You Yangs 50km 2011

I was secretly very happy this year when the You Yangs 5050 was postponed due to flooding in July because it meant a) I had more time to train and b) It would fit in nicely as a decent long run before GOW which is 4 weeks after.

Unfortunately (what I thought was) my achilles troubles has been holding me back from specific running training. I've been hitting the trails once a week, aiming for difficult terrain with GOW in mind. I've run in ankle deep mud, through thunder, hail and snow, and climbed up hills that would have been easier with an ice pick. Although I haven't done long distances, I've done long times!

Last weekend was the You Yangs 50km and I was terribly under prepared. Since my running partner for most of this year is in hospital due to a tragic experience in a race, I did this for her. I have done some crazy runs with Kate this year, and her strength always amazes me. It doesn't matter how tiring it all is, how long and steep the hills are, she just keeps going. Running when able, walking the hills the rest of the time. So this year even though I knew I would be slow at the You Yangs, when the going got tough, I always asked myself, "What would Kate do?".

The course changed again this year, and I think for the best. I liked NOT going to the top of the hill and back multiple times, and I enjoyed the technical circuit around the hill. The first 10km went quite well for me. Although slow, I was feeling good. At 15km I was still feeling good and hopeful I was on track for under 8 hours. At the half way point, although I was starting to get even slower (how is that possible?) I was still on track for under 8 hours and I thought if I could just keep running on the flats and downhills that I would be ok.

My achilles (which now isn't that... more later) issues meant my running speed was walking pace. I had no power in my right leg and I was going so slow that I was naturally breathing through my nose much of the time. There is a section through gum plantations that is quite flat. Flat bits are a problem for me as you really need to keep up your momentum. I just couldn't do it. At 30km I was feeling ok but then at 40km I was back at the plantation area and it was a real struggle. I ran as long as I could (at walking speed), while knowing that Kate would be running there too. It was so unnaturally slow but I just did not have the power in my right leg to run at any normal running pace.

At around 45km I started walking. This run was much harder than it should've been. There were (dare I say it) too many flat runnable bits! I realised I was going to be way over 8 hours and decided my ultra career is over until I sort out this leg problem. If you can't train, you can't run at any speed. My leg strength from weight lifting enables me to complete these distances, but is not enough to actually run properly. Getting over the injury and being able to run in training is the only thing that is going to help.

I decided I would pull out of GOW this year. I couldn't get my money back on the accommodation so worked out a really nice weekend away. I even planned some nice walks and it was going to be the relaxing holiday I've been in need of all year! At this point in the race, I had reached a calm. This was it for me! The last long race of the year! Yeah!

With Kate in mind, I still kept running when able, and walking when I couldn't. I don't know what time I crossed the finish line, but I wouldn't be surprised if I came dead last! I quickly found Andy to withdraw from GOW before I changed my mind. But he told me to think about it... ugh.....

So anyway, since then I have had some acupuncture and it's been discovered that my achilles is fine. A bit thicker than usual, but functionally fine. It's the flexor hallucis longus that has been killing me. This muscle originates near the calf behind the achilles so it has been making me think the achilles is to blame. This makes perfect sense as I had problems with my big toe a long time ago, and it is still quite tight and inflexible. Now the source of the pain has revealed itself, the acupuncturist reckons it wont take long to fix. I am hopeful this time! And I am doing GOW! Even though I shuffle at a snails pace, provided I don't get lost, it will still be enough to make the cutoffs.

Mt Macedon Trail Run 30/50km

Yesterday was the Mt Macedon Trail Runs. I entered the 50km, thinking it would be fine. The last time I went for a run was my last post - 6 weeks ago. At least then I was running 1-2 times per week including hills or intervals. Since then I focused on a grueling hypertrophy program, often spending over an hour at the gym every single day. The volume got to me and I got sick twice in 2 weeks. Then somehow I still thought I didn't need to run in order to complete 50km. What a stupid idea!

It was so cold at the start line, there was frost on the ground. I wore my arm sleeves for the whole run, which is very unusual for me. At the race briefing Brett warned us about some sections. I am not good at paying attention here as it is always a bunch of words that don't mean anything until you're out there.

Once we were off I felt awkward from the start. I was wearing my MW101 trail shoes, but despite being minimalist, they felt clunky compared to my usual flats. My fingers were freezing and I was trying to find a good spot in my pack to keep my Garmin watch (since it is almost dead and I knew the batteries would go flat so I just wanted what data it could manage but didn't want to wear it). The ground surface was really nice and soft, and it was such a pleasure to run on. I was thinking about this, while my frozen fingers fumbled with my watch, when I literally fell into last place. My main concern was not landing in kangaroo poo. I managed to land on some rocks, with massive scrapes on both thighs. Fortunately it was so cold, I couldn't feel if anything hurt. In hindsight, I think Brett mentioned something about being careful about the rocks in the first 200 metres.

It took about an hour for my achilles to warm up. It was really painful to start with but I have been vigilantly doing my achilles exercises for the past week so I was able to run the rest without achilles pain. I quickly caught up ahead of a few people and finally settled into a rhythm.

The hills in this run are so mean. Both up and down. Some of the downhills were not even runnable. I found one was very smooth dirt, and everyone was sliding down. I was stepping carefully on the grass on one side, whilst holding onto ferns for balance.

It was very windy out there, and after Hells Hole, on the top of Mt Towrong, it was very exposed and it was very chilly. Climbing back down was difficult as I was being blown about in the wind, while trying to navigate the tricky rocky trail. My legs were feeling shaky and unstable from my trail shoes and the fall early on so I was taking every step very cautiously.

At about the 20km mark I considered dropping out at 30km. I just felt so slow and cumbersome (remember, 3 weeks of hypertrophy training and 6 weeks of no running or metabolic work of any sort). This should really have felt comfortable and the run just wasn't working for me.

Look, no knuckles! Does anyone know what causes or how to cure the hand swelling in some long events?

Heading up the Zig Zag track, I decided that even if I made the 30km cut off time, I would drop out there. 50km would have been unnecessarily torturous.

I missed the cut off by about 7 minutes. Brett said I could continue but I said no way. I think at least 3 others DNF'd at 30km.

It really was a lovely trail and it renewed my enthusiasm for trail running and ultras. I feel like I have run a lot of crap races recently and it's time for me to step it up. I want to run comfortably again and I'm going to hit the hills and trails a lot more often now. The You Yangs 50km is on in 6 or 7 weeks. I originally thought I might volunteer in this but now I am going to train and I am going to do it well.

45km Mt Dandenong

I've clearly been hanging around the wrong crowd lately. Yesterday I went for a 45km training run with Kate at Mt Dandenong. I have never done any long runs there before because it is all hills. For some reason I forgot about the hills when I thought it would be a good idea to do it. I also forgot that even if the weather's good, it is always muddy in some sections and it would have been smart to wear trail shoes instead of racing flats.

We met near Sky High and had a loop in mind, taken from the Moonwalk charity race. Our run started off really nice and it felt so easy like we could go forever. We were taking it easy but I think it felt so good because at this stage we were mostly heading downhill.

At around 7km we came across this funny looking wombat who looked like he'd been in a few fights. Wombats are so rare and this is the first time I've seen one in Victoria. He didn't mind that we went up close and I stuck my phone in his face for photographs.



Our loop was mostly pleasant. We went through an arboretum which had lovely deciduous trees in all their autumn glory. We also passed through another public garden that had stunning trees and I think I'll have to go back there soon.

From about half way I really got fatigued. I was so proud of myself for actually remembering to pack food and even having breakfast before setting off (I never eat before a run) that I forgot my salt caps. I was drinking plenty but the hills were taking their toll. We climbed up Heartbreak Hill, which was just a taste of what was to come next.

There was the Mofo-Hill-Of-Death that climbed nearly 200m in about 2km. I am pretty good at getting hills done but that one was so bad that Kate passed me, and I was counting 50 steps at a time before letting myself take a 2 second breather.

There were more terrible hills, even worse than that. At one point I thought I needed an ice pick to climb it. My Garmin died early on so I don't have data of the other steep hills.

I don't usually drink much water and I was glad I took my Nathan pack so I could fill my water bladder without it feeling too heavy. I drank all my water and at about 4km to the end I had to fill up from "not safe to drink" water. Normally I wouldn't fuss about 4km without water but those last 4km were all up up up and were going to take a long time. So I took the risk and I haven't died yet.

