TNF100 2012 Race Report

Early on running with Jez Bragg- photo Oli Wilson/Salomon Australia

TNF100 Australia 2012- what a blast! I wrote a little something something late last week HERE, so will not add to that too much other than to say while I was feeling really good in my build up; I did have a really tight groin muscle/abductor on my right leg. This seemed to come from nowhere on Wednesday and was certainly playing on my mind in those days leading up to the race.

The other little note I want to add is a change in my mind set about racing and in my running in general. I am sure many of you sometimes ask yourselves why do you run, I know I do and over a 100km race I ask myself “why” many times. Long story short- because I find running a really fun past time. this was really my number 1 goal on Saturday, to have a  fun time out on the trails for 100km. I have found that I was possibly losing touch with the fun factor of running for a while there, so I was stoked to really have a good time on Saturday- I had a lot fun- mission accomplished!

Now I should end this post now, leave it at “I had fun”, but I couldn’t do that, so I will continue with a self absorbed recount of my day- I hope it is not too too boring…

Kicking it in Leura

Had a great few days here in the Blue Mountains, in NSW, Australia. I have been staying in Leura which is where TNF100 starts and finish, our hotel is just around the corner from the start/finish line. Leura is a pretty cool little town. To me Leura and Katoomba blend together and in to one town, both a pretty neat, but I guess locals can tell the difference. I was hanging out annoying Mick while he was working today and he did touch on some subtle difference between the 2.

Anyway, running- you are not hear to read about little mountain town in Australia. I actually haven’t run a lot since I have been here in the Blue Mountains. With my new puppet master calling the shots I have been taking it very easy- and it feels great! I am pretty much jumping out of my skin and are so ready to get out and spend a day on the trails! I did a little jog the other morning and will run again a bit tomorrow I think. I have also drive around checking out the easy to get to parts of the course and taking in a few sights. Last year I did not really get a chance to to this and didn’t really appreciate what a cool place the Blue Mountains are (but I am standing by my “mountains” comment in Outer Edge Magazine…).

TNF100 coming up!

Francios will not be at TNF100 this year- but Brendan in front and Damon behind me will be!

It is less than 2 weeks now until TNF100 Australia and I can’t wait. I am super excited about this race    and am really looking forward to getting back to the Blue Mountains, catching up with friends, no doubt making new ones and most of all spending a day out running! The build up this year has been pretty different to last year when I raced TNF100. I only found out I would race maybe 6 weeks before and had not really planed for it. I was already committed to Routeburn and raced that 2 weeks before- not that big of a deal, but I am a low mileage, light on my racing kind of guy. I recovered some what poorly from Tarawera last year (I blame this on track building on the “Hogs Back”). So I was tired and carrying a few niggles. Oh and I was hanging out with a bunch of badass mo fo’s, so I was feeling really pretty intimated and some what out of place. This was all very much my own hang up as the Salomon crew that was at TNF100 were so amazingly nice and welcoming. 10h30 something and 7th place- it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great. I had a 40k stretch at the start of the race where I more or less kicked it with François  the whole time and that was a blast, I then failed for 40+k before managing to finish with what I think (correct me if I read the results wrong) was the 2nd fastest split behind KJ for the final 11km- like I said I might have read that wrong? So some good, some bad. I am using both as motivation for this . Fast forwarding a year and things a pretty different but still same same. For example- I am still super excited like I was last year and am still questioning if I have done enough training or not. That is one of the things that has really changed- I have a coach now, well at least for about 6 weeks. Training has been going good. It is strange to have so much structure again, but I think it is really needed, for me, at this stage in the game. Is it working?? We will all find out on the afternoon of the 19th I guess. My build up has been good, albeit a short/small one. Apart from a little foot scare- I was pretty sure I had a stress fracture- I have been pretty happy with it- lots of tempo/speed, pretty little on big days and mileage.

where was I? I left and it is now 22hrs later….

I think I was talking about TNF100 in Australia- it should be a blast. Super stacked field, I think deeper than last year. Maybe not the fire power up front, but it is a deeper field for sure. I arrive in Sydney on Tuesday, which now seems way way too early, what was I thinking?? I am guessing I will spend that time deciding what Lycra to clad my self in and what near idetical shoes I will race in….. It should be fun anyway, Ryan will be kicking around and I think Mick will be also, so should get a little running with them I guess. Its going to be a very light week, actually considering how light my training is in general, I think I will probably only get out of bed to go to the bath room leading up to the race I will do another little post in Australia and hopefully take heaps of photos and all that jazz.  So check into TwittBook and stalk follow along!

