The last two weekends were filled with traveling and some fun racing...in mud...
K-race number one was the Kururau Krusher in good ol Taumaraunui. Doc Martin and I teamed up for this bike-run-kayak-mtb event, it was 'Doctors Order' time! There were some random rain-storm-flood-disaster warnings going on that weekend and we weren't really sure what would await us, but the god's must have had a good time and spared us too much crap weather on the day. It rained the night before of course, just to mush up the MTB track...The race went well and was a lot of fun, Martin had a good first 44ks on the roadbike and I went off on the run with maximum running training under my belt (3 runs in 2 months is pretty solid?). I had a blinder on the run and surprised Martin by showing up a wee bit too early at the transition! Off went Doc M and into the wind! By then the wind was quite gusty and made the paddle rather interesting - but Doc M managed to pull off a PB and did not go swimming! Last but not least was the MTB...Doc K payed a wee bit for her blinder on the run and the first bit of the ride was, hm.., rather slow. Blame it on the headwind? The second part, the downhill part on farmland, which was rather WET and MUDDY was interesting...that day I did understand why people have mudtyres! Well, sliding down the hill on a solid block of mud and no traction made for some entertainment and added about 5kg to my MTB! All in all a solid and good day out, 1st 2 person mixed team home, we were happy with that!
So, off we went to race numba 2 with a K - the Karapoti Classic. Apparently this is THE to do MTB race in NZ. So we got told. So we entered. So we heard one horrorstory after the other. Just before the start of the race someone said - do you remember the worst day in your life? Forget it, today will be it! Ohhhh well....
Again, weatherforecast for the weekend was rather crappaloodels. Hm, any greater Karma or connection between races starting with a K and rain??? I can see another phd rolling along...but I'm diggressing. As usual. Dave 'thumbs up' G and I made our way down to Wellington, after some navigational 'issues' ('Dave, we're a few k's away from wellington, weren't we supposed to turn off somewhere?....) we found our way to our luxury accommodation - I never knew you could squeeze 4 people into a 2 squaremeter big cabin, but you can! To keep the K-race tradition up, it pissed down all night long and stopped raining at the start of the race. Choice. More mud...bring it on tampon, as Bevan would say...
Karapoti is one of the biggest MTB races in NZ, 1000 keen racers to take on 50k's of hell (as I found out that day).
http://www.karapoti.co.nz/ has a nice vid on it...
Start is in le mans fashion on the other side of the river - yep, wet feet right at the start, even better! Race starts were staggered and us girls started last with the old farts, so that the boys have something to look at when we ride past them, but that gave us time to watch the start of the pro's and first age groupers and to suss out where NOT to cross the river! There was some serious swimming going on, very entertaining...so, about an hr after the first riders we were finally sent off and I had a nice start. I took Sarah P-C's advice to shut up and ride and not talk to everyone in the field and dug deep at the start to work my way through the field. And then the
first hills came...and another...and another...and another...Sarah Beadel had passed my by then and showed me how to ride up a hill, shame I could only watch! So, the race went on and so did the hills. Karapoti is most famous for the hike/carry/push a bike section up Devils Staircase - at this point I wished I was in Taupo doing Ironman as it felt like the way easier option! And then there's the rockgarden...and more uphills.
And bogs. And more uphills. Have I mentioned the uphills yet? There were a few! BUT - there were some wicked downhills, and I loved them! And yes, I passed lots of guys, so starting at the end of the field wasn't that bad after all...hehe...so, 3.59hrs later I was across the finish line, muddy like everyone else and swearing (gotta love the doublemeaning) I'd never do that race again. Somehow today I already thought what I'd do different next time...
Sunday was another day of ridin, the tumbs and I went to explore the Makara Peak MTB tracks in Wellington - some choice uphill singltracks with wicked views over the city and the sea! The downhill was rather quick, so we had enough time to check out the skills park and do some jumps, ride sea saws
and fall of obstacles...we finally found the coolest track, Livewires and I learned not to trust Dave's advice about which line to take 'left kat left' - me thinks, what the heck is good about this pile of rocks on the flippin left??? - 'oh, no sorry I mean right, right'..yea whatever....all in all a nice ride over there, but sorry Wellington, ya can't beat Rotorua...nothing better than home sweet home ;-)
first hills came...and another...and another...and another...Sarah Beadel had passed my by then and showed me how to ride up a hill, shame I could only watch! So, the race went on and so did the hills. Karapoti is most famous for the hike/carry/push a bike section up Devils Staircase - at this point I wished I was in Taupo doing Ironman as it felt like the way easier option! And then there's the rockgarden...and more uphills. 
And bogs. And more uphills. Have I mentioned the uphills yet? There were a few! BUT - there were some wicked downhills, and I loved them! And yes, I passed lots of guys, so starting at the end of the field wasn't that bad after all...hehe...so, 3.59hrs later I was across the finish line, muddy like everyone else and swearing (gotta love the doublemeaning) I'd never do that race again. Somehow today I already thought what I'd do different next time...
and fall of obstacles...we finally found the coolest track, Livewires and I learned not to trust Dave's advice about which line to take 'left kat left' - me thinks, what the heck is good about this pile of rocks on the flippin left??? - 'oh, no sorry I mean right, right'..yea whatever....all in all a nice ride over there, but sorry Wellington, ya can't beat Rotorua...nothing better than home sweet home ;-)