My tibialis anterior were cramping from a combination of hills and no salt caps. I'm surprised that my achilles didn't give much grief so I guess my method of low frequency and low mileage is at least doing some good.

It was such a relief after all that climbing to make it to the top where our cars were. We made it in a bit over 8 hours.

I think this run wasn't so much physically challenging as it was mentally challenging. If I was doing this by myself, I would have looked at the map to find a shortcut back to the car. But I couldn't do that here. We were going slow, but running more than I would if I was by myself. It was not that it was hard or painful to run, but mentally I was fatigued and the thought of running seemed harder than the action of running. Having someone else there with me really helped push me through and I must remember that feeling of pushing on in my next ultra.

As soon as we stopped my legs felt all crampy. The drive home consisted of a lot of swearing and wondering why I drive a manual. As soon as I got home I downed some Gastrolyte and felt much better. My legs are a bit fatigued today but not bad. It was a great run and it's good to know I can run an ultra without doing any running training. Long runs would be beneficial but are not a necessity. I really enjoy running out on the trails so I think from now if I do any long runs they will have to be trails.

Bruny Island Ultra 64km - 2010

Yesterday was my 3rd Bruny Island Ultra. They really don't get any easier! Bruny Island is a small island not far from Hobart. It has a pub, a cheese factory, some shacks, lots of sheep and that's about it! There is a new cafe at Dennes Point that looks really nice so even though I didn't eat there, I do recommend checking it out if you're down that way.

The trick about this race is you can start at any time you like, but you have to time it so you finish between 12:30 and 2:30pm. Then you have time to drive back to the pub for presentations at 3pm.

This year we decided to stay close to the start line at Dennes Point to maximise sleep time and minimise the early morning shock to the system. We were about 100m from the start line so after a good night's sleep, I got up around 5am, had an avocado for breaky and walked to the start line for my nominated 5:30am start.

It was pretty warm, maybe around 20 degrees and muggy, with fog rolling in along the water.

There seemed to be quite a few of us suckers regulars who keep showing up each year. Davo and Chris were already there, but I was starting by myself at 5:30 while they were a bit after me.

The first 2km are steep uphill, but since I still haven't wisened up to good ultra running technique I ran it since I had the energy. Once I got to the top I was greeted with a perfect sunrise over the water. This first part of the race is my favourite. It consists of lovely rolling hills and views of the water at sunrise. It's very quiet at that time as not many other runners have started and the relay teams are a long way off starting. It's just like going on a beautiful long run in the country with just yourself and the sheep. Every now and then a car would drive past and the driver would wave or offer words of encouragement.

Dad and J were meeting me every 8km for the first few bits and I was a bit ahead of schedule, which made a good change from my usual slow plod. Their mobile kitchen had my oranges, strawberries and dad's homemade boysenberry cordial.

About 20kms into the race the road flattens out, you lose the scenery and I find it a real mental struggle to keep going. It was getting pretty warm, my lumbar spine was tiring from carrying my camelbak and I was questioning my sanity. What was I doing running ultras when I only run once or twice a week in training and don't do any long runs?

From about here on Dad and J stopped more often. I didn't need anything - I was just looking for an excuse to stop. In hindsight I was really stopping too often as it did slow me down, but I have always found this middle flat section draining. I was also eating too much and was having difficulty digesting it all on the run. I told myself at the first hill I got to, I could take a walk break. This was at the 32km mark, which is half way. This was great as it signaled the start of more undulating terrain, which I am much better at. The scenery also improved and I could see the rolling hills, horsies and sheepies.

There is a nice downhill section into Alonnah to the pub and I knew from here things could only get better. More runners were out and about now. The relay teams were out and spurring me on. And some more solo runners were out and passing me.

I was really getting hot and could feel I was getting sunburnt. Whenever I met up with dad and J I took the opportunity to pour water on my head to cool down. I was also really craving an icy pole.

At about the 40km mark there are more uphills. Previously I had found these difficult as my legs got sore and tired but this time, due to my weight training, my legs were feeling great. A couple of weeks ago a hit a 100kg deadlift and this strength was making running so much easier. All I have to do in future is run more to get some speed back. My achilles wasn't even giving me much grief. When it did, I concentrated on relaxing my feet on landing (as I tell my clients, but this is the first time I've taken my own advice) and then the pain would disappear! Magic!

Although I was walking up a fair chunk of the hills from here on, my legs really were feeling fine. The soles of my feet were a little sore and fatigued from wearing flats (Adizero PRO, which are ripped but I keep forgetting to duct tape up), but generally I was feeling pretty good. I knew that if I just kept my heart rate low I could keep going forever.

Once I realised there were only 18km left I regained some energy and started to feel good about the run again. The weather was starting to cool down and the wind picked up. Most people would probably not like this but it was such a relief to me as I much prefer to run in the cold than the heat.

At the 14km-to-go mark I left my cambelbak in the car and took sips of water every 2km when dad and J stopped for me. Dad said if I ran fast enough I'd beat the wind and the rain. That was enough for me! The relay teams were cheering, cars were tooting their horns and I could feel the finish. It was mostly uphill from here but it seemed much easier than my previous two times here. I was able to really give it a good go on the downhill bits and I even managed to pass a couple of other slower solo runners.

Someone gave me a boost at the end by pacing me to the bottom of the final steep hill. Thanks so much for that! It was such a boost and it gave me the confidence to run the whole way up the steep hill and steps to the top of the lighthouse. I yelled at people "RUNNER ON THE RIGHT!!" so I didn't have to stop and made it to the top of the lighthouse before feeling the need to puke. Fortunately I checked myself before I made a mess of things! I made it just under 8 hours 30 mins. Not sure exactly as my watch wasn't exact and official results aren't up yet.

Up until here my legs were feeling great but once the run was over my legs knew time was up and I could only manage a hobble back down the hill to the car.

I made dad stop off at a shop for an icy pole on the way to the pub. Presentations at the pub were great, with lots of fantastic free food on offer. I think this was the largest field yet with around 60 teams and 28 solo runners. All us solo runners got a $20 gift voucher for The Running Edge so I've left that in Hobart and will give dad a few ideas to spend it for me.

This is such a great friendly run. I think I will need to be back as I've got the leg strength, but I need to work on my pace to see how much faster I can do it.

First trail DNF

On Friday afternoon we drove down to Apollo Bay for the GOW100km. I was so nervous and excited, I was totally ready to smash my previous time.

Not far from Lorne, there was a landslide on the Great Ocean Road. Huge boulders covered the road and no one could get through. I said to A, "Is this a bad omen? A sign of things to come?" It was already late afternoon and I was stressing about our accommodation and race check in, which needed to be done by 6:30pm. Not only that, but the race briefing was due to start at 6:30 and I'd miss getting my drop bags in on time! My phone had no reception so I couldn't even call anyone to say we're running late! I checked the map and we could go back to Lorne and take an inland route. It looked like a long detour and our trip to Apollo Bay could end up being for nothing.

My phone had reception at Lorne so I called the hotel to say we were checking in late and they said they'd leave the key out for us in case they were no longer around. My phone received a message from Brett alerting us to the Great Ocean Road blockage - it had been sent over an hour earlier! So I called him to say we're way late, but it was cool, they were allowing later registrations and the race briefing would start later. Phew!

The inland route turned out to be smooth sailing and not too long. As we got closer to rejoining the Great Ocean Road, suddenly there was a long queue of cars that had come to a stop. What now? After a while we started moving and passed another landslide that had just been cleared.

Finally we made it to the hotel then quickly scooted over to the pub where I checked in, got my drop bags sorted, and had the mandatory gear check (where I can't believe one guy next to me had zero mandatory gear. What an idiot). The race briefing was over dinner and we were told of someone who had to be air lifted out the previous night. We were warned that there was plenty of mud on the course, river crossings were higher than usual, not to hold onto some trees as they may fall, and there is a hole in the ground where a tree had recently fallen out so careful not to fall in. Safety first.

After a night of tossing and turning I wandered back to the pub with a handful of diced coconut for breakfast for the 5:45am check in. I gotta say, this was such a nice touch to do the roll call at the pub. Thanks Andy + Brett for organising this. The pub opened up at 5:30am to let runners in and serve coffee! Just brilliant!

