It's been a long few weeks....

We are now officially Victorian dwellers.

After a mad scramble to pack up the house and finish off my work contract after GNW, the trucks arrived in late November to take our belongings south.

It was very sad to leave a place I've grown to love, and the people I've come to call my friends. I know that there are new friends to be made, but it doesn't make the leaving easier.

Arriving in Wodonga to the largest house I've ever lived in (almost too big in fact) I was struck by the landscape. Dry and hilly, very very hilly. A short drive south and you can be climbing the countries tallest mountains. Our street is situated at the base of a hill, so good running training there. Just 2km away is another much larger hill, so I will not be short of places to explore.

Getting things set up took time, hence my slackness in posting/blogging for so long.

I went for a run soon after arriving, only to find I was on the verge of a chest infection, and the run tipped me over. 10 days of drugs later, I tentatively did a couple of short runs.

We are off to Queensland for Christmas for almost a month shortly, so I hope I'm able to get back into some sort of ryhthm with running again while there.

Inspiration

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and who comes short again and again and again.

There is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do deeds, who knows great enthusiasm, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause.

Who at best knows the triumph of high achievement, and who at worst, if he fails while daring greatly, knows that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither defeat or victory.

Roosevelt.

Out, But not Down

Friday afternoon 7th November, with enough gear to clothe half of the entered runners and enough food to feed a small army, we set off for Teralba in Warners Bay. I get very nervous driving to the start of a long race….. Did I pack the headlamp, compass, maps, camelback, the list goes on. It turns out I had.

Craig and I joined Vic, Bart and Kristy at the motel. Advertised as a 4 bed room, it was big enough for 2 of us, so we all squeezed in and had the worst nights sleep ever! Alarm was set for 4am, but really we didn’t need it. The ritual last minute checking of drop bags for the checkpoints, filling of camelbacks and application of tonnes of bodyglide, bushman’s repellant and plaster to prevent blisters quickly burned up the next hour.

The start area saw about 80 nervous faces milling around and the instructions from the Race Director were given. Before long we were off, with about 7k on the road to start with before heading up the side of a cliff (perhaps I exaggerate slightly, but only slightly) on trails. Kristy and Bart were to run together, Vic after them, and me taking up my traditional position right at the back of the pack. Craig had very kindly offered to be support crew for the race, and carried our multitude of supplies in his car from checkpoint to checkpoint.I started out ok, running for a fair bit of the first section, which is 28k long. I managed to somehow damage my hip flexor early in the climbing, which made the hills painful to negotiate. And this whole section was HILLS!

I got to CP1 with only 8 minutes to spare, with 6 hours allowed for the lunacy that is section 1. I had kind of decided to toss the race in, until one of the volunteers said "No one has EVER pulled out at CP1". So at 11.59 I grabbed my camelback and a vegemite sandwich from Craig and headed off for the next section, 24k of less hilly terrain. I was only walking/shuffling by this point so just enjoyed the scenery. I ran this whole bit on my own, pretty much as I had done the last, and had a wonderful afternoon.I had to pull out at CP2 as I was a few minutes over the cut-off time, but I was pleased to have made it half way on my first attempt of this monster course. I was feeling great except for my hip, so next year should be good. Despite being unceremoniously tossed off the course, it was still the fastest I had covered this distance, so there is hope for me yet ;)

I then joined Craig crewing for the others and before long we had a call from Bart saying Kristy required assistance. After several hours of driving up and down the same road trying to find the turn off for CheckPoint 3, we arrived, completely out of petrol, cold and ever so slightly annoyed with the lack of adequate road signage. Our first step was to organize some (permission given by the owner) petrol siphoning. Disaster avoided, we then saw Bart and Kristy arrive, followed shortly by Vic, who was the only one of us left on the trail. He had a very quick stop and departed for the last Check Point.

After 21.15 Vic arrived at the finish, looking so fresh and cheery that it belied what he has just achieved. The hardest 100k trail race around. We then all piled back into Craigs car and took the scenic, longer, windier route back, via every small community in the whole area. Finally arriving at a motel in Wyong, which thankfully, this time, had plenty of room for us all. A few hours sleep and then up to pack and drive home.

Lessons learned:
* GNW really is as hard as everyone says!
* I can read maps and find my way around without any trouble.
* I quite enjoy running alone in the bush.
* Magpies still attack in November.
* Cows scare me.
* Good crew (thanks Craig) is invaluable.
* Even though I didn't make the full distance, this is still the most fun you can have standing up!

Less than 2 weeks to GNW

Well it's now starting to get scary! 100km run coming up all too soon.

Less than 2 weeks to go and today was sooo hot. I decided to see how my body would stand up to a couple of hours in the midday sun, running.

If I'd known it was 34 degrees I might have thought differently. But I didn't :) I ran for 2 hours and felt good most of the way. I didn't overheat too badly, but by the end of it the soles of my feet were quite tender.

Running on warm bitumen is one thing, but by the end of today's trip my feet were very very sore. I must have looked like a right idiot out there. No permanent damage done, and they'll just be a bit tougher when the chips are down next month.

I've managed to sort out some shoes for the Great North 100 as well. Five fingers KSO's with injinji's will be the plan. I feel like a bit of a fraud wearing shoes and socks and calling myself a barefoot runner, but hey, it's the only way to get to the end. I'll have to live with the shame ;)

Happenings

I haven't had much to say here, due to a busy work/home life that has prevented me from doing a lot.

