After the Perth City to Surf Marathon I was itching to get back on horse and start to train for the goal race of the year, the Perth Running Festival. ( https://perthrunningfestival.com.au ) . I had also entered a ‘last man standing‘ race two weeks after the City to Surf as a bit of fun and an enforced long run. This race was another brainchild of Shaun Keasler . ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au )

A 6.7k loop with runners having 1 hour to complete the 200m vert course. Runners continue until the last person standing who then needs to again complete a lap on their own within cutoff to be a finisher. Everyone else is a DNF.

Anyhow to cut a long story short, which is unlike me of course , I got sick four days after the City to Surf and ended up bedridden for a few days and taken three days off work, dosed up on antibiotics the size of small children, I wasn’t sure which end to take them ? Anyhow to add to my woes I had a business trip to sunny Malaysia which is always hot and humid as hell. (I am only assuming hell is hot and humid , never been there myself, although I did spend some time in Aberdeen , which although not hot or humid is probably what I envisage hell to look like. Please never mention this to my Aberdeen born current Wife…) I digress….

So off to Malaysia I go and end up in Johor, just over the border from Singapore. When I say just over the border I mean just that, you could probably skim a pebble between the two countries. Feeling a bit better I arranged to meet my work colleague , Hamid, after work and pound the pavements for 10k, at a leisurely pace. I was hoping the humidity would act like a sauna and clear my chesty cough, who was I kidding ?

I did eventually manage 10k after a long rest break at 7k. The last couple of kilometres was not pretty and I was certainly holding Hamid back. Truth be told it was probably pay back as last year, when I visited Johor, Hamid took me on a hilly 10k loop and the tore tendons in his ankle that required surgery and many months off running. Please note just before he injured himself I did urge caution.

After leaving Hamid to continue I staggered , probably worse than staggered if such a word exists, to my hotel room and collapsed into the shower. The old adage about running if you have a head cold is ok, but anything below the neck is is advisable to rest, rings true. I was goosed.

Of course the next day I was back on the pavement but this time alone and only for 8k. This allowed me a marginally better finish and I didn’t feel like I was about to meet my maker , as per the previous night. That folks is it for the last two weeks, 18k . A 9k a week average is not going to get me the time I need for the PRF (Perth Running Festival) so it’s a case of damage limitation unfortunately. This is a pity as I was targeting the PRF for one final tilt at a sub 2hr 50min marathon. (I am 52 you know!) Looks like its going to have wait until next year now ? So instead of a fast time I’ll be targeting sub 3 number 33 and continuing my sub3 streak, taking it to 30. Luckily for me I know the sub3 bus-driver very well, its my old mate the T-train who will be one week out from running the Berlin marathon , where I’m sure he’ll come close to, or maybe just sneak under , 2hrs 40 minutes.

So the point of this post is to reiterate that if you have a head cold it’s fine to run, probably not race,  but run. Anything below the neck and it’s probably best to rest. This article by Jeff Gaudette from www.runnersconnect.net sums it up nicely. https://runnersconnect.net

 Are you Putting Your Body in Danger by Running While Sick?

Sneezing, coughing, congestion, and achy muscles. No, you did not stumble onto a Nyquil commercial. Unfortunately, hard training increases your susceptibility to getting sick, especially if you have children at home.

When you are in the middle of a big training segment, it’s important to know what to do when those symptoms do arise, and you are faced with the question of whether to run or not. To make the decision easy, this article will give you a clear idea of what to run through, and when to rest up.

The most important thing to remember about running when sick is that you should always err on the side of caution if given the choice.

You are not going to ruin your fitness by pushing your workout back a day, or even by taking a few days completely off from running. Yes, runners are obsessive creatures, but two or three days off will not negatively impact your fitness. We looked into this in great detail for our post on How Long Does it Take to Lose your Running Fitness post. Be smart and be patient, and your body will thank you in the long run, pun intended 🙂

Running when Congested

If your symptoms are congestion related – runny nose, chest congestion or coughing – you are usually safe to run.

In fact, an easy run, followed by a nice hot shower may help clear your congestion, and give you a few hours of feeling back to normal.

How to adjust your training

Reduce the speed or intensity of your workouts, or  ideally, replace a hard run with an easy day. Being congested and stuffy will make it harder to perform to breathe in and out of your nose, which will limit your ability to run your best.

Instead of setting yourself up for disappointment, have the courage to move your workout backwards. In the words of 2014 US Marathon Champion, Esther Erb, “it takes more confidence to run slowly than it does to run fast.”

If you still plan to workout, start your intervals or tempo run 10-15 seconds per mile slower than you initially intended. If you feel good as the workout progresses, pick up the pace and finish strong. If the workout is harder than expected, keep the paces as you adjusted, and perform the best you can on the day.

Remember, your goal workout paces are merely an estimation of the effort it will take to run that time given your current fitness. So, if you’re congested, you’ll still benefit from the workout, even if it is slightly slower based on conditions.

Running with the Flu

If you have flu like symptoms, especially achy muscles or a fever, you should not run. Running with a fever is not only dangerous, but will significantly increase the time it will take you to get back to 100%.

A fever, by definition, is a rise in the body’s internal temperature in response to bacterial or viral infections. Running also increases your internal temperature, which will make your fever symptoms even worse and could result in dangerous and long-term health consequences.

Likewise, running compromises the immune system, particularly in the first 20 hours after strenuous exercise. Therefore, your body will be more susceptible to the bacteria and viruses already making you unwell, which increases the likelihood of your symptoms taking a turn for the worse.

Furthermore, running siphons away critical energy, nutrients, and resources that could be used to help fight the virus, thereby lengthening the amount of time it takes you to return to full health.

How to adjust your training

You should not run if you have the flu or a fever. Take as many days as you need to feel back to normal with your everyday activities. Remember, it takes at least 10 days to lose significant running fitness, so don’t be worried that a few days off to get healthy will ruin your training.

You should start running again the day after you are able to return to normal day-to-day activities. For example, if you first get sick on Monday, and start feeling normal on Thursday, you should begin running again on Friday. Here is a more detailed look at how you can return to training after getting sick.

Do not try to “make up” missed training in the few days after you return to to running. Your immune system likely still fragile, and your body probably isn’t ready for maximum effort. Spend the first two days running easy mileage with a few strides at the end to snap the legs back into gear. After 2-3 days of easy running, you can attempt a workout.

Be Patient when Sick

No one wants to get sick and lose training time. However, by listening to your body, and being patient in your approach, you can avoid the flu setting you back for weeks instead of days. You will be back to normal training before you know it. Likewise, setting realistic expectations when suffering from a cold or other illness will enable you to adapt and keep your training progressing smoothly.

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2019 has been a mixed bag for me. So far I’ve raced 6 times and done pretty well. Three 10k’s finishing in 36.17, 35.55 and 35.38 ; two half marathons , 1:22 and 1:19 and one full, 2:57. Not times to set the world alight but reasonable enough I suppose to keep me interested. Chuck in my first ever DNF at the Lighthouse 12 hour race and I reckon I’m averaging around the ‘B’ grade for the year; commendable effort but could do better . Add to this me and my mojo parted company earlier in the year and it has taken me nearly three months to find it again. I’m not sure how one loses their mojo but it did happen to me in 2014 and this led to me taking Raf on board to coach me which sparked a running renaissance that lasted until late 2017.  ( http://therunningcentre.com.au)  I use to say there was only one coach in Perth but this was by no means a slant on the numerous quality coaching opportunities available. In fact lately there’s a new Rooster in the training henhouse, my good mate Tony T-Train Smith ( https://www.tonysmithruncoaching.com ) Tony is probably aiming at the older runner , being one himself, and with his military back ground you can be sure of a quality product. Word on the street is he’s fully booked with a waiting list  and countless 5 star reviews , maybe I can join the queue as , of late, his running has been taken to a new level.

