Xterra Rotoura Festival Race Report - Coked!

Race report to come.
Long story short,Gary and Susie "Coked" me, meaning they smashed me and I now owe both of them a can of coke.

“Emergency services, what is your emergency?”

Still jaded from the Traverse, I thought I’d check out the Crazyman bike course.  It was another beautiful Wellington day.  I parked at Dry Creek, which is at the bottom of the Haywards between Upper Hutt and Lower Hutt.  There, two ladies were also getting ready to practise the same ride.  After a bit of small talk they wished me well and I gingerly made my way up the gravel track.  About half way up I stopped to adjust my cleat and a guy rode past.  I had no interest in chasing him so I didn’t think I’d see him again.  Fate would say otherwise.

Just before the top of Boulder Hill I saw the mountain biker in the horizon. I continued to climb, hoping to catch him on the downhill.  I caught him sooner that I had expected ... only he was lying flat on his back.

Long story short, he had a broken collar bone and needed to be airlifted out.  The two ladies I met earlier (Jo and AJ), arrived and very kindly stayed with us while we waited for the helicopter.  The pilots and medic were great and  AJ kept eveyone entertained. 

Once the helicopter left Jo, AJ and I carried on practising the course.  In the end we took a wrong turn so didn’t really get to ride the course like we had planned.  Maybe in a few weeks I’ll get another chance.  

I never had my GPS watch with me on the ride, I wish I did as one of the first questions I was asked was, "What is your location?"  Trying to tell someone in a call centre in Auckland that you are near Boulder Hill in Belmont Regional Park wasn't very helpful.

The next day when I ran up to collect his bike, I'd thought I'd have a look.  South 41.15, East 174.93.

Porirua Grand Traverse Multisport Race Report

 This race has to be one of Wellington’s best kept secrets for both its stunning scenery and relaxed atmosphere.  I chose to do the duathlon option - mountain bike then a mountain run.



Riders decending after the first little climb



The start was at Battle Hill Farm Forest Park just north of Porirua.  At 8am we assembled in a paddock for the race start.  We funnelled onto a gravel road, which led us over a little hill, followed by the first of the two hill climbs and this is where the racing really began. 



34km mountain bike course



The first climb seemed to go on and on.  I was hanging onto the back of a bunch going up.  On the downhill I was able to ride away from this bunch and catch the next.  We crossed the main road at Haywards and headed up Belmont Road in single file.  Unfortunately this bunch was able to climb faster than me. 

I continued to climb to the top alone.  The mist rolled in hiding both the riders in front and behind.  It was an amazing feeling.  I was glad to have raced this course before so I knew where I was going and what to expect.

Unlike Battle Hill which was dry, dusty and covered in pine trees, Belmont Regional Park was mainly wet grass due to fog.  This made the descent rather tricky.  It’s easy to go fast on dry grass, but to go fast and make tight corners on wet grass is slightly more challenging.  Low visibility was an added extra.

My running gear



Towards the end of the descent, my old friend ‘Cramp’ showed up.  I tried to walk it off but he wanted to stick around.  As I got to the single track which led to transition, three of us formed a bunch and we rode out together.

Transition was at Whitireia Polytechnic where you ride straight to where your support crew is waiting.  Danielle and her parents had all my gear laid out perfectly for a quick transition, unfortunately I was in no hurry to start running as my cramp was lingering.



22km off road run

 I jogged the best I could to the start of Colonial Knob where I hoped to walk off the cramp.  Turns out it was a great excuse not to run up all the steps!


One of the small hills that 'got me'



The run is simply awesome!  Once at the top of Colonial Knob you head west towards the coast, running down two huge grass hills and then crawling up the other side only to run down again until you hit the coast.



Mana Island in the distance



 Once on the coast you head north, either along a tiny sheep track or over rocks.  As it was high tide, I stuck to the sheep track like most other people.  At this point I noticed my quads were gone, any little rise and I was reduced to walking.  There were a few competitors around me who I kept yo-yoing with, I would pass them on the flat and they’d pass me on the hills.  Luckily, the race finished with a 3km run along the water front to Whitireia Polytechnic.

Another glorious Wellington day made for another memorable Porirua Grand Traverse.