We were always due to move at the end of this year, with Marty already away since January of this year. The plan was to go to Wodonga, but the army decided at the last minute that it might be Canberra. They then changed this about 10 times in 2 weeks, making for a very stressful time for us all.

Finally they settled on Wodonga in Victoria, but well have to move again in 12 months to Canberra!! My time has been spent sorting out the 4 kids to move schools and finding a house. House - tick. Schools - tick. Netball club - tick. Footy club - tick. Tennis - tick.

And the important things...... I found a great Athletics club (who we've already had a run with) and have started looking at trail runs in the Victorian Alpine area. I will need to work very very hard to get fit enough, but I'll have nothing else to do :)

A friend very kindly gave me their racing bike (it's done 7 ironmans) and I'm learning to ride it. Turns out its harder than it looks. And shoes are definately the go!! With a large indoor pool at my disposal and lots of time on my hands, I might end up doing a small tri next year, though nothing will ever be as good as trail running.

On the running front, I did the 9k Bridge Run with my girls in September, which was a wonderful day, albeit a little warm. We then cheered on the marathoners, from the first runner to the very last. It was very emotional to see people of all ages/shapes and abilities struggling or cruising to the line. I'm glad to have seen it from the other side of the tape.

I ran today as well in the SMC half marathon. I found it tough going, trying out the new KSO's. They rubbed my feet badly, and within 2km, I had several areas of no skin. Injinjis are the go with these I think.

I ended up barefoot, which is not great on this course, with so much broken glass and large rocks. Trying to be safe and run in the gutter, I managed to kick my big toe and split the toenail. OWWW. This resulted in a limping walk home for me. Not quite a personal worst time for 21k, but very close!

Next big run in the Great North 100k in 3 weeks. It's going to be interesting......

Trailwalker 08

My 3rd 100k trail run, and 7th ultra in a year.

This year saw us doing the reverse of last years trail. So all the really hard sections at the start, and the easy stuff at the end. Funny though, how after 80k, even the easy stuff seems difficult.

We had the late start of 10am, which sees so much daylight burned before you even start, that you feel a bit 'behind' before you even leave the start area. With 2 teams from Westies, we arrived bright and early and checked in quickly to gain a good starting spot.

The first 3 sections were great. Though tricky terrain and lots of climbs and drops, all 8 handled it well. It is harder keeping 8 people together on the trail, when all are of varying levels in fitness and experience. There were 3 veterans (6th trailwalker), a couple of second timers and the rest first time walkers.

After the night section, it became apparent that one team member could no longer continue. His knees were shot to pieces and he was in a great deal of pain. He recultantly decided to drop at this point. Part of me was jealous as he took off his shoes and put on ugg boots and warmer clothes, sitting down to breakfast.

At this point I became very very cold and memories of The North Face hypothermia crept back into my mind. I quickly got out all the layers I could find, and ate some extra food, though I didn't feel like it. A couple of cups of hot coffee helped as well. Leaving this checkpoint, I ran some sections, just to warm up and get the blood flowing.

Once I was sweating and cursing all the extra layers I had to carry, I resumed walking and waited for the rest of the crew to catch up.

The remainder of the day was fairly uneventful, working our way from checkpoint to checkpoint, answering everyones questions about my strange choice of footwear. So many people were worried about me, thinking I couldn't continue in slippers. I assured them all I thought I'd make it ok.

We realised at CP7 that we were going to see the start of another night, so did a battery swap for the headlamp and grabbed the thermals again to head off. CP8 actually came around before the night set in, so we had picked up a little speed over this section.

Pulling out of the last checkpoint was a relief. Only 12k to go, with 7k in the bush and the rest on the road. By this stage I was longing for the bitumen, so I could take the vibrams off and 'rest' my bare feet on something. My feet had had enough of being closed in. We had been walking for close to 34 hours by now.

I cried when the road appeared. I ripped my vibrams off and rubbed my feet on the ground. Nothing has ever felt better, except perhaps, about half an hour later when we ran beside the beach. At least everyone else ran beside it, I ran straight down to the surf. The icy salt water and cold sand were heaven to my aching feet. The last 7k or so was barefoot. By the end of the race, my feet were feeling about 70% better.

I recall Kevin Tiller once saying in his blog about running barefoot at night with no headlamp. I gave it a go on the last leg of the course. I was just too damn lazy to get the lamp out. Surfaces ranged from bitumen, concrete, sand, dirt, rocks, trail, wooden steps, grass and even some steel grating at the end. Light varied from street light to pitch dark. I didn't step on anything nasty, or stub my toes. It's interesting how the 'sixth sense' takes over, and I enjoyed this little bit of silliness at the end.

Makes me wonder whether I could actually do a race like this completely barefoot. I'd love to try one day.

Wisdom of the Learned

run, run, run. Get you miles up bit by bit. Do as much as you can without injury.

Some ultra runners can live of 45km a week others like 200km+.

I like the idea of an apprenticeship and you start with a nice easy race like the 6 foot and then move to a 60km and then a 100km and then the 100 mile.

Just going for the GNW or even worse the C2K as your first ultra takes a special breed of madman.

The beauty of running and ultra running is it takes time to learn what works for you.

There is no book on what works for you you just get out there and try it.

Some days it all works and other days you are sitting in blue vomit.

Some days you are in love with the world and other days crow's steal your food.

I love that we can part of something so great with nothing more then the desire to be there.

