Lavaredo Ultra Trail 2013

I have to start out by thanking Gretel Fortman and her race blog from last year's Lavaredo Ultra Trail for drawing my attention to this run. My plan for 2013 was to wait until the Western States lottery was drawn to find out if I would be going to California or elsewhere. As it turned out for 2013 I would be going elsewhere. Elsewhere turned into the Lavaredo Ultra Trail, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. The course looked appealing (118km with +5740m) set in the Dolomite Mountains.

 

Tre Cime already had plenty of snow before the snow fall that cause the course to be altered.

Brian and I (Brian really) organised our trip so that we would get to Cortina two weeks before race day. Arriving early would give us a chance to explore the area and acclimatise. It worked out even better because Mum and Dad would be finishing their 4 week holiday in central Italy before joining us for the race before heading back to Sydney.

Arriving in Cortina I was overwhelmed by the size of the mountains. I know I've been told that the Blue Mountains, Australia are really just small hills, and that the Snowy Mountains, Australia are just as insignificant, but having seen real alpine mountains, well they are impressive. The trails around Cortina are well set out and easy even for me to navigate, all you had to do was follow the numbered trails and the red and white trail markings. Even someone as navigationally challenged as I could do that. On our first afternoon in town Brian and I set out on the start of the Lavaredo Trail for a short run without any navigation problems. Everything about the area was just brilliant. For the whole week Brian and I logged lots of kilometers on the official Lavaredo (my race) and Cortina (Brian's shorter 46km race) Trails. To get to the far reaches of the course we utilised the local buses which were easy to use and allowed us to extend our range.

Forcella Giau which was another part of the course that still had snow on it during my earlier training runs.

On our trip we scheduled a forced taper period in the form of a few days in Venice. It was hard going from a region like Cortina where the mountains are constantly calling out to be run, to a place like Venice where running at times other than first light in the morning is impossible because of the crowds. The only benefit of Venice was that I got plenty of practice using the navigation menu on my Suunto Ambit 2 GPS watch. There was plenty of extra kilometers logged trying to navigate my way around Venice's crazy layout.

When I returned to Cortina on the Wednesday before the event we found out that they had had a recent now fall of around 30cm up on the higher sections of the course. This wasn't helped by another follow up snow fall before the event which was causing race organisers grief. On my previous recce runs I was already aware that there was plenty of snow still on the course and that in parts the race organisers had cleared sections of the course. These more recent snow falls however were jeopardising the race itself. The race was originally scheduled to start 11pm on Friday night. All day Friday there were updates being posted on Facebook (mostly in Italian which added to the confusion), but before the 6pm briefing it was announced that the course would be altered and the start delayed until 8am the following morning. In my frustration I went for a run, which in hind sight probably wasn't the best idea as I went further than was planned. At briefing the race organisers said that they had to concede to the course conditions and in the interests of all competitors shorten the course to 85km, +/-3000m and avoid certain sections of the original course that were heavily affected by the recent snow falls.

There was no snow up there when we left for Venice.

I was hugely disappointed that I wouldn't be racing the entire course. I also felt sorry for the race organisers that through events completely out of their control they were forced to make such drastic changes to both their events; Lavaredo and Cortina Trails. I didn't feel entirely robbed however as I was fortunate enough to have traversed the majority of the course on some pristine days.

So on Saturday morning I lined up on the start line with all the other anxious runners ready to run. After a short musical piece the countdown began then we were off. The race was a real community event and from the start line in the centre of town the race heads up the main street of Cortina which was lined with more people cheering than at any other event I had been to to date.

The start/finish chute in the centre of town.

It wasn't long before we headed up on to the trails and in to pine forests. We climbed up several hundred meters before the trail leveled out and skirted around the mountain with glorious views of the d'Ampezzo valley. At this stage I was sitting comfortably with the other lead girls in the race, but as the race developed I felt myself starting to lag. I was just starting to feel flat. At first I thought I could run it off, so that's what I did for the next 10-15km's, but it wasn't working. I thought about the food and drink I had been consuming and it wasn't any different to what I normally do in training and in races. It couldn't have been the altitude as we weren't that high. Even so, I had been training at a higher elevation the weeks before the race and the highest points of the course had been removed, so the average race elevation was lower. I just wasn't sure what was happening. I had in the back of my mind, Western States 2011, where I felt sick, although there I thought I knew the reason and also the solution. The result in this race was that I started to slip back down the field.

Lago Ghedina, one of the checkpoints.

I'm a strong believer that ultra events go long enough that when disaster strikes you still have the distance and time to sort yourself out. In this instance I pulled back a gear to help compose myself. It was frustrating having other girls run and even walk past me but I just couldn't push to stay with them. There was one section of the trail at about 55km where I had had enough. If there was a checkpoint there and then I probably would have called it quits. Instead I did something I had never done before in an ultra which was to lie down. I walked off the trail and found a small patch of soft grass under a tree and just laid down. Gee it felt good. Laying there with my eyes closed it felt like 'nap time', and for those that know me well, that is an important part of my training/day. After a few minutes I got up, brushed myself off and was ready to make up some places. Running back on the course felt remarkably different. It was as though the gun had just gone off, only now it was a 30km race and not an 85km race and the girls ahead had a good head start. Looking ahead I could see a girl ahead and focused on closing the gap to her. I passed her on the climb and she must have thought I was running a different race. She had passed me not too long before my nap and saw the way I was feeling. Now I felt different, rejuvenated.

