Feel like going for a run?

I've decided to train for a marathon.  Not necessarily run one (TC marathon registration is closed anyway), but train for one. You might be thinking (or at least it's always my thought): isn't that what comes at the end of an Ironman? I love the shirt that says: You ran a marathon, aw, that's so cute.
I'm training mostly out of boredom. I've found working from home leads to being a bit of a shut in. To get out and at least see the outdoor world, I go running most days. It seemed only natural to train for a marathon, since I regularly run 10-15k many days.
My triathlon training has been in a downward slide for the last year and a half as the chronic pain in my back has gotten worse Biking long distances aggravate the pain, but distance running has little effect.

I've been searching for a race that would be good for my first marathon. I was tempted to do the Vegas marathon, but that has a time limit of 4.5 hours, something I could probably do, but I don't want to chance a DNF. Luckily there is a half marathon option for Vegas, so Angi and I might do that. Kaleb is finding all the Japanese marathons, so he would have an excuse to go to Japan again. I know it's not necessarily normal to train for a marathon when you don't have a marathon to run, but I'm having fun with it for now.

Drunken Pirates, that is what we be!

Enjoying Lake Taupo in a kayak in Winter.  Home of the swim leg of Ironman New Zealand.

Beth and I had a few days vacation in Taupo this past week.  We did the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, but that deserves its own post and we spent an afternoon on Lake Taupo yesterday.  Our day started a little slow as we did the Tongariro Alpine Crossing the day prior and had to catch a bus at 6:20 am.  We were pretty keen on doing some kayaking prior to coming down as the lake is pretty awesome and the weather cooperated as it was a balmy 6C (about 43 F) out.  We were helped out with this endevour by Laura at C&K Taupo, who delivered the sea kayak to Hot Spring Beach and then picked it up at the Taupo Yacht Club.  This is a service they typically don't offer, but as it is the slow season I think she wanted something to do.  After all we were the only kayakers on the lake.  We saw a couple fishing boats and a single sail boat.  We both wore our new macpac rain jackets and they preformed as I thought they would.  I've been pushing the gear now for about 7 weeks and I've only worn the merino wool, which I love.  The jackets kept the water out, granted it wasn't rain but splash, and they breathed really well as my shirt was dry even though I was putting in some good effort.

Point on the East Coast of the bay.

 Laura showed up at the appointed time to drop off the kayak and showed us all the stuff we would be sent out with; spray skirt, bilge pump, floatation device for paddle in-case we flipped the kayak, and PFDs.  I'm only a stranger to the floatation device that straps to the paddle to help flipping the kayak back over, but its pretty easy to understand.  However, flipping over in this cold lake would definately suck and getting this on would probably take some time.  She didn't hesitate to mentioned that the kayak was designed and made local to New Zealand.  I don't recall the brand, but its probably posted on their site.  The kayak weighed 20kg, which is about as much as our single recreation kayak back home.  That is pretty gnarly if you ask me.   The kayak handled well and had 2 dry container areas.  Important as I had my hiking boots with me.

Opted for a bright color that could be used for sailing as well.

 After we donned the provided gear and got ready to push in, a local gentleman wondered over to tell us to be careful of the strong Taupo winds and then gave us a hand with pushing in.  We yelled our thanks and then proceeded to do our best to make some headway.  It was made difficult as I didn't put down the rudder and it was held firmly in place by a metal hook.  We must have looked like drunken pirates!  We paddled for a little ways down the coast before backing in and unhooking the rudder.  I'm pretty sure we were still being watched by the locals, but I didn't want to come back into the same place to get the kayak in working order.  With the rudder down, we proceeded to paddle around the east coast of the bay to a point that Laura told us about and then headed directly west to another point and then back to the yacht club.  We paddled for about 2.5 hours and covered approximately 16km. 

Some background info from wiki about the lake: largest lake by surface area in New Zealand and 2nd largest in Oceania.  You can see Lake Taupo from the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.  It is drained by the Waikato River (New Zealand's longest river) which the Huka Falls is on.  Taupo is home to Ironman New Zealand and Lake Taupo is home to the swim leg and there is 2 laps of the hilly area for the bike.  There is also the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge, where you have 12 options to suit your pain enjoyment level.  There is the soft cheeks of 1 lap (160km) to the buns of titanium known as the Extreme Enduro, which consists of 8 (160km) laps!  Each lap has 1308m of climbing.  This ride starts at noon on Wed and while there is no cut-off the full event prize giving is at 6pm on Sat.  Who wants to start training for the November challenge?  From the organizers, the enduro is a challenge and not a race.

