TOUGH TARAWERA BUT FLEMING CONQUERS HER RACE

Contributed by Kelly-Lyn Fleming, AURA Member, Ultra Runner

I knew that the Tarawera 102kms in New Zealand on February 10, 2018 was going to be a challenge. I was confident I could complete the distance, but what concerned me was making the cut off times. My husband and I drove to Rotorua the day before the event, and it rained the whole way from Auckland, with the weather forecast predicting more rain. Last year (when I completed the 65kms event) we had perfect weather; the year before (87kms) it was rainy and muddy, this year we were going to have rain, mud and a more difficult course. Reversing the course meant that we had the easiest part first and in daylight.

We left Firmin Field, Kawerau at 7am. The vibe was awesome, even though we were wet before we started. The first 7kms, running through single track forest was fun, apart from the odd wasp sting.

I had eaten breakfast at 4am and just after 7kms I began to regret the fact I had not had my usual morning mocha drink and I started feeling the effects of no caffeine or sugar. I had also forgotten to take Tailwind to Rotorua, but was not overly concerned as I knew the aid stations would be well stocked. At the 10kms aid station, I filled a bottle with Tailwind (too watery) and had a Spring Energy gel. My pre-race nutrition plan was to have Spring Energy every 10kms, Clif Bloks when needed, and dates and cheese from my drop bags.

The next 19kms were hard going, more so mentally. I was questioning why I was out there in the rain, paying to do something that I wasn’t actually enjoying. When I got to Titoki (26kms) I decided to have Coke. I didn’t want to start drinking Coke so early, but I needed a boost of energy. At 29kms, my mojo suddenly caught up with me and I began to really enjoy myself. By now my feet were not only wet, but muddy. I had sand and mud inside my shoes and toe socks. Parts of the track that should have been easy to run on had become ankle deep mud pools. I was thankful I had decided to carry my poles from the start.

Passing the gushing Tarwera Falls was spectacular. My support crew met me at The Outlet (40kms), and I was really pleased as I was 20 minutes ahead of my predicted time. I had a drop bag there and after a quick restocking of nutrition I was on my way again. The scenery between The Outlet and Humphries Bay was spectacular, and took my mind off my feet. I had blisters on both feet and the sand in my socks felt like I was walking on sandpaper. I didn’t want to stop and change my socks because I knew my feet wouldn’t stay clean or dry.

On arrival at Okataina (58kms), I was greeted by my support crew. I decided to change my socks as by now my blisters were starting to throb. I made a teary promise to my husband that I would not sign up for the miler (a decision that I now regret). My feet were cleaned up, Fixomul was applied and after a few tears, cups of Coke, dates and cheese I was on my way.

From Okataina to Millar Road was going to be the longest distance between checkpoints (16.4kms) and also the most difficult terrain. I wanted to complete this stage while there was still daylight. I had resigned myself to the fact that I wouldn’t be running anymore (apart from over the finish line). With the mud, blisters and terrain, the going was tough. I fell a lot along this section as I was determined to complete this stage before dark and was pushing too hard.

A few kilometres out from the Okataina Aid Station, another competitor was lying alongside the path with a broken ankle. A lot of competitors had already pulled out at Okataina. Getting to Millar Road was a relief, I knew I only had 8.6kms to go until Blue Lake where I would be picking up my pacer. I was still ahead of cut-off, but by now I had abandoned my plan of completing it all in 20 hours and just wanted to finish in one piece. During daylight and without mud, this section would have been great to run through. About 3kms before Blue Lake, the path suddenly stopped and I didn’t know where to go. I heard a voice telling me to walk towards the light. I was not hallucinating!!

A huge tree had come down and was blocking the path. I had to climb over the tree trunk, and after negotiating the obstacle with the help of two volunteers, I continued in the dark. Suddenly I heard a crack and a thud. A tree had fallen down in the forest, but I didn’t know how close it was to me. As I was alone, I was really scared and this spurred me on. Going faster through the mud though meant sliding and falling more.

I arrived at Blue Lake just before 1am and was greeted by my pacer Olivia. I had not planned to stop for long but as my feet were really sore, I decided to change socks again. There were tubs of muddy cold water that I put my feet into in an attempt to clean them. After patching up my blisters, putting on dry socks and a quick Cuppa Soup, we were on our way. By now, each step felt like I was walking on razor blades. Walking along the bitumen made it even worse. Olivia was doing her best to distract me and I was trying to keep my groans to myself. This section, to Redwoods, was another long one (16.2kms).

By now, my nutrition plan was abandoned, I didn’t feel like eating anymore. Olivia reminded me to drink periodically, but by now I couldn’t tell the difference between water or Tailwind. Having the company really helped keep my head in the right place.

This part of the course seemed to go on forever, and I was really pleased when we arrived at the Redwoods Aid Station. I changed into road shoes and decided not to change my socks as I didn’t want to see the state of my feet. Tania joined us at Redwoods, and the three of us set off for the final 5kms. As Tania and Olivia had not met before, they chatted away and I could just listen without having to talk. We walked along most of the Rororua parkrun track and even though it was cool, walking past the sulphur pools made us hot. The sulphur smell added to the atmosphere and I knew that we were approaching the finish line.

As we turned the corner onto the road leading up to the finish, all the pain in my feet and the tiredness disappeared. Even though I had been on my feet for 22 hours and 48 minutes, I ran up that road and into the arms of Paul Charteris. The relief at finishing before the 24-hour cut-off was immense. I could sit down and enjoy a bottle of chocolate milk and a bag of chicken chips. This was the most physically and mentally challenging event that I have completed.

Would I do it again? Absolutely!

AURA member Kelly-Lynn Fleming (53) has always been an avid hiker. She began running in March 2015 and since then has completed many running events, including multiday events (Big Red Run 250km) and ultramarathons. She enjoys the challenge of pushing her mind and body to their limits. She is a run director at Lake Joondalup parkrun and encourages others to achieve their goals.