Testing What Might Be Possible: Setting For the Tarawera Ultra Marathon 100 Miler

Back on 17 April 2023 I signed up for the Tarawera 100 miler and downloaded a training plan from the online coaching platform that had got me through two 102k trail races and a sub 4 hour marathon at the age of 63 At that time it just seemed like the next thing to step up to. I studied the downloaded plan and made amendments to fit around my life (remaining a school principal until July then moving into self-employment) and to include the Taupo 70k Trail Race in October as part of my build up.

I contacted Eugene Bingham, whom I knew as a parent of a kid at our school (the kid ended up being one of my head students!) and as a member of the running community, especially through his and Matt's Dirt Church Radio podcasts. Eugene also happened to be the 4 hour pacer at the Rotorua Marathon where, with his encouragement and goading, I crept under the 4 hour barrier. 

I texted him to say I was entering the Miler and asked what he thought (Eugene has run at least one Miler himself). His reply stopped me in my tracks: "But the question is .... do you want to? It's a race where you really need to have your why nailed down and be totally on board." This made me think.

I've raced more than 30 marathons, several multisport races, a dozen 24 hour Adventure Races and a few 50k, 70k, 100k trail races. They were all bloody hard! Why did I want to push this out to 100m miles (162k)?

I want to see what I'm truly capable of, to test myself with a venture that has a high probability of not being possible for me to achieve. I knew that many set out to complete such an event but fall along the wayside as they succumb to injuries, illness and the demands of making our way through our our lives. I also knew that many made it to the start line and got the dreaded DNF (Did Not Finish). This was either as a result of injury on the day, running out of physical energy, running out of mental energy or simply being too slow to make the 36 hour cut off.

I've spent my working life challenging myself to see what is truly possible in the schooling space and also challenging others to lift their belief in what is possible. I want to really test myself.

I'm writing this with 2 and 3/4 days to go before the Saturday 4am start so I'm fairly confident I'm going to make the start line. It's been huge getting to this point - sticking to the training plan, overcoming injuries, experimenting with nutrition, hydration and gear plans, acclimatising for the heat, and dealing with the demons in my head.

Highlights on the way have included my son pacing me through the last 20k of the Taupo 70k race, most probably getting me there 30 minutes faster than if by myself. My daughter immediately accepted the challenge of pacing me in this Saturday's event for the last 50k. The hours with her in the Riverhead Forest (both day and night) have been special times. I'm already feeling emotional about her joining me after 110k at Okataina.

End of Taupo 70k with Thomas

Lucy and I in Riverhead Forest Training for the Miler

I have a simple plan for the race:

• Stage one: from the start walk every uphill and jog every downhill and flat
• Stage two: walk every uphill and most flat bits and jog downhill
• Stage three: walk up, down and flat
• Stage four: whatever it takes

I've watched a few video clips about those who've attempted this type of race. While all were successful in some ways not all completed the event. These videos have filled me with both confidence and dread. I worry that I haven't done enough training, enough stretching, enough strength work, but on the Wednesday of race week it is what it is.

When the new course was announced a few weeks ago (because of lake levels and slips) I joined in with others fretting about the "To Hell and Back" section over the Western Okataina because it is the steepest, is largely single track, is the longest between Aid Stations and, for back-of-the-packers like me it'll be dark (I'll be addressing this bit from about 10pm until 6am the following morning).

I've decided to now look forward to this section, to acknowledge it as a challenge when I get there, to be present in every step through it, to thank Riverhead Forest for being brutal enough to have prepared me for it, to greet and wish well all other runners I meet (it's out and back), to congratulate myself as I eat the elephant one bite at a time and to be re-energised when my daughter joins me halfway through at the turnaround point. I'm going to look forward to it!

Those who know me know the inspiration my Dad has been for me. He infected me with the love of running, competing and socialising through sport. He's run many marathons and is a member of the Rotorua Marathon Survivors Club (15 Rotorua Marathons). A highlight was running the Auckland Marathon with him (the first over the bridge) when he was in his early 60s in 3hour 47!

He passed away in November 2019 but continues to be my inspiration and he'll be with me every step of the way.

Surf's Up!

Yesterday Lucy and I went to surf lessons at Ohope and graduated successfully!

We had a one hour lesson on land taken by Beaver and the lovely Lucy. We learnt how to paddle through the waves, paddle to catch a wave, steady ourselves, get to our knees and then to stand and haka hula.

We then entered the water for an hour of surfing. Our instructions were to go out to where the waves were breaking and catch them after they had broken. To my surprise I stood up and stayed standing up right into the shore! Lucy proved to be as natural as I was!

After about 20 minutes of doing this we headed a little further out (still not quite over our heads!) and started catching waves before they broke. A couple of nosedives showed that it was important to stand quickly so both of us dispensed with the kneeling stage and got used to going straight to our feet. These rides were cool!

