I recently had the privilege to watch the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival world premiere online screening from of the documentary, Piano to Zanskar.
The day had arrived! The visit to the Tiger's Nest, a sacred Buddhist temple in Bhutan. The temple is located on a clifftop in the Paro Valley.
This weekend, you will toe the line at your 2nd attempt of the 100km Ultra Trail Australia.
It was great to be at Melbourne film premiere of The Bikes of Wrath this past week; it follows the tale of John Steinbeck's book, The Grapes of Wrath.
The film tracks 5 young Australians cycling across US from Oklahoma to California in the footsteps of the Joad family as famously portrayed in Steinbeck's book.
As regular visitor to the Victorian Alps each year, I had heard about the 4 peaks trail running event andhad been planning to do it for many years especially knowing it is an iconic with a great community feel trail running and hiking event in Australia, starting in 1979.
In the lead up to the event there was many reports about changed race courses due to logging and snow in the Vic Alps which unfortunately this was the case, but safety is of the highest priority.
The 4 peaks alpine climb event takes place over the Melbourne Cup long weekend, with a different peak to ascend/ descend each day with official distances ranging from 10km-15km each day.
Day 1 – Mystic Hill
Distance - 10km - 929m gain/descent
As informed in the lead up the Mystic Hill course was changed due logging of the local forest which almost double the original course elevation for the day. Mystic Hill is situated and overlooks the beautiful town of Bright.
The run was held in perfect sunny and mild conditions and followed mostly fire trails and unfortunately i tweaked my left calf on the first major descent when i lost footing underneath me. It was very tender for the rest of the run so decided to only run short section of the flats and hike the climbs.
As I found out the hard way some of the steep fire trails were very dangerous in perfect conditions like on the day we had and imagine it would be treacherous and possibly scary on a wet day!
The Mystic Hill course is the only day with start to finish in the same location of the 4 day trail running event.
Day 2 – Mt Feathertop
Distance - 10km - 1164m gain
The course for day 2’s ascent up to Mt Feathertop summit was shortened by 2km due to too much snow at the peak. The finish was revised to finish at Federation Hut. Mt Feathertop summit is the 2nd highest peak in the Victoria Alps at 1922 metres elevation.
The race started at Tavare Park in Harrietville and followed the Bungalow Spur walking track and is a continuous gradual climb to finish line at Federation hut. There was an eerie feeling as the fog and weather closed in around us as we hiked through the snow gums. It could have been a scene out of the film, Sleepy Hollow.
As we arrived at the finish line it started to rain and visibility was poor. I heard about 10 minutes later the sky cleared and you could see view of Mt Feathertop Summit under snow.
A good thing to note about this day is there is no transport access (at federation hut or usual finish at Mt Feathertop summit) to finish area so be prepared you need to descend back to the start, adding an extra 10km (or 12km) for the day!
Day 3 – Mt Hotham
Distance - 15km - 1288m elevation gain
The expected forecast for day was possible snow shower with a minimum -7 degrees celsius to maximum of 2 degrees.
The race started at Tavare Park in Harrietville and followed the Bon Accord Spur track with a river crossing at Washington creek challenging as the bridge had been washed away by flooding. However, the race organisers kindly arranged for rope to assist with crossing the river.
It was very tough and slow going climbing up the wall on the Bon Accord Spur especially in the last 2km with a 450m + elevation gain to reach the Razorback and finish at Dimmatina hut. The view and experience of running in the snow was breathtaking. It was unbelievable experience to see the snow especially at the end of October. The snow was very soft almost fluffy like in your hand.
The bus even experienced the tough conditions as it couldnt make it up to the finishing area to pick up the race participants, so after finishing we needed to descent 1km down the road to meet the bus but we were fortunately greeted by a heated tent with hot tea, fresh fruit and fruit cake which hit the spot!
It was minus 4 degrees when we finished.