Lago Misurina with Tre Cime in the background.

The last 20km or so of the altered Lavaredo Trail joined up with the last 20km of the Cortina Trail which we shared to the finish line. It was refreshing to have this second wind while passing other runners. As we passed each other I would encourage them in English while they would encourage me in Italian mostly, I think?. We didn't have to understand what was said as it was the way we were saying it that conveyed the message. We had all shared the trails and had similar journeys, and given mother natures recent medelling we were just glad to be participating.


I managed to move my way up from 7th to finish on the extended podium in 4th place with a time of 10:16:10. Brian finished his first ultra in more than 2 years, covering the 46km Cortina Trail in 6:37:08.

Presentation.

In reflection I would like to think that I could have run faster and done better. I've had some time to think about why I was feeling flat and I still don't have an answer. I didn't have the same problems in the following races I did in Europe. Even though those other races were shorter I had none of the symptoms  during or after the races. I've since spoken to some other Aussies who were racing in Europe and they said that they'd experienced similar issues. I suppose that is the nature of ultra running. You are pushing your body to the extreme to test the limits and when doing this sometimes unwanted things can happen. When I start having consecutive 'perfect' races I'll think about doing some other sport. 

Here is a short video of the Lavaredo Ultra Trail by The North Face.  

The North Face 100 - 2013

What really impressed me with this year’s TNF100 event was the sheer number of PB's from repeat offenders and top performances by newbies on this course.

I have a certain affinity with this event. It is in the Blue Mountains and I love the Blue Mountains. It traverses some of my favourite locations with stunning views. It was my first 100km event and first big ultra. I ran in the inaugural event (2008), which was held shortly after I started running. During the first event all I could think about was just finishing and perhaps getting a silver belt buckle (then available for sub 20hr finishers). I trained as hard as I could and was absolutely stoked to finish, and more so to have done it in 15:30. The lead guys and girls in that year’s race managed to finish in 10:22 and 12:45 respectively. I was in absolute awe of their athletic ability and couldn't comprehend how people were capable of traversing such difficult terrain in the times they did. They must have been exceptional athletes to accomplish such incredible times.

After the first year there were rumours that the event might have been a one off, but I was thrilled when entries opened and I was once again training for this epic event. I must have been one of the first to put an entry in. The number of entrants grew and along with it the sport. Reflecting on it people trained harder, gear was more developed and people in general became smarter in the knowledge of how to tackle this beast. This particular year my goal shifted from just finishing to getting another silver belt buckle (now only for sub 14hr finishers). I wasn't sure what I was going to do with a second belt buckle, as I only have one waist, but I wanted another one for what it represented and a new PB in the process. I suppose what I really wanted was to achieve a new goal that I felt was within my reach. My finish time that year was 13:36 and my goal was realized. To top it off I was lucky enough to make the podium to claim second place but I was still a long way from Julie Quinn who was out front pushing the limits to set the first of her female course records at 12:13.

Come the following year the event was building a solid base of runners. My goal was once again simple; as always to just finish. I had trained a little more for this race and was confident of another PB. I was a little shocked when I dropped down into Jamison Valley with Julie in equal first. I had never been in this situation before and wasn't too sure on quite how to handle it. My approach was to keep running within my own limits and what ever happened so be it. Climbing out of Jamison Valley I spent the whole time power walking/running scarred thinking that my lead would be gone in an instant when Julie caught me but she didn't. I was over the moon with my result. At the time it was the pinnacle of my running career. I didn't care that I had fallen short of Julie's female course record by 3 minutes as I had achieved something which just a few short years before I had thought was above and beyond anything I could attain.

The following year in 2011 I was sidelined with injury. It was probably the worst year to miss running TNF100 as the race had attracted a good contingent of international trail runners in the form of 'Team Salomon'. I watched the race from the sidelines and what really impressed me was Julie Quinn's performance. She ran the whole day behind the leading females only to dramatically close the gap in the second last leg, then to capitalise on her gains by taking second then first place to secure the win and the female course record in under 12hrs (11:39). Julie's performance that year reinforced in my mind how important it is to focus on your own race in order to achieve your own goals.

My goal this year was to focus on myself and try to finish in a time that I thought was attainable. I felt during this year’s race things went a little better than in previous years. My running felt more fluent. The gear I had performed better. My serviced checkpoints were measured in what seemed like seconds instead of minutes.

If you look hard enough you can see my legs.

Race morning was pretty chilly, no different to any other year. The Fairmount (race HQ) was buzzing with runners full of pre-race nerves. It was great to see so many spectators along the road cheering us on. The first section is quite technical with lots of stairs and single trails which makes it difficult to pass. Hanny Allston was just behind me and polity asked the guys in front if she could get through. I pulled over to let her pass but she declined the offer and said I was fine, how sweet of her. Hanny finally had enough of being behind me and took off shortly after CP1. She flew down Narrowneck. She looked so strong and powerful. I felt so weak in comparison. Shona was out in front at that stage and Hanny was not far behind. I wondered as I lost sight of them both how long Shona could hold Hanny off. I caught my good friend and training buddy Shane Simpson near Tarros Ladders, the same spot I caught him last year and at the same Shona. It’s funny how the years repeat themselves.

