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UTA100, Running Through Parenthood, and Should Elites be Allowed Support Crew feat Beth McKenzie | Episode 111
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In this episode Sim and Vlad sit down with Beth McKenzie fresh off her second pace at UTA 100 to hear how her last 12 months have been and a recap of how the race went down. Beth also answers a question about balancing training and family, before Vlad gives a brief rundown of his 50k race and poses the question of whether the elite field should be allowed external support.
Keep listening for news about Wonderland Trail Run, results from Aus and around the globe, and what's coming up this weekend.
Results:
Magnetic Island Two Bays Trail Run - QLD
Run the Gap - VIC
Albury Ranges Trail Run - NSW
***Don’t forget, use code PEAK at https://bix-hydration.myshopify.com/en-au for 20% off Bix products, exclusive to PPP listeners!***
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Connect with us on Instagram @peakpursuits.pod to share your thoughts, questions, and your own trail stories. Until next time, keep hitting the trails and chasing those peak pursuits!
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Transcript
Introduction and Guests
00:00:08
Speaker
Hello and welcome to episode 111 of the Peak Bursuits podcast, which I love this episode number with the 111. So thanks for sticking with us for this long, guys, and making it so we get here. ah Joining me for this episode, I have Vlad Ixl. How are we doing, Vlad?
00:00:25
Speaker
Yeah, doing well. Just finished my morning run, so excited about this podcast. Nice. You've got, all you you can bring all the energy. I've done the run, and the session, and then the like slowly just get more tired as you then go to like, i need to nap. territory.
00:00:40
Speaker
So yeah, you can bring the energy, man. But joining us is Beth McKenzie, who last week, is it only a week ago or two weeks?
00:00:51
Speaker
One week. Nine days now.
Beth McKenzie's Racing Journey
00:00:54
Speaker
Nine days. I was going to say it's really like not that far, even though it feels like a long way removed at this point for me. um Second at UTA one hundred k a Beth, thanks for coming on. Thanks for having me. Yeah, Vlad, I did my morning run too, but I finished like four hours ago. What have you been doing? I live in Perth, so it's only 7 a.m. m here.
00:01:14
Speaker
Okay, that's fair. Hang on, it is not 7. yeah It's 9.30. That's pretty good. yeah No, i usually wake up, do emails, and then I go for my run. I don't know, it takes me a while to wake up and start running. Yeah, see, I run into this travel where like, that's actually what I prefer doing, but too many days, the emails then run into lunch and then I'll and i'll end up running eventually. um But my brain gets in the hyper-focused mode of just like, I'm doing this now and I'm going to stay here until it's done. And then, yeah, I've realized now that I just, as much as it doesn't feel as good, have to run beforehand.
00:01:53
Speaker
Yeah. i do i I do like a quick 15 to 20 minute email check every morning just because we work also with the USA. So their day is like halfway done by the time I wake up. So I like answer all the urgent things yeah and then like just strict cutoffs, got to get out the door to run.
00:02:08
Speaker
I like that. I might implement that one. That one sounds like the little bit of the best of both worlds. um So perfect. Awesome. ah Coming at us in today's ep, we are going to chat through Beth's awesome 100k run and the battle it was all day, which was so much fun to follow. I'm keen to hear how it was to be in amongst it, Beth. um followed by the usual news and a lot of very cool results. So getting us started, Beth, I suppose we may as well go back a little bit because we haven't spoken to you since UTA 2025 and there's been a lot that's happened since then. So on the general, how's life and training been, as you'd say, over the last year or so?
00:02:49
Speaker
Yeah. On the general, it's been pretty good. I've been, you know, as everybody has ebbs and f flows with little niggles and healthiness and stuff, but actually since UTA last year, i've had a really consistent block. I have had like an ankle thing that always annoys me. It's just a post-tib situation but that is manageable and runnable so i haven't had any like significant layoffs or anything so i've actually had a really good year of training which was the opposite of last year before uta i had had some stress fractures and didn't even run going into it so i felt super grateful for that and um yeah i did i did ccc last year which wasn't like an amazing race but it was an amazing experience Yep.
Javelina Race Experience
00:03:35
Speaker
And I finished the year with Javelina 100 miler, which was my first hundred. That was huge. Like your first hundred running as fast as you did at Javelina, that was mind blowing.
00:03:45
Speaker
Like yeah talk me through that one just a little bit because I want to hear how it felt first and foremost, but also the approach you had going in with it being your first one. Like it, even at the beginning, like to me in my mind, I'm like, it's mildly daunting because to be going at like you were going at a good clip from the very beginning. um Like, yeah, where was your mindset at? And like, how did you deal with, i suppose, the questions of can I hold this?
00:04:08
Speaker
Yeah, well, cc CCC was like six weeks before Javelina. And right after CCC, I was like, well, this was like a great experience. um But I didn't feel like i I was quite done for the year. And being in the mountains, it definitely didn't play to my strengths exactly. So I, um,
00:04:28
Speaker
yeah right after CCC I was just kind of wanting to do more and I know that Javelina is super runnable in the desert in Arizona where I'm from and um I um wanted to do a runnable 100 miler and just sort of took that off the bucket list I had considered making last year my last year of trail running but I don't really know why I was uh not trail running in general but maybe trying to compete at the elite level um because I was 45 and I was like, okay, maybe it's time to hang it up and move on. But you know what? It's not time to hang and move on because I love it so much. So I decided to do Javelina. And then after CCC, we actually had a ton of travel. So we went to um Italy, Croatia, Morocco, Hawaii, all within that six weeks in between and
00:05:15
Speaker
ccc and then California, and then on to Arizona. So it was, um and then the kids joined us. We had the kids for a month in was going how did you maintain the training?
00:05:25
Speaker
It was interesting. Like, I wouldn't say it was my best preparation, but it did get me out the door every day. um i was able to explore new, sometimes like dangerous places around the world. Yeah. You know because you never, if you just choose a strawberry, you never know like when you're going to get turned around, yeah when there's going to be a closure, when you're going to have to like trespass somewhere, yeah when the wild dogs are going to chase you. So it was a really fun and interesting training block, but it was sort of like every day I just had to deal with what we had around. And that was already pre-planned way before like I decided to do Javelina, but it turned out really well. And i just, you know, having it be so runnable
00:06:06
Speaker
yeah was something that definitely plays my strengths as CCC did not play to my strengths. So I thought it was a good shot for me to just see what I had for 100 miles. And yeah, it ended up great. Like Tara Dower obviously had like a record setting incredible day, but I was so happy to come second and did like 14 and a half hours. So Yeah, it's wild looking at the times because CCC was 14 hours and 12 and then Javelina 100 Mile was 14 hours and 30. So you only took an extra 15 minutes to cover 60 more, Kay. Good point. Yeah, and I think I, um yeah, that's that shows you my strengths and weaknesses there.
00:06:46
Speaker
um And then, yeah, since then, I i knew i wanted to go back to Terra Aura. I love Terra Aura so much, the 100K there. um But it just, it what I didn't, the leave-up was fine. It was consistent, but um it just didn't really... um Yeah, I DNF'd that at 58K.
Health Challenges and Recovery
00:07:04
Speaker
So how was the recovery then from Javelina, like being your first 100 miler? And like I suppose my brain comes at it from I find the more runnable ones I am so much more sore from than the hilly ones. But that's that's my body being weird usually. um But yeah, how was the recovery with that being a new distance?
00:07:21
Speaker
But then I guess the time not that time. The worst part of the recovery was my feet. Like normally my feet are really, really good. I get no blisters. I've always worn shoes that really work for me. And they, feet just like, I think it's like the desert. Like they just really got very swollen and I had been wearing these new insoles and the insoles are really good. They take the pressure off of my post tib, which is great.
00:07:47
Speaker
However, insole gave me like a massive blister on the bottom of my foot. It was like, like bigger than it's like as big as it was a big, big as an apple or like a grapefruit. It was so big. Yeah. Um, so I couldn't even like put on shoes for about a week. So it was probably good because I definitely couldn't run. Um, and so I just did a little bit of cross training, but then, yeah, then once my feet recovered, I felt, I felt fine. Cause yeah, it was only the same time I was out there as for CCC. Yeah.
00:08:15
Speaker
Fair enough. Fair enough. Okay, cool. And then like 24 hour, like UTMB would take a lot longer to recover from. Yeah. Yeah. Fair. And then I suppose it wasn't until next Feb that you did the Tarawera. Tarawera. Yeah. And I was fully recovered and everything. It's just, I'd like, um you know, my, my training had been okay. I just didn't feel like snappy or really fast. I was feeling quite tired. Um, and I did get some blood tests done before Tarawera, but I didn't, um,
00:08:44
Speaker
get the results from them till afterwards on purpose sort of. And it turned out I did have very low iron. So I ended up getting an iron infusion after that, which really, really helped. um How good is iron? Oh my gosh. I had no idea. So yeah, during Tarawera, it was rainy and muddy, but like I can handle the conditions. My ankles hurt and I just had like a, to be honest, like a really bad attitude. Like I could, I'd look at hills and be like, oh. No, that's what I find too. Yeah, when the iron's low, your body just goes nuts.
