I’ve been a bit quiet on the blogging scene for a few weeks because I have moved house, for the third time in 18 months. I also make it more and more difficult each time by accumulating more ‘stuff’ , which I will never use, each time I move. For example I knocked down my family home and built four smaller villas in an attempt to mimic Donald Trump and , through property development, make my fortune. Unfortunately I am now discovering while young Donald has lost his hair (it’s a wig right?) and making your zillions from property development isn’t an easy as first envisaged. This is a prime example of life getting in the way of running. All of a sudden I’m spending my time moving heavy boxes around Perth and working muscles that , as a runner, I have no right working. If I’m not careful I’ll be back up to the 80kg Beef-cake my Wife dreams about, truth be told I was that fine specimen when I me No1 Wife and lost the 10kg to aid in my endless pursuit of running personal bests. I suppose I courted and won over Karen before deciding I wanted the ‘Schlinder’s list extra’ look , when she was thinking Rocky (and I mean the chiseled version in Rocky 3. !)
Anyhow this move has resulted in me only running twice in 5 days and, if you know me, this is unheard of , bar an injury of course. All my time has been spent moving between houses driving hire trucks and the family SUV full of ‘stuff’. Add to this No1 Wife took No1, 2 and 3 Daughters to Aberdeen over the Easter holiday so left me with the boys. (Stanley and Spencer, two 2 year old Golden Retrievers; who are useless for helping when you’re moving house, funnily enough?)
Needless to say it has been a hard week and one which will culminate Friday night/Saturday morning with a 12 hour race. The race starts at midnight Friday night and will finish midday Saturday. As there’s a race briefing before 11pm I’m not expecting any sleep pre-race and certainly will not be napping when the guns goes. (Although Jon is bring a tent for some reason, probably to hold all his food, he loves his ultra’s, well the eating bits anyway?)
The Light Horse Ultra is a 3/6/12 hour race over a 2.5km loop which changes direction every three hours. ( http://lighthorseultra.com.au/ ) As I’m doing the 12 hour it’s a midnight start which means head torches and probably skins for the cold evening conditions. Of course thing warm up rapidly in WA when the suns pokes her head above the parapet, so I’ll need to change halfway through the event. Luckily Jon has his ‘food tent’, hope there’s some room in there for me in-between the potatoes, chicken, donuts, gu’s… etc etc.. the list is endless! In the image from the website you can see Jon leading the charge , what the other competitors don’t realise is he has one thing on his mind and it’s not the next lap, it’s the next ‘ultra treat’…
Jon leading the charge…. like my Golden Retrievers , food focused !
Give Jon his due he is stepping up into the ultra world with great gusto. On Monday he came second in the West Australian Marathon Club 40 Miler (64k) event, sneaking in under 5 hours. Friday night he’ll aim for 130k+ and then the following weekend is the Margaret River Ultra; an 80k trail event with some series sand-time. ( http://rapidascent.com.au/margaretriverultra/ ) That’s over 275k+ of racing in less than two weeks. He will need to eat a lot of food to accomplish this and I feel this may be his hidden agenda. We’ll need to keep an eye on the scales and his infamous bumble bee top ( see above photo). The more he eats the more the top rides up his stomach, when we can see his midriff it’s a sign he’s done (eaten) too much.
As always I digress, the point of the post is life gets in the way sometimes and you need to do what you can but not over think it. Of course it would be great to be able to run whenever you choose and let everything else take a back seat, and you can, it’s called being a professional runner. Before you jack in your job though please note the money is crap to non-existent and you have to be really, really, really good , to then make peanuts , truth be told. We’ve often discussed why this is and I feel it’s just down to the general public at large not ‘getting’ why we do what we do. A friend of mine once told me he watched me and my fellow runners in a 10k and no one was smiling , the complete opposite in fact , it looked like everybody was in pain. He couldn’t for the life of him see any enjoyment anywhere. Even at the finish everybody seemed to be ‘disappointed’. This is the view of most people when I know I loved that 10k and ran a great time and felt fantastic for weeks afterwards. Of course the event is painful but that’s the whole point, we’re pushing ourselves. In a world where we are protected from just about everything running gives you that rush of adrenaline that you can not find anywhere else, at least not on a daily basis. When you race, really race , you are only racing yourself and the best you can be, or have been, no one else; unless you’re that really , really good pro runner with no money we talked about earlier, they’re racing for the glory and a pair of Asics shoes.?
So when life does get in the way , just do whatever you can to maintain your fitness level and don’t worry, there is light at the end of the tunnel and eventually the world will get back to normal and you’ll be hitting those high mileage weeks you can only dream about at the moment. Right. that’s me, time to take the boys for a walk… or maybe a run, now there’s an idea ?
The boys… bugger all good at helping move house but great for chasing balls ?
Racing can be fun, albeit for the first 100m’s…. the closest I got to eventual winner Nic Harman.
Last weekend was the Bridges 10k where I managed to win my age group with a respectable finishing time of 35:55, albeit a minute slower than last year. The field was loaded this year , where as last year I was 8th , this year I was 33rd and well and truly beaten by two women. In my defence the two women that beat me are on the cusp of Commonwealth or even Olympic call up’s so I’m ok with it . Anyhow as you can see in the photo I was certainly enjoying the first 100 metres , sharing jokes with my fellow competitors and looking forward to what lay ahead. Not my normal scalded cat start (please note the correct spelling of scalded after many “scoulded cats” in previous posts …..) , can you teach an old runner new tricks ?
Of course it was a different picture a kilometre or two later as I moved backwards down the field at a rapid rate of knots. Initially it was nice to run in a pack of runners but I spat out the back pretty quickly and it was time to open the pain box, jump in, lock the door behind me and assume the foetal position ! Got to love racing ! I managed to hold position from about 4k onwards and even pegged a few back in the second half so all in all a great day racing. Of course it was painful and of course you ask yourself why you do it but as soon as you finish and you have that medal in your hand all is forgotten.
This weekend I get to enjoy the experience again as I’m racing the Joondalup half marathon. I actually prefer a half to a 10k as you can ease into the race and it’s not all at threshold, there may even be a small amount of fun involved in a half, maybe ? I’ve raced Joondalup many times and always enjoyed the run as it’s a lap of the lake with a small loop to start to make the distance. No hills , bar a nasty rise at the finish, so it’s pretty quick. Predicted time would be around the 80 minutes which would be my slowest time but I’m still recovering from injury and it just takes time. The most important thing is I’m actually looking forward to the race with the pressure of a finishing time not as prevalent as normal. That’s not to say I’ll be giving it my all, if there’s a bib on my chest then it’s on for young and old… (I may have said that a few times ….)
So how can you stay motivated as you ease into back into the pack , assuming you are on the wrong side of forty. The answer of course is age groups. For the bridges in the 50-59 age group there was nearly 100 runners and it was my number one goal to be the first 50-59 runner over that finish line. This would then give me another medal and a voucher for another bag (to add to the 10 or more I already have?) Of course it’s not the medal or bag that’s really important , it’s the bragging rights as the 2nd and 3rd place runners were my good friends, a force competitors, Steve ‘Twinkle Toes’ McKean and Stephen ‘ the Surge’ Stockwell. In their defence I think both are either recovering from injury or nursing an injury but I’ll take the win.
