Ten Marathons for MyMarathon

Today is the last day for MyMarathon.  I completed a cumulative distance of 429 km which is a bit more than 10 marathons.  My total climb was 16,569m which is an Everest plus two Aoraki's.

Totaranui

400 km smashed!  With a day tramp from Totaranui to Separation Point and Whariwharangi Bay and hut and return, I covered 26 km and 920 m ascent, bringing my total MyMarathon distance to 410.4 km and 15969 m climb.

Abel Tasman National Park

On a glorious, calm, sunny day I completed a trail run from Marahau to Anchorage return with a few small side excursions to some lovely beaches.  I even had a couple of invigorating dips in the sea at Apple Tree Bay and Te Pukatea Bay.  All up I covered 33km with 800m climb in just under 6 hours.

Van Asch Farm Orienteering

PAPO Orienteering of the Year event where I ran the Red Medium course, coming 6th in a time of 70 minutes 2 seconds.  Covered 6.2 km with 417m climb.

Kaikoura

I ran the Kaikoura clifftop walkway from Point Kean to South Bay.  Then I tried to take advantage of the low tide by returning around the rocky shoreline.  However after dodging or disturbing a few resting seals I found that the local inhabitants were too numerous and I had to back track and climb the hill again.

Atene Skyline track

I completed the Atene Skyline track in Whanganui National Park as a day tramp.  16.1 km, 1030m climb, 5 hours.

Peter Snell and Ōpunake

Peter Snell would have certainly supported MyMarathon.  The celebrated middle distance runner was a product of the Lydiard system of endurance training, which included a phase of base training with lots of hill running totalling 160km per week.  In later life, Peter Snell became a research scientist with a particular interest in the benefits of exercise for all ages on human physiology and its benefits for cardiovascular health.  Interestingly, his only actual marathon was completed in a time of 2:41:40, impacted by dehydration because he did not drink during the race.  (My own marathon PB, achieved over 40 years ago without a lot of endurance training apart from tramping trips, was around 2:50).  Emulating my own sporting passion, he also became a keen orienteer.  However, Peter Snell also developed heart disease.  He was fitted with a pacemaker/defibrillator device, after being diagnosed with a weakened heart that could no longer pump blood efficiently - because of a condition officially known as idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.  He remained active up to his death in 2019 aged 80.

On my walk today in a very windy Ōpunake, I visited Peter Snell’s larger than life statue commemorating his birth place.  Fun fact for the day: Did you know that Lord Earnest Rutherford, in his early life helped his father design a weir and water race for the family flax mill?

9.9 km and 220m climb today giving a total of 318.4 km and 12592 m ascent.  With yesterday’s effort in Huatoki, New Plymouth (see my MyMarathon blog), I exceeded my original 300km target, and today added an Aoraki to my Everest target.

Huatoki

My main reason for going to Taranaki was to deliver a Controllers Clinic to Orienteering Taranaki and Red Kiwis club members for Orienteering New Zealand.  For a practical exercise I had set 4 courses on the Huatoki map for participants to critique, identify faults and suggest improvements.  Having taped control sites, my last task was to gather the tapes in.  I was conveniently using the NZMCA site which is one one end of the map for my motorhome.  Tuesday morning  dawned with heavy rain.  When it eased off mid-morning I set off, but the rain soon returned and I had a wet and slippery time up and down the slopes and through the supplejack in the mostly native forest.  After 7 km and 2 hours 27 minutes the task was complete.  However the rain had stopped, and having spent so much time in the area over the last week, I decided that I should explore the full length of the Huatoki walkway.  (I was also keen to stretch my distance to achieve my 300km target.)  I embarked on a trail run back up up to the top on now familiar trails.  But down to the city was new exploration.  About halfway down I realised that I should have stopped for some food and water, but now the only option was to persevere, read all the information boards about the areas history, reach the waterfront and the outlet of the Huatoki stream and then retrace my steps.  All up it was a 19.3 km run / walk with 570 m climb over 4 hours 35 minutes.

