Final days leading up to the XPD

This post isn't about training but about the last few weeks leading up to the XPD Adventure race. As you can see from our previous blogs this event has been our focus for the entire year. The last few weeks have been a real rollercoaster of emotions starting with Erin falling off her bike and dislocating her elbow. At the time it happened we were openly optimistic and had rose colured glasses on all believing that Erin would make a full recovery in time to make it to the startline. However after her first Doctors appointment a week after the injury the warning signals came on and we started to think the unthinkable that she might not make it to the startline at all. Once the alarm bells were in full ring we started to hustle for last minute teammates. This is not as easy feat as there are not that many people meeting our description - Wanted:  fast, fit, funny, female able to go without sleep for long periods of time, happy to push mind body and soul to the limits, not scared of snakes, spiders, leeches, crocodiles, box jelly fish and other creepy crawlies, able to fund a three week jaunt to Cairns and able to get leave from work, family and any other commitments they may have. Not surprisingly my inbox was full of thanks for thinking of me but ....... emails ... not what one needs in the build up to a big race.... however, it seems the good luck angels were on our side and we were more than fortunate enough to secure an Adventure racing legend Viv Prince ... woo hooo how lucky are we :) ... soo things were once agin looking all rosey and we were sorted and ready to roll. With one and a half weeks till departure Anne came down with Larangitis and has spent the last week madly trying to find her voice and recover any way she can..

Soooo... fingers crossed we all make it to the startline on May 19 in good health, good spirits and feeling fit and fantastic. A massive thanks to Viv for stepping up to the plate. Bring on the xpd

AN EASTER EPIC OF EXTREMES

Extreme Exploration An Elbow Extended To Extremes

It’s always great when you can plan a few days of solid, fun mountain biking with good friends that goes somewhere new and also doubles as training for a race you have coming up, in our case, XPD. Hard to think of a better way to spend Easter!

So on the Thursday night before Easter Debbie, Anne and myself, along with a couple of friends, met in Taumarunui. After the usual gear sort out and planning for the next few days ahead, we drove down to Raetihi and left our vehicles at the Raetihi Motor Camp. Good Friday was always going to be the easiest day. From Raetihi we biked north up to National Park, the majority on the main road, with a bit of an explore of a rail road bridge by one of our party and some exploring off-road just south of National Park.

Conveniently our arrival route into National Park passed a cafe (theme 1 of weekend an uncanny ability to always come across cafes at opportune times!) so a good stop for lunch. After lunch we got permission from a local farmer and went for a trek for a few hours with topo maps, making sure we made it back just in time for our spa pool soak.

Theme 2 of weekend was noisy nights and/or poor sleeps. Unfortunately our fellow residents at our accommodation needed a lesson in hostel etiquette and I still can’t understand why you need to get up at 5.30am and make as much noise as possible to get ready for a Tongariro Crossing bus which departs at 8am.

Day 2 was our longest day kilometre-wise. From National Park we biked along SHW47 to the start of the 42nd Traverse. I seem to find this ride progressively easier over the years but it still has some good uphills and fun downhills, and it was great to see others out enjoying the awesome ride as well. We made it back to the Owhango pub for a late lunch. After lunch we headed west on the Oio Road. Overall it was downhill following a river, but we were starting to feel the last 20kms on gravel. It felt like we were getting more and more isolated as the scenery got more and more rugged and by the end of the day we had done over 100kms.

Saturday night we stayed at the Blue Duck Lodge at Whakahoro (www.blueducklodge.co.nz), but there is also a DOC camping ground in the vicinity. Our host Dan and all the locals were occupied with the annual local fair (gymkhana, wood chopping, raffles, dance, general piss up etc.) so we made ourselves at home in a dorm room out the back of someone’s house doing their dishes, tampering with their TV etc. after being resupplied with food and clean clothes by a later addition to our party.

Easter Sunday was awesome... until about 5pm.

We started the day with a birthday cake for Debbie and a 100m bike down to Dan’s cafe. While anyone who needed it got their caffeine fix, Dan told us about the area and his interests and initiatives. He has been restoring a lot of the historic buildings and en route we also went down a small track and borrowed some kayaks he has set up to explore a stunning waterfall and stream. Just magic!

For those of you that don’t know the Mangaparua Valley that we were biking through that day was opened as a Government scheme in 1919 to provide land for farming for returned soldiers from WWI. The Bridge to Nowhere was built near the bottom of this isolated valley in 1936 to improve vehicle access to connect with the steamer jetty on the Whanganui River. Unfortunately the soils of the valley were not fertile enough for farming and the valley was closed in 1942.