So what has Tony done to not only reboot his running but all of his clients. Basically good old fashioned running 101’s. First, distance, this is the foundation onto which you build your running dreams and aspirations. If you take nothing more from this post, or even my blog as a whole, than ‘distance is king‘ then my job is done.  I have other rules of course about avoiding injury, adding speed, losing weight but all these are useless without first adding distance. Once you run more you will get quicker, it is that simple people. Of course the act of running more may lead to injuries and this is where the juggling act of adding distance comes into play. It’s here a good coach can advise with advice on training techniques and/or injury avoidance with exercise etc. (It’s a little known fact that injured  runners do more prescribed exercises in the waiting room of their running professional than in whole previous week. Also when a runner is given a ‘time not to run’ they instantly half that time as they are better than ‘normal runners’ and then half it again because the Doctor is always conservative. Thus when a Doctor says ‘ 6 weeks of no running’, a runner hears ‘ 2 weeks of no running’….. I digress)

Right back to my mojo. Losing ones mojo is not nice as it makes the thing you love most seem a chore and you find yourself thinking of reasons not to run. Trust me you can always think of multiple reasons not to run but all you need is one reason to run, to get you out the door and , normally, that is enough. The old adage you never judge a run on the first few kilometres. Unfortunately when your mojo is gone the run itself is torture from the start to the finish. When this happens you just got to get your head down and ‘run through it’. For me buying new trainers helps as well as running with friends , especially if you start to find you’re running alone a lot. Friends keep you accountable and also help pass the time. They’re also good for ‘kicking your sorry ass’ if you start to bleat about losing your mojo; thanks guys. Eventually you will come out the other side and , voila, you and your mojo are reunited and all is good with the world.

This time I managed to find my form and mojo by buying new shoes. Initially the new Nike NextX and then some Hoka Cliftons ; which were on sale so why wouldn’t you?  These Hoka’s are amazing and give you that Vaporfly feel without the hefty price tag, a poor man’s Nike Vaporflys you can use for everyday training. They are so light but also packed with foam that ‘bounce’ you along on your run and also protect your legs. I can’t recommend these bad boys enough, I am a convert. They also add 2-3 inches to your height, a win-win situation.! I’m tempted to try their Carbon X version which is their version of the Nike NextX but with three pair of Vaporflys in my stable it would just be showing off to buy more , wouldn’t it ? I’ve heard on very good sources the Carbon X is as good as the Next X, not for me to decide on that one unless a Hoka representative is reading this and wants to send me a pair to test, always open to free stuff. (Would any reader, i.e. Mum, please forward this post to someone in Hoka One One world and get me some free shoes please… I’ll mention you on my  blog?)

Right back to the mojo search. As you can see from Strava extract below ( you do have Strava don’t you ? … ‘in Strava we trust’, ‘if its not on Strava it didn’t happen‘ etc…   http://www.strava.com ) I built up nicely after the Rottnest Marathon before being struck down by a blister. This was a rookie error on my part as I could feel my shoe rubbing but waited until the end of the run, 10k later,  to investigate. ! If I had just stopped and adjusted my shoe earlier the blister would have disappeared . As it was I had four days off running when I was starting to get the love back. Anyhow after a few painful runs on my healing blister I eventually put together a few good weeks and threw in some double days to add some punch to the training.  Now I am deep into my two week taper and finding it hard not to run twice a day, this is where you need to be so close to a marathon, itching to run twice a day and worried about the prospect of losing all that hard earned fitness you have accumulated over the previous few months. Of course you won’t,  and can’t,  lose fitness in two weeks but marathon runners are fickle things at the best of times and let all sorts of ridiculous thoughts enter their brain when they don’t have running to distract them!  Tapering and carboloading are activities which ever runner realises they MUST DO pre-marathon but all question these activities when they are not running as much as they’d like. As I have said before as runners we enjoy running, it is what makes us runners. Knowing we shouldn’t run to allow ourselves the best chance on race day is common sense but it still does not make it any easier to digest, no matter how many times we go through it.  Add in the carboloading activity ,pre-marathon, when we are forced to eat more carbohydrates than we think we should , mixed in with our paranoid delusions about getting sick the last few days before the race and you wonder why being married to a marathon runner can certainly put a strain on any marriage. Karen, No1 Wife, treads very careful around her grumpy Husband in the few weeks preceding a marathon., even the kids have learnt its best to give Dad a wide berth, pre-marathon.  With just over a week to go I’m not in fully ‘taper grumpy mode‘ yet but it’s coming and the family is preparing to baton down the hatches.  I must admit I forgot to tell them I’ve entered a ‘last man standing’ race two weeks after the marathon so will move seamlessly from one two week ‘grumpy runner‘ period straight into a another two week pre-race taper, joy, I can’t wait to tell them the good news ?

This last man standing is a new concept over here in WA and it’s the brain child of Shaun Kaesler and his USWA Series ( http://ultraserieswa.com.au ) , as well as his triple crown of Australian 200 mile running (The Delirious West, Irrational South and Unreasonable East , I think? ) and the Forest Series etc.. you can’t keep up with Shaun at the moment. Birdys backyard is a 6.7k loop with 44 runners all needing to be at the start line on the hour every hour , until there is only one runner left who will need to run the loop one more time to win.  Depending on how keen the other runners are this event had the possibility of lasting between 24 and 48 hours. Eventually sleep depravation will choose who wins, in my opinion. Personally I’d like to run over 100k and if I could nudge 100 miles that will be my limit. We’ll see, it’s my first ‘last man standing race’ so anything could happen ? A lot will depend how I pull up after the marathon  but this event is more mentally challenging so the legs won’t have to be 100%, well that’s the theory anyway ? If you need to know about extreme running events google https://wheredreamsgotodie.com . Lazarus Lake invented the insane ultra and his Barklay Marathons is just a lesson in masochism ! He also has a last man standing competition and from this Birdys Backyard was born, allegedly. ?

As always I seem to have digressed and a post about finding my mojo, getting free shoes from Hoka One One and general training tips has ended up detailing mad races that you’d be mad to take on , after I have already signed to do just that. We’re a funny bunch runners, just saying.

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This years marks the fifth year of the Run Nation Film Festival and I highly recommend you pop along to a cinema near you (if possible) and watch it. The website will have all the details ( https://runnationfilmfestival.com/#home-section ) and I’m very excited and looking forward to viewing the film in Perth on August 22nd, luckily enough a few days before the Perth City to Surf Marathon. This film will certainly inspire me as it does every year. The man behind the film, Keith Hong,  is a genuine turbo charged, running nice guy and just loves what he does. He puts together stories that make a difference and just make you go ‘wow’, or stories that just inspire you to be a better person and that is just a special gift.

So for all my Perth running buddies I’ll see you on August 22nd at the Luna Cinema, Leederville, 7pm KO, everybody else the dates are on the website. (Looking at the website it looks like the World Tour is Australia and New Zealand at the moment?)

I’m a big believer in a runner having a window of opportunity for personal bests (PB’s) or Personal Record’s (PR) for my American Cousins. The window varies for each runner of course but 7-10 years is about the average when it will be possible for a runner , who trains consistently, to expect to challenge PB’s. After that,  unfortunately, Father Time dictates it’s time to readjust your goals. Instead of PB’s it could be a ‘season’s PB‘ or even add a minute or two to your PB time and set that as your goal; that way running become goal orientated instead of PB’s. More important of course is the goal needs to be achievable otherwise your running mojo soon disappears,  together with your records. We run because we love running but also because we love testing ourselves to either complete a certain distance or run that distance in a certain time. Very few runners just amble up to the start and then skip along with no thought of time or distance. (We call these people ‘joggers‘ and we shall not concern ourselves with them!)

