Creeping up the ranks

2nd place at Hawkes Bay Half Marathon

A pretty pleasing race at the weekend in Havelock North, Hawkes Bay.

Going into the race I'd checked the last couple of years of results and last year I would've needed a 1:16 to win, the year before that a 1:21.  Considering my form and the amount of fast work I've done I thought I was in about 1:20 shap - so a podium could be possible.

Hawkes Bay was a great excuse for a weekend away and we managed to get out of town in good time on Friday afternoon, ready for a Saturday morning race. 

The half marathon followed the 2nd half of the marathon route, so a couple of hundred of us jumped onto buses at 9:30 and were scooted into the middle of nowhere (a windy road with two porta-loos) ready for the 10am start.  It was a cracker day with blue skys and low teen temps, but the wind was fairly howling - I thought i'd left that in Wellington!

Onto the start line with 3 seconds to spare, we were immediately off, and I immediately fell into 3rd.  Within 500m I took the guy ahead for 2nd and then set about trying to claw back the 10m that 1st place had on me.  The wind was pretty strong all the way through the first 12k with relentless rolling hills. 

Topo

I kept pushing to try to bridge up to him but by half way mark I was nearly a minute off him.  Unfortunatly that's pretty much how it carried on with 1st taking 2:30 out of me by the finish.

A pretty pleasing run, an average HR of 172 represents a good level of effort and although the time was terrible 1:25:13 it doesn't mean much for a half marathon with over 300m of ascent and such strong winds.  The guys at the finish were telling us that the course was 7mins off a pb course (with the wind), so perhaps I am in the 1:20 shape I think I am.  Certainly the winner (Thomas Bridgeman) should be better than a 1:22 considering he is running 16:30 5ks at the moment.


Interestingly I took no food or energy in this race and felt much flatter than on the Munter.  I think a was belt with some a gel bottle is the next purchase.

Two weeks until the big Abel Tasman Coastal Classic (37k trail) run and then back to the UK for some R&R, a catch up with coach Dave and the small matter of a John O'Groats to Lands End ride.

finish straight

Mukamuka Munter Madness!!

Perhaps there's some fitness coming back - 3rd place and a race I'm proud of...







Description of the Munter from the BetterThanTV website -

"Keen on a real off-road run that is worth the bragging rights on the Monday? Do you miss that feeling of the lungs searing while you are gasping for air and the legs screaming with lactic acid while knowing that you are still less than half way to the finish (and there's the rest of the hill to climb).....? 

The Mukamuka Munter is your kind of race which is kinda cool because it won't be everyone's kind of race.

Starting at the mouth of the Orongorongo River, the 29km Mukamuka Munter will take you around the south coast of the North Island, over terrain that your ankles will hate you for and then up the Mukamuka Valley to the South Saddle. From there it's a knee bashing downhill to the Orongorongo River and an exit via the Orongorongo Track to the CatchPool Creek DOC base."

4x4 track along the coast to Mukamuka stream

This race lived up to the hype.  About 80 of us rocked up in the middle of nowhere yesterday morning, to pick up our maps and hear out the briefing on how likely we were to get lost and that carrying safety gear was not a joke (my car-share had pointed out people die in these ranges on the way to the race!).

After a mediocre trail run last weekend in Auckland I decided to take my nutrition a bit more serious this weekend and got out my camelback and picked up a few gels, some space rocket (sweets) and some caffeine.

The run follows a 4x4 track 12k around the coast to the mukamuka stream, where we turned in land and literaly ran 6k up a riverbed and finaly a near vertical gully to shoulder the range before dropping down through the bush (there wasn't really a trail) to the Orongaronga stream, where we followed another riverbed for a few k before getting onto a track for the last 8k and then a final 2k dash along the road to the finish.

Damien jsut ahead on an easy bit of mukamuka stream!

I headed out steady, wanting to hold my own but save the legs for the hills, I hit 12k in 55 mins or so and began the slog up the valley.  I turned into the valley in 6th with training mate Damien 30 secs ahead with the 4th place guy.  I quickly bunched up with these two as we picked out way over the boulder field that was the stream bed.  .

Mukamuka stream bed

Entering the gully

Towards the top of the valley, before it turned into a gully scramble I passed these guys and another chap caught me. We scrambled up the gully making the best route we could swapping the 4th and 5th position as we each took good or poor choice in terms of the best way to get up

Looking back down the Muka valley

South Saddle

Orongoronga valley ahead

I was able to take a few pics on the way up the climb but once we started the descent into the Orongorogo valley I needed both hands to stay upright. Dropping down to the valley another guy caught up with us but we over took the guy in 3rd who'd been struggling with cramps.

