My Next Adventure

This blog originally was meant to have a cool Inov8 video showing running over iced up rocks, snowed under trails and mountains fit for skiing rather than running. But upon reflection my next big adventure is not Snow Trail in September, it's the lead up to the event, all the training and preparation that needs to occur in order to perform at the level that I expect.

The level I have been falling well short of lately.

Yep my feelings towards September are that of excitement, eagerness and intrigue. I am super keen to take part in a snow race and it being at Falls Creek in the Aussie Alps is freaking rad. But I am also keen if not keener to put to bed the endless flow of ups and downs I have been suffering since 2014. 

I won't go back too far, looking more at the last little while but I figure if I'm going to run well again and get that buzz, we all know that feeling of a PB or a solid race, then I have to be completely frank and honest with myself, holding nothing back in review.

1) I took things for granted: my commitment hasn't been perfect. Don't get me wrong I train hard, sacrifice and so on but excellence requires total commitment, it requires total belief and it requires immersing yourself in the moment to achieve what is desired.

2) I became too focused on the events rather than the training required to do them: in short I wanted the cake without baking it first. Yes events are fun, the expo's, friends, celebrations, etc. but it's in the preparation where the real character is developed. I have the mind for this now and while my results are a ways off what I'd like I have also eliminated the DNF from my results sheet of late. I have been working on the mental aspect of my training and with more time and energy expended in preparation before the event the I would hope finishes will turn into solid results.

3) The fundamentals were being glossed over: I need to get back to basics. My running is getting back towards the simple philosophy of developing overall efficiency. Nothing beats time on feet and I probably spent a little too much time worrying about strength work, sacrificing running. I am still including strength in my program but my focus is improving my running for now and the max deadlift is being benched for the time being.

4) My schedule was a mess: routine is key to success. Due to circumstances in work and life in general that were not always within my control, I too easily adjusted things here and there, doing this run today not tomorrow or shaving 10min so I could squeeze it in after lunch. This approach to training will get me through races, but it won't give me the competitive edge on race day. I always tell my athletes to believe in the process, it's time for me to have patience and faith that the consistency of sticking with a training program will return results. I have seen this with my clients and now its my turn to put this into practice to get back to my best.

My year so far has been a great learning curve and I feel that looking towards the back end of 2016 I can implement the required changes to be running more consistently. I don't want a good performance followed by a bad one, I want a steady flow of solid running and from that I will move into races performing well, knowing what to expect of my body. I have been very unpredictable in my big events thus far in 2016, both Buffalo and UTA had good moments that were derailed by clear conditioning issues leading to substandard performances. I expect better of myself than this but I got what I deserved and now it's time to act rather than let things continue to flow along.

I need to be more hungry, motivated, determined, focused and competitive with my myself. It's time to have a break from racing, focus on quality training and get things right, not for anyone else but for myself. I need to be true to myself and with a winter of training ahead it is time to get excited about just running again.

Below is a photo journey of my last few months.

Buffalo Stampede 2016 - The Skymarathon money shot by Steve Harris.
I'd love to feel great racing up the big walk one day.

STS Manly Dam - things were looking far better....

than at Knapsack a few weeks later!

Orange Volcanic Mtn Challenge 2016 - another performance well off my best
but it's always good to get on the trails around Mt Canobolas again and
 as usual I wasn't disappointed.

Bathurst Half Marathon 2016 - my slowest half since Mudgee in 2012 but a rad shot
showing the joy of getting a high five from dad. I was just as happy post high five too.

Buffalo Stampede - finishing on Mt Buffalo was made a bit sweeter by having my family there
to share the moment. I struggled getting up the mountain but the gallery loop was a race highlight.

Ultra Trail Australia 2016 - another not so good result but
a finish and rad weekend away in the mountains.
Photo Bomb Credit - Kerry Suter.

Lithgow King of the Mountain 2016 - 3 wins on the trot, although a win my performance was sub-standard after
coming back from injury just 9 days earlier. As you can see the Force is Strong in my Boys.

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

Return to Routine

Holidays = beaches, boardwalks & recovery dips!

So since I have been laid up with injury my main aim is to be able to return to running without pain or discomfort and maximum enjoyment.  This meant rehabbing properly in good time, no rushing at all, injuries need to be addressed properly, even the “niggles” we run with because that’s just what you do. My opinion is every injury should be treated properly because if my leg is killing then where will the fun or enjoyment be? Seriously, no matter who you are or what you do, just sort it and do it properly.

The last 4 weeks have been very productive on a number of levels;

-   I have returned to normal training, achieving the usual planned sessions set out in my program.

-       I have been running injury free and loving it.

-       My fitness, both aerobic and anaerobic is getting back to where I want it to be.

-       I have raced and met my goals and expectations.

Some areas that are still improving and need continued work;

-       Long aerobic condition, the answer - to bank some long runs.

-       Lactic Tolerance, answer - tempo runs, yay!

-      Strength, answer, resistance training with plyo, core and dynamic work.

-  Establishing a routine, answer - stop sooking out of the early morning runs and toughen up.

Mt Arthur Challenge Wellington - A great day on new trails

Over the school holidays I was able to begin training as per normal schedule, which was great. My load is still slightly lower at around 90-100km weeks but over this time I have had some really productive sessions giving me both fitness and confidence. I had a ball running the beach up to Valla and back to Nambucca and the warmer weather coupled with beautiful scenery was amazing. I was able to get onto the sand and see how the Big Coast Run at STS Kamay in Sept will be on the legs, specifically calves!