In the picture above I was just about to break sub 3 hours for the City to Surf Marathon in 2009. This was my 10th marathon and I had been slowly whittling down my finishing time each marathon, each time closer and closer to one of the holy grails of running. Funnily enough in 2009 the full length compression tights were all the rage and I’d convinced myself they gave me a 5 minute advantage. The logic is sound with the tights helping blood circulation and thus allowing the heart to concentrate on other things, this results in a lower heart rate and thus an increased performance window for longer.  Sounded good but I could never get over the fact the lead marathon runners at the time, Kenyans, never wore them and so, after a few years,  they were consigned to only injury prevention or wearing on long flights before or after racing. I still have a pair , as well as calf socks, and will wear them when I’m feeling particularly fatigued , as an injury preventer. Every runner should have a pair of compression tights in their wardrobe.

As you can imagine 10 years ago, after breaking sub 3 hours for the marathon for the first time, me and my mojo were joined together in the search for my next PB. At that stage of my career I ran PB’s virtually every race from 5k up to ultra’s. It was exciting turning up at the start line knowing you would run faster than you had ever run before and it wasn’t a case of ‘if’ but ‘by how much’. Over the next 6-7 years I managed to continually bring down my times for all distances and,  even when I thought I had done with setting records , managed another year or two thanks to Raf and his magic training plans. ( https://therunningcentre.com.au )  Unfortunately injury came a calling in 2017 and 2018 and , although I managed so sneak in a 100k AURA age group record,  my times started to slide. No more sub 35 minute 10k’s or sub 2:50 marathons, it was back in the 35 minutes for the 10 and closer to three hours than I’d like in the full. My half times were a minute or two slower than I would target as the first half of a marathon and a sub 1:20 half became a challenge. No worries, I knew age would eventually catch up with me and two bad injuries ,back-to-back,  had given Father Time the ammunition he needed, bless him !

So what next ? Funnily enough running slower isn’t a problem. At 52 it’s expected of course but what does become harder is the ability to keep running the same weekly distances. A few years ago I’d be targeting twice a day runs , every day,  with a minimum of 130km  to 150km a week. I’m a big, big believer in distance over pace so hitting these numbers needed to be relaxing, remember if you see a rose,  stop and smell it !! This was possible initially but, this year,  even the rose smelling runs have started to test me and 5min/k’s average runs are now , sometimes, a challenge. I remember a few years ago I’d target 4min/k average as the benchmark for all my running and I achieved this more often than not ? Where have those days gone ?

Mojo wise I now struggle to find mine most days but that is not to say it is lost forever. Pre-Rottnest, in June this year, I had one Sunday training run with the boys when I was dropped at 5k and turned around, alone, to stumble back to the car. On the way back I managed to find enough juice to manage 19k for the run but it was a real struggle, again when it should had been a breeze. A week later I ran the Rottnest marathon for the 12th time and finished sub 3 for the seventh time, a new record on Rottnest. What had changed in that week ? Nothing really, a few days tapering and a few days carbo-loading put me in a position to finish strongly but with no explanation how, a week earlier, I had stumbled to a slow and painful 19k training run. Recovering from Rottnest has been as difficult as preparing with numerous runs that have been, at best, forgettable and worst career ending. Looking at my training for the last few months and its nowhere near what I once considered the ‘norm’.  To highlight the difference I’ve added my Strava ( You do have Strava right? http://www.strava.com ) history from January 2017 compared to my latest month of training.  Chalk and cheese unfortunately, training was so much easier when I was 50 ?

Right, to find your mojo the best thing to do is completely reset your goals. Give yourself achievable targets and run for only as long as you’re enjoying yourself. This may take the form of very small loops but anything is better than nothing. Just getting out the door is the first step because , after the first kilometre,  you’ll always be surprised how much better you feel, it’s just putting on the trainers and making that effort to open the door  and take those first steps. Rarely have I ever finished a run and thought that was a mistake.

Next it’s making yourself accountable and that can take the form of running with friends or employing a coach. Both of these demand you turn up when you say you turn up and also give you the encouragement you need to keep turning up ! (Especially when you’re paying for the attention.)  Note this doesn’t work if you’re friends with Mark Lee because he rarely turns up , probably looking for his mojo ? (Only joking tiger ….)

Buy yourself some very expensive race shoes, the Nike NextX is a good example of this. I have mine waiting for me when I eventually find my mojo. ! ?? I wish these shoes were avaialable in 2016 when I ran 2:41:xx twice. I’m positive the Nike shoes could have given me 3-4 minutes minimum which would have allowed me to easily break 2hours 40 minutes for a marathon. No worries, I’m hoping Nike invent the Vaporflys 50% which will make you 50% faster than you would be without them, then even I can break 2 hours ?

Remind yourself why you run, sounds simple but sometimes it’s the simple things that make the biggest difference. Also mix it up a bit. Tomorrow I’ve arranged to run 38k in the hills, on trails. Running on the trails reminds yourself about the pure joy of ‘just running’ , breathing in the scenery and just enjoying the pure pleasure of running, remember , simple things.  It is to be noted we are in the middle of a Perth Winter (I say ‘Winter’ in the broadest sense of the word?) but that makes a difference and on a number of occasions I have been beaten back to the couch by the cold (?) , dark nights. Not sure how’d I go if I ever returned to old ‘Blighty? Probably never run again. Running in Summer is so much easier , albeit avoiding the heat in the middle of the day, no one likes being fried alive.

The article below , published on the Runners World website ( https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/a775662/20-ways-runners-refound-their-motivation/ ) lists 20 reasons why a runners mojo was lost,  and then found. Worth a read…

I had 10 days off over Christmas – I was planning on two! I just couldn’t find the energy, but I pulled myself together and decided on January 1 to just run. It was only 5km and lashing with rain but it broke the excuses and my mojo is now back. It’s just getting out the door – give it 10 minutes and tell yourself that if you’re not feeling the love you’ll stop… bet you won’t, though!’ Karen Stanley

‘When it’s cold outside and you’ve had a miserable day it’s so easy to come in and drink a pot of tea and eat a cake. Before I knew it a month had passed with the same excuses and I was getting out of breath in the park with the dog and the kids. So one morning I set my alarm earlier, having laid out my kit the evening before. I got up and just did one mile. Wow, did I feel great that day! I decided to do three short, early runs a week and as time went by home life improved and I felt healthier and happier just for getting out there.’ Michael Bowen

‘I lost my desire to run when I was in the depths of anorexia. Running became a chore and the illness snatched my passion for something that had offered freedom. Now I am progressing in my recovery and finally have the energy to run and ultimately feel the mental benefits.’ Alison MacVicar

‘After pelvic issues in pregnancy and a caesarean section, my running performance was ruined. How much harder it was to run and how much slower I was really got me down. But once I realised that I could work on setting new, post-baby PBs things got much better. Suddenly I had some achievable targets to aim for and now I am finally getting back up to (pre-baby) speed after nearly three years. All I had to do was adjust my expectations.’ Elizabeth Dix

‘A few years ago I had an injury I couldn’t shake. I rested, I did the exercises, I went to a physio, I got orthotic inserts – nothing worked. Two months passed, then three…four…But I never gave in, not because I love running, but because I want to remain in good condition for as long as possible. I’m in my late 40s and I see people my age who sweat while they walk – I don’t want that. I see old people making their way painfully down the street – I don’t want that, either. I see the frailty of my parents, who worked so hard, and had no time to think about core work or glute strength, or the right balance of carbs, protein and fats. I worry for them and I don’t want to be so physically uncertain when I’m their age. Nor do I want to be a burden to others. So my motivation is as basic as it gets. I can’t outrun old age, but when the Grim Reaper finally beckons me with his bony finger I want to be able to bound up to him and say, ‘What is it? Oh, right. That.’My injury cleared up after nine months and I’m still running. In the end I will be caught, of course, but that’s not the point, is it?’ John Carroll, RW chief sub editor

‘After a good 2015-16 training with no major injuries I was sure I would – third time lucky – break the sub-four barrier. I woke up on marathon day with the flu and finished in 4:30. I was gutted and lost my mojo for a couple of months. I decided to give running a rest for a while and re-evaluate my goals, which helped me to recover, then kick on to this year’s training for sub-four attempt number four [at the London Marathon].’ AL Rourke

‘Sometimes I fall out of love with running for a spell. When you spend 40+ hours a week thinking about, talking about, writing about and, of course, doing it, that’s inevitable. In 2013 I had a severe bout of antirunningitis. Injuries and a series of failures to crack a four-hour marathon had bred resentment and I started to see running as a chore. And if I couldn’t improve, what was the point?