We gathered round the anchor over the road for the start and it was cold, windy and raining. Soon enough we were off and running. The first part of the course is quite exposed, over grassland and beach. The wind was blowing me sideways, I had to tighten my cap to stop it blowing off my head, and I couldn't wait to get to the sheltered inland. It is so much nicer not being hailed on.

I saw some footprints in the sand and mud that belonged to a pair of Five Fingers. Well done to whoever that was! I hope you had a great run!

The ground was so muddy. I know we were warned about it and I knew it would be muddy but muddy doesn't even come close to describing it. Running on the soft sand was much easier than sliding around in the mud. My glutes and hamstrings were feeling it just trying to keep myself upright. It took me 90 minutes to travel 10km. I then calculated at that rate I could finish in 15 hours. Maybe 17 to allow for fatigue.


There is a little 5km loop that the 100km runners do to get the distance up. This was quite slushy but not too slippery and I was actually able to run again. As part of this loop there is a river crossing we have to go through twice. It was about knee deep and icey cold. It cleaned the mud off my shoes though.

The rest of the run was a mix of me running through mud, walking through mud, having my shoes ripped off by the mud and skiing down the muddy slopes. At times it was shin deep and there were a few puddles that were knee deep.


There were some points along the way where some people just went running past me. How is it possible they can run through this? I could barely keep myself upright! Obviously I never train in the mud!

I checked my watch and noted I had 1 hour to cover the 8km left to get to checkpoint 1 at Blanket Bay before cut off. Not a chance I would make it. I thought I was dead last and every time I heard someone from behind I expected it to be David sweeping me, but each time it was a runner running through the mud. Why were they only picking up speed now? And why weren't they slipping and sliding like me? Why couldn't I run like that through the mud? I tried to pick up pace a few times but it usually resulted in me going for a little ski. If I had a sled I could could've done it.

A said he would surprise me and meet me at some checkpoints along the way for moral support. I hoped he was coming to checkpoint 1.

Blanket Bay was at around the 26km mark and I was about 15 mins late. 3 others also didn't make it in time. It was so disappointing because physically and mentally I was feeling strong and fresh. A quarter of the way through and I felt great.


A was planning to meet me at checkpoint 2 rather than here, but fortunately a kind volunteer drove us back to Apollo Bay. I think we were all feeling a bit sorry for ourselves. This nice volunteer stopped along the way to show us the Manna gums where the koalas like to hang out. He pointed out some koalas and soon enough we were spotting heaps of koalas sleeping in the trees. Well at least something good came of the morning.


After spending ages in the shower (it was perfect without a water saving head) scrubbing the mud off my legs, we took a drive through the wind, rain and hail to the 12 Apostles. It was so wild there. The rain was horizontal and I had to hold onto my phone with two hands to take photos. It definitely lived up to its name of the Shipwreck Coast.


This race had everything. Wind, rain, hail and shine. Dirt, mud, sand, water and a few runnable bits. Many thanks to the organisers and great volunteers. This is the most well run race ever. Everything had been thought of. I was prepared and ready to smash my previous time based on last year's perfect conditions. I will be back with a vengeance next year. I will buy some trail shoes (my Adizero PRO racing flats are great on dry rocks but not mud) and I will hit the trails and toughen up. Just you wait, GOW, I will conquer you yet.

The Tan Ultra 53.5km

The Tan track is a Melbourne icon. People travel there to run or walk it. It's a wide footpath of fine gravel, a bit under 4km around the botanic gardens and the domain, and to be honest it's not very interesting. I have never even considered going there for a training run.

Last weekend was the Tan Ultra 100km main event with 53.5km "fun run" option. I did the "fun run". I did it to see how I'd compare against my previous time 2 years ago (6:06:50) and would have liked to have gone under that, but kind of knew I wouldn't since I am not doing as much running now. After DNFing all the long road races I've entered this year, and after really killing both achilles' after the You Yangs, I was a little hesitant about this. To top it off the weather was forecast to be rainy with 40km/hr winds. But I decided to tough it out. I was really curious to see what my 50ish km road time would be and this was the only run of this distance left in the year for me to do.

The fun run started at a leisurely 9am so it was nice not to have to get up super early for a run. It was so inspiring getting there and seeing the 100km runners who had been going since 7am and all at such a cracking pace! The guys go at a super fast pace and the girls were so impressive running at around my half marathon pace! I am in awe of everyone there. Maybe one day I can be that fast too!

My plan was to run to around 20kms then take walk breaks up Anderson St for the rest of the run. I was hoping not to walk as much as last time - I do remember last time struggling on the flats a lot. Unfortunately on the 3rd lap up Anderson St my left ITB twinged a bit so I had to hobble that before getting it under control, and from the 4th lap onwards I walked up Anderson. Last time I found the southern end of the loop quite a challenge but I'm pretty sure I only took 1 little walk break along there this time. Comparing the stats from previously, my running pace is much slower this time round. Last time I walked 4.6kms, this time I walked 3.9km. Last time the first 4 laps were all under 6min/k! That's way fast for me now!

I took it easy this time going at my own plod of a pace. I guess I just like to be in my comfort zone! Each lap got slower and slower, until a running friend joined me in the middle of his Sunday long run. It was funny as I was running he was walking beside me! It is interesting looking at my stats as you can see where I tried to keep up with him on my 10th lap. Thanks Bruce for slowing to a shuffle for me! That was great to get me to that point as I knew I was on the home stretch from then.


I took a hand held water bottle and ran every 2nd lap with it, until the last 2 laps where I couldn't be bothered with it anymore. From about the 1/2 way point it occurred to me I hadn't even had breakfast so from then I occasionally stopped to eat some strawberries or orange slices, and take some sips of apple juice or my dad's homemade boysenberry cordial. That was plenty of food and drink for me, although as usual there was a fabulous spread on offer including chocolate, chips, salted potatoes, fruit cake, sandwiches, bananas and probably more I didn't notice. Thanks to RD Nick and the great volunteers for putting this all out there and also offering kind words of encouragement. It is always so welcome to be around friendly faces when you are really tired! And as usual all the other runners were super friendly and encouraging. I'm not sure that I've mentioned enough just how great the ultra running community is.

I had never worn an Ipod before during a run but decided this would be as good time as any. 14 laps could get old without some entertainment. Unfortunately since I had never done this before, I didn't consider the chafing from the arm band! I didn't bring any Bodyglide, since I don't normally suffer chafing or blisters, but it wasn't too bad in the end. I started off with the radio, then a Dvorak Symphony I hadn't got around to listening to yet, then shuffled songs for a bit, and finally on the last lap a bit of techno to pump me up. I have selective hearing though, and despite being a musician by trade, I tend not to pay any attention to music if it's background noise. I wasn't really listening much until the end when I cranked it up to get me to the finish.

It was a good finish for me. I had picked up the pace in the last kilometre and felt like I was actually running. Dad, J, and 2 relatives visiting from Russia were all there at the finish so I made it across the line at around 6:41:xx with cheers from them and got my finisher's medal from Nick with a few photos taken.

My achilles were quite sore during the race but because I was walking up Anderson St it wasn't as bad as it could've been. I wore my Adizero PROs which were very comfortable and my feet didn't get tired at all. Overall I felt my legs are strong and can handle any distance, but cardio-wise I felt unfit. The plan now is to work on my conditioning until the GOW100. My legs have the strength to run further, but they can't go at any decent pace if I am getting puffed too soon.

You Yangs Ultra 50k (last Sunday 25th)

This was going to be an interesting ultra. The first of the year and the first in my low mileage experiment. I had not run over 30k yet this year and in the weeks leading up to it I didn't run more than twice a week. I bet this is the exact opposite to how everyone else there had been training!

As soon as I got there I was amongst familiar faces and friendly people. Ruth, who won the women's 50k barefoot last year was volunteering this year, and introduced me to Dave, who was wearing Five Fingers for the run. The surface isn't that rough, but with some rocky sections and gravelly bits with big stones I think his feet must be super tough!

We ran together for the first bit at a nice easy pace. He was aiming for around 7 hours, which suited me as that would be just slightly faster than my pace last year. I thought if I can stick with him I'll be right. Soon Matthew from Seattle joined us. This was very interesting as I got to learn about mountain lions and his encounter with a black bear! I am just fascinated by the wilderness, trails and scary animals in the States! We were all feeling pretty good after the first loop of 15k. Then there was the climb to the top of the hill. I swear that hill was longer this year. And this is where I fell apart.

