Hounslow Preview

Skyrunning is making its debut in NSW this coming weekend in the unique and magnificent Blue Mountains National Park, World Heritage Listed Grose Valley. Many runners from all across Australia and New Zealand will meet at Blackheath to participate in the 6^th installment of the Oceania Skyrunning Series. With two events, a 68km Ultra and a 23km Skyrace on offer.  The Hounslow Classic is shaping up to becoming a bucket-list trail running event for the future.

The course is as tough and challenging as you will get in Australia. Technical, rugged, varied, steep, full of stairs and set in one the most beautiful parts of Australia. The long course will be a very difficult race with several steep and relentless climbs and descents and also offers tricky single track along the cliffs for runners to link these climbs together. Although it is now 68km the 17hr cut off will loom ominous for a large contingent of the field and the return journey for runners retracing their steps will be a massive mental and physical challenge.  The shorter option offers 23km of pure trail running bliss, the whole course bar 1km is single track with an absolute beast of a climb to finish. While it is less in distance it will test all involved to their limits.

So with 100s of budding participants who is who in the pointy end of the field? With a similar feel to the first Buffalo Stampede, the depth of local talent will be on show across both days of the weekend.

Hounslow Classic Ultra Skymarathon

           

Mens

A deep field and on a tough course there will be many twists across the day.

            Favourites

Ben Duffus is coming in hot off a win at the Coastal High 50 last month and appears to have recaptured his 2014 form where he went on to claim 3^rd at the World Skyrunning Champs in the French Alps. He is smart, patient and built for climbing so he is the favorite for the win.

Clarke McClymont is going to take some beating in this race. It has his skillset written all over it and with a solid win at GNW100 last month, Clarke is in good form. He loves the tough grind and there is a lot of this course that will play to him.

Grant Guise is also a clever and talented mountain runner. He will enjoy the technical terrain and with a massive year already he will be pushing the front of the podium. The Kiwi runner is reported to have brought an investment in St John First Aid to ensure optimal care if the dreaded snake bite occurs.

            Contenders

Tom Brazier is all class and with a break after a busy first half of the year will be looking for another strong performance. Look for Tom late in the race to mop up those who went out too hard.

Marty Lukes ran super well at Buffalo and has the pedigree to win this race out right. If he can run as well as in April he may just do that.

Andy Lee the local favorite of many. Andy trains the house down and has been on course a lot. He will use this time to his advantage and this could be his run of the year.

Ewan Horsburgh is coming off GNW100 (miler) and the win. He is very good on this type of terrain and will act as a sweep for those struggling up front.

John Winsbry has performed well all year on the Skyrunning circuit. He is vastly experienced and a fierce competitor and will run well on the day.

            Wildcards

A race like this offers the likes of Konrad Legge, Darren Purcell, Ian Gallagher, Tom Barkowski, Rob Sharpe, Christian Warren and Matt Bixley the chance to show their wares if they run well on the day.

            Womens

The womens field is equally as strong and the race will just as competitive.

Favourites

Beth Cardelli is familiar with the course, as consistent as you could ask for and with the local experience should go one place better than at the Buffalo Stampede in April. She will ensure there is plenty left to come home strongly.

Jo Johanson is the big threat to Beth for the win. A meare 15min separated them in April and I have the feeling it will be just as close here too. Jo will enjoy the technical nature of the course and don’t be surprised if she lifts the trophy.

            Contenders

Maggie Jones is in form and has been training well on course. She will surprise many and I feel will be on the podium come Saturday afternoon.

Lucy Bartholomew is coming off plenty of quality running in Europe and if she can use this experience on race day will be close to the front.

Lou Clifton is coming of a strong run at the TNF50 in May. She has been training well and will also be in for a good showing on familiar trails.

            Wildcards

Others that will be around the front come the end of the race will be Jess Siegle, Anne Mackie, Bryony McConnell and Caroline Gavin.

Hounslow Classic Skyrace

            Womens

            Favorite

Ruby Muir the Kiwi superstar is returning to Australia and will be very difficult to beat on terrain that will suit her. She is a gun of the highest standard and will be flying around the Grose.

            Contenders

Gretel Fortmann is coming of a series of crazy mountain adventures and will be very difficult to beat in this type of race. She will bring it home strongly on the final climb and but can she run well enough to knock Ruby off?

Justine Medin has been strong all year in Skyrunning and with plenty of course time and with fresh legs she will be a big chance for the podium.

            Wildcards

There will be a few surprises no doubt and with an open field there is going to be a few ladies pushing the front, don’t be surprised to see Reegan Ellis come back strong after having her first child in the last year.

            Mens

            Favourites

Jono O’Loughlin will be very tough over the 23km. He is in form for 2015, loves the tough trails and climbs of the Blue Mountains and will run like a beast. Good luck dragging up the climb with him at the end.