The real race… 50-59.. 98 runners but only 1 winner ! With the MC with all the moves, Jules.
Another way to level the racing playing field as we get older is to add distance to the mix. Anything less than a marathon and I’m starting to move back to the pack but I still reckon I got a few years in the ultra world closer to the front. To this end I’ve entered the Lighthouse Ultra 12 hour race http://lighthorseultra.com.au (my first) , the Wild Goose three days trail ultra http://wildgoosechaseultra.com.au (my first) and of course the 200 mile Delirious West Ultra http://deliriouswest200miler.com.au (my first) . These three events will certainly test my theory. The only fly in the ointment of course is my infamous lack of navigational trail running skills. As my mate Zac Jeps once famously said “You know you’re lost when Kevin Matthews says ‘I know where we are”…?” I’m hoping the GPX files that are available are accurate otherwise my blogging days may be over!
There is also the small issue with elevation. Apparently these trail runners like their elevation, something us concrete hugging show ponies normally avoid. Lets face it there’s a reason that the Boston Marathon is so popular anD of the big 6 marathons most , if not all, are virtually flat. Marathon runners don’t like elevation, trail runners are the complete opposite, they crave elevation.! I’m pretty confident I can survive in both worlds due to basic cardio fitness and the stubbornness of a long time runner who hates nothing more than the thought of slowing, or worse, walking! Of course I expect to do some walking over the three events I’ve entered but I steadfastly refuse to take poles along, sorry people but I’m a runner who may be forced to walk (quickly) because of distance , but I ain’t a skier and there will be no poles unless there is snow . Why do I get the sense I’m going to regret that last statement ? Maybe I’ll make my partner in crime , Jon ‘Tinder’ Pendse, bring along some poles and if we need them I can just ‘borrow them from him‘ (when he’s not looking?)
All joking aside I do need to start to think seriously about the Wild Goose in June as it’s a three day event starting with a 18k hill run on Friday (see, elevation!), a 106k hilly 2 lap loop Saturday and then a 53k version Sunday, 1 lap. That’s a lot of distance plus a lot of hills and some serious navigation. Just writing that I’m starting to get nervous !
Other news last weekend was Jon running another sub three at Bunbury for a 5th place finish , I think that was 11th Bunbury marathon in a row , and the T-train getting derailed with 800m’s to go to the finish of the Bunbury 50k while leading the race. ( https://www.tonysmithruncoaching.com ) Another Northern Suburbs Coach , Ray Orchison ( https://runetics.com.au ) ran over the top of the T-train after giving him over 9 minutes earlier in the race. Tone was going for his third victory in this event but even trains get derailed once in a while. In his defence Tony had gone out chasing a huge time and went though the marathon distance less than a minute slower than his PB time, a time that would have got him a podium finish in the main event. After that unfortunately it all went horribly wrong and that just serves to show us mortals even the greats of running can have a bad day at the office. Steve Prefontaine sums it up beautifully ….
50th b-day run with the boys. 14k progressive with muffin and good coffee as a reward. What more can I ask for ?
Every Thursday I set the alarm for 05:15am to meet the boys at 5:45am outside Yelo cafe in Trigg and then we set off for my favourite run of the week, the progressive. Without a doubt this is the best run for a number of reasons.
You start at a very relaxed pace as the first 1-3k’s is all about catching up with the local gossip from the lives of the various members of the BK posse. Lately a few of the boys have left their partners and this has certainly made the early kilometres a lot more interesting than in previous years. For a start I now know that you need to swipe right if you like someone on Tinder. (It’s a different world this dating game these days, back when I was a boy you’d drink yourself silly and then stagger up to the prettiest girl you’d think would give you half a chance and make your play. Of course this normally ended up in total embarrassment for all parties involved and much amusement to all your friends who would be watching from afar. Happy days… I think? Now you just download an app and swipe left or right? Where’s the fun in that? )
Because you start so slowly you work into a run, and the middle section feels easier because of the slower pace at the start. I live by the mantra ‘you never judge a run on the first kilometre‘, many times I have had an awful first few kilometres but more often than not finish like a train. If you start and feel great and finish badly that is not a good sign of course, maybe over training ?
When eventually you do start to increase the pace you are fully warmed up and thus the chance of getting injured is reduced. See, I told you, this really is the run that just keeps on giving.
This is a favourite of the Kenyans, need I say more. The fastest runners in the world start most of their runs at a very relaxed pace, one even us mere mortals could keep up with. The finish is a different story and it’s every man for himself as they reach Olympic pace and push themselves before their cup of tea and afternoon nap, bless ’em.
Happy little future Olympic Champions…with three sugars probably? Funnily enough not a muffin in sight?
The final reason (and yes this should be number 5 but for the life of me I can’t get the software to behave!) , and the most important, is we get to enjoy the best coffee and muffin combination on this planet, and probably all planets assuming there are any more inhabited by runners, coffee and muffins ? Yelo at Trigg ( http://www.yelocornerstore.com.au ) really is the runners dream serving the best tukka and coffee I have ever had the privilege to digest. The only fly in the ointment is Yelo has been sold to a developer who has plans for a block of high end flats. This is very, very bad news and the boys have discussed chaining themselves to the railings in an attempt to stop this going ahead. This was finally poo-poo’d as being chained to a railing would certainly adversely affect ones ability to run. ?
Yelo muffin and coffee. Life really does not get any better that this?
This Thursday ,for the first time in ages, I managed to finally achieve a perfect progressive as the image from Strava (you are on Strava right? http://www.strava.com) shows. As I mentioned earlier Bart’s set the pace for the first few kilometres and there was much laughter as we talked through the high points of the previous weeks adventures. This is my favourite part of the progressive, the pre-pace banter. Once Bart’s drops off the pace (he has a dodgy hammy) we start to concentrate on the job in hand and after we turn for home it’s on. The normal distance is 14k but after being out for most of last year I have built up to 12k. This week we dropped to 10k as I’m racing the Bridges 10k on Sunday so am saving the legs for the time in the pain-box which is part and parcel of racing, if it doesn’t hurt you ain’t racing.
A perfect progressive…now to treat myself with a sugar high (and coffee)
The post below was written by Jason Saltmarsh and reinforces what I had posted , some nice examples of progressives at the end but for me it’s just start slow, get quicker and finish like your life deepened on it ! As I always say ‘ Running is simple, hardwork is always rewarded‘.
Progression runs were once called the Kenyan secret. They’re great for building stamina, mental strength, and teaching the body to run increasingly faster at the end of a race. A progression run is a run with structured pace increases from beginning to end. The distance and pace will vary based on your specific training goals.
Let’s imagine two runners are preparing for a race. They both run their 10-mile workout in 70 minutes. However, one runner does it with even 7:00 splits, and the other runs the first 5 miles at 8:00 pace and the last 5 miles at 6:00 pace. Who will be better prepared on race day?
The Benefits of a Progression Run
The structure of the progressive run forces runners to start slowly. It teaches them mental patience and allows the body to fully warm-up before running at a harder effort. Many runners are too eager to hit the gas pedal on their runs, progression runs will help them become more disciplined.
Progression runs increase stamina and fitness. Athletes who regularly incorporate progressive runs will actually speed up towards the end of a race when everyone else is trying desperately to hang on. The marathon race begins at mile 20.
