2015 - Getting Real About the Year I Had

Knsapsack 3hr - Driven and focused.

Picture this: A running kit set out ready for a runner that more often than not would have to pack it into a bag for a shorter lunchtime run at work or away in the drawer because the morning session was missed all together. Or a foot that was so painful for the first 15min of every day, that it was feared before bed at night and on top of this hopping out of the car and simply applying force to stand up was a challenge.

Perhaps though, the planned and carefully executed first four months of the year that had led me to the best running shape I’ve been in would have indicated that the first two sentences would have related to someone else, not me! But they didn’t, it was the battle I was facing for the vast majority of 2015 and at times I was keeping these feelings very close to my chest.

Numbers, goals, races and trends were the focus. I was over analysing my stats tracking forward to race specific goals for the year and according to these figures I was on for a good year. That didn’t happen and a combination of injury, illness, over reaching, stress management, over planning and a lack of accountability eventually took it’s toll and my year went opposite to the plan. DNFs, DNSs, missing PBs by massive amounts, a decreased training load, failed sessions and a drop in motivation/commitment was becoming the norm as well as a loss in the desire to race.

I struggled throughout the back end of the year with injury, that was no secret but I kept my feelings towards my running internal, fearing for some reason that if I spoke about it would be reality, that maybe if I ignored the feelings they’d go away. They did not.

Bathrust Half - celebrating numbers rather
than my actual performance

Throughout the year my coaching role at UP Coaching had expanded and I had been coaching client’s on a weekly basis in 2015. Brendan has been very supportive of me in this role and while I haven’t made as many training days or session’s as I’d like, my clients have been working well in their individual programs. I had a good year coaching, learning a great deal, and successfully assisting clients achieving goals while building my programming theory to suit a variety of runners from all walks of life. Coaching is and will continue to be a part of my running journey and at UP Coaching I believe I can continue to assist my clients as I am constantly reviewing my coaching principles and beliefs aiming to continue to grow as a coach.

Of late I have slowly but surely became more driven to run for fun as opposed to Strava, result sheets or training logs. The need for big numbers started to replace the need for key sessions and runs to either build me physically or satisfy me emotionally and spiritually. I refocused my thoughts to why I run and dropped the desire to have the highest log, fastest average pace or most climb in a week, that all is bullshit anyway.

Hounslow - the starting point for my refocus late in the year.

Numbers don’t resonate much with me anymore, they have their role to play but they do not dictate my running like they did. I am trying to be more intrinsic with my running and drive from within rather than from an external force. I do not want to look for praise or attention with my running, I simply want the desire to drive myself to the performance I am capable of and be satisfied with that. I want my running to be a positive outlet and constructive aspect of my life, fulfilling me by feeding my competitive nature as well as my natural instinct to explore.

TVT at Kosci NP - Favourite run
of the year.

Recently I have read books rather than journals, ran in places rather than races and put less thought into my running than over the last 18 months. wards the end of the year I had a chat with Brendan about my position as a coach and athlete. We had a good talk about the need for me to have someone looking over my running and I felt the need to separate my running and coaching to ensure both were reaching their potential and he was supportive of my feelings. I have been working with Dave, Ben and Tiger at RunCrew since late November and the focus is now 6 Foot, no thoughts required just run each session and rest then recover for the next, a perfect formula. I now have the accountability and placed the responsibility of my programming with someone else for the year ahead and I feel great about it in so many ways.

I was lucky to be supported by many great people in 2016, most importantly Kel my wife (who has had her own battles on top of putting up with mine), my boys Charley and Beau and our families. Without the support of these people I would have completely melted myself by the end of the year. I am also part of a genuine and for the most part honest community of people, runners who run for fun and enjoyment, competition and achievement and come from all different backgrounds each adding their own individualism to the mix. I also should mention Blair here as throughout the year when we had planned to train together he kept me honest and consistent  which is what I lacked from April on, he had a great year himself and deserved every result he achieved.

Colour Run Fun

Inov-8 Australia/Barefootinc. Hammer Nutrition, Mountain Sports and Sydney Trail Series have all been very supportive of me throughout 2015. I am fortunate the gear I use and races I compete in are willing to support me and I remain grateful for what they do for me as an ambassador of their product. I try to remain authentic and partial when looking at races and gear and will only ever present my view not someone else’s.