Some random photos to make up for a lacklustre post

2012 NZ Mountain Running Champs!

Well after I raced this in 2010 I was pretty sure that I would never return to Mt Campbell, then last Sunday night I printed off my entry form for the 2012 ANZ mountain running champs for some unknown reason….

I figured it would be a good test of where I am at and a good hard blow out- that it was!

The first 7-8km is very fast and flat, maybe just 450m vertical gain, and on gravel road. Smooth and fast. The next 7km is steep, about 900-1000m vertical gain, still smooth gravel road. In 2010 I went too fast and after about 10-15mins I was finished and had to just hang on, grovelling very slowly until the finish and ran about 1hr18min.

So this year I started very slow, I let the fast leaders go out hard and ran very easy for about 20mins. After this I started racing a little harder, and was feeling good. After about 35mins I past the Shaggery Rd (named this because most are totally F by the time they get here), it gets steeper here and much harder, but I enjoy the steeper climbs! I have to admit to doing a little power hiking here….. I finished in 1hr21min, so slower than in 2010, but I am still happy.

Post race I did a few interviews for the BCR story that is now on-line and it was great catching up with people as well as meeting a heap of new folks. On the car ride down I was lucky enough to catch up with Jono (who didn’t race because of knee surgery) and Antonelle who cleaned up the open woman’s race. Super nice and very interesting couple- there was a lot of geeky Salomon shoe talk….

It was a quick turn around, after prize giving I missioned home, getting back to Castle Hill after 11pm- made the run up Mt Campbell seem easy!

Finding Myself? Maybe…

If I was losing myself during my last post, then maybe, just maybe I am finding my feet, even if it’s just a little.

I have been, quite obviously, pretty worked up and stressed out over what the good folks at dynafit and brandex have done to me, so I am trying to really look forward, stay positive and take the higher ground over those who try and cut me down. I want to rise above the shit and this struck me so clearly last week as I drove south to the Northburn 100.

I was going solo, sans the girls and got away early with a planned stop in Stavely. The day was pretty bleak- grey, with low cloud over the Canterbury Plains- it was a pretty miserable morning. I turned off at Stavely and parked up at the start of the Mt Somers Summit Track, keen on a run and a summit to break up the 5hr drive, even if it was in weather akin to my current state of mind. The track starts off steep and was muddy, but as I moved slowly up the cloud started to thin as I climbed out of the thick native bush. I caught a glimpse of a ridge, a flash of clear blue sky and then I busted out into an amazing, sunny day above the cloud covering the Canterbury Plains- above the shit. It dawned on me then that I need to approach life at the moment the same way I summited Mt Somers that day- I need to rise above the shit and get a better view of things, a clear view that will be much brighter.

There has been much positivity around really and it is after all what you make of it. After what I feel was a less than great result at the HK100 I went looking for help and pretty much hit the jackpot as far as ultra running coaches go. I have been working on the new training program less than 1 week, but it is the first time in a long long time I have had any kind of training program at all and so far so good. It is very exciting!

I also finally got off the ground an idea I have had for a while, like years a while. backcountryrunner.co.nz is something I have had kicking around in my head for a long time. It is not at all an original idea by any stretch- yes you are thinking mudsweatandtears, ultra168 and irunfar, and you would be right, there are some parallels with these great websites- like, they are websites and I started a website and they are about running and my website is about running- crazy I know….. Websites have been around for a while now, running- even longer! I do think we can bring something a little different to the table and BCR today is not really close to what we plan on it becoming- it’s like Kugs says- “dream big” or bigger- you get the idea!

Check out the new site anyway. Our first week went off- Northburn was a total blast and this week we are giving away a pair of Saucony Peregrine’s!

cheers

Losing myself in Hanmer

After a rough week* I was looking forward to getting away to Hanmer Spring with Jane’s side of the family for some quiet time as well as kicking off my training after some quite time after the Hong Kong 100k last month.