Ironpot and Megalong Valley passed without any problems and I ran into CP3 to the cheer of my supporters. Mum and Dad were there along with Brian, my aunt and uncle (Sally and Martin) along with the Berowra Bushrunner crew who were out supporting other runners on the course, and the rest of the friendly faces who form the ultra running fraternity.

Going up Nellies I caught up to Hanny where she informed me she was pulling out with an injury and wished me luck for the rest of the race. Hanny had only just decided to step up to the 100km at the last minute to give it ago. With her A race being the Orienteering World Championship in a few weeks’ time she made a wise decision to pull out. It was great to meet Hanny and I hope to race with her again in the future.

In the later sections of the race I found myself catching up to some of the top guys. A few of them had a disappointed look in their eyes as I neared them. I think it was the fear of being chicked. Coming up Kedumba Pass I caught Grant Guise who by this time had lost the spring in his step. Grant wasn’t going to let me go on the steep fire trail so we stuck together which made the climb a lot more enjoyable. We Passed Mick going up Kedumba, he didn’t look amazing but better than when I saw and passed him at a similar place last year.

Grant and I moving too fast for the cameraman. 

Chris Truscott and Matty Abel passed us near the top of the Kedumba climb but Grant and I were very efficient at CP5 and left before both of them. This was the first time I talked about my race goal with Brian, my husband and crew. He said I was still on target but would have to run hard to get it. The last leg is very technical and really does drain the last of your reserves. I put in a massive effort on this last stretch trying to keep with Grant, Grant found a second wind and started flying off and Chris Truscott caught us again. I told Grant to leave me and chase him but I guess my company was too good and he chose to stay. I didn’t want to lose him and he didn’t want to drop me. Together we made it to the finish line and literally fell over it (in a poor attempt at a leap-frog) in 11:01. Thanks Grant!

My run-up before crashing into Grant Guise.

When I talked to runners following this year’s TNF100 I feel a real affinity between their successes and mine on this course. As tough as this course is, it’s the feeling of overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles that gives us the biggest rewards. For me it is going from a simple goal of finishing in my first attempt to my most recent result. Though finishing with a time if 11:01 is oh so close to my ultimate short term goal. Oh well there is always next year.

Well done to Brendan Davies who scored a massive PB and CR (amazing!). Also well done to Joanne Brischetto placing 2^nd Female in her first ever 100km.

Ladies Podium, Shona, Beth, Jo. 

Tarawera Race Report 2013

This time of year I would normally be inclined to have done what most Sydney trail runners do, but recently there have been so many new trail running events added to the calendar that I decided to mix my race schedule up a little. That is why I decided to enter the Tarawera Ultra Marathon in Rotorua, New Zealand.

At the beginning of January I made my regular pilgrimage down to Mt Beauty for the Bogong to Hotham race. There was speculation that this race would be called off due to the extreme risk of fire danger in the National Park. As race day loomed and the daily temperatures kept peaking over 40deg the inevitable became reality and the race was sensibly called off. My trip down to Mt Beauty therefore turned into a training camp. Was trail racing going to be disrupted the same in 2013 as it was in 2012? I certainly hoped not!

Shortly after my return from Mt Beauty a pain in my lower back/hip area started to emerge. This was a new injury unlike anything I had had previously. I could feel it constantly and it was excruciating when I tried to run. After some tests I placed myself in the hands of a highly recommended chiro who helped the healing process. He was good but he was still unable to get me right in time for Cradle Mountain, which for me went down as a DNS.

In the lead up to Tarawera my recovery had been enough to allow me to run but not without discomfort. My training had mainly consisted of 2-3 short daily runs. My nett weekly mileage was high, but I wasn't able to do any long runs. I did have some things to look forward too though. One was the support from Salomon Australia who provided my race outfit. In the lead up to the race Salomon Australia had given me shoes and waist belt to train with, which I really enjoyed using. The other was that even though the original Tarawera race course had to be altered due to extreme fire danger, the race looked certain to proceed, and with me there to enjoy it.

The Tarawera pre-race activities (see earlier blog post) were fantastic. It is a real highlight in my running career. It was a good opportunity to mix with some serious international talent while also a good opportunity to check out the competition, only it was difficult to know who exactly the competition was. I had entered the 100km event, however there was also 85km and 60km and relay events on offer as well. To make it more confusing entrants were able to amend their distance during the race. Then to add into the mix the fact that the trail for this years race had been altered due to drought and extreme fire danger in the area. The 100km course was altered so that entrants ran 60km out then 40km back, with the shorter distances being a variation on this. It was all very crazy and confusing. The approach I took into the race was the simplest approach, which was to run my own race at my own pace.

In the predawn light under the giant red woods outside of Rotorua I lined up on the start line with all the other runners. I felt totally out of my depth standing there with all the international elites. The countdown to the start began, then we were off and running, uphill, guided by glow sticks and our head lamps. This was not an easy race start. Not as hard as Western States, but the mix of fire trail and single trail that we followed just kept climbing. The views over Rotorua at the top were spectacular and set the tone for the surroundings we would run in for the rest of the day. As the shadows slowly dissipated I became more aware of where I was amongst the foreign field. Running in local races I have an idea of how I'm going judging by the people around me. In this event I didn't recognise anyone so had no idea if I had gone out too fast (though I was pretty sure Shona was still in front) or too slow (though Brian definitely hadn't caught up). The pace that I settled into was one that I thought I could manage for the rest of the day. I could still feel discomfort in my back while I ran and thankfully it wasn't getting worse.