But the first step is getting out the door everyday and running mile after mile.

And being a little crazy does not hurt.

(Tim Turner 2008)

Sixth City to Surf

Although I really only count myself as a new runner (about 18months) I have turned up for this event 6 years in a row now.

I love it! 70,000 people all lined up on the city streets, ready to do the 14km dash to Bondi Beach. As a run, it's hard to find your rythm, you have to constantly dodge people, and you don't get a finish line photo of yourself... there's usually at least 20 people in the shot. But the atmosphere is spectacular, and the views of the streets packed with runners as you wind your way east is nothing short of amazing!



The characters make up this event. People dress up in all kinds of weird costumes, and bands come out on to the streets to entertain the crowds. There are no quiet boring bits to this race. Spectators line the course, having parties and bbq's out on the balconies of apartments or front lawns. Little kids all waiting for you to give them a 'high five' as you run past.

I started in the second group start with my daughter and good friend Jo. This meant we had a 5 minute wait after the first gun sounded sending the elite runners off, before we set out. I went out at a pace I knew was too fast for me (under 6min/km) but managed to hold this for the first few km. I had NO hope of keeping up with my daughter.... she sped off and I never saw her again until after the finish!

The hills came and went and I enjoyed not having to drag myself up them. All the long distance trail running has paid off. I had a bit of trouble about 10-11k, as the bitumen is very rough and rutted and my feet started to hurt a fair bit. But, it is my choice to run without shoes, so 'suck it up and run' I say.

Coming down the last hill and around the corner into Bondi was fantastic. Usually I am spent by this point, so to up the pace a little and cruise home in about 93 minutes was very exciting for me. I had never thought I would break 100minutes for this race, or do it without extreme pain. I now think that I could probably go closer to 80 minutes.... bring on next year!

"I'm with stupid"

Cities M7 Marathon 08

This time last year, I was nervously awaiting my first marathon on this very course.....

WOW! It was cold! Below freezing at the start, with a nice layer of frost everywhere. The portable gas heaters that everyone crowded around were wonderful. It was funny to see a bunch of 'underdressed for the cold' people, standing huddled in the dark under some heaters, reluctant to move to the start line til the last second.

With only 137 starters, this race thins out quickly for me, and within 1km, I was running alone. I began to question my sanity even then. 42.2k is a long way on your own. I hate to DNF though and would rather be last than pull out when I know I can finish.

I spent about 10k trying to run with good 'form'. Lately I have noticed how much I lean forward when I run, possibly due to watching the ground to make sure I don't step on/in anything sharp or nasty. I tried to stay upright, chin up, arms swinging parallel and lifting my heels. I was told to imagine riding a unicycle while running... which worked remarkably well.

At 11km with no company in sight, I pulled out the ipod, figuring it might pass a bit of time. Just then Steve, the original Barefoot, tapped me on the shoulder and said hi. I was surprised to see him, figuring he would be in front of me. He had missed the start and was cruising through the field as he ran. He opted, graciously, to run with me for a while.

I have never run with another person in a marathon race for more than a few kms, so this was fun. He stayed with me, chatting and encouraging me along with bits of advice until 21.1k. He said (and rightly so) that it was hard to do the entire race completely alone. Just quietly, it also made me move faster than I would have alone. After he left, I was happy to keep plodding knowing I was half way there already.

The next 14k were uneventful, though I slowed a bit. I worried about the cut off a few times, but recalculating in my head figured I'd still make it. Once again form became an issue, with my left hip and knee starting to hurt quite a lot. Still it wasn't bad enough to stop, though I don't think my limping gait was helping me much! The day never seemed to warm up either and my feet were cold for the whole race. I think I didn't even feel my toes until about 25k. I only did half of this race barefoot, the other half in Five Fingers.

At about 35k something switched on in my head. I don't even know what. Perhaps it was that there was only 7k left. Maybe it was the caffiene laced gel I sucked down. I may have even found the inner 'agro' that I need to bring out much earlier in long runs. Whatever it was, I picked the pace up and began to overtake the stragglers. Each person passed spurred me on. I really enjoyed this part of the run and was even slightly disappointed when I was near the end with no left to chase. That sounds very egocentric, even as I type it now, but it was a new feeling for me.

Again I broke no records today. It was my 6th marathon in 12 months. Possibly too many for this body so soon. But what a ride!! I'm loving the long distances, pushing myself, learning as I go. Already looking forward to the next one.....

Get up outta the dirt

Hip hop music is not usually my first choice in music, but this song by Brisbane band "Butterfingers" has brilliant lyrics. What we make of our lives is our choice.

