Run review Feb/March

Paid runs = 3.

I'm buggered. Today I completed the Miners Trail of the Motatapu and honestly I got flashbacks of when I decided to run Buffalo Stampede last year. 600m of elevation was pretty vicious on the ascent but what really killed you was the 600m of steep descent down some pretty shady footing and narrow tracks. It's my idea of a fun Sunday morning.

My aim this year is to run the Queenstown marathon in November. This feat will not happen without some training and some accountability that I'm doing something, hence, monthly run reviews.

In February I signed up for my first paid run in New Zealand. Run the Ridge is a 10km run held in Alexander, in a winery. You can understand why I was sold on this idea, running through vineyards in my new home, picturesque mountains and the idea of a glass of wine at the end, delightful. Side note, I also bought this run on New Years Eve after half a bottle of wine- forgot that I had bought it and spent the next 3 days trying to work out what the charge was.

After a month of 30 degrees and clear skies you can imagine my surprise when the one day I was planning on running it was raining and about 8 degrees when I left home. I spent the drive to Clyde thinking "what the hell are you doing Simone" as rain pelted my car. When I got out to the winery the rain has mainly subsided however it was replaced by a biting cold wind. Fun start.

While it did clear (see photo), it was still a bitterly cold start to the run and took me about 15 minutes to warm up. The run itself wasn't on a ridge so much, more following the trails through the vines. I loved running through them however, as with a lot of grass trails in NZ, you have to be careful of hidden uneven footing (rabbits). The run was really pleasant, it looped around and back through the winery to get the 10km. It was still a bit shy of the 10km but I mean who's counting? (me, I'm counting on my garmin.)

The race village had a great atmosphere, there was a band playing and a lot of food trucks. The winery isn't open to the public so it was nice to visit somewhere you normally cannot go and I did get a beautiful wine glass from there.

Things I wouldn't do next time- buy a shirt, it's a size too big, not sure what small they were measuring but they're a medium. Also no medals, it's not like I run for medals but also the cost of this was enough to expect one. I lie, I totally run for medals sometimes, it's a physical sense of achievement I get to enjoy afterwards. I'm not sure if I would do this event again. It was expensive and probably more a one off event.

Feeling the itch to still run in February I was trolling a running calendar and found the Walter Peak run on the 29th of Feb. The cost of the run ($75) included a trip on the TSS Earnslaw paddle steamer to Walter Peak station which was well worth the price.

At 8am, after a night at a dodgy backpackers, I boarded with my coffee from Vudu Larder to head out to the peak. Like Run the Ridge it had rained and was freezing again, was I cursed? despite this it started to clear and by the time we pulled up at Walter Peak station it was clear and sun was beginning to take off the chill. The boat ride itself was awesome, it crosses Lake Waitipu from Queenstown to Walter peak taking about half an hour.

The run was two 5km loops of the outer station. This was really cool because the lake side of the station is not normally open to visitors as it is a working farm. Again, running through pasture means you need to watch your ankles but man, were the views worth it. The first loop around I ran fast, probably by accident because we were running with people not pacing themselves for a 10 and I got a little puffed out. By the second loop I somehow just got so distracted by the scenery that it turned into a more scenic run.

Apart from the first km of the loop, the whole run was on the lake which by this stage was sparkling under the morning sun. It actually got quite hot out there, there was no real shade. I ran with a bag but I probably didn't need to, there were heaps of aid stations along the way and lots of marshals. This run was just one beautiful turn after the next. Special mention went to the eucalyptus trees near the end that reminded me of home.

I also loved that if you finished the run early enough you had time to wander around the gardens of Walter Peak station and the old homestead which is just beautiful.

This run was just fun. They had a great atmosphere, the local primary school had students doing a Haka and everyone talked to everyone. I met 2 really lovely people in my travels. One being an 70 year old man who was just cheerfully running next to me as I panted along. He made me feel incredibly unfit as he tells me about all the kilometers he's clocked up over the years. I wouldn't have picked his age. Maybe running is the secret to anti aging?

Now let's talk the Motatapu.

Cliff faces, steep drop offs, uneven footing, narrow tracks, steep ascents/descents and 8 or so river crossings in freezing cold water. It was great.

Motatapu is a 2 day multi sport event. Some races happen in the station on land you normally never get access too.

I like the idea of exclusivity. This also extends to the competitors but not in a negative way. Those competing in these events are now all part of a secret club that really understand the nature of these trails. This is real trail running. You can't run it all (unless you are some superhuman freak, or actually trained). True trails mean that sometimes you will have to walk/scramble/climb/wade your

way to the next bit. This track was pretty brutal and because of such a large competitor field it got a bit congested too. It was nice to actually enjoy myself and take photos, also patted a dog because it was there. These runs are sometimes all about the views. If you are going to ascend to 1000m in elevation in NZ you have to expect some spectacular views.

Notes for Miners Trail is that you have a mandatory gear list, that no one bothers to check. You are expected to carry a fair bit. This can be a little cumbersome but I wear the Ultimate Directions race vest so it's never a huge issue.

This is one of the more tough races I had lined up for this year and wore a knee brace because I've had some niggles. It was so much fun and being able to wander around Arrowtown afterwards was just a treat. I ate at Good Day in town for lunch, cheap and delicious and coffee wasn't horrible, really a compliment in NZ.

Plans for next month is the Southern Lakes Half Marathon, Relay for Life and some more parkruns (maybe the summit run in Dunedin).

I worry about the social climate surrounding the Carona virus. Most events look like they're on the verge of shut down due to international competitors not being able to come and large social gatherings being frowned upon. The general hysteria is just insane. Even at Motatapu, the normal pre-race briefing avoided the social norm of a high five with the person next to you, moving to a foot tap. It's hard when your sanity of running is being threatened by a flu you don't even have yet.

Most of all I feel sorry for the organizers, they are locals just trying to put on a great event and don't have huge profit margins. I will keep going to these events if they run, I don't like succumbing to media induced hysteria.