The first few legs were lots of fun with plenty of people to run with and pockets of supporters cheering us all on. The trail kept changing constantly from tared road to gravel road to fire trail to single trail to what seemed at times a made up single trail and variations of all these. The second major checkpoint was at Lake Okareka, which was also the 100km finish, approximately 20km into the race. Everything I was running beyond this point I'd be running again. In my mind this played horrible games. Every downhill I enjoyed I knew would be a dreaded uphill with tiering legs on the return.

By the time I arrived at the Okataina Lodge checkpoint there were people everywhere, music blasting over loud speakers, it was the place to be. This checkpoint was also the main finish area for the 60km and 85km runners. It was awesome to hear all the commotion from about a kilometre out as we ran down the hillside towards the Lake Okataina shore and checkpoint. As I quickly transitioned through the checkpoint the announcer said that I was the third woman to come through. My guess was Ruby 1st, Shona 2nd, then me. On I went around the lake, I could hear the sound of the checkpoint slowly dissipate as I went in pursuit of those in front.

Somewhere around Humphries Bay I saw Sage Canaday (eventual 100km race winner) heading towards me. It meant that he had reached the out and back section and was on the return journey. I cheered him on, as well as all the other runners I crossed path with on this out and back section. There was a long break before the next lot of lead runners started filing past.

I eventually caught up with Shona shortly after the Humphries Bay checkpoint and we ran together for a couple of kilometres. She was looking a little stressed and said as much. Shortly after she took a heavy fall behind me. I stopped to make sure she was alright before helping her up and get her going again. We kept together for a little while longer until I started to pull away. Ruby passed by, pretty close to the lead guys and I knew that she was untouchable.

Somewhere along this leg I made the startling realisation that I no longer had any pain in my lower back. For almost two months I had been dealing with this constant discomfort and now after more than 40km it had disappeared. I went through the checklist of what hurts more. If my back doesn’t hurt any more then there must be something that is more painful. I could feel a blister or two starting to form, but other than that nothing.

On the out and back section. Courtesy ultra168.com

 

I eventually made the turnaround point at Tarawera Outlet where we were met with another checkpoint and the always present media contingent covering this race. I had spent the last few days around these guys as part of the pre race activities and they were full of encouragement as I came in and left. Now came the first of the mind games, the return run over ground I had just covered. Other than traversing the same terrain backwards, the only variance this time would be passing all the other runners on their way out to Tarawera Outlet. The further I ran back the more exhausted the people were who were heading out. I didn't mind this more technical part of the trail (though it is not nearly as technical as the trails in the Blue Mountains) and I took pleasure in knowing that I could leave it all behind me.

I passed Shona again on the return and she said something about pulling out. I hoped she was ok.

Heading into the Okataina Lodge checkpoint I was turning over in my mind the possibility of stopping short at the 85km race distance. I had passed all those runners doing the 85km and 100km distances and knew that I was safely in 2nd place. I eventually convinced myself that I had come over to do the 100km distance and that anything else would be a lazy option and a DNF in my mind. Plus nothing was hurting and I could physically still complete the distance. As I emerged from the trail into the checkpoint I was greeted by Brian, who had predictably stopped short. He grabbed my little water bottle to refill, then urged me out of the checkpoint with a few words of encouragement. There was not time to think about the shorter option so on I went.

10km Finish Line

The hill going out of the Okataina Lodge checkpoint was the only hill I really walked all race. Safe in the knowledge of where I was in the field I relaxed a little and enjoyed this luxury. Once at the top, the highest part of the course, the terrain slowly dipped back down towards the road and finally the Lake Okareka checkpoint and 100km finish. It was a good feeling crossing the finish line for the first time in 2013. I finished in a time of 11:43, 2^nd female, which I was happy with given the training. It didn’t matter how hard I tried today I would never have been able to stick with new wonder kid on the block, Ruby Muir. Ruby’s run was a standout world class performance.

In summary, I really enjoyed the course. I think I enjoyed it more than I would have if I’d run the original course as this race had more elevation gain and loss on lots more trail.

Presentation with Ruby Muir. Courtesy ultra168.com

Tarawera Pre-Race Report 2013

This isn’t my usual race report. Instead it is a short reflection of the pre-race activities leading up to the race which I believe deserves equal recognition.

Nature walk. Courtesy irunfar.com

The Tarawera Ultra Trail Marathon has in my eyes raised the bar in regards to professionalism in trail running, especially in Australia/New Zealand. The Race Director, Paul Charteris, should be recognised and complemented for what he has pulled off at this year’s recent event. I’m not sure exactly how he managed to pull it off, but he successfully attracted some seriously talented trail runners, both locally and from around the world, then capitalised on their attendance with a host of media personnel (backcountryrunner.co.nz, irunfar.com and ultra168.com). In an ultra trail running event where competitors have invested a lot of time training and finances leading up to and attending the event it was good of the RD to help extend the atmosphere of the event (not just the run) to make it an unforgettable experience.

Just before general entries for this event closed I threw my hat into the ring for the 100km event and was surprised by the social media comments from both the general public and the RD. Still months out from race day and already there was banter and speculation galore about who had entered and who was about to enter and amongst those names who would finish at the top. As these online discussion continued, more and more high profile names in the sport got added to the start list, and before I think anybody could believe it Paul could rightly compile a pretty impressive list of Elite Athletes. It must have done Paul’s head in trying not to miss any dark horses amongst the 400 odd entrants.

