Been playing around and MIGHT start using the following http://skirunner.wordpress.com/ as the new SkiRunnerNZ blog.
Word Press has some very cool features the Blogger does not. Mostly its the cleaner look and better looking and easier to use templates that I like. Please visit http://skirunner.wordpress.com/ for the lastest and leave a comment on the new blog to let me know what you think.
Cheers
Grant
Monday, December 14, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Pick of the Week- NZ's Busiest Trail Run Week?, Kepler Report
The week starting on the 28th of November to the 5th of December was possibly the busiest week for trail/mountain running in NZ all year. It started with the Heaphy Five 0 on Saturday the 28th. The race had a turnout similar to a ski mountaineering race in NZ, with only 35 on the start line for the 2nd running of this race. Heavy rain and reports of chest high rivers added to slower times than last year and the race was won by Dave Heatley in 7hr57min.
On the Sunday Mal Law started out on his 7 in 7 Challenge, an epic 360km on the 7 "Great Walks'' of NZ.
On the Sunday Mal Law started out on his 7 in 7 Challenge, an epic 360km on the 7 "Great Walks'' of NZ.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Back On Track
Training is slowly getting back on track after my recovery period. I planned on springing out of bed this morning and having a quick bite and getting "after it", but instead I hit the snooze a few times and then dragged myself out of bed and opted for coffee and eggs.
I was feeling sluggish after a steady 90mins around the Port Hills yesterday. I Started at the Sign of the Takehe, and quickly found myself on one of the steep, hot dry trails in the upper Bowenvale area/above Vic park. I then ran out to Witch Rock, headed back via Mt Vernon's tiny summit and finished off with the small figure 8 tracks just south of the Sign of the Kiwi before returning to the car.
Today, after my coffee and omelette, I decide to do the trails between BR and CVSC. My watch is away getting a little TLC, so I didn't set a time for how long I would run, as I would have any idea anyway. Starting at 73 and the bottom of Cheeseman Rd and headed to Jack's Pass on the BR rd via farm land and random roads. I then climbed up to Lyndon Saddle, eating jet planes as I went, and then into Craigieburn Valley. I took the valley track up to the Camp Saddle scree slope and scrambled up it. From here the track is well formed, but pretty steep. I was out of water (I was using a 500ml hand held that I was refilling) and keen to get down to a stream. I got to the BR access rd and headed up hill, filling my bottle at a stream and adding some Nuun electrolytes to it. Up the walking track, pass the BR lodges, down the summer rd and back to the stream for a refill. Then I high tailed it back to the car, retracing my steps and eating the last of my jet planes.
It was a really good run, with really warm weather. A strong wind kind of kept things cool, but I ran mostly with my shirt off, which is always a nice feeling.
It was about 3hr10mins all up, which felt great. It's my longest run in a few weeks and it was nice to jump from a 2hr run on Sunday to a 3hr one today. I have started using Attack Point to keep track of my training. Its pretty cool and worth a look.
Just over 10 hrs running in the last week and I am feeling good, I am back on track. My log is HERE
I was feeling sluggish after a steady 90mins around the Port Hills yesterday. I Started at the Sign of the Takehe, and quickly found myself on one of the steep, hot dry trails in the upper Bowenvale area/above Vic park. I then ran out to Witch Rock, headed back via Mt Vernon's tiny summit and finished off with the small figure 8 tracks just south of the Sign of the Kiwi before returning to the car.
Today, after my coffee and omelette, I decide to do the trails between BR and CVSC. My watch is away getting a little TLC, so I didn't set a time for how long I would run, as I would have any idea anyway. Starting at 73 and the bottom of Cheeseman Rd and headed to Jack's Pass on the BR rd via farm land and random roads. I then climbed up to Lyndon Saddle, eating jet planes as I went, and then into Craigieburn Valley. I took the valley track up to the Camp Saddle scree slope and scrambled up it. From here the track is well formed, but pretty steep. I was out of water (I was using a 500ml hand held that I was refilling) and keen to get down to a stream. I got to the BR access rd and headed up hill, filling my bottle at a stream and adding some Nuun electrolytes to it. Up the walking track, pass the BR lodges, down the summer rd and back to the stream for a refill. Then I high tailed it back to the car, retracing my steps and eating the last of my jet planes.
It was a really good run, with really warm weather. A strong wind kind of kept things cool, but I ran mostly with my shirt off, which is always a nice feeling.
It was about 3hr10mins all up, which felt great. It's my longest run in a few weeks and it was nice to jump from a 2hr run on Sunday to a 3hr one today. I have started using Attack Point to keep track of my training. Its pretty cool and worth a look.
Just over 10 hrs running in the last week and I am feeling good, I am back on track. My log is HERE
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Korowai/Torlesse Tussock Lands
Had a great little run around the Korowai/Torlesse Tussock Lands today with Jane and Tim. We started just north of Porters Pass and ran up to the pass (939m) and down the overgrown 4wd track. We popped out on 73 after about 30mins of broom bashing and ran up to the hairpin turn on 73 and started running up the steep farm tracks, eventually arriving at Trig M (1251m). We then cross countried it down to Lake Lyndon and back to the car on 73 via the Lyndon fine weather rd. About 2hr10mins.