Out into the open valley floor at last I managed to push on from the others taking 3rd place and pushing away.

Orongorongo river

Unfortunately I looked over my shoulder after 5 mins of good running and realised the others had turned off behind me and I'd missed the exit of the river bed onto the Big Bend track.  Retracing my steps I quickly got onto the correct path (checking the garmin I only lost about 2.5mins).  Passing a bunch of trampers a few mins later they informed me I was now in 7th...my detour had lost me 4 places.  I took a gel and started to work hard on what was at last a good runable track.  The remainder of the run was uneventful, it was all I coudl do to lift my legs enough to save myself from tripping over tree routes.  I managed to push through 6th, 5th (first women) and 4th then got a few glimpses of the 3rd place guy (the cramp victim) through the trees.  I caught him just as we were popping out of the forest onto the last 2k on the road.  We ran together for a k and then saw noticed the 2nd place guy up ahead.  I knew we had about a k to go and he was about 150m ahead.  I pushed on away securing 3rd and ran a 3:49 last k but just ran out of road and couldn't quite make 2nd.  3rd place and 3hrs7mins for a bloody tough 32.5k(Garmin) is good enough for now.  Great to feel some strength over such a long event, it just goes to show the difference a few gels will make you.

Two weeks away I've a road half marathon which will be a bit of a shock after all the trail running I've been doing but Dave has me back running on the road and doing some speed stuff so i should be a bit sharper by then.

Time to ride my bike now though!

Double hammy cramp. Go Robin...

Back on it...

So I've been silent for a while.  It's been winter in New Zealand and I've been taking a bit of a break after IM Taupo.

That's not to say I've been doing nothing.  I've not been on the bike or in the pool much but I've been ticking over with the NZ winter run scene.  There's been plenty of stupid trail running through the bush and a few events, including a couple of podiums and some total spankings!

But now it's time to get serious.  Last weekend I got a pasting in Auckland (25k trail run) so this weekend I intend to go for it in the MukaMuka Munter a 29k trail (bush whack!) just north of Wellington - see THE MUNTER

The next few weekends I've a half marathon and another big trail run along the Abel Tasman coastal path in the South Island - Abel Tasman Coastal Challenge

In the meantime i'm back in the pool and on the bike.  This March I'll be at Taupo again and hopefully back in the UK for IM UK in July 2011. Then Hawaii 2011!!!

Ironman New Zealand - Race Summary.

"Still No Hawaii"

It's a week now since Ironman NZ, and I've had a bit of time to reflect and relax.  I suppose overall I am still disappointed with the race last weekend.  Disappointed not to have got a Kona slot, but mainly not to have raced to the best of my ability. I’ve had a few days now to think about what went wrong and I’m still not that much wiser!

I think really it came down to a combination of three things

1. Head not there (mental preparedness)

2. Nutrition

3. Short build (lack of run base)

I had played down (in my mind) the task and underestimated just what an ordeal Ironman is mentally and physically.  I had it in my mind I’d done 9:48 and 9:29 and so should be able to do 9:15 this time.  I’d done the training and it would just happen.   Perhaps all the changes of coming out to New Zealand and the time it took to get my bike here and get into a routine may have had an impact on my training.  It was only really a 12 week build and although I got some really good volume into that time, it might not have been the best quality.  My longest run was only 2:20 and that was a race, whereas last year I ran 1:45-2+hrs maybe 8 times. 

In terms of nutrition I didn’t change much in terms of calories and carbs from the last two races. The difference was I didn’t carry all my own food,  I was relying on the Powerbar stuff that was at the aid station and not training with that may have had an impact. 

In terms of the race everything went great until the run.

There were only 1250 competitors so T1 wasn't as busy as other IM I have done recently and this was te same in teh lake.   It was a stunning swim, the sun was rising on a pretty calm lake as we lined up for the 7am start.  The helpicopter was out tracking the pro's which always adds some adrenaline.  I had some help from my new locals mates (thanks Dee) sneaking into the quiet loo's about 6:40 before quickly heading down to the lake for a warm up.  Fresh water swimming is so good compared to the sea and I felt pretty confident on the line.  

I  got a good start from the front on the inside next to the buoys, so I was able to sight clearly, I had some feet from about 10mins in and quickly settled into a good rythym on calm clear water.  I kept those feet or others pretty much all the way around.  I checked my watch at the turnaround (bit under halfway) and I was on 27:30. I was stoked and that positiveness kept me pushing all the way home, I got out of the water at 57:30 on my watch which I was over the moon with as I’d been struggling to get the splits I wanted in the pool the last few weeks. 

