2013 Review
To those that are wondering why a yearly review in November, my
season ended at Carcoar and I have been on a recovery fortnight the past week
and a half. I started my training for
this year of racing around the end of November last year when I began working
with Brendan Davies as my coach. We worked on my program, setting achievable
training base goals and began working towards 6 Foot Track, TNF 50 and the
Kanangra 50 Trail Ultra as my A races for the year. Since then I have been supported and
encouraged by my family and friends, both old and new, and by Kellie my amazing
wife.
My training has become very serious, there is no other way of
describing it, I have taken it on with my everything I have. I honestly think I have only
missed one session for no reason and trained smartly throughout my first year
of competitive running. I train with
purpose and direction and in the coming year my plan is heading towards my big
goals for the season, this time my training program will be more specific and
periodised to maximize results. I will
continue to put hours in each week while I love running, it gives me solace,
security, an outlet and most importantly enjoyment.
My training goals are outlined best in my phases throughout the
program;
·
Build Phase – develop aerobic
endurance, get my long run longer and more comfortable.
·
Sharpening Phase – establish
lactic tolerance and anaerobic condition, begin racing quicker and increasing
intensity in certain session (track work!).
·
Competing/Peaking Phase – race
well, perform to my ability, achieve my goals and learn. Enjoy this time as this is what the hard work
has lead to, big races.
So with that in mind my big races for next year are;
Jan – Knapsack 6hr
Solo Lap Race
March – 6 Foot
Track
April – Buffalo Stampede Sky Ultra & Mt Solitary Ultra
May – The North
Face 100
June – Glow Worm
Tunnel Marathon & Mystery Mountain
Oct – Kanangra 50
Trail Ultra
Nov – Carcoar Cup
I will turn towards the road a little more in the later part of the
year aiming for a 2:4X marathon. I think
a practice attempt at Mudgee and then a crack at Western Sydney is the likely
scenario at this stage, although Stromlo is penciled in for October as well.
Looking back now my year has been busy, thanks to my family, mum and
dad and Kel’s folks in particular, as they have supported us with the kids on
our weekend trips to races. Kel and I
have done a lot together this year, more than any other year in our marriage
and I have so much admiration and love for her and this time is so important to
me. I have had races with Kel and times
when she has supported me, I always know she will be there for me and I hope to
be able to do the same for her.
My schedule has been full and I have performed well, only having a
couple of disappointing races, I have top 10 results in every race but two and
finished on the podium on many occasions.
I have set a few pb times, run a 100km race and cracked the 3hr mark in
the marathon, these were all goals for the year and I’m happy to have achieved
them.
I have raced some of the best runners in country, guys like Tony
“Fats” Fatorini, , Vlad Shatrov, Mitch Dean, Alex Matthews et al. I have also been able to get to know Brendan,
Ewan Horsbourgh, Mark Lee, Jo Brischetto and Andy Lee well through either racing or training with them. All these runners
are superb athletes and I am far better for running around them, in particular
Brendan Davies, who as my coach has been monumental in my development. He puts far more into the sport than people
know and he will go down as one the best ultra runners in Australia’s
history. I’m so grateful and am looking
forward to seeing him launch UP Coaching in 2014, a venture which I will be
supporting and can not recommend more highly.
Not only has Brendan been a massive help but Sean Greenhill and Mel
Parry at Mountain Sports have backed me all year. I have been made an ambassador and part of
the Mountain Sports Team at Buffalo in April.
They have offered advice and support and both Kel and I value their
friendship greatly. We have been lucky
enough to see a new member of their family arrive with Abigail been born not to
long ago, I’m sure she’ll be a great little friend to our boys Charley and Beau
and a smiley little face at STS events.
I look forward to continuing to be associated with Mountain Sports in
the future, hey maybe in the next year I can win a Mountain Sports event!
So where to from here, this hills I’m thinking. I’ll be running longer and up and down more
hills this Summer. I aim to get the k’s
in with the elevation this time around, perhaps an area I shied away from a bit
this year. I’ll spend time on the
trails, mainly around Hassans Walls, with the trips to the mountains, both the Blue
and Snowy thrown in, as well as the roads around home and up at Mt Panorama,
all with the focus on becoming a strong runner and a decent mountain ultra trail
runner. A few things I know for sure,
it’s going to be hard work and take loads of dedication, I’ll have Kel with me
all the way, I will continue to enjoy the new community I have been embraced in
and I’m going to have fun.
I am now a part of NSWIB and the beer bet for 6 Foot and the NSWIB
will be my nominated club at races from now on.
It’s perfect for me, I love a beer when I get the opportunity and the
institute has a ready supply at races, perfect!
Seriously though, it will be a bit of fun and good to be part of the
rivalry V BMMC and add to the atmosphere at races.
So “onwards on upwards” to quote the coach. Look out 2014 because I’m coming with clear
goals and an extra 12 months under my belt.
Happy training and stay safe. I maybe running at the STS on Sunday, depending on how I go at my mates wedding the night before, if I do it'll be the 6.5km I'm thinking.
Yearly Summary Report for WesGibson981
Count:
|
434 Activities
|
Distance:
|
5,087.75 km
|
Time:
|
409:27:02 h:m:s
|
Elevation Gain:
|
93,933 m
|
Calories:
|
341,881 C
|
Avg Speed:
|
12.5 km/h
|
Avg HR:
|
137 bpm
|
Avg Distance:
|
11.72 km
|
Avg Time:
|
56:36 h:m:s
|
Avg Elevation Gain:
|
219 m
|
Weekly Average
|
118km
|
Weekly Time
|
9.5hr
|
Weekly Elevation
|
2186m
|
 |
| Carcoar 2013 |
 |
| Kanangra 2012 |
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