Pick of the Week- Rest & Recover
Rest & Recovery have been the key themes in my training (or lack of) since the Molesworth 2 weeks ago, so I figure I will share a few things I find work well for me in aiding recovery.
I think recovering from a high intensity workout or an ultra run is pretty similar, the big difference is how long it is gonna take and that often is the difference between a good athlete and a great athlete, how long, or how well our body takes to recover from one effort to the next.
Stretching- I love stretching , it's such a great way to relax your legs and give "new life" to tired, tight muscles. Lately how every I have gotten pretty slack and my daily stretching routine is almost non existent. I did a lot in the first 48hrs after the Molesworth.
Massage- I am pretty lucky to have a massage therapist as a neighbor in Castle Hill, so this is dead easy for me. I also got a massage straight after the race, which did wonders.
Compression- I am pretty new to compression wear, but if you believe the hype it works wonders. I'm not sold, I am also not not sold. I find they work well if you ever get twitchy legs while trying to get to sleep. They do seem to relax them then.
Active Rest- I used to think that a rest day meant doing nothing, but I now think of all my rest days as "active rest". A short bike ride, a walk around the block or a short swim, even an easy 30mins on the CHV trails I all consider active rest, which I think is a key, and sometimes overlooked, part of training. The day after the Molesworth, or any race, I make an effort to get out the door, choosing a short bike ride because of its low impact. I also did a little swimming that week. I still have days were I do nothing (today for example), this is when I feel I really need it. It's a fine line between resting your body and losing fitness.
Post Feast- The post race/workout feast, my favorite part of the recovery process. Sometimes I think the only reason I beat myself up is so I can indulge. Post Molesworth dinner was a burger and fries, but normally it's things like tuna, salad, pasta, Kumara and my all time favorite, a smoothie. I am pretty proud of my smoothie making skills and here's my brew for post run - 1 banana, a generous helping of frozen mixed berries, about one cup of light soy milk (I can't handle drinking a heap of full fat dairy milk, and soy milk tastes pretty good in smoothies), or half cup soy milk, half apple juice, a scoop of protein powder (I use Vanilla Bean CytoSport Whey) and maybe a few blocks of ice. Blend all this up and you have a pretty mean recovery formula! Another nice one is low fat milk, a banana, a scoop of Milo, a little vanilla essence and some ice cubes.
What are some of the things you do for recovery?
The last 2 weeks of recovery has gone well for me, with walks, bike rides and even a few solid runs. It's now time to refocus and get serious about training again!
I think recovering from a high intensity workout or an ultra run is pretty similar, the big difference is how long it is gonna take and that often is the difference between a good athlete and a great athlete, how long, or how well our body takes to recover from one effort to the next.
Stretching- I love stretching , it's such a great way to relax your legs and give "new life" to tired, tight muscles. Lately how every I have gotten pretty slack and my daily stretching routine is almost non existent. I did a lot in the first 48hrs after the Molesworth.
Massage- I am pretty lucky to have a massage therapist as a neighbor in Castle Hill, so this is dead easy for me. I also got a massage straight after the race, which did wonders.
Compression- I am pretty new to compression wear, but if you believe the hype it works wonders. I'm not sold, I am also not not sold. I find they work well if you ever get twitchy legs while trying to get to sleep. They do seem to relax them then.
Active Rest- I used to think that a rest day meant doing nothing, but I now think of all my rest days as "active rest". A short bike ride, a walk around the block or a short swim, even an easy 30mins on the CHV trails I all consider active rest, which I think is a key, and sometimes overlooked, part of training. The day after the Molesworth, or any race, I make an effort to get out the door, choosing a short bike ride because of its low impact. I also did a little swimming that week. I still have days were I do nothing (today for example), this is when I feel I really need it. It's a fine line between resting your body and losing fitness.
Post Feast- The post race/workout feast, my favorite part of the recovery process. Sometimes I think the only reason I beat myself up is so I can indulge. Post Molesworth dinner was a burger and fries, but normally it's things like tuna, salad, pasta, Kumara and my all time favorite, a smoothie. I am pretty proud of my smoothie making skills and here's my brew for post run - 1 banana, a generous helping of frozen mixed berries, about one cup of light soy milk (I can't handle drinking a heap of full fat dairy milk, and soy milk tastes pretty good in smoothies), or half cup soy milk, half apple juice, a scoop of protein powder (I use Vanilla Bean CytoSport Whey) and maybe a few blocks of ice. Blend all this up and you have a pretty mean recovery formula! Another nice one is low fat milk, a banana, a scoop of Milo, a little vanilla essence and some ice cubes.
What are some of the things you do for recovery?
The last 2 weeks of recovery has gone well for me, with walks, bike rides and even a few solid runs. It's now time to refocus and get serious about training again!
Friday, November 27, 2009
Julbo Tracks Review
Click HERE to read a review of the Julbo Tracks on Adventure Magazine Online.