My solution was a new regime that challenged body and mind. I put myself in the hands of two CrossFit coaches, who made a valid point about [supposedly] Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity (doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different outcome). I trained for the Berlin Marathon by replacing all my runs with strength and conditioning work; and I found doing something new and so out of my comfort zone stimulated my curiosity and competitive instinct. The weight dropped off, niggles abated, my mojo returned and I went sub-four in Berlin with a whopping 17-minute PB.’ Kerry McCarthy, RW commissioning editor

‘Training through the bad weather of the winter – especially after Christmas in the run-up to London Marathon – is tough. I persuaded friends to run with me; that way you can’t back out of your committed training slot. I also joined some Nike group runs and did some group classes, including spin sessions (indoor) to vary the training. Group training is easier than solo training in the dark winter months!’ Jer O’Mahony, RW VMLM pacer

‘My biggest motivation block? Me! I keep telling myself I can’t, then I get stressed. Running with friends and talking about it helps. I also now set three targets for myself before I run. Number one is to finish the run – doesn’t matter how long, provided it’s under my own steam. Number two is a minimum mileage that’s acceptable to me. And number three is a dream mileage that would be a boost, or represent meeting a challenge.’ Colette Croft

‘Getting injured two weeks before a marathon messed with my motivation because I felt that all the training had achieved nothing. The only way I got back to it was to enter another race, to give me that goal again. I’ve had a few mental hiccups along the way (“What if you get injured again?”), but I always get out of bed if a goal is there.’ Roger Bilsland, RW production manager and RW VMLM pacer

‘After two years in a constant cycle of training for spring, then autumn, marathons I just ran out of desire. I understood what I had to do to get faster – possibly a little too well – and felt confident I could do it, but where in the past that mix would have been like paraffin for my motivational fire I was, for the first time, simply out of the mental energy to take it on. I took a break, did more cycling, enjoyed Sunday afternoons with my family, then focused on a running goal that was about as far from the marathon as I could manage: running a fast mile. The shift of focus restored my mojo and the following year I felt ready – itching, in fact – to return to marathon training. Mentally refreshed, I had my best and most enjoyable training cycle – and I ran that PB.’ Joe Mackie, RW Deputy Editor

‘A seemingly unsolvable injury that dragged on for months threatened to destroy my motivation for good. Each expert I saw reassured me they would have me back running in no time, but to no avail. Coaching kept me going. Being able to impart knowledge, experience and enthusiasm to others made me feel I still had a purpose in the running world, and I gained a lot of enjoyment and pride from seeing others succeed. If you’re not a coach, stay involved in other ways, such as volunteering at events or going along to races to support friends. But don’t force it: if you’re really miserable about not running, forcing yourself to go and, say, provide tea after a training run (when everyone returns full of running joy) can leave you feeling even more wretched. I speak from experience. By the time I was able to run again my whole outlook on running had changed. I still enjoy racing, but it’s now much more about feeling good, enjoying each run for its own merits and being part of the running community.’ Sam Murphy, RW section editor and running coach

‘Pregnancy and postnatal depression stopped my running for nearly a year. I got my mojo back by rereading Chris McDougall’s Born to Run and starting back slowly with no goals, just me and the road.’ Laura Curtis

‘A few years ago, when I was chasing a sub-three marathon PB, there was an eight-month period in which pretty much every run was a training run – by which I mean every run had a specific goal (e.g. long-run distance, speedwork reps etc). I kind of fell out of love with running as a result, as it became a pretty joyless grind. After the marathon, for a couple of months I made a point of running when I felt like it and with no specific focus, and during the runs just enjoyed the sights and sounds of being out in the open.’ Andy Dixon, RW editor

‘Suffering with anxiety can really affect my running. At times anxiety can leave you feeling demotivated, overwhelmed and not knowing where to turn. Finally understanding that even a small run can make the biggest difference to my mental health really changed things for me.’ Helen Woods

‘After moving to a new area I didn’t have the confidence to go out and explore, for fear of getting lost. This, coupled with the fact it was a hilly area and I wasn’t keen on or very good at hill training, meant that I didn’t run for about six months. I really missed it, so eventually I found a local club who took me under their wing. Soon I had a PB at the local half marathon and became a regular at the local Parkrun.’ Jane Shackleton, RW head of marketing and events

‘My competitive attitude killed me with constant use of Strava etc. I got my running mojo back after reading about the ‘hygge’ way of life. It’s a Danish concept about doing what feels good, not competing, not being bothered about anything other than getting outdoors. I even stopped while out running the other day just to take a photo of the view. I felt free, liberated by lack of measurement. Wonderful.’ Isabelle Szczeccinski

‘Fear of failure was my problem. I got over it by telling myself that the only person judging me is me. No one else cares, they’ve got their own worries to deal with.’ Layton Paul Jones

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Passive recovery means stillness and inactivity. By contrast, active recovery means being active in a way that promotes recovery rather than intensity

A few weekends ago I ran marathon number 44 , which was a controlled effort for sub number 31. After celebrating with a can of Guinness , or three, it was off back to the mainland and time for active recovery. Now when I recover from a marathon it is not a pretty sight. It’s a bit like drinking really, I can drink like a 18 year old (please note I only really drink after the Rottnest Marathon as it’s tradition and the beer mile because, well, it’s the beer mile?!) but I recover (and suffer) like a 80 year old. Personally I think the reason hangovers get worse ,with age , is because otherwise we’d all just keep drinking to excess and ,unfortunately, this can only end badly as we grow older. If there is a God, ( and it’s a bit if,) then I can see why he (or she?) programmed us this way. Best thing to do is abstain completely but then how can you enter the Beer mile, it is a quandary ?

Right , back to me recovering. Normally after a marathon I give myself a minimum of three days off , sometimes even up to a week. After that I gotta run, I mean ‘ c’mon ‘ we’re runners, it’s what we do right? Anyhow I say ‘run‘ in the loosest sense of the word because my legs are normally well and truely ‘goosed’ and it feels like you’re running on wooden stumps. The first gradient I encounter can result in racing people walking and minding their own business. The look on their faces when this old, balding , bearded runner (?) sidles up to them is priceless. I’m not sure if they just feel pity or disgust at my inability to pass them in a reasonable manor. Of course over time I eventually get back to a some sort of pre-marathon form and pace and it’s onwards and upwards to the next one. (Remember , there is always a next one.)

The week after my last marathon , Rottnest, was particularly testing as for some reason I only gave myself Monday off running. Tuesday I was back into it and ‘stumbling‘ around Kings Park trying to convince myself this was a good idea, when it clearly wasn’t. This continued for the whole week,  truth be told and as I type this post I really question my decision. Was running a week after a marathon achieving anything bar humiliation ?