00:09:13
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. like No, thanks. And then, yeah, when my coach saw my iron level, she said, you know, some people can't really get up the stairs with those levels. So thought that you made it 60 K into the run. And actually it was good because I probably recovered quite quickly after that, got the iron infusion. And then my training really did improve from that. And I had sort of a big race block leading in into UTA, which was fun and motivating. So that was good. And was that your first time having low iron then?
00:09:40
Speaker
Yeah, it was, which is crazy. I think that it was from um mostly from before CCC when I went to altitude and I was training in teen for like three and a half weeks. I think it could have started then because I meant like ever since then I didn't feel great, but I guess I did have a good javelina. So I don't know. It's certain point too. You're like, okay, I'm – I'm 46. I have two kids. We run a business. Like, I don't know, being tired is normal. So I don't really read that much into it. Like when I wake up and I feel like crap. So. And were you supplementing throughout this time or no supplements? So I did start supplementing after CCC actually. And then I think it sort of fell off the bandwagon, but yeah, she, my coach mentioned it to me before when I went to teen and she said, you should start
00:10:24
Speaker
taking an iron supplement, but I was already in teen. And so I didn't have access to like certified for sport yeah supplements. So I just didn't feel comfortable starting it at that point um because there are a lot of great iron supplements like Thorne is certified and things like that. yeah there are But it's like, once you're in France, you're like, I i don't know. I've gone to some weird lengths once when I'm overseas of getting things shipped to post offices, et cetera. I could have done that, but then it would have been like the week before the race. i yeah whatever So when I got home, so actually it probably wasn't until, oh, maybe it was when I was in Hawaii. Actually, this is true. So Celeste from the feed is amazing. nice. She...
00:11:03
Speaker
brought me iron, thorn iron to Hawaii when we were there because we were there for the Ironman World Championships. What a legend. I know. So she yeah she's like, I've got your stuff. I'm like, thanks.
00:11:15
Speaker
Love that. Well, yes, it's like it makes such a huge difference. I'm someone that's like over the years had so many bouts of low iron and every time you're just like – It's like your body's trying to run through quicksand half the time, but it is it really is that that motivation factor of just going, hang on, I normally never struggle to want to do the hard thing. Right now, I don't even want to do the easy thing. I just want to do nothing. Yeah. So when we got to the like fifty eight k checkpoint at TerraWare and it was pouring rain and my family had been waiting there for like
00:11:46
Speaker
probably over an hour and Marlo goes, I just want to go home. And I was like, all right, let's go home. Anyway, so yeah, it wasn't my best piece of work, but now we know. And then I worked on from that and then, yeah Vlad, was that where you dropped too?
00:12:00
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. ah I did have a great day in Tarawara as well. I think a lot of it came down to that humidity in the beginning. Like you didn't like he didn't like feel that humid because it was still like 20 degrees, but yeah, it was super humid.
00:12:19
Speaker
I agree. It felt quite stifling to me. Yeah, no, felt like it was a bit of an effort and then yeah, i got to 58K and I was like, yeah, not having too much fun. might just go home. Hey, glad was your iron low? No, no, I did get blood after Terawara, but iron was good.
00:12:37
Speaker
Okay. yeah yeah yeah But I was glad we got to the whole slip and slide down into Okotaina. You know that crazy one with the ropes? It was nuts. That was not fun. Yeah. At that point, I thought it was funny. I was just like, oh, this is hilarious. But yeah, i wasn't trying to go quick.
00:12:54
Speaker
No, definitely. That to me looked great. But awesome. So then, yeah, you had the iron infusion, got in a good block before UTA this time around. you In there, you had the outright win at the Noosa Ultra Trail 25 and then also the second place at Buffalo Stampede Mara. um And were they just overall, they they're building races into um UTA or were they ah goals in their own right, especially like I suppose Buffalo?
00:13:23
Speaker
Yeah, they were – Definitely building races, but I never go into a race like just like just for training, really. Like, of course, I gave it my all on the day, but I definitely didn't have like big tapers or anything. And I started training again right afterwards. um But it was just like good to get in. For me, races are a good way for me to like force myself to push myself. I'm one of those people that loves going easy. I'm not like- I'm with you. chomping at the bit to go like run intervals every day. So to get in these long sustained efforts and be able to practice my race nutrition, but also just see, well, NUSA, it's my home course, but it was really cool to go to Bright and see that race and the community and, you know, meet new people. And that was just a great experience. So I love that. And just being able to have such a good time, but get in such good training. Yeah. So that was good.
00:14:16
Speaker
Yeah. Awesome. Awesome. And then how did that lead into UTA in terms of the goals you were setting and what you thought was going to play out on race day at at UTA, given that this is your third year in a row doing
UTA Race Reflections
00:14:28
Speaker
it?
00:14:28
Speaker
Third UTA. Yeah. Um, I think Tara Ware kind of reset my expectations. I was like, okay, let's just like do what you can. And I did do another trail marathon with a lot, with quite a bit of vert, um, the Brisbane trail marathon three weeks out from UTA. I kind did that in 24 when I won UTA. So that was a little bit of a measuring stick for me, but I was like, i was four or five minutes slower this year. So I thought, oh, you know, maybe I'm not quite in that shape, but it's always hard to know with trail conditions and weather and things like that. But um yeah, I went into UTA knowing I'd put in a really solid block that I was prepared, maybe not quite as like fiery and quick as I was two years ago, but still really solid. um
00:15:15
Speaker
And I knew with the field that was there was super strong, really international, but also that like if I had my best day and maybe somebody else made a mistake that I still... potentially could win. So I definitely had that in the back of my mind. um And I really wanted to do well, like I wanted that gold but belt buckle again, desperately, but it wasn't to be mine this year.
00:15:36
Speaker
It was close. It was damn close in the end, um which was very, very cool. And you did run, although i don't know how many course changes there were, but you were faster ah this year than previous, than 2025. Yeah. was quicker, i think somewhere in the ten forty s and then last year i did about which was part course and part me being slower because I really hadn't trained. It was pretty painful actually to get to the finish last year. yeah And then this year i was so happy to go under 11 hours again because I feel like that's a great like yeah great accomplishment at UTA, even though nobody cares besides yourself what time you do. um
00:16:16
Speaker
But yeah, I felt felt like it was a great a really good, solid performance. Yeah, nice. And so I watched Little Bits um as we went along the live stream and it was always that you and I'm hoping that her I'm pronouncing her name wrong when I say Katazina. I think it's Katazina but also her bib Katazina.
00:16:38
Speaker
Kaisa or Kasha. so Kasha. Okay. Kasha. Okay. You can call her that. She'd be happy to be called that. yeah let's Let's go Kasha. I do like that one. um So Kasha was at the, I suppose you you were out in front, but I don't even remember exactly when the pass happened um at some point, but it seemed like there was maybe a gap that opened early, but then it was just...
00:17:01
Speaker
I don't know how much back and forth there was, you can tell us, but it seems like it was just forever the, is it on, like what's going to happen and like i'm not nothing being really set in stone right till the end.
00:17:12
Speaker
Yeah, it was, I went out, I always like to go out quick. And actually joked with Kate Avery because I was like, I finally met somebody who goes out quicker than me and it's you at Buffalo Stampede. Anyway, um but I always go out quick at UTA because narrow neck is like so rentable and that's what I do well at. And I know I'm not going overexert myself. So I went out fairly quick, but I didn't think it was anything mind-blowing. I think it was probably similar to what I did in 2024, but this was all in the dark this year because we started at 5 a.m. m So it was like 90 minutes in the dark down narrow neck, and then we get to Tarot Slatters. And I was with like three other guys for that whole stretch, and that was awesome. We just like chatted, ran comfortably hard. And then we get to Tarot's Ladders. It's still super dark.
00:17:59
Speaker
And I was like, you guys go down ahead of me um because I knew I would be the slowest one getting down there. But then by the time I got down, which wasn't that slow, they were already run off. And then I was just by myself in the dark for another, because at that point it was probably a little less than an hour. so it was another like 40 minutes of of like complete darkness. And that section is all like probably the most technical single track of the race and all descending. So not really my specialty, but I felt like I was doing all right there. um But I couldn't see any headlamps ahead of me and I couldn't see any headlamps behind me. So I'm like, I'm running 100K in the dark by myself, but which is not normal for the beginning of a race. I suppose it might be for the end.