They will mentally and physically learn how to make a long killing drive to the finish that particularly in high school racing can be absolutely devastating to their competition. — Nate Jenkins, 2:14 marathoner
According to coach Greg McMillan this all comes at a very small price in terms of training fatigue and recovery time. Runners can use this approach several times during the training cycle for extra quality work, without fear of overtraining and injury.
Progression runs allow you to insert fast running into your training runs (feeding your need for speed) but in a way from which you can easily recover. — Greg McMillan, M.S.
When to Add Progression Runs to Your Plan
If you follow the Arthur Lydiard approach to training, you’ll want to add progression runs after the base building phase to introduce speed. But, progression workouts are really something you can add anytime. Depending upon the distance and intensity of the progression run, you may want to schedule it following an easy day and preceding a rest day.
How to Structure a Progression Run Workout
Progression runs start slow and end fast. Begin your run at an easy pace with successive pick-ups until you are a running at a hard effort. Often times, progression runs are described as running “relaxed.” Accelerating without strain is an important concept.
The number one benefit of progression runs is that they train you to react to surges in a relaxed fashion, which is important in marathoning,” he says. “You never want to cross the threshold too often in a marathon, and this workout pushes that redline in a gradual manner. All pace changes are done gradually so that your nervous system isn’t all out of balance. — Keith Dowling, 2:13 Marathoner
How far you choose to run, and at what pace you do your workouts is up to you. There are endless possibilities. The goal of the run is to become comfortable running your goal race pace on tired legs at the end of your workout. This is not a tempo run or a race effort, it’s designed to boost your stamina by introducing speed gradually over the course of your training run.
Sample Progression Run Workouts
Quarters with Fast Finish — 8 miles
2 miles @ 10K pace plus 60 seconds, 2 miles @ 10K pace plus 45 seconds, 2 miles @ 10k pace plus 15 seconds, 1 mile @ 10K pace, 1 mile @ 10K pace or faster
Out & Back — 35 minutes
Begin with an easy 20 minutes on the way out, then return at a pace that’s 1-2 minutes faster until your back to at the start
5K Race pace Thirds — 45 minutes
50 percent of 5K race pace for 20 minutes, 75 percent of 5K race pace for 15 minutes, 5K race pace for 10 minutes
McMillan’s Fast Finish Long Run
Begins with a long run at 1-2 minutes slower than marathon race pace. Pick it up to marathon pace with 6 miles left in the run. Pick it up again with 2 miles to go and finish with an all-out 400m
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.
The T-train is all his glory..
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.
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.
Some serious WA talent in this photo ! (and Jon’s infamous bubble bee triathlon top, that rises up his chest the more he eats !!)
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)
A Shaun Kaesler wanna-be?
To prove my point here’s a list of the Barkley finishers, not winners, finishers… !!!
List of Barkley Finishers…it’s a small list ! No one finished last year !
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.
WAMC, Peninsula 10k , 3rd place. Quality time with Jon.
After the Darlington half last weekend I was buoyed and ready for another race to continue my comeback from the year from hell that was 2018. Seven months of no speed work what so ever had certainly taken it’s toll but the Elliptigo commuting ( http://www.elliptigo.com ) had kept my aerobic fitness and running around like a headless chicken in Kings Park has also helped, albeit on trails and as slow as Jon Pendse running Darlington with a hangover!
Rocking up to the start of the Peninsula I decided that, unlike last year when I set off like a scolded cat, this year I would try and hang onto the leaders and work my way into the race, hoping the time on the Elliptigo would give me enough cardio base to finish strong. I had tried this at the Point Walter 16k last year and it seemed to work, from what I remembered. Looking at the splits below it does look like we went out too fast but at the start of the race I was running within myself and I’m surprised the first kilometre was so fast. There was a 5k runner taking point but it was obvious he was not in the longer race, so ignored. At about the 2k mark the different race distance part ways and I was disappointed to see three runners ahead of me take a right turn indicating they were racing the 10k like myself. That put me in my least favourite position, 4th, the first person to win nothing (assuming the top 3 get medals , which in this case they do.) Worse still one of the runners ahead was a 12 year old running prodigy and who had never beaten me and I had boasted to the boys on many occasions that no runner less than 13 would ever beat me, was today going to be the day I ate my words, again !
Right, 3k in and fourth position, nestled a 100m’s or so behind the leading pack of three runners. Things took a turn for the worst when another runner over took me and I was relegated to 5th place, with the thoughts of a medal disappearing fast. It was at this point I decided to roll the dice on my fitness and put in three fast kilometres to try and get back into medal contention. The game plan was to establish a buffer for the last 2k which would be used to hang on to 3rd place. Digging in from the fifth to the seventh kilometre achieved this and I was confident the gap was enough, assuming I didn’t blow a gasket, to get me to the podium.
As it turned out the plan worked perfectly and the last two kilometres , although still very ‘trying‘ (and that’s putting it nicely), were do-able and there was no time blow-out as such. That’s not to say it was easy and that is the point of this post.
A ‘regressive’ 10k
What is the best way to run a good 10k ? First of all I believe you need to either race quite a few 10k races, on a regular basis, to nail them or in training put yourself in the 10k ‘pain box‘ once a week and continually improve your time. This could mean starting 2-4 minutes outside your PB time but getting to within a minute in training, once a week, on tired legs. Thus when you get on your racing shoes (I assume you’ll have the Nike Vaproflys 4% ?) and you’re rested , together with the racing mentality of a bib on your chest or training chip on your shoe. you can produce the time you need. As with all things running experience and practice play such an important role. The more you run 10k the better you will become at running 10k, it really isn’t rocket science. (I’ve lost track of the number of times I have said that .) This , of course, goes for all distances.
Looking at my ‘regressive’ splits above you’d be right in thinking that today was probably not the best way to run a 10k but I was more interested in the medal, not the time. At 52 years old my days of getting on the podium are probably limited and I treat every time now as the possibility it may be my last, especially at the shorter distances. Today I worked very hard to get that third place but I was always have that reminder in my medal collection and it will bring back all the happy(?) memories of the race. (Well I enjoyed the last 100m’s ?)
You can break a 10k down into three stages, the first 1-5k you should be able to maintain your desired pace, if you can’t the second 5k ain’t going to be pretty. The hardest part of the 10k is then upon you, maintaining your race pace through kilometres 6-8k, this is where the 10k is won or lost in relation to reaching your required time. The last 2k you can normally find something and the mind will release the last bit of energy left to get the job done, bye bye fatigue , hello ‘sprint to the finish’ and vow never to do this again. !
Why is the 10k so hard ? A 5k is a hard race but worst case scenario, you won’t hit the wall until 3k so only have to hang on for the final 2k. In the 10k this can be double that distance. So many runners set of , full of beans, at their 5k pace. The one problem with 5k pace is at 5k you suddenly realise why it’s 5k pace. Your body reminds the mind that 5k pace is good for, well, 5k ? Not surprise there, leaving you with maybe 1-2 kilometres to digest this information from body to brain and then unfortunately four kilometres to reflect on your mistake , deep, deep in the pain box. To compound your mistake your body starts to remind your mind that its time to shut down vital bits to survive your earlier exuberance, starting with your legs , lungs and eventually mind. Trust me it ain’t pretty.