I have also ran at Wellington in the Mt Arthur Challenge Wedge Tail 9km race. I managed at pretty solid performance and was crowned King of the Mountain, covering the distance and elevation in 39:30.  It was a great new event and the organisation, course and race was first class, I aim to be back next year for sure. I think the single track section that ran up and down Mt Arthur in particular, is close to my favorite bit of trail, a seriously tough climb and fast but technical descent. If your keen for a trip West then this is a great event!

http://app.strava.com/activities/165188836

Off and racing @ STS Manly Dam 10km

I returned with STS to Manly Dam for the July race, competing in the 10k medium course on the familiar trails that loop the dam. The race was to be a good measuring point, I have run the trails there a lot and raced guys like Charlie Brooks and Jake Stollery before so it would be a good indicator for me. I ran well, particularly on the climbs, especially the longer ones, and was able to run a pb with a fast finish after a fairly conservative start. It was good to catch up with Brendan Davies, Jo Brischetto, Andy Lee and on his STS debut Andrew Tuckey, as well as the DBA crew and the rest of the STS group. Kel also ran but with some questions still over her health she wasn’t able to push it, we hopefully will get some answers soon. From this we can move to make things right again and get her feeling good and firing again.

http://app.strava.com/activities/168242591

Beach running with Charley 

So with the tough part of rehab behind me it’s time to tuck into some solid training building up towards full volume again. I just want to run well and consistently - dedicated training is the only solution to do so. I have a few events coming up, Mountain Sports Centennial Park 50km Pairs with Kel, Running Wild Glenbrook 25km, Edgell Jog, STS Duffey’s Forrest, Canberra 101km Trail Run and STS Big Coast Run Kamay.

Off and racing at Mt Arthur Challenge

That should round off a pretty good year that had its tougher times with injury but its good times with some fun and successful runs/races/adventures. With the big races of 2015 on the horizon, I am already planning the training. Buffalo Stampede version 2 will be huge and hopefully a trip to Skycamp will help with my needed prep. I plan on approaching 2015 different, with the focus being Buffalo Stampede 75km (top 10) and The North Face 100 (finishing). You learn from your experiences, both good and bad, well your meant to anyway.

Bouncing Back

Bouncing Back

So with my current situation regarding running I have been able to refocus, refresh and redirect my energy towards my running for the back half of the year.  Gone are the macro and micro cycles, peaking and periodisation. I have simplified my approach to getting key sessions done and doing more quality k’s leading into my events and speeding things up to improve the top end.  This program is scheduled to start in full by the end of June with this month being about building time on feet, increasing my typical training load and schedule as well as strengthening my legs.

I have been doing 5+hrs of core and strength working weekly and this will progress in difficulty as the months go by, and then gradually decreasing the time to around 2-3hrs a week once I am able to run more.  I have been riding a lot, well a lot for me anyway!  9hrs last week and 7 the week before, I am trying to replicate hard days and easy days and keep my normal load time wise. As my running increases my riding will decrease but I have been lucky to be able to get some solid rides in without being run over (its been close!)  Running has been introduced in the week just gone and will become more intense as I progress with the injury, the pain has now dampened down and there appears to be no negatives from the introduction of running.

Kel and my new kicks for the back half of the year
thanks to Pace Athletic

I am working in 3 rehab phases with my return to running;

Phase 1 – Day on day off.  All on grass track at an easy pace running within my stride.  Max distance 5km for 7 x 5km runs in the fortnight.  Progress if no pain is present.

Phase 2 – Day on day on day off.  Road/Track then Trail/Track at an easy pace but increasing the stride.  Distance between 5 – 7.5km with 5 runs in total in the week.  Incorporate some hills.  Progress if no pain present.

Phase 3 – Return to normal schedule.  Begin at 50km and increase by 15km a week.  Run 6 days a week and complete normal sessions increasing distance/intensity as week’s progress.  Aim to be at full load by week 4. Progress if no pain is present.

This schedule should have me complete a 100km week by the second week in July. From there I will be back into full training and hopefully free of injury. I want to get my body right and am being very careful to ensure I come back ready and strong.  My back half of the year will now aim towards some targeted events with my prep starting for 2015 in November.

My races for the next while will be;

Glow Worm Tunnel: 6km Bolt and Mystery Mountain Challenge, 14 June.

Mt Arthur Challange: 9km, 13 July.

STS Middle Harbor: Long Course, 20 July.

Mountain Sports Centennial Park Ultra: 50/100km relay option, 4 August.

Running Wild Glenbrook: 25/35km, 24 August.

Edgell Jog: 7.5km, 7 September.  “A” Goal Race

Kel rocking her "lairy duds"
@ STS Kamay.

Canberra Centenary Trail Race: 101km, 29 September.  “A” Goal Race

STS Kamay Big Coast Run: 35km, 19 October.  “A” Goal Race

Carcoar Cup: 60km Ultra, 2 November. “B” Goal Race

Obviously Glow Worm will be a race to how I feel and a bit of fun, but if it is feeling good I will be racing and pushing it along.  The next few weeks are going to be tough, sitting out is something I have never liked doing but it is something that has to happen.  I love the atmosphere at Newnes for the Glow Worm weekend, it was my first trail event where I fell in love with the sport and I am looking forward to being a part of it again.  The next few weeks also marks a return to serious racing for Kel, she has been training well and should put up some races in the coming months.  I can’t wait to watch her at STS and seeing how her year progresses towards her goals that are set down for later in the year.