Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
World Mountain Running Cup, New AUTRA Committee, Sombre Reminders feat Katinka Von Elsner-Wellsteed | Episode 106
509 Plays8 days ago
https://www.instagram.com/katinkav_/In episode 106 of Peak Pursuits sim and Brodie sit down with Katinka Von Elsner-Wellsteed just before she heads off to China to race the second WMRA World Cup race Beijing Changping Yanshou Trail Challenge. Hear about Katinka's last 12 months since we caught up with her after her ripper run at KMR 2025, including her first Euro races, a move to the Blue Mountains, and a coaching change.
We then catch up with Brodie after his unfortunate achilles rupture during the Aus Oritenteering Champs and what that means for his next 12 months, before diving into news from the AUTRA AGM and announcing the new committee. The final bit of news is a sombre reminder to be careful no matter our level of experience as we discuss the devastating passing of David Parrish during his FKT attempt of the Cape Wrath track.
Finish with some incredible results form the week and highlighting a big week ahead, we hop you enjoy!!
Results:
- Huon Hill - Riverina Trail Running Series Round 1 (VIC)
- Maroondah Dam (VIC)
- Five Peaks Trail Running Festival (SA)
***Don’t forget, use code PEAK at https://bix-hydration.myshopify.com/en-au for 20% off Bix products, exclusive to PPP listeners!***
Join us on Patreon HERE
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!
Follow Sim: Instagram | Strava
Follow Brodie: Instagram | Strava
Follow Katinka: Instagram
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/mood-maze/trendsetter License code: K08PMQ3RATCE215R
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:00:08
Speaker
Hello and welcome to episode 106 of the Peak Pursuits podcast. My name is Simone Brick and I am today joined by Brodie Nankervis. How are we doing, Broads? Yeah, not too bad. Not too bad. Good good to be here. Nice ah sunny afternoon outside.
00:00:26
Speaker
Don't start with the weather chat again. However, it is beautiful. It's great autumn days. That's mostly why I'm commenting on it because these are like the perfect days for training and unfortunately I'm not training.
00:00:38
Speaker
Oh yeah, true actually, sad times, but yeah, this is definitely my favourite time of year to train, so I am loving it. But joining us, more excitingly than some weather, um on the podcast today, we finally have the lovely Katinka von Elsner-Wellsteed. How are we doing, Tinks?
00:00:56
Speaker
Yeah, really well. Thanks so much for having me and for pronouncing my last name so well, Sim. Yeah. Is that not how you pronounce it? No, you did it really well. You did it really well. Okay, good, good, good, good.
00:01:09
Speaker
ah Happy days. I do love phonetic. It's it's a phonetic surname. Like it you say it. I don't know how you read it. So it's great. I love it. Anyways.
Reflecting on Past Races and European Experience
00:01:19
Speaker
um Coming up today, we're going to get ah to know Katinka a bit and Katinka is off to China herself this week to go race in the World Mountain Running Cup, which is incredibly exciting.
00:01:30
Speaker
And then we have a bit of news coming out of ORTRA with the new committee um and some really cool results coming through with a few questions. So... getting us started katinga we haven't had have we had you one before in my mind i've talked you so much that we have yeah i think i did one after kananyi mountain run like this time last year actually maybe because that was in feb end of feb march beautiful
00:02:01
Speaker
Beautiful. That means I do have something to throw the listeners back to to go ah get to know Katinka a bit more, even so than what we chat through today. um But for a, suppose, recap, catch up on where you're at now then, it's been a whole year.
00:02:17
Speaker
So how's how things been and how's the journey been from Kunani to now in terms of You were really, really new to trail running and now you're still, by all means, at the very beginning, which is the exciting part of ah what you can do in your career in trail running. But how's this past year developed and how's it got where where are you at now, I suppose? um Yeah, so since Kanani last year, unfortunately, well, I had a really good race. Kanani was super proud of that one. um
00:02:50
Speaker
But after I got really sick, so unfortunately missed all the Australian races. Yeah. in that middle bit of the year. um So, yeah, it was wiped out um but decided to go to Europe. I know all about that.