Mick Donges is as technically gifted runner as you will find. He is in good form after a European trip and some good local races. Mick will be there when it matters the most.

            Contenders

Aaron Knight has burst onto the scene and is taking to the trails like a natural. He will enjoy the course and with a big climb to finish will be hard to hold off.

Scott Hawker is coming back from injury but has been running well in training. Of the Kiwi runners he is the only one to be snake acclimatised so his knowledge will be sought after by his fellow countrymen.

Kristian Day is another of the NZ crew and with some solid results under his belt will be very much around the front pack. How fairs on the unfamiliar Aussie trails could well be the answer to his result.

            Wildcards

With a strong local contingent there are plenty of runners waiting to show how well they can run on these crazy trails. Shayne Bunting, Ben Artup (unofficial King of the Grose), Darrel Nelson and Dirk Streefkerk will all be pushing the front end along.

So who will be the first ever winner of a race in the Grose Valley??? By 4pm on Saturday we should know!

Reconnecting with Running

So I have been quiet on the blog of late, I have been taking a mini break of sorts over May, June and 

July. Post TNF50 has been tough as far as running goes for me. This has been hard to digest as running has always been a big part of my day in the last 2 to 3 years. Not getting the satisfaction from my training has lead to less commitment to follow the plan and as a result the plan has been changed to accommodate these alien feelings. Lately the feelings I so regularly experience before, during and after a run are returning and so is the motivation to get back to work, challenging myself with each block of training.

Looking down on my Parkrun from our 
balcony at Mantra Salt Beach

So what has lead to this position? Why am I reflecting I such a manner?

There has been a lot thrown about of late in the ultra running world relating to Overtraining Syndrome (OTS), Hormone Deficiency and so on and this along with my wife Kellie's health issues (she has an adrenal fatigue issue which has hit her very hard and is a long process in terms of recovery) has lead me to think I was probably in the early stages of OTS or Over Commitment Syndrome as I feel it should be more realistically labelled. I am aware of the various symptoms and signs associated with OTS and looking at my life I believe there was cause for concern.

So why was I worried?

Sickness

I got so sick just before TNF50 and this lead to my DNF there and my withdrawal from the Australian Mountain Running Championships in Brisbane (a race that I had been targeting to attempt to gain selection in the Australian Squad). Just 10 days before the race I completed a key run in record time so I was fit but the infection I caught hammered me for 4 weeks. It destroyed my immune system, I got a cold sore, required a week off work and 10 days of antibiotics to rid myself of the infection. This course of medication destroyed my gut and lead to 4 weeks of stomach issues that resulted in major gut problems on most days from around midday. This only just passed around 3 - 4 weeks ago after plenty of trial and error with diet and supplements. With this behind me I can now begin to train normally again, i.e. double days and high intensity sessions more often.

One of the few runs I enjoyed late last term.

Work

I work full time as a teacher and I love my job and will never complain about my conditions. This said, it is very stressful at times and Term 2 is always busy with sport, reports, etc. I had plenty of time away with school sport, my illness added to this time off class and some unfortunate work issues led to days feeling as though I'd never get home or to the end of my work load. On these days it was always my run that got dropped, changed, moved or destroyed and towards the end of term I felt quite negative towards certain aspects of work and how they were affecting me. I was under stress and felt the best way to manage it was to lower my running expectations and put a bit extra into work hopefully getting things positive again. My only concern is that the majority of my stressors at work aren't within my control so I can only really look after my end.

Family

I was working more, feeling ill often and generally being a cranky shit because I couldn't run as much. Lucky for me holidays were around the corner and I was able to take the time to move away from the problems affecting me personally and try to make the most of some good family time. This meant less running and trying to do as much together as we could. I am blessed to have been able to spend many hours with my family doing things like walks, bike riding, swimming, etc. and will continue to use this as a way to hopefully assist in my de-stressing.

Running on the beach @ Nambucca Heads

These signs were concerning both myself and Kel, having done a bit of reading (Kel more so than I), we felt as though I was on the rack so to speak. Rarely did I verbalise it, but Kel did, knowing all the warning signs that she had dismissed early on and so she asked the tough questions that needed to be asked at times. We have chatted about it and feel that it's definitely too much commitment, too much emphasis on backing up days of training, racing too hard too much and adding to that the pressure of a busy life.

OTS simply talks about the training, and I wasn't training above 65% load from May, I was averaging 65 - 80km a week with 7/8hrs of training so it can't just be training. It's the total commitment we have, work, family, etc. that cause the various issues that go along with training heavily. A bit like an alcoholic I was forced to cut down on my addiction (running) to steer the ship to avoid a more chronic problem.

