Infracon Akitio challenge 2007
The infracon Akitio Challenge is a multisport event Dannevirke multisports that starts from Dannevirke with a 55 km hilly road cycle followed by a 13 km run through the 'valley of death' and finishes at Akitio seaside village after a 12 km adventure paddle finished off with a 2 km run for the finish line.
TEAM 303
Last year Pete and son Josh completed the event. But this year, at the last moment, scurvey Josh mutineed preferring to play soccer on the day. Pete managed to recruit Sally and Helen Anderson to take up the challenge and make up a team. The cunning plan was for Pete to do the cycle leg, Helen the run and Sally would complete the 12 km kayak leg and finish the race with that final 2 km run to the finish line.
PETE THE CYCLIST - happy to have finished the race without a puncture [but he did discover a punctured rear tyre when he got home] and a woman in the bunch he was in punctured on the last hill with only 1 km to the finish and she had to run most of that - Bugger! Pete was only just a bit hot and bothered after completing the 55 km of hills
HELEN THE RUNNER - put in a blistering run through the notorious 13 km 'valley of death' run
[the run course is along a flat valley that is always sheltered and temperatures get wiltingly hot. It would be a killer if you were doing the whole triathalon as an individual, especially after the cycle leg. Heck, I got hot and bothered just driving the car over the course to get the kayak set up for the kayak leg].
SALLY THE KAYAKER - completed her very first kayak race with a commendable time [within 10 minutes of the fastest woman paddler] which was pretty good considering Pete had lent her a relatively heavy plywood guillemot s&g kayak while her competition used ultra-lightweight multisport kayaks. The finish was an exit out of the kayak into deep estuary mire. Sally doesn't look too bothered after finishing the race giving a respectable combined team time of 4 hours .... or by her irretrievably ooze-caked running shoes
THE RACE
The hardest part of the race was the race to get to the startline. Best guestimates were that to make 'late' registration at Dannevirke between 0730 - 0830 hours and be ready for the 0930 hrs start would mean getting up in Wellington at 0500 hrs and hitting the road at 0530 with military precision, all the cycle, paddling and running gears ... and no whimpering from Pete who IS NOT a morning person.
We made Dannevirke just after 0800 and signed up for the race. Race briefing is at the Rugby grounds and went on for ages - roads are not closed ... exercise caution ... run is hot .. recommend take water ... paddlers wear life jackets ... be safe ... 160 km round trip ....no petrol ... yada yada ya.
The "Race starts 9.30 am sharp from Gertrude Street (Outside main entrance to Rugby Park)" at the north end of Dannevirke township. Pete cuts a fine figure and almost looks alert and ready to race despite the 0500 hrs wake up call.
Team mates wait for their cyclists to turn up at the transition. Always a nervous wait because cyclists can suffer falls, punctures, mechanical breakdowns and grossly underestimated times for the hot and hilly cycle leg. The amazing 'tog lady' is pictured here. She is tall and runs quite fast and is surely a 'Siren' like inspiration for many tired old men. But her team won a placing in the vets category and therein lies the problem for old men: chasing fast ladies ... you just can't catch them. Surprisingly she accepted her award wearing just short shorts and a tee shirt.
Pete was 'well pleased' to hand over the race bib baton to Helen starting her blistering run through the valley of death
Despite the conditions which were running at their hotest, Helen passed heaps of struggling runners making good time - At times it does help the team if you can recruit a fit marathon runner to do your run leg.
Sally and Pete, the support crew of the moment didn't have terribly much time to load the bike back onto the car, drive to the run/kayak transition and set the kayak up amongst the other multisport race boats waiting at the tiny tributary of the Akitio river.
The old guillemot s&g is really a fine sea boat with a great surfing performance and is generally an adaptable and usefull kayak ... but not an ideal first choice race boat, especially in this sort of company. But despite all that, I have raced the guillemot s&g in the Crazy Man and Sally completed her first kayak race in a respectable time in the boat. Sally got favourable comments on the boat and helpfull hints on paddling techniques from other competitors and got better at handling the boat and paddling as she went ... talk about 'on the job training'!!!.
Sally sets fourth on her 12 km adventure paddle. It starts with traversing this pool and then pushing through some willows into .... another pool with willows at the end of it. Doubts build up in your mind about whether or not you are paddling in the right direction or even in a river. But you are soon on your way down the quaint and picturesque Akitio river ... until you come across a man-made weir blocking the river. But here at the compulsary portage, race officials help you carry your kayak over the weir, around a slippery bank and send you once more on your way down stream.
Sally came into the sight of the 'support crew' for the first time just downstream of the weir portage. She was looking good and going strong. The 'race briefing notes' bottom line is: "It is always a possibility that there may be dead animals in the river, PLEASE BE AWARE". - Last year there was a huge dead bull, blown-up rotting, ready to explode and almost blocking the entire river - it was many a nervous kayaker that pushed past that unique country sporting event obstacle, I can tell you!! But Sally reported no such 'adventure racing surprises this year.
Further down the river is a natural weir of 'papa' mudstone. The river is tidal here and the natural feature is covered at high water. But today the tide was at its lowest and Sally had to shoot the white water rapid in the guillemot s&g, which she did like a professional.
The end of the kayak leg is at the mouth of the Akitio River. At low tide the kayakers are helped out of their kayaks into a grey mudstone ooze. Sally almost lost her shoes twice but survived and ran off to the finish without complaining too much.
A vista of the remote Wairarapa coastline with Cape Turnagain in the distance can be a welcome distraction for that run to the line.
This finish line - never looks so good - whether you are in a team or doing the whole event solo.
THE END