There’s never been a better time than right now
To get up outta the dirt
There’s never been a better time than right now
To get up outta the dirt
......
If you sniffle ‘cause your life’s difficult, that’s typical
What you get, what you give
Karma is reciprocal
......
I got a couple of bones to pick
It's your life, don't whine, take ownership
Get up, stand up, throw your hands up
While high check your mind back for propaganda
We’re there to slander
Truth to candour and it’s good for the goose as it is for the gander
Every gamut of the planet reaps what it sows
So forget about your hair and forget about your clothes
Same goes for your woes for the moment is priceless
Puberty blues becomes midlife crisis
......
This isn’t an attack or a lack of compassion
But you gotta get yourself back in the action
Tap into your passion and follow it up
Either that or let the madness swallow you up
How full is your cup, half-full or half empty?
You’re the envy of plenty, tread gently
Apathy is deadly and if you got seeds of doubt
That need to sprout, you need to weed them out
I read about people with real cares
And feel for those getting killed in Zaire
Children die there from extreme poverty
In perspective my problems don’t bother me
Think positive, forget about the negative
There’s never been a better time to get your shit together,
It’s bad etiquette to bitch and moan
With your nice clean clothes and your mobile phone
If you can’t see your feet ‘cause you over-eat
And that’s your biggest problem then your life is sweet
Not sleepin’ on the street then you probably got it good
Get up, put your head up, if you can then you should
......
Stand up straight!
Don't take no shit!
Hands on your shoulders, shoulders on your hips
It's time for a change!
So make it swift!
You're only getting older with the lifeline that you live
......
There's never been a better time than right now
To get up outta the dirt

A spot of Poetry

See the girl in silly shoes

She thinks she will cruise

Plodding slowly in the race

She is such a disgrace

Running is a serious thing

Do it fast get some bling

Asic shoes are the go

Or brooks if you're slow

So tell that silly girl

To give shoes a whirl

Barefoot running does not knit

No shoes makes you a twit



tim 2008

King of the Mountain

Well I'm not the King.... surprise surprise :)

Today was humbling. I set out in good spirits and average physical state to conquer Mt Scanzi and sample the famed rum at the top of the climb.

Had the run been 16k long, I would have finished strongly with a big smile and had time to sample the scones and tea provided by the good folk down Cambewarra way.

Sadly for me, this race is 32k long, and the mountain bit kicks in around 22k. I hurt. Going up always takes its toll, but running down the other side should be a snap.

Today, even going down was hard. Not injured, but just tired and sore. Perhaps it was the marathon last weekend? Or the fall the weekend before? Lack of solid training? Perhaps all of these and more. Whatever it was, I had to walk most of the last 10k.

Finishing last and in a very slow time in front of people I have come to respect, admire and call my friends, wasn't easy. At this time I think I may have mentioned something along the lines of 'never running again as long as I live'. I now withdraw this ridiculous statement ;)

Perhaps next year I'll finish a little closer to the King.

Gold Coast Marathon 08

It is completely crazy to run this race. I am not in good physical condition, and I'm not trained to do it. But I'm going anyway :) I'm stubborn and sometimes a bit foolhardy.

We flew up to the Gold Coast and stayed with my parents for a couple of days, hanging out, sleeping, eating and generally being lazy. On the Saturday I set out in the very stormy weather to register for the marathon at the expo. I know, last minute...

It was pouring, and the whole area was a wash out! But the organisation of the event was second to none, and in no time I had a bib and a timing chip, not to mention a big dent in the credit card. A few Westies chatted to us, and I lined up for an autograph or 2 from Lee Troop.

Before going to the expo, I realised how seriously underprepared I was. I had no velcro to attach the chip to my ankle....trip to my aunty who saved me with her trusty sewing box. No lollies, though I had a couple of gels. I bought some poptop kids drinks and taped some gels and lollies in a bag to the bottle, leaving 3 at the personal drinks area. I hate carrying gels in a race.

That night saw me get no sleep, mum and I sat up talking for hours. 1am and I crawled into bed. The alarm went off at 4.30... who on earth set that??? It took me a few minutes to realise I did, and I had to get up and run 42km!

Dave (UndercoverBrother from CR) picked me up at 5.30 and drove me to the start line. Arriving in perfect time to drop a bag off, and head to the start.

I changed my mind about 30 times when it came to shoes/no shoes. I'm kicking myself now, but I wore vibram five fingers for the first couple of km. The ground was so wet, and rain was still threatening and I thought I wouldn't make it barefoot. Stupid really, of course I would have.

After about 2km, the shoes came off and I carried them a further 24k before dropping them off to friend.

The large number of competitors meant I was never alone in this race. What a great feeling. I chatted to so many people as I plodded along. My hip started to hurt, as did my knee (fall from last weekend) after about 1km, so I was in for a long day.

I met and chatted to a Japanese tv star, complete with film crew and entourage. A fellow who was doing a walk/run technique hoping to break 6 hours... I reckon he would have broken 5! A man who had just completed Ironman Japan and was walking, having a coffee and cake.... he said he was tired, and besides he liked coffee and cake. We talked about 100mile races, I hope to see him at one soon.

I had what I call an 'Anton' moment while running. At about 32km, my body suddenly stopped hurting and I felt my stride was perfect. The motion of my feet and arms was smooth and effortless. I sped up, though my breathing was not laboured. I passed about 40 runners in the next couple of km and felt invincible. It was like running on clouds.

I came crashing down at 35k when I slowed to collect my drink/gel/lollies. They were nowhere to be seen. Damn and bugger! My last gel was at 25k, and still another 7k to go. Oh well, nothing like a bit of a challenge to toughen up the soul.

My favourite 'meeting' of the day was an older gentleman who wore a shirt with 'Port Moresby Road Runners' on it. I speak the local New Guinean lingo, having grown up there, and he was trotting along with a young PNG guy at his side. I came up beside them and said hello, asking how he was, all in pidgin. The shock on the PNG mans face was priceless. We spoke a few sentences and I trotted off up a small rise. It occured to me later that it would have been very strange for him to see me, a very blonde non-indigenous girl, running in bare feet, greet him in his native language.

