As regular readers of my blog will know I’m a big believer in distance is king and the key to unlocking your potential. Of course some may argue that you need to add threshold, tempo, fartlek, VO2 max, track work, 800m’s , 1500m’s, Gregsons’ the list is just about endless and grows daily but all this is really just noise. If you really want to improve you have to build a foundation for success and this, my friend, is distance. Maffetone (https://philmaffetone.com ) , Matt Fitzgerald ( https://mattfitzgerald.org/about/ ) and the late , great Arthur Lydiard all champion distance over pace, that’s not to say pace does not have its place, of course it does as the reason for distance is prepare yourself for the next step, adding pace.

Lets not get ahead of ourselves though. If you want to improve as a runner just run more than you are doing right now, that really is it. Once you’ve doubled, tripled or better your average weekly distance you’ll notice achieving your desired race targets just got a lot easier.  As my favourite coach once said ‘There is no such thing as junk miles’, a Raf classic statement. (Please note Raf is my favourite (full time) professional coach   ( http://therunningcentre.com.au (I also rate  my good friend the T-train; ( https://www.tonysmithruncoaching.com ) both are excellent so if you want a coach and live in Perth give them a call. )

Tony sums up my distance is king statement. Two out of the last three weekends he has risen before the sunrise , ran a sub 3 marathon and then finished it off with a 5k park run. That’s a 47k Saturday morning run. By repeating this run on a regular basis it becomes the norm, as much as running a marathon a week in training can be. He’s training for the Bunbury 50k in a few weeks, an event he has won twice , no surprise there. By doing the hard work in training you take away all the unknown variables in long distance running, trust in your training, it’s a meme I live by. The harder you train the more unlikely you are to get a bad result, training just takes away the uncertainty of racing. The Bunbury 50k is a week Sunday, Tony will probably win it for a third time and I predict, if the conditions are good, a big PB for the T-train. I’m fairly confident this will happen, why, because I watch him train on Strava and can see he is ticking all the boxes. He also has experience in his corner and being a mature runner, a bit like myself, can deal with the metal struggles we all go though on the longer races. I’ve said it many times running a marathon, and beyond, is all about mental toughness as well as the physical preparation. I know many runners who should run so much faster but crumble under pressure , while others just seem to flourish over the longer distances and embrace the challenging mind games you need to play with yourself to persuade your mind your body is up to the task.

Remember the mind will also always try to protect the body and it does this with it’s good friend fatigue.  Fatigue is the arch rival of our trusted goal ‘Personal Best’ and will do everything in it’s power to stop us obtaining some PB time ! It does this by persuading your body that is cannot go on at the current pace and the only answer is to slow or stop. I really believe that as we age as runners fatigue starts to find new ways to test your mental strength , and together with his mate ‘self doubt‘ and ‘acceptance’ combine to persuade you that this is all too hard. The good runners , later in their careers, find a way to block out these nagging thoughts and continue onwards but as you age it does get harder and harder and all of a sudden you start to look at age adjusted times or season bests etc.. all ways you can kid yourself all is right in the running universe and slowing is something we all do.

Trust me the T-train is not listing to fatigue, self doubt or acceptance. He is listening to PB and thoughts of victory, mentally he is still on the ball and has the mental character to continue in his pursuit of new improved running times and distances. I feel his time in the military is another reason why he is such a great competitor and also why he is so mentally strong. I have met many ex-military runners and to a man/woman, they are always giving their best and never beaten, well not without a massive struggle. They also seem to embrace the harder , longer distances and excel at these races; not for them the show pony shorter distances where physical aerobic fitness is more important that mental toughness.

Another one of my running buddies, Wayne McMurtie, embraces this ex-forces toughness and his Run for Resilience  ( https://www.run4resilience.org/ ) website highlights his goals and passions. Wayne ran 1500km over a 22 day period and his reason for the run is described below.  He then ran the inaugural 200mile Delirious West  ( http://deliriouswest200miler.com.au ) February this year and has signed up for next year already. Wayne may not be the fastest 10k runner in the world but add distance and all of a sudden you have a steely competitor.

This September, a solo, supported ultra-marathon journey will be taking place in Queensland as a mark of remembrance and commemoration for all Australians involved in conflict – past and present.

The Run for Resilience will be a 22-day, 1500-kilometre journey of resilience and coming home. Wayne McMurtrie and his Support Team will step off from Anzac Square in Brisbane at dawn on September 1, making their way to the central-west Queensland town of Winton.