I wore the Tracks for the "Symphony on Skis" ski traverse and Molesworth and Flagpole running races. Very nice pair of sunnies!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Pick of the Week- Bealey Spur
PICK OF THE WEEK is an idea I had for my silly little blog to help me think of a super easy weekly update. At the moment the creative (or not so creative) juices are flowing and I have banged out 18 blogs last month and are up to 20 this month, but this is a rarity. Often I haven't the time for this kind of blog fest, or I just get plain sick of it. My plan is to spend a lot of time on the trails around Castle Hill and APNP (as well as explore some new areas) over the summer and I probably have to start working a little more than I have been, so the "Pick of the Week" will help me when I am pushed for time. The "Pick" could be a trail, a ski tour, a race/event, piece of gear, or a web site, and I would love to have "Guest Picks", so feel free to get in touch if you are keen.
I feel like I have 6 weeks worth of "Picks", I decided to start with one of my favorite little out and back trail runs in APNP (Arthur's Pass National Park)- Bealey Spur.
Google earth map of Bealey Spur track leading up to the hut (Lagoon Saddle track shown for reference)
This is a great "out and back" run that I have done a number of times now, often on my way home from work in Arthur's Pass, as it's a great way to unwind after a busy day. I can't remember how long it normally takes me to reach the hut, I think 48mins?? The track is steep in places, with some nice treed sections and some wicked views when it opens up. There is water at the hut, so you can travel light.
A sample of the views on offer on the Bealey Spur Track
Bealey Spur is also a pretty fun ski touring destination- Bealey Spur Hut, winter '06
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
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Sunday, November 22, 2009
Molesworth '09 Race Report
What can I say, things started off so well for me at the Molesworth Run on Saturday. After the race briefing we got the "5min warning". The start gun (it was pretty cool, they had a real rifle!) went off and I was away, as hard as I could, I sprinted past the whole pack of solo racers, I was however going the wrong way........
Playing Catch Up
We drove up to the start of the Molesworth, 84.7km out of Hanmer Springs, on the Molesworth Station on Friday afternoon/evening and had a good look over the course for the next day. Pretty much a long ass dusty road, not that exciting really, but the setting is! The road winds up and down huge valleys, over passes and next to rivers. It is a pretty cool place to say the least. We camped at the Cob Cottage camp ground, with a few other runners, but I think most drove in the morning of the race. I felt good when I woke up, had a good breakfast, stretched a little and walked around, but no real warm up, as I was planing a slow pace out of the gate. This however didn't happen. After the breifing we were told 5mins and I ran to the car that was parked about 100m up from the start line. I took off a layer, put on some sun screen and ducked into the trees for one last bath room break before that start. Thats when I heard the gun go off. I ran past my fellow racers who gave me confused and amused looks, got to the start line to hear "oh, there he is, Grant, what are you doing??", turned and started my watch. I received a big cheer from the team racers that started an hour later and tried not to stress too much. I guess I would have lost 1 min, 2 tops and I wasn't too worried. I ran past a few people, chatting with Simon for a bit and then with Paul for a while. It felt really easy, a cruisey pace, one that I rarely would run at. Up front last years runner up Brett Harris and MattB looked as if they were hammering the pace. Matt soon thought better of this and backed off, while Brett romped up over Ward Pass. I caught Matt about half way up Ward Pass, and we walked the steeper sections trying to save energy. We were in 3rd/4th place, with Uwe Paschke now in 2nd. Matt and I ticked along together for over 2hrs, staying at a nice 5min/km pace. We pulled Uwe in on the flats and downs, catching him at 20km, he then hammered up Isolated Saddle, while Matt and I walked the steep sections again. Brett meanwhile wasn't letting up, with a good 4mins on us. I parted ways with Matt at about 30kms, but fully expected to see him again before the finish. With 6 Keplers, 3(?) St James and a Heaphy under his belt I knew he would run a smart, strong race. I rolled in to the start of leg 3 in 3hr32min and Jane congratulated me on my first Marathon. I was now a good 10mins behind Brett, 4 in front of Matt and Uwe and 10mins in front of Paul. I was still running more or less 5min/km and was in a happy place, it didn't last.
Brett and his support, looking strong about 2hr30 in.
Matt told me Brett had gone out hard like this last year, but exploded. He still hung on to 2nd, but it was almost an hour behind first, so I was trying to position myself to pounce in case this happened to Brett again, although I didn't expect him to make same mistake twice.
It seemed to happen fairly suddenly, I guess I was trying to stay positive and ignore my decline. Somewhere around 50, or 55km I guess I really started to slow, none of my food tasted any good and I was so sick of sports drink. I struggled into the start of the final leg, easyily 20mins behind Brett, now with Paul just 2mins back and Matt and Uwe another 2mins. I stopped and drank some soup in an attempt to get something different and salty down me and was quickly told off for stopping by a friend and started running again. Paul then passed me at a pace that made me feel like I was standing still. Paul's pace had been really constant all day and he was running a great race. I tried to stay in touch and at one point when he was walking and drinking I still thought there was hope, that was until I realized that his walking pace was faster than my "running" pace. To make things worse, Matt was now closing in, thankfully, for me at least, Uwe had hit the wall.