Day 4 -Mt Buffalo
Distance - 10km - 1014m elevation gain
The forth and final day started at Eurobin Creek picnic ground at the base of Mt Buffalo. The trail goes straight up with a steep first 2kms along the track known as ‘The Big Walk’.
It then becomes a more gradual climb up to the start of the granite rocks which Mt buffalo is famous for, just after waving to my sister who I could see on the road below I had a nasty fall on the wet and slippery moss rock face and landed heavily on my hand, elbow and hip. It especially hurt my elbow which took most of the weight of my fall. I had to cradle my arm for the next few mins as I recovered, adrenaline was definitely pumping now.
I took it easy for the next section especially some more slippery rocks ahead. I felt much better as I cleared the rock section and started to reach the plateau and circumnavigate the top of Mt Buffalo around the famous chalet (which is unfortunately no longer open) and you climb the stairs and finish right in front of chalet. Sidenote - I remember enjoying hot chocolates in the chalet as a teenager after doing this hike many years ago in torrential rain.
The 4 Peaks was a well organised and fun trail running or hiking event, a great way to enjoy Melbourne Cup long weekend. I definitely plan on coming back to run this event again the future.
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Race Report - Ultra Trail Australia 100km ultramarathon, Blue Mountains
What a beautiful place to run and perfect sunny conditions on Saturday Spring morning out in the Yarra Valley.
The Harvest Run is a 13.5 km point to point road run from Healesville to Yarra Glen.
The run commenced just off the main street in Healesville and the course follows the Healesville – Yarra Glen Road travelling towards Yarra Glen.
The course is very picturesque and offering stunning views as you weave your way through the local vineyards and local farms. The course had a few rolling hills especially in the first half, a great way to test the legs!
It felt great to be out running again for my first race after Ultra Trail Australia. I definitely lacked speed to push it after all my long distance training but felt I ran a steady pace throughout. The finish line was quite unique where you ran a lap around the Yarra Glen race course. The finish area was a see of activity with the opportunity to relax and enjoy the local wine, cheese, coffee and food.
The Harvest Run was well run by Sole Motive, only suggested improvement would be a few more toilets at the start line for the last minute nervous starters as there were quite long queues.
The event had a 6km run/walk offered around Yarra Glen too.
A great run all topped off by late morning breakfast in the Yarra Valley. There are not many better ways to kick off a weekend.
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I have now has some time to think about and look back on my first 100km ultramarathon. Here are some of my thoughts about what I have learnt.
1. Training load - get the right balance for you. I have tried many different training frequencies and intensities over the years between run training and also when I was competing in triathlons. I have found this especially critical with preparing for longer distance events and based on past injuries. I found the right balance for me was to have at least 2 recovery/rest days a week, so I found a good mix was with 3-4 runs per week, plus a hike combined with Pilates was a good amount.
2. Specific training for the course – The Ultra Trail Australia 100km course has a large amount of stairs (including 951 steps in the last kilometre), so focusing on a lot of stair training or similar terrain to the course is a good idea in preparation to getting your body ready for this repetitive movement. If you can train on course you are planning on racing that’s even better.
3. Focus on consistent effort during the race – I felt struggled with this area a bit, especially with my previous longest race being a 50km and very limited experience running at night. I definitely planned to be consistent, but did spend more time in aid stations in the later stages refuelling.
On Course at Ultra Trail Australia 100km Ultramarathon
4. Nutrition – Practice your nutrition in training and pre-race event if you can. I found this worked well for me, even though I felt I should have consumed more fuel earlier on race day, I definitely did encounter any issues with stomach issues on race day. Find out what I consumed on race day.
5. Meditation – The ability to focus on your breathing and being present is a great benefit when running and the ability to concentrate on what is current happening during the race instead of focusing on the later stages (or the outside world) brought about a sense of calm.
6. Pilates and core stability – This is the first significant race I have done where I really dedicated to pilates and core strength work outside of some general stretches and definitely feel this contributed to me getting to the start line in one piece (combined with some physio and massage).
