Another good week capped off by a solid 9:25 run in the Stirlings on Sat. Drove down after Youth Group on Friday night arriving @ 2:30am. After getting ready for the morning start I got to sleep at about 3am. 2hrs later I was up, eating breakfast and off at 6. Started with the 8k run up to the Bluff Knoll carpark which took 53min, with the heavy pack and some pretty serious climbs. Quick refill of the water bottle and up Bluff Knoll I went. Made the top in around 53 minutes and set off to try and find the ridgetop walk track.
Spent a few minutes looking then found the track and headed off, thats when I lost the track and started heading off track. Ended up following a water run-off track - thinking it was the right track! after about an hour I realised I was heading in the wrrong direction and was forced to bush-bash back up the mountain. After 45min or so I was back on the track. Problem was I was now 4hrs into the run and hadn't covered all that much of the walk - finishing in 8hrs was now going to be a struggle. Tried to make up time wherever I could and was going really well for the next 3hrs or so.
At 7hrs I realised I had taken a wrong turn and ended up at the caves. Without knowing exactly where I went wrong and without a detailed map I thought it best to abandon the ridgetop walk and head down the mountain. I took another track down off the mountain that was seriously steep and going down it was extremely tough on the knees. At 8hrs I was over the steepest part of the descent and was able to break into a run. Another hour and a half of running and I was at the meeting place and Kate picked me up. Obviously dissappointed to not get through the entire ridgetop walk but I started out wanting a good 8hr hike/run and a good strength work out for 100 miler, which evidently I got so really happy with my effort.
Next week a 70k trial run to test out pacing options for the 100 miler, hoping to get through in about 8hrs.
I am a 27yr old ultra runner from Rockingham WA, married to Kate and we have a son called Noah. I run because I have a passion for it and I find freedom in pushing the limits of my ability.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Another Solid Week
Continued to run 1hr a day Mon-Thur this week and was feeling strong throughout the runs. Rested on Friday and fronted up to Nanga at 6am Saturday unsure of what would happen. Rob was running the waterous loop (64k) and I was tagging along for an undefined distance. I hadn't run over 20k in 5 weeks and wasn't sure how long the body would hold up. Dave joined us for the first 20k before Bel picked him up and after Bel decided not to run 20k with us, my 40k backup plan was gone. If I continued with Rob I had to do the full 64k - no pikers option, no matter how long it took I'd have to finish.
I was feeling good at 20k so bit the bullet and continued on after a quick toilet stop and stretch. We weren't running fast (about 8 or 9k/hr) which helped me a lot as I found that pace very comfortable. Hit waterous camping ground (27k?) and quickly realised there was no water! I only had a handheld bottle which had about 150ml left and the next water was at Bidja Campsite @ 52k! Rob filled up at the creek but I resisted, didn't want to risk the bad water even though it was flowing quite fast. I was well hydrated and the rain and comfortable pace meant that sweating wasn't an issue.
We continued to plough away and ticked off little check points. not long before Bidja I decided to run ahead of Rob to get water as I had to make a 1k detour to the campsite. felt great to pick up the pace but then a blister started to make things interesting. After a quick pit stop Rob caught up and we ran together for another k or so before I felt good enough to push on again. Hit the detour spot, dropped my glove for rob, headed to the campsite for a good stretch and a drink. Was at the campsite for maybe 7 minutes then set off again in my quest to catch Rob. My glove was gone which told me he had passed that spot so I headed off after him. After 20 minutes or so of solid running I caught up and settled back into a nice comfortable pace.
At 8hr I left Rob again knowing that we only had a few k to go and time wise I needed to get home. Finished really strong in 8:13 with plenty left in the tank. Blister was my only real issue but they can be managed. All in all I went home feeling confident in my ability to run the 100 miler - and even pull out a sub 24hr time. With a couple of 6-8hr runs planned over the next few weeks I am confident of hitting the startline well prepared.
Nate
I was feeling good at 20k so bit the bullet and continued on after a quick toilet stop and stretch. We weren't running fast (about 8 or 9k/hr) which helped me a lot as I found that pace very comfortable. Hit waterous camping ground (27k?) and quickly realised there was no water! I only had a handheld bottle which had about 150ml left and the next water was at Bidja Campsite @ 52k! Rob filled up at the creek but I resisted, didn't want to risk the bad water even though it was flowing quite fast. I was well hydrated and the rain and comfortable pace meant that sweating wasn't an issue.
We continued to plough away and ticked off little check points. not long before Bidja I decided to run ahead of Rob to get water as I had to make a 1k detour to the campsite. felt great to pick up the pace but then a blister started to make things interesting. After a quick pit stop Rob caught up and we ran together for another k or so before I felt good enough to push on again. Hit the detour spot, dropped my glove for rob, headed to the campsite for a good stretch and a drink. Was at the campsite for maybe 7 minutes then set off again in my quest to catch Rob. My glove was gone which told me he had passed that spot so I headed off after him. After 20 minutes or so of solid running I caught up and settled back into a nice comfortable pace.
