FIX Tussock Traverse

The Tussock Traverse takes place on the slopes of Mt Ruapehu in the Central Plateau. While it is a similar length to The Goat, it is actually a very different race. The trails used in the Tussock are less technical, with more gradual climbs and a higher requirement for outright running speed. Overall the race is a different sort of challenge, perhaps why both are able to exist as events and hold positions close together in the calendar.

Saturday dawned crisp and clear. Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngaruahoe were all clear of cloud and looking ready to receive 500+ competitors. The long bus ride around to Tukino seemed to take forever, I was excited and just wanted to start the run. I had made a race plan the night before and needed to be well warmed up and primed to start fast. I wanted to push the pace on the first 2km of climbing to put some pressure on the other runners before letting it all out and attacking the technical descent afterwards. That was the plan anyway.

On the start line I waited for the start horn, primed and ready. I hit it hard right from the gun. I had company for the first 400m, then the sound of competitors breaths faded and I was by myself. I didn’t look back, I just focussed on my running and keeping a check on my HR. My HR was very high, I was happy to let it stay high, aware that I had a descent to follow for recovery. I got my first glimpse back as I turned off the 4WD track and into the rough trail – 20 seconds lead from a lone chaser and no-one else in sight.

Heading downhill now, I tried to settle into a rhythm and control my heart rate. In hindsight I didn’t settle enough. I pulled my HR down to just below threshold and pushed on from there. Looking back I didn’t allow my legs any recovery from the first ascent and instead asked them to act as brakes on my aggressive descent down to the first river.

Quick Route GPS from Tussock - Thanks to Nick Hahn for the file. Nick smashed men's under 20 and was 8th overall. Nof bad for his first race of this length.

 

Once through the long descent there is a steady climb up from Waihohono Hut towards the Tama Lakes. The headwind on this section, combined with the gradient makes it a real leg burner. I kept my pace solid and pushed on towards the summit. It was cresting this climb that things started to unravel for me. On the first gradual downhill I found my quads were super sore. They were fine climbing, but the control required for downhill running was lacking. My pace dropped as I dropped down into a few small valleys. Around this time James Richardson appeared. He was all of a sudden on my tail. He then blew past with a nice acceleration – well timed to discourage me from following and counter attacking. My legs had nothing and I went into damage control mode.

As James disappeared I set about trying to maximise my speed downhill. I tried to relax and flow as best I could. Reaching the final forest section was a relief. Flat, technical trails were much better for the quads, and I felt my pace improve. I kept focussed through the last few kilometers, pushing hard and feeling a bit of a second wind. I crossed the line in 2.02, faster than the old record, but 4 minutes down on the winner and new record holder James Robinson.

A big learning experience. I went out too fast and paid the price later on in the race. This was a big problem with my racing in my mid to late teens, and something I thought I had left behind. Looking at my HR file, the mistake was clearly the first 2km at a pace so far above what I am used to in a race of this length. I hoped to scamper away from the field and make my early break stick. Will be a new plan for next time.

Post race recovery with Vitasport

Team Vitasport had a good day, I was 2nd in mens and Greta was 3rd in womens

It was an awesome weekend of racing. Greta, Rosie and I all had good races. We stayed at The Park in National Park, it was the race HQ and was perfect. Make sure you book early if you are planning on racing T42 in May because it will fill up fast. A big thank you to Vitasport for their on going support, the LandRover is a top way to travel to races. Once again Totalsport put on an amazing event, check out www.totalsport.co.nz for what they have coming up.

Next up is Sprint the Bay next weekend in Hawkes Bay. Will be a huge start to the orienteering season for 2012.