Another great area to run - Central Coast NSW

I chose to run the Half at GWTM and only made the final decision to run at W2G at the 11th hour. Both of these performances were well below my capability, I ran 9min quicker in 2013 at Glow Worm and at the heli-pad in W2G I was outside of the top 10. But the results were reflective of what training I had done and even though performance wise I didn't achieve my goals I was happy with my runs, especially W2G and being able to finish strongly. They were both good long runs and up until the last 2 weeks were my toughest runs since TNF50 taper.

Glow Worm Half - my brief time at the front.

I have been able to complete regular short long runs and in the last few weeks have completed some good faster sessions including a 17:33 Kingscliff Parkrun. If I get into routine I can get back to where I want to be with some time. I'm having a week off and then I will start my build for the Hounslow 21km Sky-race in October. There are going to be several test runs in the lead up including the Glenbrook 34km, the Edgell Jog, STS Kurnell and Parkrun but my focus is going to be squarely on my training. It'll be simple but specific and I am again motivated, hungry for the desire to challenge and push myself. I want to get fast, strong and fit again running PB efforts and racing well. I run for enjoyment, fun and social reasons but I also am competitive and am driven by the challenge.

I have been a bit off my game of late but feel it's close to returning and with the right attitude I can reconnect with some form and the reasons why I run. So it's time to suck up the rest of the frosty Winter and push into Spring with purpose, meeting each challenge with the knowledge I have done everything I can to succeed.

The start, he sat in and got away in the last 1500m.

Finishing off @ Kingscliff Parkrun.
My 1st Parkrun and a surprising 17:33.

Sometimes You Trip – Sometimes You Fall – Sometimes You Get Knocked Down: My TNF50 Story

Sometimes You Trip – Sometimes You Fall – Sometimes You Get Knocked Down

Athlete Forum

TNF50 2015 was an event I had been looking forward to since November in 2014 as it was part of my plan to run off a good block of prep from Buffalo and to try and run deep into the podium come race day. I had been very careful with my approach to training after Buffalo, mindful of the need to recover but allowing enough key sessions to keep the form I had built in training for the 75km event.

Needless to say I felt very good, both physically and mentally, in the weeks leading into TNF with everything pointing towards a good showing. I had ran all but the 7km on the road of the course 3 weeks out covering the distance in 4:35 and adding to this a decent but not brilliant half two weeks out. My confidence was high after a good run on my usual hilly 10 mile taper hit out 10 days out. This all made me feel that I could run the 50km course to plan and come out with a positive ultra experience.

Thursday and 9 days until race day and I felt sick, not super sick but I knew I was being affected by a bug so I took an extra rest day and hoped to get by it asap. I had some fitness testing at the Uni over the weekend and managed a Vo2 test and an hour on the road but the weekend finished with me feeling quite sick. On Monday Tuesday I felt much better and was feeling as though I was on the mend, I only had a lingering cough and otherwise my legs were feeling great and energy high.

Athlete Forum

This was brought undone by the middle of the week and my battle to be well at the start was becoming more unlikely each day, I was coughing more, feeling tired and unable to control my heart rate. It is hard because I had brought the bug into the house and passed it onto Kel and Beau (who loves to sneak into our bed of a night) and we were just lengthening the duration we had it for unfortunately. I wanted to avoid medication I was sure that would be disastrous for my race but in hindsight I should went to doctors at first sight.

I travelled to Katoomba as planned and was lucky enough to be involved in the official activities as part of the athlete forum. I enjoyed the opportunity to discuss training and racing and the buzz about was definitely one of the reasons why I race. I turned in an early dinner and retired to get an early night when the first of my several issues arose, my brand new bladder was leaking and I only had one. I called around and located a replacement from Sean Greenhill and while I was out picking up the spare it was also being found out that Blair had forgotten the hose for his bladder. Kel rang to see if I had one and that was the part of my bladder was ok so we had one bladder functioning between two us but the spare saved me come race day!

Off and racing!!!

I went to bed and rose at 5am for breakfast, and as I feared my symptoms hadn’t improved and I was still sick, although I wasn’t feeling too bad but it was going to be hard to say what was going to eventuate come 7:07am. With food down and gear sorted we drove to the busy, crowded and crazy start line that is TNF100AU where I was due to run the UP Coaching warm-up at 6:30am. I managed to get through this without a hiccup, all the UP’ers were ready to go and I hadn’t really noticed any problems at that point. I did the usual before hand and made my way to the start shute after a kiss good bye to Kel.

At the start line my heart rate was high, around 120, which is much higher than normal for me but I just put that aside and waited for the gun. I made my way over Andrius as I knew he was the man to beat and we took off at a quick but not crazy pace towards Cliff Drive. As we hit the incline the pace surged and a lead group formed of around 8 or so and I was quickly aware I was not up to it, my heart rate was 156 and I was wanting to walk so I pulled back and dropped into the next group 25m back. I checked my watch and nothing had changed, my effort to output was too high and my heart rate was still maxing out as though I was on the edge as I would be in a shorter race.