Journey in the shadow of Mt Doom

Don't advise getting a tattoo in a bus, but to each their own.

 Photos

(Guest writer as someone didn't want to do a long entry)

We finally got to do the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.  We thought about it last week, but I ended up being sick and there were gale force winds.  So it wouldn't have been possible.  This week, everything aligned and we were able to complete the tramp with some awesome weather and a lot of gnarly views.

Start of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing

Ready for action.

Prior to leaving for Taupo, I let our intentions be known at work.  Alice expressed interested in doing the tramp as she has never done it, but she didn't have the time off.  Faye told us to have fun as she did the tramp and the other summits during last summer.  The other summits aren't possible/recommended in the winter because of the early sunset.  Jesse isn't really into that thing and just said to be careful.  Sarah said to have fun.  From work I ended up buying, an emergency solar bivvy bag, fire steel, and rain jackets for Beth and I.  I was tempted to get a gas canister for my stove and some back country meals.  My time at the WFR course has me thinking about safety and what I pack a lot more consciously.  Some may say I'm paranoid.  More on that in my original and revised packing list.  The woman at the front desk told us to pack warm as it was supposed to be very cold. 

Mt Doom, minus the eye.

We took Naked Bus again down to Taupo and stayed at Rainbow Lodge, who advertises heated rooms!  This place is a lot more low key than the place we stayed at last time as there is no bar.  They even had a dry sauna for our use.  Beth made use of it after kayaking.  We got a double room with a private bath.  The room was definitely hot for us when we went to bed.  Strange how heating works in this country.  They even have government funded PSA about the benefits of insulation.  Things I take for granted.

Ready to turn this thing to 11.

We booked a trip with Tongariro Expeditions, with an early morning pick-up at 6:20 am.  Before turning in we checked out the weather forecast and we were looking at a low of 0 when we woke up and then a high of 10 in Taupo.  That is all fine and dandy, but we were going to be at elevation and we had reports of ice on the top of the crossing so I'm expecting it to be colder than 0 at the summit.    We turned in early in order to allow for a full nights rest for the 19.4km tramp we would be doing tomorrow.

Raised wooden bridge from the DOC.  Not poll friendly.

We were out of the hostel at 6:18am and the bus had already left our location and they had a van waiting to drive us to the bus.  This is a first.  Most of the time, it is kiwi-time which is not unlike island time.  The van drove us around the corner and dropped us off.  We were accompanied by 15 other trampers and a driver and guide.  Since there was ice on the summit, we were issued an ice-axe and crampons.  The only knock I had with the equipment is the guide assumed people knew how to use it as there was no demonstration.

Seriously?  More pictures? We got to go up!

We started the trek at the Mangatepopo car park with the bus waiting to pick us up at the Ketetahi car park some 19 odd kilometers later.  The estimated time for completion is between 6-8 hours if you don't do any of the side tracks.  The entire trek is a well traveled path with markers to show you where to go, so there is little chance of getting lost unless your name is Robert ;)  The first part is through some low laying brush that had a thin layer of morning frost on it.  We had Mt Ruapehu (largest ski field) to our far right, then Mt Ngauruhoe (aka Mt Doom) in the center, and finally Mt Tongariro to the left.

Can they put in escalators?

The morning chill wore off once we got to the convenient staircase provided by the DOC.  I keep expecting there to be an escalator or chair-lift to be installed at these types of outdoor wonders so that everyone can experience them, but that would just be lazy.  We quickly shed our outer layer and tackle the steps before we find the turn off to summit Mt Doom.  This trail would have added 3 hours to our already long day and there would have been plenty of snow and ice to combat against.  I would really like to summit both Tongariro and Ngauruhoe, but that will have to wait spring or summer.

The clouds come rolling in.

We reached a large crater and were pretty quickly surrounded by clouds.  We were on our way to meet Collin, our guide, at Cathedral Rock.  This was a long barren area that became dark and foreboding and as you turned around you could see the sunlight starting to be consumed.  Almost felt like the darkness from the NeverEnding Story.  We had to put on the layer that we removed on the previous step as the sun was no longer beating on us.  Once we got to the meeting point, Collin was there to advise us that we did indeed need to use the crampons we were issued in the bus.  He said there was bullet-proof ice on the next section.

Cathedral Rock front and center.

The next section took us about 30 minutes to clear and it was probably the most technical part of the tramp because you had to be very sure of your crampon enclosed feet and the slippery terrain.  We did get a little bit of flurry type of action, but for the most part it was cloudy with a little wind.  I felt like Luke stumbling around on Hoth whining about having to go to Dagobah.  Putting on the equipment reminded me of my time with Eden Guides this past winter in MN when we went ice climbing.  I was excited to get on this section as it wasn't just a walk. 