00:18:41
Speaker
yeah and anyway But it was still fun. and ah After that, just there's a lot of runnable sections before Iron Pot and then after Iron Pot Ridge. I didn't have any splits or anything, but we got to the six foot track.
00:18:55
Speaker
aid station. And at that point, ah Luke told me I had six and a half minutes at the last, whatever the last check was. So I was like, wow. I was very surprised that she wasn't a lot closer because I knew on paper that Kasia was the, that she should win. Like I, we had like, I'd looked at, you know, how everybody was doing and i was like, well, she's going to win unless something goes wrong.
00:19:17
Speaker
Yeah, I'm just a really strong runner. and ah And so I was like, okay. And he's like, just relax, just relax. So then after that, I think I maybe relaxed like a little too much because I felt like I still running okay. um But then like at 46 or 47K, when you come back from the six foot track, there's a little point where – Like Luke could, the the water point, Luke could see me really quickly. And he said, oh, she's made up a little time on you here. But he didn't really tell me how much. And then you proceed to like climb up Nellie's Glen up to Katoomba Aquatic Center. And so Nellie's Glen is like this 2K, 2 or 3K, like basically straight up section, it feels like to me. And um I ran up a little.
00:20:00
Speaker
onto a guy named Ben and we were chatting. And then all of a sudden, Kasia just came up behind us and she was moving way quicker than me up the like steep stuff. So she's definitely a mountain goat.
00:20:12
Speaker
And there was no chance of and me being like, I'm going to go with her. like It was impossible. And also like she's quite tall and I'm very short. And I felt like with these huge steps up Nellie's Glen, I was like, she's taking she's taken two for every one of mine or I'm taking two steps for every one of hers.
00:20:27
Speaker
Yeah. Anyway, she was out of sight quite quickly, but I knew when I got to Katumba Aquatic Center, she'd probably only have like about a minute or two on me. yeah so she overtook me just over halfway.
00:20:39
Speaker
um So it's cool. I led for halfway. That was good. um And uh yeah got up to Kumba Aquatic Center that's where I'm sure you might have seen on social media my crew didn't make it you a good job of you kept your your rest time in here was still only a minute 40 which I think was only 20 seconds or 30 seconds slower than Kasha so ah good like it your rest time her was was a minute 10 and yours was a minute 40 so you only lost 30 seconds Yeah, that's not too bad, especially for not like just having to problem solve at the time. and yeah
00:21:13
Speaker
What are we going to get? And um luckily, a guy I had met on course a couple of years ago, we have remained friends and have remained friendly with his wife just through Instagram. And she came up to me and she's like, I don't see Luke here. He's not here. And i was like, oh. She's like, do you want one of trans gels? And i was like, okay, yes, please. And in my head, I'm like, one gel is not going to do it for this next section. What am I going to do? Because I can't take the neck gels um that are on course. So she came back, but it was a PF90, like a precision 90. So that's actually three gels. So I'm like, oh my God, I love you. And then I just filled one bottle with water and one with Coke and then went on my way, had a couple of chips and
00:21:51
Speaker
And just kept plugging along. And I thought I actually ran the next mission quite quickly because there was a camera guy with me for like, it felt like 30 minutes. And of course you're trying your best when the camera person is on you, right? mean, am I the only one? I don't know. No, i definitely not the only one.
00:22:07
Speaker
and So i was I was moving as fast as I could have I think. yeah But i yeah, she kept putting time into me. Well, interestingly, not initially. Back when the camera runner was on me. So, well, from Katoomba up until a Fairmont, like a good number of these splits. I'm just looking at it as we go. And they were almost all... haven lookeded them yet so they were almost all like two minutes between the two like they just stayed as two minute gap until Fairmont um by the time you both left Fairmont I think it was four okay um but then it seems on the between Fairmont and Queen Vic and then especially between Queen Vic and emergency so between those on the downhill that's where it really opened up right but then you closed it again
00:22:47
Speaker
Yeah, which you know it was actually surprising to me because I didn't i didn't think i ran and i didn't I'm guilty of never looking at my watch, so I don't really know. what my heart rate is or whatever. I should have been looking at my heart rate and stuff like that. And just like probably trying a little bit harder, to be honest. But, you know, in a hundred k it's a long way. So you think I've got to pace myself. I need to run comfortably hard, whatever that is. And I thought I was running okay. Like I was actually really surprised when Luke told me how much time I lost because I couldn't figure out where I would have lost it.
00:23:19
Speaker
Yeah, so between um Fairmont and Queen Vic, so Fairmont you were four and a half minutes back, by Queen Vic eight and a half. Yeah. um But then by emergency 16 or 15.
00:23:31
Speaker
Which is crazy because I felt like I ran down Kadumba quite well. It wasn't quite as – I did look at my – compared to my 2024, which was a little bit quicker in 2024. But um I thought I ran that okay. Like I didn't have any stops that I can remember. I didn't – walk any of it so she must have just like been flying downhill yeah she must have but then you made back you very quickly made back like it was only 10 minute gap by the base of ferber so there's six minutes made back and then five minutes by the end so you made up five minutes on ferber stairs i know which of course i did not climb particularly quickly either but she put up a post and she told me when we were in drug testing like her she like fully cramped up and had to stop and had people like massaging her calves and like oh gosh It sounded like it was a big mess. And, you know, in my head, I'm like, oh, if it only it was one more kilometer. i know. yeah It was close. Well, making up what?
00:24:25
Speaker
Over 10 minutes in the last like eight, nine days. Which is crazy because climbing is my worst. Like i am not a good climber. She just obviously that was she expired. well Which can be what happens when you run that downhill too quick.
00:24:38
Speaker
Exactly. Totally. Exactly. But um it wasn't quite enough in the end. And, you know, she did a really, she ran a great race. She had just enough in the end. And that's what, it was a hundred kilometer race. It wasn't 105 kilometer race. yeah So, um but I did see some footage of Kasia, like, you know, when you get to the top of Ferber stairs and there's like a little sort of boardwalk until you get to the finish chute. Yeah.
00:25:00
Speaker
It's just a tiny little bridge or something, whatever. She was literally walking on that, like with her poles. Yeah. Yeah. When like everybody else, like when I got to the top of Furbist steps, I was flying. So, yeah um, yeah. So don't know. I felt like I had a really good race, but yeah, in the end I was sort of like racking my brain for how did I lose so much time in that one section? Cause I, I didn't, I didn't feel like I was low on nutrition. I had really good nutrition throughout the race. I averaged like 90 to a hundred grams an hour of carbs.
00:25:28
Speaker
like no stomach issues. So yeah, it was sort of a mystery to me, but I, that that's like, that's racing. You know, I just, I feel like maybe i just didn't try quite hard enough because I was okay at the finish. but Yeah, but then again, there is also the fact that, sure, you might have run the downhill a bit faster, but then how was your uphill going to be? Right, true. Yeah, it's always a two and a half. I just find it so intriguing that ah the UTA course with the way it ends with that last 22, like even within the 22 itself, it's it's a it's an interesting one because different runners have to run it differently in order to do well. Yeah. Yeah. And almost every, like, and I'm going to say for everyone, if you run it too far, the downhill too fast for your capacity and your conditioning, almost no one survives that uphill unscathed if you've gone too hard.
Race Strategies and Techniques
00:26:19
Speaker
um I'm yet to see anyone. And, like, you can survive it as, like, Kasia did like she did well in the way that she gave herself just enough but that sounds painful um but yeah it's such an interesting play to have at the end of all of the runs the 100k the 100 mile the 50k like it's just a it's like this a really strategic point of the course almost of like because you and you're right because sometimes when you feel like you're running well down that hill You're running faster relative to how you've been running overall, of course, but you can fly down that thing. Like it's actually one you can feel like you're flying, but then it's whether you've got the conditioning and legs left that that doesn't catch up to you. Right. And I think I did, but yeah, another interesting thing, which I mean, she won in the end, so it was a good choice, but it was that she, um,
00:27:07
Speaker
She had poles and i I haven't seen any of the winners of UTA you use poles before, but it's just a very European thing. It's good point. I think poles are one of those ones, i've I've had so many chats about this in the last few weeks of just like the more they feel like an extension of your own body because you use them so much, the more useful they are and you can use them in heaps of things. So i think at the end of 100K, climbing back up out of that thing, like... ah that might have been what gave her the confidence to go really hard down the downhill. Like you go, well, I've got the poles to help me back up. say I love poles. I'm actually considering using them for an upcoming race where like I don't think that many people use poles. If you love them and they work for you, go use them.