7. Test and use all of your gear prior to race day – I learnt this the hard way in my first 50km ultramarathon a couple of years ago with my hydration pack, but nearly had a similar issue even with testing my equipment. I used my head lamp on a couple of night training runs and seem to be playing up, thought it may have been faulty batteries, so swapped them out and next training all was working perfectly, but that was on the case on race day, lamp simply stopped working after about 10minutes of running, luckily I prepared for any issues with a 2nd head lamp at the ready when I needed it. It is also a good idea to train in the clothing you plan to wear on race day and I mean everything, socks, shoes, shorts, underwear, shirts, packs, hats, sunglasses. The last thing you want your day to be ruin by using something for the first time on race day.
8. Pick a key lead up long distance race or training session to do which hopefully is similar to race day terrain if possible. I think this was a critical step for a number of reasons; it provided me the opportunity to test out my nutrition plan, build some confidence and also to further test out my equipment (including getting a better understanding of weight in my pack by carrying the majority of mandatory gear in the lead up race I chose at Maroondah Dam Marathon).
9. Night Running – I experienced very little training at night in the lead up, so for my next long distance event I would plan some more night sessions to feel more comfortable running different terrain when experience very limited view of your surrounds.
10. Consistency – I mentioned about training load above which is part of consistency, but also factoring other areas of your life with family, work, family, training and other commitments and finding the consistency which you can commit to each week for your key training block in the lead up to the race.
11. Training for all weather conditions – A race such as the Ultra Trail Australia has an extensive list of mandatory gear which you must carry and use on race day, therefore it is great idea to test and use all your gear prior to race day using in different weather conditions if possible. This year we were blessed with very mild and sunny conditions during the race, but as with all outdoor events the weather can change quickly.
12. Adaptability – I started training for the race about 6 months prior to race day, but lost a key 6-8 week period due to an ankle injury when I was starting to increase my training volume, so I needed to take stock of where my training was at and reassess and adapt my training to ensure I would get to the start line as fit and healthy as possible, also consider any periods where you may lose some time due to illness or other commitments. Adaptability also applies on race day as you will most likely experience highs and lows on how you are feeling, injuries and changing conditions and it best to focus on positive thoughts and set new goals if required.
What things have you learnt when training for an ultramarathon?
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Race Report: Ultra Trail Australia 100km Ultramarathon
Race Report: The North Face 50km
The Ultra Trail Australia 100km Ultramarathon (formerly known as The North Face 100) a race which has grown quite rapidly from its inception in 2008. The race is now part of the international Ultra-Trail World Tour Series, which includes prestigious trail running events such as the Western States 100 in the USA. The Ultra Trail Australia Ultramarathon is situated in the Blue Mountains, approximately 1.5hrs car drive from Sydney in Australia.
I was quite nervous (and excited) in the lead up, not sleeping very well early in race week. I was thinking all the usual thoughts I have prior to a race - hoping the day goes well but also realising I was about get out of your comfort zone on a bigger scale than I had ever before in a race. My previous longest trail running race was The North Face 50km at the Blue Mountains in 2014.
My nerves settled a bit once I got up to Sydney on Thursday night prior to race day.
Race Day
The weather for race on Saturday presented perfect conditions with mild weather, fine and sunny afternoon, with a maximum low 20 degrees Celsius during the day, which is very mild for mid-May.
I waited patiently at the start line for my run wave to start at 6.57am. My race plan was to be conservative in the first 50km and see how I feel from there as I had limited preparation with only 14 weeks of training after spraining ankle at the start of the year and missing 6 weeks of running.
The initial 5km is an out and back section along the road away from the start line and coming back past the start line, it was great see all the cheering spectators as we went past and then we headed down into the valley below via the Furber Steps (I will see these again much later on!).