Is a 10k harder than a half marathon ? Yes, because for a half you’re a tad more sensible. No 5k pace for a half and also no 10k pace because a half isn just too long to fall apart before half way. The same for a full marathon, these are planned and people are usually sensible enough to set a goal pace and stick to it, at least for the first half of the race. Of course the marathon is a 10k race in itself , albeit with a 32k warm up ! Anyhow the half and full lend themselves to sensible pacing.
So whats the answer to run a good 10k ? As I said earlier practice and this can be either run a 10k race once a month or try and run within 1-2 minutes of your 10k PB once a week. Another option is running a park run every Saturday because if you can get to the end of a 5k and still feel fresh you can certainly last a few more kilometres before hitting the wall. Also if you can get to 8k you can always find something for the last 2k, surely ?
Darlington half, 2k from the finish and it’s all downhill. One happy runner.
Consistency in running is paramount to success and historical data is a good way to predict the future.
Running success is very rarely an overnight thing. As I have said on many occasions ‘running is an honest sport’ and the more time you run the better you will eventually become. (barring long term injuries ofcourse) This is why the 80/20 method championed by Fitzgerald, Lydiard and Maffetone works so well. 80% of the time at a relaxed pace putting little strain on the body as you aren’t pushing the envelope, so
to speak. The faster you run the more pounding you give your joints and muscles, physics as my Dad use to say. Also running off road on trails is another way to avoid injuries (barring a twisted ankle etc) and also helps with the core as you engage the core and fire muscles you wouldn’t use on a flat, even, straight concrete road/path. With a good trail you need to be mentally on the ball and watch every step, compensating for gradient and surface changes. Trail running is also great fun and you get to meet a more ‘running friendly’ lot than the show pony’s of the asphalt racing world. Although as a show pony myself both communities are friendly and open but the trail runners are extra friendly and open; if that is possible.
Right back to consistency. Darlington half last weekend was my 9th in the last 11 years. I missed one through injury and one when they had a road cycling race and cut off the freeway leaving me and Mike on the wrong side of the road unable to get to the start line, very frustrating! (damn pesky cyclists! ) My times for Darlington have been consistent as detailed below.
What does this show me? Unfortunately, I’m slowing down but, after coming back from injury and the race being held on a particularly humid day, by how much is open to debate. Will I ever break 80 minutes again? Probably not but if I can run sub 90 minutes for a few more years I’ll be happy enough. Six top 10 finishes in the last seven years is something I am very proud of but more importantly I’ve had some great running battles with good friends and managed to do so much better than I ever thought possible back in 2009. To be running quicker 10 years late is a sign of consistent training, day in, day out and even today I thought to myself how much I still love running.
So, as you can see, I can gleam so much from historical results, what you can’t see of course is the memories and Darlington holds some great memories. 2009 I ran with my good friend Brett Coombes after we had run Comrades the year before and were training for Comrades 2010. We ran a controlled race and finished together, albeit I remember Brett left me a 100m’s from the line. I’m still smarting!
In 2010 I ran the whole race with Jon and we crossed the line hand in hand. Sounded like a good idea at the time but luckily no one took a photo! It was also the first time we bumped into my now good friend Mark Lee as he weaved in and out of the bush answering natures calls. Something he still does ten years later! How he was a professional football played in a previous life is beyond me?
2011 and me and Steve ‘Twinkle’ Mckean had a great battle and it was here he got his ‘twinkle’ nickname as he would sneak up behind you when you least expected him to. We pushed each other all the way and I just managed to edge past him and grab my first top 10 finish. Highlight was me swiping the last few drinks at one of the drinks stops leaving him with nothing, all is fair in love and racing twinkle.
Eight years ago.. Geoffa, The Duck, Twinkle (hidden) , myself and Wonderboy….
Funnily enough I can remember much about 2013 but another top 10 was the end result. 2014 was the year and a big PB for the course. I look at my splits for this run and now can’t comprehend how I ever went that fast. My last 10k is still the fastest I have ever ran that distance. I remember I was closing down on 4 th place and this was a runner who was always so far ahead of me. I think this really was a break out race for me coming after 2013, which was a breakout year of racing. Probably my running peak looking back now.
Unfortunately, after the high of 2013 I had a shocker in 2014 after Darlington. I blew up in the Bunbury marathon, as defending champion, and this put me in a running slump for well over a year. In the early stages of 2015 I started to work with Raf and Darlington ( http://www.therunningcentre.com.au ) was the first race under his tutorage. It didn’t end well, and I went over 80 minutes and ran a shocker. With Raf’s help I rediscovered my love of running by adding distance and pace and this is something I take with me to this day.
2017 and 2018 were both sub 80 minutes and good top 10 finishes and I enjoyed good races with great completion on both occasions. Not at the dizzy heights of 2014 but I was now in my fifties so happy to win my age group and stay competitive.
This year though was slower, and I certainly felt the long lay off with Plantar Fasciitis. It was also humid, so the top 10 finish and a reasonable time was a big tick in the ‘comeback’ box. The only fly in the ointment is the continual increase in the ‘pain’ associated with running these times. The increase in time, albeit minimal, is not exponentially reflected in the increase in the pain of achieving these times. Basically, it hurts a lot more now than it did 10 years ago! I feel this is the reason you start to slow as a runner, age and your mind, conspire against you and the bearable pain threshold begins to come into play at a pace a lot slower than previous years and races. The pain is the same but the pace is a lot slower. Is it possible to raise the pain threshold? Possibly but it is probably a temporary situation at best. Let’s face it as you get older you eventually have to slow down, it’s just a case of when this happens and how much you slow?
This weekend I have another race, this time a 10k which I won last year ( a very rare occurance and probably my last 10k victory …) running sub 35 minutes. I’ll be happy to run 36.xx minutes on Sunday and if I achieve that it will be mainly down to the Nike Vaporflys 4% flyknits (I’ve mentioned these a few times right? ) Do I think I can go sub 37 minutes ? Not sure, I’d hope so as I’ve not run over 36 minutes for many years, actually 2010 at the WAMC run for gold 10k where I ran a 39:25 coming back from injury. (it felt a lot quicker i remember thinking when I crossed the line that day ! ) I remember that day doing my best impression of a scolded cat and basically hanging on for dear life in the last few kilometres, story of my racing life. This weekend I’m going to make an effort to start slower and finish stronger, maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks?
The table below highlights the effort I have needed to put in to keep reaching my your goals. Is that a problem ? No way, training is fun, racing is fun and writing about running is fun. I lead a charmed life really….
Running really is all about number and Strava of course..
So the point of this post. Keep a track of all your running in either a spreadsheet or Strava (you have got Strava right ? http://www.strava.com ) and use this to predict the future as well as setting realistic goals. Also remember it’s better to be consistent over a long period rather than having peaks and troughs in your training. Another valuable tip is to cross train as much as possible if you get injured. Swimming, cycling (on an Elliptigo of course http://www.elliptigo.com) or even gym work is better than nothing at all. If you can’t run do anything to get the heart rate pumping, it all helps long term and may make the comeback easier.
As I predicted in my post last week Nic Harman did break Robert De Castella’s (Deeks) Darlington half record today. Deek’s had ran 1:06:50 the day of his wedding and that record had stood for over 20 years. Today Nic ran a 1:06 dead to become the fastest runner to conquer the Darlington hills on the 50th anniversary of the event. In Deek’s defence Nic has no plans to get married today so he was probably a little more focused than Deek’s when he ran today.