Funnily enough I googled “passive recovery after a marathon” and Google returned a post I had written in November 2016. How good was that ? On rereading the post I impressed myself (which is easy to do , mind.) So it’s worth another read (link below)

https://www.runbkrun.com/2016/11/07/the-day-after-the-marathon-active-or-passive-recovery/

For me after Rottnest I felt I should have opted for ‘passive’ recovery and piled on the kilograms before starting again. Weight is another good indicator of recovery and if you aim to put on at least a couple of kilograms before setting out on your next adventure it won’t be a problem. After carbo loading before a marathon and adding a few kilograms after, to aid recovery, running the marathon itself suddenly seems worth it ?  I’m sure I read somewhere that Meb Keflezighi,  or Ryan Hall,  liked to add a few kilograms after a marathon and wouldn’t start training until he had. Probably Meb , but looking at Ryan since he retired it may have been him !!

From the Guardian online.

Your immune system has taken a battering, your muscles are torn in lots of places and you won’t fully recover for a few weeks.

The severity of the damage and speed of recovery after a long distance run depend on how fit the person is to start with. For the casual runner who has spent several months training properly, the physiological damage during the marathon would have started as a gradual congestion of waste products in the body. “Your tissues are asked to do something that they’re not normally asked to do at that speed at that number of repetitions at that distance,” says Neil Black, head of physiotherapy at the English Institute of Sport.

The fatigue leads to soreness and tightness in the muscles. This means that the runner starts to move slowly and inefficiently. “When they slow down, they will change their gait slightly,” says Clyde Williams, a physiologist at Loughborough University. “They’re changing to a recruitment of muscles that have not been used for training and that’s when you get fur­ther aches and pains.” In addition, about halfway through the race, the constant pounding of the feet on the roads starts to cause pain in the joints.

At about 20 miles, levels of glucose in the bloodstream start to drop and the stores of carbohydrate energy in the body are almost depleted. Runners will become more aware of the distress signals that the various parts of the body are sending to the brain. “The distractions of the crowds and the bands and the cheering become less of a distraction and the focus goes more on the body,” says Williams.

Dehydration is also a risk. Runners drink water en route to replace the fluid lost through sweat but can’t fully replace it, simply because of the time it takes to get water through the digestive system into the bloodstream.

All this adds up, effectively, to major trauma. After the race, runners are left with microscopic tears in their leg muscles, which leak proteins such as myoglobin into the bloodstream.”The body’s defence mechanism will see these tears as damaged tissue and will set up an inflammatory response,” says Williams. Part of this response is that free radicals are released, which also attack the tissue. This leads to the familiar soreness.

Runners often pick up a cold or an infection afterwards, as the immune system tends to be suppressed for several hours after the marathon.

It takes weeks for the body to return to normal. “A lot of people, after a week, feel reasonably well recovered but it would be very unlikely they truly had recovered at a physiological level,” says Black.

Hammering out 26.2 miles takes a toll on your body—not to mention all the training miles leading up to race day.

It’s time you got some rest.

Rest from running and recovery look different for everybody. Some runners need weeks of reduced mileage to work back into hard running while others, like elite ultrarunner Michael Wardian, can run seven marathons on all seven continents in seven days.

For those us of not like Wardian, deliberate rest from running is important to getting back into regular training.

This guide will teach you the basics of how to recover from a marathon, including how to massage, what to eat and how to rest before easing back into running.

What to Eat to Recover After a Marathon

Eating is an important component of training. You need to eat the right foods (and enough of them) to sustain your longest days, and you have to find nutrition that doesn’t upset your stomach. But what you eat after your run is just as critical because it replenishes lost nutrients and repairs spent muscles. The best post-run foods do both, and taste delicious.

Your body burns lots of carbohydrates—its favorite fuel source—during a marathon, and your muscles break down from the extended effort. So, it’s important to refill your tank with both carbohydrates and protein to restore balance (a 2:1 carb to protein ratio is recommended).

As with everyday nutrition post-marathon, reach for real, whole foods like leafy greens, lean proteins and fats rich in anti-inflammatory omega 3s to aid recovery.

And don’t forget to hydrate. Your body needs water to function properly and flush waste products out of your system. A good goal: Drink about half your body weight in ounces each day. That’s 60 ounces for a 120-pound person or 100 ounces for a 200-pound person. But remember this is just a rule of thumb. As temperature and humidity changes, so do your hydration needs (for example, warmer weather calls for more water).

When in doubt, check your urine; your pee should be light in color, not dark like apple juice, or worse, soda.

How to Massage After a Marathon

The 26.2 miles you just ran is likely the longest distance you covered since you began training, and a lot can happen over that distance. Inflammation and aches and pains from a couple of dozen miles pounding the pavement is almost always guaranteed.

Massage helps alleviate some of the aches and pains by loosening knots and adhesions in muscles or soothing nagging problems like plantar fasciitis.

Here’s how you can massage after your run:

• Save your shins. While you’re sitting down, stretch out your leg in front of you. Press your thumbs into the muscles on either side of your shin bone and rotate your ankle in every direction. Search for sore spots up and down your leg, and give them some extra attention. Repeat on the other leg.
• Get the glutes. Put a foam roller or a lacrosse ball beneath your glute and roll it around. When you hit a tight spot, keep the pressure there until it loosens up. Repeat on the other side.
• Care for your calves. Your calf muscles absorb a lot of impact from running, and they’ll begin to feel it after a marathon. Sit on the floor and place a foam roller beneath your calf muscle. Roll forward and backward to release tight areas on both legs.

A word of caution: Know when to call it quits. Massage can be uncomfortable at times, but it should not produce sharp pains, numbness or tingling. If you feel any of those, lighten up or stop for the day.

Running a marathon puts a lot of stress on your body. In addition to eating right and massaging away knots, your body will need time to repair itself. That’s why you need rest after running a long race.

How to Rest After a Marathon

But rest isn’t passive. Resting after a marathon takes conscious effort, and your body will thank you for it. Generally after a big race, it’s a good idea to take at least one full week of non-running recovery. During this sacred period, it’s OK to exercise, just keep it light and mostly resistance free. Think leisurely walks, hikes or bike rides.

And, make sleep a priority because your body and muscles recover best when you’re asleep. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends seven or more hours of sleep per night for adults. Getting the recommended amount of shut eye will make you more alert and ward off sickness, too.

But the CDC says only about 35 percent of adults get the sleep they need, which affects more than just running recovery. Inadequate sleep is linked to chronic health conditions like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity and depression, according to the CDC.

Bottom line: You will train and recover better if you get better sleep. If you’re struggling to fall asleep or stay asleep, try these tips:

• Avoid drinking alcohol late in the evening.
• Before bed, eliminate exposure to blue light from TVs, computers and smartphones (if you must be online, consider downloading a free app like Flux that filters blue light).
• Get to bed at a consistent time, preferably before 10 p.m.
• Set your thermostat between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Track your sleep to understand your sleep quality.
• Avoid working or reading in bed.

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Using shorter races to predict your times in marathons is possible if you also take into account your training and previous times. One of my favourite to predict your marathon time is doubling your latest half time and adding 10 minutes, less if you have more experience. E.g. a half time of  one hour 30 minutes would equate to a 3 hour 10 minute full marathon, for a relative beginner,  with a good 10-12 week training block under his or her belt. If they were an experienced runner, and had history of achieving close to these times , you could probably drop 3-5 minutes and aim for three hours and five minutes.