I look forward to another adventure filled year in 2016. Already we are 11 days down and I have been thinking long and hard about this blog, since very early in December in fact. I have started, stopped, rewritten, avoided writing and procrastinated in the process, ironic it seems as that’s what my running had done since April. I am clear of mind, realistic, full of belief and newly motivated for the next 12 months of my life and the balance of family, work and running.

I know this because my house is tidy, my kit are not staying laid out in the morning and the front door step has a little collection of Inov-8 kicks building up each week.

STS Kamay - trying but not succeeding but still happy. 

Snow drifts and clear trails at Winburndale Reserve
east of Bathurst.

Nambucca Heads - running for fun!

Mt Towac - summiting mid-race.

Hassans Walls - taking time out.

Reflections of a Broken Stampeder

Kel had just finished - super proud of her!!!

Buffalo Stampede 2015

Where to start…

When so much has been invested in something we all believe that the fairytale will happen and the ending will be perfect. Unfortunately the script that was written over the weekend down at Bright for the Buffalo Stampede Skyrunning Oceania Championships was different to the one I had been envisaging in my mind. With time past over the last few days to reflect it’s quite ironic that even though it most certainly didn’t provide me with my performance based goals I would not change a thing. And that everything happens for reason.

I was in great shape for this event and had undertaken a calculated preparation that was entirely focused upon the specific aspects of the brutal and challenging 75.5km Skyrunning course that Sean Greenhill has created. I had began building in November and this training evolved to the point where my numbers all indicated I was ready to race come April 11, and that is what I intended to do. I knew the course having done it before and after attending and coaching at Skycamp, furthering this knowledge with another trip to Bright in January to get some more course time under the belt.

Buckland Aid with Mark Lee

At this point I was well aware of the new Skyrunning Series for ANZ and was really hoping for a good performance in the April race. I also knew it was going to be tough going as both the course and the competitive field would ultimately lead to fast times and more risk being taken.

As I approached April I was carefully planning my preparation in training, setting goals and mentally readying myself for the event. I was also coaching Kel towards her Sky 26er event and we were starting to get knowledge of what medicial issue was causing her so much trouble and it looked as though things were on the improve. March had been a positive month with only a small mishap in training so all was on path for both Kel and I and we were looking forward to the Stampede.

Summing the ultra course up isn't easy, it is a beast from start to end. There are seven climbs, some utterly daunting and the others are brutal offering steep climbs and quad thrashing descents. The trail surface is mixed from hard packed firetrail, smooth flowing fire trail, downhill MTB single track and super technical rocky single track, with the variance in my opinion providing the great challenge for runners to prepare for. The climbs/descents all appear easier on paper and need to be respected or they will bite and the last 15km is close to the toughest of any race anywhere.

Descending of Clearspot at 67km is the hardest 2km I
have ever done - both times!

There was also great progress for both the Buffalo Stampede and Skyrunning in Australia in the lead up to April. The event had three races across Friday, Saturday and Sunday with entries being higher than last year, there were even some lunatics that thought it appropriate to attempt the Grand Slam – 26er, Ultra and Marathon! Skyrunning ANZ had attracted some quality runners from both home and abroad to compete in all events as well as establishing an Oceania Series across Australia and New Zealand. Runners from NZ, Europe, South Africa, the UK and Nepal all coming credentialed with many successful races across the globe. But for me it was Martin Dent that stood out. He is an Olympic and Commonwealth Marathon runner with a brilliant career highlighted with many victories and a superfast marathon pb! He now seems to be embracing new challenges and like the rest of us is learning his way towards the finishline at a Skyrace.

Wheels fallen off - time to reset.

We arrived in Bright on Thurday and by the time Friday had arrived, so had the realisation for Kel that she was about to undertake her longest run to date in sense of time on feet. The 26er was now 32.7km with 2050m +d and km for km rivaled the Ultra in terms of difficulty. She set off and I went up to the first road junction to cheer her along, Mark Lee was there as well and we offered encouragement to all the runners who had just completed their first major climb and descent of the day. Kel went through in great spirits and on track and this left me feeling content she would nail this little beast good and proper. I decided to go back to the junction to watch her come off Apex and head toward the final climb and descent to Bright. She came through looking so strong and smiled as she left the dusty flowing single track and hit the fire trail up the short but shockingly steep final hill that greeted runners at 29km. I then rushed back to the park to watch her finish and complete the 26er course and her first skyrace, I was so proud of her!