About 15km out I busted out the water, salt and flat coke mix. While this does't sound that great, it is magic. Once it kicked in I started to pick up and once I finally saw the turn off to Jack's Pass I was ready to go, but Matt was still closing in. The climb up to Jack's Pass was pretty flat and short, but it was a hill and I love running hills. Even after 75km, I was happier going up this, than I was along the windy flats, the coke may have had something to do with it? I got to the summit and still had a good gap on Matt, increasing it, only for him to close in a little. I opened it up, finally shaking him, hit the flat and felt surprisingly good.
The DOC sign says it all........
I crossed the finish line in 7hr44min20, 15mins behind Brett and 3 behind Paul. Matt was just 3 behind me.
Coming into the finish in Hanmer Springs
I was happy to be finished and was feeling surprisingly good. I chatted with a few people and got a massage. When I took off my socks I was greeted to a nice surprise-
Hmmm
Really happy with my first "Ultra", even more so considering I only decided to do the Molesworth 3-4 weeks ago and hadn't specificity trained for such a big race. My placing was a pretty fair representation of my race and I got a little luck with Matt not having one of his better days. Interestingly the top 4 on Saturday would have been the top 4 in the 05 and 06 races, with only the winner in 07 and 08 (Both times John Bayne) going faster than the first 4 on Saturday, so it was a pretty strong field going off that. I haven't seen any older results, but do know the record is an amazing 6hr32mins by John Thirkettle, set in 1996. That's faster than the winning 2 person team this past weekend!!
I have to say a HUGE THANK YOU to Jane who supported me during the race (and day to day in general). She worked her ass off, parking ahead, running down to meet me with food and water and running with me for a few hundred meters at a time, every 3-5 km or so (about every 1000m by the end). No way I could have done it with you Jane, so thanks heaps! Next year we can trade places.....
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Molesworth Course Break Down
The following is a break down of the course for the Molesworth, taken from the Marlborough Harrier Club's web site.
Race Distances and Course Description
Leg One: | ||
km from start | ||
Start | Molesworth Gate. Short sharp undulating run, sharp corners and steep pulls leading up to | |
9.0km | ||
10.9km | ||
13.8km | ||
20.0km | End of Leg One, Sign post west end of Isolated Flat. | |
Leg Two: | ||
km from start | km from start of stage | |
Start | 300m of flat before a steady climb to summit of Isolated Saddle. | |
21.2km | 1.2km | Isolated Saddle, easy down hill to |
22.2km | 2.2km | Red Gate turn off. Undulating easy run to |
24.4km | 4.4km | |
35.9km | 15.9km | |
42.0km | 22.0km | being 2.5km passed pylon no. 1078. Leg Two Ends. Clearly signed. MARATHON CHANGE OVER POINT. |
Leg Three: | ||
km from start | km from start of stage | |
Start | road closely follows Acheron river with several steep pulls around bluffs to | |
50.5km | 8.5km | Five Mile stream. Road gradually eases, and the valley widens as the confluence of the Acheron and Clarence Rivers become visible at - |
58.5km | 16.5km | Historic Acheron Accommodation House. Road descends gently to the Molesworth boundary on the |
58.9km | 16.9km | |
63.4km | 21.4km | End Leg Three. |
Leg Four: | ||
km from start | km from start of stage | |
Start | road continues adjacent | |
70.1.km | 6.7km | |
75.4km | 12.0km | Jack's |
78.3km | 14.9km | Jack's Pass |
84.7km | 21.3km | The Race is Over!!! |
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Some More "Words of Wisdom"
(Keep the guess rolling in for the Molesworth folks!)
After the "Words of Winsdom" post the other day, here are a few more first timer tips.
These are from Paul Charteris. Paul is the man behind the Tarawera Ultra and Trail RunZ and he has raced in the Western Sates 100 miler.
1. Don't run on Thursday or Friday. There's simply no need to doextra training so close to the event.
2. Don't carry all sorts of useless crap that you'll never need. I
see a lot of ultra-runners carry huge amounts of food, drink and
clothing. It only weighs you down.
3. (you already know this one). Start slow. I mean real slow. At
Western States it was 1.5 hours before I reached my "running pace"
and you know what, 5-8 hours in to the race I passed about 50 other
runners who had started way too fast.
4. If the day is going to be cool, try and get some calories in you
earlier rather than later. After a few hours of running you may not
feel like eating or drinking much in anycase.
5. Don't be afraid to load up on some decent fat in the next few
days. Quite a few studies have shown that fat loading results in
superior performance for ultra-distance events.
6. Watch all the Killian Jornet videos you can between now and race
day. That dude is phenomenal.
Thanks heaps Paul, and also Byron!
If any of you out there have a tip you would like to share that would be great! Leave it via a comment.Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Molesworth- How Long?
How long is the 84km Molesworth gonna take me??
Well your guess is as good as mine! To prove this I will give away a Dynafit Racing Cap to the person who guess's the closest to what my time ends up being. For what its worth my goal is 8hrs, so there is a start point for your guess.
One guess per person, so make it count. If you read this blog, then make a guess. I don't think there are a huge number of you out there, so you have a great chance of scoring a sweet hat!.
The Racing Cap is perfect for cruisy spring ski tour's (when you don't need a helmet), or trail running in the summer months. Good chance I will be wearing mine this Saturday.