Group shot following welcome onto Marae. Courtesy ultra168.com

 

Paul could have stopped with the Elite’s list, but instead he took it to another level by organising some pre-race activities for the elites and general entry competitors alike. I felt honoured when an invite went out to include me in the closed invite activates which entailed; a BBQ dinner at Pauls house in Rotorua, a welcome onto a Marae in the traditional fashion by the people of Ngati Whare, a guided nature walk in the Whirinaki Forest, and formal media conference at Te Puia cultural centre. This was a great opportunity to showcase the regions cultural side while capitalising on the fact that such talent has assembled for this particular event.

An open invite went out for the 7-8km trail run/walk in the Whakarearewa Red Woods where people were able to rub shoulders with runners of all levels. This run was awesome and got to show off the race start area, which would be shrouded in darkness come race morning.

Red Woods Run

The above activities were followed by a hugely successful Q & A session with some of the Elites chaired by Grant Guise and Marcus Warner on Friday afternoon for all to attend. This fantastic initiative proved to be a casual but hugely entertaining session by a group of grounded trail runners who reflect the general good nature of those in the sport of ultra trail running.

Q & A Session

It would be great to see more high profile trail running events take on a similar approach to the one that Paul did. He was successful in turning a race into an event for entrants and associated parties alike. The whole experience proved to be a great opportunity to not only sell the race but to allow all entrants to get more out of the event than just the bit between the start and finish lines. All race directors should take note.

A Nice Surprise

What a year 2012 ended up being. It started off with a lot of rain, throw in some PB’s, a bit of travel, excitement, anticipation, trepidation and a few niggles (although not always in that order and the measurements were varied). Mix these ingredients up for 12 months. The end result was an unexpected reward.

As all my new years have started out since I started running, I turned up for the Beyond The Black Stump Fat Ass run. It’s always good to have a large social run around the local trails and it is a good indicator as to how well I have prepared for Bogong to Hotham which is usually held the following week.

As it turned out I should have been doing survival training for Bogong to Hotham. The weather forecasts for the event indicated that it would be wet. So at the start line we all had the full race packs and we stood around in a light drizzle. The race started and the conditions got worse the higher and further we went. The weather eventually got so bad the race was called off at Langford Gap (about the half way mark). The wind was so strong it felt like it was pushing me back and the rain was like needles hitting the skin.

Australia Day for me was a very busy day. I started the morning by doing the 6hr Knapsack trail run (around a 5km course) followed by a night at Darling Harbour celebrating my mother-in-law’s birthday. Around and around I went on the Knapsack course, lapping Brian until he finally stopped. Shortly after the heavens opened up and I got wet. This was two races in a row that were wet. Surely it couldn’t happen again.

The next event on the calendar was Six Foot Track. I had a pretty good run the year before and wanted to give it another good crack. In the days leading up to the event the weather had been wet and the forecast looked no better. The Ultra168 boys summed the conditions up pretty well on their website. No matter how many prays were said the flooding at the river crossings was in full swing and the race was called off. Race day was fine though and I joined a large group who did the Narrow Neck/ Megalong Valley loop, so the weekend wasn’t wasted.

In April I had plans to do Mt Solitary. This was postponed until August due rain and I missed this event also. Was it me causing all this rain? If so it wasn’t intentional!

With pretty much no racing so far in 2012, heading into The North Face 100, Blue Mountains, I had no idea how I would fare. I had done some pretty good low intensity training in the lead up to the event and was pretty keen just to race. Everything turned out pretty good during the race and I was pleasantly surprised when I crossed the finish line with a new PB and course record.

Two weeks after TNF100 I made my way back up into the Blue Mountains and then down to the Wolgan Valley for the inaugural Glow Worm Tunnel Marathon. It was lots of fun and I enjoyed the challenging course. More surprisingly my legs were able to last the distance, just.

Following my last Trailwalker I vowed to never do a Trailwalker again but the opportunity to join team No Roads Expeditions was too good to refuse, so I vowed never to never say never again and upped my training. Heading into race day I wasn’t feeling 100% and was substituted with Shona Stephenson, which worked out well for the team who managed a well-deserved win.

The same weekend as the Sydney Trailwalker was Willy To Billy. This is a run I really enjoy doing but as with most races so far in 2012 the event was cancelled, not due to nature but this time due to bureaucracy. 2012 was not the year to be a trail runner.

My first race in the second half of 2012 was the Nepean Odyssey. This is another race that had to be rescheduled due to bad weather earlier in the year. Brian’s cousin, Stuart, was going to do this multi-sport event as a solo entrant but decided to change his entry to a team entry. He had a friend to do the mountain bike leg, Stuart was doing the paddle leg and in the quest to fill the vacant running leg he recruited me. I arrived when the event was well underway and expecting to see a few competitors return from the paddle leg before needing to run, I was in a great rush to organise myself when Stuart arrived in second place at the transition zone. So with a quick change over I headed out for the 19km trail run. I ran my pants off (not literally but you know what I mean) knowing that none other than Brendan Davies would be hot on my heels running for another team (No Roads Expeditions). I managed to keep him at bay and take first place to be the first team home overall, though a solo competitor managed to beat all of us home. This will probably be the first and last time that I finish ahead of Brendan, so it is a cherished moment.