All too soon our hour was up and we got our certificate and headed home hugely pleased with our new status as surfies! Wicked dude! Lucy and I both agreed we were the two best surfers in the class of 10 and that she wasn't too far behind me!

Highly recommended dude! Now where can I get a board from?

Spot X

Spot X delivered for Pete, Kurt and myself this morning. I was up at 4.00am and Pete picked us up at 4.30 and we were off to spot X. We drove for somewhere between 30 and 60 minutes and walked for somewhere between 30 and 60 minutes to find ourselves perched on a great rock, with great water and nice swell and got the berley out quickly. It was a bit slow for an hour and then Pete and Kurt landed fish between 4 and 6k and then 2 casts later Pete pulled in about a 3kg fish. I was a bit slow off the mark but pulled in 4 up to 2kg ( 2 were only 30-33 cm!).

It was great fishing and the walk in and out, while strenuous, added to the adventure. Snapper on the BBQ tonight.

Thanks for the guiding, Pete!

Xmas Day

The fun syarted on Xmas Eve when Lucy and I conducted a great secret manouver to liberate a Xmas Tree to our lounge. A couple of bevvies for Dutch Courage and the complete action took less than a minute from stopping the car, leaping out, cutting the manacles and liberating it to the back of the car before speeding off with high fives!

You can see it in the photo with an awesome santa at the top.

The actual day was spent with Leigh, Lucy and Thomas, MumnDad, Janine and Emma and Adrian S who joined the Abraham Whanau. Pete and Lea and Maia dropped in for a drink and we all drank fine champers. gewurts, temparillo and cabernet sauvignon, threw the frisbee and had mussels off the BBQ and ham and chicken and spuds and Xmas pud. We had a great, relaxing stress free day and I was asleep by 7.30pm!

Lucy got me the Chris Knox tribute, Stroke, which I really wanted and Leigh bought me a trilogy of some dead guy's only novels which are hugely thick and will take months to read. I think she wanted them for herself.

Fish of the Week

This is not about my recent successful fishing trips, but it is the title of Steve Braunias' latest book which we got for Xmas. It is a collection of his columns from the Sunday Star Times since 2005. He has a neat perspective on both major events in New Zealand and the mundane events which usually pass the rest of us by.

One of his columns is about blogging and just about made me want to give up.

Long Time Between Posts

Once holidays start I get out of routines, one of which is keeping the blog up-to-date.

It is the first day of 2009 and I'm sitting in bed drinking good coffee while Leigh reads interesting bits out of yesterday's Herald.

We had a quiet New Year's up at the Boss' where we caught up with the Sykes' who are camping there and also with Cath Kan and Simon who turned up to camp as well with their two neat boys.

Xmas day seems quite a while ago. It was a neat day with my sister Janine and her two kids and our son Thomas home. Adrian (from work, not the Shields one) spent the afternoon with us and we had a BBQ for a late lunch.

Activities since include fishing at Blakes and catching 2 snapper, a 2m shark and 2 stingrays last Sunday, having 15 teenage friends of Lucy staying for the night and lounge floor on Sunday night, tidying the garage and store room on a wet Tuesday, and spending the day with the weedeater bringing my walking and MTB track under control.

I'll post some photos when I can get myself, the computer and camera together at the same time.

Oh, I nearly forget, I'm a skyper now and can't understand why we never clicked on to it sooner. I've aalready spoken with 3 long lost friends: Ron (ex Galloway St flat from 1976-77) from Gisborne, Chris (ex same flat) now Deputy VC at James Cook Uni in Townsville and Brent (ex same flat) now in Rotorua.

See you in cyberspace!

Have a great Ne4w Year!

8000 Hits On The Blog!

Who is a popular bugger! 8000 hits!

Hectic Week

Shirley and Leigh in time for coffee.


Kate arriving at Boss'


Resting after ride with Jinx

It all started with the Leavers' Dinner on Monday night at Rostcards. This was a great night, but at 11.00pm I was back at school with the police as a result of a major tagging of the school. However, my careful sleuthing had the suspects nailed by 9.00 the next morning. Local community dropouts! Home at 1.30am!

This was followed by two solid days of report writing.

Thursday night saw our senior prizegiving which was a great occasion. Hemi and Paula came back to be farewelled and Karen and Linda from the Human Rights Commission were there as guests. It was great to see Karen as she is ex Principal Gisborne Girl's High. I will post photos soon. Had a few wines at Lea's so a bit tired the next day.

Despite feeling buggered went the next night to a Blues performance at the Art Society Hall. The Mike Garner Trio from Rotorua were outstanding! See them if you can. I bought their CD, Cad's Alley (www.southbound .co.nz).

