -30!

I'll try and post some pics in a couple days when Peter's back from his overnight ice climbing trip.

See you in the trails!