This was quite near the end of the run, and at this point, the struggle to compete with the 7.5km walkers became the focus. Though we had a separate lane to run it, we were mostly running off the course on the footpath to avoid having to duck and weave, as groups of people 4-5 abreast took up the road.

Rounding the corner for home was wonderful, I really was tired, but still very happy. I wondered to myself if I could keep on going.... perhaps even for another 120k? I reckon I could have done at least a few more km today.

Today I was slow. 5.29.26. But I had fun. Lots of fun. I did 40k barefoot, my longest barefoot run to date. Next time I'll ignore the voice that tells me I need shoes to start off with. Next time I'll put an extra gel in my pocket.

But next time, I'll enjoy it as least as much as I did this one.

Spring

Winter is over, spring is here. I have struggled to move lately. My body has been tired and my soul has been weary too.

I posted last month about the seasons we go through, and wondered if winter would ever end.

Many races over many many months were like my Summer.... I had boundless energy and nothing seemed impossible.

The North Face 100 in May was a race I had worked hard towards and I had done my best.... Autumn for my running life and I reaped a good reward.

Life has thrown me some big challenges in the last few weeks, and I have found it hard to cope. My winter. So I have rested, physically and mentally.

Once I was rested, I realised I needed to MOVE on to Spring, regardless of the cold dark feelings of winter still in my bones. To not move is to risk spending a lifetime in Winter, and becoming comfortable there.

Woodford 2 Glenbrook - 2 years in a row!

I wasn't going to do this race. I was going to pike. But someone asked me what kind of 'streak' it was to only do it once. So I put in a last second entry and turned up, underprepared and tired.

The start was gorgeous. A sunny day, fabulous organisation and good friends to while away the time with while waiting for the start. I met some new people and chatted to old friends.

It was warm enough to run in a singlet and shorts right from the start and I wore my VFF flows again, as they have served me well lately. My trusty handheld waterbottle, with a gel and couple of lollies, and I was good to go. Trotted along nicely for about 1km before my first mishap....

I managed to drop my gel. Right in the centre of the road. I considered leaving it, but I know that this course has only water for competitors and I don't go well for 3 odd hours on water only.

Waiting for the entire field to run by before I could go to collect it was frustrating, but thankfully, no one stepped on it.

I had to put in a decent downhill 'sprint' to catch up to where I was previously and ran for quite a while with Carmen, who was looking strong. Carmen ran ahead at one point, and I didn't see her again, she was good on the hills.

Today seemed to be the day for kicking my toes. Normally I don't do this often, as I've learned to be more careful when only wearing a thin piece of rubber on my feet. Today I was hopeless! I must have kicked rocks twice every km! This is extremely painful and means I'm not paying attention. Hindsight tells me I was just too tired for those shoes on that course on that day.

However, I began chatting with a local who was doing her first trail run and we were talking kids, work and running when suddenly a large rock jumped up out of the trail and bit me hard. I stumbled, hoping to right myself, but alas.... I went down hard.

My left knee smashed into the rocks, as did my right hand. It hurt enough to shock me and I couldn't get up. The lady I was running eventually ran on, after I assured her I'd be ok with a little sit down. I sat for a while, inspected the damage and let out a little whimper when I thought of the Gold Coast marathon in a weeks time. Not to mention the rip in my favourite tights!

Another runner stopped shortly after and offered to help me up, for which I was grateful. I started walking, realising that the notion of negative split, even in this downhill race, was out of the question.

I walked to the next aid station, where I put a bit of water on my hand and cleaned up a little and resumed jogging. I managed to catch up to quite a few people for a few km, but then the stiffness set in and I went back to walk/jog for the last 5-6km.

Crossing the line at the end was disappointing. Last year I ran 2.55 and this year though I could do about 2.45. My finish time was 3.10. I went to the first aid tent and got my knee and hand seen to before hobbling out to get a coffee.

The end of the day was lovely, sharing lunch with a good friend and some new faces, before heading home to the kids.

Not a great day for running, but a great day to just tough it out and finish what I started.

Some Bling

Saturday night was the Sydney Marathon Clinic presentation dinner. I took all the kids along for the ride and they enjoyed the night. The food was terrific and the MC Mike O'Mara kept the night rolling along with his funny stories and jokes.

I had a blast. For the first time ever, I actually picked up some awards. I have always been the 'slow, unco kid' who didn't get picked for anything. Tonight I got picked for a couple of things :)

First in my age group (30-39) for the Long Series runs. Second overall in the Long Series handicap competition. I also received a nice medallion for running my first marathon, and another for running my first ultra marathon. And the coveted prize..... the "I did the flamin' lot" tshirt.

It was worth the work, the effort and the getting up early to run long races when I wanted to quit.

I should point out too that both my daughters did very well.

Alana was 2nd in her age group (under 15's) for the 5km run series and also 2nd overall for the handicap competition for that distance. Sara (who is only 13) scored a 1st place trophy in her age group (under 20's) for the 10k series. She also holds the race record for this distance for junior female runners.

Seasons

The whole universe revolves around seasons. Animals and plants follow the cycles of life. Your body knows that everything has its time and place.

The spirit has its seasons too. Spring for rebirth, Summer for exploration and growth, Autumn for harvesting, and Winter for introspection and rest.

Live in the season today.

The Journey

A student goes to a sensei to learn Running Barefoot.

She asks, "Sensei, how long will it take for me to master Running Barefoot?"

The sensei replies "It will take 5 years."