Wonder which way the wind was blowing.  Ice was kinda thick.

Almost ready for ice climbing.  Kyle do you want to belay?

Can you see me?

After this section we were able to take off our crampons in the nice "sandy" area that smelled like sulfur.  Well it did to Beth any way.  It was about 11:30 and we had our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and some hokey pokey bar.  A group of 3 french visitors sat down next to us and broke out half a pizza each.  I was expecting to see a 40 of malt liquor as well, but we departed before they pulled it out.

Shaky descent.

Just about ready.

We started to walk through what looked like a cloud but it was steam from the geothermal activity.  Beth was in the lead and looked a little unsure on the unsure ground.  I didn't fare much better and decided to traverse the entire trail in order to remain stable.  We were walking down a pretty gnarly ridge, but the view about a quarter of the way down was well worth it.

Clouds depart and a frozen lake appears.

Walking the steep sandy ridge to the lakes.

The clouds took maybe 10 minutes to dissipate and the view was well worth it.  I could only imagine seeing it from the summit.  The lakes were frozen and I wonder what it would be like to host a hockey tournament up here not to mention having a half marathon over the crossing.  The groups ahead of us missed out seeing the cloud free lakes and had to settle for up close views.  I'm glad we stopped to eat!

We just came down that ridge.

After the ridge and passing the pools, we entered another crater.  This was a pretty volcanic looking area that reminded us of Mt Fuji, which we hiked in 2004.  Off in the distance we had yet another ridge to cross over.  However, in this crater I thought of a new sport.  Ice Bouldering!  I pulled out my axes and put them to a ice covered boulder.  Too bad the ice was shoddy and wouldn't hold much weight.  Kyle or Bethany, do you think we can register this as a legitimate sport?

Ice covered boulder.

Sit start?

Beth also had fun with the grass-cicles, but don't talk about them or they will melt.

Elusive grass-cicle in its natural habitat.

Don't tell anyone.

After the lakes and the last ridge, the rest of the trek is downhill.  Still have amazing scenery and you have to be careful as you are going down some well traveled and rutted trail.  From the ridge, you can see Lake Taupo off in the distance.  You can also see lush green forest, which is a vast contrast from the other side of the ridge.  We experienced a wealth of vegetation on the trek and saw many types of weather over the day.  We were blessed with rain after we got  on the bus to go back.  Everyone completed the trek today and we were on the road a little after 4pm.  The trek grade was a 2-3 and I would have to agree.  Its been a couple days and my calves are the only thing that is sore.

First bathroom in over 4 hours.

About to start our last 2 hours.

The rest of the trek was a brief stop at the Ketetahi Hut for a snack and a bathroom break (the first available in over 4 hours), a crazy series of switchback trails, monstrous sized shrubs, a forest, and some rapids.  The downhill journey took 3 hours and we saw some awesome sights, but we had summited and saw the lakes and the went through the motions to get to point b.  Much like this post, I put a lot of time in the beginning and toward the end, I feel like I just wanted to be done.

Over the last ridge and its downhill.

Lake Taupo in the distance.

Steam coming out of the ground.  Can you cook in it?

Larger vegetation starting to grow.

Now into the forest. 

Last 2km you walk next to some rapids.

After my Wilderness First Responder course, I have become much more aware of what I pack and how things can be used in different situations.  Some may think this is paranoid, but I would rather be in a position to act instead of short-handed.  Many of the things taught in the course are how to make do with common things in your day pack.  My day pack is just a little fuller than it used to be.  I'm not a minimalist like a guy I know named Robert who likes to dump out his water before a hike as he doesn't want to carry the bottle nor do I carry a the kitchen sink.  I'm still trying to find the right amount of mandatory gear and what is specifically needed for the occasion.  

Packing List for Tongariro Alpine Crossing:
(Not used, but will always take)
(Not used at and probably over kill for conditions)

Rain Jacket

Rain Pants

Head-lamp 

first aid kit

wet wipes

WFR book
Food & water (3 litters)
Soft Shell (worn)
sunglasses (worn)

long sleeve wool shirts (worn)

zip-off pants (worn and rolled up for a lot of the trek)

light weight wool socks (worn)

hiking boots (worn)

knit hat (worn off and on)

wind-proof non-insulated gloves (worn off and on)

Fleece top (not worn)

snowboarding wool socks (not worn)

Fleece pants (left at apartment)

short sleeve wool shirt (left at hostel)
jogging tights (left at hostel)

thermal pants (not worn)

light weight wool hat (not worn)

fleece lined knit hat (not worn)

leather gloves (Beth did use these)

glove liners (not worn)

Provided:
2 ice axes
crampons

You call Ramsey a hill?

