⛰️🏃♀️Bridget Johnson Diaries and The Yellow Sabbemarine Leaves Wellington
"I could hardly lift my arms let alone hold anything in my hands.”
Your weekly fix of NZ trail running news
Welcome to Trail Running NZ —The only weekly Trail Running newsletter where workplace productivity plummets and bathroom activity reaches record heights.
Here’s what’s in the drop bag this week:
🏃🏃♀️Bridget Johnson Diaries: 11 on the 11 in 11
🏃Yellow Sabbemarine Leaves Wellington
🎯Things You May Have Missed
🎁HYDEE January Paid Subscriber Winners
🏁Upcoming events: Coast To Coast Mountain Run
🟣Worst Run Ever by CurraNZ Winner
⛰️💊Mountain Skag Pic of Dec & Jan
Note: Due to the length, some email browsers will hide some of the content - make sure you click ‘view entire email’ or click through to substack.
Bridget Johnson Diaries:
11 Questions on the 11 Great Walks in 11 Days
In the last two weeks, we’ve followed Bridget Johnson’s progress in her mission to be the first person to complete our 11 great walks in 11 days (Humpridge has been added). Last Monday, she just had Humpridge and Rakiura to go.
Well … she did it!
I didn’t think 11 Great Walks in 11 days was a big enough endurance test, so I sent her a sh💩t tonne of questions.
So here you have it - 11 questions about the 11 Great Walks in 11 days.
I’ve posted the full Q&A HERE if this is hitting the spot.
Q1: What inspired you to take on the challenge of completing all 11 Great Walks in 11 days?
“I first heard about the challenge many many years ago when some people were doing 7 in 7. I then followed along as Andrew Robinson did a 10 in 10 back in 2021 and found the whole thing super cool and inspiring.”
“I guess what really piqued my interest in this particular challenge. I then did a solo fastpacking trip in August last year while training for a 100km race — on this, I realised that I could push all day and then get up the next day and go again. I was interested to really see what that meant and what I could achieve if I really trained, backing it up day after day.”
“I think one of the coolest things about the Great Walks is that in a way they are super accessible. Lots of people have an experience tramping on a Great Walk and that makes a multi-day attempt involving many Great Walks accessible and relatable because they feel they can connect and relate to what you are doing much more than with a 100 mile race for example. I think this forms a cool platform to inspire and motivate others.”
Q2: How much planning went into this, and what were the biggest logistical hurdles?
“A huge amount of planning went into the project. There were spreadsheets with a lot of tabs. All sections had plan A, B, and C and we had also run through a whole range of contingency plans (none of which we really needed luckily).”
“The biggest logistics really were the transition from the North Island to the South Island, and really the hidden crux of the project is actually the Abel Tasman tides. You need to line yourself up with boats/planes or other transport to get yourself to a specific part of the trail right at low tide.”
“Knowing we weren’t going to make the tides my crew had brought in a super light weight packraft, but it was too windy to safely paddle across. Luckily a local fisherman Grant offered to take me across the Awaroa Inlet (shout out Grant!).”
Q3: Who supported you during the mission?
“I had an incredible amount of support through the project all told around 30 people were part of it in a range of ways. My husband Jim Murphy was crew chief and also ran almost half the milage of the project in various ways throughout some pacing, some crewing.”
“We had broken the lines up into 3 sections (North Island, North of the South, and South of the South). I was lucky enough to have Ali Wilson and Liz McDougall support me on the Northern Circuit and the river. Getting to spend time with these two phenomenal athletes was so inspiring and really set the vibe strong for me for the rest of the trip.”
“I then had good made Blake Johnston join for the north of the south who paced Paparoa and repositioned the crew vehicle while Jim and I ran Heaphy. My parents then flew over from Aus to support us once we got to the Queenstown area which was perfect timing to get some fresh energy and people happy to cook us dinner and do the laundry.”
“We had a fantastic crew of six runners on the Milford track with me which kept the vibes high all day, and local Queenstown runner Ben Gatting paced me on the Kepler as the last training run for his own 11in11 attempt (starting this week) and it was only possible with everyone working together so smoothly and encouraging me along the way.”
“Allira Hanczakowski also joined Ali and I on the Northern Circuit and with her fast packing experience she had some great insights, then a friend of hers Lauren Catalano who saw the project online jumped in last minute for a portion of Abel Tasman which was a big help as I didn’t have any other pacers that day.”
