Mud, Sweat and (almost) Tears

What an experience.

I've just finished my second Adventure race, and did I get challenged! The Adventure Race was in Taupo, and designed for novice women of average fitness and ability. It was designed to be a challenge, which was precisely why I wanted to do it.

I had two great team mates, Tammy Bath (very fit, trim and fast) and Alison King (very fit, two times Ironman, determined) and me (thought I was fit enough, not trim, stubborn). Our support person was the very able Andria Gordon, whom I have been trying to encourage to become active enough to be a team member - she decided she would rather support us!

We were briefed on the Friday night, when we got the course notes, and the rules (not many).

Saturday morning - the race started at the Equestrian Centre in Taupo. It was meant to start at 8 am, but was delayed 20 minutes while the rafting companies got organised. There were 74 teams of three, with two teams per raft, this meant 37 rafts in one place!

We started in our wetsuits and cycle helmets as the first stage was a 1.5 km run to the raft. Sounded easy enough, but the organisers decided that we should go through two horse water jumps on our way to the Waikato river.

We were mid pack on the run. We got our life jackets on, with our pink race bibs over top, and off we went. We were in with another team and managed to pass 4 rafts, and were overtaken (right at the end) by 1. John our guide was great. It was full on paddling for over an hour, as the Waikato River was low.

Out of the raft, out of our wetsuits and onto our mountain bikes. We biked through a dairy farm conversion, through forest, and down roads with pumice type gravel, which made slow going. Tammy lost her chain, which meant a few teams passed us, and I had to walk up a hill grrr not a good start.

We ditched our bikes and grabbed some food at T2, which was back at the Equestrian centre, then went bush on foot. The trek was easy, and we made good ground by running a fair bit of it. Unfortunately this is where my problems started (I must have run out of cement pills) I started cramping - above my knees (strange place). This was despite drinking lots of water all morning. I was kicking myself for not having crampease!

We meet Andria at T3 which was by the craters of the lake turnoff. We set off on our bikes again. This is where we meet our match - single trail mountain biking through forest. Man were we tested! None of us had done this before, and we were all (quietly) sh...ting ourselves most of the way! I was the first to fall off, we all managed at least two falls. I have only just discovered why my backside hurts - a huge bruise, which I can't remember getting (the cement pills must have been working). Don't worry, I will NOT publish a photo!

A lot of the teams had similar issues to us. The guns were fine, but us novices!! Tammy's bike (retreaved from the dump) got stuck in the second big chain ring, so made going uphill hard for her. I found my front wheel coming off the ground as I went up hill, which was scary - as for going downhill, my weight made that fast - but that was NOT good. I knew that trees don't move, and I didn't want to hit one!

We managed to make it to Craters of the Moon (a tourist attraction). We (along with several other teams), had made a navigational blue, which cost us about 20 minutes. Being novices also cost us time (and gave us sore shoulders) as we spent a far amount of the course pushing our bikes up hill, and down!!!

At Craters of the Moon, we had to find clues. Don't ask me what the attraction was like, as I didn't really look!

Then a quick bike back to T3. Here we found out that a decision had been made to can the orienteering section, as it was likely that teams would finish in the dark (not good for orienteering!)

So we set off on foot, back to Taupo. We walked the hills and ran the flats, managing to pass a couple of teams. I was knackered by this stage - but I didn't lose it - hence the almost tears comment.

A final florish UP to the finish line, and our day was over. We finished the last section with only Andria and Tammy's daughter to meet us, as the rest of the families thought we'd be later. Nathan - the event organiser - was there to greet us, and offer us a drink, which was great.

In total 9 hours 4 minutes 44 seconds. We had 40 minutes added to our time to make up for the orienteering.

It was harder than the Spring Challenge in that the mountain biking was difficult. The trekking an easier terrain, which meant we ran it.

I really pushed myself. I went places physically and mentally that I hadn't been to. Not to mention the Fear Factor as well!!

Alison remarked that despite being shorter in time than Ironman, it was harder (again I'd say because of the biking)

We had dinner, caught up with some other teams, and had an early night.

This morning I felt OK, a bit sore, but OK - and very happy with our effort.

At prizegiving we found out that we finished 52nd out of the 74 teams, a much better result than the Spring Challenge.

We didn't win any spot prizes, but that didn't matter. It was a well run, challenging event, and I'm so pleased I did it.

The next one is late September in Kaikoura. However, in the meantime, I've got some running to do (I have to dry out my shoes first!)

Photos to come shortly.