Hawkins Hill is one of the highest points in the Wellington city area. At the peak of the hill is a distinctive radar installation, known colloquially as “the golf ball”.
I have wanted to take a closer look at the golf ball for several years but, despite having many conversations on the topic, have never made the effort to get up there. So when the opportunity arose for an off-the-cuff long run I immediately started making plans to take a closer look.
I needed to find a suitably difficult, long-distance run in order to test a couple of new products that I had received. The first product is one that I have been trying to locate for some time – SaltSticks capsules.
SaltStick capsules (or “caps” as they are often referred to) are designed to resemble the nutrients that the body loses when we sweat. They are taken to fend-off the effects of dehydration; namely cramps and fatigue. A lot of articles that I have read on the web and in magazines refer to SaltSticks as being the premier product on the market, and so I was keen to try them out for myself. After much searching, I finally managed to find a supplier in New Zealand – www.triconnection.co.nz. I ordered a couple of bottles and started to look for a suitable test run.
When my order of SaltSticks arrived I was surprised to see that Paul from TriConnections had included four sample Bonk Breaker bars. I must admit that I had never heard of this product – but I always love a freebie, so I decided to test the bars out on my weekend long run as well.
So, with two new products to test I started to plan out my run. I wanted distance, and I wanted climb. I immediately thought of the radar installation on Hawkins Hill, and a plan was formed. I followed SH2 from Avalon, Lower Hutt into Wellington city. From there, I headed into Brooklyn and up through Central Park. I continued to climb for some time until I passed the wind turbine above Brooklyn. From there, I followed the Hawkins Hill road all the way to the radar installation.
The elevation profile for the run shows just how flat the run from Lower Hutt to Wellington is – practically no change in altitude at all. That all changed once I headed up Brooklyn Hill though, and the climb continued for another 10km beyond that point.
So how did the SaltSticks and Bonk Breaker perform? Well, I really enjoyed the run, and felt fresh enough at the 42km mark to seriously consider continuing back into Lower Hutt on foot. Sanity prevailed, and I caught a ride back with my wife – but I would normally be shattered after a run of this length and difficulty. I was using one SaltStick capsule every forty minutes, and I ate the Bonk Breaker at the top of Hawkins Hill i.e. about 2hrs 30 into the run. I did not experience any cramps, and both products were easy on the stomach.
There are many factors that determine how a runner feels during and after a long run; the heat of the day, what they ate for breakfast, strength and direction of the wind etc etc. All of these factors make it difficult to point to a performance product and say “this made my run easier”. But I felt so good at the end of this run that I’m going to say it anyway – I’m not sure if it was the SaltSticks or the Bonk Breaker that made the difference, but I am sold on both products. I’ll be sure to pack both before hitting the trails for a long run in the future.