00:03:07
Speaker
Yeah. It's going around, isn't it, woman? It's going around and I'm like, not this year. um Yeah. Yeah, so because I missed um the Australian season last yeah last year, decided to go to Europe um and do the World Cup in Sylvania.
00:03:28
Speaker
which was like, yeah, it was like 10K with 900 metres of climbing. um And that was my first, yeah, World Mountain Cup experience. And it was incredible. um The support, the people, um the race.
00:03:48
Speaker
Yeah, it was nothing like I've ever experienced before. um So, yeah, I think I got nineteenth there. Um, and yeah, I guess racing 10 K was different as well. I've never done 10 K on trail, um, before. They burn. Yeah. I think I was just like, well, we're starting really fast.
00:04:13
Speaker
Um, yeah but yeah. Yeah. And ah with that, just we'll stack on stick on that experience for a little bit here because with that experience of like going over for your first European race, like what were your first impressions even just getting there? um Yeah, I was just like in awe. I was like, can't believe can't believe I'm here and um was definitely like in the mindset of like, oh, I'm going to get absolutely flogged because The Europeans are so fast and, um yeah, i think just like, yeah, i wanted to get out there and, um yeah, do my best and experience it.
00:04:58
Speaker
yeah And then how did it compare like as a race experience um from like in in all of the logistics and processes and everything around the race, like how did it compare as a race experience to what you were used to in Oz um being over there as part of like a World Cup, which is a major World Series kind of thing?
Cultural Differences in Racing: Europe vs Australia
00:05:17
Speaker
Yeah, it was incredible. Like the, yeah, like again this support um the there was like this celebration um And, yeah, like, yeah, celebration. There was a dinner that that was put on um for all the athletes. There was accommodation ah provided. um
00:05:39
Speaker
yeah it was just, yeah, very well organised and... um Yeah, I guess that is the same in Australia, but yeah, I guess just the level was very much amped up and maybe a bit more support, um which was nice.
00:05:56
Speaker
um Yeah. Yeah, it can be quite a, it's a wild experience. like Yeah. It can be quite overwhelming, especially the first day round. Definitely overwhelming, yeah. I think it's almost, it's really, really hard um to actually perform your best in the first few goes of that experience just because of how much, um like, how did you find that the experience itself being so incredible and being so overwhelming, like, how much energy did that take as opposed to what you would normally get in the comfort of Australia and the environment you used to? Yes, exactly, yeah. um Definitely, I was just, yeah, absorbed by what was happening.
00:06:33
Speaker
Awesome. And then so launching from that, where did you then head after that World Cup and you ended up in Italy? um No. So I actually went to, unfortunately I missed World Champs, I decided to go to Font.
00:06:53
Speaker
Oh, yep, yep, yep. was there for six weeks And it happened to be where everyone was before World Champs, um which was awesome. So I had all the Aussies there and we were just training um there, which was, I loved Font. I think just having thetahaal spot yeah having the mountains just there. And it was like, even though it was a small town, it just like had everything that you needed. um And you're just running all the time and training and,
00:07:25
Speaker
How good is that? I love that. um But, yeah and yeah, it was in font um and then I went to Italy for the final of the Golden Trail, um which, yeah, that was the sky running race in Ledro. Yeah, and...
00:07:48
Speaker
How'd that go? Actually, first of all, you were at the final the year before, but he unfortunately couldn't run. how did it feel to be back knowing that you were running? How did it feel to be back there and this time knowing that you were there to run?
00:08:02
Speaker
Yeah, it was very surreal. i just remember watching you guys the year before running down this huge mountain and I was like, gosh, do i want to do this?
00:08:14
Speaker
and And I was, yeah, I didn't really, guess, look at the course profile too much going into this led row one. um But, yeah, being there, I was just like, wow, this is so cool. And, again, the setup was amazing.
00:08:31
Speaker
And you see all these athletes like you're on Instagram and they're all just like there and you're like, oh my God. um Yeah, it was was incredible. Love
Challenges and Learnings from Technical Trails
00:08:45
Speaker
that. I love, I do, I love that you got to go back and one year later you were the person there on the start line. Did you get a chance to check the course at all beforehand?
