Ah July. My crabby cancer friends feel me. Wowsa! Humour me for a bit as I download the contents of my rumination that has been bouncing about in my brain for the past month. I blame birthdays, they make you crazy and philosophical and annoyingly introspective. Maybe I’m having a midlife crisis, I do turn … Continue reading How it’s going: July 2023 in review
I’m pretty sure last time I did this race in 2021 that it would be my last time. This race had been my nemesis, my white whale if you like. For whatever reason I just couldn’t get it right. I won’t retread the same old weary paths as my “learning experiences” at Maroondah have already … Continue reading Race recap: Maroondah Dam 50k
Training for Ultra Trail Australia, the race I had no intention of doing but got suckered into when someone said I couldn’t do it, is in full swing. Actually, with less than a month to go, it should be almost at the end but I’ve entered the picture smack bang in the middle of peak … Continue reading Race report: Sharpy’s Beer Run 2023
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
It's 7 am here in Rotorua and if everything had gone to plan, I'd still be running. I'd hopefully be leaving the Redwoods aid station and completing the last 6 km of my first 100 mile race. But instead, I'm here, drinking coffee in my pjs on the back deck of an Air Bnb analysing … Continue reading Time to call it: another DNF Tarawera 100 mile
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!
Every year at Christmas I sit down and watch the movie version of the Broadway musical 'Rent'. It's my end of year tradition. "How do you measure, measure a year?" they ask and each holiday season I asked myself the same thing. Luckily for runners, Strava has that in the bag, publishing their 2022 Recap … Continue reading 2022: A year in running
“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