These are many websites with ‘race predictors’ that can even translate 10k or even 5k times into predicted marathon finish times but of course the less distance in the predictor race , the less accuracy in the prediction. I’ve mentioned this before but my mate Mikey K. reckoned he could predict his marathon time from a 1k sprint. Being an Engineer it probably involved pi or, knowing Mike,  the other ‘pie’; he is infamous for his beer and snacks after running as he continually grappling with his weight and VO2 max score. (If you follow Mike Kowel on Strava you’ll understand ! http://www.strava.com You are on Strava aren’t you ?)

https://www.mcmillanrunning.com/#calculator-input

https://www.runningahead.com/tools/calculators/race

http://www.pace-calculator.com/race-pace-predictor.php

Of course anything past a marathon and there really isn’t anything available as it turns into a mental battle with oneself and also hydration and nutrition start to play a more important part. As we all know an ultra is basically an eating and drinking competition,  with running between aid stations. First person to get to the finish wins. There’s no real predictors as such for these distances because there are so many variables. Who can predict blisters, hydration or nutrition issues, fatigue, navigational bloopers, drop bears; the list really is endless. Truth be told it’s amazing anyone every finishes an ultra at all. This brings me along very nicely to the next topic of this post , the Wild Goose event to be held this weekend.

In WA at the moment we are blessed with so many great events and I had initially entered this event but realised after the Light Horse 12 Hour race I was in fact human after all and not bullet proof. With a heavy heart I pulled my entry and it was definitely the right thing to do as I struggle around the Perth CBD recovering from the Rottnest Marathon.  A pity because all I have heard is good things about this three day event offering distances from 18k right up to 106k with the Ducks Nuts option of all three offerings on each of the three days. This one is on my hit list for next year maybe assuming I can drop down to the half distance for Rottnest because two weeks is not enough timer for me to recover from the full.

If you live in WA, or even Australia , it’s worth spending some time on the WA Ultra Series web page ( http://ultraserieswa.com.au ) The events are just awesome, the brain child of Shaun Kaesler,   who has just about single-handedly  created this vibrant smorgasbord  of running events that cater for all abilities. He is also behind the Delirious West 200 miler (and change)  point to point ultra in WA ( http://deliriouswest200miler.com.au ) and also its sister event over South, the Irrational South.  ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/www.irrationalsouth200miler.com.au/ ) I must admit to getting very excited about running the Delirious in February next year, it will certainly be EPIC ! Just got to keep Jon under control and hold him back, at least for the first 100 kilometres ?

Running on trails is a whole different ball game to the normal grind of day to day pounding the pavement. You can throw away the watch and just run for the pure joy of running, not target pace because the gradient normally dictates pace and trail running is more about time on feet and distance. Add in beautiful scenery and you wonder why you ever run in the concrete jungle,  that is our every day bread and butter. I’ll certainly get my ‘trail fix‘ next February on the Delirious !

As well as the Ultra Series WA there is the Perth Trail Series. ( http://www.perthtrailseries.com.au ) Their motto is ‘uncivilse yourself’ which I think is awesome , compared to Shaun and the Ultra Series WA which is all about doing ‘Epic Sh*t’, another great mantra to live your life by. Anyhow I have never done a PTS event but this is mainly due to a crowded racing calendar with the West Australian Marathon Club but maybe it’s time I gave some of these races my attention. The feedback has always been very positive, well organised with great trails to test yourself on. Gareth often sneaks off on a Sunday and runs these races, without ever telling us of course, and he always seem to enjoy himself placing near the pointy end most times. I must try and pin him down one day and ask his opinion on the series.  From the website:

Perth Trail Series delivers over 20 Trail Events in WA each year, putting over 6000 people on the trail. Woohoo! We’re an all ladies team, and we’re stoked to organise amazing event experiences right here in WA! Our events are held in some of WA’s most stunning locations and we’re proud of our world class events, and stunning locations.

We LOVE our trail community, the environment, and the event experience, which is why we’re leading the way in delivering low (sooooo close to NO impact) events …including the vibe at the end! Where there’s truckloads of high fives, PTS punch, music and/or some form of entertainment! And really cool people to chat with.

The Faces Behind the Trail Magic!

Of course the best trail race, in my humble opinion, is the one that’s been running the longest , and in WA it’s Dave Kennedy’s 6 Inch Ultra ( http://www.6inchtrailmarathon.com ) If you live in Perth you need to run this 46km trail ultra positioned on the last Sunday before Christmas. The perfect pre-Christmas present to oneself. Dave even throws in free beer at the end, ho, ho .ho !! It’s a point to point race from North Dandelup to Dwellingup on the Munda biddi trail. A beautiful part of the world with some challenging elevation and beautiful views.  One tip would be to avoid the pub food the night before the big event,. This is by no means a slant on the tukka but more the portion size , which is probably built for Americans, and big ones at that. Before last years event the boys all tucked into to some massive meals,  while I nibbled on some pre-prepared pasta. Bart’s had so much he took some back to the campsite and tried to finish it, unsuccessfully, the next day. Let’s just say none of the boys had good days on the trail the day after those bad boy portions! Post race they would be perfect, combined with a few beers and we have plans to stay behind for an extra day this year and ‘go to town‘ , literally. !

From the website…

Six Inch Trail Marathon is inspired by the famous Six Foot Track Marathon in the Blue Mountains near Sydney.Returning from New Zealand in January 2005 I bemoaned the lack of trail races in Western Australia. I wanted to move to the land of the long white cloud but family and circumstances warranted at least another year in WA. One evening I headed out to run a gravel road signposted “Goldmine Hill”. What followed was a soaking wet 15K with the highlight being running into the Munda Biddi Mountain Bike trail. The Munda Biddi was built to keep cyclists off the 964K Bibbulmun walking track. The first 335K section from Mundaring in the Perth hills to Collie was completed in 2004. I had seen some road crossing signs during the construction and was keen to one day experience the track either by bike or foot. Finding the track so close to my house in Mandurah had me pondering a race in the near future. On my return from New Zealand I had been discussing a possible trail race on a local runner’s message board. I bought the map and found that this town to town section was about 44K. Six Foot which I had dreamed of running for years sprang to mind. “We could have our own version”. I had ridden between the 2 towns, North Dandalup and Dwellingup, and the road was super hilly. I was a little disappointed by the lack of hills when I ran the trail but some less masochistic runners didn’t agree with me. The result is a 46K trail race starting at the foot of Goldmine Hill 1K from North Dandalup and finishing in Dwellingup. This run is designed to be tough but most marathoners can expect to finish within an hour or 2 of their best marathon time. Dave Kennedy

Dave Kennedy also two other great races , the WTF and the Lark Hill. (Thanks Dave Tams) http://wtfultra.com.

Welcome to the home of the Runningworks WTF 50 & 100 Miler, the first  & original 100 mile trail race in Western Australia.

Held annually on the last weekend in September (WA’s Queen’s Birthday Public Holiday weekend), the 50mi and 100mi events both start at 6am on Saturday.

2019 will see a change to the start location and course, with the new start/finish location at Nanga Bush Camp, around 10 minutes south of Dwellingup.  The 100 mile and 50 mile runners will depart together at 6am, and share the trail for the first 50 miles.

Why WTF? Other than being an attention-grabbing name, WTF is an acronym for “Waterous Trail on Foot”. The Waterous Trail, located south of Dwellingup, was to host the course for the inaugural event in 2013. Unfortunately, as the race-date neared, authorities advised of a prescribed burn in the area planned around the time of the event. This resulted in a switch to a course run between Jarrahdale and Dwellingup.  In 2019,  we decided it was time for a change, and thought about using the Waterous Trail loop, but decided there was a too much road, and not enough climb & descent, so a new course was created.

When: Saturday, September 28, 2019 at 6am.

How long in existence: Inaugural race was 28 September 2013

Welcome to the home of the Runningworks Lark Hill Dusk to Dawn 50 & 100km Ultra

Held annually on the W.A. Labour Day weekend in March, the 50km and 100km events start at dusk (7pm) on Saturday, with a childrens event (45min) at 6pm.  For both events, entrants will be given an official cut-off so long as they start their last lap by no later than 8am on Sunday morning (13h).

