"It was just a matter of staying in one piece."
Butcher's build-up started in February and in the past four months he averaged over 156km a week and included two or three gym sessions and three or four walking sessions. Several of the running stints were at distances of more than 90km. There was one extra big session with Brenda Farley, who was preparing for the 24hr walk at the national champs. In a 13-hour effort they walked the Rimutakas twice in one day.
Butcher says it took him three to four hours to become comfortable on the stadium track as the surface was hard on his legs. On numerous occasions during the night he was forced to have his legs massaged "just to keep them going".
He also had to endure being sick at about the midway stage - something he can't recall - and he was grateful for the help from his support crew of Helene Dore and Carol MacDonald who ensured his food intake was spot on.
"Without them I would have keeled over, I wouldn't have been able to nothing like the distance I did."
For Butcher much of his effort remains a blur with the focus simply being on moving forward but he does have good memories of the last four hours.
"The sun comes up and you get a new lease of life ... and you also know you are getting close to the finish. I was still running okay at the end."
He was anticipating Viv Cheng from Wellington being a big threat as she had run further than him in the past and she was close at hand until the last few hours.
She won the women's title with a distance of 192km while the second best male was 31km in arrears of Butcher.
Butcher is not sure if he will make the trip to Poland.
"I had great support in Auckland and that will be very hard to replicate there. Right now I'm going to sit back and enjoy the rest of the Rugby World Cup."
Athletics Masterton had a powerful presence at the Auckland event with Farley in the 24hr walk and Rowan Skinner, Doug Johnson and Ray Haste in the 6hr run. Farley finished fourth overall in her race with 134km and it was a gutsy effort considering that tiredness and soreness caught up on her over the last two hours.
Her feet were taped three times during the night to stop the blisters coming through but she was still showing good walking technique at the end.
Skinner was competing in her first ultra-marathon race and with only one marathon behind her. She enjoyed the experience and was fourth woman home in the 6hr race, covering 53.6km.
Johnson too was debuting in an ultra-marathon after having competed in just the one marathon.
His build-up was affected by injury but some good training sessions in the last month paid off and he finished fourth male in his 6hr race, covering 59.6km.
He will now turn his attention to preparing for the Taupo Ironman next March.
Haste, an experienced marathon runner in his youth, travelled to Auckland as a supporter but decided to run the 6hr race as well and considering his minimal training did well to place ninth male with 43.6km.