Once down in the valley, we traversed across a rocky section of trail and then up the first challenging section of the course, Golden Stairs. At the top we went through Checkpoint 1 (11.4km - Narrow Neck), I struggled to find a rhythm during this tough section and it took a bit more out of me than I expected. I tried best to recover over the next 5km or so. It was good this was a fairly flat section as we headed to the Tarros Ladders. These are ladders specially installed for the ultra-marathon. As it single file down the ladders, there was a bank up of runners waiting to descent the ladders, this single kilometre section took me approx. 27 minutes to complete.
During this section it was good to chat to fellow runners including an athlete from Brunei, who said his training for the race involved multiple ascending and descending of the only hill he had near where he lived, 100m height hill.
I was feeling good as I continued descent down to CP 2 (31.6km - Dunphy’s Camp). I stopped to top up water and eat some food. The next section was short steep climb up Ironpot Mountain, I found this to be the steepest section on the course but the reward at the top was the magical music performance of didgeridoo and clap sticks from the local indigenous people, it was an amazing sight to behold. It added a bit of a spring in my step.
I continued onto CP3 (46km - Six Foot Track) and it was great to arrive here and got my gear check done and quickly went to the toilet, only to realise I had been wearing my running shorts backwards for the past 46km! After a quick swap around I was on my way again.
It was now getting to mid-late afternoon and I noticed it started to get a bit cooler, I was joined by about 5-6 other runners as we started to ascent Nellies Glen with darkness arriving as we started to climb!
I got my headlamp out and continued to ascend, but after about 10 mins my headlamp completing stopped working. I was not sure why, so quickly grabbed my 2nd headlamp out and was on my way again.
I was glad to arrive at CP4 (57.3km - Katoomba Aquatic Centre) and get to sit down for a few minutes while having something to eat and change into a long sleeve running top and short sleeve thermal top underneath. The aid stations were fully stocked with so many food choices, but I stuck with what I had in my aid station drop bag.
I found it quite exhilarating to have my first night race run, I only had done a couple of night training runs prior to race day. I loved the mystery and the challenge the night added to my race experience, the heightening of your senses and learning to adapt to different conditions. I did keep repeating to myself ‘Watch your step - Don’t fall over’.
Photo Courtesy: Aurora Images
I headed back out into streets of Katoomba and towards the Giant Stairway, when the wind started to pick up a bit as I began to descend back into the valley once again, but I enjoyed amazing views of the famous 3 Sisters under the clear night sky. I continued down through Leura Forest, where the course crosses path with the final stages for runners heading back to the finish line, I saw a few runners heading back the other way.
At about the 75km mark, my GPS Garmin watch went flat, so from this point I had pretty much no idea what pace I going or how many kilometres to go.
Once up and out of Leura Forest there was fairly flat section as I headed out to the final checkpoint at Queen Victoria Hospital, Checkpoint 5 – 78.4km. It was great to finally get there as I had started to get cramps in my groin and right hamstring a few kilometres prior, slowing my pace.
I felt a sense of relief leaving the final checkpoint as I descended into the valley for the last time, knowing once I reached the bottom it was uphill to the finish line.
I kept a steady pace as I travelled down the fire road and the only company I encountered was wombat in the middle of the road, I don’t think he appreciated me interrupting his exploration of the trail. I was surprised how much speed the wombat could get up to as it ran into the bushes.
I did see a support vehicle a few times shuttling runners back to the CP5 medical tent, that would heartbreaking to get so close to the finish line and have to pull out.
I made it the final emergency aid station at 91.2km, where I topped up my water for the final assault up to Katoomba. I started to hike up towards Leura Forest again, I briefly stopped a few times as the steep ascent started to take hold, and my pace was slow but steady.
I still remember a piece of advice, a previous run coach said to me as I prepared for my first marathon quite a few years ago, ‘When the race gets tough, run 1km for each important person to you’. They are wise words for a 100km race, you definitely have a lot of thinking time!
I thought extreme fatigue was starting to take hold and my eyes were playing tricks on me, but I soon realised it was actually my headlamp battery which was slowing dying, so I stopped at the Sewerage Treatment Works, not the best place to stop amongst the mud and sledge to swap the batteries over.