Where: Adjacent to the Lark Hill Sportsplex (east of the Lark Hill playing fields), Port Kennedy, WA

Course information:

• 25km (8 laps), 50km (17 laps) and 100km (34 laps) GPS measured trail races on a ~3k limestone loop course.
• The course consists of mostly compact-limestone, with ~200m of soft sand on each loop. There are some minor undulations, with a short climb into the start/finish point.
• Click here to see the course. The race director will lead the first lap, so there’s no change of getting lost.
• The children’s event will be help be over an ~800m loop for 45 minutes.

Next Race: 2-3 March 2019.

No. of finishers: 2018 – 58 ; 2017 – 61 ; 2016 – 52 ; 2015 – 71; 2014 – 47; 2013 – 39; 2012 – 35;

How long in existence: Inaugural race was 3 March 2012

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A few weeks ago inaugural member of the BK running crew, Jon Pendse, ran over 142km in the twelve hours at the USWA Lighthouse event ( http://lighthorseultra.com.au ) and I have attached his race report below as it is an inspiring read. I am mentioned a few times in the report as I sacrificed my run for his of course and it was not really a DNF on my part, more a suicide  mission ! (well it felt like one at the time?)  Jon’s time has caught the attention of the Ultra running community over East and he has been invited to attend the next 24 hour race with a view to making the national team. If anybody deserves this it’s Jon. We go back a long way (since meeting in the changing rooms of our work building, where all good relationships are born?)  and he is one of the most dedicated and hard working runners I know. Week in and week out he’s running and , more than that, so humble and encouraging, a true champion who ran a champions race and hopefully this is a stepping stone to national and then international stardom.  I’ll write a post on my glorious failure later… in the meantime enjoy Jon’s ramblings..

This is a story that continues from my Australia Day Ultra 100km race report held in January 2019 (https://www.runbkrun.com/2019/01/23/runjprun-a-race-report-from-a-local-legend/), where I had attempted to break 8 hours, instead hitting the wall spectacularly early on and slogging out a hard earned third place finisher in 8 hours 58 minutes.

I’ve been wanting to enter my first 12-hour race for several years now, ‘logically?’ this being the next step up in distance from a 100km ultra marathon, previously having run the ADU 100km race four years in succession.

The Lighthorse 12-hour Ultra marathon is a race that has appealed to me over a number of years, and having volunteered last year (and had runners envy) I decided 2019 would be my debut over the 12-hour distance.  Besides I would already be in ‘reasonable’ ultra-marathon shape having run ADU some three months earlier and would be continuing my normal marathon training load. For me, I find having a solid marathon training foundation bodes well stepping up to Ultra’s with not a lot of ‘extra’ training required.

I generally average around 120km-130km per week (if I’m not racing), with two or three ‘double’ days and probably once a fortnight I’ll throw in a triple day.  Most of my runs are about backing up on tired legs. Alternating the easy and hard runs, with my speed work coming from plenty of 5k parkrun time trials.

After having run the Bunbury marathon (2.56.02) some three weeks earlier, having run the WAMC 40 miler (4.48.36) four days earlier, and also having the upcoming Margaret River Ultra (80km) seven days’ time, my target for Lighthorse was not so much to race but more about enjoying the experience and having some ‘me time’.  That said I did have a target distance of 130km with a backup goal of 120km. Basically that meant first reaching 100km ‘feeling good’ and only then assess how I am going… if it was a good day I thought sub 9 hours should be very do-able, given I hit the wall at 40km at ADU 100 and still managed to run 8hrs 58. Not hitting a wall and running within myself would likely see a 100km split time of around 8hrs 45 minutes, and set up for a solid crack at 130km, knowing the temperature would quickly rise and the inevitable slowdown very likely to occur.

My good mate Kevin Matthews (BK) had also entered the race and having been a DNS at ADU 100 this year (he withdrew a few days earlier with pneumonia), this was to be our make-up Ultra marathon where we would run at least the first three or four hours together.  We even had our good mate Tony Smith (who knocks out training marathons in sub 3 hours on an almost weekly basis).

So much easier knocking out a large chunk of the race with someone else.  Even more so when the race has a midnight start; lonely, dark, cold, and scary!!

I was actually worried when I got a call from Kev on the morning of the race (I thought he may be a late scratching), instead asking what I had packed (my list was around half a page long!).  After going through all my items, he was happy there would be enough for both of us, haha. Shortly later I did get a photo of his race pack which contained 1 banana, and then a photo of 2 when I asked where mine was?

My fueling strategy was simple (self-sufficient), setup my own table, stock up an esky with ice, 40 x 350ml bottles of water, 10 x 350ml electrolytes, container on table with 15 gels, muesli bars, hat, sunscreen, and usb pack to charge my garmin.  Every 4 hours I’d run out of water bottles on my table, so a brief stop to put another 15 bottles on top of the table which would see me through another 4 hours. Repeat. (Lucky enough to have folks visiting on holiday, so they replenished my bottles on the table top in the last 2.5 hours so I had no need to stop).  Gel every 10k, and whilst it was cool around 350ml water per hour, and one electrolyte bottle per hour, but once it warmed up this became a lot closer to 2.5L-3L per hour with half going on my head cooling core temperature.

Onto the race; my suggestion of running the first kilometre in 4 minutes was quickly knocked back (I wasn’t joking), but in hindsight was probably sensible going along with a 4.45 starting kilometre.  BK was already worried we were cooking the pace far too quick for so early in the race. I wasn’t so sure, I wanted to bank some time knowing the forecast of 29 degrees would mean a drastic slowdown over the last two hours.  Surely if we bank some easy kilometres in the first few hours, this would set us up to succeed later in the day (what’s the worst that could happen?).

Six-hour split distances of 70k and 60k would achieve the 130k target.  Some simple maths said pace should be around 5.00-5.08 for the first 6 hours, and then a pace of 6min k’s for the last 6 hours, thinking likely actually running 6.30-7.00s, when it’s hot it is all about survival!  Targets are thrown out the window.

For the first hour and a half BK and I averaged around 4.45 per kilometre, mind you every kilometre that ticked by BK kept complaining shouldn’t we be running closer to 5.00.   I was feeling very ‘comfortable’ with plenty in the tank … it’s a long race after all, so there is plenty of time later if we do want to pick up the pace.

By around 20km BK had to stop for the toilet and said go on I’ll catch you up in two or three laps.  Well here was my chance, with BK flailing already, I wasn’t going to slow down to let BK catch me, so I decided instead I would speed up and catch him!  Then I’ll slow down and run at his pace. (Not the best strategy in hindsight but it did work)

Laps being 2.5km, and roughly 12 minutes per lap, with BK’s toilet stop (2minutes?), I’d only need to find 10 minutes, I thought I should be able to shave off a minute per lap and catch Kev within 8-10 laps… plus I would then be a lap up on BK.

I was actually quite surprised when I hit 25k under 2hours, wait a minute by averaging a comfortable 4.45’s that’s actually on track for an 8-hour 100km time…!  Well I’ve banked time now for the first two hours, so it is probably a good idea to slow down and run closer to 5-minute km’s.

Hitting anything under 9 hours at the 100km mark and I’d be well on the way to my 130km target.

The mind doesn’t work that way for me unfortunately.  Break or bust mentality, nothing to lose everything to gain.  

The good thing on a 2.5km lap is the amount of times you pass a human!  (not sure what else Jon was passing , I personally only saw humans but I only lasted 3 hours..?) Every time it’s slightly less scary knowing that I’m not alone (I’m afraid of the dark).  Around 22km Glen decided to join me for a lap, he told me he was basically doing an interval race, resting, running laps ad-hoc with friends and some of his athletes for support, wow what a coach and dedication!  We chatted away whilst running 4.40s, I mentioned to Glen my plan was to run 9 hours feeling good for 100km, which is true. However, Glen slightly twisted my words around and said most important thing I just said was focusing on the feeling good part, and then worry about the time later.  If you run low 9hours you might think that was a fail, but if you are feeling great then you are on a path to succeed. True.