 

With a large gap to fill before my last ‘A’ race for 2012 I entered the Centennial Park Ultra 100km. My loose targe was to qualify for the Australian 100km road running team with a sub 9hr time. I didn’t manage my goal but I still did the distance and wasn’t too far off to target time.

My last big race for 2012 was the Great North Walk. I had to sit on the side line for this race the previous year and I was looking for a good result. Originally I entered the 100mile event but my training wasn’t where it needed to be and my heart wasn’t in it, so I dropped down to the 100km event. This proved to be the right choice and I renewed my training with vigour. Come race day I managed to get lost several times, one time for about 45min, on a course I thought I knew. In those instances all you can do is laugh really, then get on with it. That aside I still managed a reasonable time to the finish, with room for improvement next year.

A few weeks later I teamed up with Shona Stephenson for the 30/50km Team Challenge down on the Mornington Peninsular in Victoria. We were doing the 50km together. The race consisted of three parts; the first chasing Shona, the second running through soft sand, and the third battling the heat. All up it was a fun run and we managed to get first in our division.

I have been following Coast To Kosci for a number of years with some mixed interest. This year I was supposed to be crewing my buddy Shane Simpson in his quest to run and finish this race for a second time. As things turned out I couldn’t get away from work so missed the opportunity to experience the race close up, but I’m glad it didn’t affect Shane’s performance.

And of course, throughout 2012 I regularly joined Berowra Bushrunners’ on their regular bush runs and 10km Road Handicap.

All up I was happy to be injury free, although there were a few niggles that I didn’t want to test from time to time.

I thought I had had a pretty good year, then on the way down to Mt Beauty for the 2013 instalment of Bogong to Hotham I got a phone call from AURA (Australian Ultra Runners Association) saying that they had awarded me Female Ultra Runner of the Year 2012. It’s an honour to receive this award and recognition, and to be considered along with current and previous recipients.

I couldn’t think of a better way to top off 2012. Thanks AURA.

 

Great North Walk 100km (this time) 2012

 

When entries opened for this event my original intent was to redeem my DNS from 2011 by entering the 100 mile event. I started my training after recovering from some niggles that prevented me from running in Sydney Trailwalker earlier this year. As it turned out the team did just fine without me so all was good, and with the break I was able to ease back into training for the GNW 100 mile event. I’m not sure what happened but my training just didn’t have the intensity for the miler, or at least what it had been in 2010 when I was preparing for my first 100mile event, GNW. As other trail running event entries started opening up for 2013 I started to become a bit despondent about doing the GNW 100 miles and I was considering if the 100mile event was really the right idea. Talking about GNW and my plans for 2013 with Brian, he convinced me that the sensible thing to do would be to drop down to the 100km event. I think he was pitching for an early night crewing. In all honesty I hadn’t considered this as an option. After I had some time to think about it, it started to make more sense and I started to find my drive again.

Most of my training runs for this year’s race had been on the 100mile course, mainly because it was close to home and partly because I hadn’t dropped down to the 100km event. I only ventured out onto the 100km course once and that was on an absolute stinker of a day with Clarke McClymont and Cooba. It was fair to say that it was good heat training for what could have been and really hot year at GNW. The following week Dave Byrnes sent an email around saying that if the area was declared a Total Fire Ban the event would be called off. So much for needing to train in extreme heat. It was a fair call as the bush which the GNW course winds through is currently a bush fire waiting to happen.

For the race I decided that I would run with two (what ended up being three) race packs. I had seen Andrew Vize do it in previous races and the mandatory gear for this event lends itself towards this strategy, unlike TNF where you are more likely to be wearing your mandatory gear which complicates this strategy. The strategy would be easy, I would run into the check point with my mobile and maps in one hand, exchange my pack for a new one, pack my mobile and maps, then continue on hopefully without breaking my stride.

Start of GNW 2012. Courtesy Michael Leadbetter

Come race day the weather was a mixed bag. The morning was warm at the start then during the race quickly became cold and windy, then turned wet, then cleared up during the middle of the day and then started to cool down as night approached. Essentially it was perfect weather for a race. The start of this years race resembled more of an organised social run. After Dave Byrnes signalled the start of the race no one seemed to be in too much of a rush and we all sort of just stuck together until the bitumen gave way to dirt then the fun and games began. Clarke and Brendan started to move ahead (although I kept seeing a lot of Brendan in the first leg because he kept getting lost) and behind them the rest of the field started to thin out. I was glad that I had chosen to wear a shoe with plenty of grip as the first section up to Brunkerville Gap was slippery on the clay trails. Up through the jungle I and two other runners (Daymo and Martin) managed to take the wrong turn and we went off track for a couple of kilometres until we became unsure of where we were and stopped to check our maps.  We turned around and joined the race back on course. I should have picked up on the detour earlier and not followed the others. It wasn’t a big detour but it was annoying none the less. I vowed to pay more attention and not make any more mistakes like that again. Coming into CP1 (28.6km) I exchanged my bag with Brian for a new one and was back out on the course in under a minute, managing to make up a few places and exiting the checkpoint in 3^rd place.