After crossing through Dan’s farmland we entered the Whanganui National Park. There was a bit of a bike push for a few kilometres, which Dan had psyched us up for. There were a few little gullys and streams which required a bit of team work to get up and over with our bikes loaded up with camping gear. All along the way, and for the rest of the day, we would come across signs naming the different families who had farmed in a particular area.

We stopped for lunch in a clearing (the only privately farmed piece remaining in the National Park). After this we climbed up a fantastically gradual hill (an old bullock trail) and at the top we took in the spectacular views all the way to the mountains at the trig. To note the last place of mobile coverage!

It was basically all downhill from the trig. It started off with a fast gravel road and then changed into a track, with kilometre after kilometre of awesome single track at the end through the bush, round spectacular bluffs, over rivers, all the time passing signs and remnants of the old farms. Then suddenly you come across the solid, relatively large, concrete structure of the Bridge to Nowhere, spanning the river 40 metres below, and such a contrast to the surrounding bush and rugged terrain. We spent a bit of time taking it all in, taking photos and thinking about the history.

It’s only about 15 minutes from the Bridge Nowhere to Mangaparua Landing. About half way along there is a very innocent looking pedestrian bridge with a lip on it of about 20cm. Tired and not concentrating as much as I should have been I parted company with said bridge, falling into the gully it was spanning headfirst. Using my arms to stop my fall, I dislocated my elbow.

I always say in adventure racing, or anything involving teams, that the measure of a good team is how they deal with things when they go wrong. I was lucky to be with some very capable and sensible people at the time when I injured myself and I was looked after very well over the next few hours. Although not very palatable to me at the time, the decision was made to camp where I fell off, rather than try and head back up the track in the dark to get mobile coverage – about 4 or so hours if you remember. We spent the night in tents on the track and the next morning we walked down to Mangaparua Landing and caught a jet boat down to Pipriki (thank goodness 1000 times we had this booked!). The others biked from Pipiriki to Raetihi and collected the vehicles, while I went by ambulance and car via Taumarunui Hospital and then onto Waikato Hospital to get my arm put back into place.

For me personally it was a bad end to an otherwise spectacular trip. I learnt my lesson, and I have probably been a bit lax in past, that I would always take an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicator Radio Beacon) when going somewhere so isolated. We could have set if off on Sunday night and I could have been helicoptered out and had my arm sorted that night, which would have severely reduced recovery time. I wouldn’t wish sitting in a tent for 14 hours with a dislocated elbow on anyone.

That aside the biking that we did was superb and I myself, and I know the others would as well, thoroughly recommend the Whakahoro to Mangaparua Landing ride to anyone who wants a good adventure. You need to be reasonably confident on a bike and up for the adventure but I’d hate my experience to put anyone else off. It sounds naff but just be prepared!

Erin Roberts (Team Macpac GOT)

Coromandel training mission

After a bit of a sleep in, Grant, Erin, Aiden, Anne and I set off from our bach in Te Kouma on our mission to circumnavigate the coromandel penninsula at around 8.30 am on Saturday morning. Our packs were laden down with 20 hours of food three liters of water each and a few extra bits and bobs. Most of us decided to strap our complusory gear and trekking shoes to our carriers to take weight off our backs and bums. Unfortunately no one had told aiden this plan so he was forced to have the whole lot in his back. Poor bugger!!
Our first leg was a cycle from Te Kouma to Waikawau Bay. This involved one mega climb and a whole lot of smaller climbs. But the views made it all worthwhile.
Once at Waikawau Bay we changed into our macpac shorts and shirts and headed up into the hills for a three to four hour trek. It was as hot as but nice to have a break from the bike. The scenery was stunning and well worth the effort of the climb. The highlight of the walk for me was the last 500 metres on the beach back to the bikes with the surf rolling in. So beautiful. It was a pity we couldn't  lie in the sun for a bit and swim in the surf but training is training and that is what we had come for. So after a fleeting stop to take in the view we filled our bladders and drink bottles and quickly changed back into our cycling gear and got back on the bikes.

The ride from here to Stoney bay was once again a hill fest with one incline leading into the other. Great training country with very little traffic and spectacular scenery. We made good time on this leg with a tail wind assisting us and were soon off the gravel road and cycling on the spectacular track that links around the tip of the penninsla. Last time we did this track it was pitch black so we were stoked to be able to see where we were going and appreciate the view.

Wow what an awesome ride. This is a little slice of mtb heaven . All to soon we were spat out back to reality and onto the gravel road at Fletchers bay. From here we faced another series of hill climbs to our next little trek just out of Colville.

