I left Taupo at 6:20 and arrived at the Napier Boys High School just
on 8am, signed in, attached my timing chip to my shoe and my race
number to my shirt. By the time i'd done that it was 8:25, time to
line up for the briefing before the start gun at 8:30 gave the 120 or
so runners a fright (it was very loud, and close).
I set off at a fairly easy pace, covering 1km every 5 minutes and 15
seconds. That pace would see me home in 1 hour 50, that was my goal
time. I ran with a small group from the start to the 7k mark where one
of the group decided to gently up the pace, I followed. I stuck with
this guy, Craig from Napier - about 35 years old, for a further 10km.
We pushed each other a little, i felt he was a better runner than me,
more efficient. He commented that he was feeling a bit tired and that
his heart rate was higher than he'd like, "its up to 165" he said,
"mines been 185 since we made the break on the group" I replied. Craig
and I agreed to really push it when the 5k to go sign (17k completed)
came - at the base of the lookout hill, where the train tracks enter
the port area. Just before that time a very lean man of 45ish came
past us going about 20% faster than we were going, I decided to follow
him and use his pace.
After about 1km (completed in 4minutes flat!!) the 18km sign flashed
past, i knew i couldn't hold this rabbit of a man, my heart rate was
200 and i was spent, i slowed and let him go. Running along the water
front on the weaving concrete path, past the gardens, the farmers
market, marineland and the marine museum was very hard. I'd pushed too
much trying to keep up with the rabbit man. I was waiting for Craig to
pass me. The 19km sign crawled towards me as a tall woman of about my
age passed me going a good 30% faster than my 6minute km pace. I upped
my pace to match hers and stuck with her. She was gently increasing
the pace as we left the beach front and headed back towards the
school. 500m to go, heart rate 200, must beat tall fit girl! Onto the
grass with 100m to go i gave it everything i had, dropping the girl,
managing a half sprint for the line. Another fit, tall young lady
passed me with about 50m to go, I managed to find even more speed and
left her behind too!
Across the finish line! I sat down on the ground for a few minutes,
shattered. I'd completed the 21.1k course in 1 hour 48 minutes and 22
seconds, a personal best by 9 minutes. Craig arrived 2 minutes later,
he was as spent as me. We shook hands and thanked each other. Heart
rate was down to 120 a minute after i stopped running then down to 100
a minute later. It was around 75-80 in the car on the way home, a
little higher than my resting rate of 50-55.
I feel 100% recovered after 48 hours, bring on the next one!
I'd like to do this race in 1:30 in one years time.
you never know might get a race in in NZ myself one day!
in november i will take 6 months off speed work etc and work on "long, slow, distance" to build my base up. 