Coming into CP1. Courtesy Michael Leadbetter

As I ran out of CP1 I rummaged around the pockets of my pack to see what I had to eat. I hadn’t paid much attention to what I had packed the day before so it was essentially a lucky dip. A little down the road there was a road marker and tape placed at the turn off where the GNW trail deviates from the main road. I thought that this was a little soft as the rest of the course wasn’t likely to be marked so well. I made it down onto Congewai Road and settled into a steady rhythm as I wound my way along the valley floor. Daymo and Martin caught up with me along the road section and we all ran into CP2 (52.5km) together. I was looking forward to getting to Congewai Primary School so I could change out of my trail shoes which had become annoying on the road section. I gave Brian my bag as I stood on the scales to be weighed. Half way and I was exactly the same weight as I was when I got weighed at the start. Brian let me know that I was 10min under Shona Stephenson’s GNW 100km record splits from the previous year. I quickly showed my mandatory gear to the officials conducting the gear check and I was out of the checkpoint and back on the road in 3 minutes.

Coming into CP2. Courtesy Michael Leadbetter

I ran into CP2 with a few runners around me but I got the jump on them at the checkpoint and hit the trails by myself. As I got closer to the top of the hill and the telecommunications tower I looked over my shoulder a few times to see if anyone was close by but I couldn’t see anyone so continued on alone. While doing this section all I could think about was how horrible it was doing this leg with Clarke a few weeks earlier in the heat. I was grateful for the cooler weather and the fact that I didn’t have to turn around at the end and come back again. Whatever bit of trail I covered now I could leave it behind me. As I approached the Basin turnoff I wasn’t at all surprised that I didn’t see either Clarke or Brendan who were the only two runners ahead of me at this stage. This section is a 2.5km out and back so essentially you get to see runners who are both 5km ahead and 5km behind. Those boys must have been flying. I arrived at CP3 (81.6km) for another quick change of packs and was in and out again in under a minute. Before leaving, Brian let me know that I was 45min under Shona’s splits, so I knew I was still going well.

Coming into CP2. Courtesy HokaOneOne Australia Roger Hanney

On the way back out I passed Daymo, then Shona then a short distance back Gill Fowler and Nikolay. All four were doing the 100mile and seeing the two girls so close together it looked like the race was on. I climbed up out of the Basin to the top of the ridge then left onto the main fire trail then turned right onto the side trail. The only problem was the right turn was too early, which luckily I realised early enough. Back on the main fire trail I ran a little further down the road before turning right again. I ran down the trail thinking it was the right trail as it looked just like the one I was supposed to be on. I kept looking for the turn off for the single trail but it never came and the trail ended in a dead end. No single trail, no nothing. I felt sick as I realised what I had just done. After verbally venting my frustration at the wildlife I turned around and back tracked uphill to the main fire trail again. After venting my frustration at the wildlife I turned around and back tracked to the main fire trail again. Up on the fire trail I met Nathan Parker (fellow Berowra Bushrunner) who had also had a major navigational error, however he was on his way back down to the Basin. After exchanging some colourful language in an attempt to describe what we had just done wrong, we headed in separate directions. I now had to make up for my unintentional adventure and get to the finish line. I wondered how much of my advantage was still left and how much I could now salvage. I made it down onto the road into Yarramalong with Nikolay Nikolaev. I explained to Nikolay what I had done and how my target was now in ruins. He was really kind and did my final splits for me. I had 1hr, 10min to do the last 11km to the finish line. He was so nice he offered to give me his watch so that I could make my target time. I declined the offer and surged ahead. It would be by legs that got me to the finish line, not the watch. So full of determination I headed off down the road as fast as I could. I didn’t know it at the time, but Brian was at the finish line and had been informed by two groups of people that I was AWOL and that no one knew where I was. To make it worse I had my mum, sister and two nephews were at the finish line all waiting for me to finish. Two kilometres out from CP4 I caught up with Shona and saw that she was having a rough run. She gave me some encouraging words as I passed and I put the hammer down as I came into Yarramalong. She even gave me encouragement to break her 100km record. Coming into CP4 (103.7km) I was greeted by Brian telling me to hurry up. I came up the drive to Yarramalong Primary School and crossed the finish line in 12:36, a new female GNW 100km course record. I would like to say that I was the first female to come into CP4 but I was about 12 minutes behind Gill who had already arrived and left on her quest to finish her first 100mile event, which she did becoming the first female to run sub 24hrs, getting female GNW 100mile record and getting a well-deserved gold finishers medal. Oh well, I was in a similar situation in 2010 when I came into CP 4, under the previous 100km female record, but was unable to claim the title as I had entered the mile event and not the kilometre event. To formally finish the race I once again stood on the scales which said that I had lost 700g in the last half of the race. I put it down to getting lost, though others might say it has something to do with food and fluid.

I’m pretty grateful that I was able to get the 100km record having gone off course for so long. I would have liked to have finished knowing that I had given the run my best effort, but now I’m left with unfinished business at GNW. Til next time….

 

Centennial Park Ultra 100km 2012

I have never done a proper road ultra before, however after watching the performances of Ewan Horsburgh over the last 12 months and Brendan Davies’ performance in Italy earlier this year and Allison Lilley’s performance in Poland a few weeks ago, I was inspired to sign up for a road/track ultra. The one that stood out for me was the Centennial Park Ultra 100km. It’s in Sydney, at Centennial Park (a place that I had never been to before), flat and seemingly long enough and a busy enough location to minimise boredom and monotony of a lap event the event.

As the event got closer I set myself some loose goals.

1.       To see if I could do a sub 9hr for the 100km. This would give me a qualifier for the 100km road world championships. I had to aim for something and this was a good enough target, or so I thought.
2.       Could I run 100km nonstop? I know I can do the distance on the trails, but can I really run the distance.
3.       At the very least I’d treat this as a tempo training run for my next trail race.

