Winter of Content
The Paul family, en masse, signed up for Auckland's XTERRA Trail Run/Walk Series and became trail runners
last winter. It might just be the best thing they ever did.
GREGOR PAUL with the story…
It shouldn't really have been a surprise that our six year-old was able to spring a surprise. He's got form in
the area of being entirely random.
A typical day starts with him forfeiting the niceties of a traditional greeting so he can get straight on with
the serious business of quizzing you about the 10 largest countries in the world.
He'll usually want a test about European and African capital cities before breakfast and then hypothesise
why it was the dinosaurs became extinct. The origins of the First World War can often take up a bit of time
to work through and there will be endless questions on the Titanic – most pertinently focused on how it
was exactly the crew failed to see a bloody big iceberg.
This is not a typical six-year-old and as such, the family has become used to Lachie's capacity to be a bit
different. And yet, even with that expectation, he managed to flummox everyone when he chose, without
pressure, a trail run ahead of a birthday party.
His options were – be dropped off at his friend's house, go to 'Jump' and then eat copious amounts of party
food. Or, come with the rest of the family to Totara Park and push himself to the extreme edge of his
physical limits on a 7.5km trail walk/run.
When he went with the latter it said everything about the hypnotic power of the Auckland Xterra Series.
Totara Park was the third in the programme and having done the other two – Shakespear Park and
Riverhead – Lachie was hooked. His sister's – Mackenzie [11] and Isla [9] - were, too. As was mum – Fiona.
The unthinkable had happened – I had lured them all into my world. And it wasn't even hard. They were
out there doing it, loving it, wanting to come back.
This was a better result than expected. This was possibly too good to be true, but then again, what wasn't
to like?
Kids never seem to appreciate that what drives them, what they really love, is pushing their boundaries.
They'll moan a fair bit. Say they don't want to do things, that they can't, won't and never will and yet come
Sunday May 24 all five of us were in the car on our way to Shakespear Park and by God there was even a
hint of excitement from the back seat.
I was running the Super Long – everyone else doing the short walk and this is pretty much why the Series
works: there's something for everyone.
Whatever trail running started as; whatever preconceptions die hards and the insanely committed hold,
more and more it is going to reposition itself as an activity for everyone.
Event providers aren't going to survive just catering for the super tough. In an alternative universe what
could have happened on Sunday May 24 is that I jumped into the car on my own, ran for two hours with a
bunch of grizzly, older men trying to pretend we were tougher than we really are, jumped straight back into
the car and drove home to a frosty reception for being away all morning.
Instead, what happened was that the whole family went together. Once we got there, there was a definite
modern, funky vibe. The set up screamed inclusive. There was no sense of this being an event specifically
set up for any group in particular. Tall, short, man, woman, old, young, beginner or expert – it didn't matter,
you were welcome.
And nor was there any sense of event hierarchy. Us grizzled types were able to head off first at 9am and
plod our way over rocks, more bloody rocks, sand and then some rather steep farmland.
Personally, I thought I was pretty bloody heroic, but refreshingly, no one else did. That's the whole point of
XTERRA – everyone is there to achieve what they want to achieve. Running the super long is my thing. For
Fiona and the kids, their thing was walking the short course and they were just as elated and proud of what
they managed as I was.
The best bit was that I finished with just enough time to grab a drink and do enough to fake making it look
like the whole thing had been a bit of a breeze, and then see everyone else cross the finish line. It was neat.
Kids can't fake a thing when it comes to emotion and these kids were happy. They were proud. They were
partly amazed I suspect that they had found it relatively easy and were instantly talking about how they
would run more in the next event.
Some of their excitement was driven by the knowledge that as they had finished, they could get in the
queue for a sausage [and I could grab the beer I'd been thinking about since I hit the last stretch of beach
over which I had to drag my carcass].
Best of all, by the time we all had our respective mitts on the respective freebies, the sun was finally
shining, the tunes were booming out – nice mix of classic material for the old timers – and no one was in
any particular rush to go anywhere.
