Xterra Trail Run Orongorongo’s

My first ever running race (as an adult) … knees knocking, feeling a little tired in the legs from a five hour hill ride the day before.

I drove up to the Rimutuka Forest Park over the back of Wainuiamata and parked up.  While registering I had a good look around and felt like a huge lad arse for all the skinny tall runners lurking around.  It was very disconcerting having everyone eye you up and down.

I later learnt the skinny runners eye up the multi sporters in the same way – those strong rugged multi sporters.  I laughed.

The differences are like night and day.  Multi sporters wear practical clothing including long socks so dirt and crap doesn’t go in your shoes, wear merino and other warm clothing and carry back packs whereas runners wear tights, tight tops, short socks and don’t carry anything and they are half the size, muscular wise.

Swoosh we were off and straight up a hill, single file, walking all the way as there were too many people to run.  The roots were fantastic to run and jump over – I loved it!

Majority of people were doing the short course so once I went past the first 10km’s I was pretty much on my own.

Learning’s from that race – probably started a little too fast, could have held back ,maybe?  Or more so do not bike five hours the day before!  Also that I needed more fuel than I first thought I would.  And potentially solid fuel. I had a chocolate fish after 90mins and it felt good but I now know I should only have simple sugars in the last 20-30minutes.

I drank more fluid than I thought I would and my throat was quite dry and hoarse (from puffing I guess), I sucked back a bit of juiced up water.  Was also verging on cramping up in the hamstrings.  May need to look at electrolyte tablets.

Anyway I ran downhill to the finish line and got told I looked too fresh – My legs didn’t feel it!  2:09hrs for 16km’s – not bad for my first race.

Then straight home to the bath with food and water, emerging two hours later.

More races coming up over the next three months.

Slava’s Snow Show

It was brilliant!  I do not know how anyone could go to this show and not enjoy it.  But apparently there are people out there that did not.

The underlying message was very obvious too – standing tall against the elements. The tall and short of life.

If you missed it this year then make sure you catch it next time.

During the end of intermission I was set up to walk on top of the chairs from the front of the theatre to the back with a six foot plus clown who then proceeded to pick me up and drop me in a guys lap and leave me there.

I looked forward thinking how the hell am I going to get back to my seat, so I had to walk on top of the chairs all the way back with the help of a million pairs of hands – very funny!

The blast of wind and powder snow that brought the show to an end ended up all down my clothing as when I got home and changed piles of glitter and white paper formed as I took off the layers.

Cirque Du Soleil Dralion

Stunning!  A must see and if you don’t get the chance this year then next time it is in town I highly recommend it.

Celebrating it’s 25th year anniversary this years theme is “the dream continues”.  When East meets West.

We had the Tapis Rouge VIP package which included preferred seating, reserved parking, pre show and intermission drinks, hors d’oeuvres and dessert, a show souvenir goodie bag, and your own utilities which meant no queues.

This package was a must due to the continuous downpour of rain that Auckland put on for the weekend.

The performers were spectacular, very athletic.  The clowns were funny. The costumes bright and well designed.

We had a two bedroom apartment at Stadium Waldorf Apartments Hotel from off  lastminute.

A fantastic weekend away in the middle of a wet and cold winter.

Rihanna and Chris Brown Concert Wellington 2008

Go the teeny bopper concert!  We felt like the golden oldies hanging out with the wrinkle free crowd down in the pit.

With the doors opening at 6:30pm at the TSB Bank Arena we thought oh yeah roll up at 7pm.  Wow!  The queue was massive and the doors weren’t open.  We jumped in to the queue that snaked all around the water front, we were probably three quarters of the way back thinking this is going to take another hour to load these people in the building.  The doors opened just before 8pm and there was a huge swarm for the door, no queue!  We ended up at the front due to our canny postition near the back of the queue.  All the way in we ended up being in the right place at the right time through the pushes and strolled on in to the front of the pit to wait for it to fill up…

Chris Brown (CB) came on first and rocked the crowd, fab dancer!  Didn’t think too much of his singing (lip syncing) but you weren’t there for that…

An hour later he left the stage and we had a 20+ minute wait while the crew geared up for Rihanna.  By now I was thinking damn my feet, back and legs are sore.  But this was a great opportunity to stake out your space at the front while teens went out for drinks etc.

