SUCCESSFUL: Lyndsey Anselmi and Janelle Notman after completing the Tarawera Ultra Marathon. PHOTO SUPPLIED
THERE’S something about running that Lyndsey Anselmi and Janelle Notman love.
The pair put their bodies through the ringer constantly, signing up to compete in runs, often full marathons or longer. The recent Tarawera Ultra Marathon was one of their toughest challenges.
Anselmi ran the 102-kilometre course, while Notman tackled the 161-kilometre race, also known as the 100-miler.
Anselmi, who completed a marathon in December as her final event of 2022, said it was a tough race and she headed into it well below full fitness due to a rolled ankle.
She had entered the race many times before, only to pull out due to its lengthy nature. In 2023 she decided to follow through and give it a go.
“I decided to take some concrete pills, harden up and do the 102k ultra event (which turned into 103k with a course change) while Janelle did her 161k event.
“I had entered this distance every year for the past 10 years but had always pulled out because fear got the better of me and I doubted my ability to finish such a long distance. Finishing a marathon is hard enough never mind two full marathons and a half marathon combined on a tough trail course.”
Anselmi had intended to keep up her training throughout December and January, however, an ankle injury thwarted those plans.
“I rested it for a week until the swelling went down and then taped it up and managed to get up to 80-kilometres without any more pain before I tapered off the running before the event.”
She was pleased to tick the run off after years of second guessing and cancelling.
“It was an incredibly tough race, made harder by my sore ankle. There were times where I wanted to give up, but I gritted my teeth, held my nerve, and battled through the pain barriers to finish.”
During the race, Anselmi’s ankle wasn’t playing ball, however, she found a fellow runner who was returning from a broken ankle and stuck with her for the 103km.
The run took her 24 hours, 57 minutes and 54 seconds, a time she wasn’t overly happy with although she was stoked to finish.
“I am proud of myself for having done the race. I only saw Janelle very briefly towards the end at 4am. My husband, Damien, was there too, that certainly helped me push through to the end.”
Janelle, who completed the 161km run in 28 hours, 57 minutes and 45 seconds, said the running was incredibly challenging.
“I am only 30 but I am retiring after this; that is how tough it was,” she said.
“It was the toughest thing I have ever done, mentally and physically. The night section in particular measures you. That time between 2am and 5am when you’ve been awake for over 24 hours is really tough.”
Notman said she gained a second wind when she bumped into her mum about 17km from the finish.
“It doesn’t matter whether you are 5 or 30 – you always need a hug from your mum and I needed one at that moment more than ever. I was so incredibly proud of her at 56 and doing that run. Her doing that gave me all the motivation I needed to get to that finish line.”
Notman said the sacrifices she had made to prepare for the race were huge and although she was stepping back from running for a while, there could still be some runs in the future.
