I've entered the Karapoti Classic

So I've entered the Karapoti Classic 50km mountain bike race for March 2011.

This is a fairly tough and well-respected race in the Akatarawa Ranges near Upper Hutt. Should be fun (if you like that sort of thing), and a big challenge for me. I've already starting working on my fitness; I have a long way to go - not least because this will be the first race I've entered. I'll probably be happy just finishing, but it would be good to get a respectable position in my category, Age Group M30-39. (Also know as Masters 1 Men. Apparently Senior is age 19-29 in mountain biking, and after that you become a Master!)

I'm doing this by bike, not by unicycle. (Well, this first year anyway. I feel I should keep some goals in reserve! Maybe I'll try it on a single-speed bike the next year, then a unicycle. 50km and 1000+m of ascent is an awful long way on a unicycle - really you need to be up there at a Ken Looi world champion sort of level.)

Here's the hellish course map:

Here's the hellish altitude profile:

Sounds like this rescued trailbiker was somewhere on or near the Karapoti course - at the Devil's Staircase or Rock Garden, depending which article had its facts checked properly.

"Too far to walk out", he says. Oh, c'mon - that would only be 25 or 30 km to the Akatarawa Road, following the race course. What are you made of?