I'll post this bad boy to you were ever your at.
Leave your guess here via a comment. 8:01.10 for example (8 hrs 1 min 10 sec, but I don;t think we need the sec's?). If you don't have a blogger account, leave a e-mail address , or a name at least.
Good luck
Well your guess is as good as mine! To prove this I will give away a Dynafit Racing Cap to the person who guess's the closest to what my time ends up being. For what its worth my goal is 8hrs, so there is a start point for your guess.
One guess per person, so make it count. If you read this blog, then make a guess. I don't think there are a huge number of you out there, so you have a great chance of scoring a sweet hat!.
The Racing Cap is perfect for cruisy spring ski tour's (when you don't need a helmet), or trail running in the summer months. Good chance I will be wearing mine this Saturday.
I'll post this bad boy to you were ever your at.
Leave your guess here via a comment. 8:01.10 for example (8 hrs 1 min 10 sec, but I don;t think we need the sec's?). If you don't have a blogger account, leave a e-mail address , or a name at least.
Good luck
Fuel Me Fueling Me
I am pretty excited to announce a new sponsor- Fuel Me, NZ's Endurance Sport Specialists.
Andrew and the team at Fuel Me have over 8 years in the sport's nutrition industry and carry only the highest quality sports nutrition and training gear. Their top selling brands include Skins, 2XU, Cliff, Leppin and Cytomax, as well as my personal favorite, Gu.
"If it's not going to work 100% for you, we're not going to sell it to you" attitude, teamed up with a 30 day correct fit Guarantee and the best prices around, you really can't go wrong with Fuel Me.
Andrew and the team at Fuel Me have over 8 years in the sport's nutrition industry and carry only the highest quality sports nutrition and training gear. Their top selling brands include Skins, 2XU, Cliff, Leppin and Cytomax, as well as my personal favorite, Gu.
"If it's not going to work 100% for you, we're not going to sell it to you" attitude, teamed up with a 30 day correct fit Guarantee and the best prices around, you really can't go wrong with Fuel Me.
I have ran two wins in the Crater Rim and Flagpole races with the 2XU Race Socks on, been fueled by Gu's on my bigger Molesworth training runs, as well as the sub 13hr Symphony on Skis this past winter and recovered amazingly well post race with the help of my Skin compression tights and Cytomax Whey Protein mix.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Words of Wisdom
So less than 5 days before my first ultra run, the 84km Molesworth Run this Saturday. I am getting the same feeling I used to get when I was say around 7 years old or so, before a birthday, or Xmas. You know, when the excitement is slowly building, the not knowing what Santa might bring you, or what kind of cake you will get.......
This "excitement" is of course mixed with a new, less comforting emotion.
Running 84km is not what bothers me. You see after 84km I am done, so I am OK with that. It's the unpleasant time between K's 50 to 70-75 that I think will be really hard. Simply put I am scared. But to my surprise, this fear excites me a little bit, just enough to give me that feeling that this Saturday will be fun.
I have been researching and asking around, trying to get as much "fun" out of my first ultra as possible. Luckily I was able to get some words of wisdom from 2 very experienced Ultra runners. I put to them what the number 1 tip would be to someone about to run their first Ultra.
Bryon Powell is the man behind iRunFar, an amazingly informative website for Ultra Runners. If you have been watching Kilian's Quest you would have seen Bryon as he was Kilian's first pacer during the Tahoe Rim Trail. This is what Bryon had for me-
"For races 80k and longer, think of the race as a "training run" for the first two thirds of the distance. Run easy (like a decent 30k training run for the 80k and easy enough for the 160k that you could run all day) and take care of yourself. You want to go into the last third of the race still able to move well.
One way I try to remind myself of this concept early in a long ultra is by envisioning the race as an out-and-back course and thinking, "Could I run as fast at this point on the course on the return trip."
In other words, at the 20k mark in a 100k, could I see myself running that same pace at 80k. I swear it keeps me honest."
Pretty much the kind of answer I would expect from Bryon, but it is really nice to be reassured from someone that has been there.
I think my biggest issue will be, apart from pacing myself in the early stages of the race, is getting to sleep the night before.
This "excitement" is of course mixed with a new, less comforting emotion.
Running 84km is not what bothers me. You see after 84km I am done, so I am OK with that. It's the unpleasant time between K's 50 to 70-75 that I think will be really hard. Simply put I am scared. But to my surprise, this fear excites me a little bit, just enough to give me that feeling that this Saturday will be fun.
I have been researching and asking around, trying to get as much "fun" out of my first ultra as possible. Luckily I was able to get some words of wisdom from 2 very experienced Ultra runners. I put to them what the number 1 tip would be to someone about to run their first Ultra.
Bryon Powell is the man behind iRunFar, an amazingly informative website for Ultra Runners. If you have been watching Kilian's Quest you would have seen Bryon as he was Kilian's first pacer during the Tahoe Rim Trail. This is what Bryon had for me-
"For races 80k and longer, think of the race as a "training run" for the first two thirds of the distance. Run easy (like a decent 30k training run for the 80k and easy enough for the 160k that you could run all day) and take care of yourself. You want to go into the last third of the race still able to move well.