If you go biking around here, it is good to be familiar with the areas you will be going. I went biking today and found some of the most punishing hills. Some may love to bike hills (Kaleb), but I am not a fan. The uphills were so brutal, I had to walk a few. So embarrassing. The downhills weren't as much fun as you'd imagine, as they often had stoplights or dangerous intersections at the bottom of them. I did all this so I could go "workout" at a pool. My swimming workout wasn't nearly as strenuous as the ride there and back. Best part of the ride - A caution sign that said "elderly persons". If I hadn't been bombing down a hill, I would have taken a picture.

Kaleb was sick this week, so we weren't able to go to Rotorua. Luckily it's close by and we can go just about anytime. The forecasts are looking good so far for this week, so we may be able to go up the mountains. Of course weather forecasts are rarely reliable 4 days out. Kaleb is getting me a nice rain jacket and day pack from Macpac, where he works, so I'll be geared up if we're able to go.

Racing and Rotorua

This past weekend Kaleb and I did a running race right outside our front door. He ran a half marathon and I a 10k. I was sick the day before and had some wicked blisters from our hiking adventures last week, but managed to make it through in just over an hour. I consider this not bad, as part of the course is a trail run with some hills.

Sunday evening we met with a meet-up group (a social website) for dinner. It was a mix of ex-pats and Kiwis. We had a great time and met some nice people.
Because of the storms hitting the country right now, we aren't able to do the Tongariro Crossing (an 8 hour hike up and down a few mountains) this week. Instead we hope to go to Rotorua where there is a lot of thermal activity and cultural activity (or people zoos as I like to call them). The shows put on by Maori in this country are more theatre than people zoo, though it depends on where you go. Some places have villages where people live and pretend they've never had any interaction with Europeans. I will never go to these. However, a dance and singing performance is a different thing all together. Since Kaleb has a cold right now, we are still unsure if we will go. Luckily it's easy to buy last minute bus tickets, especially when the destination is only an hour and a half away.

Hobbits

Again - Kaleb's words:
Walking around Wellington

After Taupo, we went to the southern tip of the North Island and visit the capital. Once again, I slept most of the bus ride. We had a day and a half to explore Windy Wellington. Luck was on our side and the wind was not at its full glory. We stayed in the downtown backpackers right across the street from the railway station. We were a couple blocks from the harbor walkway so we opted to see the city the only way we could. By our own two feet. I would have loved to bike in Wellington, but I don't think Beth would have joined me. It is an awesome city for biking and by awesome I mean hilly. These hills were crazy long and very intense. Any way I digress. We were on a mission to see Weta Cave over in Miramar, which was about 11 km away. We walked through the busy city business district to the base of Mt Vic.

We strolled up this dirt path to the summit of Mt Victoria. We happened to stumble upon this crazy network of walking/mountain biking trails. The trails looked awesome and were rated from beginner to advanced. If I happen to make it back, I will have to hire a bike for an action packed day. We passed two individuals talking about the Lord of the Rings and how they used this location for a shoot. I could only assume it was when the 4 hobbits get off the trail when the black rider is looking for the ring.

Heard this is the trail from the movie.

Walking is a great way to see a new city and we came across many interesting pieces you would have missed if you took the bus or drove. We saw artwork and sculptures that would remain hidden if you choose the faster means of transportation.

Random velodrome and soccer field on the backside of Mt Vic.

One of the interesting things we stumbled across was this velodrome/soccer field that can be found on the backside of Mt Victoria. The track looked to be in good order and I deeply wished I had access to a track bike. I wanted to do a few laps so I could send Gabe and Megan a video of me doing my first track session. Below this was what looked like a prison. It was completely fenced in and had a guard looking building overlooking the courts. It was really a netball training ground. It first appeared to be tennis courts just from color alone, but there stood a backboard free 10 foot tall basket. Sweet netball.

Lurtz greets you at Weta Cave.

After passing that park, we were getting hangry. It had been several hours since we started our hike and many more since we had eaten. We stopped for a few snacks before we found Weta Cave. We got to see a behind the scenes video about what they have been and are working on. The Halo stuff looked pretty awesome. We also got to see their collectible items and snapped a few photos of the shop. Was it cool? Yes, but I'm a nerd. Was it worth it? I'm glad it was free. Seeing Sir Ian a couple weeks before was better and I paid to see him.

You eyeballing me?