Both my achilles tendons could not handle that steep climb. I was hoping to pick up pace as I ran down the hill but the forces on the achilles while leaping down from the steep giant stairs were too much and I was hobbling down the hill saying ouch, ouch, ouch with each step.


I tried to keep up with Dave and Matthew but at 20km decided to sit back and take it easier. It's amazing how much power you lose when your achilles' are not doing their job so from then I could only run the down hills and walked even the slighted incline. I was concerned about running by myself but the course was much better marked than last year. In fact, the course marking was exceptional so I just had to pay attention.

As I got closer to the 30k return-to-base my achilles were starting to feel a bit better. But then it was time for the second trip to the top of the hill and it got worse again.

It was interesting that there seemed to be quite a few international people there. Matthew commented on the fact you don't need to do any altitude acclimatisation here and later I heard a German and someone else with an accent I couldn't pick saying how nice and flat all the races are here! And this is not a flat course at all!

After the second trip to the top of the hill, and hobbling down saying ouch, ouch, ouch again, there was some really nice single trail running on a gentle downhill which made me feel much better. I was comfortable just spending a day out in the You Yangs and happy to take it easy from there. There was plenty of encouragement from other runners coming from the opposite direction as by now the 15k and 30k field were out and about and the whole area was abuzz with friendly runners saying hello and offering general words of encouragement. I love ultra runners!

Once I got to 40ks I was pretty happy there were only 10k left to go! My leg muscles were feeling great, but my achilles' were not good, and I was ok with 1/2 walking and 1/2 shuffling the rest of the way home. I was thinking about how well marked the course is. Brett is a fantastic race director and it was great to not rely on the map to get around and to be confident seeing course markers every 100 metres or so. My mind was wandering, thinking I'd really like a nice cold beer when this is over, and which bottle shop should I stop at on the way home that sells the best ales. Once I got to 41k I was thinking how strange it was that I hadn't seen a course marker in a while. Not that it was possible to get lost, so I must be on the right track.

I got to a junction and came across some markers for the 30k and 80k runners, but nothing for the 50k-ers. Well I just followed the 80k markers because I was pretty sure we were going the same track, but opposite directions here. Unfortunately my Garmin had told me its batteries were running low and I didn't clear that warning, so missed the beep that should have happened much earlier to tell me I had gone off course! It said I was 500m out. Ugh. Nothing like going off course to get you back into gear and running again!

So I went back down the path I had come from. Or had I come from there? Where exactly was I on this map? My watch was telling me I was now 700m from the course! So I ran back to the junction. I still wasn't on course, but I wasn't as far. I found a km marker for the 80k course and worked out where I was. So I ran down some other path and managed to get back on course, after doing an extra 1.5km!

From here I picked up the pace as much as I could. I was previously on track for doing a similar time to last year but now I was ages behind! I got a bit confused at times, losing focus with fatigue, and concerned about wasting more time. At one point I nearly followed an 80k runner, thinking that was the right way despite course markers telling me otherwise. It was demoralising looking at my watch which said I had only 5k to go when it was really 6.5k due to the detour. I was even more concerned when sometimes my watch would beep saying I'm off course, but then 2 seconds later say I'm on course again. There was no way I was going to run any further than necessary!

Getting closer to the finish there was a slight uphill and my achilles' couldn't keep up with my eagerness to get to the end and not be much slower than last year. I was reduced to walking again, but fortunately managed to run to the finish line. It was a great finish with lots of cheers and friendly runners. Brett cheekily suggested I keep going and do the 80k. No thanks! Maybe if my achilles tendons worked.

So all up I did 51.5km in 7:49. Very slow. My leg muscles felt great though and I would love to know how I'd go if there were no injury issues.

During the race I drank about 1.2L water, ate 2 punnets of strawberries and a small handful of sunflower seeds and diced coconut. I forgot to take my dad's homemade boysenberry cordial and I know that would have given me a bit more energy but it wouldn't've fixed my stupid achilles. I wore my Adizero PRO flats. They were really comfortable and sturdy on the technical sections. No blisters, chafing or any of those uncomfortable things associated with long distances. At one point I popped a magnesium and electrolyte tablet when I thought my calf was going to cramp, but it never did. Not sure if it was the pills that fixed it or if I actually drank enough water for a change.


I'd like to say a huge thank you to the helpful volunteers, encouraging kids on bikes, the amazing runners and RD Brett for making this a great day! I'm looking forward to next year already!

My legs are feeling fresh, despite hitting the gym a few times already this week so this coming weekend I will be doing the Sri Chinmoy 30km, then after that I have booked into the physio for his magical quick fix on my achilles, which will be just in time for the Tan Ultra 53.5km.

Frankston to Portsea

Lesson learned today: If you are going to run an ultra, you should consider training for it.

My game plan today was to maintain a lively pace for as long as I could, slow down, not take a walk break until at least 30km, and shuffle the rest of the way home.

So I started off ok despite the 45km/hr wind and settled into a good pace with Michelle. I lost her after about 5km when took my rain jacket off, which I was wearing for the very first time. I still had her in my sights and thought as long as I could see her in the distance then my pace was good.

I was very lucky that there were a bunch of awesome crews so special thanks to Bruce who was carrying my bag with my special homemade boysenberry cordial and to Bernie who kindly offered to take my water pack and offer me food and drink every few kms instead. And thanks to all the other crews who offered me stuff, especially the guy with oranges. Yay, a fruit on offer to a runner that's NOT a banana! To be honest, I could've arrived without any food or drink and be adequately looked after. I certainly wouldn't recommend anyone rely on the good nature of volunteers and crews but it was great to lose the pack.

I was traveling ok til about 14km when I started to tire. I guess I was going faster than usual and at that point felt like I had had a good run and was ready to go home and have some coffee and breakfast.

Some time around the 20km mark the headwind increased in strength and it started to rain. Hard. And hail. So I was practically being blown backwards with sharp things landing in my face and rain washing the sweat down my face and stinging my eyes so I was trying to run with my eyes closed down a busy highway with poor visibility hoping the drivers could see better than me. It was just brutal. And it must've looked a funny sight with a bunch of runners along the road in this weather.

At 25km I stopped where both Bruce and Bernie were doing their crew thing and had a drink. Suddenly my hamstrings and calves cramped up and I couldn't stand still. I popped a magnesium and continued on my way, aching legs trying to resist the headwind and keep me moving forward.

After this my legs just weren't feeling any better, the wind was practically blowing me backwards and I realised my game was up. I took my first walk break at 26km and couldn't walk much better than I could run. I do not enter races just to finish. I don't want to be battered and bruised and miserable until I'm at least 90% done. So I pulled out at 28km, thankful to be in a warm car and away from that pain and misery.

I'll post some photos of pain and misery when I get them, but for now, here's a chart of my pace with elevation. You can see where it falls appart.

Running an ultra with no specific training

Tomorrow I'm doing the Frankston to Portsea 55km. This race has a long history based on Percy Cerutty's interesting training methods so I am really looking forward to taking part in this slice of running history.

The only thing is I haven't trained for it.

Over the past few months my weekly training has looked like this:

Deadlift x 1
Squat x 1
1 other lift (eg push press, front squat etc) x 1
Kettlebells x 1-2
Other metabolic training such as TRX, ropes, bodyweight x 2-3
Running - hills x 1
Running - intervals x 1
Running - medium distance 10-25km x 1

Looking at that outline, it doesn't even look like I'm training for running. It just looks like general fitness. And if you were told that is a running program, what distance could it possibly be? 10km? Half marathon?

I have not run over 25km this year. This is mainly because my goal races are months away so I haven't been bothered, it takes up time, I'm too lazy to take water on the run, and I've been very busy this year so sometimes opting for a sleep in instead.

I know I can do 55km, but how will it go? Will I crash and burn at 30km? Will my ITB play up like at my last ultra? Will my head hang low as I stumble last to the finish line? Can I run the whole distance? Can I maintain a lively pace? Could I possibly even do it well?

Who knows. We'll find out tomorrow :)

Bruny Island Ultra 64km

Last weekend was the Bruny Island Ultra. I knew I would be slower this year than last but my legs are much stronger now so was expecting less pain overall. I wasn't expecting to be over an hour slower this time round but now that means I have to get even with this course next year.

Mum and I stayed at the Explorers Cottages in Lunawanna. I highly recommend them to anyone in the area. Very comfortable, the kitchen has everything, there's a bbq out the back, they even have books, board games, CDs and DVDs and it's the perfect place to relax.