Rihanna made a great entrance in a sexy little body stocking.  All of her outfits were fine.  She definitely put on a better show than CB.  It took a few songs for Rihanna to warm up to the crowd though, it wasn’t until half way through she connected with the crowd.  It took her chart topping songs to do it.

Then CB came back on to finish the night in a duet of Umbrella.

Nothing beats live music, we had a great night despite the lengthy waits.

Guy Fawkes on Wellington Foreshore 2008

It was another stunning night in the capital. The water front was packed out with 100,000 spectators for the annual Guy Fawkes display that the Pelorus Trust Sky Show hold each year.

The Ride Of Your Life spectacle also took place earlier in the evening and is was the perfect curtain-raiser to the fireworks. Ride Of Your Life was a three-hour show featuring live music from the Beatles Review and the Beat Girls, and choreographed water-sports performances from jet-skiers, wake-boarders, Thunder Cats and more. The event was a fundraiser for the Wellington Free Ambulance.

My favourite fire works is the gold coloured bursts that come out to meet you in 3D and they slowly drift to the ground – stunning.

Apparently the boat from China was late so some of the fireworks had to be sourced locally…

Wallace Art Awards 2008

We went to the New Dowse last night in Lower Hutt to attend a cocktail function show casing the winners and other entrants of the Wallace Art Awards.

Some interesting pieces of art and others that made you walk on by.

The winner a piece painted in acrylic on pool table cloth was better from a distance and than in print. I liked the little model army figures shaped as a tree, the acrylic mould of a typewriter, an artists hair stitched into linen, the naked older lady sitting on a chair and various other artworks.

Definitely worth a look if you are in the neighbourhood, and I hear the cafe is worth a visit as well.

The Sound of Music Show

I ended up getting landed with a ticket or three to the Sound of Music last Saturday afternoon. It was funny watching everyone sing away – reminded me of my mum and her singing, little choir girl.

The Wellington Opera House was packed full of mum’s, dad’s and their numerous offspring, half of them I don’t think will every remember the experience as they were too young. Near the beginning of the second half the crowd din was at a peak – the kids had had enough of sitting still for so long and were getting very restless to say the least.

Jessica Graham definitely looked like Julie Andrews, a nice touch for the part.

I think my mum would have enjoyed it…

Queen’s Award 2008

Congratulations Chrystal on achieving your Queen’s Badge for Rangers/Girl Guides.  It was fun to share your special day with you.

I cannot believe how much your mum looks like mine with her new hair style!

Yes, we are cousins

Elemental – Strike Percussion

The Igniter season of ‘Elemental’ by percussion group Strike was a very thrashing night out. Percussion like you have never heard before.

A group of four talented percussionists from New Zealand with varying international experience form the group Strike currently playing in Wellington at Downstage.

I think their most, Wow, piece was ‘Igniter’ where the members were playing with fire, using glass pipes (fire guns) with methylated spirits sprayed down the pipes.

I also enjoyed the ‘Relentless’ piece which charts a volcanic episode – from dormancy to eruption using metal timbres that the members banded away on.

A very entertaining evening … wish I had taken up the offer of some earplugs when I first walked in though.

Wellington Regional Gold Awards 2008

A last minute call from Plan HQ with a spare ticket to the Gold Awards being held at the TSB Arena in Wellington was a nice way to end the day.

Craig had ironically been planning to go to this event with the Porirua Mayor, Jenny Brash, for a couple of weeks including hiring a monkey suit. I arrive home Thursday night to get some glad rags on as well and he is wondering what I am doing? – He was nicely surprised.

First award of the night was the Emerging Exporter category of which Plan HQ won! Congratulations team!

Another client that won that night was 4RF, who won the Cyber Gold Award – I think they may have forgotten it was on as no one turned up to collect it… hmm.

Check the Gold Awards site for full results.

The theme for the evening was a 10th birthday party, and our table definitely felt like it was at one – we had party poppers and streamers all over the table and our helium filled balloons were all ‘consumed’.

Then to cap of the evening the crew tried, and I might add succeeded, to get a gift bag to float with numerous balloons taken off neighbouring tables.

Another great networking event that was nice to share with Craig in his new role at Kiwi Income Property Trust.