Transition is quite long, maybe 600m including some steps up to the T1 park, I had a good quick transition and was onto the bike in just under 62mins, all was looking great.  Out on the bike the legs felt ok, maybe not great, but within 30mins my heart rate settled.  I let a lot of guys go, but had it in my mind I would ride 5 and a bit and still be on target.  There was a bit of obvious drafting on the way out with the wind, which I didn’t get involved with (maybe I should), but I still hit the first turnaround averaging 36kph. After the first lap I was still on the same pace, I was comfortably on for 5hrs.  The second lap the wind had picked up, as I'd anticipated.  dave and I had discussed this and I concentrated on eating and took it steady to the turnaround, at which point the wind had changed a bit and I didn’t find it too bad back to T2, I was cruising and rolling through a lot of guys.  

I hit T2 in 6:20 ish, a little p’d about the time but remembering your words from Dave not to fret about the time and at this point confident I’d left enough in the tank for the run to be a good one. I nipped through T2 (I think fastest of the day!) in under a minute and although the back was a bit tight I settled myself down into low 4:20 k’s for 3:10 a marathon.

After about 5k I started to slow, there was a headwind, but I just didn’t seem to have my run legs. I kept expecting to get a second wind (I was still taking regular gels at this point), but by 10k I was starting to die on my ass, the 2^nd quarter back towards the finish of lap one we had a tail wind and I kept rolling on, albeit slowing, but once I turned back into the wind for the 2^nd lap the wheels came off.  It was a real struggle to get back to the final turnaround and there were spells of walking from about 24k onwards. In the end all times went out the window and it became a battle to just finish.

The 10.5k splits for the marathon were 57mins,53mins, 1:06 and 1:16.

The finish was nothing like Switzerland, I was exhausted, but more mentally.  I just felt hollow and ruined and wanted to get out of there.  So I did!  This is the first Ironman I've left feeling I wanted to do it again, I might have to come back next year and smash it...

My Age Group (30-34) was madness.  By far the most competitive of them all,  7^th place in 30-34 (the last guaranteed Hawaii slot) was 21^st overall in a time 9:21 and the last Hawaii slot rolled down to the 11^th in AG who did 9:31. I would have needed to run 3:10 to get that slot.

I've spent more than 2yrs chasing this Hawaii dream and perhaps it's time to take the pressure off myself and have a rest? I know I can do it, but I'd need a perfect day and a perfect build to get one of the slots.  BUT I'm not sure I can quit this without achieving the goal I set myself. 

In terms of my wider 'life' plans things have taken a bit of a change in the last few months, the work here is pretty great, especially in terms of opportunities.    I'll be here until at least Christmas, perhaps longer.  

I'm thinking of enjoying some racing for the next couple of months, training hard through summer (NZ winter) and having a crack at Ironman Western Oz (WA) in December. Keeping NZ in the back of my mind.

At the moment my cycling is probably weakest (certainly weaker than I'd like it to be) so a real stint on the bike over the winter as well as perhaps another marathon would be good. I want to be able to do sub 5, even 4:45 easily at WA in December and not feel I've got to kill myself on the run to go sub 9:15.

Thanks as always to everyone, friends, family, colleagues for the incredible support, kind wishes and patience over the last few months (years). This is a very selfish thing I do and I do appreciate the impact it can have on those around me.

Special thanks to Dave Parry (HPU) for his continuing invaluable advice and guidance and all the guys in NZ that have made me so welcome over the last 3 months and helped me very quickly get back to some good form; Dee, Mike, Mel, Helen... You guys Rock!!

Some pics to follow.

Laurence

Ironman New Zealand T-14hrs

I thought I'd pen a few thoughts as I have a few hours to kill, keeping out of the sun and resting up as much as possible before Ironman New Zealand kicks off in 14hrs at 7am, here in Taupo, North Island, NZ.

Another incredible NZ venue (Lake Taupo, 8am Friday 5th March '10)

This time last July I was in another hotel room, keeping off my feet and trying to relax before Ironman Switzerland.  Certainly there are a lot of similarities to that day, I'm pleased to say I'm pretty relaxed this time. Experience really does make these things easier.

I went into Switzerland thinking I was in 9:15 shape and in the end just touched under 9:30, albeit with a brief pause to fix a puncture.  After missing a Hawaii slot there by 15mins I said I'd come back here in sub-9 shape.  Now I'm not sure I'm there, I'm not going to put a time prediction on tomorrow, but I feel good.  I've had 12 fantastic weeks of solid training out here in NZ.  My mileage and training time is the highest 3 months  ever, across all disciplines, so I just hope the 12 weeks build is enough.

