Saa-weet!! I booked a place for that night.
Upon leaving I drove through town and like I said before NZ's hours are 9-5. Ghost town, however this is Sunday and it's family day there so everything is closed. Love that!! Remember how I mentioned how windy and crazy the roads were? Well this little sheep was standing in the middle of my lane when I was getting back on the main surface roads. Must have gotten loose but he quickly shimmied up the hill. They're really skiddish.
It took about 2 hours to get to Hunterville, arrived around 9:40 which left me time to chill, go get my race number, and use the restroom. The run didn't start until 10.
The line of people you see in the picture...yup we're the only crazy ones that are doing a half marathon. I've never been that little of a group, very intimidating, they were all locals!!
This is around the 5k mark, first water stop. About a mile up I saw this cow to my right. Luckily I took my camera during my run and had to stop to take a photo. Holy Oreo Cow!!
This was another view of my run. This was about mid way up the hill and that's when all hell broke loose with my nose. I think it was due to the elevation (at home I'm at only 25 feet above sea level). Pushing myself too much could have contributed to this as well. I've had nose bleeds at home from this. As you can see it didn't stop me. You just keep running and wipe the blood off the face as it comes.
This is around the 5k mark, first water stop. About a mile up I saw this cow to my right. Luckily I took my camera during my run and had to stop to take a photo. Holy Oreo Cow!!
This was another view of my run. This was about mid way up the hill and that's when all hell broke loose with my nose. I think it was due to the elevation (at home I'm at only 25 feet above sea level). Pushing myself too much could have contributed to this as well. I've had nose bleeds at home from this. As you can see it didn't stop me. You just keep running and wipe the blood off the face as it comes.
At the 10k (6.5 mile) aid station I got some water and everyone was like are you okay, did you fall, should we call someone? I said nope just a nose bleed I'll be fine, have to keep truckin'. I waved and kept running. Then I hear in the background someone say Crazy American Girl! Yup! That's me!
After I went into the hotel you see behind me and took a sponge bath in their restroom and changed, I felt refreshed.
As I got into my car to head to the next destination I decided to change it up a bit. I was planning on heading west but I decided to head back up north to Lake Taupo and stay there. I just fell in love with that place while I was passing through.
About 45 min into my drive I came to Gravity Canyon in Moaki. I had checked out their website before my trip and thought, yes it's expensive but #1 if I'm in the area I'll do it and #2 you're in NZ live a little! So I did. I did the swing!
It actually helped out a lot! I was running on fumes and getting sleepy from a late night and having finished a hilly half marathon so the adrenaline kicked in and I was ready for my drive. I checked in and went and took a long hot shower. I was also reminded quickly co-ed bathrooms when the other two people that were showering were guys. Right!
I decided it was time to wash some dirty as well as stinky sulphur clothes. I put them in a long wash and still to this day with 5 washings...my clothes STILL smell like sulphur! RATS!!!
As you see below this was where I was staying for the night. Take a look at how close we were to the lake...just a few blocks away. One of my dorm mates invited me to go to the local pub with a bunch of people from her bus but after I ate dinner and got settled in I knew I wasn't going anywhere. She actually came back super early and all four of us in my dorm were asleep by 10pm and it felt great!!
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