Week 18 - Neverest

Running:  Year to Date

Distance:  1,734.8 km in 18 weeks at ave  96.4 kms ( down from 97.9 kms in week 17 )

Last week:  70.35 kms

Altitude:  40,672 metres in 18 weeks at ave  2,260 metres  ( up from 2,147 metres in week 17 )

Last week: 4,174 metres !!!

Neverest was held on Mt Ainslie last Saturday, a fund raising event for the people of Nepal devastated by the earthquakes last year.
The plan was to do as many ascents up and down the mountain as you wanted. There were 4 or 5 aiming to do the full distance, 53 laps at 170 metres of vertical to exceed the height of Mt Everest at 8,828 metres.
Originally I looked at getting to 6,000 metres, about 38 laps.
I started just after sunrise, not wanting to run too much in the dark. Steep down hill with many rocks to clear each lap meant plenty of concentration. A lap of down and back up was just over 2 kms with around 155 metres of altitude according to my Garmin.
I can't remember each lap, but the first few were covered in about 22 minutes and this slowly drifted out to around 33 minutes by the finish.
I completed 27 laps, 55 kms, just over half way in 11 hours 37 mins. That meant over 4,000 metres of climbing. I probably lost 80-90 minutes in drinking, eating & talking time.
It wasn't a race, just do what you wanted. Some of the solos stopped short of the full distance, but well in front of me. Wonderful effort by all concerned.
Some teams did it all together, some alternated each lap, some mixed up running laps with bike riding laps to get the full altitude. Very creative.
As I said after last year's Neverest on Stockyard Spur, and applies again this year, this event is one of my favourites, a top 5 of all time in my athletic career.
Being a mature aged competitor mixing it with young university students, and keeping up with them all day, a great feeling.
It was a tough day, up and down the mountain. Loved every minute of the day, great people, great purpose, great conditions.
Biggest altitude gain in an event for me ever, over 4000 metres making it the biggest week ever as well. Plus making April the biggest altitude month ever with 13,157 metres.
Gotta love the vert.