Showing posts with label Mountain Biking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mountain Biking. Show all posts

Thursday 21 May 2015

Orr On The Run: Wharfedale Hut Run - Take 2 (with video)

Since I do not have many races coming up, I have decided that I will start to blog about my runs! I'm usually as buggered as a race at the end, so same same. But different.

Been increasing the mileage and wanted to re-hash a route I had attempted a couple of weeks before with my husband and our mountain bike buddies (See HERE)! This time there were no mountain bikers, but my running buddies Megan, Hamish and Moja (the dog).

We met for a coffee to celebrate me getting out of bed, then headed off on the hour drive to Mount Oxford. A dodgy moment with a river crossing and we were at the car park ready to go!

I put together a video for my family, but since we are all family here, you guys can check it out if you like :)

CAVEAT: This was my first ever attempt at making a video, so it looks like a drunk filmed it and a 5 year old edited it. My mum is going to be so proud. I'm having a bit of fun with these videos, so if you take it seriously, you obviously don't read my blog.


Link to the video, should the above not work: https://youtu.be/TKQrqyjP8ps

Run went well, I was pretty tired at the start but eased into it. I had jokingly told the guys that my previous attempt was 3 hours 39 min therefore that was the target to beat. On the return I noticed the pace was increasing, with the last mile feeling like it was a sprint. They are trying to drop me, I thought. THEY ARE TRYING TO DROP ME. We hit the end and the first thing the guys do is turn and ask me if we beat the time. Time?!? I do not care about time, I’m more concerned about the blood coming out of my eyeballs!

They thought I was serious about the target and were on a mission to beat it. No need to have worried as we smashed the time by approx. 20 mins – I KNEW I WAS GETTING FITTER!!!

Some pictures of the jaunt are below for those of you who do not like shoddy videos that 5 year olds and drunks make.

Good run under the belt. Good day out. Good company. Can’t ask for much more than that, can you?
Halfway point

Don't play with axes at home children


The Wharfedale Hut - Complete with a packet of crisps pegged to the clothes line
Murdoch and Orr - Crime fighters

Tempting "waterfall" sign

Steep climb to get to the "waterfall"

The "waterfall"

Even steeper climb to get out - bloody "waterfall"

Thank God for those yoga classes

River crossing - Piggy back method

River crossing - Tree trunk method

Murdoch action shot

I'm moving (blog, that is)! For musings on my life in New Zealand, head on over to :


Tuesday 28 April 2015

Orr On The Run - Wharfedale Hut Run (Attempt 1)

Nearly a year since my last post, that can't be right...can it?

It is! Oh well, let's skip past the awkwardness and get right back into it, like long lost friends.

So I basically have zero excuses now. Nada. Zilch. Cero. Nil. There was the knee operation, then the wedding, then the holidays, then torn ankle ligaments (showing off coming down Ben Lomond) then the travelling across America, then the emigrating to New Zealand, then finding a home, moving into that home, getting a job and finally Christmas. Now there is nothing. I'm fresh out of excuses. I suppose I better get back into the running again... :)

I feel like I have been starting from scratch. No miles in the legs and 2 stone of extra insulation (aka fat) has helped remind me how hard starting from scratch can be. 

So I start with the basics, flat short lunchtime runs have helped me back back out. However after weeks of churning these out I see zero difference. I still struggle, I'm still 2 stone heavier and I'm not getting any faster. Consistency, I remind myself. Consistency.

So at the weekend I decided to crank it up a notch. Hubby and MY work mates were going a mountain bike ride on a trail up and around Mt Oxford. Come run whilst we bike, they said. It's only 10k, they said. Great idea! 10k up hill on trails is a great progression from my completely flat road airport lunchtime runs, so I sign myself up.

We meet for coffee en route and it is mentioned that they THINK it's actually 10k out and then 10k back. Okay, this is longer than planned, but will now be my first long run in...well a long time. Thankfully, after growing up with Brother Calderwood, I prepare for most of my runs to double in distance, so am prepared for a 20 mile run rather than a 6 miler.

We drive our car to the car park. Meet lots of other bikers. Great day everyone is saying. I'm still not 100% sure what a "great day" in New Zealand means but my Scottish interpretation means I am already dripping in sweat and I have only walked 10 meters! But sure, "it's a great day for it", why not.

To be fair, a great day was had. I paced myself well to the top. Got to the "saddle" before the bikers (as they were waiting on the slow yins at the back, runners don't need to wait on anyone) Now at this point most people kept continuing to the "Hut". Hut or saddle. Hut or Saddle. I couldn't remember where I was supposed to meet everyone. HUT OR SADDLE? Hut is only an extra 5k - I'll head to the hut. 

Mistake number 2 of the day - MUST start checking if 5K means 5K out and THEN 5K back or TOTAL 5K. So that's another 10K added to my run.

I head on which is all downhill. Sweet. In the euphoria of the downhill it slipped my mind that I was on a out and back run, therefore I had to about turn at the hut and then head back up the hills the hills I was sprinting down a few minutes ago.

I meet the Hubby and Rik on the way back who tell me we were SUPPOSED to meet at the Saddle and the others have headed back. Wimps. Thankfully the next section is mostly downhill, but downhill on tired legs means I face plant into a bush. Thankfully not a rock or tree, so aside from the shock, I am completely fine. Nothing like a face plant to get the heart rate up :) 



All in all a solid 17.5 mile run. I started to tire towards the end, even on the flat and downhills. I was feeling sorry for myself the last 2 miles and counting them down and had to have a stern talking to myself. I reminded myself of how completely lousy I felt in The Fling and that was nearly 3 times the distance. MAN UP HEATHER!!!

Finito! We head for coffee and cake afterwards to round up a great day. I've ran the route since and taken a wee video of it so I will get that up later this week so you can see what it looks like.