So how good is Nic ? He has a PB for the half of 1:03:46 set in Cardiff this year as a member of the Australian Commonwealth team and he is at that stage in his career when every run is a personal best. (How I miss those days but unfortunately Father Time seems to have caught up with me , finally! ) If he was to find four minutes for the half he’s running sub one hour and all of a sudden he’s playing with the Kenyans and setting Australian best times. Of course finding four minutes is a big task but he is up for it and has the right team behind him to achieve this and more beside.
Speaking to Nic after the Darlington half this morning it’s clear his new goal is the marathon and specifically his first in July this year, the Gold Coast Marathon, on the 7th. To me the marathon is the perfect distance for Nic , he is the ideal weight, has the mental toughness required to compete at the highest level, the boy is focused , motivated and has Raf in his corner. Put all that together and you have the possibility of greatness.
Winners are Grinners.. can Nic become Australia’s greatest ever marathon runner?
Right enough about Nic , a talented runner with his whole glittering career ahead of him and more hair than is fair ! Let’s talk about a runner hanging on for dear life before being dragged, kicking and screaming, back to the pack with very little hair, which is unfair. After such a long lay off I always knew Darlington was going to be mentally and physically tough. I was not let down on either count. At 5k I was ready to pull the pin and started to think about all the posts I could write on failure and taking the positives from the negatives. It was only my good mate the T-train ( https://www.tonysmithruncoaching.com ) catching me at around the 5k mark that kept me honest. I slotted in behind Tony for a few kilometres and left the group I was running with and continued up the hill.
As you can see from the elevation below Darlington is about 12k up hill and 9k downhill (I’m never sure how that works but there is a loop you don’t run on the way back?) Anyhow I convinced myself things would be better on the final 9k and if I could get to this point I could ‘stumble’ home for a semi-reasonable time. So between 6k and 12k I got my head down and just kept Tony in sight as he gradually moved away from me.
As with all racing it’s easy to think you could have gone faster when you’re sitting at your computer screen, freshly showered and fed and watered. All of a sudden you think you could have gone a few seconds faster here, pushed a bit harder there but truth be told people you ran your heart out and there probably was nothing left in the tank to give. Well that’s racing for me and today was no different. I was not a pretty sight at the end of this little adventure but I’m blaming the humidity which was brutal.
Right we left with me watching the T-train disappear into the distance hanging on to a top 10 position with the downhill section of the race ahead of me. Not much to report on this part really , got my head down and knew if I could maintain some resemblance of pace I’d be a shoe in for a top 10 , which before the start was the main goal. I’ve raced Darlington seven time before and on a few occasions I’ve ‘exploded ‘down the hill hitting times I have never repeated on the flat, today was not going to be one of those days. My splits were best described as consistent and my last 5k was the quickest but really this is a given at Darlington. That’s not to say it’s easy , you just go faster for the same amount of pain ! The Nike Vaporfly 4%’s flyknit’s got their first hit out and I am happy to report they are even better than the original versions. Lighter and more ‘bounce‘ and they fitted perfectly. Thankyou Nike, we really are not worthy.
Finished in 1:22:55 which of course will be rounded down to 1:22 at work tomorrow, sounds so much better and no need to bother non-runners with seconds, it confuses them. I think I was 9th ( mainly due to runners ahead of me deciding to reinvent the course and getting lost within spitting distance of the finish. ) which will be great is that is confirmed and pretty sure I was the ‘first old bugger‘ as Tony puts it. (50-55 age group) All in all a very successfully day but not for all.
Jon had decided to sacrifice a good time at Darlington by watching Kylie Minogue last night and taking on board 6 beers and a bottle of wine. Let’s just say he was not firing on all cylinders and looked like death warmed up at the finish. Certainly proves the well held theory that alcohol and racing really do not mix, like beer and wine eh Jon ? H made up for his slow running by driving like ‘Michael Schumacher on meth‘ to and from the event, blaming his BMW , apparently that’s the way you have to drive it? He also wore the oldest and most worn racing flats I have ever seen. Jon is famous for running the Rottnest marathon in 2017 and then attempting the 5k straight after, with his kids, when the soles of his racing shoes came away from the rest of the shoe, the show literally broke in half ! Jon likes to get his money’s worth from his trainers!
One of the few half marathons where a negative split is just about a dead cert.
So the lesson learned from today is trust in your training and although it would be easy to pull the pin early that initial feeling of despair , and ‘total abject pain‘ will normally subside over time. Your training will eventually kick in and some sort of bearable pain threshold achieved, this is racing. Nothing beats a bib on your chest and the feeling your heart is about to explode through your ribcage, nothing. The benefits far out weight the pain that you need to put yourself in during the event, you come out the other end a better runner.(or in Jon’s case ….sober!)
I’ve always maintained the fastest way to improve is to race, as much as humanly possible, after your initial “building” training block of course. (and maybe a speed block and some resting ?, check out anything by Arthur Lydiard.) I’m hoping today will be the springboard to a reasonable 10k next Sunday and then maybe, just maybe, the Bunbury Marathon in April. I won this event in 2013 and went back in 2014 fitter and more focused than ever but totally blew up at 10k, made for a very painful lesson. Haven’t been back so it’s about time I returned to right a few wrongs….
Apart from the start line this is the closest I got to Nic all day ! The boy is quick….
This weekend is the 50th running of the Darlington half marathon, ( http://www.wamc.org.au ) the longest running race in the West Australian Racing calendar. ( I mean longest running race in the sense it has been running the longest , it’s not the longest running race in distance of course. .. but you probably realised that and I’ve wasted my time typing this and wasted your time reading it…I digress…..) It will also be an opportunity for young Nic Harman to take on the Darlington Half course record set by the great Robert De Castella. How great is Robert De Castella (Deeks) ? Well his Boston Marathon winning time of 2:07:51 is still an Australian record and he set it in 1986. His Darlington record is 66 minutes and change and he ran it on the morning of his wedding, so he probably had other things on his mind. I told you he was a great !!
An Aussi Icon. “Deeks” Castella
I predict, if conditions are right, Nic will beat the time set by “Deeks” and I’m even going to go as far as to say I also predict one day he will beat the Australian Marathon time as well, the boy has talent. Nic is running his maiden marathon at the Gold Coast in July this year and if he runs to his potential I reckon he’s got a chance of a Olympic Qualifier for next years big dance in Japan. It’s probably a year or two too early but I believe when you’re good enough you’re good enough, age is not a pre-requisite. Experience would be nice of course and for the next Olympics if Nic continues to improve I would think he would be a shoe-in for the team. There is the Commonwealth Games in two years of course which is probably the wiser option but sometimes youth disregards wisdom and exuberance wins the day. It’ll come down to his coach and manager I suppose and with Raf and his team currently on a high from his latest racing results the sky could be the limit. ( http://therunningcentre.com.au )
The next Deeks… time will tell ?
Talking of Raf, he took a team of runners to Japan recently and they all outdid even what he thought possible. None more than local celebrity Rochelle ‘rocket’ Rogers who propelled herself into Olympic contention. Rochelle worked in Raf’s store for many years and has been a prodigy of his for some time. In Japan she shocked herself and the Australian running community with a run that basically redefined her. A quantum leap in running times and if she can keep on improving the Olympics is a real possibility. Wow ! Local girl done good , big time. With Rochelle and Nic firing Western Australia is well and truly in the running spotlight….Enjoy the article below from http://www.runnerstribe.com .
