The Boat Sheds

Old boat sheds along the Orakei basin
Originally uploaded by oscillize

I call run "The Boat Sheds" after these old sheds which I pass about 30 minutes into the 5.8 mile loop around the Orakei Basin. Here's the map.

The run starts out from my work in Newmarket, opposite the Auckland Domain. I head straight for Parnell Road, away from the busy Newmarket shopping district, well known for its fashion clothing stores. Newmarket is up on a bit of a plateau so I need to descend for a half mile through Newmarket Park and Ayr Street, down on to Shore Road where I run past Thomas Bloodworth Park and million dollar waterfront homes.

Mile two includes a small climb over a hill before returning back almost to sea level. We turn into Orakei Road, still running away from work. Given my history sometimes its a bit risky venturing this far from my work place as it will be a long walk back should I breakdown. Nearing the end of Orakei Road we cross the Orakei Basin before making a left turn into Ngapipi Road which though again undulating, follows the waters edge all the way to The Boat Sheds at the corner of Tamaki Drive.

The Boat Sheds mark the turning point when we start heading back to work along the pituresque Tamaki Drive, which is lined with Pohutukawa Trees and water on both sides.



Pohutukawa trees and Rangitoto from Tamaki Drive.



One of several flights of steps leading up to St Stephens Ave from Tamaki Drive.



Overlooking the Parnell salt water pools , Ports of Auckland and the CBD.

At the base of the Parnell cliffs are the Parnell Baths (salt water pools), which is where we take the steps up to the top of the cliffs and on to St Stephens Ave. From there its almost a mile of consistent climbing, past more of Auckland's most expensive real estate, to the top of Parnell Road.

The final 3/4 mile is a flat easy run back to work, though coming after the climb back up from the water it is a much needed easy end to the run.

Generally this is a 50 minute run at an easy pace. Its a run with a bit of everything, undulating hills, a decent mile long flat section, and a mile long climb, not to mention some pretty good scenery.

Resting Up

It has been ten days now since my last run, a 5.8 mile loop that takes me around the Orakei Basin in Auckland. I'll write some more about the route in another post but lets say it is a very scenic run that includes a section along the Tamaki Drive waterfront, which on a fine summers day is a great place to be, even if the running is not going as good as one may like.

Throughout the run I was dogged by an aching left foot and my shin was a little sore as well. The foot problem is one that I had thought I had overcome as whilst in some recent runs it would be a bit tight to start with, I had been able to run through it recently if I just concentrated on maintaining a relaxed easy running style. Perhaps I was a bit tense and was not able to relax as much as I would have liked. I knew this run was going to be pushing it for me as in the week prior I had already completed two 40 minute runs and 50 minute run and to try for another 50+ run was possibly asking for a bit much from my still recovering body (and lower legs in particular).

As it turned out I wasn't able to run through the aching foot and it stayed with me for the duration of the run, something which I'm still paying for today in the form of a constant ache in my foot.

I think also I was getting tired of the constant daily routine with would always involve some stretching or strength training of some sort. I have been maintaining the strength work for almost four months now since I started back running in October and whilst I guess it has been partly successful, in that I have lasted this long, I'm somewhat disappointed that I'm still not 100% fit.

So this last ten days, I haven't stretched once nor have I done any other sort of training, other that a short 800m swim last week. It's been a good chance to get away from having to think about any of that stuff. The shin is feeling better for the rest and I don't think I'll need anything like the four month break I had off over winter. I think anther week off running and I'll be back into it. I'll start up some strength work again this week so the legs don't get a total shock next week.

Thoughts of the Half in Rotorua in March have gone from my mind. I was probably being premature considering such an event when I'm really still on the comeback trail. I've re-evaluated my short term goals and am now just focusing on the Run Auckland series of 5 and 10 K runs over the autumn / winter. Even these will just really be fun runs as I'm probably not yet is a position to try any speed work and press for a fast time.

I haven't been sitting around idle over the last week though. We decided it was time the boy's bedrooms needed a fresh look with some new paint. They each picked a colour which we have used as a feature wall with Jack choosing a race car red and Sam a turquoise/aqua colour. We found a nice colour with a hint of green but also some light brown/ grey tones to complete both rooms. Having just finished Jack's room today (actually they share it now since we set up their buck a month or so ago), the rooms are both looking quite stunning and while the colours the boys chose are are a bit "out there" they look great now and really add a youthful feel to that end of the house. Sam's old room is really now a toy room or a spare room for when we have guests.

Have a good week.



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Holiday Pictures from Nelson

The Mapua Aquarium is an excellent little aquarium which the boys found pretty fascinating. The cool thing about this aquarium is that the let you touch the sea life.



In the jaws of a great white!.



Sammy touching a starfish.

Caving at the Ngarua Caves, on the summit of the Takaka hill. The operators of this cave give guided tours on the hour and a full of knowledge about the cave having been therefore 24 years or so. It's about a 30 minute walk through with several stops along the way to hear about the history of the cave.

The weird thing is that later that day we heard that three tourists got caught "out of their depth" and had to be rescued from the huge Harwoods Hole cave nearby. Here's a link to that story.



Back above ground after our caving experience.



Amazing stalactite formations tens of thousands of years old.

