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Road to Routeburn – Week 14/37

8 months ago I signed up to do my very first trail half marathon at the Legends of the Peaks in Rotorua.

21kms through the Whakarewarewa Forest summiting the Peaks of Kohuturoa (Pohaturoa) and Titokorangi and includes a climb on to the slopes of Moerangi hill. This event provides a challenge for avid runners and an opportunity to gain experience in long distance off-road running for those new to the sport.

Elevation Gain: 950m

Fast forward 33 weeks, 29 with a running coach at at least 5 while injured, I’m now less than one week out from the event!

Crazy how time flies when you’re running, lifting heavy objects against the force of gravity and rolling around on the floor with a hockey ball or foam roller ..

This week I’ve been tapering. Although for a relative beginner, 10km’s is still quite a distance (and that is what my weekend run was) but it was a nice way to round out my training. It was also long enough for me to run on my “usual” hilly trail which gave me some confidence in my endurance and hill strength which I’ll need in Rotorua.

Next week I’ve got two short sessions, which I’ll do on a “flatter” trail before resting up for the big day – mostly I’ll be concentrating on not hurting myself. Now is not the time to go for any speed records. 😉

I’ve got to say I’m pretty excited. I’ve put in the work and although I won’t be fast, I’m pretty confident I’ve done enough training to keep moving and enjoy the day out on the trail.

I do know one thing for sure, I won’t be wearing black. I volunteered at the Auckland Marathon today and 95% of the runners were wearing black, which makes it a mission to find anyone in the crowd. I can see how James spotted me so easily when we went to Rotorua to Run the Forest. My bright pink outfit certainly would have stood out in a sea of blackness!

I’ll also be thanking all the volunteers – it’s pretty hard work!

Till next time