After Glen ran this lap with me (hope he wasn’t too knackered), I decided screw the time, let me just focus on my running and getting to 100km feeling good (this is what I took from the chat with Glen).  Conditions were good and I was setting myself up for a big total, back of my mind the heat is what would slow me down the most.

My best races to date have been the least ‘eventful’, by that I mean I just held a pace not hit a wall and had minimal slow down.   

Around 33km who do I see in front of me BK!  “Jon I stopped for the toilet twice, and I’m feeling terrible I’m thinking I’ll stop at 50km…”  oh no, that doesn’t sound good, come on Kev you should do at least 100km. It’s 12 hours after all, you can go home sleep, come back and still run a good distance.  Ok, um well I’m feeling good how bout you run with me for a bit and see how you go, it seemed like a dream here because around 2km later BK was dropped and I was left back to my own pacing.  He later withdrew around 37km and 3 hours in. Not his day, but he’ll be back to put things right. Trust me no disrespect withdrawing in any ultra, they are challenging and a beast at the best of times.  They consume us, and part of the attraction for entering them in the first place.

I hit 50k just under 4 hours 2 minutes, and I was thinking wow half way to 100 and slightly over an 8-hour 100km split time, now that is some serious time ‘banked’.  I took some time here to re-assess, ok this isn’t a 50k ultra where you ‘race’ a marathon and jog in the last 7.2k. Be serious, now is the time to consolidate re-group and re-zone.  You can’t stay focused for 12 hours, break down the distance and run hour by hour on feel.

By this stage I was now starting to think where is Tony (T-train), he had laughed at the suggestion of joining me and BK on the start line and said you guys are on your own, I’m running 5-minute k’s and that’s it.

At 5min k’s this would put T-train around 4 hours 10 minutes at the 50k mark, so no wonder I hadn’t seen him yet, I was only around 8 minutes in front.  I slightly panicked thinking 8 minutes isn’t much, I would like to at least lap him so that I know how much distance I have being the lead runner. T-train isn’t one for slowing down, if anything he gets quicker the longer a race goes on and many a time has T-train rail roaded me in the last hour of a race.  On the plus he doesn’t know how to run slow (yet), I wasn’t so sure how long he would last hour after hour. He later succumbed to a Plantar Fasciitis niggle and withdrew around 65km. (I would love to get a three-way battle with BK and T-Train both in full form, that would be some serious competition).

By six hours I had clocked up just on 73km’s, which is 3km’s more than I had ‘planned’, greater importance still feeling fresh.  I was confident 130km was a very achievable target, that meant only 57km’s required over the last 6 hours. And if I could run reasonably consistent laps perhaps I could give 135km a nudge which would be a fantastic result.

I had already resorted to continuing my pace to 100km and only then re-assessing a new target distance.  I crossed my 40th lap just under 8 hours 16 minutes.  Awesome! Although I was slightly freaking out from pre-race plans best estimate for 100km was around 8 hours 45 minutes.  Some 30 minutes in front! Talk about banking time (I normally wouldn’t recommend this approach so don’t try this at home!).

I passed Glenn again around 110km running with Sarah, where I said that sub 9-hour 100km target and ‘feeling good’, um well I crossed 100km on 8 hours 16 but I am feeling good so I’ll take it!

110km is now well into new territory.  If I look at my training since 2015 when I began Ultra running, for runs greater than 50km; four 100km races, one 50km race, and training runs; 2 x 70km, 1 x 56km, 3 x 50km, (Plus my 40 miler 4 days earlier).  In fact no training runs more than 50km in the last 12 months. I did run seven marathons though in 2018 (with three done in 5 weeks), so I was cardio fit but not necessarily quick.

After 110km I was beginning to finally feel fatigued, still running consistent lap times but around a minute slower per lap than the previous 9 hours.  Closer to thirteen and a half minute laps.

It was around this time Shaun had some encouraging words for me, ‘Jonny come on mate you know you’re on track to break 140km’, I told him otherwise where to go, and I’d be ecstatic with 135km.  I’m the one running it’s getting hot and still have 3 hours left to run! No chance of 140km.

Not one for giving up, especially after my ADU lesson (thanks Mick again!), I did think well I’ll just keep running and take it an hour at a time.  Maybe I could go closer to 140km, I’m not cramping and I haven’t hit any wall.

By 120km I was just under 10 hours, a good two hours of solid running to go, 10km per hour and I would hit 140km.  I began thinking here, 6-minute km’s 6-minute km’s that’s all I need.

Crowd support had gained by this stage, I’m sure word was going around that I was on track for a big total… each lap more and more yelling out encouragement.  Truly inspirational having so many on the sidelines, many had seen my growth over the years (too many to name but I thank each and every one).

The last two hours were the hardest, however I had great support (folks) at the aid station keeping me hydrated and cool.  No time wastage which meant I could focus on running each lap.

SO much support on course from runners as well, constant encouragement telling me to keep going.  Each time I completed a lap a slight buzz knowing I was that much closer to 140km.

The last two hours each km split was consistently around 5.20-5.25 (last hour mostly around 5.35s), which is well in front of my 6min average needed to break 140km, things were looking good.  Yes it was hot, yes it was hard, but Forrest Gump was still running and not looking like stopping any time soon! Make hay whilst the sun shines. Plus who knows the next time hitting these sort of distances, surely this isn’t the norm.

Hard work had been done, and now was the time to ice the cake.

I hit 130km on 10 hours 53 minutes.  Accountant by day, that was an easy calculation even almost 11 hours in, 10km required in 1 hour 7 minutes.  I now only needed to run 6.5 minutes km’s. Something drastic would need to happen not to be able to run that pace given how I was feeling and where I was at (compared to ADU hitting the wall 10-minute km’s can be a tough ask! But today was different).  I was in the zone and today was my day.

Three laps to go, two laps to go, this is it, one more lap (with 27 minutes to go) and you’ve achieved 140km!  That final lap was amazing, totally surreal, I was floating. This is the stuff dreams are made of. The only problem was I was going to knock out this lap and still have another 11 or 12 minutes up my sleeve… I had been hoping to time the run to coincide hitting 140km with a minute or two under 12 hours so that I didn’t have to go back out again for a partial lap.  Would be nothing worse than finishing 1 km away on the other side of the course, and then hobbling back to the start. Surely makes more sense to finish near the start line with a very short hobble!

Hands in the air I was overwhelmed having completed 56 laps and the 140km milestone!  What a day. Well I guess I may as well go back out for the last 11 minutes or so, I’d already been out for so long anyway, could even clock up another 1-1.5km… I felt so good here though with the adrenaline pumping I sped up to 5.15s, and managed to knock out another 2.2km.  Total for the day 142.2km!! Totally surpassing wildest dreams, where did this come from, how did I do it?

Running a ‘marathon’ is life changing, running an ‘ultra-marathon’ redefines what the human spirit is capable of.  Never give up. These are my words, this was my story.

2020 will see my biggest challenge yet taking on the W.E.S.T Delirious 200 miler.

By Jon Pendse

Lap times:  https://my2.raceresult.com/123341/results?lang=en#0_ED7D9B

25k split times:  1.59.37 / 2.02.11 / 2.09.11 / 2.04.38 / 2.10.16 (last 25k was around 2.14)

50k split times: 4.01.48 / 4.13.49 (last 50k of race around 4.24)

Currently on 57 official marathons, striving to achieve joining the elusive Australian 100 marathon club; https://australian100club.org/member_list.php?runner=148  

You can follow me on strava for all my training and future races

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’…

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 ?

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.

1. 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? )
2. 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 ?
3. 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.
4. 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.

1. 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. ?

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.

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

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