Why this route? Mr McMurtrie says that in 1914, as the chaos of war swept across the globe, and from Winton, young men boarded a troop train to Brisbane and began their journey towards war, earning their place in the legend of the ANZAC.

“The Run for Resilience will be a reversal of the original route, signifying how the country trains its troops to go to war, but doesn’t train them to come home,” he says.

“As we run across all levels of terrain, the run will focus on telling the story of current generation young veterans as they struggle to re-define their sense of self-worth and identity, while re-discovering their passion and purpose as they make their way back home in today’s modern society”.

“Community engagement will be a key factor to the success of the Run for Resilience, and to achieve this Fee Mc will host live “Campfire Sessions” to promote positive interactions with local community groups, sporting clubs, schools, regional government, local ESOs and Reserve units along the route.”

With 2018 marking 100 years since the armistice between the allies and German forces, and signalling the end of World War I, the Run for Resilience will also highlight the isolation that many young veterans experience when their time in uniform ends, as well as the tyranny of distance that veterans in regional Australia face – including gaining access to services, support and employment.

Mr McMurtrie will be Joined by his sister, Cairns Community Radio Presenter Fiona and together they will document the journey through the Community Radio Program “Campfire Sessions with Fee Mc”.

Fee says “We will invite members of the communities that we visit to join us around the campfire to share their stories and encourage conversations that break down the stigma around mental health”.

The end of the journey will coincide with Veterans Health Week, which will be held from Saturday, 22 September to Sunday, 30 September.

The Run for Resilience’s charity partners PTSD Resurrected Inc and EDit (Ex-Defence integration team) are currently working to assist young veterans in recovering from the traumas experienced during their service and to re-integrate into life at home with their families and to become respected and valued members of the community.

In September, the community will be encouraged to support the Run for Resilience in any way they can, by either joining the run, join us by the campfire, provide a donation, cheering participants on, or just by joining the conversation.

Run For Resilience’s Charity Partners

PTSD Resurrected Inc was established in 2017 to restore hope, healing, and purpose to individuals suffering from PTSD as a result of trauma experienced during their service. The charity recognises trauma does not only impact an individual, but the entire family and as a result helps those individuals and their families to address trauma from a holistic perspective. Visit ptsdresurrected.org for more information.

EDit (Ex-Defence integration team) is a veteran-owned, Australian not-for-profit entity providing employment, transition and integration solutions for former defence members and their families as part of a veterans employment program. Their vision is to see more veterans in meaningful civilian employment and to break down the workplace cultural barriers to the commercial world through a quality transition course and in educating organisations on how best to integrate a veteran into a non-military workforce. Visit edit.org.au for more information.

More Information, Donate & Volunteer

For more information to donate, or to volunteer go to https://www.run4resilience.org/

Continuing on this distance and the military theme (please note it started as distance only, the military bit just happened ?) the Light Horse Ultra is coming up in Perth towards the end of next month. ( http://lighthorseultra.com.au ). Shaun, the RD, has offered free entries to serving or ex-military personnel. This will make it one tough race for all. Three options a 3hr, 6hr or 12hr around a 2.5k loop, if that isn’t a mentally challenging race then what is ? Perfect for the strong minded.

This race is one of the many challenging courses created by Shaun Kaesler and his WA Ultra Series. ( http://ultraserieswa.com.au ) Of course the mother of all marathons is on this weekend, the Barkley Marathon, a marathon where the norm is no one finishes. !! There’s no website and the entry is a non refundable $1.60 ? If you want to find out more google it or watch the documentaries on Netflix, they are amazing. (Where dreams go to die)

To prove my point here’s a list of the Barkley finishers, not winners, finishers… !!!

The Barkley Marathons is one the hardest races in the ultrarunning world. Created by founder Gary “Lazarus Lake” Cantrell, the race provides one of the most grueling ultramarathons ever created. Here is what you need to know about the mysterious race that takes place in the hills of Tennessee.

History

In 1977, James Earl Ray, who assassinated Martin Luther King Jr., escaped from Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in the town of Petros in Morgan County, Tennessee. A massive manhunt took place over more than two days, but Ray only made it roughly eight miles through the hills and backwoods surrounding the prison before being caught.

Uninspired by the low mileage of the criminal, Cantrell believed he could make it 100 miles in the mountains around the penitentiary. Thus, Barkley was born.

The name is said to come from Cantrell’s neighbor, Barry Barkley. The reason for this is unclear. The first official running of the Barkley was in 1986.