We left the cottage at 4:30am to get to the start at Dennes Point at 5:30. I had scheduled a 5:30am start (you nominate your start time in this race to time your finish between 12:30 and 2:30pm) but ended up starting about 15mins later.

I really like the first 10km of this run. Maybe even the first 18km. The first 2km are all up hill but I don't find it treacherous. The scenery is rolling hills and water down below and it is very peaceful at that time of day. After around 18km it starts to flatten out and the scenery is less interesting so I find it a struggle til around 40km. From there you get more rolling hills, nicer scenery and the thought of the finish, but the hills get worse and I'm pretty sure the kilometres get longer too.

At around 20km I started to get twinges in my right ITB. I could tell this is because after the GOW100s I got a massage. The massage therapist really dug into my ITB and I think he loosened it up too much because I have had the odd twinge ever since. I tried to focus on my form but nothing seemed to help. At 25km it was really sore so I took some paracetamol, which did nothing. The camber of the road irritated it more, but of course, being a country road, there were few sections that were even so there was not much proper running I could do. This meant the remaining 40km I was mostly limping up the hills and hobbling the rest. It was a real shame because my left leg was feeling great. Infact, it could've happily done another 64km! I was thinking, if only I could hop the course!

Mum was meeting me every 8km at first, then every 6, then every 4 and at the end I left my camelbak with her for a few 2km intervals before battling my way to the lighthouse for a 8:43hr finish. I ate lots of watermelon and strawberries. I cannot express enough how refreshing these foods are on a long run! If you have not yet eaten fresh watermelon during an ultra, make it your plan next time! I also popped a few magnesium and Saltstick caps, drank nearly 2L of water and of course my secret weapon for all runs - homemade boysenberry cordial. I wore my Nike Frees which was a great choice because my feet did not tire at all.



Apart from my stupid right ITB, the race was great! It had the biggest field yet with 19 solo entrants and about 50 teams. As usual, the support from everyone was fantastic. The teams were fabulous later in the day as they all caught up to us solos. My friend Jade was in a team and it was great to get some extra cheering along the way. Got to see a few people from last year, and chat to lots of lovely people. A special shout out and congrats on a super effort to SorryICan'tRememberYourNameInTheBlueSingletWhoReadMyBlog! And to the girl (Jess?) in the yellow singlet! Awesome achievements for your first ultras! Hope to see you back next year!

Since then I have been resting. My ITB is still not 100% (can't sleep on that side) but my muscles are fine. I have a plan of attack for next year. And I wont let anyone massage my ITB again.

GOW100km

This time last week I was in Apollo Bay having a most awesome breakfast at a fabulous cafe who kindly made up a breakfast not resembling anything on the menu for a perfect post 100km feed. My legs were sore, I had slept about an hour, and the courageous 100milers were still running through the bush.

This run is my favourite run so far. It has everything. Beautiful long stretches of beach, sand dunes, river crossings, mud to stuck your shoes off, forest, open farmland, steep steep hills with stairs, kangaroos, koalas, echidnas, the most amazing views that stop you in your tracks and finally a little bit of flat terrain near the end. It was the best organised run I've ever done. The pre-race briefing over dinner at the pub the night before was great, the volunteers at the checkpoints were just amazing (Have a seat, want me to fill your water bladder? Want me to get your drop bag? Want would you like? We have fruit cake, biscuits, lollies, sports drink etc) and for me they really made my day, so THANK YOU MOST AWESOME VOLUNTEERS AND FANTABULOUSLY ORGANISED RACE DIRECTORS!

The start. I'm at the back left:

I hadn't done 100km before so my only aim was to finish in the cutoff. I knew there were 3 people behind me the whole time and the sweeper would be behind them so I just wanted to hold my position. I found myself counting the kilometres to each checkpoint and trying to keep ahead of each cutoff.

At the 2nd checkpoint I was getting a bit concerned when I had travelled the required distance but the checkpoint was nowhere in sight. I was expecting to be about 30mins ahead of this one. Finally I made it smack bang on the cutoff time with my watch telling me I had done several kms further. This was the case for everyone so they adjusted the cutoff times and there was an extra hour to complete the race. This made me feel much better.

It got dark during some difficult steep up and down sections and I had to use my headtorch on the trails for the first time! It really wasn't bright enough, but fortunately I was only borrowing this one so I know now when it comes to buy one I need a brighter one. I also had a couple of little led lights on my fingers which helped brighten up the trail a bit.

When I got to the last checkpoint, Moonlight Head, I was told I had 4 hours to get to the finish which was about 20km away and this was the most runnable part of the course. "Easy!" they said. Off I set.

Moonlight Head, Final checkpoint - decked out in flouro gear:

This is where finishing in the required timeframe fell appart. At one intersection I saw a Parks Victoria sign pointing left so I went that way. Then I bumped in to someone as we both congratulated each other thinking the other person was the leading 100miler on their return leg. OOPS! This was Lynda telling me I was going in the opposite direction and nearly back at Moonlight Head. She kept going saying urgently, "I've got to make the cutoff".

I stopped and looked at the time. I had spent nearly an hour running around in a circle. Now I had less time to make the finish in time and this was no longer a certainty. I stood there pondering what to do for a moment. There was no going back. I came here to complete 100km and that was exactly what I was going to do.

So I bolted off after Lynda, running faster than I had all day. I passed her and when I came to the intersection again, I noticed a couple of metres above the Parks Vic sign, there was a GOW100 sign pointing in the opposite direction. My light was not bright enough for the sign to stand out the first time. So I kept going as fast as I could. It was only 20k or so to the end so I wasn't concerned about running out of energy. The road was occasionally unrunnable when it would turn from nicely packed gravel to soft deep sand but I kept going at a reasonable pace. It was difficult not knowing exactly how far to the end but I just kept moving as fast as I could.

Then after Princetown I saw a sign pointing to a beach. I was quite sure there were no more beaches in the run so I thought it was maybe a beach campsite or something. We weren't supposed to enter campsites so I went down a different trail. After a while this trail became very overgrown. I was practically crawling through trees. Then the trail divided into 2 animal tracks. This was so wrong. Shit shit shit.

I turned around and went back to the beach sign. Checked the map - no sign of any beach on the map, but double checked and the sign did not say it was a campground and the Parks Vic arrow was pointing in that direction. I should have gone there. I was checking the ground for footprints to make sure it was the right way. It seemed right.

Now I knew I was not going to make the finish by cutoff but I didn't care. I was going in the right direction and running as fast as I could considering I'd already done about 90km, I had a 2-3kg pack on my back and poor lighting. This path just seemed to go on forever. It was supposed to meet up with the main road but it just kept going and going and going. I wondered if I was actually taking a detour but finally after what seemed like way too far I hit the main road.

I crossed to the right side of the road and kept running. I was sure we were supposed to just go over the road and there would be the end in sight but I couldn't see it. I just kept going. There were witches hats placed there so I guessed it was right. It was now 2am - 1 hr after cuttoff so I sent a text message to one of the race organisers to say I took some wrong turns but was now on the final stretch.

Finally I made it to the 12 Apostles! Everyone at the end had gone home but Whippet who was patiently waiting for the final stragglers. I was the last person coming in at 20:09. Lynda was being collected in a car further down the road. I quickly put on some warm clothes while Whippet woke up A who was sleeping in the car while waiting for me. We gave Lynda a lift back to Apollo Bay and I finally got to bed at around 4am. I hardly slept though as my legs were so sore they could not get comfortable.

The soles of my feet were quite sore during the run - it felt like I had been on my feet shopping all day! My legs were not so bad though, probably because of all the walking. Some muscles cramped that had never cramped before but I did take some Saltstick caps and magnesium which helped. My legs really only got sore once I sat in the car afterwards. Considering all the energy I had at the end to run to the finish, I know I could have pushed myself more early on. I wore my Adizero PROs which turned out to be great for the trail. Because the mesh is so open they let a LOT of sand in on the sandy bits. On a long beach stretch I deliberately walked in the water to wash out some of the sand. I didn't get any blisters and I think they were a more comfortable choice than the Frees. I think they also made it easier to maintain better running form, especially at the end.

At each checkpoint I ate a punnet of fresh strawberries. I also ate on the run some dried fruit (mango, paw paw + pineapple). I had some apple juice and some of dad's homemade boysenberry cordial. I drank about 3L of water. Food and drink-wise I felt I did really well. I did get some hand swelling from about 60km onwards - Does anyone know what causes this??

