52 in 52 Race #9 - Back to the Beach at Waiuku

Race number 9 took me to my most often raced Xterra Auckland event... at the Waikato River mouth out from Waiuku.

This race was also special last year as it was the first race for my daughter Kate last year. Kate has had some health issues and had gone off running any events, so I was rapt when she asked me if she could run this again to support me in 52 in 52.

So, early start, got the girls loaded (Lainy came too) and we were on the road only 15 minutes late! Normally on my own I leave well before the crack of dawn and get there nice and early and get a park close to the start... not this day, we were well away from the start line and had a nice hile along the muddy road where Lainy realized that trail run meant soft underfoot for everyone and that her boots were not the best!

As usual with Total Sports, everything was organized to a tee, All of the usual suspects were in attendance - Keith Crook, Steve Neary, Lesley Turner Hall, Mal Laws and more and the day, while a bit misty, was very pleasant.

Onto the race itself, steady start, hammy twinging, so kept it real easy up the first few hills. Once loosened up it became easier and I pushed it along at just below 'pain' pace.

After a short road and forst burst the course spits you put onto the sand along the Waikato River, and with the mist still prevalent it lent itself to a great pic with the runners disappearing into the mist (right).

Had a nice chat early on with one of my co-runners for 4 or 5 km's. I am finding that a chat with other runners really makes the race fly by and this was the case yet again. 

Waiuku is sand based, but a bit of mud thrown in. Forestry running to the fore with lots of ups and downs - about 720m of vertical climbing over the run. The last few km's though really make you work, with a couple of really sandy ups and downs and the last km or so is like running through a sandpit.

Thanks to Photos4Sale

All in all an enjoyable run... that came in at 20.9km... below half marathon, but that was ok, as I backtracked out and ran the last 1.3km with Kate and managed to get a great pic crossing the finish line (me for the second time) thanks to Allan Ure from Photos4Sale. I finished in 2:14:33, a bit slower than last year... but more than good enough for me on the day.