00:27:45
Speaker
like that Exactly. Like there's no reason not to. um Other than like the only ones where I'm like, oh, it's, it's a question of, do I use it or not? do Even if I think it's going to help is when it's a short section of the course, you think it's going to help, but you have to carry them the whole way depending on the rules. Yeah. That's why I don't, that's why I don't carry them at UTA. I'm like, it's not that much, but I don't know, maybe like next year. Yeah. Can you imagine if you were allowed to pick them up at QVH?
00:28:11
Speaker
That would be epic. I'm like, please that. um Yes, that would definitely be awesome. Well, yeah, it was it was a very fun battle to follow. Where were you at sort of mentally, I suppose? Like we did you find yourself in that back half like thinking more about Kasia being ahead and chasing her down or are you someone that thinks more about running away from people behind you?
00:28:32
Speaker
I knew that I had quite a bit of distance on the people behind me, so i wasn't that worried about it. Again, i didn't realize I was losing time from, and Luke told me afterwards how much, like I was losing a lot of time, like from Fairmont to Queen Vic and then Queen Vic to emergency.
00:28:46
Speaker
But i I actually thought I was running well, which is where maybe I should be looking at my watch a little bit more. So I i knew I was just like where I was. i was pretty sure that I was going to be able to hold second, but that I wouldn't catch. I was not trying to catch her anymore at all because she was just extending her lead as far as I knew. yeah um Do you find that might be the one of the reasons then why you lost more time?
00:29:10
Speaker
Yeah. I possibility. might have... anne pushed a little bit harder. i think I could have pushed a little bit harder, but yeah, because I chose to save myself, which is my own choice. Well, it especially in 100K, it's so hard to push in the back half if you feel like there's going to be no benefit to pushing because it still is. You've got to make that finish line, right? So if I would like almost ah so many people would have that preservation mode on of going, well, I'm in second and I can hold second. That's fine. But I don't think I can get first. And therefore, there's there's there isn't mentally that in that moment, it's like, well, there's no point chasing and pushing any harder than I am right now. Right. And I think I was guilty of that. So I don't know.
00:29:56
Speaker
I'm not guilty of that, but just like. was going to say that's human nature. I feel like that' i feel like I have some level of awe for people that are able to push to the line and then go, I actually don't want to do that to my body for no reason. um Like, I don't mind it that i only push to the absolute limit when I know there's a reason to do so. yeah So, no, I think it's it's an interesting spot to be in in such a long race, though, where you're just in that sort of middle zone and it's like, ah I think depending on the event you're in too can depend on how much you're willing to push yourself ah towards the back end of like, you've done this before. You knew UTA um and you've also won it before, but also,
00:30:36
Speaker
Like the feedback that you're getting, if the feedback that you're getting, whether it was true or not, was you're catching her, you probably would have picked it up. Like I've had my coach use this against me before in races too. but Not against me, but for me, where even if I'm losing time, he'll go, there's someone right behind you. Or he'll go, you're catching them, keep going.
00:30:53
Speaker
yeah Even if I'm losing time, because he knows that then that keeps my brain on. Like I've had i've i've had a race where... Yeah, I've had a race girls where there was five k's to go and I'm dying and I'm in the lead and and my coach just yells, there's someone 30 seconds back, move. And there was someone five minutes back and it was a short race.
00:31:11
Speaker
And I was like, why did you make me do that? He's like, you had to push to the line. um So there's ways that you can actually get your crew to help you with that. Where like there's times, especially early on, where I'm like the the correct information is the most useful information. But honestly, in the back half 100, anything that keeps you moving is the best information. That's true. Something that keeps you like on the gas. That's my problem is just taking the foot off the gas. but Yeah, because if you're constantly hearing, oh, she's making up time, she's making up time, your brain's going to consistently go, well, there's not much point me pushing any harder because I already feel like I'm moving well. um Whereas if you feel like you're moving well and then you're told you're catching, you'll move better. Yeah.
00:31:49
Speaker
I like that. Yeah. I love the mental side of running. It's a good fun game. um Awesome. Vlad, do you have any questions for Beth about her race or how it panned out? Not really about the race, but I did want to ask you about that. You obviously, you know, 46, still doing really well.
00:32:08
Speaker
How does the motivation to train is still so high when you have such a busy, obviously, ah you know, kids and work, such a busy thing on your plate. Yeah. i I thought that the motivation to train would go down. And sometimes it does. When life gets like really busy, I'm sort of like, why am I doing this? Like nobody, A, no one cares if I'm still doing it. I'm not doing it for sponsors. I'm not doing it really for anything other than that.
00:32:32
Speaker
I love running. Um, but in the past year and a half, we've actually gotten just like a really great sort of training group up here. um which makes it really easy. Like on any given day, like this morning, five 30, I had four friends and we ran 20 K like that makes it pretty easy to like get stuff done. I can still be home by the time I have to put the kids on the bus and do all that. So that's really good. And it's, it's been a little harder with like, um,
00:33:01
Speaker
intervals and stuff because I'm not, I'm definitely not getting any faster now. And I'm always constantly comparing myself to like, what I think I should be able to do or what I want to do. And it's really motivating to see my friends get faster, but I'm not getting fast at the same speed as them, which is just biology, really. um I'm maintaining my speed, which is great. And um i think I could still go out and run, like, if I trained for it, a sub 240 marathon, but I don't think that I'd be setting like massive PBs or anything like that. So I don't know. I just and just really like, I just love the actual trail running now. And now it's funny, I'm like such a convert, of course, coming from the road and triathlon. And now I look at road marathons. I'm like why like, why would you want to do that when trails closed? But I do get it. I still get it. And a lot of my friends have road goals and stuff. But it's cool just to be out and exploring new places. And I think that's what keeps me motivated. But ask me again when I've got like a four-hour ride on a Saturday when I've got to get back for dance pickup at 930 and the most boring trail is still 45 minutes away. like Sometimes it's not that motivating. But...
00:34:15
Speaker
We've all got the ups and downs. Are you motivated by the fact that maybe like you don't have a crazy amount of time left being very competitive at races? Yes, for sure. And that's like, I just wanted to like get a lot of bucket list races in the past couple of years. Like that's why I wanted to do a hundred miler, like while while I thought I could still be competitive. um Not that like, I mean, I could do a hundred miler in five years and I wouldn't be competitive at the top end of the field. Um, but it would still be a cool experience, but, um,
00:34:46
Speaker
you know, one of the like small perks of being competitive is that like, yeah, you can get entry to like a CCC or like this year. I'm like, oh, why don't I do OCC? That's great. And I can get an elite start and start in the first wave. And those are things like I don't take for granted at all. Like, you know, going to a race like UTA and having like, you know, being like being a part of a part of the race, I think is really cool. And it's fun for me. So I enjoy that. And i think I'll enjoy participating in trail for a long time too but I do feel like I pack in the races more because um I'm getting older fair fair I love to see it it's so good um I I'm just I'm hoping you break even your all your own mental barriers as you go and it's just like keep keep showing what we can do um because it's pretty damn inspiring to watch as we go through it but what then is coming up this year what are we packing in
00:35:39
Speaker
Well, so that actually just changed this
Future Race Plans
00:35:42
Speaker
week. um Originally, Luke and I, my husband, we race high rocks together. because i love that. it's so much fun to watch.
00:35:50
Speaker
He's really into high rocks and he supports me so much in trail that I do doubles with him because I'm a great doubles partner because I'm good at running and he can do all the really heavy stuff. I don't have to do as much of that. So I don't really train for High Rocks, but I raced that with him. And we were supposed to, I was supposed to be in two races at the High Rocks World Championships, which is in Sweden in June. Mm-hmm.
00:36:11
Speaker
um But Luke has had some niggles. So a little bit after UTA, i was like, all right, let's have a chat about what we're going to do. And he's like, I don't want to do it. So um just because he's not in like the shape that he knows that he could be in to do it. And it's just it's the same kind of thing. Like if you know you can do really well at something, it's not really and it's not really worth going all the way to Sweden just to participate in the high rocks like I can push or sled around a convention center anywhere in the world. Yeah. um So he's like, yeah, we don't need to go to Sweden, but we we were going to have a kidless trip to Sweden.
00:36:47
Speaker
And he's like, is there any like race or something you want to do? And i was like, well, actually, yeah, there is in the US is called Broken Arrow Sky Race. Ah, yeah, nice. In California. And it's a huge race. yeah tor The 23K, I think has like, I don't, I don't remember exactly how much prize money, but maybe $100,000 just at the 23K, which I'm not going to be doing that one. I'm going to be doing the 46K, which is twice the 23K course. And it's also very competitive, but not, you're not going to get all the golden trail world series people like that are in the 23k but it's a huge event it's in tahoe which i love i come from california um but we're only flying over to the us like three or four days before that we're going to drop off the kids with my parents fly back to california like from philadelphia so i'm still going to be very jet lagged we're going to be showing up at altitude like it starts at like 2000 i was going to say it's high and it goes up to like 3000 meters so
00:37:43
Speaker
In my mind, i I did say earlier, I don't do races just as training races, but this is a training race that I just got to add on for OCC because I'm going to do OCC this year.