Running with a purpose all was going well...
and then I went across the bridge at Eurobin.

The atmosphere was surreal at Bright, there was a new energy injected into the event with the 26er. Bright is a special place, the Buffalo Stampede a special event and the Australian trail community is benefiting from events like this. The weekend provided memories, experiences and challenges for all and I'm hard pressed to think of any other sport that allows this to occur at every level for everyone involved.

Reflecting on my race has been difficult and this has been rewritten a few times. I am disappointed with my time as it's way outside my goal of sub 10 but I am also proud to have finished results aside. I have no real answers other than I missed the mark by a long way, no excuses either, what happened simply happened and I must learn from it if I expect to improve. I will be back for this race and while I know it's a bloody tough gig I'll be expecting if I prepare well to get that sub 10.

The last stretch into the finish

From Eurobin onwards I had to battle and was never comfortable in any way. My quads were cramping, thoughts were negative and I had over done my nutrition. I knew I needed to reset at the Chalet, I was desperate for that climb to be over but it was going on forever. At that point I just needed to suck it up and get to the top, there was no other option.

Mentally I feel this run has been vital. I probably was a bit soft and in the past melted when the heat got turned up. It was easier to stop, 8hrs + of pain could have ended at 4.5hrs in but quitting wasn't an option. I have put way too much into the race, my family had given up too much and I had to finish what I had started even though my race was not turning out the way I had wanted.

Finish line 11:11:5X not the result I wanted
but I finished.

I will spend time looking over my race but for me in the end it was a win. I was certainly chewed up and spat out by the course and my race made for a long day out, the second longest time I have run for in fact. But I won’t dwell and think of what if or what could have been, there is no point and whom would I be kidding anyway. I was at points where I wanted to be and I definitely nailed sections the way I set out to but there was the other side of the coin and this shows work is still required. I didn’t pull out and I was flexible with my plan, these along side a massive mental test are the positives I’ll be taking from the race into the future. Will I have another problem? Maybe, probably, who knows? But I think I am more equipped to manage it having run the race I did.

Off and racing!!!

One thing I know is that without Kel in my corner crewing for me it would have been very different. No matter what thoughts I had before each checkpoint from the Chalet to Bright I was assured of having someone who knew what I wanted and had done in training. She was tough but made choices that were beneficial and needed at the time and I'm indebted to her for this. They say sometimes tough love is needed and that is true, but having a crew who know what your limits are and will not let you give up easy is just as essential as training, especially when things hit the fan.

It was amazing outside of my own selfish feelings to see people I care about succeed too. Brendan's 2nd in the 26er, Kel finishing in such a positive manner and my training buddy Blair Hurst taking 4hr 50min off his ultra time from last year running 10:30 and finishing in the top 20, all being great highlights. Sometimes I get too caught up in my own running and need to look around a bit more as it's just a running race and everyone is doing the same thing ultimately.

Clarkey had some quotes from the weekend that stood out for him and he had the quote that stood out for me, “Numbers mean nothing in training, it is what happens in the race that counts”. So true, and by the way he ran awesome and was rewarded with a massive pb. Now it is time to move forwards and onto the TNF50 in May. I have 5 weeks to rest, recover and prepare for this event and I’ll be doing all I can to ensure I make the start line healthy, fresh and ready to go.

Blair "Hursty" Hurst - 10:30 and a massive PB 

Photo Credits

Kel Gibson

Ben Van Steel

Brendan Davies

Gear/Nutrition

Hammer Nutrition

Inov 8 Waist Down

Hammer Clothing Waist Up

Ultraspire Packs

Time Piece Suunto Amibt Sport 3 (lasted 10:47 just over expected full mode battery life)

Big thanks must go to my supporters;

Hammer Nutrition
Barefootinc/Inov-8 Australia

Mountain Sports

Sydney Trail Series

Inov-8 X-Talon 200 Review

The view from above my favourite trails in the Blue Mountains
at Wentworth Falls 

X-Talon 200

Upon the release of the X-Talon 200, I was interested, they seemed the perfect fit for my Skyrunning and trail running plans in 2015.