The ride was punctuated with the most stunning sunset and with the sight of Aiden jumping off his bike at regular intervals to chase possums - according to Aiden we all need to do our bit to rid our land of possums. He is certainly dedicated to doing his bit.

Just out of Colville and before starting the trek we were faced with a hill we named the big bad hill - we were all pretty happy to trade our bikes for our trekking shoes at the top of this hill and once again set off into the bush. This trek was a short pleasant one and a half hours and was a welcome break from the bikes. Yeah now we only had around four or five more hills to our comfy beds.

Before long we were cruising into Coromandel township and only five or so kms from home. As usual at the end of our training missions Anne's homing pigeon kicked in and we found ourselves tucking in behind her and sprinting towards Te Kouma. Yeah we had done it - 16 hours in total, heaps of hills, two tramps and well over 100kms of cycling. What better way is there to spend a Saturday? :) Happy happy

Team Macpac Girls on Top take on the West Coast rogaine - February 19

These events always sound exotic and attractive when you hear about them in the comfort of your office or on the couch. "Wow that sounds like fun, a 12 hour Rogaine on the West Coast of Auckland starting at 7.30pm on a Friday night, yes count me in. woohoo how cool will that be ..can't wait for that .." and on it goes ..... HOWEVER I can certainly tell you that come Friday February 19 at 3pm sitting in my office after a long and stressful week at work I wasn't really having the same thoughts and my enthusiasm had somewhat waned .. mmmm

But because I am dedicated to my team and didn't want to let my teammates Cath and Anne down, I put on a brave face, changed out of my work clothes and into my running gear and headed to Cath's house for a quick bite to eat before driving out to Muriwai. (Thanx for the lovely quiche and salad guys)

We arrived at the start, got our maps, planned our route and then bang we were off .. no time to dwell on the fact that we were about to spend the next 12 hours running madly through the bush.

Our strategy was to head to the North of the start area which took us up into Woodhill forest, we decided to go this way as there was quite a bit of off-track navigation and we wanted to do as much of this in the daytime as possible. We managed quite a smooth run in this section with some great navigation work by Anne and apart from wasting a bit of time dealing to my wasp stings and hunting around for the checkpoints we were happy with the way things went.

We then passed back through transition and grabbed a snack to eat from the car before heading out to Muriwai and up to Goldies Bush. We had intended to get alot further on this section but a nav blunder by Debbie and the slowness of the track in goldies bush coupled with the fact the none of us were particulary keen to swim in a swamp, meant that we ended up doing an out and back leg rather than the circuit we had initially planned. Boy were we glad we made the call to turn around as it was a hell of a lot further than we thought. We finshed with twenty minutes to spare and our dignity still intact ..

Overall, we had an awesome time out there and were very pleased with our route choice and performance. My wasp stings gave me grief for the rest of the week with a completely swollen face and eye and I ended up on antibiotics, antihistamine and antiinflamitory pills .... but hey that is all part of it

Thnx to Tony for putting the event on...


Results
1) Demon Monkeys 2880 (time 11hr 57 min)
2) Team Macpac Girls on top 2770 (11.38)
3) 7in7 2580 (11.40)
4) Nga Rakau A 2410 (11.54)
5) Nga Rakau B 2240(10.37)
6) Team Panda 1950 (11.36)
7) Craven Morebush 1880 (11.36)
8) Fisher and Paykel Healthcare 1780 (11.11)
9) Team Contours Manukau 1520 (11.41)
10) The Mint Chicks 1510 (11.25)
11) 3 blind mice 1470 (9.27)
12 Sue'n'Rob 1380 (9.55)
13) Two kids and a criple 1010 (11.37)
14) When will I see you again? 680 (10.10)
15=) Allan Janes 660 (6hrs)
15=) Will be walkers 660 (6hrs)
Team Liability No sheet handed in....but awesome finish! All be it a bit late (12.15)
Ken and Barbie Timed out, swamp casualty! (12.42)
Kris Jones DNF but was still out there for 9 and a half hours. Gutted for you mate....

Tramping in the Kaimanawas - Auckland Anniversary weekend

What a sensational weekend we have just had. It all started on Friday with me going to the Macpac shop in Newmarket to pick up our newly sponsored Macpac AMP40 packs (thanks Daan). Grant, Anne and I then loaded up the car and headed out of Auckland down to Rotorua to Erin's house. After a massive feed of pesto and chicken pasta lovingly prepared by Erin and after packing all our gear into our brand new packs we settled in for a bit of shut eye.