00:37:54
Speaker
So I'm really excited, but I'm not like expecting to do well at Broken Arrow. But um so we'll be at Broken Arrow and then actually probably going to stay on through the week in Tahoe and spectate Western States.
00:38:07
Speaker
I love that. That's going to be so much fun. And how do you find you normally go at altitude? Yeah, not great. I mean, I'm not – Say like it is. like I'm not like one of those people that can just show up and race well at altitude. I know that.
00:38:24
Speaker
I'm really having no expectations for the race. I just feel so excited that I get to – well, actually, I'm not into the race yet technically. Race director, let me in. um Come on. We can get this happening. I'm waiting to see if I can get into the race, but the applications were still open. so Okay.
00:38:40
Speaker
Hopefully. Let's hope. um Yes, I have. There's a will, there's a way. feel Yeah, my coach said she could put in a good word. there was Okay, good. You know, who knows? So, yeah, that is tentatively the next plan. And then on to OCC, which again... Probably is not going to play to my strengths, but as Vlad was saying, like it's I still have the opportunity to line up in the elite field at this really cool race. yeah And we are in France anyway, two weeks later for the ironman the half Ironman World Championships. yeah So it makes complete sense for me to go over early and have a little race in Chamonix.
00:39:15
Speaker
Nice. But I won't be doing like a big altitude block there or any sort of, we i'm just going to show up the week before and do it. Yeah. um But yeah, I'm excited for that. And that's it. Maybe finish the year with something at Kosciuszko because I've never done that.
00:39:29
Speaker
Yeah. Okay. Nice. Nice. Back home. Back home, indeed. I love that. I love that you go on a Broken Arrow. It looks like that's another one that I would love to do at some point. There's just so many races though, right? Yeah. but So I asked my coach, i I was like, does anyone use poles for Broken Arrow? Because it's 46K, 2,700 meters of elevation and you just go up and down a mountain twice. I'm like, using poles seems like a no-brainer. And she's like, yeah, a lot of the people don't use poles, but that's a very American thing.
00:39:58
Speaker
Yeah. So I think it depends on gradient. But Australians don't really use poles either. No, we don't. ah But we don't have many climbs that need it. But also I think for me it just depends on. So I'm going to use poles. Yeah, it depends on the gradient for me.
00:40:14
Speaker
It's fair. And especially is it one of the ones where you have to carry them the whole time? Because I feel like on second Yeah, but you're literally going up or down. There's no flat. Yeah, okay, fair. Yeah, no hundred percent. That sounds like fun. I would climb up the mountain. i assume then I'll stash my poles, run down, take out my poles, climb up, run down. It's like a four and a half hour race, five hours.
00:40:33
Speaker
Sounds great. I should find out. do Anyway, it'll be fun. It'll be a great experience. Yeah. Awesome. But Vlad, you've never done Broken Arrow, have you? No, I've not. But i know that um David Sinclair did it last year or the year before and he didn't use poll and poles and he's like a skimo guy. So he's pretty good with the poles. So I think maybe they don't really use it much because the underfoot is like pretty runnable most of the way.
00:41:02
Speaker
i Maybe I won't. I'll have a look at all. I've been known to like go back to like race footage or like the start and be like, okay, who's got poles? Who doesn't? you know figure it out yeah just do some course I feel like there was got to be a live stream of that course somewhere um so you should probably be but also the 23k would be different than the forty six k And the 23K is the marquee race, so i'm not and I'm not doing that. Yeah, but if you watch a 23K live stream, you see your whole course. Yeah. You still get to see the whole course. I'm just saying they may not choose to use them this. No, they wouldn't. be But they would choose in the 46, maybe. yeah
00:41:37
Speaker
Maybe. I haven't paid that much attention to it. Who knows? I mean, I'm overthinking it for what I just told you is a training race. So if I'm going to use poles in OCC, then maybe I should Actually, 100%, you're going to use poles in OCC, I'd say go for it. If it's a training race, train them.
00:41:51
Speaker
Right. Maybe I should go with that. yeah I don't know if I use tools in OCC, so we'll see. Even better. Awesome. Well, I'm going to get into, it we have a question for you um from one of our Patreons. um And this is coming from Liam and he has asked, ah what advice would you give an athlete about to become a dad slash mom on balancing training and family? o I think the biggest advice is just that there is a season for everything. And sometimes that season is, you know, when you have a newborn, it is family. And that's the most important thing to prioritize any given day. Sleep is like at a premium. So if you are ever short on sleep, I wouldn't go and train instead. I would get the sleep, spend time with newborn cuddles, do all that. But it is possible, especially with a newborn to, you know,
00:42:47
Speaker
trade off, support each other in your training, eventually run with a baby. I'm not actually, that's not even good advice because I didn't enjoy pram running at all. I did it when I had to, but it wasn't my thing.
00:43:00
Speaker
a um I preferred to, you know, use my time to just have it be my time rather than to make it with pram running. But yeah, it's just, it's all a balancing act, but anything is possible.
00:43:14
Speaker
It's like, you know, you make time for things that are important to you. And as long as you're communicating well with your partner and figuring out, you know, what the schedules are, it's, it's not as bad as people think it is. It's, it's all doable.
00:43:28
Speaker
Nice. I love that. And I can't weigh in here, but Vlad, advice you want to resolve? I think just like Beth said, just put time aside for that and get it done and then yeah, go on with the most important thing.
00:43:45
Speaker
Um, but it also makes you, i guess, happy a little bit. So makes you a better parent when you know that you are exercising and feeling healthy, but, um, yeah.
00:43:58
Speaker
Yeah. I am the, I'm the kind of person saying that I need, i need alone time to be the best parent and partner that I can be. And so I know, taking that time to do training is actually beneficial for everyone.
00:44:11
Speaker
Yeah, and just purely from being a serial auntie 13 times over, um my biggest thing I took away from what you said is just that communication factor of almost the pre-planning of, hey, ah there's it's going to be hard at times, but we're going to try and figure out a way to make it so that we can tag team and we can both have our time, um which isn't something that happens without some level of planning and some level of like purposeful communication to make it happen in a way. um I think that's at least an observation. Yeah, no, absolutely.
00:44:43
Speaker
um I've seen. So best of luck, Liam. I don't know. I i don't think he's put in our Patreon when exactly. When baby's coming. um yeah When baby's coming. but if It's the best adventure. So, yeah.
00:44:56
Speaker
This is apt for Brodie, who um given he's what, a month and a half, two months away from his own little bub as well. So um exciting times for many people. Yeah.
00:45:06
Speaker
And in eight or nine years, you can have your own crew as well. I do love watching your girl's crew feed. The leg wipe is like iconic at this point. The leg wipe is good. Well, it's like, we always tell them, we're like, yeah, when in doubt, like do a leg wipe. Cause it's not going to, they're going to feel like they're helping. Yeah. Like it's not going to hurt anything or whatever. oh Watching the live stream. I'm like, she was in, she was like, this is my job. I'm doing getting it done.
00:45:31
Speaker
that Yeah. so good right Oh, I do love it. That's awesome. Well, thank you, Beth, for running us through that. A quick break in the show to thank Bix. Bix has just come out with their 30 gram gel in two brand new flavors. This is a new gel, new flavors. You've got the choice of the salted strawberry or the berry. The salted strawberry is also packing 300 milligrams of sodium. That's an increase, whereas the berry has 200 milligrams. Both make them perfect for the conditions we have in Australia, whereas most gels on the market do not have sodium within them. What Bix has done here is take the recipe for the gels that work so well, that 1.8 ratio that is very, very friendly on the stomach and added a soft, subtle, but very tasty twist that you can dial in your race day and your training nutrition to that extra fine detail. As you know, has been supporting the show from the start and it literally helps keep the podcast coming to you every week. So if you want to support the show, level up your own nutrition game, head over to the Bix website, use our brand new code PEAK, P-E-A-K for 20% off at checkout. And with that, let's get back to the show.
00:46:35
Speaker
Now we will actually, Vlad, on the public show, since we've done a Patreon, anyone that wants to ah hear a full rundown of Vlad's UTA50, go and get it on Patreon. You can join us on the link in the show notes on there. But give a brief ah public rundown of your ah Yeah, because I want to hear about it. That's what I asked when we we had a little chat before the show. And I said, oh, we get to hear about Vlad's. And you're like, well, maybe. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, I had a good race. I mean, i'm I'm just happy to go a minute it quicker than last year. A bit like you, Beth. I'm getting older pretty quick, like a year every year. So, yeah, I'm just happy to still stay competitive and um probably made a mistake.