The kids wanted to swap stories about what they had encountered. They were, frankly, elated: genuinely
impressed with themselves and way more taken with the experience than they thought they'd be.
As for the adults – well, me – I was in no rush because my legs were quivering after those bloody rocks and
those bloody hills followed by that bloody sand. It had been tough but good tough: the kind of tough that
leaves the body acutely aware that it's been asked to step up. That pleasant ache that real men of the land
and proper working types feel at the end of each day but pen pushing dandies like myself have to try a little
harder to create.
There was no need to sell the rest of the series to the kids. They wanted in – as evidenced by Lachie's
decision to come to Totara Park.
By then, there was even a feeling of everyone becoming a little competitive. It wasn't enough for the kids
just to complete it – they wanted to beat each other; go that bit harder and faster. I was of course more
than a little proud of this attitude and even more proud when the weekend before the fourth event in the
series, the kids asked if we could go on a trail run to prepare.
Unbelievable – I hadn't imagined that would be possible but to my, frankly, amazement, we found ourselves
spending an hour and a half on One Tree Hill running up, down and around and not a single whine to be
heard.
The XTERRA Series has been fantastic for us as a family. Every third Sunday we know what it coming and
have honed our routine. The organisation of each event has been faultless: from the signposting to actually
get there; the ease of parking; the ability to leave kit so close to the finish line and then of course the prizes
and freebies after.
Personally, I have come through the winter in great shape – lighter and fitter than I have ever been in adult
life. It has taken me some time to learn the ways of the trail – to respect the difficulty of each event and
understand that my legs will die somewhere along the way yet I'll have to find a way to keep moving.
My favourite event was the fourth in the series at Waiuku. I had never been before and had little
expectation. There was something about it, though, that appealed to me: perhaps the wildness of the
beach.
It reminded me of where I grew up on the North coast of Scotland – a raging wind, crashing waves and this
austere, somewhat hostile beauty. It was the longest event of the series, too and on the day, it ran
particularly long and tough.
The only downside was that Lachie [he ran with his auntie] and I were the only two who made it. Kenzie
had broken her arm, Isla had flu and Fiona and turned her ankle so they were stuck at home.
But I'm kind of glad they didn't get the chance to see me cross the line. I looked like death not particularly
warmed up by the time I hauled myself to the finish line.
It was a tough old morning but I, even if it was only just, still managed to knock the bastard off.
What a great winter. What a great series. What a great result that the family now thinks of itself as a trail
running family.
Seven Great Things about XTERRA Series:
1. There is an appropriate event for everyone regardless of age, size, experience and fitness level.
2. Fantastic opportunity to get outdoors and be active with the kids.
3. Chance to discover parts of the greater Auckland region you would never normally go to or even
know about.
4. Variety of courses across the series – rock-hopping and hills, mud, mud, mud, farmland and parks,
forests and beach.
5. Take the kids out of their comfort zone and let them see that they can achieve things they thought
they never could.
6. Easy to find, well sign-posted and well organised in regard to parking, leaving kit and all the other
logistics that can be stressful.
7. Brilliant set up post-race – music [good music], food, beer and massage.
Favourite Event
Gregor: Waiuku
Why: “Was wild and unkempt. Great mix of terrain – beach, forest and an almost industrial vibe with the
heavy equipment in places. Was long, tough and hugely rewarding.”
Fiona: Totara Park
Why: “It wasn't too far from Auckland, was achievable yet challenging.”
Mackenzie (11): Shakespear Park
Why: “I really liked the reserve where we sat at the end. It was beautiful and cool fun to be sitting down
with everyone. And I liked the course because it was proper trail – no roads.
Isla (9): Riverhead
Why: “I Loved running in the mud.”
Lachie (6): Waiuku
Why: “There were lots of fallen trees to walk over. I liked it in the forest.”