Shotover Moonlight Mountain Marathon - SMMM

On Wednesday I woke early for what is supposed to be a tempo run. I was tired, it was cosy in my sleeping bag so went back to sleep for another hour. When I eventually crawled out it was still Wednesday so I should do some form of speedwork. I opted for 3k downhill, HARD. I expected some sort of soreness on Thursday, I didn’t expect the involuntary grunts that were still present late on Friday night as we set up camp at Moke Lake. I think I ran a bit too hard.

I then proceeded to write 2 pages of dribble about my run. Then I remembered a lot of fun things that made my day so much fun. I think it’s still dribble, but we had a great weekend.

• I sat in front of Martin Lukes on the bus. It was a 60 minute trip in Skippers. I learnt all about crossing rivers. I learnt that if you get 3 Brits together in a race you better make sure the course is marked well. If you’re running with Martin Lukes and he has his shirt on, you’re ok. When he takes it off. Game Time.
• Andy Town, Ruby Muir, Malcolm McLeod and Matty Abel are great people to run with. All with different skills. We spent most of the day together. It was fun. Simon Green, Marty and Kristian Day hung around for a while as well.
• Grant like to refer to the race as SMMM, I think it sounds like a line from 50 Shades of Grey. Maybe appropriate. Plenty of hurting.
• Malcolm and I were both racing for the Old Pricks podium but never spoke about it. He knew I’d kick his arse on the downs and he was smashing me on the ups. In the end it didn’t matter. Martin Cox won the race and Adrian forgot about Martin Lukes and called me out for the win with Malcolm 2nd. Frosty thanks you for the wine Marty.
• Ruby loves to sing. I already knew that, it happened on the Kepler as well. But she’s a bogan as well. Running across “The Point” I hear a sweet little voice singing a song I’d heard somewhere before. I found the clip on Youtube.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uguXNL93fWg
• Not long after I took the last of my 10 dives, almost doing a Darren Blackwell but managed to land on a patch of grass the size of a stamp amongst a pile of schist. Sadie Cranston, Dazzler, pay attention, use your hands when you go down.
• Yelling at K Day mid race is always fun. Yelling at Andy Town is also fun.
• Adrian Bailey – you have to see it to believe it really. A dynamo.
• Running across the open patch in the middle of the new section. Two guys are looking at me smiling. I think they thought I was going to shit my pants with the news they had. Couldn’t be happier when they pointed my down a vertical slide with a soft, deep, powdery layer of dirt. Pretty sure I got close to breaking Greg Vollet’s world 100m record. So much fun.
• Wanaka Beer Works – Yum. Lots.

Wanky shoebeer shot. 2012 and 2013 beers.

• My Family – Awesome. Ollie 1st in the boys, Samantha 2nd in the girls and Ann 1st in the Old Duckies. Mum and Dad 1st in coolness taking us all for a Helicopter ride over the course.
• Horse Trekking – yup that was cool on Sunday.

• Frosty –  ”That’s the last time I’ll let you beat me!”
• Back Country Runner – Grant got some great coverage and took some cool shots. A tip for novices. When the BCR store has a sale, get onto it. I picked up the Slab 5 (see photo) for $220
• https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.534007033289060.120083.369137653109333&type=1
• Amisfield – mmmmmm tasty wine on Sunday.
• Nutrition – I drank less than a litre and ate about 400 calories. Someone please show me the evidence that we need more!!!!
• Results – in lieu of the timing system crashing, here’s what I know.

Martin Cox (looks like he needs a feed)
Flavio Vianna (guns)
Richard Ussher (holy shit, big hammy’s)
Vajin (short course) Armstrong
Martin Lukes (should stop pissing around for the 1st hour)
Gary Melhuish (The Hack)
Kristian Day (now 2 for 37 against Ruby)
Matty Abel (obligatory convict)
Matt Bixley (dribbler)
Ruby Muir (Freak)
Malcolm McLeod (another from the Val Burke coaching school. Great Run)
Unknown Maybe
Elina Usher/Anna Frost
Andy Town (dead set good bloke)

they were all under 5 hours
some others
Whitney Dagg was 4th woman
Louisa Andrew 5th Woman