Just past the 3 Sisters and struggle street.

So within the first km my race was regulated to a long run and I had decided to hold back hoping to feel better along the trail somewhat. I again joined the front but only after getting them back on course after the lead bike missed the Narrowneck turn. I reassessed again and by the turn around point I was feeling ok but still overdoing it and I was again dropped easily on the steady incline back to Cliff Drive. Even the flat wasn’t allowing me to make up ground so I just ran to feel and pushed on towards the first lot of single track somewhat surprisingly ok with the idea my race was done.

I ran back past the start and I’m sure I look like death warmed up, I was really tired for 30min in and not running comfortably at all. I hit the single track and began my run over the cliff tops towards CP1 knowing it was going to be hard going but the slower pace may help my effort get under control. It didn’t and I can sum this section until Lillian’s Bridge as a steady decline with my running down ok but going up and the flats were a battle. I had some good folk around me and I swear I coughed them away but I was still moving in the top 20 and on track for a 5hr or so time if I came good.

Wenty Falls - literally moments before it all unfolded

After the 14km water point it was now becoming evident I was screwed, big time screwed. I couldn’t run well and was again working way too hard for my output plus I felt very tired, to the point I would expect at the end of a 10hr run. I hit Wenty Falls positive but by the time I made it to Conservation Hut I was not regulating my temperature and barely moving which was not helping with me getting warm again. I tried to run but got dizzy around the car park so I decided to walk onwards with the hope it would pass, the dizziness did but I was cold and weak. After climbing out of the falls onto the Kings Tableland section I tried to run again but didn’t really go anywhere, I even felt like laying down for a rest but was sure that wouldn’t end well so I decided against that option.

Wenty Falls - legs were hollow and sore.

The stretch to CP1 was a mix of shuffle/walk and I took for ever to get there, adding to this a stream of runners were going past me and I knew my day was done. I finally arrived at Queen Vic and Kel was concerned and I was bloody cold ready to make my way into the tent to have a think and warm-up. I felt faint, weak, cold and asked the doctor to assess me as I put on my thermal and rain jacket in an effort to warm-up. I was around 34 degrees and although this came up to 35 my race was done, the doctor said I could go back out if I warmed some more but I wasn’t too keen on getting hypothermia after the Kedumba descent so I stopped my watch and had a cup of tea.

My race was done but my weekend wasn’t, not by a long shot.

Finally warm-up and out of the race...

I went back to the house to have shower, warm-up and get changed. I really wanted to avoid the finish for a bit so we headed over to Olympian Rock and were lucky enough to see the top 11 come through from the 100. They were smoking at the front and although both Bren and Tucks weren’t in the hunt it was a good 45min of away time for me. I was again ready to enjoy the race, the sun had warmed my spirit and the little outing had done its trick. I must say seeing how hard they were running at that point also reinforced the work I need to do to finish the 100 in the future.

I made my way to the finish to watch the runners I had coached come in and catch up with the atmosphere at the end. I was amazed but not surprised with the winning time and to see the record go down was awesome, but the 2013 finish still is the best and will be hard to beat in my eyes. I enjoyed a beer and a catch up at the end while waiting for Blair to come home in 12:50, a massive PB! He smashed it and I was so happy for him!

I saw half of my clients finish and to see their faces afterwards was just reward. They had all trained for months and to have them all finish and meet their goal was a major satisfaction and relief for me. I took inspiration from all of them and could not have been prouder of each runner, I must also thank Brendan for having me on board at UP Coaching;

Steven Paterson 50km – 6:56:18 first ultra 

Mark Skinner 50km - 7:25:26 first ultra

Amy Daniel 50km - 05:53:44 12th Overall

Simon Collins 50km - 07:57:25 first ultra

Robyn Bruins 100km - 12:27:43 7th Overall

So do I regret anything from the weekend? the answer is simply no. I had to start the race but probably could had stopped a bit earlier and in future will be more aware of the warning signs. I struggled and my race was a disaster but the TNF100 weekend wasn’t’, it was a great experience! I just wish I had have been better to enjoy it that little bit more. I offer no excuses nor do I expect any sympathy, I stand by my choices, especially when it comes to running. I will be back to fight another day and with the right preparation will meet my long-term ambitions.

So did I trip, did I fall or did I get knocked down? I just think I it was bad timing in the end.

Thanks to both Hammer Nutrition and Inov-8 Australia/Barefootinc. for their support. Also a big plus to Sean at Mountain Sports for working outside the box on the Friday night with my bladder issues too.

Also to be part of the The North Face 100km & 50km Australia 2015: Race Report Competition my favourite bit of gear were the WOMEN’S APEX ETIP™ GLOVE as they kept Kel's hand warm and my Inov8 gloves in my pack!