Volcanoes : Mt. Mangere (15.84km)

A sunny afternoon, big hill climb up the mountain and wall around the 13km mark.

Time was 1:27:32 (slow pace of 5:31 min/km).

Hit a bit of a wall around 12km mark and everything slowed down. Hadn't had much to eat the day before so perhaps that was it. Crap.

Here is a photo from one of the trig points looking back the way I had come - along the The Old Managere Bridge to the left.
Lots of people fishing from the bridge. The mountain itself has only a rough track up to two different trig points. Its a bit rough and the footing unstable so took care up there.

Next week will see me start on a proper training program for the Run Auckland Series.



Here is the route:

Volcanoes : The Domain - There and Back Again (17.25km)

Technically a volcano but not much of a climb (that came later!). Time of 1:27:01 (5:01min/km). Interesting it seems my "long-run" times are currently hovering around the 5min/km pace. Not that I could maintain that pace for say a marathon but certainly a training base for a half. At that pace a half marathon time would be a little over 1:45.

Mentally I had split this run into 4 stages:

1. Suburban/Urban from my start point in Royal Oak through the suburbs of Epsom and Newmarket to the start of domain drive. (to 5.5km)

Aside from a gradual climb at the start it was all pretty flat. Newmarket was quiet at this time of the morning. (7:00a.m.)

2. The domain itself running a loop round the cone. (to 8.7km)

A few people running and ecercising - good time for it still quite cool. The loop around volcano was pleasant enough.

3. Through backstreets of Newmarket, Remura West, and Epsom (to 13km)

Big steep downhill at Ayr Street which of course meant a correspondingly uphill round the corner through to Remura Road. This compensated for missing out on a climbing a hill.

Calves starting to get a bit sore at this point. This is likely me still getting used to distances approaching the 1/2 marathon.

4. Through Cornwell Park, One Tree Hill back to the start. (to 17.25km)

Bit of a second wind in this stage. A few joggers coming the other way down Puriri Drive.

Here is an aerial photo I pinched off the 'net.





Next Saturday will see a proper volcano in the form of Mt. Mangere. This will also feature some ocean views and a bridge crossing.

Volcanoes : Mt. Albert (13.3km)

As Mr. Ramsey might say: "Mt Albert Hill Run, served with sweat and intestinal fortitude - DONE".

Pace was relaxed at 5.01 min/km and a hot day to go running. Running in the early morning "feels" easier.

The actual summit climb involved a steep climb up "summit road" and then in the park itself a more gradual climb around the perimeter of the volcano to the trig point. Interesting there is an archery range and soccer pitch hidden on the hill.

Here is the view from the trig point:



Here is the route:



Next week will see a visit to the Auckland domain...

Volcanoes : Mt. Roskill (9.04km)

A "tempo" run through Royal Oak, Three Kings, and Mt. Roskill.

Time of 39:59 (4:25 min/km).

The climb up the hill was OK. A sealed road all the way up (quite steep near the top) with a good view as a reward. That's Mt. Eden to the right in the distance.



Here is the route for yesterday's run:

Volcanoes: Mt. St. John, Mt. Hobson (14.93km)

Scorcher! There is a reason why most people aren't stupid enough to go running in the middle of a sunny day. It started off with a gentle breeze but that died away fairly quickly and then it got hot. Still what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Overall pace was on the slow and easy side 01:16:20 (5.06min/km) - still this distance is very much long run territory for me right now.

In keeping in line with the last posts (that is 'Laufen bis der Vulkane') the mission today was to pick a route that took in two small volcanic cones in Auckland that I hadn't visited - Mt. St. John and Mt. Hobson.

The first stage of my run took me through the now familiar Grand Drive a gradual climb through one of the entrances of One Tree Hill. You can run on grass up here which is good for some variation. This leads into Twin Oak Drive which has trail adjacent. Running through the park is great for fresh air. Here is a picture looking back on Twin Oak Drive with the trial to the right.



Around the 6km mark the summit climb to Mt. St. John. This wasn't too bad (it isn't very much of a volcanoe!) and included some steps. Good view. Here is the crater itself from the summit ridge.



Around 8km hit Mt. Hobson this climb had a bit of a rural feel to it following what looked like tractor tracks - a few walkers around probably thinking I was mad running in the heat. The way down was a better track and made me think it was the official route. View from the top to the suburb of Newmarket. The iconic skytower can be seen in the city centre.




The remainder of the run took in suburban streets through Remuera, Epsom, and One Tree Hill. Cut through the park in the other direction from Atarangi Rd.

Legs getting sore in the homeward straight which was a reminder to me about doing too much too soon (i.e. I did the Big King run just 2 days prior). Might take a 2 or 3 day break...

Here is the route:

Volcanoes: The Hit List

After recent hill runs up three small Auckland volcanoes (e.g. Mt. Eden, One Tree Hill, Big King) I thought it might be interesting to knock a few more of the bastards off - perhaps one a week. Having lived in Auckland most by life I hadn't actually climbed to the top of most of these.

In some ways this is inspired by the Auckland City Volcanoes Challenge . This might be a fun thing to enter in 2008 if it is around the same time.

Anyway here is a hit list of volcanoes:

One Tree Hill (Maungakiekie) - 23 December 2007
Mt Eden (Maungawhau) - 23 December 2007
Three Kings - Big King Reserve (Te Tatua a Riukiuta) - 28 December 2007

* Mt Hobson (Remuwera)
* Mt St John (Titikopuke or Ohinerau)
* Mt Roskill (Puketapapa)
* Mt Albert (Owairaka)
* Mt Smart (Rarotonga)
* Mt Wellington (Maungarei)
* Auckland Domain (Pukekaroa)

This one is not on the volcano challenge (it is on the other side of the harbour and accessible by bridge). I'm still going to climb it though...
* Mt Mangere

Volcanoes: Big King (10.35km)

Today was a nice sunny day so I figured a new route including another volcano climb. This time it was "Big King" an iconic site in the area with a big water tank at the top.

The run itself was a little over 10.35km in 48:37 a pace of 4:41 min/kms.

Here is the view from the top looking towards Mt. Eden (climbed on 23-Dec-07). The path at the bottom of the photo shows the track on the way up to the top.



Around the 6km mark the track had a gravel section far about 500m before existing at the back of the Three Kings shopping centre.

The Three Kings area has been drastically quarried over the years for the red scoria it contains, and only one of the three large peaks (Big King) remains today, largely because of the water tank that was built on its summit at the beginning of the 20th century

And here is the route itself...aside from the Big King the rest was padding for the 10km :)