Saturday night is described in the previous post.

On Sunday we had a good road bike ride from the Boss' after watching a great All Black's win. Leigh, Boss, I, Kate, Destry and Rachel left and cycled up McCarthy's Rd where we found Dennis and Dad and on way back we picked up Brian. We then headed up Hukutaia where we picked up Zac. On the way down we came across Shirley biking up and she tagged on to Leigh and Kate. We headed out to Tablelands and rode like a pack of mad bastards hitting 75k down the hill! We then headed out Otara where I pretended I needed a pee. The group carried on and I headed back to Boss' where we had coffee and muffins. Buggared.

Bought a New Car

I've bitten the bullet and accept the Mighty Mitsi V3000 needs to retire (see my Trademe auction for a great buy!).

While in Hamilton on Thursday I splashed out and spent $4250 on a 2000 1.6L Hyundai Lantra Station Wagon. Youngest car I have ever bought! Woohoo!

I spent Saturday afternoon cleaning it because it was caked in a mouldy cowshit/dust stuff. Looks good now!

National's Education Policy

Those of you who followed my blog during my sabbatical will realise the opposition I have developed to the US system of annual testing of students throught primary and intermediate years. Schools, Principals and teachers were entirely focused on preparing their kids for the tests each year (from age 7 up!) as they were judged on how their kids did.

USA was ranked 42nd in the International PISA tests while NZ was ranked in the top 5 so why are we planning to copy such a programme?

We have to oppose this at all costs. Weighing the pig does not make it any fatter!

NZ schools already regularly assess student progress to inform further strategies. There is no need to have a centrally imposed and driven programme which has the intention (according to their policy) of comparing students in one school with another.

This crock of shit is a populist strategy for which there is no credible research to support it.

You will have different important policy positions which determine your vote. For me, education is one of the most important issues and National's position on regular testing makes it impossible for me not to let as many people as possible know what they are up to.

The NZ education system is in good health. Young people are more literate and numerate as a group than any before. We do have a longish tail of under achievement which is largely ethnically centred and with programmes such as Te Kotahitanga and Ka Hikitia we are making inroads in this area.

If National are elected and push this policy through I will struggle to remain involved in education to my current level in New Zealand.

Getting Into The Groove

Yesterday I got up at a leisurely time and went for a run down Tirohanga Rd not knowing how far I would go. As it was I went to almost the end and ran for a total of 50 minutes which was great for me and puts me ahead of where I thought I would be.

I spent most of the rest of the day spraying my track and bank to get it back under control. Destry turned up and told me the broadband was now hooked up. I spent the next several hours installing and making sure it went. It was quite straightforward though I have had trouble connecting the EEE PC tp the wireless modem, but hope I have now solved it.

I was pleasantly surprised with the telecom helpdesk; I didn't have to wait longer than 1 minute to get a person and they were very helpful. I gave them top marks in the survey at the end of the call!

So we're now up and away with broadband and I can't believe the difference!

This morning I got up a bit later than I wanted (Father's Day afterall) and went for a 70 minute run. I am rapt with how the running is going. As I returned I caught up with Marg and Shirley whom I haven't seen for about 3-4 months. They were about to go for a ride with Leigh. I have an hour or so of peace and quiet before they return!

All of this down time is a bit dangerous as I am starting tp bring together my thoughts for Opotiki College as a result of the sabbatical. I am excited about the power of wikis to put my thoughts out there and for staff to comment on.

In three weeks time I will have finished my sabbatical report which will include my plans. These plans involve buildings, teaching pedagogy and support structures. I'll let you know when the wiki is up as I would welcome comments from all.

Looking forward to the September school holidays. I feel a bit tired!

Back in Opotiki!

Tuesday 2nd September
We're back at home.

It was great to arrive at Whakatane Airport to see Mum and Dad waiting for us. They took us to The Bean for a great coffee. We couldn't stop talking about our trip and they couldn't stop talking about Opotiki and whanau events!

Mum cooked us a great kiwi feed of corned beef and spuds and we enjoyed their company for the evening. We are looking forward to seeing Lucy on Wednesday when we visit her at the soccer tournament in Taupo.

Leigh has gone to Gisborne today for library PD andd I've been for a jog, read local papers, sent off my EEE PC review, sent financial stuff to Joc at school and talked with Robyn for quite a while this morning. She has been doing an outstanding job and had dealt with some difficult issues.

After updating my blog I'm going to do some work around the section. 6 kereru are in residence and the trees are in blossom!

I'm then going to attempt to cook a Malaysian type meal for dinner and tonight begin the process of upgrading to broadband. On Thursday I will visit the travel agent to ensure the Aussie part of the trip is organised and on Friday I will visit school for morning tea and to catch up with staff, especially those going to Aussie.