Over in Takaka went went Salmon fishing at the Anatoki Salmon fish farm. Rods are provided and all you have to do is head over to the lake, through your line in a wait one of the many Salmon to hook up. It was a sure thing really and the kids loved. The Salmon steaks were beautiful that night.





Our prized catch. Actually Michelle caught it, though she had an unfair advantage as she was feeding them extra food.

After the fishing it was off to the beautiful Tata Beach, in Golden Bay.




After my 50 minute effort last Sunday, I've had two more runs during the week. A 40 minute run (7.5 KM) on Tuesday and 54 minutes (9.3 KM) on Thursday. I'm concerned that I may have overdone it this week however and cancelled todays planned run due to the shin not feeling good. My left foot is also still sore following Thursdays run during which I had to put up with an aching foot/heel for most of the run.

So I'm not sure what I'm going to do now really. I'm a bit over it at the moment to be honest. Will keep ya posted.



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On the Run in Nelson

Hi there, I'm back from my week in sunny Nelson, well actually it's not as sunny as they claim, it was only the 4th of 5th sunniest city in NZ last year apparently.

We had a pretty good week, only two days of wet weather early in the week, during which I took the boys to Alvin & the Chipmunks which they thoroughly enjoyed, okay I laughed too. The next wet day we visited the local aquatic complex/wave pool a fair part of the day. Sam's (4) confidence in the water is really improving leaps and bounds from last summer.

I might cover in more detail some of our other activities later but they include such things as salmon fishing, caving and of course lazing on the beach.

I'll just quickly update you on some runs I've done this week and then set about catching up on some of your blogs;

- Tuesday Ran 5 k 30 minutes.

This was an early morning run along a misty and grey Tahunanui Beach. Beach running is not something I've really done any of so they sensation was a little strange. The sand was quite soft, even the wet sand near the water.

- Friday Ran 7-8 k 43 Minutes

For this run I arranged to be dropped at the start of the Abel Tasman Track in the Abel Tasman National Park. It is one of the premier walking/hiking tracks in the country which runs alongside the stunning Tasman Bay coastline for 50k or so. The idea was to get a water taxi up the coast to the first drop of some 12 km from the start and then run back. Unfortunately I just missed the taxi and had to settle for plan B which was to run in and back out again. In the end I ran in for 20 or so minutes and ran out again. It was certainly worth the effort.


- Sunday Ran 8.5 k 52 minutes

Ran from my house to one of the local beaches where I met Michelle and the boys. It was a great cooling off in the water (quite a bit warmer than Nelson too I'll add) after such a hot run. Temp must have been around 25 deg C today.


I'll be going into some more detail about these and other runs at a later date in a new series of posts which I'm calling "The Places I Run" where I'll try and describe the local terrain together with some pics of our lovely country.


The shins are hanging in there and don't seem to be too much of an issue at present. Here's hoping they stay that way.


Have a great week.


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I Ran Today!

Just an update from yesterday. I decided to run today after all. Felt okay. Slow 45 minute run. Almost 8K.

I'm packing the shoes for Nelson so will be trying for a couple of runs along the Nelson foreshore this week.




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What will 2008 Bring?

Happy new year to everyone, hope you've managed to get a good break in.

This time of the year always seems to be the time people like set their goals for the year ahead doesn't it. I've never really been one for new years resolutions as such, though I do believe in having an idea of what goals you want to achieve and I guess now is as good a time as any set re assess where I'm going and what I would like to get out of 2008.

I'm not going to sit here and write that this year will be the year I'm going to run a marathon and that I'm going to do this and that. Off course I would love to run a marathon as well as a number of smaller races.

The one major running goal I have for 2008 is to just get and stay injury free. If I can do that then the races will follow, of that I'm sure.

That may sound to some like it's far too non specific and that I'm afraid of commitment or that I'm not backing myself enough to just say I'm going to run a marathon no matter what. That could partly be the case but the way I see it until I can get to a level where I'm able to maintain a regular training programme without breaking down every three or four months then I see no sense in setting race orientated goals.

I know from looking back at my numbers from 2007, there is a lot of room for improvement and that will also be a goal for this year, to add to those numbers. Again if I can stay injury free then I should have no trouble surpassing 2007.

A marathon remains long term goal and one that I will strive for but whether it will be this year, or next or in five years, I can't say.

This week I have had just the one run , on Monday a 3.3 mile , 30 minute jog around the Auckland Domain. As I said in the last post, the shin has started to cause me some more discomfort and I was tempted to pull out after the first of my planned two laps. As most of you will know, we runners never like to pull the pin half way through a run so I soldiered on and completed the planned 30 minutes.

I was due another run yesterday but choose the sensible option of another days rest. I was a bit down yesterday as a result, but I'm pleased to say that the rest seems to have done the trick and it is feeling better. With a family holiday planned for next week to Nelson I was thinking about taking the week off running to give the shin an extended break.

I'm sure you will agree that it's no easy decision, knowing when to take a break or to push ahead with the training, especially as next week was supposed to be week three of my Rotorua Half Marathon training schedule. I might try and fit a run in tomorrow and see how it holds up. I will be taking my runners anyway so wish me luck.

Later.



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