We arrived on Saturday and and after settling in I ventured out with the goal of Mt Isobel, a lovely wee peak that over looks Hanmer township. I had run around here once before, a few years ago. The result was a 2hr20 run, 1200m+ vert, Mt Isobel and Conical Hill bagged and being lost on more than one occasion- it was great. I really enjoyed exploring, getting lost, finding myself again, trying to run out some build up frustrations, as I dreamed of what the future might hold. A highlight getting to the top of Isobel and chatting with an older guy who was nice enough to shared some water with me. He was 69yrs old and had taken only 2.5hrs to get to the top of Mt Isobel! After that I headed down and run to the Dog Stream water fall, flowed down a bunch of trails who’s names I can’t remember, nor tried to. Left or right?? it didn’t matter, I just went with what ever flowed, that lead me to the top of Conical Hill. It was super hot out and that night and the next morning I was feeling worse for wear, as I think I got a little dehydrate, the BrewMoons probably didn’t help. The next day, feeling a little sluggish, I only went out for 1hr45 in the St James Conservation Area. I headed up and over Fowlers Pass, which was amazingly good single track! Last night I awoke (or was kept up by my lovely little Bella:-) ) to hear heavy rain out. This made this mornings run up Mt Isobel even better, slick track with every things looking fresh and dripping wet. GDog and I run out for the low cloud and into the sun on the summit. I just hang out at the top for a while, this time just George and I, taking in the (lack of) view of the clouds, before throwing myself back down the single track.

lonely road to rainbow

* I was told after 5 years of working my ass off importing dynafit that the brand was being taken off me and giving to another nz importer, who will benefit from my hard work over the last 5 years, while I am left with zip. I am a tad bitter about it to say the least

Easing Back

Been a very cruise few weeks post HK100. I have had some really good time hanging out with Jane and Bella a bunch around home and have eased my way back into running (and work). A few easy runs here and there and even getting out with Mal Law at the start of the week- I took him over one of my favourite runs- Camp Saddle. Mid week I had a real bomb shell dropped on me that is no doubt going to really rock our way of life and ability to have the life style that Jane and I are striving to give our serfs and now pass onto little Isabella. But as one door closes (or should I say is slammed in your face just after your were kicked in the balls spat on) another one opens. I don’t take to being fucked with lightly, not to this extent, so it will be interesting to see how things shake out in the next while….

But enough of that stuff- this blog is ski and run based, not personal ranting. What the week has shown me is just how important spending time with my girls and trail time (with George!) is. Running, as we all know, is such a good why to clear ones head and after this week I have no idea what I would have done if I din’t have that outlet. And then there’s little Bella- she smiles at me now and that makes all my problems vanish in a instant.

Snow on the hills today and the Hack came out for a look- good times.

 

Hong Kong 100K

So before I get to the blow by blow race report of this past Saturday’s epic Hong Kong 100 Ultra, I have to give a small blow by blow account of what was an amazing and easily one of the most memorable weeks I have experienced.

Also worth noting, it’s kind of a long post, so depending on the time of day, grab a strong coffee, or a good micro brew and settle in……..

The trip to Hong Kong was pretty smooth and I arrived at the hotel around 830am and was greeted by Joseph, the local HK Salomon rep. I then dumped my stuff and went exploring, with the goal being breakfast! On the walk back to the hotel I spotted Ryan and we got out for a little jog around the water front of HK. Things then got blurry as we met smiling face after smiling face and ate all kinds of goodness. Not just that night, this went on until Thursday night. It was pretty amazing, I have never meet so many friendly, happy, and enthusiastic people in such a short time before.

The crew from Wednesdays group run

Hong Kong- Here I Come! (& you can win a pack!!)

So its 430am the day I fly out to Hong Kong, another 16hrs till I leave Chch (23 until I get on a plane in Auckland) and I am wide awake. No I am not that uncontrollably excited, I am spending some quality time with Bella before I leave. I am guessing she realises I am off for a week and thus is not going down to sleep so we can hang out- it’s actually pretty nice.

But enough, if you are one of 4 or so people who visit here I doubt it’s to read about babies and their baggage…

Shotover Moonlight Mountain Marathon

Wow- what a race, what a course!

I would be the first to admit that I didn’t give this course/race the respect it deserved. My race plans for the summer were non existent (and as I posted earlier that has well and truly changed) and I told Adrian this way back in October when he first told me about his Mountain Marathon. Even back then it sounded pretty epic and got me thinking. He kept at me and as my race plans developed I went from no races, to thinking it was going to be too close to the Hong Kong 100k. Then just over 2 weeks ago Adrian wrote me again, with the offer of an entry. This combined with all the amazing course photos he was posting on the ActiveQT FB page was enough for me to fold like a pocket knife and give in- I was signed up and very excited. There was of course the brutal 45km, 6hr, 2500m RTM Taranaki run 6 days earlier in my legs and a nasty head cold/flu I had picked up mid week (and I haven’t had a good nights sleep in 6 weeks). But this I told myself would be a great last training run before HK.