During the run I never really questioned my ability to finish, but I did wonder if I was cut out for 100km runs. But then I realised this probably wasn't the easiest one to do! Would I do this one again? Definitely! Especially now I know the right way!

Now I have recovered, I am ready to get back into training for the Bruny Island Ultra in December.

a few pics from GOW100km

You Yangs 5050

Last weekend was the You Yangs 5050. I had entered the 50mile event, but like a lot of people who had never run in the You Yangs before, I seriously underestimated the toughness of those hills. There was no way I was going to finish in the 10 hrs so I ended up pulling out at 50km. As the sole female 50mile entrant, it was a little disappointing to miss out on my trophy! But I had a great day, it was perfectly organised with great support and as usual the friendly runners made it for me.

There were so many steep hills. It was like running the length of Allendale Rd 10 times. Oh, and the stairs. We had to run up to the summit twice and I tell you it was very long the second time. Those stupid stairs to the top were only suitable for people who are 3m tall. Who put those there? The map was also quite confusing. Because the You Yangs is such a small area, we did about 50 different loops of various fire trails and single trails. I couldn't be bothered looking at the map properly because I didn't wear any clothes with pockets and I couldn't be bothered getting it out of my pack. Fortunately I was running with others most of the way so I trusted their judgement when the course markers were unclear.

I spent the first 3rd just trying to get into a rhythm. My feet felt like they were landing really hard in my shoes (Nike Frees) and it took at least 10k to start to feel normal. There was a bit of tag going on between me and David, Michelle + Mark, who were running together. They were too cheerful and chatty for me on such a long run so I was always either a bit ahead or a bit behind them. The hills were draining and I was still tossing up between distances at that point so I wasn't that chirpy about having to maintain a certain pace to make the cutoff time. After a while I knew I couldn't keep up so just relaxed in my slow pace.

From somewhere around the 15-20k mark I started running with Kate. Somehow we just kind of ended up at the same pace and it was good having someone to chat to and someone to keep me going so I didn't walk the few flat bits. Somewhere after 30k David decided he was not going to keep up with Michelle + Mark, and Kate + I caught up to him. Together we pulled each other up the hills, kept each other moving, complained about the stairs and took a wrong turn and ended up in some strange area with no course markers for a few km. I don't know what happened exactly as I couldn't be bothered with the confusing map of a million loops. We did end up doing 50k all up though so it worked out ok in the end.

We were walking up this steep hill but when we saw the aid station we had to run and look like we were having fun for the photo:

Once we'd eaten our food we didn't think there'd be more photos so settled back into our walk:

The last couple of km were the hardest. We had to make our way around some technical trail up a hill then with the finish in sight we had to turn around and make the treacherous climb to the top of the hill up all those steps AGAIN. It was hard. Kate was good on the down hill and skipped ahead but waited for us just before the finish so we all finished 50km together in 7:22.

Last downhill to the finish:

I popped a magnesium and Saltcap tab before the run. During the run I drank 1L of water, a couple of punnets of fresh strawberries, a mix of dried fruit (pineapple, papaya, mango & coconut) and some fruit juice. Food wise I did really well but I didn't drink enough water because my left gastroc and right hamstrings started to cramp towards the end. As soon as I finished the run I had another magnesium and Saltcap tab downed with a bottle of dad's homemade boysenberry cordial. Pizza was dinner.

Incidentally the female 50k winner did it barefoot! She looked so light and graceful on her feet like she was just skipping along. Hopefully one day my achillies will at least let me do such a race in the Five Fingers.

This is now the shortest ultra I've done, and because of the soft trails and the steep hills, my legs pulled up really well. My quads were a little sore the next day but I have managed a couple of runs since and my legs are now ready to get back into their regular training again. Fastest recovery ever!! Now looking for the next ultra to do but logistically I think that will have to be the Bruny Island Ultra in December.

Dirty Feet after the You Yangs Ultra

Bruny Island Ultra

So last Saturday was the Bruny Island Ultra. A and I flew down to Hobart on Wednesday, did some walking around, relaxing, sauna-ing, lunch with mum where I actually met someone (Mick) who trained with Percy Cerutty and Herb Elliot et al.

On Thursday we went shopping and bought heaps of food. It's hard to know what you want to eat on the run but I knew I wanted watermelon and juice and water. We also got chocolates (mostly for the crew), muesli bars, and I also got some chocolate coated coffee beans for after to stop the headache later on from lack of caffeine.

I realised I left my running cap in Melbourne. Normally I don't like caps, but they are good to keep the rain out of your eyes, so I had to buy a cap in Hobart. It is a really good Brooks cap, best I've got, 1st I've paid for, $40 so it should be good.

We all went down to Bruny on Friday morning and stayed at the Finish shack. There is really nothing at Bruny. A small pub and a general store, a cheese shop that we stopped at, there is a winery or 2 and a chocolate fudge factory. There are lots of sheep, fish farms, penguins and we even saw a sea eagle and a hawk of some sort. There were hundreds of sea anenomes at the beach. I haven't seen any of those since I was a kid!

We drove from the start of the run at Dennes Point to where we were staying in Lunawanna, which was about 3/4s of the way through the run. After some lunch, we rested for a while then took a walk up Mount Bruny. We weren't exactly sure where we were going but we walked up the "mountain" (hill) which was through lovely rainforest. We tasted some leaves of the sassafras plant thinking it might be used in sarsparella?? It made your tongue a bit numb. After heading up for a while, and not being sure where the trail was going, we turned around and went back for a sauna, which turned out to be uncomfortable and not very clean. We went to the pub for dinner and I had a side salad, side of steamed vege and some chips. It was sooooo good.

I had originally decided on a 5:30am starting time but wasn't sure if 5 would be better. So we just aimed to get there around 5:15am. This meant dad and I were up at 4am (J and A could sleep in), quick put on clothes, down a Gastrolyte, take a piece of bread with vegemite and water in the car. There were lots of paddymelons and even a spotted quoll running across the road. We saw what looked like a baby mutton bird sitting in the middle of the road so we shooed him over to the side so he wouldn't get run over. As we got closer to the start we saw one guy, Dick Crotty, had already started his race. He was walking the event (and DNF'd). In the car we decided dad would meet me at 18k, 36k, 46k + 56k.

When we got to the Dennes Point jetty no one was there! So my thoughts of starting even 10 mins earlier weren't going to happen. Soon enough Paul, the race director, arrived and a couple of other 5:30 starters arrived too. Of course, I forgot my new cap, it was sitting back in Hobart, so Paul kindly lent me his. Fortunately the weather held up and was an overcast 12 degrees, but the cap was a good one like my new Brooks so it wasn't too hot and surprisingly comfortable and a perfect fit unlike all my other caps. Davo and John were also starting at 5:30 so we set off together. The first 2k are quite steep uphill and they were both smart ultra runners walking the steep bit while I took off running, expecting them to catch up to me at around 30k when I would start to tire and slow down.

Here is a map of the course. You can click on elevation to view the profile:



Davo's crew member, Paul, was meeting him every 2k and I knew he was not far behind me because Paul was passing me frequently and offered me warm clothes, drink and encouragement. Of course, I didn't need any of this, but this is just the typical generosity of ultra folk. John's crew/wife, Olga, seemed to be stopping less frequently and took photos of me for my dad (who forgot to take the camera to the start line) and encouraged me all the way. As usual, I was blown away by the support of these people. Another crew member who I caught up to me later on even asked if I had a crew! I really wouldn't want to be stopping and starting every 2k, drinking and eating so often etc especially since I quite happily complete a 3.5hr training run with nothing but a 600ml bottle of water.

The scenery was really nice. There were lots of sheep farms at the start. Most of the sheep stared at me like they had never seen a girl in a bright blue singlet running past them at that hour. One paddock of sheep started baa-ing and ran away from me!

Dad met me at 18k and I filled my bottle, but it was too full and my arms got sore carrying it. I tipped 1/2 of it out since we would be meeting soon enough anyway. There was continuous support from other runners' crews if I ever needed anything desperately anyway.

Dad met me again sooner than planned and I had a V8 juice. It was good but I was quite full and didn't drink much after that. After around 20k I started to tire. I think it was because the road had flattened out and I really struggle on the flat. I never reached the point of not caring or being in a mental black hole because there were just so many friendly runners and crew offering support it is just impossible to be anything other than happy.