As I continued along I noticed the sun start to appear on the horizon, it had been a big day out! I still had no idea of the time as my watch had died earlier.
Now I could sense the finish line was not far away, but at the same time the famous Furber Steps still awaited! A 951 step, 220m elevation gain in the final 1.2km to the finish line. I powered up the steps as best I could after 99km and was relieved to get to the top.
It was great to cross the finish line with the support of a cheer squad, appropriately named ‘OzSquad’ who formed a guard of honour as I ran down the finishing chute, that was a great moment to cap off an epic day!
Photo Courtesy: Aurora Images
A day like this is simply not possible without the great support from family and friends. I would especially like to thank the support of my wife, daughter and all family and friends who helped in training and sent best wishes on race day! Plus my physiotherapist, Felicity who worked miracles and got me to the start line in one piece!
Nutrition
3 vegemite sandwiches
10 servings of macadamia or almonds
1 x gel
6 x 200g sachets of tailwind nutrition (approx 3 litres)
4 litres of water
Related Reading
Race Report: The North Face 50km 2014
Main photo courtesy: Aurora Images
I was ummming and ahhhing about entering a race so close to the upcoming Ultra Trail Australia 100km ultramarathon with this marathon scheduled only 3 weeks prior that race but i felt i needed a solid race/training session in the lead up to build my confidence. Therefore i left it to the last minute to enter, only registering the weekend prior to the Maroondah Dam marathon.
Maroondah Dam is located about 1hr drive from Melbourne’s CBD in the Yarra Ranges National Park. It has been many years since i have visited the area. Melbourne’s weather had put on a perfect Sunday morning with mild and sunny conditions.
The marathon was one of the running distances on offer at the race, which also included a 10km, 21km, 30km and 50km ultramarathon.
The 50km ultramarathon and 42.2km marathon began together with the race starting from the Henderson picnic area just below the Maroondah Dam wall, and began with runners heading straight across the wall and up and over Henderson Hill and down to Donnelly’s Weir car park where the first aid station was located about 5km mark. I took a very conservative approach to the initial hill climb knowing we were about to ascend from the 5km to 15km mark up to the top of Mt St Leonard, this climb’s average gradient was between 9-17% and peaking in the last 2km to the top at a challenging 22% gradient. I enjoyed chatting to a fellow trailrunner during this section, he told me he recently celebrated his 50th birthday and decided to celebrate this milestone by running a 50km ultramarathon. I love hearing stories like these out on the trails. The majority of this part of the course was along fire trails but the last section became extremely rocky and would have been very treacherous in wet conditions. I was very happy to get to the top and descent down the other side to the 3rd aid station. It was now time to head onto the single track around the Tanglefoot loop. This was a beautiful section of the course, traversing through the rainforest gullies and mountain ash trees. I was feeling good and kept a conscious effort on my nutrition with regular small amounts of food and liquid.
Photo Courtesy: Trails Plus
I continued onto aid station #4 where i needed to complete a 3km loop before heading back to aid station #3, as i was running through aid station #4 i heard an official say make sure you turn right at the next track turnoff, as this where the 50km and marathon runners courses split, as you didn't want to do an extra 7km if you took a wrong turn. I took the turn to the right but then i had a moment of panic as i wasn’t sure if this was for this first loop as i also heard them say after you complete the first loop you will come back past aid station #4. I stopped for a moment and checked the course map on my phone but was still was not certain i had headed the right way as i hadn’t seen any runners for a while, fortunately about a minute later another runner came by and confirmed i was heading the right direction, so i continued on with the loop and double checked again when i made it back to the aid station to be sure. It was a bit stressful and later heard there was a few runners from the 50km event who had taken a wrong turn (and would end up only running 47km). I felt much better when i was on the main track heading back to aid station #3, where i stopped and topped up my water and sports drink for the final 14km or so kilometres.