Pouakai Circuit

I did the Pouakai Circuit in Egmont National Park as a day tramp (plus a little running to avoid it becoming a night tramp as well).

Egmont National Park day tramp

Day 17 dawned with clear skies at the North Egmont Visitor Centre carpark.  I took the Maketawa and Curtis Falls tracks to Stratford Mountain House at East Egmont.  The route was a continual series of ups and downs as the track crossed the many ravines.  It was mostly through bush, with a few glimpses of Mt Taranaki and a good view from Maketawa Hut.  Curtis Falls was something of a disappointment.  I suspect that when it is looking it's best, it can't be accessed.  This was another trip where a coffee could be enjoyed at the halfway point.  The Enchanted Track initially traversed the mountain side and then headed steeply uphill to the Plateau.  The Manganui Gorge track then had a big surprise with the very new and impressive 100m long Manganui Gorge suspension bridge, 50m above the valley, which was opened just a few days ago.  However normal conditions had resumed on the maunga, with cloud covering the volcano.  In foggy conditions I passed the Manganui ski area and in the sub-alpine environment followed the Around the Mountain trail to Tahurangi lodge and translator station.  It was then all downhill, down The Puffer and Summit track back to North Egmont.  All up I covered 21.5km with 1420m climb.

Egmont National Park

I think that this is the first time that I have been in Taranaki with a clear sky to get a close up view of Mount Taranaki.  Did some mid-afternoon exploring from North Egmont Visitor Centre in t-shirt and Teva sunshine.  4.1 km and 310m climb.

New Plymouth

Tuesday.  Planning orienteering exercise at New Plymouth Girls High School for this weekend's Controllers Clinic.  4.4 km, 100m climb.

Nga Puna Wai Sprint Orienteering

This was a multi-sprint orienteering day at Nga Puna Wai.  The first course was 2.45km, the second 2.7km and the last 3.25km.  Along with some to and fro from the carpark and to one of the starts, I completed 10.4km with 30m climb.  I had definitely had enough running for the weekend at the end of the third course!

Laidmore Ultralong Orienteering

I ran the Mens Elite course which had a straight line distance of 12.7 km and a course planners estimate of 800m climb. However my GPS track accounted for 21.7km with 1500m of climb.  I completed the course in 5 hours 11 minutes, which was 2 hours 26 minutes more than the much younger course winner.  There was a bonus 3.5 km and 150 m climb to get to the start.

McLeans Forest

May 9.  A relatively easy day today to let the body recover.  10.6 km trail run at McLeans Forest with just 30m ascent.

Facebook link for more photos

https://www.facebook.com/alister.metherell

Crater Rim Ultra

Day 7 was another cracker Canterbury day and evening for me to complete an Ultra Marathon trail run/walk (more walk than run) around the Lyttleton Harbour (69.7 km, 3030 m ascent, 15 hour 35 min).  There were lots of panoramic views of where I was headed to and were I had come from.  Starting with a bus ride through the tunnel and a ferry crossing from Lyttleton to Diamond Harbour, I ascended to Mount Herbert / Te Ahu Patiki (919m). I traversed the Te Ara Pātaka walkway, summitting Mt Bradley (855m), passing the historic Packhorse Hut then dropping to Gebbies Pass (187m).  After a climb up the Summit Road to the Crater Rim Walkway I scrambled to the top of Coopers Knob / Ōmawete (573m) for a view down the harbour and encompassing almost all of my trip.  I passed by the Sign of the Bellbird and then enjoyed a short break for coffee and cake at the Sign of the Kiwi café.  The inscription on the building "Jog on, jog on the footpath way, And merrily hent the stile-a. A merry heart goes all the day, Your sad tires in a mile-a" from Shakespeare's Winter tale was particularly appropriate.  However I didn't have time to heed the message on the Bridle Path memorial "On this spot the pioneer women of Canterbury and their families rested after their climb from the Port of Lyttelton" and I had taken a rather more circuitous route to get there!  On Mount Pleasant (499m) in the last of the sunlight I was able to reflect on my route taken around the harbour and see the mostly downhill run to Godley Head.  Dusk gave a lovely view over the estuary and city with an outline of the Canterbury foothills silhouetted by the setting sun.  With the light of my headtorch and a starry night I completed the journey on the Godley Head tracks to Taylors Mistake and Sumner.  The Coastal Pathway provided easy going for a very weary body back to my car in Heathcote.

