XTerra Tawharanui 2024

 

XTerra Tawharanui 2024

19 May 2024

19.92km, 650m, 1:44:46

https://www.strava.com/activities/11442759332/overview
https://my.raceresult.com/291120/results

Race Day

Xterra Tawharanui. Oohhhh! Exciting to be at a new location :)

I drove Will out, leaving at 7:00am. It is a long way, but took about 1:25, which was fine. The day was fantastic. Sunny and cool.

I was coming back from holiday and minor injury, so hadn't been properly racing for a long while, so didn't know how I would go. 

But after a decent warmup I felt good at the startline and we rushed off with the gun.

The first (flat) kilometer sped past in 4:15 (4:07 for Will), which I knew was much too fast to sustain - but the first (of many) hills slowed us down and I clocked into a steady, hard pace. Will stayed ahead of me and I kept him in sight for the first 8+ kilometers as he slowly gapped me.

The run was a mix of gravel roads, gravel paths, treed paths and some grassy sections that were rather pockmarked with rabbit holes and cow hoofprints, which required large concentration. But generally the hills were 60m climbs, and the downhills were fast and furious and fun.

At about the 13km mark, we headed back past the event base for one more loop, involving a long section of flat, hardish sandy beach and two more hill climbs - the first of which was particularly gnarly and steep up the electric fenceline. I knew that Will was several minutes ahead of me at this point, and although I was still trucking along fairly well, I didn't have any realistic hope of catching him.

I ran the whole way (albeit barely much above walking pace on some of the uphills). I never really bonked too badly and my race pacing was good. I felt light and fast on the downhills (in my Hoka Tecton X) and it was fun to be passing the Long runners most of the time.

I did 1:44:45 (2nd 50+) and Will 1:41:00 (1st 50+)

I had just one gel and water slop at about the 13km mark.

Post run

We saw Ed and Hamish etc at the end and in fact I just ran across the finishline perfectly with Ed (who was doing the Long, 60+)