As we all know the early bird catches the worm so at 5.00am we were all in the car and heading for the start of the trail in the Kaimanawas -- yippee. We arrived at the start of the track on Clements Mill road at around 6.30am and heated up a hearty pot of pre-prepared porridge - the perfect fuel for a long tramp. Our first break of the day was to be the Oamaru Hut which was around 4 hours walk away. The track between the road end and Oamaru Hut was beautiful - lush beech forest and ferns, beautiful rivers and a reasonably level gradient apart from one minor pass. We skipped along the track at a fair clip trying out all the pockets and straps on our new packs and generally talking crap and discussing the ins and outs of the XPD - what gear we will need, what food, what shoes, what socks etc etc, what training, what lights, where to stay, what we are anxious about etc etc - of course there were the occassional moments of silence but they usually coincided with bar time or an uphill. At the hut we boiled up a brew, had a quick bite to eat and chatted to a guy and his two daughters - oh it was nice to chill out in the warm sun and peacefulness of the area. All too soon we were back on our feet and headed for our accommodation for the night - Boyd Hut - another 4 or so hours away. Once again the scenery was stunning and we found ourselves in a wide open grassy river valley before we headed up over a pass and into the next valley. By the time we reached the hut our feet were aching and our legs were feeling the effects of walking with a heavy load. We immediately took our manky socks and shoes off and headed to the nearest creek for a wash. Wow the water was cold but it was sooo good to be clean. All plans for a forage around the hut went to custard once we sat down and we spent the evening grazing on various culinary delights, playing last card and chewing the fat with some hunters.

Day two started out with a 6.30am wake up, more porridge and a hot cup of Chai latte - yum. Unfortunately the weather had packed in and we headed out into the rain and mist of the morning towards our next planned stop at Cascade Hut. After heading back over the saddle we had come the day before we were faced with a decent climb up to around 1200 metres - the track was marked but less well trodden and we spent the next 6 hours clambering over fallen trees and branches in the wet and wild conditions. Luckily we had packed our wet weather gear and hats and gloves as it got quite cold on the exposed tops - quite exciting though. We stumbled into the Cascade Hut around 4pm and to the surprise and entertainment of two people in the hut proceeded to stuff our faces with whatever food we could pull out of our packs whilst giggling like little kids and gabbering excitedly about the last 6 hours and the next 4 - 5 hours back to the car. I am sure they thought we were nuts !! One more climb up to 1200 meters and another awesome downhill and we had made it back to Clements Mill Road - unfortunately the car was still 12 kms away and the only was to get there was to walk along the gravel road. What a challenge !!! but what a feeling to be back at the car - it was 10.00pm.


An awesome outing - the sceney was primo - the walk challenging - the Macpac AMP packs were everything you could want in an adventure racing pack and more. They have got perfectly positioned and plentiful pockets for food and water, comfortable straps, light but strong fabric, a good draw string at the top of the pack to protect gear from the rain, and they fit snugly to the body so don't swing around when you start running - oh yeah and the company was a treat and very entertaining. Thanks guys :)

Cambridge Calamity 18 hour adventure race

Had a great weekend last weekend. Did an 18 hour Adventure Race with Erin, Anne and Marquita. We started with a kayak rogaine on Lake Karapiro which included a portage up and over a steep dirt bank. Stunning scenery on the lake and lots of checkpoints to keep our minds occupied. We then portaged down the dam to the Waikato river and negotiated some grade 2 ripples down to the event centre. It was quite exhilarating. We were then off on our bikes for a ride of over 100 km up hill and down dale thruogh farmland and bush with a couple of walks thrown in for good measure. One of the walks was a 3 hour orienteering course through open native bush. Spectacular. We finshed the orienteering in the dark and then had a thrilling decent back into Cambridge in the rain. :) The next leg was a 2 hour Urban Rogaine which we heading out to do after scoffing a few pieces of pizza supplied by our efficient support crew person Rob. Whilst doing the Urban rogaine in the drizzle we discussed the benefits of the next two legs. One was a night kayak which we worked out would not be worth doing as it would have taken longer to do than the bonus points we would have gained. The other was a 3-5 hour mountain bike leg that we decided we would do. After completing the Urban Rogaine we headed back to race headquarters only to find that the teams ahead of us had pulled out and were eating pizza and drinking beer. Unable to stop at that point we decided to head out in the rain and get one checkpoint on the ride before heading back to join the other teams. What a great course and an awesome training session. Thaks a million to Aiden who set the course.

GOT Training blog

Anne and I had an awesome run on the Hillary trail from Muriwai to Piha on Saturday. We needed to do it to test the trail before running it with Sarah Hillary on the official opening day of the trail. It took us five and a half hours at a jog tramp pace. The scenery was simply delicious. What a great way to spend a day.