TheGoat 2019 (Contingency Course)
7 December 2019
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/4315674003
https://www.strava.com/activities/2915850174
https://thegoat.co.nz/
https://www.strava.com/activities/2915850174
https://thegoat.co.nz/
25km, 635m vert. Contingency Course
The Video
https://www.relive.cc/view/vrqDmY31jLv
The Buildup
I had a steady buildup to this race. I'd been targeting it all year, but over the last few months I got a bit rundown and tired (mostly after the Crater Rim run), so I wasn't expecting too much from myself. But I actually ran pretty strongly on the day.
Da Boyz
We had a great weekend away. Me, Barnaby (thanks for organising!), Will, Neville, Tim, Brett, Neil drove down and stayed at a new place at Foyle St. (which was great). Super fun. Michal and his family stayed separately.
The Weather and Course
For the second year in a row, we were stitched up completely by the event management! There was some severe weather around the country (mostly rain in the SI), and some strongish winds forecast for Tongariro. But nothing that was going to blow us over, nor freeze us with a nor-westerly. Sigh...
The contingency course was enacted. The day turned out warm, dry and breezy. (again)
The Run
The run course started and finished at Ohakune - a total of 25km, involving 12km of grunting up, followed by 13km of flying down. Wheehee!
Me, Michal, Brett, Neville, Barnaby and Will started together in the first wave.
It didn't take long for Michal to sprint off ahead, and Will and Nev not far behind him. Barny and I took a more sensible approach to the endless tarmac climb.
We kept our eyes on Will and Nev for 5km or so until we slowly caught Will.
It was merely a fortunate coincidence that I happened to video him in a walking phase :)
Barny dropped back off us while Will and I played leapfrog (or tortoise and hare).
We ran together to the top of the road, very thankful to finally deviate onto Blythe Track for a short power walk over the bridge and up the hill before descending the most lovely downhill running trail.
The trail was 90% dry, with wood/ponga logs for traction.
I stayed with Will until we joined back to the road (apart from a detour to retrieve my sunglasses), but then he got those long shanks going at pace (including a *completely and utterly invalid* 5km pb).
Tim and Neil seemed to take it all in their stride.
Nev ran super strong all day (no walking throughout), and smashed it out in 2:03:28. Sheesh, look at him. He isn't even sweating!
Will probably worked fairly hard for his 2:07:28 :)
Michal looked fresh after coming back from recent injury in an impressive 2:07:52
I was feeling quite (unexpectedly) strong thoughout the run and managed 6 km of fast splits myself down the road at around 4 min/km pace. But with 2km I really hit the wall, and it all went a bit pear-shaped. My pace dropped down to 5:30 near the end, and Barnaby *nearly* caught me up. (actually, his 11 seconds deficit would have been even MORE if I hadn't dropped my sunnies, and there were NO extenuating circumstances or reasons for his essentially just lazy pace).
Brett had the best ever full body muddy face-plant!
Wrap
It was an awesome weekend away. (and nice munchies at Costco at Te Kuiti...)
I came 4th (narrowly) in my age group, and Brett was second.
The Buildup
I had a steady buildup to this race. I'd been targeting it all year, but over the last few months I got a bit rundown and tired (mostly after the Crater Rim run), so I wasn't expecting too much from myself. But I actually ran pretty strongly on the day.
Da Boyz
We had a great weekend away. Me, Barnaby (thanks for organising!), Will, Neville, Tim, Brett, Neil drove down and stayed at a new place at Foyle St. (which was great). Super fun. Michal and his family stayed separately.
The Weather and Course
For the second year in a row, we were stitched up completely by the event management! There was some severe weather around the country (mostly rain in the SI), and some strongish winds forecast for Tongariro. But nothing that was going to blow us over, nor freeze us with a nor-westerly. Sigh...
The contingency course was enacted. The day turned out warm, dry and breezy. (again)
The Run
The run course started and finished at Ohakune - a total of 25km, involving 12km of grunting up, followed by 13km of flying down. Wheehee!
Me, Michal, Brett, Neville, Barnaby and Will started together in the first wave.
It didn't take long for Michal to sprint off ahead, and Will and Nev not far behind him. Barny and I took a more sensible approach to the endless tarmac climb.
We kept our eyes on Will and Nev for 5km or so until we slowly caught Will.
It was merely a fortunate coincidence that I happened to video him in a walking phase :)
Barny dropped back off us while Will and I played leapfrog (or tortoise and hare).
We ran together to the top of the road, very thankful to finally deviate onto Blythe Track for a short power walk over the bridge and up the hill before descending the most lovely downhill running trail.
I stayed with Will until we joined back to the road (apart from a detour to retrieve my sunglasses), but then he got those long shanks going at pace (including a *completely and utterly invalid* 5km pb).
Tim and Neil seemed to take it all in their stride.
Nev ran super strong all day (no walking throughout), and smashed it out in 2:03:28. Sheesh, look at him. He isn't even sweating!
Will probably worked fairly hard for his 2:07:28 :)
Michal looked fresh after coming back from recent injury in an impressive 2:07:52
I was feeling quite (unexpectedly) strong thoughout the run and managed 6 km of fast splits myself down the road at around 4 min/km pace. But with 2km I really hit the wall, and it all went a bit pear-shaped. My pace dropped down to 5:30 near the end, and Barnaby *nearly* caught me up. (actually, his 11 seconds deficit would have been even MORE if I hadn't dropped my sunnies, and there were NO extenuating circumstances or reasons for his essentially just lazy pace).
Brett had the best ever full body muddy face-plant!
Wrap
It was an awesome weekend away. (and nice munchies at Costco at Te Kuiti...)
I came 4th (narrowly) in my age group, and Brett was second.
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