Motu Challenge 2008

Motu is at an awkward time of year for us, amongst a hectic schedule and too early in the season to invest too much time in being at the top of your game and subsequently being flat for other races as far away as February or March. Elina and I headed to Opotiki feeling a little under done preparation wise but hopeful that being reasonably rested physically if not mentally would enable us to get through the day with a reasonable result. 

The drive was much more comfortable this year in the new Kia Sorento which was also surprisingly easy to fit all our gear in after we were forced to just chuck everything in after a multitude of last minute tasks seemed to envelop us, and we were only just beginning to pack for the trip after our agreed leaving time had already passed. Loaded up the only issue were the gale force winds that were doing their best to destroy our boats on the roof. 

We managed a gentle paddle down the Waioweka River on the Thursday and spent the remainder of our time sorting gear and trying to ease the travel out of the legs. The forecast for the weekend was looking good and unlike the previous year it was looking as though the winds would stay away.

Saturday morning and the start was almost a frosty affair, it’s always hard to know what to wear when it is so cold but you’re anticipating how hot it’ll be once you start climbing the first of the hills on the MTB. The start seemed rather more leisurely this year but as we hit the first hill after about 20km the hammer went down and I managed to get a small jump on the other individuals as I tucked in with a group of team riders. Unfortunately this year the legs were protesting the pace quite loudly and before too long I decided to ease off and as they disappeared up the road I immediately felt the relief of the easier pace. I could see Gordon Walker and several other riders close behind but once we hit the second hill I lost sight of them behind and I spent the remainder of the ride alone.

Into the transition and I really had no idea where any of the other individuals were but as I struggled into my shoes several teams arrived and I left on the run with them. I was cramping quite badly at this stage which was a surprise as I’d ridden pretty conservatively and for the first couple of km’s it was all I could concentrate on was trying to get the muscles to relax. Finally the last symptoms dissipated and the run became much more enjoyable. I had really suffered on the run leg last year and so again decided to be pretty conservative, especially through the bush section and once back on the road I was able to find a good rhythm and not lose too much time to the team runners I’d started with. At one point I asked Steve Knowles from Sportzhub how far behind Gordon was and he told me 200-300 metres which surprised me as I hadn’t been able to see anyone on the straights looking back, I later found out it was probably out to about 4-5 minutes at that particular stage. Assuming the worst though I knew I’d need to have a good ride on the 50km road section and was please the legs seemed to respond to the request for a bit of power once underway. I was riding pretty well but the cramps had returned on even the slightest up hills so when Steven Sheldrake went roaring past at the start of Trafford’s hill I could only watch him disappear into the distance. With the hill over it is about 30 km of all downhill to the TA. As I tried to keep the power on I was becoming increasingly aware that Russell my support crew hadn’t gone past yet. Russell was crewing for both Elina and it wasn’t until I was only 8km from the TA that he finally went shooting past.

Into the boat and it wasn’t exactly the speediest transition I’ve ever had, which cost me the chance to jump on Stu Lynch’s wash so as I headed off on the river I could see Stu about 100m ahead and just slowly inching away from me. With more of a focus on the swimming in the past few months I knew the kayak leg would be the key to the race for me. I felt OK but just lacking a little power that you only get from a few extra hours in the boat. I had a few glances over the shoulder at the end of each straight to see if I could see Gordon’s fast approaching kayak but thankfully I never caught sight of him, although it sounds as though he was getting pretty close.

Onto the final short ride where I managed not to crash in the transition this year and onto the run where a team just up ahead proved a good carrot to finish the run off strongly. Hitting the finish line is always nice in a race as tough as the Motu and the added bonus of a cold beer this year was well received not just by me I’m sure. My time of just under 7 hours, 12 minutes took about 4 minutes off the record Gordon had set in 2007 so was a good way to cap of the day. Gordon was second about 4 minutes later and also under his old record with Cameron Durno heading a pack of closely matched athletes to take third.

In the women’s race Elina had another good day to defend her title by about 15 minutes from Coast to Coast Champion Emily Miazga, with Sophie Hart in Third. Elina did much of the damage on the first MTB where she emerged almost 9 minutes clear of the next individual woman. Only Sophie Hart was quicker on the run and Elina then stretched her lead over everyone in the road bike and also on the kayak to show how much her kayaking has improved over the past year. She stopped the clock in just over 8 hours 20 minutes, just a minute or so outside her own race record.

Right now we’re on our way to our next race in Trinidad – the Coast to Coast where we race this weekend so it has been a hectic time. There should be race updates for the Trinidad race on  HYPERLINK "http://www.sleepmonsters.com" www.sleepmonsters.com and I’ll send out our report ASAP after the race.

Thanks for all the support