The student counters "What if I work twice as hard?"

"Then it will take 10 years", The sensei says, "because your focus is on the end, not on the process of learning."

The Whole Flamin' Lot

Well I did it!!

Sydney Marathon Clinic runs 9 months of the year from September - May. Each month there is a 5k, 10k and long run, ranging from 21-30k. If you are silly enough to turn up and run every long race you are awarded a gorgeous t'shirt that proudly proclaims 'I did the whole flamin lot'.

Last year I decided to run the long series and yesterday was my last long run (25k). I hurt, with the 100k race from last weekend still fresh in my memory, not to mention legs and feet. Lots of these long runs were days after other MUCH longer runs! Eg; Six Foot Track, Hellgate Gorge, The North Face 100k, Great North Walk 75k. When I chose this goal, I had no idea I'd be doing all those other runs :)

Still I'm a stubborn old girl, so I did them all anyway.

Run, just Run

This quote was sent to me this week by a friend. It sums up exactly how I feel at the moment.

The fine print: Run, eat, sleep. Cross-train. Run, eat, sleep. Cross-train. Do a marathon. Do an ultramarathon. Run a 50K race, then just run another 50K. Climb some hills. Think about running. Run while you're thinking. Eat good stuff. Take a class in running. Get a friend to start running. Make them pace you. Pay them by the mile if you have to. Tell everyone you meet you have this intense desire to run 100 miles. Watch them faint in disbelief. Convert a golfer; there are more places to run than to play golf. Running is better than walking, even jogging is better than walking. Heck, running is even better than sex. There's a time to walk, but there's also a time to run. Sex can always wait until after an ultra. Get obsessed, stay obsessed. If you get angry, go run. If you feel tired, go run. When you have a good day, celebrate with a long run. Feeling bad? An ultra will help. If you screw someone (not sex, folks) punish yourself with a really long run after inserting a medium sized pebble into your shoe. Remember these things when you have doubts during any ultra: It will never always get worse. God will never give you more than you can handle. Of course, the down side of that is, God expects you to handle some really intense pain, perhaps followed by death. If you don't believe in an afterlife, remember that death deadens the pain, just like ibuprofen. If you believe in an afterlife, who really cares when you die? You might as well be running when you do.

First Hundred

The North Face 100km 17-18 May 2008. Blue Mountains NSW. Inaugral Event.

I have started this post about 10 times. I don't know where to start. I'm elated and drained at the same time....

I drove up with friends on the Friday about lunch time to the Blue Mountains. Found the backpacker accommodation we would be using, then set off for a leisurely stroll with Andy and Craig. We managed to wander around for a couple of hours, checking out Echo Point and enjoying a fabulous hot chocolate at a cafe nearby. We collected some supplies on the way back to the hostel and then headed off for the registration.

The checkin was well organised, t-shirts (in my size!!) maps, a full gear check, then a huge dinner with like minded crazies. All of us chatting about the impending run, what we had in our drop bags, how nervous we were etc.

We were back at the hostel nice and early to do a last minute fuss over what gear what going in our bags for checkpoint 3 and 5, the only two points we could collect extra food and gear. If only I had known that I would barely even touch the stuff.... oh well, I was fully prepared for anything.

I didn't sleep at all that night. The other 3 in my room were out in seconds and I lay there wide awake, begging sleep to come. I don't know why, but it never did. Thankfully I can operate for days on no sleep, so I didn't worry too much. Perhaps I was just fearful that I had taken on more than I was capable of handling.

Finally at 5am, it was time to get ready for the biggest adventure of my life. Breakfast, 3 layers of clothes, camelbak, garmin... check, check, check... then off to the start line. It was so cold, my feet were frozen within 5 minutes. My choice to do the race with Vibram Five Fingers new shoe called the 'Flow" was starting to worry me already. After a bit of pre-race banter and instructions we were off. Straight up a hill! Albeit a small hill, but this was to set the tone for the entire race. I felt slack walking already, but I know there's such a long way to go.

The first 15km were a total surprise. On the map it looked like gentle undulations, but was so much more than that! By the time I climbed the Golden Staircase at the end to reach CheckPoint 1, I'd already used 3 hours of the 30 hour time limit. Managed to hit my head on an overhanging rock just before the top, almost knocking me out cold.

The fire trail to Check Point 2 was much eaiser going, with breathtaking views of the Blue Mountains. How lucky we are to be running here. Down Tarros Ladder with all the ropes to keep us in check, and then an easy run to the Check Point. I grabbed a bun and some drink, my plan being to never spend more than a couple of minutes at any stop. The out and back section on Ironpot Ridge was amazing. My feet were hurting a little with the constantly rocky terrain, but I felt good as I ran along with Craig.
We both moved very well along to Check Point 3, at by this point I began to overtake people, a new concept in running for me! At one stage I even passed a relay team runner, who looked spent, though he was stopping at the 52k point. Running down the hill into CP3, I felt terrific, like I could take on the world and had gotten here in under 10 hours, which was my goal.

I stopped too long at this CP, but changed into warmer gear and sorted out my headlight, before eating some fried rice and having a cup of hot tea. Shortly after heading out, Craig and I passed more runners, bouying our spirits and pace. I love running at night on trails. The mesmerising beam of light, the sounds of the bush, the need to be constantly alert... I feel so alive.

