Trail Running from Bethells to Te Henga

Another fantastic trail run for me when some friends took me to the Waitakeres for a so-called 'gentle run'. I shall never believe his version of gentle ever again. But he did promise me that there's going to the gorgeous views. I got that. He did not exaggerate at all. I took all these photos with my iphone and they have not been photo-shopped. It was stunning and I had to stop so many times during the course just to take in the views. 

This track is part of the Hillary Trail (named after the great Sir Edmund Hillary) and my friend Josh is training to do a 75km  ultra marathon this autumn on this legendary trail. It is a very rugged and at times challenging route to run. There were some narrow paths that could be a little hazardous if you are not careful and lots of flax that you can trip on and fall on your face. I have tripped a couple of times because there were patches of hollow grounds covered with grass. Thankfully I got away with only a few scrapes. I was wearing my calf guards and when I fell it prevented me from getting a luxurious scrape on my lower leg.

We started our journey at 8amThe total distance we ran/ walk was 16km and took me about 3 hours 15. My friend Josh ran a little further and it took him only 3 hours.

The view of Bethells beach from the track is simply stunning. It beggars believe that nature can be so beautiful in its purest form, harsh and untamed and the same time vulnerable to human actions. I am so darn grateful to live in such a beautiful country that has become my home for the last 12 years. New Zealand Tourism Board might consider me to be a spokesperson to promote the country soon??

Trail running on such a rugged terrain is very new to me, I have only ran on suburban roads.Trail running takes a lot of energy and attention so not to twist my ankles and roll over because I am suck a klutz.

 We finished around 11 a.m and it was scorching because the trails is rather bare with very little shade to hide from the sun. We hopped into the car and drove for a few minutes to Bethells beach and jumped into the cold water. It was an absolute bliss! I am looking forward to a few more trips like this. I feel so energised being out in nature and suck in all the beauty nature has to offer.

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