Motu Race Report - Anna Barrett

Anna took on the mighty Motu Challenge as part of her Coast to Coast training. Have a read, there are some good insights and opinions, especially on those people that use those 'funny sounding wheels'. Good work Anna, great day out.

So this event started out as a good idea for a practice race. Rob told me to get someone to do the mountain bike and cycling leg for me, so I asked Heather and she agreed. A couple of weeks later when I’m going to pay for my entry I see that it’s only slightly more to do the whole thing by myself. And I am always one for getting my monies worth so I decided to enter as an individual. Sorry Heather J

So a week before the race I started actually freaking out because I hadn’t done a long race in ages. But I did lots of planning for my transition crew Mum and Dad and for my nutrition. Both went really well.

The start of the race was the mountain bike and everyone went off so fast and continued this pace along the road section. I probably should have done a warm up, and I got passed by another girl with a red number (meaning she’s doing the individual).

All the rest of the girls doing the individual started off ahead of me, but I knew I was going to be out the back which I was ok with. This girl I knew for some reason I would pass during the day, probably on the run, or once I was warmed up properly and in my groove (takes me about an hour).

Sure enough once we had gotten to the gravel road I got excited about the race. My mountain bike is so much fun and light and I was glad to be off the boring road. I passed her on the first hill and now I could be happy for the rest of the race because I knew that I wasn’t the last individual female. Fist pump.

I continued to pass so many people that had passed me on the road section.  Was it because they hadn’t paced themselves? Was it because I was getting better at cycling up hills? Or was it just my awesome bike..

Onto the run and I wanted to go fast. But I held back because I didn’t know the course and I was only 3.5-4 hours into a 10.5 hour day. I jogged and got distracted by how beautiful the track was.

Next was transitioning onto the bike, the part which I was most worried about for my legs. I was fine.

It was really windy and I didn’t see very many competitors on this leg. Two women who were doing it in a team that’s said I was doing amazing. And a guy with those flash big wheels that make a funny noise. (Seriously? If your team is at the back of the field where I am then those wheels aren’t necessary).

I knew there was a big hill and when I reached it I put my body into snail mode and snailed my way up. The guy at the top told me there was a bit of wind on the other side - massive understatement.

I was happy at the end as I finished this leg 10 mins faster than planned.

In the paddle I was excited to use my upper body and give my lower body a bit of a rest. But 5 mins into paddling and I realised that my upper bod was already tired as from holding onto the bike in the wind! Note to self for next time, must relax on bike.

I had two people following me down the rapids. This was my 5th time down them and I was pretty confident and I was happy to help them out. They did however tip out and by then I had picked up another guy to help down the rapids. I helped one of them get their paddle back and everything was merry.

I was thinking ‘yus I didn’t get a puncture today’ while I was going down a straight flat section of the river. A side wind hits me and I wasn’t prepared. I was in the drink and I was gutted.

After dragging my kayak onto the rocks and getting the water out, my arms and body were exhausted. Mother f@*ker side wind. It took me so long to get the water out that my crew knew something had gone wrong and were starting to get worried.

The rest was pretty boring. An 8km cycle and 3km road run. I remember thinking that I could have kept going for another couple of hours because my nutrition and pacing went so well.  I had done what I came to do and I finished in 10 hours 16 minutes. Better than my planned 10.5 hours J

I think I under estimated how fit I have become over the past few months and in hind sight, could have gone way harder, actually RACED. Heather told me off and I need some competitiveness injected to me. Anyone?

Thanks to my crew Mum and Dad, Rob Dallimore, all of the volunteers out on the course and the Motu organisers.