“I also want to shout out to the Wellington Kupe Kayak Club beginners group and Paul Moreno who helped me train and learn to paddle, as well as Ben Foughy who runs fantastic Grade Two Kayak courses in Taupo. These guys gave me the confidence I needed on the river which was one of the most difficult legs.”
Q4: What was the toughest moment of the whole challenge?
“Coming into the project as an ultrarunner it was the river that kept me up at night. I knew what running 80km in a day felt like but before starting out on the river the longest I had ever paddled was 22km.”
“At the end of the second day paddling my whole body hurt and I could hardly lift my arms let alone hold anything in my hands. I just tried to remember I actually only really needed my legs for the next day and they weren’t so bad.”
Q5: Was there a moment when you knew you would pull it off?
“When I made it to the South Island and realised even with a completely trashed upper body (after the river) I could still run I knew it was going to possible, but with so many logistics involved and many of them outside of our control it really wasn’t until the wheels of the plane to Rakiura touched down that I was pretty sure we had it.”
“I did run Rakiura very slow and carefully though thinking to myself “Do not blow everything by turning an ankle now”.
Q6: That’s a lot of hours back to back of having to eat a tonne of food. What was your nutrition strategy?
“I was lucky enough to be supported in the project by Mark and Fibi from Tailwind NZ so Tailwind played a huge role in my nutrition strategy throughout.”
“I also make my own gels so had made around the equivalent of 96 gels before we started (for both myself and Jim). We knew the sweet fatigue was going to be a big factor and also that running at a much lower pace than in a ‘race’ I took on a lot more ‘real food’ then I normally would whilst running.”
“We would pack little ziplocks of what became known as my cruncho’s — essentially any small treat that was savoury and had a crunch to it. I also had the support of GoNative NZ who do amazing meals and particularly instant mashed potatoes so me and the crew were utilising those a lot throughout too.”
“I think a real key to the success was the rule that I had to get in at least 30 grams of protein as soon as we finished each run. This set the recovery up to make sure I was ready for the next day, once I knew I had that protein sorted we would move on to pizza or pasta or whatever the crew put in front of me that night.”
Q7: What was the toughest transition between walks?
“The drive between the end of Paparoa on the West Coast and the start of the Routeburn down near Queenstown was brutal.”
“We drove through the night keeping an eye out for 24 hour petrol stations on the coast, and only saw one other car between Fox Glacier and Wanaka.”
“Jim did the driving while I tried to rest as much as possible and this was as much of an endurance pursuit as any of the running we did along the way.”
Q8: Which Great Walk was way better than you expected?
“I think more people should go run Waikaremoana. It was one that I knew least about going into it, so much so that we went up for a recce a few weeks before to make sure everything was actually going to work.”
“It’s easy to think of the Great Walks as mostly being about the bigger mountains down south but this walk really has some spectacular running.”
Q9: What did you learn about yourself from this challenge?
“Writing this on the ferry on the way back to the North Island, I really found the whole experience so rewarding in so many ways. I had gained so much from it even before we actually started just through the training and preparation.”
“I think it might take some time before I really reflect and understand what this means now but I will say that having thought this project might show me my physical and mental limits I think we might actually need to keep going to find them.”
Q10: If someone wanted to attempt the same thing, what advice would you give them?
“Your crew really is everything; trust them, respect them, and let them support you. In training I would say that weighted hill reps are horrible but also get your body ready like no other training I know.”
“Also you should for sure learn to paddle. The Whanganui Journey is such that you can turn up without much experience and get to the other end safely in a few days time but that is very different to backing up 60km paddles with 90km paddles.”
Q11: Any plans for an even bigger adventure?
“I think the best goals in life are the ones where you feel like it probably is possible but you go into it not actually knowing if you can pull it off or not.”
“This project was absolutely that for me and I was so focused on it that I haven’t really thought at all about what is next. I know I enjoyed the logistics planning and training as much as the actually running.”
“I also found it at least as rewarding as racing (probably more really). So who knows how that will manifest.”
Congratulations Bridget - Mission Accomplished.
You can follow Bridget on Insta to keep track of her next adventures.
So, who’s next?
Ben Gatting this coming Thursday!
Ben is a Queenstown runner who paced Bridget on the Kepler as his last training run for his own attempt.
He’s raising money for Kiwi Harvest, a charity that helps distribute food to people who need it.
