Kepler Challenge 2020

5 December 2020

https://www.strava.com/activities/4430888072
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/5913938932

Pre

We 5 all managed to get starting spots in the 2020 Kepler Challenge. (A freebie for Neville via my big sob story to FreshChoice (aka MeadowFresh) ). Yay!

Will drove Me, Barnaby, Neville and Neil out to the airport, and hence to QT and The Distinction Luxmore, Te Anau.

The Day

The weather forecast was for cold, wind and rain, so (predictably) the alternative course option was enacted, being up Mt Luxmore Hut return, and then to Moturau Hut return. Still 56km!

No-one was surprised to see the day dawn pretty dry and pleasant! (GRRRR!)

We started off over the control gates along the lakefront towards Luxmore Hut.

I ran slowly and steadily, while Will, Barnaby and Nev zoomed off ahead.

After about 6km, we turned off from the lakefront and headed up the hill.

We all walked the long uphill section, past beautiful mossy beech forests, and a few exposed rock faces.

Will and Barnaby

Jade and Emma

It started getting very cold, and when we popped out above the treeline, it was raining and a little bit windy. I put my jacket on (as did all sensible people, ie, not Nev....) which was not really enough to keep warm. If we had done the usual Kepler course, the cold weather would have been very tough, but luckily for us we were only above the treeline for 30 minutes or so.

Running along the top towards Luxmore Hut was cold, and tricky to negotiate with the people coming the other direction on the very narrow path. I didn't manage to video Nev, but just behind him were Will and Barnaby storming down the mountain. (already 20 minutes ahead of me).

It was great to get up to Luxmore Hut and the turn around point. Quick toilet stop and a banana.

There was a Kea (Kaka?) up at the Hut

Going down was easy running (mostly).

It was on this downhill that Neville fell (as did Will several times) and smashed his hand. Later x-rays would reveal....

Ouch!! It didn't stop our man of steel, however, who ran the next 25km with a broken bone and a decent dose of hypothermia...! Nev wasn't very cogent by the time he finished, and had a body temperature of 34.7C ! He needed a hot shower and some cross dressing before he was mostly recovered.

Lynda was going well. (although her knee got sore post-race)

I met up with Emma (who was down with Lynda, Jade, etc) and ran with her for 8km or so.

I was feeling good at the half way point (back at the control gates), having run smoothly. My dodgy hammy was all good, and in fact never troubled me all day.

We ran along the outflow from Lake Te Anau and down towards Manapouri. Lovely running on nice soft footing (sometimes muddy and stony and rooty)

On the way out to Moturau Hut turnaround, Will and Nev came back past me.

Barnaby also went past (who I ran back with for filming purposes for a short while)

We turned around at Moturau Hut, 40km. By this point, I was getting pretty stuffed, but still running.

Coming back towards the finish, I ran into Neil going the other way.

And then Lynda.

By about 49km, I was forced to walk/jog. (Note to self.... get fitter!)

But still feeling very comfortable without pains or injuries or cramps :)

Eventually we all got to the finish line!

Neil had a good day (in spite of mushy knee), walking a fair bit, but at my 'running' pace!

Will took out bragging rights with an amazing sub 6:00 hour result, with broken-boned Neville next and Barnaby not far back. Both Emma and Jade beat me home (well done!).

I came in at 7:27 which is clearly an unacceptable state of affairs requiring a stiff dose of self-flagellation via intensive future training. 

Post

An utterly awesome weekend with 'the boyz'.

Neville got his broken finger fixed up (to match the one on the other hand that he broke at Riverhead last year)

The final prize giving was on Sunday morning, but I couldn't be bothered waiting around for an hour in a hall, so I convinced the others to head back to Queenstown. Smart move Dave. Not. It turns out that my number was the winner of the overall top spot prize! So, I failed to collect a luxury night for two at a fancy lodge, and free cruising on Milford Sound and free entry to next years event. DOH!

Went to Escape Room in Queenstown, where we pretty much failed to achieve any escaping whatsoever. I think we'd probably still be in that room if the operators hadn't taken pity on a bunch of over fit and under smart veterans.

Reflections

An awesome event, a bit sad that we couldn't do the normal course.

The boyz are already talking about next year... !

I wore my road shoes (Hoka One One). This was a tough call and probably the wrong one. There hadn't been very much previous rain, but the track was muddy in many places and slippery in a few. But most of the track is gravel or at least well formed and pretty soft. My road shoes are more comfortable over long distances, and I ended up with feet that weren't sore at all. In summary, on a dry day wear road shoes, otherwise trail shoes might be better.

I ate my normal regime of a gel or muesli bar every 40 mins, with a few extra bits of banana or chips from aid stations. Since the day was cold and wet, I drank two cups of water at each aid station and never refilled my 700ml? camelbak.  Nutrition was probably about right.

Post-race I was tired, and had DOMS for a few days. But not so bad as sometimes (due to lack of really pushing myself hard at the tail end of the race).