New Zealand Weekly Update #55

06th of November until 12th of November 2023

Approximate reading time: 5 minutes

Lets get it started

Yikes! Sore muscles. Tired as. Thirsty as. I have had a hell of a Saturday since I have joined my first ultra trailrun in Arrowtown from 9AM Saturday morning on, but more on that later. I am just back in Wanaka, cleaned all the stuff, got all sorted and had a relaxing nap in the afternoon. Beside the trailrun, this week has been quite easy and quiet, nothing special in terms of adventures or sports. And still, heaven is right here, in New Zealand, in Wanaka and all around. You can tell, that there is a different energy, a different feeling around. You can tell that people who are living here are more relaxed, more friendly, more open-minded. They just seem to be more happy. And I aggree on that, since I feel the same each and every day. Well folks, lets have a look back, legs are sore but fingers are good to go to write a wee bit.

The way back from Wills Valley Track

Monday morning, we woke up with some sunshine, a warm hut since the fire was heating up the small hut and we got ready to make our way back to the car. Cold river crossing, some little snacks on the way, some short breaks and talks as well. And the way back felt much easier than the way to the hut itself. But I realised why this track is considered to be a challenging one, since it can be really slippery and dangerous at some spots. And yeah, I slipped a couple of times on the way back, not that funny and partly dangerous, but still a beautiful and rewarding hike. With stunning blue water, gorgeous nature and great company as well. And after a little more than 5 hours, we finally arrived back at the car, tired and happy. Ready for a short swim at the little pool at the end of Cross Creek Canyon – bloody cold folks! Starving, ready for some nice homemade sandwiches before heading to Wanaka Sauna, to end the day with a guided session, to refill body, mind and spirit. And to enjoy great company and time with each other. I have had some really great weekends and day off adventures, but that hike will remain one of my favorite ones indeed!

Arrowtown Backyard Ultra Trailrun

Well, as I told you I decided to sign up for another running event a couple of weeks ago and ended up being on the waiting list for the Arrowtown backyard ultra trailrun. But it was worth it waiting. Since just two weeks ago, I was able to sign up and being part of this amazing adventure. 6.71km loops which have to be finished in between one hour, otherwise you are out. DNF – did not finished. Something you want to skip as long as possible. And fortunately, I was asked by Adam, a local from Wanaka, to be part of their team and joining their gazebo as well. So we would meet on saturday morning, getting ready for the run and having some short talks. Meal prep done, heaps of water, Red Bull, Pepsi, and nutrition gels. And at 9AM in the morning and the sun, ready to go! 150 people, lots of support crews and we were in between. First lap, gravel road, flat in the beginning, later on partly up and down.
First round done, 46 minutes. 14 minutes rest. Sitting down. Talking. Drinking. Eating. And getting ready for the next lap. And with me, some supporting people from OCULA, giving me hugs, smiles and supporting words (and some challenging thoughts as well…).
So we went on, running, trying not to overpace and having enough time to rest before the next lap. Lap 3 was quite a challenging one, since Adam and I did not run together and for the first laps I decided not having music with me – tried to keep that as a backup for the last couple of laps.
During the day, the sun was burning, hot as, I was sweating a lot and fortunately, after around 5km each lap, we would cool down by a little creek and having some refreshing water.

Time was running, so did we. Lap by lap. Round by round. Embracing the challenge and the pain. My goal? 10 laps. And for some reason, it went pretty well. And as I told oyu, one of my collegues challenged me and told me, it might be great to finish 15 laps, which equals 100km. Well what to say, after 10 laps I kept going. It became harder and harder each step. My muscles were sore, knees were hurting, I kept going and tried to focus on the track, on the finish line, on the breaks. And from lap 11 on, we would need some head torches since it became dark. Backup ready, gimme them music! The last three laps, I struggled a lot. I tried to focus on the final goal. 100km, just three laps to go. Just two laps to go. The last lap, music at maximum, focus on the track, partly walking up the steep sections, motivationg myself to keep going, to finish the last lap within 60 minutes. And hell! After 15 laps, I ended up being on my knees at the finish line, not able to realise that I have been able to finish this one. Happy. Tired. And ready for a drink!
So I walked Adam to lap 16, what a crazy fella, said goodbye, high five and did not start lap 16. And what to say, receiving a medal with DNF written on it can be quite painful, but well, thats part of this kind of events 🙂

What else to say?

I am ready for some rest and some sleep. Next week won’t be too busy in kind of sports or activites, I try to refill my energy and give my body a little time to recover. I assumed that I would feel way worse than I do at the moment, I have had much worse sore muscles in the past. And it feels amazing to just keep going, to try to go for one more lap, one more step, one more. After more than 3 years of running, I realised that running is more a mental training rather than a physical training. And it is not about running becomes easier, we just become stronger.

Your DingyInternational
Felix