You can follow along with his attempt on Insta Here
This Week’s Newsletter Is Brought To You By…
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Yellow Sabbemarine Leaves Wellington
It was another massive week for Karel Sabbe. He reached the foot of the Tararua Range with the ambitious goal of pushing through to Wellington in 2 days🤯.
He got oh so close, spending the first night in Whyteawhywhy Hutt before pushing on at 4 AM towards Wellington.
The 125 km to Island Bay on Saturday was always ambitious, so the decision was made to call it early, staying at the base of Mt Kaukau and finishing the job Sunday morning.
Kyle Malone (The Spectacle 100 Mile Winner), who knows a thing or two about the Tararua, joined Karel for a big chunk of Friday. He was generous enough to share some of his experience below:
What stretch of the TA did you join Karel for?
“I joined for part of the Tararua Range section - notorious for being the spot where so many TA efforts come unstuck or hit their first big hurdle, due to it's typically horrendous weather, or just underestimating the terrain.”
What were his spirits like? Any sign that he’s human and starting to feel the load?
“Karel (and his crew) are machines. Everything was so professional and nothing was left to chance.”
“Once we started I was told what pacing style he preferred and we got stuck in. He seemed so fresh still - I hung on for as long as I could but even got dropped a couple of times. As soon as it got steep (and it's plenty steep in those mountains) he just powered away for me to have to catch on a later downhill section.”
You’ve spent a lot of time in the Tararua range- what was it like seeing someone of his pedigree take on the Tararua?
“I've spent enough time in the Tararuas to know that almost every plan needs a fair amount of leeway added, so I was pretty skeptical when I heard the plan was to start from Poads road at lunchtime and get to Waitewaewae Hut (38km/3550m) that evening.”
“I very quickly realised that the 1400km in his legs (and 150 in his arms/back) didn't seem to have slowed him down at all and he was still as fast as anyone near the top of the Strava leaderboards.”
“ It was really humbling being dealt to like that, but also putting into perspective the effort that's going into it is quite inspirational and made me realise I can dig a fair bit deeper.”
Well done, Kyle. What an incredible experience spending time with a living legend, just out in the hills doing his thing. I’m sure you won’t forget this in a hurry😎.
There was a lot of chat on Saturday about whether Karel would make his 1 AM Ferry. But you guys don’t realise that he’s a shape-shifting android from planet Leffe😂.
Here he is on Sunday morning: the ‘Yellow Sabbemarine’, last seen leaving Wellington Harbour for Picton.
It’s up to you now, South Island. We Northies have done our part.
Things You May Have Missed
Angus Ward To Run Faultline Miler In Jandels
Angus Ward is looking to raise $1000 for the Capital Kiwi Project. If he hits his goal (currently $777.25), he will run The Faultline 100 Mile race dressed as a Kiwi.
I’m thinking… jandals, stubbies, a singlet, and a bucket hat with a Lion Red in each vest pocket.
WoooOOOOOO2K 10th Anniversary Entries Open
It’s the 10th year of the WUU2K. Entries opened Saturday, with the early birds in the 45KM & the 66.41KM selling out. Standard price entries are still available.
Rumour has it that race director Gareth is running this year. So, if you want to witness him in pain, this might be the year to come back if you swore you’d never run it again😝.
Rakiura Challenge Entries Open
Rakiura Challenge entries opened Saturday midday as well. Who knew that the 1st of Feb was official entries opening day? This event has sold out faster each year - only 250 spots are available.
If last year you said, “Dang! That looks cool. Maybe I’ll go do that instead of Kepler”, this is your reminder to pull a finger.
Tarawera Ultra Trail Server On The Brink
The server hosting the Tarawera Ultra Trail Facebook Group is on the brink. It’s struggling to keep up with all the questions about mandatory gear.
Who knew that “High–visibility safety vest—must comply with Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 4602:1999 or AS/NZS 4602:2010 or AS/NZS 4602:2011 as well as Class D/N for day and nighttime wear” would create such confusion?
“What’s a seam seal?” is so 2024.
🥳January Paid Subscriber Giveaway with HYDEE
Congratulations to …
🥳Caitlyn Knox
🥳Rocky Allen
You’ve won a deluxey electrolyte bundle from HYDEE
1 X 30 serving pouch of Everyday Electrolyte
1 X 30 serving pouch of Ultra Electrolyte
2 X 15 ‘On the go’ servings of Everyday & Ultra Electrolyte
A big THANK YOU to all the Paid Supporters who help keep this thing rolling.
