Avalanche Peak Challange '09

FULL RESULTS HERE Finally raced the Avalanche Peak Challenge this past Saturday! Seemed like a age ago that I entered for the race and then after being out of action for a month I didn't think I would race at all, so it was a feeling of relief when I was standing in the rain on the start line out side the Arthur's Pass DOC center. I have to admit I aren't the smartest racer. I decided to stick with my pre injury race plan. This was a decent race plan, but it didn't take into account the month off from running that I just had. I went out in the lead bunch and entered the tree's in 4th or 5th place. I excited the bush line in 4th, after spending a little time in 3rd place. The rivers were running high and the day was wet and windy, so we got turned on to Scott's track at around 1680m. Some mad man when flying past me here and I went into a cruz mode on the down hill. I snapped out of it when a racer came up behind me just before we got back into the Village. I was super surprised to see the 4th place guy just in front and went after him so after we got on the Bealy River. It was a long 10km to the Bealy Hotel, with 3 of us changing positions a few times before I finaly ended up in 6th place. Not surprisingly I run out of stem in the final K's. I ended the run in 2hr23, about 15min behind 1st place and around 5 mins off a top 3 finish. Over all really happy with the result! Jane finished in 5th place and was also pretty happy after not running a lot because of a twisted ankle we got around 6 weeks ago. My Mum, who turns 60 this year, also did the race in the tramping class. She did pretty well, apart from having some lady that was freaking out a little clinging on to her climbing up the Avalanche Peak track. This slowed her down a little and she ended up coming in last (I think). I was pretty impressed that she stuck it out after being slowed down so much during the first half of the race. Nice job Mum!