We ran strongly to the bottom of Nellies Glen at the 60k mark, where I told Craig to go for it. He runs up hills so strongly, even the stairs. I knew there were over 400 wet, slippery stone steps to go up so set my brain on 'trudge' mode and set to it. Frankly I struggled. I don't mind hills, up or down, but stairs are not my favourite. I try to get to the edges as much as possible, to relieve the pressure, but I noted at this point that my right calf was really starting to ache, almost like a cramp high up towards the back of my knee.

Thankfully the top came, and it was a nice easy run/walk to the CP4 at Echo Point. By this stage the cold became unbearable. It was seeping into my bones, or so it felt, and I had been unable to find my gloves. I borrowed some gloves from a friend and we set off down the 900 stairs.

Reaching the bottom began the lost descent into the valley. I decided to run as much of this as I could, knowing a huge climb awaited me on the other side. Having never run at night before on my own, it was interesting. My new headlamp was awesome! (thanks Dad xx) I experienced a little of what I've heard others talk about, seeing things in the bush, strange shapes and figures and animals that aren't really there. All good fun. I continued to pass people in the section which was a boost again to my confidence. Reaching the valley floor and crossing the river I knew the hardest section was about to begin.

Craig and I had agreed that I would forge ahead on the downhills and he would catch me on the ups. He caught me about 3/4 of the way up and he pushed on to CP5. By the time I got here, I was too cold. My appetite had gone and was replaced with nausea. In hindsight I should have kept eating regardless, but didn't realise the full process of a bit of mild hypothermia. Lesson learned.... I didn't eat for the last 30k or so of the race, which was far too long.
We left the CP together, and slowly plodded up the road. I found this part of the course very hard. The winds had picked up, and the temperature plummeted. When checking the weather the next day, with wind chill factor and gusts of up to 60k/hour, it felt like -7 degrees!! Earlier in the day Craig had mentioned how cool it would be if it snowed. He got his wish. About 4am, up on a ridge somewhere near Wentworth Falls, it snowed! Only for about 10 minutes and never enough to land and build up, but snow that you could see swirling in the headlamp ray and catch on your gloves. It was fun, but FREAKING cold!!

The last 14k of the course dragged in the cold. Once we reached the sign that said 95k, knowing it was mostly road from this point, our spirits were bouyed again, knowing we'd go under 24hours. Both of us had garmins, so were doing a bit of guesswork about our finishing times. Reaching the resort and then having to head back off into the Golf Course was a bitter pill to swallow, but the finishing line bought great rewards for the detour. It was like running in and being a winner. Flags and banners and a finish area, a few very hardy spectators and the race directors there to cheer us in at 5.57am. 22.57 for the full 100km!

I thought I'd cry when I finished, I usually do. I didn't this time. I was tired, spent, and more than a little cold. I crawled inside and begged for blankets. Craig on the other hand looked terrific and as if he could keep going!

This is the hardest thing I've done so far. To finish under 24 hours was awesome! 4500m of climb, across 100k of hard terrain, steps, mountains, ladders, rivers, more steps, rocky trails, wide open areas, more steps.... This is magic! I can't wait to do it again next year. I'll be aiming for sub 20 hours and the nice silver buckle :) I feel like I'm edging closer to calling myself an ultrarunner.

P.S. I did the whole 100k in Vibram Flows. They are nothing short of brilliant. No rocks got in, no blisters or pain. They kept my feet as warm as can be hoped for in such harsh conditions. These 'shoes' rock! I guess it shows that any trails can be done in Five Fingers, just go and do it.

Nail Can Hill Victoria

There's nothing quite like a 6 hour drive on Saturday evening with 4 kids in the back, to get to the start of an 11.5k bush fire trail run!

OK, so we were headed to Albury for the weekend anyway and this looked like a nice way to spend a bit of time on the Sunday morning.

It was cold cold cold at the start and standing around in the chicken feet didn't do anything to warm me up. Gloves, long shirts and buffs were the order of the day. Both my girls, Sara and Alana came with me for the run and we met a couple of local Cool Runners while waiting for the start.

A large hill took up the first 5k of the course (hence the name of the run) and the girls and I ran/walked this section. At this point, both girls waved me on to run, saying they'd catch me up later.

The rest of the run was a lovely downhill section on graded fire trails. It was a good chance to test out the five fingers and see how well they gripped the road/rocks on a faster descent. All fine, no mishaps and not once even felt they were going to slip.

I finished in around 80mins, a nice easy pace that I could happily have continued on with for many more km.

I do feel slightly more confident about The North Face 100k in 10 days time. My body has been tired and sore, so I've rested a lot and not done the usual daily runs, opting for only about 3 a week. I worry that I'll lose a lot of fitness doing this, but I really had no choice. I'm feeling good again, and looking forward to the challenge coming up.

Sydney Marathon Clinic April

Today was the 8th race at Sydney Marathon Clinic for the season and the 8th I've finished :) Just one more to go to gain the coveted 'whole lot' series t-shirt. This was a goal I set myself in the middle of 2007, after completing the 5k series last year. Another Half Marathon, while not the fastest time I've ever done, not the slowest either and certainly done under the most pressure physically.

I'm tired. Actually that's an understatement. I've done 4 big runs in 2 weeks. This time last year I would have needed 2-3 weeks to recover from even one of those runs. In fact, three of those I would not have been able to complete.

My body has been pushed and hasn't broken. I have no injuries and I'm gearing up for a go at a 100k race. That challenge is in 3 weeks and I'm so excited! I'm going to take this time to rest and recover, so I can face the race strong and ready.