If you missed out, you can still Click Here & use the code ‘TRNZ’ for a 20% discount
Upcoming Events
Coast To Coast Mountain Run
Friday, February 7
Over the last two years, it’s been an event fiesta, and the CTC Mountain Run has gotten lost in the thick of it all. But this year’s peculiar scheduling has provided an opportunity to examine the famous CTC Goat Pass Mountain Race.
Full disclaimer: I’m not a goat, and I’ve never set foot in Goat Pass. Luckily, I know a Goat who’s run the pass a time or two.
Introducing Ben Williams. He’s the crazy dude behind The Goat Pass Santa Undie Run Fundraiser, which you may have seen.
He also knows how to get across Goat Pass in a hurry, running 2:45 and change in 2024, not too far off the CR.
I asked Ben to fill in my knowledge gaps … which are vast😝.
Can you give us a run-through of the CTC mountain run course and tell us what terrain you should expect?
“I’ve been over Goat Pass somewhere around 60 to 70 times in the last 9 years, so I roughly know where to go.”
“The West Coast side of the trail mainly consists of riverbed running with sections of technical trail spaced out up to the first checkpoint at Doreen Creek.”
“From here up to the pass itself you mainly follow one track apart from the last 2-3km to the pass where you are in the river clambering over boulders.”
“From Goat Pass there is around 1.5km of board walks included in the 5km of technical trail to the last checkpoint of Dudley’s Knob.”
“From Dudley’s Knob out to the finish line it’s again more river flats and riverbed running. There is about 20 river crossings, depending on what you classify as a river crossing, over the length of the course.”
What advice would you give someone racing this weekend who has never been over the course?
“If you haven’t managed to get over the course before raceday try not to just blindly follow the person in front of you and assume they know where they are going.”
“Glance up every now and then and see if where they are going looks like the best route. Every year I see people in the most random of places and think how did they even end up over there???”
“You don’t need to carry 3 litres of water, drink out of the river. If you need electrolytes put the powder in your bottle and fill it up out of the river when you want it.”
“Try not to stare at where your feet are going the whole day, look up every now and then and enjoy where you are and what you’re doing.”
There you have it, folks. Look where you’re going. Make decisions for yourself. Drink from the river (what’s the worst that will happen? You end up submitting a Worst Run Ever) and run a little bit. Game on.
Click Here for more event details and check out on Facebook
January ‘Worst Run Ever’ Winner by UTMB 🟣CurraNZ
It was a hit last time, so I’ve sent it to the evil overlords at ChatGPT to sort it out again. See below:
You’ve won a box of CurraNZ🟣 for your effort.
You can read Mark’s story here.
From now on, instead of resetting each month, if you’ve submitted a ‘Worst Run Ever,’ your name will stay on the hat for the next draw.
They can be short or long. Funny😂 or sad😭. You can own it, or it can be made anonymous. They can even have a happy ending.
#Mountain Skag Pic Of December & January
Vote for your favourite #mountainskag photo below. I didn’t run the vote in December, so the Top 2 will win this month.
I’ve taken the names off the photos to avoid it being a popularity contest.
#Mountain Skag Pic Of The Week
Now for this week’s winner. It was a tough one with quite a few submissions.
But I’ve gone with this snap submitted by Rachel Bridgewater (taken by James Brewer.)
Sentenial Peak - 1700M over 14 KM.
That’s a fair old whack of the good stuff.
Tag @trailrunning.nz (NOTE THE “.”) and use #mountainskag on Instagram or email trailrunningnz@gmail.com to enter.
Every entry has a chance to win the monthly giveaway of a Mountain Skag T-shirt or hat.
We will be back next week with all the CTC Mountain Run results and a preview of Tarawera, Shotover & Pigs Backyard. It takes hours to write this newsletter but only 8 seconds to forward it to a friend.
P.S. I managed to scan my eyes across the Elite Athletes list for Tarawera this week. Wow wee. It’s gonna go off harder than a Boomer on Newstalk ZB the day after the budget.
P.P.S. I smuggled in a pair of Nnormal Tomirs 01 from Aussie for my friend when I bought some recently. Turns out, he doesn’t know how to measure his feet.
Size 9.5US - never been used. If you want to put me out of my misery, first in, first served. $150 + postage. Reply to this email.