Before you read the article below I’d like to put what Rochelle did into context. Mature marathon runners have a set time they aim for and pace themselves accordingly. We all know it is suicide to run how you feel at the start of a marathon as you are fully rested, carboloaded and full of adrenaline for the task ahead. You could easily run a 10k PB but after that you’re spent with 32k of pain infront of you. This as I have always said ‘the fastest marathon runner is the one who slows the least’. This means set yourself a goal pace and stick to it. If you do for the 42.2k you have your goal time, easy really. The only downside to this is you never really have the opportunity to smash a PB as you mature because you restrict yourself by sometimes holding back until it’s too late to do any real damage to your PB. I can normally predict between 1-5 minutes my finish time in any marathon, I can do this through experience of finishing forty three of them and counting. I know my chances of running anything faster than 5 minutes from my goal pace will never happen because I pace myself to a set time; also at 52 my days of running PB’s are probably behind me (probably?). Rochelle ignored all her experience and that of her coach and ran on feel, throwing caution to the wind and just basically ‘going for it’. This was going end one of two ways, total success or abject failure. in this instance total success.
I believe another reason for her startling time comes down to her footwear. The new Nike Vaporflys 4% flyknit I reckon is good for between 3-5 minutes , depending on your finish time, in a marathon, minimum. Longer if you’re a plodder with the caveat you need to get on your toes for these bad boys to really kick-in. I saw a photo of the start of the Tokyo marathon and all you could see on the elite runners were these new red flyknits. They really are game changers and now they seem to be available, just in time for the new Nike 5%’s to come out . Yep, Nike have overhauled the 4% and produced another 1% from somewhere. To non-runners this is negligible, to runners this is huge. Another 1% boost in pace and efficiency, with no extra training, where do I sign up. Word on the street is they are even more expensive than the 4%’s of course but whatever the cost I’ll be buying a pair to add to my two pairs of 4%’s I currently own. (not including my first pair of 4%’s which are now done.)
Of course the now ‘fly in young Nic’s running ointment’ is he is sponsored by Saucony. Now I rate Saucony, they make great shoes as do Adidas, Asics, New Balance etc etc.. but no one, and I mean no one, produces anything that comes close to the Nike Vaprofly 4%’s… not even in the same ball park, hell the same planet ! If Nic is really serious about breaking records and going to the Olympics he will eventually need to buy a pair of Vaporflys and I’m not sure how Saucony will feel about this. This is an issue for next year I suppose and one Nic and his coach will have to think very carefully about. Personally it’s a done deal, you want to compete with the best you need to be on a level playing field; at the moment Nic isn’t. On the bright side Nike do seem to have a bit of money to throw around so I’m sure once Nic has moved onto their radar he’ll be propositioned and before long I’m sure we’ll see him zipping around Carine in his Porsche 911 covered in Nike ‘ticks’, he just has to learn to drive first ?
Legalised cheating ? Who cares, just get a pair quickly before they get banned !!!
The art of placing one foot in front of another offers up an infinite collection of incredible stories. Too many of which will never be told. It is an inadvertent omission, a regrettable consequence of the modern worlds saturation of inspiration. Due to this, some people simply fly under the radar, only noticed when they stare you in the face. One of these people is Rochelle Rodgers. She is now one of Australia’s best marathon runners.
On February 24, Rodgers won the Shizuoka Marathon (Japan), her time of 2:34:45 shaving a nine-minute chunk from her previous best time set in Melbourne two years earlier. As she battled to the line, her bewildered coach Raf Baugh had screamed support from the side of the road, barely believing what he was witnessing. It was not just the Australian running community that would be shocked by the performance. Even her closest teammates did not see it coming — at least not yet. Nevertheless, it was real; there was no more need for dreaming. The new contender had arrived. The only question: where had she come from?
Shizuoka Marathon podium 2019
One reason for Rodgers’ relative anonymity in the upper echelons of the Australian running scene might have been her geographic placement. Residing in Perth (WA), her steadily improving results would often go unnoticed by her eastern competitors. For years, her performances consistently placed her on the precipice of the elite level, always thereabouts but not quite.
In 2013, aged 26, Rodgers ran her first Marathon in Melbourne. Placing 17th in a time of 2:57:20, she was introduced to the gruelling nature of the distance. Instead of being perturbed, it emboldened her. It was confirmation that she was exactly where she wanted to be.
“I can’t remember a thing about it,” she said, recalling that first race. “[But] I love the Marathon. I kind of find it therapeutic. I just enjoy my own time, my own space, and I love the challenge about it as well. I really enjoy the process.”
The next few years were indeed a process. Joining forces with Raf Baugh’s Front Runner Performance squad, she began to chip away at her time. A 2:50:19 for 6th in the 2015 Melbourne Marathon, followed by a 2:47:19 for 5th the following year signalled the first steps of progression. A 2:44:35 in Tokyo then preceded her first podium at Melbourne in 2017, where she placed 3rd in 2:43:50. In 2018, there was no improvement, but a win in Perth assured her that she had lost no ground. These were all good results, but nothing that foreshadowed what was to come.
“I couldn’t quite comprehend [her breakthrough run in Shizuoka],” Baugh said. “I’ve been coaching her for a lot of time. We’ve seen a lot of breakthroughs, but I think we were all a little bewildered by this one. There was no conscious expectation that running that fast was possible.”
Shizuoka Marathon
The goal heading into the Shizuoka Marathon was to run under 2:40:00. A modest aim in hindsight, but a time that would still have delivered a significant improvement on Rodgers’ fastest time. It was this aim that established the plan to run no quicker than 3:42/km, but no matter how hard she tried, holding back proved impossible.
“I felt really refreshed. I woke up feeling quite fresh in the legs, feeling quite good. I just felt comfortable and at ease with what I was about to do,” she said. “Early on we realised we were going too fast. We tried to slow the pace down, but then at the same time I felt really comfortable with how we were running, and I wanted to hold onto that for as long as possible.”
Moving into the lead at the halfway mark spurred Rodgers on, and by 30km it began to dawn on her that something special was on the cards.
“I realised I was probably going to achieve a faster time that I had set out to run,” she said. “But in the back of my mind, I knew that I had never run that fast for this long before. I didn’t know what the next 12km was going to be like.”
Now the only thing that could stand between Rodgers and the greatest run of her life was the will of her mind in dealing with the mounting discomfort. Utilising mental imagery that took her back to the idyllic sanctuary of her local trails, she powered on. Meanwhile, following on the train, coach Baugh was riddled by nerves.
“I’m pretty invested. I love it. It gets to the point where I’m almost like — I’m sitting on the train completely waiting for the next timing split to come through,” he said. “You’re just willing the athletes on even though, at that point, you can have no impact on what’s going on in front of you. You’re praying to the gods.”
Shizuoka Marathon
Ultimately those prayers were answered. With one final effort, Rodgers breached the tape, recording a monumental victory.
“We turned a corner and Matt (her training/racing partner) looked behind me and said ‘you’ve got this’. Then I heard Raf say I was on for 2:34, and I just legged it,” she said. “I crossed the line and collapsed to the ground, and was like ‘what have I just done?’”