00:47:20
Speaker
not choosing the right headlamp. Um, so I've used the same, like, I don't like running in the dark. And when I did see that start time of 5 AM, I was like, oh no.
00:47:31
Speaker
So I went, had a look at a headlamp, found one that I used like 10 years ago, probably, but just wasn't strong enough. Um, so everybody behind me had like really strong headlamps and that wasn't too much fun. Um, kind of. yeah it's a bit hard to see where I was going lost a bit of touch with um Toby and Blake um and yeah ran kind of with a small group for a couple of K's and yeah was able to catch a couple of people in the end but um
00:48:04
Speaker
Yeah, I think it would have been a different day if I had a better headlamp. And um yeah, I'm just happy to to make it to the finish line and knowing that I didn't get worse than last year. Yeah. yeah And how old are you, Vlad? 39 in about a month.
00:48:20
Speaker
You're still a baby. You've got three of your best years yet. You're fine. Yeah, but I think like, you know, my question to you where you find motivation knowing you don't have too much time at the top.
00:48:31
Speaker
um that's where That's where I've been getting a bit more motivation in the last few years, knowing that my kind of competitive years are limited. um I know I'm going to be running for fun, but that's different. You know, I'm going to do races for fun and enjoy them, which I'm looking forward to. But I think I still find a bit of motivation knowing that this could be the last year or two years of being competitive or semi-competitive, especially with the sport just becoming so professional as well.
00:49:01
Speaker
Yeah. I think one thing that I did talk with James after the race is that Sage was running it and i ran with Sage Transville Kenya 10 years ago and we had a chat like mid-race like 10 years ago 2016 we ran the first climb in the dark together in La Palma and then we got to the aid station And Sim was there handing my water bottle to me and Sage had to go to get his own water, um lost a few seconds and then that kind of gap just kind of created and he ended up finishing a few minutes behind me.
00:49:37
Speaker
And we did I did talk with James about maybe it's not really fair that you can have like unlimited support at eight stations. because yeah it's nice if you have somebody there but then you come from the US to Australia you might not have support there and you kind of just few moments there that you lost at the aid station just meant that he lost that little group that we had and end up running by himself and yeah probably lost a couple of places I would love it if the race did a call out for like, hey, who can help this into international person? Because Sage or the Jajima who came second, like any of them put the call out for can anyone help me at the Sage station? We've got them. Like there was enough of us there to help every
Support Systems in Racing
00:50:20
Speaker
runner. and Yeah, but I think for like if you're an elite, they should go triathlon style.
00:50:26
Speaker
So, you know, like they had an elite start this year for the fifty k and 100K, which um It's great, but I think that it would be nice if everybody were in, you know, level playing fields because, you know, I could have three or four people there helping me in an aid station and giving me a massage for a cramp where like, you know, you could ask somebody, they're just going to hand you a water bottle, you know, so it's also, you know, a bit different. um So I think if you had a bag, like everybody just had a bag, like they're doing triathlon transitions and You know, that's what it is. And for other people like have the support crew, I'm all for support crew and it's like a journey that you do with your family and friends and, you know, um, but if you're there to compete, i don't think it's fair that, you know, um, you know, I did Terraro with no support and, you know, Dan Jones kind of goes through the aid station quickly. And yeah, of course he would have, you know, done well without that support crew, but it still changes the dynamic of the race.
00:51:24
Speaker
Yeah, i hear you. Although I just will quickly say they do have some limits on it. You met like you get one supporter wristband and you're not like you the three and four you're talking about, you like you wouldn't be allowed that technically. We just got the kids in there. No, well, depending on the race, but yeah. At a UTA, you are only supposed to have one. Yeah, you get one person and they get a wristband to show that they're allowed to be there for that.
00:51:46
Speaker
and And it's even like I had bit like bib number on my wristband. Right. Still, yeah, one, as Vlad was saying, like one definitely does make difference. It makes a difference. oh Yeah, I'm with you. But it's interesting. Like it's all part of a bigger conversation too because like in the USA I've heard them talking a lot lately about like whether or not some races should have pacers, you know, especially at just at the elite level really because like do you need a pacer in Black Canyon 100K, which is like – a seven, eight hour race for the top guys, you know, like, no, you don't. I have paces in that?
00:52:19
Speaker
Yeah. Oh, okay. i know I've never seen a hundred K with paces. Have I? In the U S like a few of them do. Yeah. Okay. I don't think any hundred K in Oz has paces as far as I'm aware.
00:52:31
Speaker
Um, not that I know of at least. Um, but, yeah um yeah but i don't know yeah i just think like it becomes like you against not just the competition but also the team behind you so if you're a sponsored athlete there's more more chances you traveling away and your sponsor is there supporting you where like you know i'm traveling somewhere way and most likely i'm not gonna get that support right yeah like at a western states it's really really and that's like i think where the conversation is quite big right now like especially around pacers and crew and stuff like
00:53:03
Speaker
Because all the like most of the top runners at Western States now have two crews. So if you're coming from Japan or something and you're unsponsored, are you going to have an a crew and a B crew and a full like baby ah baby pool full of ice and all that stuff? No, you're not. But if you're fully sponsored by it. But most of those athletes are fully sponsored, right? Absolutely. See, I'm one of those people that I'm not against it for some races because I actually really like the element it brings to the race in some. Like I would be really annoyed if it was every single race, which but thankfully it's not. But there's some races where I actually really love both observing the crewing and that team aspect of them making their way through the race, but also the times where I'm like, well, the crew not making it or things not happening, like actually pull someone else, run someone's race apart and it becomes a detriment instead of it um
00:53:53
Speaker
an advantage and like I I do think it's like ideally it's done in a way where it's as fair as possible I do believe for western states you can kind of put call outs and people are going to come crew you yeah like you'll get people pace you that kind of thing yeah and because like I've been to races in America and signed up as a pacer the day before because someone didn't have a pacer and I'm like sweet you know jump but like I I agree like it picky and choosy in some ways but for me ah even from an observational and like team management perspective and those sorts of things like especially for the long ones it's like it like look at it almost as the f1 they've got their pit crew um how well can you be in it how people professionalized that way too Yeah. It doesn't seem the same for everyone. But for a 50K, Vlad, I'm going to say for the most part, like 100%, you could make all of them self-sufficient. And also I will say, given that OCC is a self-sufficient race, which is on the UTMB series, it would make sense for all of the 50Ks on the UTMB series to be self-sufficient. because then that's just in line with the final.
00:54:56
Speaker
Like all of a sudden it's it's the same. 100K and up, like to me, having a crew there, yes, does it make a huge difference, but not for everyone. Some people prefer not. um I've done some where I prefer not and some where I prefer that there is. But at the same time, I think for me it it adult is almost always the is the rule enforced for every runner and is on that level is it sort of equal, but also the accessibility factor of if a race has,
00:55:23
Speaker
help in place can they put something in place to do a call out to get any internationals the same level of help which i do actually think america does pretty well at with the ability no i know but like it's still like you know an extra step that you have to think about like you know here i am like doing that trip from australia to the u.s and now i'm find you know paces and support crew and rent a car and all that like you know it just makes it a bit harder where i think like we could just simplify it like Here's your five drop bags, like a triathlon transition. You use it, whatever you don't use, you leave that at the bag and you pick up those in bags the end of the race.
00:55:59
Speaker
okay Keeps it like only for the elite. Like I don't think that should be for everybody because like, like I think it would be a fun experience if I'm going to do a hundred K race or a hundred mile a race when, You know, I'm 55. I want to maybe want to have my wife there or my kids there and and kind of share that experience with them. But I think with the way that the sport is going, like, you know, it's it's the gap between the really top guys and the guys and girls that coming up is just getting bigger and bigger. And it's harder to catch up when there is more money and support behind those elite athletes.
00:56:32
Speaker
Yeah, fair. I will say I think that was one of the sticking points though with the PACER discussion at um Western States was them going the, like no PACERS for elites but the other people are allowed PACERS. That line, that crossover, like the where do you make it? What happens when someone with a PACER beats someone without a PACER? Like how does that all translate across um of the whole, like there was a lot of people I just know of the sentiment of we like the fact that the back of the field to the front of the field, we're all following the same rules and we're all running the same race. And I'm looking at how I equate to those elites under the same rules using the same things. So that, and I'm not saying that there's a right or wrong there. i'm just saying that was part of the conversation. That is why it didn't go through because they didn't like having the idea that you automatically self-select before the start, whether you're going to compete or you're going to not compete because you ah you rule yourself out of being out if you choose to have that pacer because you're not sure. Like, again, like you rule yourself out of the competitive side of it. No, no. Like obviously Western States is a one example where there's only 360 people that race it. But there's 60 UTMB events every year where they do kind of cut a line between elites and not elites. Yeah, they have their ranking now. so
00:57:50
Speaker
um And they can adjust it over a time depending on where the sport goes. But yeah. just making it a bit more fair like i felt bad for sage literally like i felt bad that he had to go to the aid station lose a bit of time and you know like they like you finished eighth instead of fifth or fourth or third you know um and that's what i felt like for interawera for example and i'm sure the runners that come across um and race in other countries you know face that and it just yeah I've, I've, from a personal level, like a hundred percent I've had races, like actually even Malaysia last year, I remember rocking up and going, crap, I don't have anyone to help me. And then as soon as I looked and went, oh, it's a self-sufficient race. Everyone's in the same boat. I was like, oh, thank goodness. Yeah. You breathe a sigh of relief. You yeah and have a little advantage. Yeah. yeah i totally agree.