At the next meeting spot dad had collected Jackie and Anth and their cameras. They were having so much fun they ended up meeting me more often than planned. Toward the end, they were stopping ever 4k.

A couple of runners ran past me suggesting I get a camelbak instead of using a handheld bottle. RB caught up to me at one point. He had just done the 6hr track at Moe and 80/100k of the GNW. He wasn't feeling too fit at this point in time but still hoping to do the C2K 2 weeks later! It is quite comical when you hear ultra runners saying "I'm not fit, I'm just treating this as a 64k training run"... and then "I hope to run 246k in 2 weeks" hehe but I understand.

At various points I had some more juice, but mostly watermelon. The watermelon was sooo good. Best ultra food ever I'd say. Perfect mix of simple sugars and water. So refreshing. Easy to digest. At one point I even had 3 slices in a row and was still fine to run! I wanted to pass the marathon distance before I took a walk break since I still have never run a marathon. So I took my first walk break at 43k. Really from about 35k onwards the terrain was more undulating so it was good to take a walk break up a hill. I was able to keep a reasonable walking pace which means I have gotten more fit since the Tan Ultra where I just stumbled around.

My legs were tired of course, but there was no "injury" pain as such. I did feel a little achillies strain at the beginning of the hills but I warmed up soon enough and although there was some muscle fatigue, it wasn't that bad at all. I wore the Nike Frees and had absolutely no foot pain or blisters or anything with my feet! My feet were very happy! I was able to keep up a good run/walk throughout the rest of the race. Toward the end the hills got much steeper and I had to walk slower up them. They were quite tiring. Later as the day went on all the relay teams were out, cheering their own members and us solo people! Towards the end I got a great view of the lighthouse right on the top of a hill. It was steep! I was able to run the last little bit to the top and touch the lighthouse door to finish in 7hrs 37mins! It was a really great run! The winner was there and she (yes, SHE) did it in 5hrs 24mins! Amazing! And a girl! Won outright!




I had an apple and walked down to the bottom of the hill. The car was parked about 200m away and my body wasn't going to make it. I had finished, my body knew it, and it wasn't going to move any more! So dad got the car and picked me up. It was pretty hard moving the rest of the day! We went back to the pub for the presentations. I had some pumpkin soup and a beer, won a spot prize (a Boags cap!), returned Paul's cap, stood around for photos and received my Bruny Island Ultra patch. I don't know where I would sew it.

It was such an unbelievably good day, I was feeling great and ready to do the next ultra! When we got home we were all exhausted and opted for pizza for dinner. A was asleep by 7:30pm, I went to bed at 8 and dad and J shortly after! We were all so tired after a long day.

Davo is organising the Launceston 6hr in Feb and I would really like to do it, but it is just a week after Maroondah Dam, which I would also like to do, and clearly I am not fit enough yet to run many ultras, although I will probably only do the 30k and Maroondah. We'll have to see closer to the date.

I felt like I pulled up really well this time and have enforced a week off running. As of 2 days ago my metatarsals have felt sore and bruised and today my right foot looks a little swollen :( I have been limping a bit today. I have been walking most mornings in the Five Fingers, but maybe even walking is too much. I cut my walk short today. I did actually add a couple of short runs (50m or so) and they felt good, but the walking didn't. The plan was to be able to run again tomorrow but now I'm not so sure. The Sri Chinmoy Williamstown is on next weekend and I really wanted to do the 10k and meet Melbourne's other 2 FF wearers. I guess I will still be there because I want to meet them, and may have to do the 5k.

Bruny pics/results etc are up at brunyislandultra.blogspot.com. Of course my name is spelt wrong again. Maybe my goal next year should be to have my name spelt correctly in ultra results!

The Tan Ultra 53k

First, the stats:

53.578k in 6:06:50

1st female out of 4

8th person out of 15 (1 DNF)
Winning male completed in 4:21:18
Last person completed in 7:44:40

I won a trophy and a crunchie bar! First time I've ever come first in anything sporty! I really just can't believe it.

My partner drove me in because I thought I might be a bit sore to drive home after and I told him I'd probably be around 6 hours and I'd call him to pick me up at the end. I packed my bag with a couple of ladyfinger bananas, kiwi fruit, a promite sandwich on multigrain bread and a couple of V8 juice boxes. I also took a water bottle, and packed some emergency magnesium and salt tablets.

When I got there I was impressed with the 100k runners who had started 2 hours earlier. They were all looking fighting fit and strong and running a decent pace considering how far they had to go. I got there pretty early so just hung out at the lap counting area watching the people go past and talking to a few of the other 53k runners. There were a few other people who hadn't done any ultras before, but I think I might have been the only person who hadn't done a marathon yet so already it seemed that I was out of my depth. I was wearing my Vibram Five Fingers although I did bring my Asics DS Trainers incase my feet got sore. People asked me about my shoe choice, but I knew I had to wear the Five Fingers if I wanted to run in comfort. I also brought my old Kayanos with orthotics in to wear after the race for that cushy cushy feeling when my feet would want to sleep.

The course was 14 laps of the Tan track so it was a good opportunity to have a really long run and experiment with eating on the run but without having to carry all your supplies. OK so you shouldn't be experimenting in a race, but it was my first opportunity so I had no choice. There was plenty of food provided - jam sandwiches, vegemite sandwiches, fruit cake, bananas, chocolate, chips, potatoes, gatorade, water, chocolate coated coffee beans and probably a lot more that I didn't notice. It really was a fantastically well organised race and I reckon I'll be back every year.

It was a chilly morning so for the first two laps I wore my arm warmers but then I was fine to take them off. I had a kind of system of running 1 or 2 laps with my drink bottle, then 1 or 2 laps without. This gave me a chance to sip water slowly but give me a break from carrying it. I popped a magnesium before the race so didn't see the need to drink gatorade. Too much sugar anyway so it's not really hydrating and it doesn't have enough salts to do anything in that regard.

I ran solidly for 20k and it was then that I started taking walking breaks. I figured I had a long way to go and just about everyone else had been walking up the Anderson St hill from the start. By the 20k point I had lapped one girl already and knew I was ahead of the others. It was then that I visualised calling my partner at the finish telling him I won! All I had to do was stay ahead. My pace was naturally faster than the others. I just had to keep moving. It's funny, I have never felt competitive in running, only competing against my own times, but I had a taste of competition, going back to my music eisteddfod days when I competed for the sole purpose of winning, and I wanted to win! I decided if I could do it in 6 hours I would be very happy and if I could win, well, suddenly that became the whole point.

The run itself was good in the lap format. I passed people, people passed me, we could chat for a minute, I could pick up tips from the experienced ultra heads and I could also learn a lot from the lovely people who were smiling, chatting, being very friendly and treating the whole day as a social event rather than a competitive one. It was interesting to see people who looked like they were doing great but saying they were in their own private hell, it was inspiring to see strong people lapping me and the whole event felt great with really supportive people. It was also quite funny when a few people in the general public asked what we were doing and when I told them how far the race was they just couldn't believe it!

I knew that it would be sensible of me to eat during the race even though I don't eat in training. I had a quarter of a jam sandwich. It went down ok, but it slowed me down for a whole lap while I digested it. So I tried a piece of banana. Same thing. It didn't make me feel nauceous, just sluggish. This wasn't going to work if I wanted to run more than walk. So then I had a V8 juice. Now that hit the spot!!! It tasted good, I was thirsty anyway so it was easy to drink and it gave me instant energy. It really picked me up so I was able to keep going on that.

At around the marathon point, I was getting really tired. The two girls in skirts passed me and I thought I was no longer in the lead. My heart sank. Winning isn't everything but I already had a taste of it. As long as I finished in one piece that's all that would matter at the end so I dragged my tired body along. My walk breaks were getting longer and longer. I was finding it easier to run on the up and downhills but the flats were painful. I was hurting and tired and as it was lunch time I was actually starting to feel hungry. I thought I was no longer in the lead so I just kind of gave up and decided when I next got to the lap area I would just sit down, eat my sandwich and call my partner to say I would probably be longer than 6 hours so not to worry if he doesn't hear from me at 3pm on the dot. Fortunately, before I got to the lap area, a guy caught up to me (at the time I thought he was lapping me) and told me there were only 4 laps to go. 4 laps?! That's not much, I thought. I can count to four. I can do this. So when I got to the lap counting area, I quickly downed another V8 juice, felt some energy return and kept moving. I was still taking walking breaks but tried to keep them short because I knew the end was near.