Rodgers’ time of 2:34:45 was not just a mammoth personal best, but also over two minutes quicker than the IAAF world championship qualifying standard of 2:37:00. It took nearly an hour for her to realise the significance of what she achieved.
“When I crossed the line I didn’t realise I’d run the world champs qualifying time. I didn’t realise until later, once we got back to the hotel. I didn’t even know what the [qualifying] time was. It wasn’t even in the back of my mind,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting it at all. It was never the plan.”
With many marathon runners considering to opt out of the 2019 IAAF World Championships in Doha (Qatar), Rodgers is well aware of the opportunity she may receive. It would be the completion of a lifelong dream to pull on the green and gold.
“Ever since I was a little girl my dream has been to represent Australia. For me that’s always been my main focus,” she said. “It’s unbelievable. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and it’s an opportunity that I’m going to grab with both hands and take it. It’s incredible that I’ve been able to put myself in a position where it’s possible that I could be running for Australia.”
Such an achievement could potentially place Rodgers alongside some of the runners she looks up to the most, such as Sinead Diver and Jess Trengove. It is something that may take a while to sink in.
“It’s almost surreal,” she said. “I look up to those women because they inspire and motivate me to run and push myself. So, to be saying that I’m in that same sort of category is unbelievable. It’s just so surreal.”
Shizuoka Marathon
If she does stand on that midnight start line in Qatar, it will be a treasured moment. At 31 years of age, it would be a reward for her persistence. The innumerable kilometres covered chasing the faint glint of hope — the dream that came true.
“I’m willing to take on the challenge,” she said. “I’ll be soaking it up. It will be an unforgettable moment and a very overwhelming moment, but I will be very proud if I am able to [run for Australia].”
The inevitable question: what about 2020? What about the Olympic Games? Her response is measured, but her voice betrays the once impossible thought. Why not?
“Never say never. I’ve learnt that the body is capable of a lot more than what you believe it is. Impossible is nothing.”
Her days of flying under the radar are gone. Rochelle Rodgers is here to stay.
200 miles, how hard can that be, you have 104 hours to finish ?
Last week I spent most of my time watching 40 or so dots move along a map from Northcliffe to Great Southern Distillery Company, Albany, on the Bibbulmum track, a distance of nearly 350km’s. ( http://deliriouswest200miler.com.au ) The race started at Wednesday 7am and there was a 104 hour cut-off, yep you read that right, 104 hours !! There was a sweeper but it looked like he was more a pacer than a sweeper and the few people that did drop out where not ‘swept up‘ but chose to bail on their own terms for a number of very valid reasons. The scenery was stunning running along the West Australian coastline and the elevation was brutal, chuck in some serious heat and you have all the ingredients for a life changing experience. I was so close to entering so many times pre-event and in the end decided discretion was the better part of valour , at least for 2018 anyway. Watching the dots move along my screen (there was live tracking via a competitor and their ‘spot’ which was compulsory) I was very envious and regretted my decision but consoled myself with the knowledge that 2020 would be even bigger and maybe the 100 cap could be nudged, which meant more competitors and better racing.
Ultra running in WA is going through a bit of a boom at the moment with the Shaun Kaesler inspired Ultra Series WA ( http://ultraserieswa.com.au ) , the Perth Trail Series ( http://www.perthtrailseries.com.au ) as well as Ron McGlinns Australia Day Ultra ( http://australiadayultra.com ) and Dave Kennedy’s various events including the 6 inch ultra ( http://www.6inchtrailmarathon.com ) ; there would probably be an ultra a month available if you were mad enough to take them all on. Of course the Delirious West is a step up from all of these events being over double the distance of the longest alternative but the stepping stone races are now available and you can work yourself up from 25k (from the Perth Trail Series) through the distances to the 335k (335k is an estimate; the final distance of the Delirious West will probably change annually on Shaun Kaesler’s whim; with the number probably always going up !) ) Delirious West main course.
Ultra running has some benefits as I have mentioned before in a post below, the main one being people are impressed by the longer you take and the distance. This means if you were to finish last you get more kudos than the eventual winner. Ultra’s really are the events that just keep giving…
Running has become more and more popular , not seen since the days of the Sony Walkman revolution of the early eighties when for the first time you could run with music. (To the young generation amongst us we used a thing called a ‘tape’, analog not digital music. ) People new to running inevitably join a running club or run with more experienced friends and before they know it they’ve signed up for their first race. This is a good thing as I believe you never push yourself as much as when the competitive juices start to flow with a racing bib on your chest. One thing leads to another and before too long you’ve entered your first half or full marathon.
Invariably this distance is conquered and you’ve informed all your friends via Facebook and normally your work colleagues via daily updates on your progress. The problem arises though when the marathon doesn’t seem to cut it for kudos like it use to. In the office there seems to be quite a few marathoners and worse most are faster than you. You start to get compared to John in accounts who ran sub3 or even Sheila in Purchasing who ran has ran 10 marathons while juggling family commitments and a busy career. So these days to get some real kudos it’s time to take this running to the next level, the ultra-marathon.
The ultra has the added benefit of the slower you run the more kudos you get, where as the marathon is, these days, about not only completing it but also setting a good time. Non runners are getting use to people telling them they’ve ran a marathon and have responded asking how long they took. Again they are wise to what they consider a good time and if you reply ‘4 hours’ they look at you with pity and ask ‘what went wrong’? Not so with the ultra-marathon. Because it is still not mainstream a non runner has no idea what a good or bad time is for an ultra and even if they did the distance can be varied to confuse them. Remember an ultra is anything longer than a marathon distance, it can be 42.3k upwards.
The ultra gets even better, they tend to be in far flung locations and have pretty serious titles, again earning kudos points. How good does an ‘ultra-marathon in Death Valley‘ sound. Death valley, c’mon, if that doesn’t get serious kudos around the drink fountain nothing will. Ok, Sheila from Purchasing has ran 10 marathons but she’s never ran an ultra-marathon in Death Valley. They have no idea where Death Valley is or even what an ultra-marathon is but who cares, you are now the running god in the office, someone who wouldn’t waste their time with silly ‘girl distance’ like marathons. The universe is realigned and you can ‘strut’ around the office yet gain.
The only downside to this new running adventure is the office folk then look to you for more and more longer distances and/or exotic locations. After your first ultra you can never repeat that distance as non-runners , although initially impressed , soon become impervious to distance running unless there is a serious upgrade or the location adds some spice. e.g. The Marathon Des Sable ( http://www.marathondessables.com/en/), the toughest footrace on Earth. ! ( ..On Earth? are they saying there’s a tougher footrace not on earth, the Moon 100k maybe? Now that would be worth talking about !??)
A word of warning of course, you may come across the non runner who knows a thing or two about ultra-running and while you strut around the office sprouting off about a 100k race on the local trails, basking in the adulation of the finance department, they walk past and grunt it was ‘no Marathon Des Sables’. Instantly your credibility is destroyed and you sneak off back to your desk plotting your next adventure.
