Spring updates
UK Trip As you can see from recent posts, I’ve been overseas in the UK. A trip that I would have preferred to have been for happier reasons than family illness- but while there I made the most of it . I caught up and re-connected with so many people. Ten years apart from family [...]
Refresh!! dammit!!
Here we go again…at 6.00 am I set my two alarms (yeah two) to go sit in front of the computer. It was about zero degrees in the back study….and I was not impressed. For any of you who were also up at sparrows fart and tried to enter the Kepler Challenge (or Luxmore Grunt) [...]
Mr. Change
It feels like sometime since I’ve blogged and looking back at the past few months- that’s not really the case. BUT …I’ve posted…with some reservation or lack of “something” in my mind. The past six months have been quite challenging both physically and emotionally as I’ve been struggling not only with the certain passing of [...]
Kepler Challenge Video
I want to go back in 2010 so bad! Kepler Challenge 2008. from www.paulpetch.com on Vimeo.
Running in 2010
I’m not one for the whole new years resolutions as I tend to set goals on the fly and just do it. Saying that, I do have some personal running/ fitness goals that I’d like to achieve. 2009 was mental! With 2009 being the nuttiest year yet with regards to my physical challenges, I’m keen [...]
Kepler Challenge – some ultra marathon training tips
Three weeks later It has been nearly three weeks since I completed my very first ultra marathon- the infamous Kepler challenge. I’ve taken a well deserved break with far less activity and I’m now close to feeling fit and eager enough to get back on my feet and mountain bike proper. The week after the [...]
My favourite posts of 2009
Another year nearly over, and what an epic it has been at www.paulpetch.com! Some obvious highlights have been merging of personal blogs into one (that went problem free within 24hrs!), lots of riding, shed loads of running (61.7 KM ultra anyone!) and a rapid increase in internet traffic. The more subtle stuff of 2009 has [...]
Kepler Challenge…I did it!
Ok….an epic post for an epic day………you best go get a coffee :) First things first- I want to thank my wonderful Wife Amy for all of her support during the past 6 months- without it I would not have even got to the Kepler, never mind give it everything on the day! And also [...]
2009 Kepler Challenge Photographs
I set a challenge to run a 60KM Ultra Trail within 6 months and against all the odds- from lack of experience, injuries and getting very sick in the week leading upto the event……I pulled it off in 9.35! Wow what a day! Amy & I have just got back from Te Anau Fiordland after [...]
Four days to the 2009 Kepler Challenge
Well, here I am….just 4 days from the Kepler after close to 6 months preparation and my very first ultra trail run. I wish that the past week had been a good one, but after warning off nasties and injuries for all of these months I’ve been sick in bed for 4 days with a [...]
The aftermath of peaking…
It has now been two weeks since I “peaked” and after the 49km run I had to pick myself up and get out for a further 15KM on the Tuesday. Having run such a long way just a few days prior, this was the last thing that I wanted to do…….and it was obvious that [...]
My first ultra marathon distance of 49KM
After a nice weekend on the mountain bike where I rode a solo to Godley Head, this weeks training has felt much better than the last with a little more juice in the batteries. Tuesday’s “lunchtime” run was a good one and I hit the road to Hagley Park and after several laps I was [...]
Port Hills Crater Rim 30KM trail run
Only a few more weeks now before I start to taper off for the Kepler & I’m really looking forward to it. Since last weekend I’ve clocked up about 75KM which, as you can imagine is a first for me! The Mcleans 12hr mountain bike event last weekend found me racing flat out for 1.5hrs [...]
Nearly 50% of my target distance DONE
A bad week – I want to punch my Podiatrist (again) Last week was full of ups and downs to be honest. Last weekend found me with friends at the Wharfedale Track on the mountain bike and it was a ride worthy of my top ten BEST rides ever. It was a fantastic day and [...]
Taking back control of my running
Since my last post, the ITB issues and knee pain got alot worse. So bad that I could only run upto just 45 mins on (the flat) before the knee pains stopped me in my tracks. My head was spinning with all of these “experts” giving me their advice that was fixing nothing and to [...]
Coaching – running technique
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I had my first meeting with Karen Muller a few weeks back and it was really positive and all about running technique. To be honest, I’ve never really thought about what constitutes the “best” or “optimum” technique, which is silly really seeing as I’ve been riding bikes for [...]
Those aches and pains & how I’m fixing them
Broken? It’s hard not to get frustrated with all the aches and pains that have seemingly come from nowhere since I started to run. Some of which are totally familiar, but some not so. When I say familiar, I’m talking about general fatigue of the muscles after you have pushed them – along side the [...]
Half marathon to ultra trail in 6 months
My first half marathon It was only a few months ago that I decided to start running proper. By proper I mean longer runs at the gym and the park and then my first half marathon at the Christchurch SBS so I suppose you could call it training. A conversation with my good friend Spencer [...]