During the last lap, my partner drove by and he beeped his horn at me while he was looking for a park! He came to meet me early and it was so great to see him! I picked up my pace (well it felt like it, but after 50k my watch told me I was only shuffling at 7min/km). When I finished the final lap everyone cheered and when they told me I was the first female I just couldn't believe it! I thought the 2 girls in skirts lapped me ages ago, but obviously not! People took photos of the race director presenting the trophy and crunchie to me. I look more happy about the crunchie but the truth is I was just so overwhealmed that a won! A guy took a photo of my Five Fingers - he thought they were great shoes (and rightly so).

I called my partner and told him I won, just like I visualised previously. By that time he had found a car park and was just wandering around the botanic gardens. While I waited for him I ate a kiwi fruit and my promite sandwich, and chatted to a few more runners and spectators. Then I took some chocolate, put on my cushy cushy Kayanos and we took a walk around the botanic gardens for a while. We came back thinking I'd have some of the bbq that was being prepared but I wasn't hungry anymore so a quick goodbye to a few people and we headed off.

So it was a great day! I learnt about eating on the run. I learnt about how friendly runners are and that I aspire to be that friendly and supportive. I also saw the great strength in the 100k runners and that is another thing I aspire to.

Since then I haven't run much. It feels like my feet have some internal bruising or something after all those hours. I have tried to run a few times when they felt fine but obviously that was pushing it too much and I actually feel worse now. My next goal is sub 4 hours at Melbourne Marathon, which is going to be a big stretch as it took about 4:30 for me to get to the marathon point in this ultra, although that did include walking. I am really hoping my feet will get better soon so I can squeeze in some more long runs in preparation for the marathon but at the moment I just have to be patient. At least I now know I can cover the marathon distance! Now I just have to work on the pace.

The Tan Ultra

Wow. My first ultra went well. So well. I have either been too happy to make any sense or too tired to put it all into words. I will write a race report in the next few days. But for now I will say - ... or should I hold back? Actually... if anyone's reading... I wont give it away. Stay tuned....

Lead up to First Ultra

3 days to go until my first ultra. I have been doing a few things in the lead up to make sure I am feeling good on the day.

Firstly, I bought some Dunlop Volleys. I thought it would be good to have some flat, unsupportive shoes for trail runs, rocky ground, and general situations where the Vibram Five Fingers may not be my first choice. I am also too cheap to buy some propper flats at the moment, although would LOVE to try on the Adizero PRs. I ran in the Volleys on Monday (felt good), Five Fingers on Tuesday (felt better), and my old Nike Waffles on Wednesday (legs felt great, pitty the shoes are so narrow). This switch in footwear has alleviated a lot of the recent achillies/bursa/metatarsal pain and my feet are feeling pretty good. I didn't run today, and probably wont run until the day, although I might sneak a short one tomorrow or Saturday.

Secondly, I have declared myself vegan from today until the ultra. I'm doing this for my health. I have been experimenting with food lately, and I do feel much healthier on a vegetarian diet. I have decided to go a step further and be temporarily vegan, mainly to cut out dairy, but partly just out of interest to see how difficult it is to maintain.

Now I just need to make a list of what I need to take to the ultra, foodwise. It's only 53k so it's quite possible I wont even need any solids. Lately I have noticed on my long runs that I do crave fruit towards the end. Based on that, my list is this:

• Water
• Orange juice
• Apple juice
• Homemade boysenberry cordial
• Kiwi fruit
• Bananas
• Promite sandwich on multigrain or similar bread

I will run in the Five Fingers, but take the Asics DS Trainers just incase. I'll also take a very old pair of Asicas Kayanos with orthotics that I had years ago. They are sooo comfortable. Not to run in, but to wear after a long run when your feet just don't feel like doing anything. The cushy cushy feeling and the orthotics moving your feet for you is just perfect after a long run!

If anyone reading has any further suggestions, please comment!

The Test

Today was The Test. I wanted to do a 30+k run and see how I pulled up. If ok, I would let myself enter the Tan Ultra. If left limping and hobbling around like an invalid I would not enter the Tan Ultra.

I did 32k. It was a really nice route along the Plenty River Trail and then the Main Yarra Trail all the way into Fairfield, my former stomping ground, then along the streets back home. I wanted to wear the five fingers, but went with the Asics due to the amount of gravel sections I'd be dealing with. I took care to watch where I was going, like I would have in the five fingers, and knew I made the right decision. It will definitely take a lot more time before my feet are tough enough as some of the gravel was very rocky and uneven.

Because this was The Test, I was really hoping for it to go well. The start of the run was so nice along the Plenty River as all the wattle trees were in bloom. There are wattle trees just everywhere there! But you never notice until the yellow wattle comes out. It was so beautiful being surrounded by wattle. I felt like I was surrounded by gold, enclosed in wealth and richness. I knew it was a good omen for the rest of the run.

My pace felt pretty good. I was taking it easy in the hope of avoiding leg cramps. Incidentally I also ate 1/2 a bagel before the run and popped a magnesium tablet thinking the food would provide additional energy and the magnesium would also help with cramps (lately my calves have been cramping even just in aerobics classes). I also took water but didn't even finish the bottle before I got home. I was pretty thirsty towards the end but found it difficult to drink as it's really only easy to drink when you are cruising along and not out of breath. The mega hills towards the end (Rosanna horrible hill + Greensborough Hwy) really took it out of me. My body just wanted to stop and walk. I had to remind myself that this was The Test and to keep going and say to myself You can do it! because I knew I could do it, I just didn't want to!

I overtook a few people during the run which was great. I rarely overtake people in training, especially during long runs when I am just taking it slow so it was great to know my pace has picked up over time. Mind you, they were all girls I overtook, no guys!

On the way home along the streets it was mostly uphill. It got really tough. The morning had started off cool and overcast, but on the way home the sun was out and I could feel the sweat dripping off my forehead. The sun was in my eyes and it felt as hot as summer. So glad I opted for shorts and singlet as I was considering tights and a tshirt. Some of the hills really slowed me down to what felt like a snail's pace, although my Garmin told me I was going faster than I would have at the start of the year so I was OK with that. I started to get some wobbly leg action towards the end but I put that down to going slow and the hills towards the end. I don't think I've been running that many hills lately for some reason. Although I live in Hill Central, I've been quite clever in avoiding the nasty ones in the past few weeks. I think getting lost in Eltham a few times made me rethink my long run routes!

Injury wise, I felt absolutely no plantar fascia pain and only some mild discomfort in my metatarsals (thanks to the cushy cushy Asics). A quick check on my form corrected that. My achillies/bursa thingy was irritated by the Asics but I expected that. It wasn't actually as bad as I was expecting and I could mostly only feel it on the uphills.

I am actually thinking of getting some racing flats for rough ground. I think they wont irritate my achillies so much. I already have some Nike Waffles but find them too narrow. I'd love to try the Asics Pirhana's and the Adizero PRs. I think they only make them for men, which might be a good thing if it means they might be a bit wider in the toe box. The only problem is finding somewhere that stocks them. Anyone in Melbourne know? I've already unsuccessfully checked out the Adidas factory outlet. I'll have to check out their store in the city. I'd like to go to Runner's World in Kew but would feel terribly guilty going there just to try on shoes, only to buy anything I like online. Depending on the cost, I may even just opt for Dunlop Volleys.

Back to the run... As soon as I got home I stretched, drank water and ate a couple of oranges. Then I felt fine! My quads are a little stiff, but just that usual muscular soreness from exerting myself, nothing that could be an injury. My right foot is still not 100% but not as bad as I thought it would be.

So... I come to the conclusion that I passed The Test! This means I can enter the Tan Ultra!

When I was running this morning, I was wondering if I could do 20k more. The would be no way I would be able to run the hills 20k on. If it was flat, possibly. And what about nutrition? I was craving fruit on my run today so having some cut up orange, some kiwi fruit and maybe some apple juice would probably be enough for me. I'd also have to make sure I drank a lot more, although that would be easier with a pit stop every 3.8k rather than relying on a 600ml bottle to get through the run.

Oddly enough, I have yet to get enthusiastic enough to fill out the entry form. Perhaps I need to get some energy back first!