82kms

I’ll start off this week by quoting Vajin Armstrong “For me trail running is all about self-transcendence, freedom , simplicity and exploration.  Our modern world is so obsessed with the search for comfort and ease that having this outlet, giving us the chance to put ourselves in challenging situations and to explore and have adventures is so balancing…” I love this and couldn’t agree more! This is what I love so much about trail running. I have taken this from Macpac, see more at: http://www.macpac.com.au/our-community/vajin-armstrong-profile.html#sthash.hw8uXJhp.dpuf

View on top of Isaacs Ridge

This week my long run was 28km and I covered Farrer Ridge, Isaacs Ridge and Mt Taylor. I loved running past the mob of Kangaroos enjoying a morning munch on grass. I loved how peaceful it was on top of Isaacs Ridge, there was not a soul to be found! I was thrilled to traverse new trails that I haven’t explored before! Just like most of my long runs, I took it at a very slow pace, with around 4 hours spent on my feet. Once atop of Mt Taylor, I tested out an energy drink as a fuel source, I found it gave me some energy, and thought it might come in handy in the latter stages of TNF100. I thought it provided me a bit of a mental lift, but this could just be a placebo effect! I also was swarmed by Magpies, they must have thought I had something to share with them! There was about 30 and they seemed rather disappointed by my lack of food! After descending Mt Taylor I headed back to my car and that was me done and dusted for another day.

During the week I ran a 10k PB of 51.16 and it felt quite comfortable, can’t wait until I break 50 minutes!

On Saturday I took the puppy to Parkrun for a laugh, we were much slower than my usual time!  We completed the 5km in 34.08 but enjoyed it! 

On Sunday I entered the Tour de Ridges a 21.2km trail event. I went into this event without any taper whatsoever. The first few kilometres felt pretty good, I was running at around 5:00 minutes per kilometre which I was happy with and I handled the first few climbs well. After about 6 or 7kms I started to feel more fatigued but continued to push on. I loved the downhills on this course, I really felt like I was flying! My feet felt really stable as I danced my way down rocky slopes and I felt confident that I wouldn’t stumble, and thankfully I never did!  I started to slow down significantly in the latter stage of the race but I was happy with my performance overall.  I was happy to know I was nearing the finish line and almost done. After recovering and waiting for the presentations, I started to feel horribly unwell. Once they were over I managed to drive myself home without being sick in the car, made it into the door and couldn’t wait any longer! All the sports drink I had consumed was no longer and it was time to rest for a few hours for me! I managed to get some calories back into me thankfully pushed myself quite hard in this race, maybe a little bit too hard! I really wanted to go sub 2 hours, but was just over in 2:04, however this can be a challenge for next year!

Elevation Profile- Tour de Ridges

I completed 82kms this week, almost 10 hours spent training and 2044m in elevation gain. I am happy with this, now for a recovery week and then to push on to 90kms and beyond!

Two Peaks

Last week my training didn’t go to plan, which is to be expected and nothing ever goes to plan! On the Monday I did 16km on road around lake in 28 degrees heat at 5pm,  it was very tough going. I had to pour water over myself constantly and had lots of breaks. I also found running on the road very challenging, it was harder on my legs. I was completed buggered by the end of this run and starving too! I was planning a back to back run for the next day but I knew I wasn’t going to be able to do it as planned. It is important to listen to your body. I decided on a much shorter hill repeats session instead and had more of a sleep in so I could recuperate. Training doesn’t always go to plan and that’s fine, you just have to work your way around it. On The Tuesday I also did the Mt Ainslie Run Up which is held in the middle of the day, it was very hot, way too hot for my liking! I was two minutes slower than last time but it was still enjoyable.

Mt Majura Summit

On the Friday I decided to do my long run so I was up at 5am and out the door by 5:45 am to a pleasantly cool morning , loving this quiet time of the day and the glistening morning sun. I decided to run two peaks, Mt Majura and Mt Ainslie, and didn’t worry about how long it would take me. I was pleased because my legs felt great even on some of the first hills, must be those hill reps I’ve been doing! I also felt like I was in a great place mentally, and I ran well on the bike path section that I found tough the week before. I stopped over at McDonalds and decided on a Fanta & raisin toast which went down a treat! I spent around 5 hours on my feet covering 36kms with 898m in elevation gain. 

 

 

 

Two Peaks run elevation profile

For the week I completed around 77kms and am pleased with my progression so far!

The Beginning

The elevation profile from my 27km run.

My journey towards The North Face 100 (TNF100) in 2014 has begun and off to a good start! On Monday I kicked it off with a 27km out and back run including Mt Majura. I carried my hydration pack with all the bells and whistles, it is heavy for me being such so short (to translate, that’s 158 centimetres tall). I started run/walk training which is harder than you think when you’re used to running all the time. Climbing Mt Majura is a very satisfying challenge, and it was a bit chilly up the top. I was happy to head down after enjoying the view because I knew I was halfway there, and I love that feeling!  

I decided to have a quick stopover at McDonalds on the way back home, mainly to use the bathroom, but what a great excuse to try a new fuel source for my run! I indulged in an iced chocolate and was very happy that my stomach agreed with it! I ended up being on my feet for around 4 hours for this run and had an average pace of 7:34/km which I am happy with considering the run/walking. There was 568m in elevation gain but I can’t wait to tackle some hillier challenges! Overall I enjoyed myself and my energy levels felt pretty good, except for a long section of bike path that was fairly flat and felt a bit tedious. This provided a mental challenge which I believe is just as important as the physical challenges of training. I wore my fairly new Hoka One One’s which I have fallen in love with! Hopefully they will see me through to the finish line for TNF100.

On Friday entries opened for TNF100 and it was a bit nerve racking! The website was getting smashed by traffic and as I went to pay, the page crashed! I wasn’t sure if it had gone through so I tried again, not wanting to miss out! Turns out I entered twice, both times in the final process the page crashed. I felt the organisers handled all of the issues that came up very well and eased many people’s minds that all would be sorted out in the end. So it is official! I have entered the 100km event and I am off and running!