Cape Reinga to Bluff in 66 days is no easy feat
Few of us can contemplate challenges on a scale Lucy Clark does. Even fewer of us tackle them.
But all of us can understand the stress, worry, and fear that comes with facing something that is pushing you outside your comfort zone.
Clark recently became the fastest woman to complete Te Araroa Trail, the journey of more than 3000 kilometres from
Cape Reinga to Bluff.
The Australian took just 66 days, 7 hours, 8 minutes to complete the trail, 11 days faster than the previous, impressive record, of Wellington’s Mina Holder.
(The two actually shared a special bond, as Holder gave Clark tips and hints before she embarked on her journey, then joined her for part of the run).
Co-host Matt Rayment and I spoke with Clark on the Dirt Church Radio podcast this week.
Despite ticking off such a huge achievement, she is a down-to-earth person who is open about the difficulties she faced. In fact, in a blog about her journey (as Adventurous Lucy), she wrote about how things started inauspiciously on day one.
As she tried to navigate craggy rocks near the top of the country, broiling surf around her, she saw fear in husband Tom’s eyes.
‘‘I retreat quickly and immediately start bawling my eyes out...again,’’ she wrote. ‘‘It’s day one. I’m three kilometres into my 3000km run across New Zealand and I have already cried about six times. Geez, this is going to be a long trip.’’
In the first week especially, she also struggled with loneliness.
‘‘I’d spend six or eight hours on the trail by myself in surroundings I’m not familiar with, and then, yes, I’d see my husband in the evening, but then I’d get up and do it by myself again.
‘‘It has made me really value being able to go out and run with my friends and my husband and not take that for granted.’’
Of course, there were times when she was joined by others – strangers who connected with her on social media, or friends who came over from Australia.
And there were plenty of good times. Beautiful stretches of trail. Time in campgrounds with Tom, who supported her from a campervan and sometimes ran with her. Kayaking down the Whanganui River (it’s officially part of the trail).
And, best of all, a moonlit night on a track in the Tararua Ranges with Tom – her favourite part of the trip.
But there were also moments when it was harder than she ever contemplated.
She’d suffered from periods of anxiety for years, since she was about 18. While she hadn’t experienced any bouts for about four years, there were times on
the trail when it came back strongly.
‘‘It was mainly a lot of the time when I was by myself or times I had a little too much time to think and I would spiral out of control a little,’’ she told us.
One example was on the Cook Strait crossing, immediately after she’d finished the North Island in an excellent 34 days. She’d spent time with Mina Holder – and was excited about what lay ahead.
But doubts crept in.
‘‘I got on to the ferry and I was reading stuff about the Richmond Ranges and Nelson Lakes and I just got myself really worked up in a tizz and stressed out about what was coming up. I was focusing on all the things that might go wrong.
‘‘And, would you believe, none of them went wrong. It was completely fine but it got the better of me at times.’’
By the end of the trip, she had taught herself that, sure, things might go wrong, but she could problem-solve them when they did, and just get on with it in the meantime.
What a valuable thing to crack. It’s like a superpower and it’s one other way she has come away from this remarkable journey empowered.
‘‘Doing this big trip really has just opened my eyes more to think if there are things I want to do, regardless of how crazy they are, I can go and do them.’’
We may not get the opportunity (or be brave enough) to tackle adventures on the scale Lucy does, but we should always embrace adventures – who knows what they will teach us?
Eugene Bingham and Matt Rayment are hosts of Dirt Church Radio. Learn more at dirt churchradio.com or get in touch via email dirtchurchradio@ gmail.com