Grip like a X-Talon 190, light like a X-Talon 190, fit like a Trail-roc and offer the support of a X-Talon 212.  All the more reason to be interested, actually excited, excitement on that was on par with when my first ever pair of X-Talon 190 were in the mail.

For me I run in Inov-8 for one reason, they work for me.  They serve a purpose and I can choose a pair that’ll suit every run I do, on road and trail.  I love the trail range, the grip of the X-Talon and the comfort and durability of the Trail-roc.  I have a pair for every race and training session I do, but there was a bit of an issue when I ran my first Skyrun in 2014 down at the Buffalo Stampede.

My first and most recent pair of Inov-8's

I wore the X-Talon 212, they gave me grip, support and the trail feel needed.  I was very happy with them and I felt confident during the race but as I continued on the many long descents my toes were getting belted somewhat.  The fit is narrow compared to the X-Talon 190 and over time and distance this eventuated in my first ever black toe (obviously the fit of the 212 is not right for me). While only a minor problem and not as horrific as some stories I felt a bit worried the same was going to continue down in the Victorian Alps when I visited for racing and training.  Lucky for me at camps and in training the runs are shorter and I could rotate my shoes to reflect the particular trail if needed, so I was very happy to see the new model unveiled which solved this problem for me, the X-Talon range now offers a fit for everyone.

Testing these new shoes over the past week involved a range of trails, from my usual trails around Hassans Walls (single track, fire trail and downhill mountain bike track), to the Winburndale Range (rocky, steep and rough fire trail which is loose underfoot) and finally at Wentworth Falls in the Running Wild 16km Race today (a mix of all trail types including lots of wet areas and stairs).  Lucky for me they also experienced a range of weather from bone dry to sopping wet conditions, so I got a look at how they performed across the board.  All up I spent around 6.5hrs in them, running 45km with over 2500m of up/down.

Inov-8 X-Talon 200

Grip – the aggressive tread allows super grip on everything but wet boardwalks/wood (although I felt an increased sense of confidence on these surfaces than in previous X-Talons I have owned). On smooth firetrail they give good grip but get a bit nobbily underfoot, they aren’t really suited to easy fire trail, unless of course it is wet or sandy then they are pretty good as they lose the nobbily feel as they grip into the trail surface. On single track, rock, steep ups and steep downs they are in a league of their own, I have so much confidence in every step and was able to change direction easily and without slowing down or breaking stride.

Fit – the new wider fit of the X-Talon 200 is perfect, it is similar to that of a Trail-roc. My toes weren’t stuffed or smashed when descending the steep trails at Winburndale and they allowed my toes to spread on every step. They are a true size for me and I found the fit excellent.

Rarely do I pause in a race today I
did to take this view in.

Trail Feel – I had a good feel for the trail under foot and was always getting the feedback needed from my foot but at no point did I get discomfort or pain from a sharp rock. The weight allows good running form and the tread and foot bed gives the minimal feel I love from Inov-8.  All this along with a good amount of protection (including the new rubber toe guard) underneath gives more confidence on the trail.

New Features – the rubber toe box is awesome.  I hit my foot a few times, it didn’t hurt and the rubber material almost bounced away from the rock/tree (a bit like a dodge em’ car) allowing my foot to go over the trip hazard and not stumble or fall.  I was a little concerned that with the new toe box they wouldn’t drain as well but after several creek crossings and many puddles, they drain very well indeed.  This along with the combination of the best features from other shoes in the Inov-8 trail range gives this new shoe a position on the trails of it’s own.

While I wouldn’t go for the X-Talon 200 on runs with mainly fire trail (Trail-rocs are the perfect fire trail shoe) they will be my choice in any mountain race, Sky Races such as Buffalo, for the Glow Worm Marathon, Sydney Trail Series and anything that is wet or technical.  In both training and racing this will be my go to shoe, they are light, comfortable, durable, functional for my running and they look pretty good as well.

A big thanks to Inov-8 and Barefootinc for giving me the opportunity to test the new X-Talon 200 out, it just gets better and better…

Photo Credit

RunningWild NSW