We took the bus back as Beth's feet had blisters and we are planning on doing the Tongariro Crossing next week. We also have our running race on Sunday. Once getting back into the CBD we ate a Napoli Pizza place where we both had calzones. They were pretty tasty, but I always compare things back to Punch, where I used to work, and these had nothing on Punch. It was a cheap lunch though. We spent the rest of the afternoon at Te Papa, a free cultural museum. I'm glad we did it as we got to see a lot of different cool exhibits, but its way too much for a single afternoon to comprehend.

Exhibit in Te Papa.

The next morning we went to the parliament building affectionately known as the Beehive. The series of government buildings looked odd as each appeared to be in a different style. We strolled through the neighborhoods and ended up at the botanical gardens. We went up to the summit and saw krupp's gun.

Krupp's Gun.

We went back to the hostel for a quick snack before boarding the bus for a 10 hour ride. Yes, 10 hours. I did manage to stay awake for a lot of the ride and got to enjoy the views from the windows. We saw mountains, rivers, bikers on the shoulder of the road, rainbows, and lots of i-sites. The next time I go to Wellington, I will be flying. I don't care the cost as my back and neck are sore from sleeping in a weird posture.

I'm sure there is plenty that I am missing, but this past week was a whirlwind of sights. I know if I get back to Wellington that road and mountain biking are in order. I would also like to get on a sail boat to experience the famous Wellington Winds.

Taupo

Because I'm lazy, I'll just let Kaleb say it all. Sorry for those who read both.

Lake Taupo: Danger falling people.

We hoped on Naked Bus for a day in Taupo this past week. Why Taupo? To start, Taupo is home to Ironman New Zealand. This past year's event was delayed because of high winds and then shortened to a 70.3 on the following day. Would be nice to compete in this if I was here longer and there were openings. From Tauranga to Taupo, the trip was a quick 3 hour nap for me. I have unfortunately not seen a lot of scenery between cities up to this point as I have a tendency to fall asleep as soon as I get into a vehicle that I am not operating. We got in shortly after 2 and wandered over to our hostel to check in. We stayed at Taupo Urban Retreat hostel on Heuheu St. They had a nice set up with lots of communal space for socializing and eating. Even saw some advertisements for paintball on the wall. After checking in, we wandered around the downtown area and some of the lake. The lake is the crater of the last large eruption. Which happened a long time ago, but there is still lots of geothermal activity. As we get to other towns, we notice that there are set up remarkably the same. The same chains are set up in the same approximate order and the mom and pop shops are pedaling the same goods. Its still fun to explore though.

Yes BBQ!

Damn, its a Chinese Buffet.

Did I happen to find BBQ? No. My hopes were dashed when I read the sign closer as it was a Chinese Buffet. Good thing it was closed or I would have told them about their false advertising. Instead, we found this small Italian place where Beth got pumpkin filled ravioli with feta cheese squares and I got a pasta topped with a lot of seafood, mussels, prawns, calamari, and scallops. I was impressed by my meal. It was very tasty.

Looking for Huka Falls.

Back at the hostel we inquired about doing the Tongariro Crossing in the near future as snow is starting to accumulate on the top of Mt Ruapehu. We should be able to do it without crampons, ice axe, and a guide if we get up there next week. Also good news is that snowboarding isn't too far off and they are going to be celebrating Mardi Gras June 23! I know they are off by a couple months, but Kiwis are often behind. We joked with the front desk/bartender about this for a bit before heading to bed.

The next day we thought we would walk to Huka Falls. We started by walking to the lake and then heading along the shore until we found the beginning of the river. We tried to follow the shore as much as possible when the trail allowed for it, but once we got to the cemetary of the original settlers we were forced to the street. We quickly found a path down towards the water again. It actually lead us to Cherry Island. From there we found the safety team for a bungy jump platform above the banks of the river. We had to walk up to the street once again before we found the brick pathway that signified the walkway to Huka Falls. We entered the park and read the sign that said the falls were an easy 2.8 km walk that should take 50 minutes one way. We knew that we had to catch our bus to Wellington but we should be fine. The falls were pretty impressive. The river is squeezed into 15m channel and roughly 220,000 liters flow over the edge each second.


After leaving the falls and heading back to downtown, we came across a perfect place to workout. For anyone looking to do a mud run, spartan race, dirty girl, or some other boot camp fashioned race, this park had almost every obstacle including a 5.6km trail run. We played on the pulley and I played on most of the stations.

I must return to Taupo to do the following:
Tongariro Crossing - voted the best day hike in NZ. Around 19 km 7-9 hour hike
Ironman New Zealand bike course or maybe the whole thing!
Lake Taupo bike challenge 160 km solo ride
Mountain biking their various trails and parks