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.

With the Coast to Coast mid February I have had to put in a fair bit of training in a kayak.

I’ve recently joined Mana Kayak Club to up skill.  The coaches are brilliant and we get to wobble our way around the Porirua Harbour in TK1’s (training K1 boats).

Four of us went for a paddle down the Rangatikei River – a brilliant day out. It is supposed to be the North Islands equivalent to the Waimakareri.

I was very nervous when we started out as I thought it was going to be scary stuff.  My first two rapids I was as stiff as a board and very wobbly but I soon loosened up and realised this was going to be fun.

The boys took off and I had to paddle hard to keep up with them and soon realised I was going to have to pick my own lines.

In the end I won a few ‘line of the rapid’ runs which made me feel better.

I didn’t have any swims but I did get cast on a rock in the middle of a rapid due a bad call by the boys below.  But in itself that was a good thing to have happen as I am now aware of what to do and how it felt to be stranded shallow and having to get back in to the fast flow of a channel again.

The scenery itself was just magic!  It is an amazing piece of country in the middle of the North Island, beautiful gorge, clean water, no algae. (Apparently there is in summer when the water flow is less.)  The surrounding snow covered ranges made a picturesque backdrop.

Well worth the trip training wise and I cannot wait to get back up there again.

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.

Had a little trial of the Eclipse kayak in the weekend down the Ruamahunga River.

Noting it is winter and we have had lots of rain. The river was so swollen that there were no rapids but there were lots of boils and floating debris.

A 33km stretch took five of us 2hours to paddle.  We put the boats in at one bridge and finished at the Featherston Bridge.

It was a great experience to test out the multisport boat on moving water after having completed my Grade Two certificate in a sea kayak.

I can definitely see a few swims coming up once the weather warms up and I brave real rapids.

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.

It is that time of year again – a hot date!   Okay, the extreme skiing movie from Warren Miller is in town on its roadshow around the world.  The 58th year of extreme skiing, snow boarding and as the years have gone by more and more random events.

This year there was a make shift band, a surfing legend come new found snowboarder and a comedian to keep you entertained.

So, like … one time at band camp…

A cheap and cheerful dinner out before hand at a friend, Raf’s, Italian Pizza cafe.  The smart boy shares the lease with an 80’s club.  He has the use of the kitchen and bar all day up until 10pm each night.  He seems happy with it.

Three out of five pillows from me on the movie but five out of five pillows on the night out.

We did it!  Well the team did – Phew!  I think the AB’s man card was riding on that game. Close call but the AB’s held their own.

I was in the Deloitte lounge, thankfully, as it was absolutely chucking it down out there.  Wellington had turned on its best weather again.  The Haka isn’t the same up there though, you miss the whole experience.

It was interesting listening to everyone going on every time that the ball was dropped.  Such and such is a waste of space. I bet if they were out there in the rain and wind they’d be even worse.  Armchair coaches and players…

We bumped in to Wayne and Jimmy at half time and decided to have a drink with them in their hotel afterwards.  The same hotel that the french were staying at so it was a merry old time with the supporters club – who were in very good form.

Needless to say it was an earlish night for me and a late one for the boys.  Town was surprisinly empty – maybe that Wellington weather had something to do with it.  We had trouble giving away tickets for the game for free.

Check out my YouTube clip as part of my application to become a Gore-tex tester for a few months.

As a member of the Gore-tex email group I was sent this opportunity, along with hundreds of others, to apply on line with a clip, photo and 500 word reason why I would be a good Gore-tex tester.

Entries close today so fingers crossed I get through to the next stage, which is a phone interview, and even better, to the end!

I’ll keep you posted.

Damn!  I am 4th again!  Everyone says 2nd is the worst place to be but obviously they haven’t been 4th as many times as I have…

The week leading up to the race was wet and windy, a true Wellington southerly, so many of us weren’t looking forward to race day.

Yet we were lucky and had fantastic weather for the whole day and the track was in great condition, nice traction.

I started out well with Nic Leary on my arse.  I was waiting, looking in the shadows for her to come passed but she never did – phew!  No girls did only a few boys.  One came steaming passed on a hill aptly named ‘Everest’ and others much later on on the down hills, and yes they were butts I recognised and had passed on the up hills – damn!

I enjoyed the downhill a lot more this time and really loved the race along the river.  A guy had passed me on the last piece of down hill and as I knew I was fast on the flat I thought there is no way you are going to get away with that.  Then when I saw him cheat and ride on the footpath I had to catch him up to at least tell him he had cheated.  Once I was on his arse the momentum was good so we kept the fast pace up until the end.  He started to give a little near the end so I pushed him along telling him we are nearly there you can’t give up now. 

There was another rider up ahead that I saw we were going to have to dodge, we both went in different directions around her not missing a beat.  I looked back she looked dazed.

Through some mud, up a bank and ‘walk your bike down the stairs please’, ‘only 600m to go’ – Yes! as my legs did not want to go fast anymore.

2:25hrs for a 4th – Go the Boulcott Babes!

Also I won my first spot prize!  It was more exciting than the race, it was the first thing everyone told me when I rode over the finish line.  Ironically it was a Merida lime green hydration pack – matches my lime green roadie and a friend of mine is sponsored by Merida and even he doesn’t have a bag with lime green flames on it – stylie

Next year I think I will do all three disciplines myself  :)

I had been unable to preride the course as it is on private land and I had missed the one opportunity I had to ride it due to another race.

However, on Sunday morning Craig and I set out for Battle Hill – yes, Craig came too, it was exciting having him along as he’s never been to a race before.  He was chief bike holder while I gossiped with everyone.  I think he was overwhelmed with the elite looking riders and how skinny but strong they looked – it was funny.

3, 2, 1… and we were off, pedaling like snot trying to get a good place in the line of riders heading down the track over a river and straight up in to a long hill climb.  We had a few more of these hill climbs and gravel down hills as we headed West over the Belmont Hills surrounding the picturesque Patahanui Inlet towards Porirua.

2:26hrs later I rode in to the transition area for the 18km trail run.

This is a great little multisport event worth supporting in Wellington each year – check it out at Porirua Grand Traverse.