SWEET RETURNS: Abby Macredie, 18, trains on Sugar Loaf in Napier for the GODZone Adventure Race in Queenstown. PHOTO/Paul Taylor
IN the eyes of many teenagers, exercising is often seen as a poor use of the precious currency of development.
But then Taradale High School pupil Abby Macredie isn't just any teenager and her concept of wellbeing takes workouts to another level, as she prepares to embark on the 500km GODZone adventure race in Queenstown in February.
"I'm with the outdoors and pushing myself through things I haven't done before," says the 18-year-old who will compete in a team of four, including Takapuna Grammar School's Aidan Nicholas, 18, and two Auckland adults, Martin Bowis and Julio Mau.
Calling themselves T-EA-M Transformation, the four will be among 75 other teams of a similar size that must have at least one female member.
Described as the ultimate-expedition length adventure race, the GZ Pure event can take teams up to seven days to complete.
Chapter six starts on Saturday, February 25, and ends on Saturday, March 4, with no support crews for the non-stop racing where organisers anticipate finding the victors within three to four days.
The entry numbers are limited and it can put you out of pocket to the tune of $9500 for a late entry.
Macredie is looking for sponsorship from Hawke's Bay businesses.
The enormity of the task isn't lost on the teenager who will meet the mental and physical requirements to tame the picturesque but demanding terrain of the resort town wilderness.
"It's going to take a lot out of me with a lack of sleep and all sorts of weather," she says, bracing herself for alpine mountain climbing on bikes, rafting in whitewater rapids and negotiating mountain ridges.
Teams will have transition stations where they will be expected to be self-sufficient in supplies, although organisers will transfer gear and equipment such as bikes and kayaks.
However, Macredie says their team will keep their tent handy in case they wish to stop somewhere between stations to sleep.
"We've calculated that in 24 hours we'll need to sleep for three hours because it takes 90 minutes for the body to recover."
She prefers sandwiches but is considering a liquid-based food supplement.
"The less calories you have in racing the better it is for your stomach so the less sick you'll feel.
"I'll eat a lot of lollies, muesli bars and oatie slices," she says with a laugh, factoring in nourishment every half an hour and constantly dehydrating.
Her excitement in entering a race of such a magnitude is mingled with jangled nerves.
"People find their feet develop serious blisters and they pull out.
"I'll keep pushing myself even if I have nothing left."
Macredie has strategies in mind for a course that requires navigational skills with the use of maps and teams free to create their own routes although there's a shorter route to expedite them if the full course looks daunting.
Interaction with three "very friendly" teammates is essential to their success.
Bowis completed GODZone for the first time in April this year.
"GODZone is all about transformation of yourself and your team. You go together on this wild journey of exploring your limits physically and mentally, growing in strength of character and relationship", he says revealing name T-EA-M comes from his start up, which specialises in transformation of people and their business systems.
Her parents will take a flight to Queenstown to cheer her on and will drive back in her car at the end of the race.
"I'll drive down in my car with my gear a month before the race for some training."
Mother Melanie, a sports co-ordinator at Taradale High, and father Jarrod, a builder, are delighted that she is making the most of an opportunity at her age.
Neither parent is into multisport but her mother has always encouraged her from primary school days to enter triathlons and duathlons.
"She knows all about it and how good it is so I entered it and liked it.
"I like the competitive side and it's always challenging and rewarding after training hard," says the Onekawa Primary School pupil.
Macredie's longest race to date has been the two-day Expedition Race for Hillary Challenge although she's done a couple of 24-hour ones as well.
She runs three times a week and matches that in the gym while biking and kayaking twice a week.
"That'll increase as I get closer to the event," she says, planning to engage in multiple-day trainings during the school holidays including one with the team at Tongariro National Park.
It won't surprise Macredie if she graduates to jumping out of aeroplanes or attempting to perform daredevil feats.
"I'm going to university next year so I'll be pretty poor but I don't even see myself giving this sort of thing up."
She intends to pursue a degree in environment planning and geology at either Victoria or Otago University.
"I want to get my family into it too," says the teenager three younger siblings.