It had been a while. Quite a while actually, since I had run 100km. It seemed like something that had become part of my identity, running long distances, of how people saw me, but I wasn’t actually doing it. The last time I completed a 100km race was September 2017, the Surf Coast Century, over … Continue reading Race recap: Ultra trail Kosciusko 100k
I bought a new pair of shoes this week. Hardly newsworthy or revolutionary I admit. "Runner buys new shoes" is hardly the stuff of Pulitzer Prizes. There was nothing fancy about them. They weren't a brand new make or model, a limited edition or anything with the word 'carbon' in the title (or the price). … Continue reading WTF! They ruined my favourite shoe!
“Proud of you for showing up”, that was the message I got from a running buddy when I got home from Halloween Howler last night after spending 5 and a half hours doing loops of a 5k trail course. “Me too”, I thought, “that’s the hardest part”, I replied. In fairness, that wasn’t what I … Continue reading Race recap: Halloween Howler marathon 2022
My favourite movie is Almost Famous, the based on a true story account of a kid and wannabe journo who became besties with his favourite band and followed them on the road, leading to his own front page story on the cover of The Rolling Stone. As a younger person, it seemed fitting that I … Continue reading My experience of “Mental skills for ultra runners”: A tail of a book review and unrequited therapy
I’m one of those people who thinks self reflection is important. I’m often guilty of over analysing and sometimes over blaming myself for whatever has happened. If it was a good thing, a good result, then it was a team effort or a fluke, but if it was a less than ideal result then it … Continue reading Lessons Learnt: Cairns to Port Douglas DNF
It’s called waiting room bargaining. It starts with a twinge, a dull ache, a singular short sharp pain. It induces unease, rapid heart rate, dooms day thoughts, strange phantom pains in other random places and excessively unhealthy googling. Dr Google escalates it to cancer, amputation and death. And then suddenly there you are, in the … Continue reading Waiting room bargaining
“Not all crazy idea are great, but all great ideas are crazy” I’m not sure where I heard that, maybe the Free Trail podcast, I know Elon Musk has said something similar, but it really applies to ultra running. The Tarawera 100 mile race has been my A race for two years now, but a … Continue reading My 2022 (and 23) running goals
I’m still here. I find myself saying that a lot lately. I’m still here. Maybe it’s the nostalgia of the internet, maybe it’s lockdown, maybe it’s a completely unoriginal midlife crisis, but I’ve been doing a lot of reflection and a lot of looking back lately, in order to work out what I want going … Continue reading I’m still here
I’ve heard of these unicorns they call a “good day out” but I never really understood what exactly people were talking about. I’ve heard comments like “it all just clicked” and felt my head titling to the side like a confused Labrador. You mean, it didn’t hurt, feel like torture, make you question every single … Continue reading Race review: Surf Coast Trail Marathon 2021
Note: This post was written pre-Melb Lockdown 4.0 Races are back. Ok they have been back for a little while, but I haven’t been. After bailing on my last 2 race entries (Warby trail fest and Brimbank park), I was nervous when I signed up for Maroondah Trail Run. I thought I was probably just … Continue reading Race recap: Maroondah Dam 50k