The Long Silence...

When I started this Blog, it was as much for me as it was for sharing. It is great to talk about the events you have run in and the fabulous trails you have experienced... however even the most loving non-runner tires after a while of hearing me wax lyrical about a new trail or a fantastic race.

So the blog was a place I could do this with impunity, get it off my chest. So it has been something I have done reasonably often up to a period over the last 6 months where I have not written at all... why, I wondered had I lost the need.

The answer was not hard to find... FACEBOOK!!! While I had been on FB before, my circle of running friends has grown immensely in the last year... a circle of people who never tire of hearing about each other's exploits and looking at a myriad of pictures from the tops of hills or the edge of lakes.

But reading through the various Blogs after the recent Tarawera Ultra I was reminded that it is also a great outlet to share more than just the experience... but to get down to the nitty gritty, even to bare the soul a wee bit... definitely more than you tend to do on Facebook. So I will continue this blog, as and when I feel the need, not just for events...

Speaking of events... not so many this year as I build to my 52 in 52 Challenge, but more on that later, since my last blog (Hidden Trails at Kawerau) I have participated in the following:

The Ocean Beach Oi Oi, part of the Hawkes Bay Trail Running Series. An off-road half on and off the beach at Ocean Beach.

Xterra Waiuku where I ran the Super Long course and as a real buzz my daughter Kate ran the 6km run, her first in competition (right).

The Cambridge Half Marathon, this was an impulse event after the Rotorua through town trail/road race was canned. The bonus in my first road race for several years was another personal best. After the 1:44 at Hidden Trails I was stoked to break the 100 minute mark at Cambridge with a time of 1:39:25 and negative splits!

Xterra Hunua, where I again did the Super Long course. Having done the long course the previous year and loved it, I found that the super long did not add much to the event other than some extra distance. Still a fantastic race and highly recommended, very tough and very rewarding!

The Great Forest Rogaine. This was a first rogaine for me and a truck-load of fun. I was supposed to do the 3 hour event with friends but that team was changed last minute to a walking team. Then I finished up with Darren Blackwell and the man is a machine, he was doing the 6 hour event and I just did the first 3 hours with him - that was enough. Definitely an event I will try again.

City to Surf Tauranga, this was another major highlight. Kate (my 15 year old daughter) and I ran the whole 12km together. Kate had never run this far before and so it was fantastic to run with her and do the whole "run to the next lamppost" thing. We finished in a very creditable 1:20 which we were both very happy with.


The Rotorua Ekiden, I was roped in at a late stage to run a section of the Rotorua Ekiden for my lovely partner Lorraine's work team. I ran from Marama resort around to the weighbridge by the airport and then carried on a bit as I wanted to get a 10km time... which I did of 46:19. Not as quick as I hoped, but ok. I then ran with the next runner to the end of then next section and eventually walked the last few km's with Lorraine.

Xterra National Trail-Running Champs Waihi, I love this event and was running it for the 4th time this year (3 at Waihi and once in Rotorua) and again I bettered my course time taking 4 min off the previous year. I love this race and I'm not looking forward to not running it this year as it is not half marathon distance.

Tikitapu Off-Road Half, This was a nice run... up onto one of my favourite trails Tuhoto Ariki. The distance was quite a bit short of the advertised half marathon, but a fun day from Ra and the Nduro team.

 
TECT Park Tauranga Trail Run, the second of my 2 runs with Kate. This was a 10km run at TECT Park between Rotorua and Tauranga. 2 laps of a very up and down course took their toll on Kate but she hung on valiantly - even when I gave her the option of pulling out after one lap and we finished in 1:15. 


 

The Goat, Finally after several years of thinking about it, I entered The Goat... only to have the event moved to the alternate course when Ruapehu threatened to erupt. The alternate course sucked... uphill on road is not my scene. On the trail sections hardly anyone passed me and I passed quite a few. On the road I was a slug... oh well, maybe next year on the real course!



The Santa Run, What a great initiative this is to raise money for Kids Can. A quick scamper around the Lakeside Domain in Rotorua with 30 or 40 other Santas made for a real hoot. For the record it took me 7:22 to run the 1.8km in the suit for 4th place (I am #85 in the pic).

The Blue Lake Multisport 5.5km Fun Run, One lap of Blue Lake (which the Garmin read as 5.21km) and a 5km pb of 21.52 gave me 4th place which was a buzz.

That was back in January, since then I have been just running. Quite a few runs with friends training for Tarawera and a run at the Tarawera Training camp where I tried to knock myself out.

All backing off a bit and getting ready for the next big Challenge...52 in 52!

For those that haven't seen my Facebook or webpage, starting in May with the T42 Off-Road Marathon I am planning to raise over $20000 for Hospice by running 52 Half Marathons - or longer - in 52 weeks culminating in the 50th Rotorua Marathon.

For this series of races I am starting a new blog which will focus solely on the Challenge but will, if possible, either copy or link the blogs back here... so watch this space... or the new one... or both... up to you!