Lake Kaurapataka and Otehake Hot Springs tramp

A hard earned, but very rewarding 29.2 km (490m ascent) tramping to Lake Kaurapataka and the Otehake Hot Springs over the weekend with Bill McSweeney.  The tramp included a challenging traverse of steep bush and some waist deep river crossings.  We were well entertained by the bird life, especially bush robin, fantails, tomtits and a pair of tui.  At night time there were kiwi and weka calling.  Soaking in the hot pools and an evening campfire were greatly enjoyed.

Bridle Path and Major Hornbrook tracks

A good walk for day 3 with my sister and first sponsor, Margaret Metherell, over the Bridle Path to Lyttleton for lunch. Returned via the Major Hornbrook track and Mt Cavendish, for total distance of 8.6 km and 680 m climb.  Over 3 days I have now covered 63.2 km with 2013m of climb.

Initial fundraising goal met

Bottle Lake Half Marathon

Ran a half marathon (21.4 km, 138m vert) at Bottle Lake on a glorious, fine Christchurch afternoon.

Wharfedale Trail Run

Completed my first MyMarathon trail run from View Hill carpark to Wharfedale Hut return with side trip to Ryde Falls.  33.2 km with 1195 vertical m of ascent and descent

MyMarathon motivation and goals

During the month of May I have set a challenge to walk and run 300km covering the distance of 7 marathons, and to raise funds for the Heart Foundation. 

You are able to support my challenge here.

https://www.mymarathon.co.nz/fundraisers/alistermetherell/mymarathon

Why?  In 2019 as a fit and active 60 year old, who had been having regular medical checkups and blood tests, I was intending to compete in the World Masters Orienteering Championships in Latvia and the World Rogaine Championships in Spain.  Instead, I suffered a surprise and severe myocardial infarction or heart attack.  Fortunately, due to the excellent emergency response in Riga, Latvia, I had a stent in my left anterior descending coronary artery, within 3 hours of the first symptoms!  With the first symptom only being breaking out into a big sweat and with no pain throughout, I was very lucky to survive a blockage of the largest coronary artery in what is colloquially known as the “widow maker.”  I suffered some permanent damage to part of the heart muscle, but was able to quickly resume some physical activity.

Since then I have been able to complete two official and one unofficial (post Covid cancellation) Coast to Coast races, two Three Peaks races, lots of training runs, numerous orienteering events, many rogaines, kayak races, tramping and mountain biking trips.  In short, I have been very lucky.

However, wouldn’t it be great if medical research was able to develop non-invasive methods to detect the heart disease that I had unknowingly been suffering.  It is for this reason that I hope to raise funds for research supported by the Heart Foundation.

Please support my fundraising by donating on this page. 

https://www.mymarathon.co.nz/fundraisers/alistermetherell/mymarathon

For my challenge I will be mainly tramping, trail running / walking and orienteering.  Averaging ten km a day should be easily achievable (dodgy achilles and healing clavicle and shoulder hopefully not crippling me).  However to make the challenge real I am adding another goal of completing an Everest with total vertical ascent of at least 8849m.

I have set a fundraising goal of $2 per km or $600.  With your support, I hope that is also achievable.

Support my challenge to save Kiwi hearts

This May, I’m taking part in MyMarathon to raise funds for heart research that will help save lives.

Every 90 minutes, a person dies of heart disease.