00:08:55
Speaker
ah No, i didn't. So that was one thing. i think like and big learning curve for me was definitely getting there way earlier and running over the course, um especially the technicality of that is was just so, yeah, I didn't even know that stuff existed.
00:09:17
Speaker
So, yeah, yeah definitely will do that next time. um Yeah, yeah. And so then how did the how did the race itself go?
00:09:27
Speaker
um Yeah, it was okay. It was probably not the outcome that I wanted but also i think, yeah, looking back, i think I was just like so proud to get there and um do a race that was definitely not in my wheelhouse. um But I think I knew that also going into it, um I wanted to like that's that's where it's at is um racing against these guys and being – overseas and experiencing it so um yeah it's probably not the outcome I wanted but there was still like a lot of takeaways from it that um I took yeah 100% and I think it's it's such a hard path to lead um when you are going and putting yourself in the deepest of the deep end um even knowing that and like as you said you even you ran the course and you're like I didn't know some of this sort of terrain existed Like you're essentially asking yourself to do on the very first try to compete with the best in the world, but that is far from their very first try. yeah um And so ah it it like it's such a rewarding path because you're guaranteed to be stronger and better off for it and you know where you stand
Choosing Challenging Races for Growth
00:10:44
Speaker
currently. But also it's really cool when you go, okay, that's where I stand as a beginner.
00:10:48
Speaker
in this damn thing. So it's it's making sure your mind can keep that at the forefront before comparing anything because they've been most of them have been doing it for years.
00:10:59
Speaker
But also say it's it's that it's that like long-term reward but in the moment such a hard place to be both mentally and physically to just be going. I've given so much and it's like – you could You could stay in, again, you can stay in the comfort zone and you can stay home in Australia and race a lot more locally, and which is a really fun path in itself. But it's a completely different world to then just be going, okay, i'm going to step way outside of my comfort zone and in in order to grow and get better at what I'm doing. So i i love that you did it. I love that you're still doing it and I love what what you're doing in the sport. It's um it's awesome. um And I just wanted to like recognize that it's a bloody hard way to go about it.
00:11:43
Speaker
yeah But it's a cool way. It's a good way. yeah definitely. I just remember finishing and I was like, what? like Like, I didn't obviously have the best run, but I was like, wow, I can't believe how quick these girls are going. And it's hard to be like, well, am I ever going to get there? But I think, yeah, just keep chipping away and keep going and, yeah, experiencing it.
00:12:07
Speaker
It's just no other way. 100%. Yeah. And you're guaranteed never going to get there if you never put yourself in it and in those circumstances and learn to get better at them. um But, yeah, it was cool. Like I met this 13-year-old girl that did the golden trail race. Emma?
00:12:25
Speaker
Yes. um And she... Ecuador, Pema. She's lovely. It was beautiful and just so kind. um And she was telling me where she'd lived and it was like this, think it Ecuador.
00:12:38
Speaker
Ecuador, yeah. She's Ecuadorian. Yeah, this mountain town um with lots of altitude and... I just remember being like, wow, that's exactly what I want. i was like, I think that's the other outcome I got from being overseas last year. I was like, that's I want to be living like in the mountains and running on the mountains every day and like having experience.
00:13:03
Speaker
yeah ah in the backyard is just like yeah goes a long way when yeah 100 i remember the first couple of times when i was over there and hearing where people grew up or i'll never forget one of my first races meeting davide magnini um from italy and then he he literally drove me through his hometown and and i stayed there the night in one of the um hotels and I was like okay I'm at like 3,000 meters in the Dolomites in a tiny mountain town with a VK right behind and there's trails everywhere and I'm like you've lived here your whole life like I feel like you've got like a decade of ah of a head start on anyone coming from Oz.
00:13:41
Speaker
I know like Pima she's like 13 or something i was like gosh she's like the miles ahead. know.
00:13:52
Speaker
I know. It is crazy. But there's ways to make this happen. We got this. Yeah, definitely. We got this. Brody, you got any questions on the overseas trip year? No, I think there's some things I want to chat about world mountain running because I think it's very cool that we're seeing some people from Australia getting involved with that side of the sport.
00:14:14
Speaker
um And I think that's a huge area ah development. So Tink's and Nath sort of leading the way and Tink's probably our first person running world mountain running races for a few years so very cool to see. Well, there's Lara.