One way I try to remind myself of this concept early in a long ultra is by envisioning the race as an out-and-back course and thinking, "Could I run as fast at this point on the course on the return trip."
In other words, at the 20k mark in a 100k, could I see myself running that same pace at 80k. I swear it keeps me honest."
Pretty much the kind of answer I would expect from Bryon, but it is really nice to be reassured from someone that has been there.
I think my biggest issue will be, apart from pacing myself in the early stages of the race, is getting to sleep the night before.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Mt Vernon Run Up Report
Tane Cambridge when out hard, leading the pack up the valley track
Fuel Me Weekly Fuel Saver
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Mt Vernon Run Up- See You There
The Frontrunner Off Road Series starts tonight with the 'Mt Vernon Run Up' at 6.15pm (Junior Race will start at 6.20pm). Meet at the Mt Vernon carpark at the end of Hillsborough Terrace. It will be signposted. $10 seniors, $5 juniors.
I wasn't 100% I would line up at the Mt Vernon Run Up after feeling a little tired after the Casey- Binser run I did on Monday,
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
7 in 7
If you haven't heard already, Mal Law will be running 7 of NZ's "Great Walks" in 7 days!
Below is Mal's grueling schedule-
Day 1 – November 29th – 42.7km – Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk
Day 2 – November 30th – 41km – Tongariro Northern Circuit
Day 3 – December 1st – 51.9km – Abel Tasman Coast Track
Day 1 – November 29th – 42.7km – Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk
Day 2 – November 30th – 41km – Tongariro Northern Circuit
Day 3 – December 1st – 51.9km – Abel Tasman Coast Track
Casey- Binser
Did my last "big" training run before the Molesworth today, the Casey- Binser Saddle loop. It's around 32-35km long and about 1300m of ascent/descent.
It took me a good 30-45mins to get warmed up and into this training run today, with the track leading up the Andrews Stream being fairly steep at the start I just took my time.
It took me a good 30-45mins to get warmed up and into this training run today, with the track leading up the Andrews Stream being fairly steep at the start I just took my time.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Frontrunner Off Road Series
The Frontrunner Off Road Running Series starts Wednesday week on the Port Hills.
It will see 3 weeks of superb hill running above the fair city of Christchurch.
We kick off with the 'Mt Vernon Run Up' on 11th November at 6.15pm.
$10 seniors
$5 juniors
enter on the day
See the following link for details http://www.athletics.org.nz/CANTERBURY/Resource.aspx?ID=7423
Results of previous Series are available here: http://offroadseries.giorgio.co.nz
I did the Mt Vernon Run Up last year and had a great time, as it was really social after work event, with some top racers. I Finished in 6th, a good 3mins off the winner.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
The Press Flagpole Race Report
If you looked hard (I mean real hard) in yesterdays Press you would have eyed the below race report form Saturdays Flagpole race.-
"MOUNTAIN RUNNINGOver 300 runners were on the start line at Flagpole Farm, behind Whitecliffs Domain in the Malvern Hills, on Saturday morning for the annual mountain running race.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
B2B- 2nd day
Did day 2 of my B2B (Back to back) training in preparation for the Molesworth today. I left sunny Castle Hill for cold, grey Christchurch (I had a little work to do) and headed for the trails in the Port Hills, after making a quick stop at the Burrito Company first.
I ran a few different trails, some loops, back tracking a little, got a little lost on some trails I hadn't done before and managed 3hr40 and 1200m ascent. No idea how many km's, but I guess at least 30?
That's about 70km's in 8hrs in the last 2 day, add Saturday's race (plus warm up, cool down) and the short jog Sunday, I have done about 100km and 10.5hrs running in the last 4 days. I know some people run 100km easy week in, week out, but this I am sure will be my first, so its a pretty satisfying and tiring feeling. Looking forward to a swim tomorrow morning!
Felt surprisingly good, until the last 20-30mins on today's run. I carried 500mls of Replace and 4 Gu's again, filling up the water bottle twice. The Gu's are working well for me, but after 3hrs I start to crave "real" food and some protein. Today I was dreaming about tuna sandwiches and the Cliff Bar I had in the car.
Just printed of the Molesworth entry form, will fill it out and get it in the post. Hopefully I will get accepted as I have no previous ultra experience and haven't even run a marathon.
"ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED ON A FIRST RECEIVED BASIS, however the organising committee reserves the right of acceptance."
Flagpole Photos
If you were at the Flagpole Run Up on Saturday chances are Gary at Nesport snapped a photo of you! Gary has a new hundred photos up on the Nesport website from the race Saturday and prints are available to buy.
Rounding the trigg on the summit of Flagpole in 1st place
Nesport details- web- www.nesport.co.nz
ph- (04) 4616635
Monday, November 2, 2009
Molesworth Training
So I am about 95% sure that I am going to have a crack at the Molesworth 84km Ultra on the 21st of November. Yes, I know it is a silly idea, but curiosity is starting to get the better of me.
I have been reading up a storm over at I Run Far, researching tips for training and diet for ultra runs. One of the things I picked up is the B2B (back to back) training. This is doing 2 long days in a row and after an easy 35mins yesterday I did day 1 of my B2B today.
