If there is one thing that runners embarking on the Ultra Trail Kosciusko are worried about ahead of the big dance next weekend it’s snow.Australia’s highest peak still has a dusting after getting unseasonal snow a few weeks ago. That snow has now mostly melted down to sludge and mud, a trail runners wet dream, … Continue reading Pre-game: Ultra Trail Kosciusko
It's pretty easy sometimes to get caught up in dumb shit. I'm not proud of it, but the other day I spent all day stressing and desperately googling to find a solution to someone changing a running shoe. I'm sure if you follow me on Instagram or over here on this little blog you would … Continue reading A little perspective goes a long way
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
I used to sign up for races as “training” a lot but if I’m being honest, it wasn’t exactly training. It was mostly signing up for staircase races, you know you put a big A goal on the calendar of say 100km, so you also schedule in a half marathon and a 50k on the … Continue reading Race recap: Trail Series race 4
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
Even before the “gun” went off at 5am at Crystal Gardens, the Cairns to Port Douglas Ultra had already achieved the goal of the worst race I had been to (and I live in Victoria so that’s saying something!) In the weeks leading up there wasn’t much communication from the race organiser and what did … Continue reading Race recap: Cairns to Port Douglas Ultra, my first involuntary DNF
With a long run on the calendar, it seemed like the logical thing to sign up for a run at the You Yangs Trail Festival and treat it as a practice run for Cairns to Port Douglas in only a month or so. The You Yangs are my local trails so paying money (to a … Continue reading Race recap: 2022 You Yangs 30k
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
MelMac Runs 