00:14:26
Speaker
Lara. Yeah, but I guess Lara sort of lives overseas so I'm, yeah, yeah, Lara is definitely. We don't disown, no, no, no, we claim all the all the people overseas. Yeah, I'm claiming but like it's harder to. And all of the Aussies that leave, we keep claiming.
00:14:42
Speaker
It's just harder to associate with someone who lives elsewhere, I think, compared to like seeing someone do it from Australia. But yes, yeah la is Lara has been leading the way. Sorry, Lara. Thinks is back up.
00:14:55
Speaker
She's next. She's leading the charge now. um But we might talk about that when we get to the China races. um Yeah. I think she's sort of saying that like your experience last year,
00:15:06
Speaker
when you were in the mountains and living in the mountains, training in the mountains, racing in the mountains made you sort of want
Living and Training in Mountain Environments
00:15:12
Speaker
to move. and And was that the main thing that drove for the recent move up to the Blue Mountains where you're currently living?
00:15:18
Speaker
Yes, definitely. um Yeah, as soon as I got back and I was in Carlton, I was like, ah i the trams and everything. i was like, no, this is just not doing for me anymore. So had an opportunity to go there a couple of times before the move and luckily there's like such a beautiful community there and met some really amazing people that, yeah, showed me the trails and yeah, I guess I experienced what it was like to be Katoomba local.
00:15:51
Speaker
um And I was like, wow, this is this is amazing and it's definitely a special place. So, yeah, had ah an opportunity to go and move, um yeah, four or five weeks ago now.
00:16:07
Speaker
um so yeah, um yeah, it made the move and, yeah, It's been really good. um Yeah. I was chatting to you yesterday and it didn't sound like you were keen to move back to a city. So you sort of hooked to stay out of the city.
00:16:22
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, yeah, i think definitely. um i Being there and, yeah, being there has just made me realise like that just makes me so happy. Like besides like robot running or anything, it's just like, yeah, that makes me feel my yeah, it feels like myself being there, um which is so nice for a change. um But, yeah, maybe,
00:16:49
Speaker
blueys for now or maybe overseas but yeah definitely definitely no more Carlton life for me even though Carlton is great and it's it's served its purpose but yeah just the mountains are too good the mountains are calling um yeah it it looks like since you've been up there I know a few other things have changed as well you've got a new coach um and Your training's changed a
New Coach and Training Approach
00:17:18
Speaker
little bit. um It looks like you've been doing some really awesome training up there. how How's that been going with the the shift of coach? and tell us a little bit about that.
00:17:26
Speaker
Yeah, so I recently um moved over to David Roach, um which has been awesome. um It's been really positive and, yeah, just like, yeah, someone that really believes in me and, um yeah, is, yeah, really, really Yeah.
00:17:52
Speaker
It's only been a couple of months now, not even, maybe two months. So still, um yeah, very much process. But, um yeah, it's been really good with him.
00:18:04
Speaker
Did much change um for how you were going about things? Like were it was it a did it feel like a big physical shift and and whole new training you had to get used to or was it more subtle and like a gradual approach to any changes he made?
00:18:18
Speaker
Um, yeah, it was sort of gradual, I guess the layout of the training has changed a bit for me. Um, so normally like you would have like Tuesday, Friday session and a Sunday long run, but now I have like a Tuesday session, Saturday session in a long run and Sunday, a shorter run.
00:18:42
Speaker
Um, So it's changed like that, but it's still fairly similar. um Yeah. Nice. I love that. That's a cool move. Very, very cool move. And leading up to now, you've ah suppose what led to the choice of going to this particular race? We all are off to, hang on, let me get the name right. It is the Janshengling.
00:19:07
Speaker
Nope, it is not. Beijing Changping Yanshu Trail Challenge. um jen changling is the golden trail one at the end of the year my bad had that in my head um so you're off to the beijing chengping yenshu trail challenge um which is next week near beijing um and yeah what this week yeah oh my gosh it is this week yeah i thought in my head it was like next week yeah time does Time
Upcoming Race in China: Goals and Preparation
00:19:35
Speaker
does. Awesome. It's this weekend, exciting times. but um What led to what led to, what was the decision making behind ah this race in particular?
