January 2010 Tour
Kiwirun Articles
Running on Volcanoes – by Andrea Woodvine in Athletics Weekly, UK
(Andrea ran 33.29 for 10km, winning the NZ championships while on tour)
Click to read
Read more Kiwirun articles from Andrea here
Running with the Kiwi’s – by Josh Merlis
I had been panting for many minutes before I saw them. Under normal circumstances, I find a strange joy in pushing myself beyond my comfort zone, but on this particular occasion, I was playfully embarrassed by my early bravado that was now taking its toll on me. Not too far in the distance loomed two old men, shouting encouragement to me as I shuffled along West Coast Road in Waiatarua, New Zealand. Summoning whatever strength I had left, I focused on my form and hid my enervation with a thankful smile as I passed the two Lydiard disciples. Nearly fifty years earlier, they were running the same undulating loop and were setting world records. As I passed them and turned out of site, I allowed my breathing to become audible again and my form fell to pieces. I laughed to myself as I trudged along, in love with the pain.
In the fall of 2009, I serendipitously learnt of the Kiwirun tour of New Zealand during a time at which I had both the inclination and time to travel. I’ve clicked through hundreds of banner ads and pop-ups, usually with a sigh of frustration at having to waste my time to do so. Not this time. Fortunately my eyes were one step ahead of my natural instinct as “Run New Zealand” flashed across the screen. Immediately enamored by the photos, I knew I wanted to do it and in short time made the arrangements. On Christmas morning, I would leave from JFK Airport and thirty-three hours later I would step foot in Auckland, New Zealand. I would travel alone and I told few of my journey. There would be no blog, no Facebook updates, or anything of the sort. My career is the computer and this would be freedom from it, a personal journey into the unknown. Man, was I excited!
I arrived a day before the tour started and was the first one to arrive at the hostel. I went for a relaxed thirty minute run around Mount Eden. Realizing that I had absolutely nothing else in the world to do, I spent a lot of time just wandering around the mountain, taking it all in; people watching, looking at the views, actually looking at the plant life, not just crushing it with my running shoes. While I had not yet met anyone, I knew this would be an experience like none-other. After taking a refreshing shower, I ventured off to a room with a piano and kept myself occupied for hours. It was hard to hide my smile.
“I’m going to take this afternoon off,” I told Hayden Shearman, one of the trip organizers, on the second day of the trip. We’d already run about 6 tough miles that morning, including crossing a seabed at low-tide and hundreds of steps, not to mention we’d be running seventeen hilly miles the next morning. Somehow I still ended up in the van and at Cornwall Park for what turned into four fun miles of fence hoping and avoiding cows and sheep. While some of the others continued on, I joined Chris Dietrick on a lush grass field for drills and a core strength workout. It was 65º with a light breeze as we wrapped up a day that was in every way the epitome of what we all strive for: exercise of all types, great conversation, new experiences, and terrific food. Very early in the trip I found myself forgetting some of the typical emotions I go through in a day. There were no problems here, no excuses – just a cohort of a dozen motivated individuals from NZ, CA, UK, and the USA together with the goal of achieving. Peer pressure was making all of us better people – and in short time at that.
The brain child of Stephen Willis, a sub 4 minute miler and now a successful coach in Wellington, New Zealand, this was the inaugural tour. I didn’t know it was the inaugural tour until shortly before leaving the states. It wouldn’t have affected me one or the other, although to be honest, I was excited that I would be part of the first tour. Within moments of meeting Stephen, I immediately could sense both his passion for this tour as well as the organization he was bringing to it. Everyone could, everyone did, and he made this the trip of a lifetime.
Get down! was the last thing I heard before plunging over twenty feet into the Kaitiaki river. On the drive over, I saw pictures of Tutea Falls but had no prior experience rafting into a seven-meter drop. As the moment approached, the joking stopped and we also listened closely for instruction. Sometimes, the rafts tip over and we had to be prepared to breathe under the raft and not lose our bearings. The largest permissible drop in whitewater rafting was just a few seconds away, and Ollie Shilston, ever the daredevil, still was taking pictures! Get down!
The website refers to the tour as the “ultimate New Zealand running experience.” While it certainly lives up to that title, what I did not anticipate was how much of a family we would all become. Each day, we ran together, we ate together, and we challenged each other. Opportunities were presented and we willingly and with a subtle appreciation for the uniqueness of our environs took advantage of it all. From trips to the beach and sheep shows, high-speed luge to captivating Maori exhibits, we coalesced for two incredible weeks down under. On almost every run, we had to balance our desire to keep running with stopping to take photos of places and sights that simply don’t exist anywhere else. With Kiwirun, not only did we all have a chance to learn more about what you see on postcards, but we were given the chance to be the card. If you ever might have the time and means to join Stephen Willis and the Kiwirun crew for two weeks of New Zealand splendor, drop the little things and enrich your life. You will forever be glad that you did.
January 2010 Tour Blog
Taken from Andrea Woodvine and Christian Clements blog ‘Racing Aroung the World’
Day 1 Kiwirun
Waiatarua Circuit
New Year’s Eve
Tauranga Twilight Meeting
Haka
Topping up the Tan
You can’t fire a cannon from a canoe
33:29
Mount Doom
Go Bush
Escaping the Bush
Wellington
Final Supper
Come Down
The Morning Jog
Download issues of the Morning Jog – Kiwirun’s daily (well almost daily) newsletter including updates, news and athlete profiles from the January Tour
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