Hellfire Pass

Wow, Kokoda Trail 2011 is going to be amazing!

A nice long trail run out on the Kokoda Challenge Trail in the Gold Coast Hinterland with the 4 team members and an extra. We started at 3.30am to get in a few hours of night training.

I had worked a full day shift, then a full night shift, then a drive and now a long run. We had planned for 40k and I was already tired!

Night running is the best, my favourite bit of any event. We started at Check point 8, following the road up a hill before heading off into the bush, right up the side of a huge hill. A couple of our group were learning how to use their headlamps and after a few stops to make sure everyone could see.... carrying spare batteries is a lesson best learned here :)

The trails were spectacular, lots of single technical stuff and some open fire trail thrown in. We quickly came to Syd Duncan Park (CP10) and a most gorgeous sunrise. After only a short stop here we moved on. It was already cold... how freezing will this point be in July??

Up the road a bit and then a sign "Hellfire Pass" and the steepest downhill I've seen for a long time! Not wrongly signed... What a great trail.

The last section was the worst. I got so tired I was ready to nap on the track, but a sneaky double espresso in a can (latest find in my arsenal of legitimate trail snacks) and I was ready for the last section!

We had a lot of fun, learned a bit about ourselves and trail running. Looking forward to TNF100 in just a few weeks time.

Running on Empty - But Feeling Great

Well it's 3am on Sunday morning. I have worked 4 days shifts and 5 night shifts since Monday. I am officially shattered. I've also run 4 times this week. Twice doing hill repeats and the other times just around the local streets. I'm due to meet a friend at 7am for another run. I hope that this can all balance out somehow, as squeezing running in between shifts of work makes for tired, slow running (more slow than normal) Pleased to say though, that all this activity has seen the kg's dropping off me. I should be able to hit TNF 100k the lightest I've been in about 4 years, making for easier movement all round. Being active is what makes me happy. Although I'm rushing from place to place, I get more done this way. The house is clean, the kids are sorted, I'm running more, and working twice as much. Even started getting dinner cooked early so I can go to the boys footy practises. And why am I telling you all this? No idea. Sometimes this page is just for me to spill some thoughts that I can look back on in later times and remember the path I've taken and what happened along the way. I'm happy again, which has been a long time coming. I feel settled and content in myself. My children are happy at a good school, and I have sufficient work to keep us all fed and clothed. I'm running with 4 different people, who keep me motivated and upbeat. Strength training has been added to routine for great results. My family is close by, and I'm running with my wonderful little brother again. Life is Good. Selah.

North Face for the Fourth Time

My favourite race is coming up soon. 8 weeks away.

The North Face 100k in the Blue Mountains, Australia.

I'm excited and terrified. I'm not ready, with a busted foot, and a head space that can barely deal with the day to day things, let alone decent training.

I've only been doing long walks, but enjoying them. I've taken my friend out on a few. She's training for the Kokoda challenge on the Gold Coast in July. She wants me to join her team. I think I will.

Last weekend was 40k on the Kokoda track, walking time just over 9hours. So at that rate I should be able to finish TNF100 in the 28hrs allowed.



I have finished all 3 other TNF100's and want to keep going and try to always do this race, every year... so even if I have to walk all of it, I'll be there.

My favourite event. Can't wait!

SHOES!

Yes, shoes. I am wearing shoes.

It all started when I went out for my first decent trail run in Queensland after moving back here just before Christmas.

My long suffering brother is getting me back into it after a long break. It was Australia Day and we celebrated by going for a run 'in the bush'. Vibrams at the ready, as usual.

I was tired and tripped a few times during our relatively short trot. Looking back, I was so tired I shouldn't have run. But after a few stumbles, I managed to hook my little toe on a tree root while falling sideways into the mud. The pain was immediate and intense. I got up and tried to keep moving without much success. Limping the 2k back to the car was all that happened. I slipped once in a puddle of mud and felt the pain shoot me again!

At the car, I eventually took my VFF off, scared at what I'd find. My little toe was sticking out at an awkward angle, obvioulsy not good.... I cried, not from pain, but worried I'd need to find a doctor who'd hurt it more (Funny now). I decided on my usual course of action. Ignore it and hope it will get better on its own.

Scott helpfully told me it was probably dislocated and to pull it back into line. Yeah... not gonna happen bro. I drove home and spent the rest of the day lying down with as many painkillers as I could take. I decided after a few days that it was the metatarsal that had been damaged, rather than my toe.

That was 8 weeks ago. I can almost bend my toe now. It's only swollen after standing all day, or walking. Running has been cancelled since then. Shame really, as TNF100k is only 8 weeks away now. Oh well, it'll be a long walk.

But this post is about shoes. My toe was too swollen for VFF, and I needed to keep moving, so I purchased a pair of Merrel Trail Gloves. They were wide enough in the toe box for my ? broken metatarsal, and I could limp along in them without fear of catching my toe again and doing more damage.

Turns out they are pretty good shoes. I did an initial 13k in them on rough terrain, and with no extra damage to my foot, declared them perfect! Since then I've done a few long walks in them (18k, 12k) and found them to be hard on my achilles and heels, but otherwise great.

Last weekend I did 40k with 2400m of climb/drop in the Merrells, through water, mud, rocks, road, dirt... everything. They protected my still tender foot, while still being a good 'barefoot' option.

Bring on The North Face 100k I say.... where 'RunBare' will be wearing shoes :)