Without further ado, let's take a look at the Tarawera Ultramarathon 2017!
The Course
The course is 102kms in length and winds its way through the forests of Rotorua to Kawerau:
The profile was a lot less scary than some of the other races I've done recently, and with an overall elevation gain of 2720m, it is indeed somewhat flatter than something like the Vibram HK100.
The other major factor of this profile is that it appeared to be mostly a downhill race - profiles can be very deceiving in that regard though (so called "downhill" races can ultimately have the worst climbs in them).
The Plan
1. Gear:
I was planning on using the same gear as for the Vibram HK100, with the only doubt being the Nike Wildhorse shoes. In the end I decided to go with them again as they seemed to suit the terrain best. It was a close call with the Inov8 X-Claws though - I only decided against those as they were as yet, untested. As anyone who has run an ultra before, using brand new shoes in a 100km race is a BAD idea.
Pack: Salomon Sense Ultra 5
Clothing: Salomon S-lab shirt, Compressport Trail shorts
Shoes: Nike Wildhorse 3
One change here was the use of the Compresssport Trail shorts - I had a look at these before, and they were on sale at the expo. I really liked the feel of these so thought I would give them a try.
2. Nutrition
Tailwind and Clif Shot Blocks worked pretty well at HK100, so went with this again. Another unexpected hit were mini Snickers bars and Coke when the race got to the business end, supplying good measures of caffeine and sugar for some quick energy. I would use these again too.
3. Race Strategy
I thought for this one, it would be good to settle into a rhythm quickly that should last for the duration of the entire race. Since the profile was flatter, there was a lot more potential to stick to a particular pace and go with it. I just needed to find a stride that was nicely efficient - I did have a target of sub 10 hrs in mind, so I needed something that would give me an average of slightly more than 10km per hour for the entire race. What i didn't want (as usual) was to go out fast and fade too much at the end, so again I would try to be conservative at the start.
The Race
I had set my alarm very early, as I planned to walk from my hotel to the start line which was a good 25 mins. On leaving my hotel I still expected to see a lot of runners milling around (I was very close to the race hub at the Holiday Inn Rotorua), so imagine my surprise when I was quite literally the only soul walking the streets. It was dark, and the walk to the start line was through a trail, so I slipped on the headlamp and began the journey. To my absolute dismay I realised about halfway there, that I had forgotten my bus ticket for the journey back (from Kawerau to the start)! I jogged back cursing my infernal memory, but wasn't panicking as I had given myself plenty of time... With a stroke of luck as I passed the Holiday Inn again, another runner was asking if anyone needed a lift to the start line hooray! So, with just a little drama, I arrived at the start...
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| The start line (actually the day before the race)! |
There was a super atmosphere at the start, and we were treated to a NZ haka from some of the locals which really got everyone pumping. At go time, everyone took off - I stayed back at around 15th place or so, but it was a fast start! Everyone at the front had gone out hard I would guess intending to keep a quick pace right till the end.I eventually settled into a reasonably comfortable run and hung back not wanting to get caught up in the sprint that seemed to be happening up ahead.
It was still dark, and everyone was wearing a headlamp - and these would be collected after about 5km when the sun started to show. Of course I was too busy with running "head down" to notice the collection, so was stuck carrying my headlamp until CP1 - no biggie though it wasn't really any sort of inconvenience. What was an inconvenience, was experiencing some stomach pains literally 30 minutes into the race! After a quick check of the CP1 location, I resigned myself to a bathroom stop, and hoped that would sort things out. Speaking of checking locations, how awesome are these temporary course tattoos that we can get now? Its so easy to glance down and remind yourself of any serious climbs/descents and check how far to the next CP - I had these at both HK100 and now Tarawera - more of this please event directors!
