Trends, training and trail racing

We've received some expressions of concern about the work-life balance presented by this blog. To assure you all we're not just on holiday, here is a work update.

Fairy cakes with melted Whittaker's chocolate wells

Roger finished off a cost-benefit analysis exercise this week and received a glowing appraisal. I planned and created content for the Meridian Facebook page, went to meetings about new features for the intranet, and continued with the comms for the trail running event at Meridian's West Wind farm. I got home early enough to bake.*

*Wire rack pending

Havana Bar

On Friday night we went trendy. First stop Grill Meats Beer at the top of Cuba St for their guest craft beers and delicious, brimming burgers perched up on the bar (seemingly staffed entirely by Scandinavian men with top knots). Then to Lighthouse Cinema for a hot chocolate and sofa to watch Eddie the Eagle. A genuine, openly feel-good film starring Rog's school friend Taron.

Across from the cinema is a double-little-wooden-house bar and restaurant called Havana Bar, which we keep meaning to go to. Approaching, the long black coated and bandanna wearing door man greeted us and asked for ID so we figured we better go in. Feeling like we'd stepped onto a film set we went down an alley and through into a lively, (you guessed it) Cuban themed bar. Perched on the bar again we this time sipped port and watched cocktail creation in action.

Saturday took us to Lower Hutt, where Roger's football team won a match 9-0 and I went on a practice trail run up Boulder Hill in Belmont Park, testing out the Meridian GoPro for Sunday. The views are always worth the hill climb round here:

View from Boulder Hill. Spot Somes Island!

It was a quiet night in on Saturday with a homemade lamb curry and the latest Star Wars film (because of course I hadn't seen it yet). We were up early the next day for....

Event HQ at the viewing platform in the West Wind Recreation area was already buzzing when we arrived at 8am. A quick interview for the camera, registration and a debate over whether Roger could fit the emergency whistle and survival blanket in his pockets and the long course runners were off! Shirley the drone hovered overhead. Half an hour later I cheered off Matt, a friend from work, and Sean, the chap in the video above and co-star of the videos (see his on the Meridian Facebook page), on the medium course. And finally, the short course (7km) was off! 

Waiting at the start line (Photos onwards: Angelo Giannoutsos or Zel Lazarevich)

Single track through pine forest then down a rocky, gorse-lined gully was (I think) what trail runners call 'technical' and what I call the best bit because it's downhill. I'd been towards the front at the start for the filming and I kept up with a woman ahead who seemed to know what she was doing. The panoramas of hills, sea and gently rotating turbines distracted from any pain and had me side-stepping and pirouetting so chest cam could see them too!

Pausing for the view on the hill (and for filming to be set up)

The long steep hill between 4.5 and 5.5km was tough and most of us walked it, so I took the opportunity to do some candid talking to the camera (see below). 200m from the top the trusty camera crew of Zel and Angelo spurred me on (I had to run for the shot) and then Meridian stalwart Vaughn at 150m from the top. The last stretch was a relief to run, on gravel road and mostly downhill. Although I felt silly almost missing the finishing line at Event HQ! No oxygen was being spared for the brain by then.

It was a brilliant event, superbly organised by Xterra (Tomo and Evelyn) and enjoyed by the very friendly trail running community. It was also really nice realising how many people I knew on the day from Meridian or who were involved in the event. There'll be a video, but in the meantime a couple of photos: some of the Meridian runners (and family) and a lovely pic of Rog and I taken by Angelo.

A selection of team Meridian. Angus (far right) came 2nd in the long)

To fill this space I must add that the times came in and I came 6th in the women's short course! If I'd been a man, my time (51min) would have got me 5th (I suspect the really keen men all did long or medium course). There were 102 women running the short so I'm pretty stoked. Roger came an impressive 12th out of 91 men running the long course. The beach section of his was particularly tricky on the ankles: loose pebbles and a carpet of driftwood.