Field Size and Composition

Though the race has grown in popularity over the past few years, the race caps participants to around 40 people every year. The field consists of runners of all abilities, from elite runners to people Cantrell says have no business being there. This is especially true for whoever receives bib No. 1. That is known as the human sacrifice—a.k.a. the one person Cantrell thinks has the least chance of finishing. Each year, the official participant list is usually kept hush-hush until the race begins.

The race is popular, but the application process is a secret. The information that exists says that mailing in an application, which is subject to changing each year, and a non-refundable registration fee of $1.60 is all it takes to enter. However, when and how is a well-kept secret. There is no official race website.

If you are accepted into the race, you receive a letter of condolences. Racers are also expected to pay another fee, which often takes the form of an article of clothing such as a white, button-up shirt or socks. Cantrell picks the item to bring to the race each year.

First timers—or “Barkley virgins” as Cantrell calls them—are also asked to bring a license plate from their state or country.

A Brief Look at the Course

The course is not well-known outside of those who have attempted a loop of the fabled race, but for your main reference you should know it takes place in Frozen Head State Park, which is in Wartburg, Tennessee. From there, all you need to know is it takes you through the park, by the closed Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, and up and over wicked terrain and switchbacks.

You must complete five loops of the course to earn the title of Barkley Finisher. The distance for each is about 20 miles, according to Cantrell, though runners often dispute the claim saying it is roughly a marathon. (Add in the fact that it’s easy to go off course, and you can see how it becomes longer.)

The elevation is one of the most notable challenges of the race. The total elevation gain (60,000 feet) if you complete all five loops is the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest twice.

Being in the woods and often off blazed trails, runners are subjected to the thorns, briers, and other unpleasant plants to run through. Runners often return from a loop battered and cut up.

Race Date

The race historically takes place during the first weekend in April, though it has been run in March before as a way to throw off spectators. Only racers are allowed on the course. Media and spectators are quarantined to only two spots while crews must wait at the campground near the yellow gate in Frozen Head State Park as they await runners returning.

How the Race Works

The start time occurs between midnight and noon, usually on a Saturday. However, racers are never told when the race will officially start. The only indication they receive for the start time is by Cantrell blowing a conch shell, which could come in the middle of the night, to signify that the race will start exactly one hour from that time.

Once the hour is up, runners line up at a yellow gate at a campground within Frozen Head State Park. When Cantrell lights a cigarette, that starts the race and the clock. Participants then have 60 hours to complete the race. That is a hard cutoff, as learned by Gary Robbins, who appeared to be six-seconds off the cutoff time in 2017. (It was later deemed that Robbins came in from the wrong direction.)

Runners must touch the yellow gate as they leave. When they complete a loop, they must touch the gate again to officially finish. Once touched, they can go to their crew and recover. When they are ready to go back out, they receive a new bib and touch the gate to start again.

The bib is very important in this race. It does not track the runner or splits; rather, each loop requires runners to make it to various points in the park. At those checkpoints are books that Cantrell has placed there. Your bib number is the page number you need to rip out of that book. Typically, nine to 11 books are placed in the woods, and if you are missing a page then you didn’t officially complete the loop. There is one map at the start line for runners to copy, and no GPS technology or course markings are available for runners.

To complete the race, you must complete five loops of the course. The first two are done clockwise. The second two are run counterclockwise, and, it can be one or the other on the final loop. Each loop must be done in 12 hours to even attempt the full course, unless you’re attempting the “Fun Run”—that’s three loops with a time limit of 13 hours, 20 minutes for each loop (40 hours total).

Most runners struggle to complete one loop. It is considered a high honor to complete the “Fun Run,” which is three laps.

It shouldn’t be hard to believe that there haven’t been that many finishers over the three decades the race has been around. The “Fun Run” wasn’t even completed until 1988 by “Frozen” Ed Furtaw when it was a 55-mile race. After that, it took until 1995 for someone to complete all five loops.

Only 15 individuals can call themselves official Barkley finishers by completing all five loops in less than 60 hours.

If you drop out, you surrender yourself at the yellow start gate and “Taps” is played on a bugle to symbolize you tapping out of the race.

Want to know more? You can read about Cantrell and the race from a 2011 Runner’s World classic titled “Notorious,” or you can check out a new feature from Outside.

The Barkley Marathons has gained in popularity over the past few years, mostly because of new documentaries and stories that take you inside the race weekend. One of the most popular is The Race That Eats Its Young, which came out in 2014. Another new film, titled Where Dreams Go to Die, documents the two-year stretch where ultrarunner Gary Robbins attempted to complete all five loops. You can view it on YouTube now.