I now had the fun of climbing up to the top of Mt St Leonard from the opposite side, this section is just as steep as on the way out but a much shorter climb ( approx. 1km) , so i hiked this section and then onto the big descent! I took the first section carefully as I didn’t want to blow out my quads but also fall on the rocky section of trail. I made it safely back onto the main fire trail and continued descending back to aid station #2. I kept reminding myself to be conservative with my running especially in this later stages of the marathon remembering there is a much bigger challenge coming up in 3 short weeks, it was a challenge as I’m very competitive with myself to give my best, so i decided the best way to do that was to alternate with some short sections of hiking and running. This was a good idea as i got into a good rhythm and felt the kilometres tick by at a consistent pace. I quickly stopped at aid station #2 to grab some fruit cake to break up the liquids i had been consuming. It was nice chew on some food. I caught up to a fellow runner during the later stages and we chatted briefly then i hiked up Henderson hill for the 2nd time and enjoyed seeing the Maroondah dam wall but didn't realise my favourite part of the run was yet to come. My daughter came and joined me for the last few hundred metres as ran together to cross the finish line. That was a very special moment!
I enjoyed Maroondah Dam marathon and the overall running event organised by Trails Plus.
I felt it was a good, solid hit out with 1902 metres of elevation gain/descent prior to the upcoming race.
Now to fine tune, recover and taper...
Nutrition
3.5 x 200ml sachets of tailwind nutrition
2 handfuls of almonds
Half a vegemite sandwich
1 x piece of fruit cake
Related Reading
Race Report: The North Face 50km 2014
Main photo courtesy: Trails Plus
FOMO, or the Fear of Missing Out, is a term regularly thrown around in society and I think it has definitely driven further by social media.
You see all the cool things and places your friends are sharing online. It makes you think i would love to visit that place or go and do that activity and definitely evident in the trail running community too. You’ve probably felt it before. You might have not known it… We’ve all done a run or race you were on the fence about because it you knew the race was going to sell out fast or the run was in a place you had not seen before.
I encountered this recently when I was looking at choosing a lead up race in preparation for the Ultra Trail Australia run in May this year.
I texted a mate who is also preparing the 100km ultra-marathon and mentioned I was thinking of doing a lead up race and found a 30km event I was interested in running. My mate also noticed they offered a 50km and said why don’t you do the 50km instead of the 30km?
It got me thinking, that would be good to do another ultra prior to the 100km. However, it generated quite a number of questions. Would it the longer run ideal for my run preparation? However, the 50km is only 3 weeks prior to the Ultra Trail Australia race, is this a good idea? Is there enough recovery time? Which is better to test my nutrition plan? Would a shorter race be better to run and then follow up with another run the next day to test running with leg fatigue in preparation for a longer 100km coming up?
There is definitely peer pressure to do everything but FOMO can lead to strain whether it is physical, emotional or financial on an athlete if they let their fear of missing out get out of control.
Have you experienced the Fear of Missing Out?
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I was excited but a bit anxious about my first race of the year on Sunday. I had not raced since The North Face 50km in May last year due to ongoing foot problems. Therefore I took the approach to the race like I would first and foremost focus on enjoying the experience.
When choosing races, I like to pick different distances and locations for the majority of races I do and The Great Rail Run was no exception, I had not run down along the Bellarine Peninsula previously.
The Great Rail Run is a picturesque run along the Bellarine Rail Trail a 17km traverse between Queenscliff Railway Station to Drysdale Railway Station. The challenge for runners is to beat the steam train to Drysdale.
The conditions on the day were cool and overcast, perfect running conditions I say! The race route navigates through farmland and local native vegetation along the rail trail across the Bellarine Peninsula.
In the run I focused on consistent form and speed throughout the run with the course being a slight gradual incline all the way to Drysdale Railway Station.
I was happy with how my race went and learnt I need to focus and build some more speed sessions in my training to have some added kick during and in the later stages of the race.
I will definitely heading back to do some training or racing along the Bellarine Peninsula, a beautiful spot to race.
I didn’t beat the steam train but was a fun experience nonetheless.