00:58:36
Speaker
Yeah. The thing is for sponsored athletes are not going to go like, you know, oh, let's change that rule because they usually have their support. So they're happy to have, you know, not really talk about it, but.
00:58:47
Speaker
the people that do get hurt is people that usually are not sponsored or, yeah you know, younger athletes are trying to come up in the sport. I just wish like in triathlon, you can drop off your, like your, um, special needs bags, they call them, but the morning of, so you do have the potential to like put ice in there and have them like still be cold. Whereas in trail races, it's always the day before. And I'm like, I just, there is part of me, Vlad, that still just really likes a cold drink.
00:59:15
Speaker
So I'm not going to vote with you on the self-sufficient because that, well, no. I'm going to vote with you on the self-sufficient for everything 50 K and below. Yeah, for sure. You don't need anyone for 50K. Yeah, I'm going to vote for the, I like having my crew for the 100K as well.
00:59:32
Speaker
Yeah. um called Team cold drink. Yeah. yeah but i mean that look look what Look what happened to you. Like, I mean, you yeah your support team missed you in in an aid station and that's going to be in the back of your mind now going forward. It's like, oh, what about if they make it? when They're not going to make it. If you knew it had a drop back there, most likely that drop back is going to make it.
00:59:54
Speaker
Well, it was funny because it like it really didn't bother me at this one. I was just like, all right, figure it out. And I was lucky that somebody else gave me something that I liked. So if that hadn't happened, it probably would have really derailed my race.
01:00:06
Speaker
But um at Tarawera, you know there's at the 100K, there's that 42K mark where you can have a drop bag. and They didn't have mine. And had already been carrying all my stuff for 42K, which is a lot of stuff.
01:00:19
Speaker
So I was planning on fully like restocking there. And I wasted so much time while they were looking for my bag. I think that they sent it somewhere with the 100 milers. I don't even know. But of course, it's not the volunteers fault. So you're there trying to be so nice to the volunteers. Oh, yeah, it's okay. It's okay. And I'm like watching. That's when Holly Ranson passed me. Like I wasted so much time in there. But also and one guy gave me a Morton, which saved me, but that totally derailed me. And I think that's when I decided I'm just going to quit this thing. yeah Like it contributed to it for sure.
01:00:49
Speaker
I've had drop bags go wrong more often than crew too. I know. Because I think they need to like go triathlon style with like numbers and, you know, really kind of. They all do though. Like they've always got. No, no, no. The drop bags right now, they have like a blanket on the grass and like all the bags are different. Where like you get a bag, like in triathlon, like your transition bag, you get a bag with your number on it. They all look the same.
01:01:13
Speaker
And then they have them like. on like those hooks where you run and pick up your bag and drop the bag that you just use. Those like just run to bike and bike to run bags. But then in a full Ironman, you also get a special needs bag, which you can put in the middle of the bike, in the middle of the run. And those ones can be...
01:01:31
Speaker
sometimes in races, anything you want. So it could be a little cooler. It could be like different things. And as you sort of pick up trail run style, like similar. Yeah. But yeah cool idea. um i just Again, it's I suppose there's no ah there's no perfect guarantee because I personally, for the most part, I'd be more worried about my drop bag making it as I'm running along than my crew making it yeah most of the time. I think yeah if it was like a compulsory thing that all elites can only use drop bags, most drop bags will get...
01:02:00
Speaker
will get there and be presented like, you know, in ah in an easy way that they can pick them up, and that you kind of run across them. oh Yeah, but that would be cool. I would love to see it. Maybe one day, Vlad, you need to put on a race and make this happen and show the world that it's good.
01:02:16
Speaker
We can make it happen. um Awesome. Well, yes. Well done, Vlad. It was very good and exact same position as last year for both you and Toby um in your fourth and fifth. um But I think you might have been like you you guys might have been the only couple people that ran overall faster um than the previous year because Dan was a bit slower. um Blake even wasn't as fast as he thought he was going to be in comparison to his previous. So, and You did well. You did damn well.
01:02:41
Speaker
I thought last year's course was way harder. Oh, ah snap but that ah That shows you should have run a bit faster again. no For the 50K, like doing the first 90 minutes in the dark versus the whole thing in light is a huge much difference. like yeah That in itself is just, yeah, it's going to make a difference. Yeah.
01:03:00
Speaker
Awesome. Well, moving on from the UTA chat, feels like it's all we've chatted about for a while. the um to some news topics. So I actually ah even had what someone asked me about this run on the weekend, um wondering about when entries because
Trail Running Events Overview
01:03:15
Speaker
it is coming up soon. But single track events have taken over Wonderland trail one Trail Run, which here in Vic, have you guys heard of it?
01:03:23
Speaker
It's um in the Grampians. It's a really well-known Victorian trail run in the Grampians that's always been like really cool, like colourful, one of those just really fun events through the Grambians. And it's gone through a few renditions of ah ownership over the last few years. But yeah, now Singletrack have taken it on. um I think because it's usually in, and it is, it's in August, um but there's been no information online about it.
01:03:48
Speaker
um up until now. So finally, people know it is happening um and entries are open, I believe. um And it's part of the new Single Track Running Wild catalogue, which now makes it, I think, their seventh, ah James has put here their seventh Running Wild event and 11th event for Single Track. So they're growing they're growing quickly. um And they're picking up some damn cool events because, yeah, anyone that has been to the Grampians obviously knows the Grampians. But Wonderland Trail Run in itself is just um an entity unto itself. And it's run by, it was started by Rowan Day who runs Two Bays.
01:04:23
Speaker
um So it was always Two Bays and Wonderland were sort of there. They're two events. um But, um oh, hang on. ah Yeah. Singletrack have taken it over and James has put here for me the um quote from their announcement. So Singletrack have said, trail running in Victoria has a rich history and the Wonderland run has many stories to tell. Originally started by Rowan Day as a fun, colourful run in the Grampians. Then it has gone through the trusting and legendary legendary hands of first Sean and Mel Greenhill and most recently Brett Crosby of Adelaide Trail Runners.
01:04:53
Speaker
The event has kept its fun side and evolved with the trail running landscape. Huge thank you to those before us who have kept this race thriving. We at Singletrack intend to honour and maintain the event's wonderful, colourful side and keep it all about the community and culture.
01:05:07
Speaker
And honestly, we can't wait. We are working alongside the local trail running community, in particular Gary Word Trail Running, and a couple key locals to help integrate this event into the town of Halls Gap. It can flourish from the energy of the place and the people who call the trails home.
01:05:22
Speaker
So yeah, I guess that's more the good news thing of people, Wonderland is happening, go enter. Cool. Yeah. And ah the Buffalo Stampede was my first single track event and they just do an awesome job. it's It's great to see. It's like, and it's cool to see them expanding too. It's kind of like the, have you heard of Aravipa? Yes, I've heard of Aravipa. They're just picking up events left and right and growing huge and they've got such a great community base. They take really good care of the athletes. Yeah. It's great to see.
01:05:50
Speaker
Yes, yes. Very exciting to see. And I know there'll be many, at least definitely excited Victorians. But yeah, if anyone's ever in Vic around that time and looking for a trail run, Wonderland is a great one. um It's a lot of fun. So cool news there. ah Moving us on to results. um Quick international result comes from the Golden Trail World Series. The Ledger Sky Race was on. um And it was won by Elhuzin and Carolyn Kamutai.
01:06:22
Speaker
But in fifth place on the women's side, notably, was Andrea Colbin's daughter, um who she was, she won Donna Double at the start of this year. We had her on after Donna Double. So she's been on the pod and people hopefully will know her a little bit. If not, go back and listen because she had an incredible run at Donna Double. And not only did she come fifth overall in the Golden Trail World Series race, but she won the downhill segment now that they've got segments back.