00:19:44
Speaker
um Well, I basically, well, with the race in Slovenia last year, because it was a World Cup, you get put on a mailing list. um So was getting emailed all these races already for the year, for this year, and saw this opportunity come up and it was, yeah, all so all supported by World Mountain Running and maybe the china Chinese mountain running people as well um yeah and just thought may as well shoot my shot and they came back and they were like, yep, we'll um have you. yeah, Yeah, that was pretty much the decision. if I got in, I got in. If I didn't, I didn't. And it happened to me that I got in. And, yeah, I'm just, yeah, excited. um Awesome. yeah And are you doing are you doing the classic or the uphill or both?
00:20:41
Speaker
So you have to do both. Oh, it is both. Okay, nice. Yeah, is both. So, yeah, the... the shorter one on the Saturday and then Sunday, um the classic. Nice. that I'm just having a look at these courses. I'm going to give people a bit of context on exactly what you're about to tackle because particularly this uphill kind of is a bit mind-boggling because it's 2.97 kilometres, which three case let's Let's just call it the But it's three ks with up. However, also down, which
00:21:17
Speaker
Is ah he awesome is what it says on the website. For some reason it's got different on the the map. The map says 3.5. yeah it's Okay.
00:21:29
Speaker
I'm looking at the course info from the website. Yeah. so But it still still has that elevation change, I think. It's just slightly longer. Okay, so same elevation change but 3.5. Oh, I see what you mean. Yeah, okay, the website does not match the actual It looks like it's got like an up and down in the first sort of about 150 up and down. then the last has 333 metres climbing. So big uphill about what, that's 30%. Yeah.
00:21:57
Speaker
so a big uphi finish about what that's thirty percent so Yeah, I think both were saying there was a 30%-er in there. Yeah. And i it's um I think it's on the Great Wall.
00:22:10
Speaker
sir um that, yeah, so there's going to be lots of stairs. ah Yes, yes, there will be. Which has been great because the Blue Mountains have had heaps of stairs. So I hope that will translate. Perfect place to train.
00:22:26
Speaker
know, I know. I've been doing so many stairs, so... it' see um Yeah, the finish line is called Watchtower 12, so I imagine that's on the on the wall. Oh, shit. Yeah, that is.
00:22:39
Speaker
The wall is wild. like the that Yeah, it is very steep. Yeah. And, like, yeah it's it's yeah, it's going to be interesting experience and a wild experience. But then the next day um you go up again for the classic, which I'm going to, by the looks of it, ignore the, like, info that they've got on the website and just look at this thing this um map because it's very different again um so I'm guessing here but 18k yes yeah okay cool it's 18k with is it still 2,000 up and down no it's like 1,200 1,200 okay i was gonna say because crazy how different that is the website says 25.7 with yeah
00:23:24
Speaker
It's been changing a lot. We're like, oh, I hope it is 18K. Okay, cool. So we're looking at hopefully 18K with 1300 up and down. And so that's the day after um the 3K, which, yeah, are you feeling about that being a doubleheader?
00:23:40
Speaker
Yeah, first time doing the double. um But, yeah, it's cool. They have prize money for both. which is yeah really good. But, yeah, I think just going to yeah do my best in both hopefully. I'm really excited for the 18K more so um just because I've never really done the 3K. Yeah, it sounds painful, the 3K. Yeah, it sounds really quick and I'm and like, what do I don't know I'm really, really quick at the moment. Yeah.
00:24:16
Speaker
That quick anyway. That's all right. That's all right. It'll be another one of those new experiences um for sure. And um for do you have, actually I might even ask this as one of the questions that the Patreons have sent in because I think it ties in perfectly for where we're at right now. I don't know who this is actually.
