Rakahuri Rage

20/3/16

Yesterday  (20/3/16) I did the Rakahuri rage. It is a off road cycling race fund-raising for north Canterbury. In the race it is mixed ages and skills. You go in teams and do a lap, then come back and tag your team mate and then they do a lap. You do this until time is up and every team got 6 hours. The people who went first had to line up at the start and do the course and an extra 2.5 km to spread out the riders. I lined up surrounded by adults who had skins on and sponsored shirts looking pro. I was feeling nervous and excited. Then we were off! I kept a good pace and slowly overtook quite a lot of people. I didn’t go as fast because I had to do an extra 2.5 km. There were some steep hills which were hard work because you would slow down to go around a bend and then.. Bam! The hill is in front of you. I made all of them just. I went around another bend and a marchal steps onto the track! Luckily for me I have cat like reflexes. I carried on, going a bit faster. I come to a hill again which was even steeper and then go down it which made me go really fast! I hit a bump and got a lot of air! While I was in the air a guy dressed in a spiderman costume came past me going even higher! I came out of the forest area and ahead I could see all the brightly coloured gazebos. They still were quite far away. From where I was to the gazebos it was a straight with one little hill going down. My knees were aching but I carried on. Soon the gazebos were next to me and I had to go around to find the Loburn School gazebo. I found it and skidded to a halt right in  front of Hugh, one of my teammates. I gave him a high five and he was off. In my team of 3 there was me, Hugh and Samuel. I limped over to Samuel ( because my knees had seized up ) and asked him what my time was he went over to our time manager and came back. My time was 31 minutes including that extra 2.5 km. I collapsed in a heap and ate some food. I had 2 and a half bottles of water!

I looked at the map to see the track I had to do which was different because it wasn’t the extra 2.5 km map. The orange is the extra bit every person who went first had to do on the first lap. The other colour is the normal circuit.

Before long it was my turn again! I limped over to my bike and waited for Samuel to come. Sure enough he came and he didn’t brake in time and nearly smashed into me! He gave me a high five and I was off I passed spider man's team who also had captain america, green lantern and hulk. I went quite a bit faster this time. I came to the start of the woods and went in. The temperature difference was amazing! It was at least 28 outside but in the woods it felt so nice and cool. I was coming up to a bump and a guy overtook me and jumped on it and went sideways and landed it! About halfway through the track I heard a CLUNK and then i was peddling so fast but not going anywhere. I realised what it was, my chain. I stopped and went of the track so I wouldn’t be hit by anyone coming. I looked at my chain. I stopped, what chain? My chain had come off and I couldn’t see where it had gone. I looked in the dirt and there was a weird trail in it. I followed it into the bushes and found...My chain! I walked back to my bike and tried to get it on. I did ( eventually ) and carried on. I came to a straight in the forest and a hedgehog was on the track. Luckily for him he was following the race rules and was on the left. I carried on and came to the gazebos again. I came to the Loburn school tent and tried to stop but instead I crashed into Hugh! I high fived him and he was off! I checked my time which was 25 minutes and sat down and had lunch. Before long I had done my 5th lap I was waiting for Samuel but by the time he had come back there wasn’t enough time for me to do another lap. Disappointed I sighed and sat down. We tidied up and went to the prize giving. My dad won a spot prize and chose a $60 bike torch. Heller's gave out free burgers and sausages down the back and I snuck out of prize giving and went there. I came back and the rest of my team had left and then they announced the winners for the primary section. A Sefton team came 1st, a Loburn team 2nd and my Loburn team 3rd! I came to collect my prize (and my teams) and got the podium all to myself! When it was over i gave a sigh of relief and dragged myself to my car. I’ve never drunk so much water in my life! I drunk 6 and a half bottles of water!

(Me racing on the track)                (Me waiting at the transition area for my turn)


(Me waiting at the transition area for my turn)

(Me giving a speech to the racers)      ( My team and I, Samuel, Hugh and me)