01:06:49
Speaker
So I think we saw her downhill capabilities a little bit at Donna, given how quick she was down that descent. um But yeah, it's cool to see that then now translated on the world stage. So um incredible results there. Now, Vlad, can you go through the Magnetic Island two-base trail run? The 21K in the male, Quinn Schwen won in 144. Robbie Savage second, Jeff Rubach third.
01:07:17
Speaker
um In the female, Vanessa Kennedy in first, Ruth Eagles in second, but Trish Swan in third. um Also, they had the 12K. um Noah Gray won it for the male.
01:07:29
Speaker
Jen Davis daves um for the female. um Yeah, I've never heard of that race, but sounds like ah pretty some pretty quick times for the for the half marathon there.
01:07:41
Speaker
Yeah, and nice close racing. And I will also note Ruth Eagles doesn't stop. Ruth Eagles came second here, and if anyone noticed at UTA, she did the eleven k and and then the twenty two k and was then the and was maybe um So to then back it up one week later with a half for another second, it's pretty wild. and Also on the weekend, we had run the gap.
01:08:07
Speaker
So speaking of Hall's Gap, um in the 21K, that was won on the women's side by Ray Carter. And on the men's side, it was actually won by Michael Kernaghan by about two minutes. So it was a nice close race um there for The 12K run was won on the women's side by Emily Dalziel and on the men's side in 50 minutes and then in the men's side, Ash Cohen in 41.50. And then quickly the 6K, Meg Cohen got the win on the women's and Ashton Robinson on the men's.
01:08:41
Speaker
And then we had the Albury Rangers Trail Run, which I believe this is going to be one of James' races as part of the Riverina Trail Running Series. On the long course in the women's, it was won by Nadia Birch in 1.1606.
01:08:58
Speaker
But it was nice and close because Eleanor Gibson was second in 1.16.59. So only 50 seconds there. Emma Flower in third in an hour 20. On the men's side, it was won by Gerald McPherson in a new course record in one hour and two minutes and 25 seconds. Second was Joel Claxton in an hour five. And third, Joey Evans in an hour seven.
01:09:20
Speaker
ah The 5K they also had there was won on the women's by Amy Sullivan in 25-18. Again, a course record for that course. And on the men's side, Beau Meganley in 24-28.
01:09:34
Speaker
um Last but not least, we have South Bremner Trails, which is in South Australia. The half marathon was won by Nikki Butler on the women's side and Riley Walton on the men's. Love that. Lots of cool races. There was a few more races, but we can't find the results. So to anyone that run the ran the Douglas Dash or Trails and Tails, feel through to feel free to send through the results um because we can't find them online.
01:09:59
Speaker
But for now, for what's coming up in the next week, we have Charlie Hamilton racing Maxi Race in France. Have you seen this one at all, Beth, or run any of these trails around Annecy? No.
01:10:11
Speaker
No. i knew Charlie was racing the maxi race, but I didn't, I haven't run them. I think Ruth might be racing it. Ruth. Yeah. Ruth is racing too. Um, and Vlad, have you run around Annecy at all? No, but, uh, they've added us doing a bit work without rice.
01:10:27
Speaker
I would assume so. yeah Yeah. Yeah. They're team races, I think. Yeah. um Yeah, I'd certainly assume so. But yeah, Annecy, the trails, especially that lap of the lake of Annecy, it's very, very nice trails. Like some of the best. Pretty technical, right?
01:10:43
Speaker
Yeah, some parts very, very runnable, some parts like technical across the ridgeline at the top of Montverrier, which is before the last descent if that's the direction they go, but it might. Not sure. um But yes, bit of both.
01:10:56
Speaker
um Also coming up, rapid descent trail series there, round one for the trail running series here in Vic in Blackwood is coming up. Maiponga Loop in South Australia, Kalbari-Begurda-Bash trail run in WA. Do you know anything about that one, Vlad? No, it's pretty far away from Perth.
01:11:15
Speaker
Fair, fair. What about Jolly Jumbuck Trail Run? That's part of the WA Trail Series, isn't it? Yeah, I've done that race a few times. I'm going to be there on the weekend with Biggs, but that's a pretty cool event. um Probably has one of our biggest climbs in Perth. um and So yeah, maybe like 150 metres straight up, which is our biggest climb.
01:11:38
Speaker
Love that. Awesome.
Upcoming Races and Personal Ambitions
01:11:40
Speaker
Then Off the Beaten Track Series Round 3 in Yungela in Queensland, Trail Trips Triple Crown Race. Ds, they don't make these easy to read out.
01:11:52
Speaker
um Round one in the raw trail run, which apparently also incorporates Border Bolt and the Coastal High, which I've heard of all of them before. So three races in one, um as well as ah this one's one of the more famous ones in Oz, the Dead Cow Gully Backyard Ultra in Queensland. So Beth, would you ever do a Backyard Ultra?
01:12:14
Speaker
It's not really on my list of things to do. I really like sleeping. That's such a polite way to put it. So probably not, but they seem cool. I mean, I would like go to one and run for 12 hours for fun and then say bye.
01:12:31
Speaker
i don't know. Not the 14? You've done 14 before. Yeah, I mean, I could do that. But I just, I don't know. There haven't been any that really, I was like, oh, that'd be amazing. They are doing one not far from me in Queensland later this year at some point. And it's at this cool place called Cobb & Co.
01:12:49
Speaker
Yeah. um Which is like a cool campground. And so I feel like that kind of vibe could be fun. Like basically you're just like, it's a big campground and this thing's going to be going on. I think that would be fun. Like I'd like to go. i don't know if I need to do it.
01:13:02
Speaker
Fair. I did actually find it a lot of fun to crew um for a while for someone. And then, yeah. I'm crewed during the daylight hours. yeah I think I crewed for 36 hours straight. yeah no That's a no from me. I was just asleep deprived, but i love I actually like that side of it. so that Yeah, it is cool.
01:13:20
Speaker
um Awesome. Well, that ah brings us to the end of this week's show. um So thank you so much for joining us, Beth. And now that everyone knows where you've got, what you've got coming up, we can all be following along and looking out for... Don't follow too closely in the next couple months. These are more bucket list races than...
01:13:38
Speaker
than ones I'm going to go out and try and win. so Honestly, half the time, like, I just, I love watching people go do their bucket list races and just go have a fun time. Like, that that brings me as much joy as seeing someone go, like, absolutely annihilate a race and compete. I'm just like, you go live that life. Do some cool stuff, yeah. I'm here for the cool stuff. yeah I think it'd be cool to have you on the show after your trip and give us a rundown of the whole weekend now that it's um so big with TrailCon. And um yeah, I mean, obviously trail running is exploding in the US. It'd be cool to get a quick recap.
01:14:13
Speaker
Yeah, of Broken Arrow, definitely. The whole weekend, like Broken Arrow, Trail Con and Western States. And Western States, yeah. It's all like in one thing. Yeah, so I talked to Dylan Bowman about it a little bit. I might be doing some stuff with Trail Con, but that's still TV. Oh, cool.
01:14:26
Speaker
Amazing. Even better. Well, yes, we would definitely love to chat after that to get the inside scoop on what it's actually like to be there because we'll be living vicariously through you at this point um as we are all very jealous. Yeah.
01:14:38
Speaker
Yeah, I can be the token Aussie who's not an Aussie. Oh, we've definitely claimed you at this point. Actually, yeah, no, um I did listen to a lot of, but my run ended, your your UTA recap with Blake. And he said, and Beth, and are we claiming are we claiming her as an Aussie? And everyone's like, yeah. And I was like, yay. It made me so happy. Good job. And actually, like I've applied, I wanted to apply for citizenship last year because i was like, I could race for Australia. That'd be cool. Like, that'd be so cool.
01:15:08
Speaker
It'd be like, yeah, it would be great. I would love that. But um you have to you cannot leave the country for more than 90 days in the trailing 12 months when you apply. And last year I did so much travel that I couldn't, I wasn't able to apply. So hopefully by like September this year, I might be just under like the 90 days. So then I would apply. so yeah. so But again, Vlad, it's like, there's a time limit on everything. I'm like, you know, if I wanted to race for Australia at a world championship, that's not going to happen when I'm 50, unless I'm doing the masters or whatever. Oh, you did a long course.
01:15:43
Speaker
No, no, long course, Asia Pacific, world champs. I think you'll make the team. Yeah. I reckon I'm 50. So I've got to, got to get that going. So. yeah Oh, well, you get the citizenship ah in by September and then next year there's world champs.
01:15:59
Speaker
Well, there we go. so have a Good timing. Awesome. I think that would be a very big accomplishment, but, you know, who knows? I'm definitely not going to – well, I don't know how it works in the U.S. either. Anyway, this is a topic for another show. Thank you so much always for the support, and I love your show, and you do great things.
01:16:20
Speaker
Thank you Thank you, and thanks, everyone, for joining us. We'll speak to you next week. guys.