Bring on the long mountain trail run!

The North Face 100 Training Run

Just when I thought it couldn't get any better......

Another early morning gathering of runners, again in the rain and fog of the Blue Mountains. The buglar played the last post, a fitting start to an ANZAC day run. After a minutes silence, we split into different groups to cover various sections of The North Face 100 run.



Our small group (Craig, Belinda, Lynda and myself) decided to do the last 40k of the course . We knew this would done at night and we wanted to see the terrain during the day. The rain didn't last very long, but the ground was extremely slippery. We followed Rod down about 500 stairs (at a guess) and by the time we reached the base my legs were shaking badly. I hate heights and I hate stairs. This course will be a challenge!



There was some navigating required and between us we managed to find our way through almost everything. Only once did we do an unecessary loop when faced with the option of 4 different paths at once!



I had a test run with the new VFF Flows today. Perfect conditions to try them out. It was cold, rainy and very very wet. There was water all over the trail, thick mud and slippery conditions. We also ran in sand and on rocks at some points. These 'shoes' are the best I've worn yet. My feet were 100% protected with not even a grain of sand getting in! The mud stayed out and the neoprene uppers kept my feet quite warm, even when wet. These shoes get 2 thumbs up from me.



The views we were rewarded with towards the end of the run were simply incredible. Wentworth Falls, The Undercliff Walk, Kedumba Walls.... this gorgeous part of the world is virtually in my backyard, and yet I'd never seen it.



After about 32k, I began to tire badly. This was my 3rd long run in 13 days. (50k Canberra, 50k Hellgate and now today). I told the others to carry on to finish the 40k and I would walk back to car through the streets of Katoomba and meet them there. They all graciously decided to stay with me and we walked back what turned out to be about 8k anyway! To top it all off, the streets were up and down huge hills ;)

After a simply delicious hot chocolate and brownie at the cafe, I drove home, satisfied with yet another day running in the great Aussie bush.

Ninja Chicken Feet

Well I now have the lastest version of the Vibram Five Fingers. These are called "Flows" or "Ninja Chicken Feet" for fun :)

This model is made of neoprene (like a wetsuit) so much suited to the cold/wet conditions of the winter mountain trails. Can't wait to take them for a spin on Friday in the Blue Mountains.

N.B. Any and all credit for the clever name "ninja chicken feet" is hereby credited to Tim. At no point was I witty enough to come up with such a cool name :)

Hellgate Gorge Fat Ass

A handful of brave or perhaps foolhardy souls lined up at the Deviation on the Six Foot Track for a crack at Hellgate. A 'somewhat difficult' trail run through some of the most beautiful countryside this planet has to offer. The rain did little to dampen our spirits, and possibly made the pace for the first few km just that little bit faster.

Down into Jenolan Caves, then through the caves area as the rain cleared was very enjoyable. It's here that Craig, one of our party, turned around and headed back up to the Deviation. Across a pretty stream and into a charming field, then the person I was following said 'up there' and pointed up a steep bush section of a mountain. After I realised it wasn't a joke, off we went. There was no trail, just slowly picking my way up, trying not to slide back down. The views were awesome!



This lead out on to a fire trail, which we followed, before running on the road for while, then back on to another fire trail. After many kms had passed and it had become evident that we may have chosen an alternate route, I recall saying "I don't mind how much futher we've run, as long as we don't have to go back up THAT hill". Famous last words!!

We saw another runner at the water drop and double checked with him as to our whereabouts. He kept us company for a short while before shooting off into the distance, with our message of possibly being slightly longer than planned.

Time was made up for our detour as we picked up the pace a little in the section leading down into the Gorge. Apart from the 6 or 7 times I fell over down the slippery slopes... (I really need to get used to this shoe wearing concept), this was welcome relief from the uphills. Stopped once to remove a leech from inside my sock, who had sucked enough of my blood to nearly choke itself.

The view from the bottom of the gorge was frighteningly spectacular. I felt I was seeing something very special, seldom witnessed in this couch loving, relaxation seeking world.

Then came the understanding of why this place was named Hellgate. I think I could count about 15 times I wished to die on that climb back up. By now the 50k of last weekend and the extra kms earlier in the run were starting to bite me badly. My running partner encouraged me up that mountain, step by step at times. To see the gate at the top was magic.

But not quite as magical as seeing headlights in the distance on the Black Range Road and finding out it was a rescuer in the form of Gareth. My brain was set to finish the distance off if necessary, but my body was much keener on the ride.



Upon reaching the end and realising we had covered 50k in about 10 hours I felt quite satisfied. There are some experiences money can't buy. Many of these can be found running the trails. Knowing that there are others willing to drive 2-3 hours to stand in the rain for a photo before embarking on a 6-10 hour run. Seeing scenery that takes your breath away, realising only a relative few have also been here. Finding that extra bit inside yourself that you weren't sure was there, when the hill seems to go on endlessly upward. Feeling at one with the world when your body is at odds with its own pain.....

I did feel sorry for the people on the train who shared a carriage with me on my trip back down to Sydney. By this time of night most were youngsters dressed up and off for a night on the town in Sydney and here was I, filthy dirty, blood filled shoe, with my bags of gear beside me, dressed like a reject from a Paddy Pallin store, ravenously stuffing down vegemite sadwiches. Ahhh good times.

I can't wait to do it all again!