There’s something special about doing something for the first time. In particular the fact that, no matter how well you think you have prepared, there are so many things that you learn.
The Tarawera T50 was my first ultra-marathon. In this post I cover my training for the event, how things panned out on race day and what I would change if I were to do it again. One ultra-marathon does not make me an expert and what suits me training-wise may not work for everyone. However there was a lesson that I think is more broadly applicable. Specificity. Make the training match the event.
This is something I apply in the other sports that I’ve trained for, cycling and rock-climbing. I tried to apply it to my preparation for the T50, which to clarify is, for no obvious reason other than to test the resolve of participants, actually 52km long. Hopefully as you read further you’ll understand where I went wrong and how you could avoid making the same mistake.
Although I’ve completed a few marathons I’d never run an ultra before. In fact the most recent marathon I had run was at the end of an Ironman twenty years ago. Aside from my first marathon (3 hour 3 minutes in Singapore in 1995!), I’d struggled with avoiding injury as I ramped up the running distance in training. After the Ironman I stopped long runs and focused on cycling and 5k and 10k running races. Since moving to New Zealand I’d increased the distance in trail runs and had some success, as well as a lot of fun, in races that were around the half-marathon distance. A friend completed the 100km race at Tarawera last year and inspired by her I entered that race, the T100. Worried about picking up an injury in training or in the race – and not least that running 100km was going to involve a lot of suffering – I downgraded to the T50.
My main focus was to spend time on my feet, figuring that would build the endurance and resilience I needed. My first training event was Trail Challenge Waihi in December 2024, where I completed the 21km course in 2 hours 7 minutes. Aside from some cramps towards the end of the race that went well. Then I was in Hong Kong for Christmas and New Year. Hong Kong in winter is excellent for running and I managed to complete a 5 hour run over the hills, see Outdoor Hong Kong (Part 8).
My next target was The Goat in mid-January. This is a unique and very tough race in the Tongariro National Park. It is only 20km in length but crossed some very rough terrain. I took 2 hours 48 minutes to complete this and was very happy to win my age-group. Cramps – even in my toes – were hitting me towards the end of the race. The final section climbs up beside some cascades (see the picture below from last year’s event) and it’s common for competitors to be reduced to hobbling by cramps.
I knew the trails in the T50 where nothing like as rough, so I looked for a trail that was more suitable for training. A local trail, the Karamu Walkway, seemed to have the right combination of runnable paths and rougher terrain to toughen up the body. This trail crosses a range of hills near to Hamilton. Links to it are here: Karamu Walkway South and Karamu Walkway North.
Running up to the trail and then running it in both directions took about three and half hours. With two such sessions under my belt, plus a couple of two and half hour runs on the trails between Whakaipo and Kinloch (the W2K Trail) and shorter faster runs, I felt I should be able to sustain a good pace in the T50 for 3-4 hours. I figured that the last hour or so would be difficult but was hoping that I would be close enough to the finish to run through the any cramps or exhaustion.
Race Day
The race started at 7am in Te Puia and Lillian kindly dropped me at the start about 40 minutes beforehand. Surprisingly I didn’t feel nervous, which is in marked contrast to bike races. I think that was because in a marathon running race, unless you are one of the leaders, you run at the pace that you choose. I knew that unless I had an accident I was going to complete the run. In a bike race there so many scenarios where you can be dropped by the bunch and be left to make your lonely way slowly to the finish… or to a point where you can gracefully drop out. Also in a bike race the way the race pans out and stresses your body is put under are based on how your fellow competitors behave.
That’s not to say running races are easy or that you can’t misjudge how to pace them. It’s just that you’re in control so anything that goes wrong is purely your own responsibility.
Mindful of being sensible with my pacing, I decided to start at the back of the front group which was for runners expecting to complete the race in under 5 hours. I recorded a few videos at the start and as the race progressed which tell the story of how the day panned out.
A friend Emma who was also running the event said that when she reached the Blue Lake she turned on the gas. My race was the opposite. I started getting cramps about 20km into the race and although those slowed me down – particularly on the descents – I was also feeling tired too. When I reached the Blue Lake there was no gas and I was running on fumes.
My race positions tell the story of what happened. When I reached Lake Rotokakahi (the Green Lake, 21.4km in) I was 77th. By the Lake Tikitapu (the Blue Lake, 35.2km) I was 100th, and by the Redwoods checkpoint (45km) I was 122nd. On the flat final kilometres my legs stopped cramping and I was able to start running more fluidly and make up a couple of places to complete the race in 5 hours 11 minutes in 120th place. The winner of my age group was frustratingly only 7-8 minutes quicker than I was. 1,402 runners started the race and only 15 didn’t finish, which I think is remarkable. Trail-runners are tough folk.
The route of the race is shown on the map below, all the way to the finish in Rotorua.
As my smile suggests this photo was taken in the early stages of the race.
On the final approach to the Lake Tikitapu checkpoint I still seem to be smiling. The legs were not happy however.
After that there is a gentle climb then a descent where Amin and Jess – the friend who had inspired me to enter the event – saw me running by. More smiles.
Running through the Sulphur Flats in the final few kilometres of the race. More of a grimace than a smile I think.
Based on the fact that I am looking skywards I wonder if I was starting to reach a more transcendental state of mind.
Back down to earth with a genuine smile as I crossed the line.
Post-Race Analysis
I felt that I’d eaten and drunk enough. I ate one pack of sweets, 3 Ems Bites and a small amount of water melon and crisps at the food stations. I sweat a lot and it was quite humid but again I think I kept sufficiently hydrated. When I felt the cramps starting I opened a packet of Salt Sticks which I think helped prevent the cramps becoming too debilitating.
I drank about 3 litres of fluid with about 2 litres containing electrolytes. I do tend to suffer from cramps in races when I pushing myself really hard, but I was surprised that they came on when I had been running at a fast jog.
Reflecting on my training I think the main problem was that I concentrated too much on trail-running and not enough on long-steady runs. That comes back to the point about specificity. The first 4 hours of the race was, aside from a couple of short sections, very runnable terrain. I would have been better off going for long steady tempo runs on gravel – or even the road – that the more rugged trail runs I has concentrated on. I still think it would be worth running on some rougher terrain to toughen up the body and leg muscles for the descents. In total the course has 1150m of ascent and descent.
I only spent two and a half months going for longer runs – prior to December I was focusing on cycling – but I feel that even in that limited period a shift towards regular marathon training would have made the training more effective without me having to spend more time running.
If anyone has any experience or opinions that they want to share please feel free to comment. I have a lot to learn as I have only done one of these events and, with that thought, I will take pride in completing my first ultra-marathon… and get ready to enter the race again as soon as entries open for next year.
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