So to sum up, an ultra marathon may fill the void in the office kudos states. It has the benefit of still being relatively hardcore, in the view of the uneducated, allows you to focus on distance and not time (to counter that nasty sub3 runner in Accounts) and even allows you to slow down and take your time as the longer you take will actually earn more brownie points. I won’t even start to mention the extra equipment you get to buy and use on ultra-marathons. The wardrobe options are endless and include camelbacks, gators, water belts and my mate Mark’s favourite, a cappuccino machine. ! (He doesn’t actually bring along a cappuccino machine but he wore a water belt once that had so many accessories he might as well have!) This can become more of a hindrance than a help as I always remember feeling my mate TB’s camelback at the end of the 6 inch ultra-marathon ( http://www.6inchtrailmarathon.com ) and it must have weighted 10k; and that was at the END of the race not the beginning !!
The 6 inch is a good example of the small step up needed from the marathon distance. Remember anything longer than a marathon is classed an ultra. The 6 inch is 46k (assuming you don’t get lost, which I have on a number of occasions!), so for that extra 4k you get to shoot down Sheila in Purchasing as you’ve ran an ultra-marathon and ,as everybody knows , so much harder than the silly marathon…
So lookout Sheila, we’re coming for you ?
Am I mad enough to tackle the Delirious West in 2020 ? Hell yeah, I’m gutted I missed the inaugural running but I’m certainly looking to get to the start line next year. As soon as entries open I’m in, the only fly in the possible Delirious West ointment is the possibility that it will the same weekend as Daughter No2’s ball, I’m sure she’ll understand, eventually and the best bit is I have Daughter no3’s ball to go to assuming I don’t run the Delirious in 2025 ? (I am a creature of habit as I missed Daughter No1’s graduation meal when I was running the Rottnest Marathon!)
The last couple of years have been a testing time for the BK running career. Struck down by a calf tear in 2017 and Plantar Fasciitis in 2018 I have been unable to string together a full racing season. I never really have a ‘down time’ and the last 10 years have been a continual circle of train, race, train repeat, always a race to get ready for and then a small recovery period before of we go again. This has served me well over the years and I was probably a few months short of a good 10 year of unbroken injury free running. Of course as I always say on this blog eventually the piper comes calling and he needs to be paid. I consider the last two years my payment, in full !
2018 started well with an Australian Ultra Association ( https://www.aura.asn.au/data/Records/AURA%20Age_Group_Records-MEN-18December2018.pdf ) Age Group 100k record and 8 gold medals at the Australian Masters ( four state and four national) but it all went downhill pretty rapidly when Plantar Fasciitis came calling. As soon as I knew I had PF I just about wrote the year off. PF is an injury that just takes time to heal due to affected area having little blood flow and the fasciitis itself. This combination just makes the whole healing process a slow one. Personally I think I was quite lucky to return to full training after 7 months of trail running on sand. Speaking to my fellow runners there was stories of 1-2 years recovery and at my age that isn’t an option.
So after my return in December at the 6 inch ultra I was ready for another crack at the AURA Age Group record for 100k at the Australian Day Ultra. Unfortunately I got ‘man-flu’ a week out and just couldn’t recover in time, truth be told I’m still recovering now a month later. This leads me to the point of this post. Recovery is all part of a runners journey and if it is approached with the right attitude can be just as stimulating as full on training. The knack is to take it slow and just try and get a bit better every day/run. Don’t worry about pace or even distance, every recovery run is judged on its own merits and how you feel on the day. Want to cut it short, fine, or go a bit longer , ok . The point is for recovery you can free yourself from the tight reins of a training plan or daily run expectations. It can actually be quiet liberating.
As you can see from the graphic below I was building up nicely from the 6 inch before ‘man-flu‘ struck, I’d say on January 11th ! With hindsight doing a double-double day the day before (A Yelo progressive, commute to work on the Elliptigo, a 10k lunch time run and then a commute home; three hours of exercising) was probably the straw that broke the camels back. Of course that is easy to say now but I must admit to feeling weary after the Thursday morning progressive run at Yelo and promising myself I’d have the lunch time off but of course when midday comes all is forgotten and off you go. Even when I retired to my bed on Friday I was confident I could make the ADU the following Friday, it was a taper week anyhow so a few days in bed would probably do me good. Not to be this time I was still weak as a kitten a week later and as you can see from my training log was out of action for over two weeks. So back to recovery I stumbled starting with a long run with the NSRG ( http://www.nsrg.org.au ) , 18k that probably should have been 10k but mission accomplished I was back. I even stumbled out for a second run but this proved to be my undoing and I had to have Monday off before building up again, putting in the time on legs without worrying about pace or distance. So far I’m on track and starting to enjoy my running, although I never really don’t enjoy my running but running with a post man-flu glow can be testing.
Build up, get sick, build up…repeat…
As you can see from my Strava extract above ( you are on Strava aren’t you? ( http://www.strava.com)) I have also been loving my time on the Elliptigo and the Bionic Gen1 . These extra hours spent commuting I’m sure will pay dividends when I eventually get myself back to full fitness and race ready. The Bionic especially is a hard stand up bike to master and I only managed a week before I scuttled off back to the Elliptigo. I’m blaming my recent illness but the Bionic really is just plain old fashioned hard work and I feel I need to be better prepared for the beating you take. Of course when I say ‘beating’ it is in the best way possible. I’m stoked that I’m now getting 6-8 hours a week extra aerobic/cardio fitness time compared to sitting on a train of commuters glued to their phones. Commuting to work on the Go or Bionic is hard work , yes, but so enjoyable and its doing me so much good it really is the ultimate win-win situation. Hell I even save money daily, albeit the running costs of the bikes probably cost as much as the train fare but that’s not the point is it.
Living in Perth I am so lucky with the climate which is either ‘perfect for running, anytime ‘ or ‘prefect for running but you need to run early mornings (summer)‘ ; it also has hundreds of kilometres of bike paths so you can ride all day and never enter the territory of those nasty ‘bike hating’ cars! I understand a lot of you don’t live in such a hospitable environment and commuting on a bike is out of the question but if you can even drop the car a few kilometres from the office and run in that would help; anything is better than nothing. As I said in previous posts I was inspired by Tim ‘the man in the Halo‘ Don who still averaged 15 hours a week exercising with a broken neck wearing a halo. ! ( https://www.on-running.com/en-au/athletes/tim-don ) For me to average 15 hours a week running would be injury suicide, thus my commuting on the stand up bikes , running without the pounding and thus no chance of injury. So fast this has worked well and the 6th place finish at the 6 inch ultra marathon in December showed my lack of running mileage could be supplemented by the cardio benefits of the Elliptigo. ( http://www.elliptigo.com )
Bionic Gen1 , this thing is a monster !
Back to recovery , which was the reason behind this post I think, I sometimes just ramble on and never know where these posts take me. After an injury or illness treat recovery as a ‘gift not a hinderance’. Embrace the feeling of just running for the pure love of running and slowly increase the distance/pace of each recovery run but if for any reason you ‘aren’t feeling it’ , pull the pin. Arthur Lydiard was a big believer is this and that man knew a thing or three about running ! ( http://www.runningwizard.com/lydiard-principles ) Don’t be forced back into racing too early, a sure fire way to regress and also demotivate yourself when you run a slower than expected finish time. Nothing demotivates a runner more than slowing down but you can slow the process with a good recovery plan. I’ll be putting this to the test over the next few months and I’ll keep you informed of progress, right, I’m off for a run albeit a slow one.
