Yes ok so it turned to shit and I didn't finish my race. I think everyone got that memo. And yes I've also reached the anger stage of the 5 Stages of Grief so bare with me here. In sorting through the emotions of falling short on such a big goal, I've been reflecting on … Continue reading Lessons from my first attempt at the Tarawera 100 miler
With five weeks to go until my first 100 mile race and the panic and paranoia is starting to set in. It’s the prequel to the ultimate taper tantrum that often includes buying shit you don’t need, over analysing your training, foam rolling (because you literally have never used the thing) and research into all … Continue reading The prequel to the taper tantrum- 35 days to go!
"Trail and ultra running is inclusive". There are few things at the moment that get my blood boiling as much as this sentence, especially when it comes from a middle aged white man. "Ultra marathon running attracts a certain type of person", they say when questioned about the fact that there are a significant amount … Continue reading How much does it cost to run 100 miles?
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
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
“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
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