Crazyman

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Crazy Weather and a Crash at Crazyman

Richard Ussher / 16.05.2011

Wet weather seems to have been following me a round a bit this summer and at the Crazyman in Wellington the conditions mirrored those from the Karapoti MTB race – rubbish!

With a brisk southerly blowing the race start was changed to the run with the kayak moving to the final leg in the sheltered Hutt River.

The opening run sorted out the field quickly and I found myself with two other runners at the front of the field. Heading up the hills I was mindful of the MTB to follow – although I was mainly just not fast enough to keep up. I kept my pace even as the other two gradually gapped me as I tried to avoid digging a larger hole than necessary for me to climb out of.

With plenty of rain prior to the race the trail was slippery and on the descent I was able to pass one of the runners and the rest of the run I would pull away on the down hills and be caught on the ups. Despite my saving myself for the MTB my legs were definitely feeling the steep down hills, I could feel the after race stiffness and pain already and we’d only been going for 30 minutes. Despite the pain it was luckily for me it finished with a good sized downhill as I was able to stay in second into the transition.

Onto the bike and it was a new course since the last time I’d raced at the Crazyman. I headed off without much of a clue as to what I was in for. The Wainuiomata MTB park was a great addition to the start of the ride with a fun single track loop then climb with plenty to keep the enjoyment, and the concentration – as our friend Neil found out, breaking three ribs when he hit the deck after crashing while looking over his shoulder.

After a significantly more enjoyable ascent to the main ridge than the original ride I thought it would be onto the previous course but I spent the next hour riding along in a state of confusion, as nothing seemed to be familiar.

It was raining again – surprise, the track was super slippery and I still didn’t recognize any of the track. It was dawning on me that the ride may have also been changed along here, which was to be confirmed later, but it didn’t help ease the sense that I had somehow wandered off track and was following completely random markings. See All Event Posts