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| These course profile tattoos are brilliant! |
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| The race took in some fantastic scenery |
It was probably around the 65 km mark that once again I started to feel a familiar hotspot develop in the foot... Argh! It did get steadily worse over the next 5km so I made a mental note to stop at the next CP and do something with it. I had noticed my feet start to drop a little at this point, I wasn't picking them up with quite so much energy. After leaving the next checkpoint (after a very quick patch job on my foot) it got a bit technical with lots of little rocks protruding out of the ground and an awful lot of tree roots to negotiate. My foot pain got a little more pronounced here - it caused a slight loss of concentration, and SMACK - i caught a rock and went down pretty hard. I literally didn't move for about 2 minutes, as I was convinced something had broken. A few runners went past asking if I was ok, but a pretty feeble "yeah" was all i could manage. I picked myself up and was relieved that it was only superficial damage - cuts/bruises nothing more. It was very hard to get going again though, because that fall had really taken a lot out of me.
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| Some more stunning scenery |
It took a good 30 minutes to settle back down, and I eventually arrived at the little loop/out and back section of the course. This little section hid a rather nasty hill climb that i wasn't expecting - it wasn't huge but pretty evil all the same! It was also getting pretty hot at this point, so a lot of energy was spent on this bit.
After that, it was a lot of big straight forest road - if I had to pick my least favourite bit of the course it would have been here. The roads were straight, I was getting tired, my foot was hurting and I struggled during this whole section - I also realised I was dropping off the pace I had set and it was looking unlikely I would break 10hrs, so I was mentally feeling it too. Soon enough I arrived at the final checkpoint though and my spirits lightened - I was now on countdown mode! The last section was only 5km too, and while I enjoyed every minute of it (nice, winding slightly undulating trail it was awesome) my foot was now on fire, and the legs were well and truly cooked. Once the finish was in sight I felt like sprinting it was sweet relief to finish as I was desperate for a cold beer. :)
I hadn't broken 10hrs - but pretty close, I had come in at 10hrs26mins...
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| Sweet relief... :) |
Summary and Event Review
I was mildly disappointed not to break 10hrs, as I think it was definitely in me to do so. The feet were a deciding factor again and - as they were a doubt to begin with- I have to concede that for the next race I will have to try some different shoes to see how they go. I think I need something with a roomier toebox - the Wildhorse, while bloody comfortable, just cramp my forefoot/toes a little too much over the longer distances, especially when the feet start to get a little swollen. I would not be averse to trying them a half size up as I still think they are awesome shoes. Everything else was great - the compresssport trail shorts were soooo comfortable I will definitely be using these a lot in future. Salomon still cannot be beat for the race pack, this thing is so far ahead of anything else in terms of comfort, and that goes for their s-lab shirts too. Nutrition wise, I did start to feel very flat towards the final 20kms and if I am honest i would say that being too pre-occupied with my sore foot and tiring legs meant I wasn't fuelling adequately - something to be aware of in future.
The event was nothing short of amazing - it's a beautiful and highly runnable course, and the organisers were so enthusiastic it was infectious. The expo was also great with lots of interesting sponsors and products. There was tonnes of support out on the course you never felt like you were alone even in some seemingly remote areas! Its such a short flight from Sydney, I really have no excuse to miss out on this one next year.
Tarawera Ultra 102km Course Ratings (out of 5):
Toughness: 3
There are some tough little bits here, but most of the hills are gentle and I wouldn't say anything is particularly brutal here.
Runnability: 5
Most of this course can be run at a reasonable pace. A couple of technical bits here and there, and a few short steep climbs, but besides those it's reasonably plain sailing. Just look at Jim Walmsley's winning time for this and you'll see just how runnable it is! :)
Fun Factor: 5
It's an amazing place Rotorua - I dare you not to be seriously impressed with the Redwood forest at the start, and with the course winding around lakes it is a real stunner. The organisers and staff really seem to have great pride in this event - it really shines through, and you'll certainly get swept up in it. The world famous hospitality of the people in NZ is in abundance, and the general feel of this event is superb.
TOOPP rating (Toys Out Of Pram Potential): 2
As said many times already, the course is highly runnable, and the potential for going out too fast certainly exists. The big factor here is that even if you do succumb a little to fatigue, I don't think there's really anything brutal at the end to hurl you upon the rocks and leave you for dead. I reckon this is a fantastic course for experts and beginners alike.
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