Conditions for tomorrow aren't perfect for speed, with a 20mph SE wind, we will get a headwind on the return leg of the two bike loops, i'm not looking forward to the last 45k back to town much!  The lake here is incredible, it's crystal clear fresh water. But, as we are situated at the north of the lake there will be a bit of a chop with the wind, that said it shouldn't be terrible and with only 1250 competitors it's not like some of the huge Ironman mass swim starts.  The run is also a two lap affair, with some gentle undulations. As we follow the airport road out of town to the South East, at least the last 10k of the run we'll have wind assistance.

There are 162 competitors and 7 World Champs slots up for grabs in the male 30-34 age grouper.  The last three years they have rolled down as follows; 2009 - 9:45.11, 2008 - 9:43.23 and 2007 - 10:05:24, so you'd hope sub 9:30 would be good enough for that golden ticket...  That's a big ask on a slow(er) course but I've got my support crew trained up as 30-34 male spotters and I'll do everything I can to get the slot...

I'm feeling good, the bike and all the bags are checked in and there's nothing to do but relax, eat and drink well and try to get to sleep in good time.  I'll post a note as soon as possible with an update but don't forget you can track results live at www.ironmanlive.com (race starts 6pm GMT Friday 5th March).

Thanks for all the kind wishes,  Laurence

3 weeks to Taupo

So three weeks to go until Taupo (Ironman New Zealand).  It's been a sharp training block this time and I feel good for it.  Arriving in NZ on the 1st Dec I was pretty out of shape, so it's been 10 weeks of decent training to get me up and running again.

I've done slightly more volume in all disciplines than I did in the last 10 weeks coming in to either Arizona or Zurich and until this week I've managed to feel fresh throughout.  This week it's been feeling tough, (maybe something to do with the huge rugby 7's weekend last weekend), but I'm hoping that just means I've done enough and I'm ready.  One more decent week next week, finishing off with a local half marathon on Sunday 21st Feb and then a couple of weeks of taper and I'm off.

I'll be chatting to Dave about the taper, but it seems I don't respond too well to dropping off hugely in the last two weeks, so it'll probably just be a bit less volume and an opportunity for the legs to get fully recovered.  Plus it's now I need to start getting my mind ready.  I've maintained better training discipline than ever before in this block and I'm feeling more confident in my ability than before.  Plus I'm trying not to put a time on my performance expectations.  I'm just keen to get out there, get through the swim and bike without any F ups and start running. 

Taupo looks to be a slow(er) course, with some undulations on the run and a heavy chip surface on the bike, so I'm probably not going to break any records...

But we'll see...

Tussock Traverse 27k trail run

Last Saturday I ran the Tussock Traverse, something a bit different and a great way to see a new bit of NZ, plus it would be a decent training run! This 27km point-to-point climbs through the dip between two active volcanos in the Tongariro National Park, namely Mt Ruapehu on our left shoulder and Ngaruhoe on our right. 

It was an incredible event and has opened my eyes to how tough trail / fell racers are, no wonder Brownlee is so damn good.

examples of the crazy terrain...

The first 2k were straight up, see pic below for the start line between two flags, I set out at what I thought was a fair pace (just above walking!), by 2k I was around 5th, then we turned off the 4*4 track and it got silly.  Apparently this is a relatively easy course, but I was impossibly slow going down over the scree and rocks.  I got overtaken by 4 or 5 others on the downhill and that was pretty much it for the next 25k.  Push hard when it was flat and I could actually run and take back a few places then lose them on the downhill.

After about 5k I started to get cocky and decided I this was easy, I looked up for a moment, to see how I was doing and promptly fell flat on my face.  It's not like running on the road!

By 20k I was in 4th and I think I just sneaked into 3rd for a few minutes before a local chap from Welly and a 17yr old girl (thankfully she is an amazing up and coming mountain marathon runner in NZ) overtook me heading down towards the finish, I had nothing left and crossed the line in 5th.

Finish time of 2:22 for 27k (5:15k's..) but the most incredible part was an average HR of 174bpm! That's 10k HR for over 2hrs.  No wonder I was ruined.  It was one of those finishes where you collapse, stand, collapse, and then jsut don't know what to do with yourself.  20min later I pulled myself together enough to cheer Leonie and Helen across the line and collapse again onto the grass with a brew and a sausage sizzle - Kiwi's know how to look after their athletes!

Next day I was in Taupo to check out the IM course and somehow managed a 5hr brick session, including a full lap of the run course (half marathon).  Needless to say this week I've not been running much. 

I guess it can only make me stronger - as it didn't kill me!