I started running from home with no pack and just 4 Gu's, turned left onto 73 and ran over the Broken River bridge and took a sharpe left onto the trails, running towards Flockburn. From here I got on to the Broken River ski area road at Jacks Pass and made my way onto Lyndon Saddle, 1hr30 after leaving home. I then ran down to the CVSC access road and reached the ticket office 45mins later. I sucked down my 3rd Gu and grabbed a handfull of snow as I made my way to the mountain bike track that leads back down to Lyndon Saddle. Back to Jacks Pass I then made my way to Forrest Lodge via Drac Flat. Making my way down the Cheeseman road was long, as my last Gu was long gone and there were no streams for water, but I still felt pretty good. I rolled back into Castle Hill after 4hr25 and about 38kms and 1500m climbing.
the way I see it, the key to a successful B2B is the recovery. Cold bath, protein smoothy, wearing Skins, LOTS of water and rest are all on the menu right now. On that note, night...........
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Flagpole Run Up
Had a great day yesterday at the Flagpole Run Up, a 21km, 800m ascent mountain running race, held just out side of White Cliffs. After my pre race preparation on Friday that included a short 30min jog with some "stride outs", spending 8-9hrs on my feet working, getting a stomach ache, a weird twinge in my hip, a massage and a hair cut, I was ready to go Saturday morning! 
Last year I did 1hr4omins and placed 5th in the Flagpole, a result I was really happy with in what I called my "come back" race, after not doing a running race in about 8yrs. It was also my first mountain/trail running race and the longest race I had run at that time. This time around I knew what to expect and had a bit of confidence after the Crater Rim 2 weeks earlier. I picked up my race number and looked over the start list, picking out of few names that I recognised and was really excited to see that Jacob Roberts, 2009 Routeburn and 2x
As expected the race started at a fast pace and Jacob went out in 2nd, with last years winner Kerry Faass and I slotting right in behind. 4 of us very quickly went to 3, and then almost immediately it was just Jacob and I. It seemed Jacobs plan was to run hard until he had broken everyone else, as he had no problem taking the lead and hammering this first, long up hill.
4km in we had climbed 500m in 22mins and reached the summit of Flagpole together in 28mins. As I stopped to drink a gap opened between us, which was fine, as I was able to follow Jacobs lead on the steep farm track that was wet and muddy. We reached the
I made a half ass move around 4km out, on a short hill, but had nothing in my legs. I was now clinging on, trying not to get dropped on the final K's. We rounded a corner into a down hill and got the view of the 19 and
As I crossed I heard Chris Cox, the race director, over the loud speaker, he sounded as surprised as I was that I crossed the line first, announcing me as “a surprise winner” and “a dark horse”. My time was 1hr28mins, possibly a course record, but the race has only been going for 4-5 years. Jacob was about 30secs behind and Kerry, about 5 mins, 2 mins slower than his 1hr31min winning time last year.
I chatted a little with fellow racers and Chris, but quickly grabbed a little food, water and a dry top, running back to see how Jane was doing. Last year Jane finished 12th (not bad for her first running race). I reached her with
Post race Chris was nice enough to shout me a massage and then we stuck around fro the prize giving. Some pretty good sponsors at this race and I went home with about $220, made up of vouchers and cash. This was very quickly spent at the Shoe Clinic on some Brooks Cascadia 4's.
Big thanks to all that made the Flagpole Run Up happen- Chris and the
LEFT: Jane on her way to finishing 3rd at the Flagpole Run UP
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Cass - Lagoon Video
Partly piss take, but mostly for fun- here is a little video of me running up to Lagoon Saddle, part of the Cass - Lagoon Track which I ran last week.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Helicopter Hill Test
Did another "test" run up Helicopter Hill yesterday, my last one being on the 14th. The last time I did this it took me 21min21sec to run the 450 vertical meter, 2.7 km trail.
After the Crater Rim race and the Cass Lagoon track in the last 9 days I wasn't sure how this "test" would go, but that's the reason it's a test, right?
After a 20min warm up on the BR rd I cranked into my workout. Feeling strong, I ate into the 1st flatter part of the run and I was thinking that I might even be able to go sub 20mins, but hit the wall somewhat on the final climb towards Lyndon Saddle. I was able to regather a little once I got out of the trees and made it in 20mins23sec.
I was pretty happy with this time as after a big week of training I have been able to recover well and make this workout really count. I'll taper a little this week with the Flag Pole Run Up on this Saturday. I placed 5th in a time of 1hr40 in this race last year and am aiming for a time in the low 1hr30s and a spot a little closer to the front of the pack. Last year I had done more or less no running at this time, as opposed to this year where I have around 6 weeks of solid running under my belt. This has been made up of very little speed work, the closest I have come to speed training is the above workout, which is more of a tempo workout. The plan is to up the speed training during November, before heading to Europe, but I might find myself doing the Molesworth yet?
Monday, October 26, 2009
KILIAN'S QUEST EP.09
KILIAN'S QUEST EP.09- HYMN TO THE RIM
EP 09 in Kilian's Quest is now available at Salomon.com, its well
worth a look (as are all the episodes). Its nice to see it isn't a total walk
in the park for him- he might actually be mortal...........
