Saturday the 25th of July dawned crisp and clear, a perfect winter day in the Southern Lakes.
The sun was shining bright, Lake Wakatipu was a mirror, and snow cover was excellent. Perfect conditions for the Peak 2 Peak multisport race beginning high on the Remarkables Ski Field and finishing at the Coronet Peak Ski Resort approximately 43km off in the distance. I had won the race for the first time in 2007 but was living in Australia last year so didn’t compete. Last year’s winner and runner-up Glen Currie and Phil Wood were back, local Mike Kelly was firing, and friends Gav Mason and Matty Graham would be as strong as always. My goal had to be to win but I was lacking in races having not competed since March and with little high-intensity speed work in training, anything could happen. One thing I knew was it would be a tough day.
Race organiser Geoff Hunt is known for his passion for technically challenging courses and it was no surprise that given the 35cm of fresh snow that had fallen in the week leading up to the event, the ski stage would take us down ‘Homeward Bound’. This black diamond run is steep by any standards and can be an intimidating introduction to the race. So after a steep run down off the top of the ‘Look-out’ peak which overlooks Queenstown and the Southern Alps, athletes made their way to skis and boards and were quickly (or clumsily) on their way down the mountain headed for transition one.
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| Dougal On The Skis Photo: Southern Traverse |
Leading up to the race I had done a few days of skiing, but most of it had been in quite lighter, icy conditions. The clumps of fresh snow and powder from the last few days felt quite foreign under my skis and as a result I found myself upside down, backwards, head first and an array of other not-so-clever positions as I got down with four crashes but most importantly no injuries. Somehow I was about middle of the field heading into the mountain bike stage that descends the Remarks access road.
I was picking my way through the field on the bike while not being too ambitious in full awareness of the potential for disaster that could result if I entered a corner too fast. The windy gravel road was icy at the top and muddy lower down so getting off the hill in one piece was my first priority. Once down onto the tar seal it was time to start pushing the pace on my way to Frankton beach.
By the end of the 17km mountain bike I was getting towards the sharper end of the field but I still had a lot of work to do to get to the leaders. Anticipating a warm day I removed a lot of clothing at the transition to the kayak and was soon off and away trying to find paddling muscles which seemed to be a bit reluctant to get started. I was glad to look across and see Gav Mason next to me as we paddled away from Frankton. Gav and I train together in Wanaka and I knew his monstrous strength in a kayak would both push and help pace me. Over the 7km from Frankton around the point to Queenstown Bay we picked our way through most of the field. My shoulders were burning for the first 3-4km and it seemed I was going to have to dig deep to keep the pace. Luckily I managed to hold on and Gav’s Sharp 6.5 and my Evo Edge hit the sand in Queenstown at the same moment.
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| Dougal Allan During The Run Photo: Southern Traverse |
I jumped into my Asics DS Racer shoes and grabbed a fuel belt as quick as I could and set off to hunt down Mike Kelly who was still the lead individual and was out of sight. I was working very hard to keep pace with Gav for the first kilometre and it seemed my lungs just couldn’t hold the race intensity. I tried to relax my lungs and took a Leppin Squeezy and sipped some Enduro Booster. This certainly helped as I slowly but surely started to find a rhythm and into the hills leading out of Queenstown to Arthur’s Point I managed to drop Gav. I could now see Mike in the distance but I was still doubtful of my ability to catch him. Patiently I tried to keep a strong stride going up the hills and by the last climb I managed to go past Mike and take the lead. It was now my race to lose and I just worked on relaxing my stride and breathing as I headed towards the final transition at the bottom of the Coronet Peak access road.
I checked my Polar RS800 watch and couldn’t quite believe I had run a fast time for the stage as I felt so average the whole way through. But my focus was now whole-heartedly on my final transition onto the bike and the climb towards the finish. My support crew did a wonderful job as they had all day and I managed to get from run to bike stopping only for a couple of seconds to remove my Asics shoes. Once on the bike I was quickly putting my shoes on ‘triathlon-style’ and hitting the start of the 9km hill climb.
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| Dougal Crosses The Finish Line Photo: Southern Traverse |
I was keen to keep cranking the pace as I always know Gav will be strong on the bike. Unfortunately as I clicked up a gear my chain slipped and wouldn’t catch my rear cassette – bugger! I only had my granny gear for the ride, luckily though this was the appropriate gear to use for about 80% of the climb! I was passed by two team riders and my time was a bit slower getting to the Coronet Peak Resort but all that mattered to me was that I had managed to get to the top ahead of the chasers. I was hugely relieved and excited to cross the line as the first individual (4th overall) in the 2009 Peak 2 Peak! After the race I was quick to reach the conclusion that I am lacking in intensity as my body struggled and took about 2 hours to start to feel strong in a race that took 2.20! My training is aimed at the Wulong Mountain Quest in China in September so I will now be looking to add some speed work into my weekly sessions and continue to build towards the upcoming events. Joining me on that journey are my sponsors who I am hugely grateful towards for all their support. If ever in doubt please use these brands that I can guarantee from personal experience will do the best job around!
Cheers,
Dougal Allan