At 8hr I left Rob again knowing that we only had a few k to go and time wise I needed to get home. Finished really strong in 8:13 with plenty left in the tank. Blister was my only real issue but they can be managed. All in all I went home feeling confident in my ability to run the 100 miler - and even pull out a sub 24hr time. With a couple of 6-8hr runs planned over the next few weeks I am confident of hitting the startline well prepared.
Nate
Sunday, August 16, 2009
A Solid Week
87k this week which is pretty much the best training week in terms of volume for about 8-10 weeks. Was planning to do 30k on Sat but Kate remembered that we had our first mid-wife appointment at the hospital on Sat morning so changed the plans a litte. Ended up doing 20k Sat morning in 1:44.29 which included some decent hills. Ran the same course on Sunday morning in 1:44.26 so nice and consistent even though I had to work a little harder on Sunday. The best news is the knee held up well and only minor discomfort during the runs
Feeling unsure about the 100 miler, I'm so happy to be training again that I am really concerned about pushing too hard too soon and getting injured again. At the moment I still plan on being at the start line for the 100 although a likely scenario would be to run the 50 miles and then assess whether I feel I could continue without the risk of injury.
Waterous loop this weekend will be a test. Using Rob's 25/5 strategy I am confident of getting to 40k fairly comfortably, but whether I push on past that will be decided on the day.
Feeling unsure about the 100 miler, I'm so happy to be training again that I am really concerned about pushing too hard too soon and getting injured again. At the moment I still plan on being at the start line for the 100 although a likely scenario would be to run the 50 miles and then assess whether I feel I could continue without the risk of injury.
Waterous loop this weekend will be a test. Using Rob's 25/5 strategy I am confident of getting to 40k fairly comfortably, but whether I push on past that will be decided on the day.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
A big few weeks
It's D-Day for my 100 miler prep and the next few weeks will tell the story. This Saturday will be a 32k run followed immediately by a 10k walk to make 42k total. Next weekend I'll do the Waterous loop (65k) by running 45k and then walking 20k, I expect this to take 8hrs. The following weekend I'd like to head down to the stirlings and have a crack at the ridgetop walk loop which would take aroud 10hrs of running/hiking in one of WA's only mountain ranges.
These three runs are all about testing the body to see how it copes, getting some good time on my feet and building strength. I feel that so long as I maintain a solid stretching program for my ITB'S after EVERY run I will avoid major problems. If I can get through these few runs then it's only 4 weeks to the 100 miler and I'll just look to run 40-50k each Saturday until race week, maybe run 30k the weekend before the 100 miler. Tapers are overated as all of my best runs have been done on little or no taper.
Nate
These three runs are all about testing the body to see how it copes, getting some good time on my feet and building strength. I feel that so long as I maintain a solid stretching program for my ITB'S after EVERY run I will avoid major problems. If I can get through these few runs then it's only 4 weeks to the 100 miler and I'll just look to run 40-50k each Saturday until race week, maybe run 30k the weekend before the 100 miler. Tapers are overated as all of my best runs have been done on little or no taper.
Nate
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Last Week
Another week building the k's, managed 66k which I was pleased with and a 20k long run which went really well. Very little pain at all during the 20k which was completed in 1:46 so nice and slow. My knee actually pulled up really sore on Saturday but I'm pretty sure that was more to do with having to rush around after the 20k and not having enough time to really stretch properly.
Will be looking to run hour runs all week and then a 20-30k long run, depending how the rest of the week goes.
Will be looking to run hour runs all week and then a 20-30k long run, depending how the rest of the week goes.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
I'm Back Baby!!!!
Well I reckon I've finally shaken the latest round of injuries and can finally look forward to logging some decent k's in prep for the 100 miler.
Took Tiko for a 32k walk on Saturday and finished in 4:58 (with about 1.5k of running included). Felt awesome to get out for 5hrs again and get in a long session. Felt pretty tight in the afternoon so only ran for 2k. Sunday I was going to try for 1hr (longest run in over 4 weeks) and after a slow start, really picked up and finished running really strong - well under 5m/k by the end. The best part about it was despite feeling the tightness early on, after about 20 I felt good and today I don't feel any ill effects at all!
Will be looking for 1hr/day this week and hopefully a 20k run on the weekend (if I get time). If this goes well I'll be out for a 30k run next weekend - woohoo!!
As you can tell I'm pretty excited about all this, It's true what they say that you don't know what you've got till it's gone!
Nate
Took Tiko for a 32k walk on Saturday and finished in 4:58 (with about 1.5k of running included). Felt awesome to get out for 5hrs again and get in a long session. Felt pretty tight in the afternoon so only ran for 2k. Sunday I was going to try for 1hr (longest run in over 4 weeks) and after a slow start, really picked up and finished running really strong - well under 5m/k by the end. The best part about it was despite feeling the tightness early on, after about 20 I felt good and today I don't feel any ill effects at all!
Will be looking for 1hr/day this week and hopefully a 20k run on the weekend (if I get time). If this goes well I'll be out for a 30k run next weekend - woohoo!!
As you can tell I'm pretty excited about all this, It's true what they say that you don't know what you've got till it's gone!
Nate
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