Some pretty good quotes in this episode-
"More kilometers, more fun" is pretty good, but my favorite is
"If you think you have already achieved something in this world you are a fool"
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Cass - Lagoon
Got out and did the Cass - Lagoon track yesterday, running from the Bealey end after leaving the car at Cass and hitching to Coral Lynn.
The sign at the start of the track, complete with times and map
Me with the Bealey (flowing from Arthur's Pass) and Waimakarir rivers
I am not 100% on the distance, but Mike Steel has it at 34km. Going off map my run I was thinking 32km and 1000m climbing............
On Cass Saddle after 3hr35min of running and 1500m climbing!
I was thinking it would take in around 4hrs to run this loop, but there was around a extra 500m climbing that I first expected (1532m ascended according to my T6C), and the going was pretty slow on the rivers beds and I also made the short side trip to Mirror Tarn. In the end it turned into a 4hr45min epic. I probably didn't eat or drink enough early in the run, as I was feeling good, but once over 2 3/4 hrs I started to go down hill a little and the last 45mins down the Cass River bed wasn't pretty.......
I had left a feast- pasta, miso soup and smoothie- in my car so was pretty pumped once I final finished.
Chowing down - my post run picnic!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Moa Hunting
"One of the most recent alleged sightings of a large moa took place on January 20, 1993, in the Craigieburn Range. Three individuals sighted and one of them photographed what they insisted was a six-foot-tall bird. They swore it was a moa, not an emu, ostrich, red deer, or any of the other expert-proposed or media-suggested animal candidates.
Paddy Freaney, current hotel owner and former instructor with the British Army’s elite Special Air Service, and his companions Sam Waby and Rochelle Rafferly were tramping — a New Zealand term for hiking in rugged terrain — in the Canterbury high country when they came upon a large bird. “The minute I saw it, I knew what it was,” Freaney said soon afterwards. “I believe it was a moa.” "
I am planning a mini Moa hunting expedition tomorrow, so have been researching up a storm today. I believe that the last Moa spotting was in the Cass-Lagoon Saddles area. I only have the day to do the 32km long, 1000m vertical Cass-Lagoon track, which is normally a 2 day tramp, so I will park at the Cass end, hitch to Coral Lynn and run the track with camera in hand. Hopfully I can snap a better shot of a Moa than the crap photo (see below) that Paddy Freaney took back in '93!
Paddy's Moa photo, taken in 1993
My planned route for tomorrows Moa Hunt (mapmyrun.com- choose "Satellite" for map type)
Monday, October 19, 2009
Life
Don't worry, I am not gonna start blogging about the meaning of life like some granola munching, telemarking hippy. I just wanted to share this really cool ad from Brooks Running.
Also worth a look is Brooks "Dream" ad.
Enjoy.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Crater Rim Run
Had a successful outing at the Port Hills Athletics Club's Crater Rim Run this morning.
There was a 30km race, as well as the 20km option that I raced in, with some top racers competing in the longer race, like 2008 Kepler winner Martin Lukes and NZ cross country skiing team member Nat Anglem.
After the initial pretenders during the first climb dropped off, the real contenders were left, I found myself in 3rd place going into the steep downhill into Rapaki Valley. By the valley track I was in 2nd, tucked right behind 1st and with a good margin on the chasing group. I was pretty comfortable hanging out in 2nd place and settled in as we crossed the Summit Rd and got onto the Mt Veron track. I sat back and studied my opponent- head bouncing, arms high and pumping already, a slip on a rock "Maybe I should make a move now? no, be patient..." (I talk to myself a lot while running).
A quick glance back and our gap is slightly bigger at best, but we are ticking over nicely and I stay put. We enter the trees and get onto the funnest part of the race, short ups and downs, in and out of the trees, broken by the Summit Rd. It was somewhere in here that my new friends cap went flying past me, he stopped and went back for it and I took my opportunity. It happened just before some large stone steps and I threw myself at these, taking 2 or 3 steps at a time, making a good break. As I approached the Sugar Loaf and had a quick look back and had around 15sec on 2nd now and hammered the next section to the Sugar Loaf parking lot and down Cedric's Track, again taking few steps at a time and passing racers at the back of the 30km race. Running around the back of the Sugar Loaf I started to tire for the first time, but wanted to keep pushing, the goal being that I would be out of sight of 2nd place once we started going in and out of the trees again.
Getting back to the Crater Rim Trail I saw Jane about to go around the Sugar Loaf and started to pass oncoming runners, bumping shoulders as we exchanged encouragement. As I passed over the Summit Rd to Rapaki Track I was told I had 2mins on 2nd, with 5km and 435m descent and 115 steep meters of climbing to go. The downs hurt a lot, especially the last part on the pavement and the climb was a power walk at best.
I stopped my watch at St Martin's Primary School at 1hr29, over 10mins faster than I had guessed I might go.
Jane did really well, finishing 3rd and was really happy with her race.
Big thanks to Port Hills Athletics Club and all those who helped make this great little race happen.
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