Also in the lead up to the event Brian produced a split calculator. Something he does for all my events. He’d be crewing for me at this event so would be able to give me feedback as the race progressed.

Come race day I was up at 4am to get to the start line at 5:30am. It was a beautiful morning at Centennial Park. The early morning mist was sitting low over the parklands and the suns rays were slowly starting to peel back the dark predawn sky. As I was getting my race kit on it was just starting to sink in how under done I was for this event. I’m not a road runner. Not at all. I have no speed and I feel sluggish on the flats. Those that know my 10km road PB know what I’m talking about. You’d laugh if you knew as on the trail this doesn’t matter and I’m frequently running with people on the trails with road PB’s far superior to mine. I’d done next to no road running leading up the Centennial Park, except for short distances on road to link up with trails, but that was my choice, I knew I had the fitness to do 100km so whatever I ran on this track would be more a reflection on natural ability than a goal I really worked towards or perhaps deserved.

After a short prerace briefing by RD April Palmerlee we were off and running. I settled down to an easy pace in about 7^th or 8^th spot behind the lead guys then held on for my very first lap ever of Centennial Park. The first of 28 laps to be precise. I enjoyed these first few laps watching the park slowly come to life. The birds started to get restless, the mist finally got burnt away by the warming sun and people started entering and using the park. My splits for these first few laps were spot on for the 9hr target. I even managed to get 2min under for a few laps. I held this until about lap 6 when I made my first toilet stop. When I re-entered the course I was right on my splits. I stayed like this for another few laps until my second toilet stop. This put me 2min over my target splits which I never regained.

Pre-race briefing with mist on the oval.

The first 100km runner I started to regularly lap was Ben Phillips aka "blind Ben", along with is guide. I made sure each time I passed to say “hello” and give him some words of encouragement. To his credit he didn't make the full 100km but he was out there for the entire allocated 12hrs to clock up 70km's. That in itself is very impressive.  

The 50km competitors entered the fray after an hour of running. It was great witnessing the speed that Alex Mathews and Brendan Davies exhibited. Both class athletes strutting their stuff. It was always exciting to see who would come around first the next time they lapped me. Alex ended up taking the win but Brendan made sure he fought for it the whole way. Watching these guys run and then finish made me wish I had entered the 50km instead of the 100km. But I still had plenty of other runners still out on the course doing both the 50km and 100km to keep me company a little while longer.

Nearing the half way mark

By about the fifty km mark I started to feel a little queasy in the stomach. Something that I’m not unaccustomed to but I thought with an event like this, where I’m drinking and eating regularly this wouldn’t be a problem. I probably made the mistake at this time to skip a few opportunities to eat something. Even though I wasn’t up to eating I should have forced something down.

Somewhere around the 60km mark I started to get some blisters on the top of my toes. These must have been the first blisters of 2012. I got them under the nails of my 2^nd and 3^rd toe of my left foot. My feet were all fine then all of a sudden these blisters just flared up. Admittedly I had only got the shoes I was running in the Monday before the event and had only done a few km’s in them around the house, but I’d been fine doing similar things before. I was kindly attended to by a member from the Achilles Running Club who taped my toes up and off I went again. This is when I really fell of the split bandwagon. I was a total of 7min off my target splits. Brian mentioned this to Brendan and apparently his response was,” that’s no good, she’s stuffed”. Thanks Brendan. Next time I see you racing I’ll think of something inspirational to say to you too. He was right though, I was.

I continued around the course and everyone I passed looked like they were in the same hurt locker. I had gone this far in the run, there was nothing to it other than continue on. Every now and again I was cheered on by Brian or Mum as they walked around Centennial Park with my dog Jack. It was always a nice surprise as I wouldn’t know where I would see them next. For the last few laps my support crew was joined by fellow Berowra Bushrunner Jeff Hodder who dropped by to check the event out. I don’t know if he left inspired our not but it was great to see him nonetheless.

Jack waiting patiently for me to run past again.

I was finding this event difficult to get my head around. I’m used to A to B races where you know your position in the race is relative to where you are running in the field. Being a lap race, the person in front of you could be either the person 1 position in front or 1 position behind. I think this was also one of the reasons my splits started to drop off in the later stages of the run. Its not the same as running scared knowing that the person behind you really is someone that wants to beat you.

On my second last lap my stomach finally got the better of me. I knew what was coming, or more precisely what was coming up. I quickly purged the system right in front of a horse and other people, it was a bit embarrassing but what can you do. I quickly continued on hoping no one noticed. In the process I received a compliment by a fellow runner who had seen me quickly stop then continue on like nothing had happened. It is not like a practice these things, but a compliment is always nice to receive at this late stage of the run. Without seeing the splits this second last and last laps were my slowest laps and saw me come over the line in 9hr 22min. Not quite my target but a finish and a benchmark to aim for next time, maybe.

Only a handfull of laps to go.

I did learn a lot from this event however. I learnt:
a.       I can run 100km non-stop more or less.
b.      9hr for 100km is potentially achievable with some specific training, on road not trails.
c.       I love trails and felt homesick racing an ultra on a flat track.
d.      I still have work to do when it comes to my race nutrition.
e.      Centennial Park is a nice place, and in particular Centennial Park Ultra is a great event.

Thank you April for such a well organised and enjoyable event.