00:24:38
Speaker
It's Ian Best I think. Oh, is i was going to say, is it Ian? um um He's asked, what does success look like for you in this race? um And then as a follow-on from that, he's asked, how do you define success and set goals on an unfamiliar course with an unknown field of competitors? Yeah, wow. um Well, I feel like success for this race um goes beyond just the race. There's been like lots of tough bumps over the last couple of months. so I'm just like, yeah, really proud and happy to put together a solid block and even get to the start line. I think
00:25:22
Speaker
Yeah, I'm just so happy that I'm there and I'm healthy and it's yeah it's been a great block. um And, yeah, with racing a strong field and an unknown course, I think,
00:25:34
Speaker
um It's just about, yeah, trusting the process and doing the best I can on the day and, yeah, enjoying the opportunity. i think that all leads to great things when you're just enjoying it and, yeah, believing in it. yeah So will success be more about how you feel about how there ah in the race and how you feel the race went as opposed to sort of the time or the place or those sorts of things? Yeah, definitely.
00:26:03
Speaker
um Yeah, like look we I definitely would love to have a place in mind but also i yeah, feel like it is just like a stepping stone and this is only like, yeah, I haven't done many races like this before so regardless of the result, I think I will still get something out of it. Yeah, 100% for sure. Brodie, what questions did you have about World Mountain?
00:26:32
Speaker
I was mostly just i was just like, it's cool to see Katinka and Nathan heading over and and doing World Mountain because it is that sort of shorter distance that we do see World Champs or that the more of that type of racing that we do see for the mountain running disciplines at World Champs.
00:26:52
Speaker
And there's not a whole heap of other racing over that distance um across the season. So, yeah, it was mostly just like a a conversation around that, I guess, in terms of like, yeah, what what is it? Is it something drawing you to world mountain running um races? Katinka, is that sort of something you'd like to do, say, looking ahead at world champs and that sort of stuff? Or is it just that this was a really good opportunity ah to get across and not as far to travel with with China being a bit closer and that sort of stuff?
00:27:23
Speaker
Or is it like will you look to do more world mountain running races in the future? Yeah. It was definitely probably more of an opportunity. um But because I'm fairly new to trail running still, I've only ever dabbled in that shorter distance. And um I think, yeah, it's still drawing me a lot. So I just felt, yeah, like it was...
00:27:49
Speaker
um Yeah, good opportunities arising in that mountain running distance. And yeah, definitely world champs would love to give the shorter distance a go. um But yeah, because I'm still quite new, I feel like the longer distances are also um something i could be interested in as well.
00:28:11
Speaker
But yeah, mainly just the support from them is unbelievable. So yeah, just grabbing any opportunity that I can get my hands on. Yeah, and it's all good all good training for the future as well. But yeah, that's cool to hear.
00:28:25
Speaker
um I think like, yeah, I feel like it's hard for people to see a pathway in Australia for that shorter distance stuff um because World Champs is maybe the only thing that that they've heard of.
00:28:38
Speaker
um and and we don't have a lot of races in Australia that are that type of race. No, no. So, yeah, it's good to sort of hear about it and it's cool to have you guys over there waving the flag in a way for Australia and hopefully we get some more people following because I can see this being like super good opportunity and in future years for those sort of like young, um maybe people who are just starting on trails coming across from cross country or road and that sort of stuff because it's more similar to that sort of running. um and Because even the golden trail races, they're like, we say they're short distance, but they're like 20K shortest, two hour usually shortest race.
00:29:18
Speaker
yeah Interestingly on that point though, is this this would have to be the longest classic distance world mountain run I've ever seen, from my memory at least, for the eighteen k Because I know that like even this year the 21 or the 22k at Broken Arrow is the long. um So this one, is is this the longest that you know of in the calendar, Katinka?
00:29:40
Speaker
I think they might be
00:29:43
Speaker
I think C.S. and L's in it. C.S. and L's in the long. It's in a different category. oh they have different. So is this yeah is the the one that Katinka's not doing in the long category?
00:29:55
Speaker
No, no. They put it in the classic, which i like they're the ones I normally see as sort of the 10 to 12 to 15K. Yeah, And like as I was looking at it i was like, oh, this isn't long, but it must be just under the threshold because I think the 21K ones that they've got in there, are all in the long category. um yeah But this one sneaks in somewhere in the up-down, which might be why they've changed the course from 25 to 18 because not sure 25 would count in the classic. um But, yeah, I think 18Ks is like 18Ks with 1300 up and down is a lot closer to yeah sort the Golden Trail distance. It says classic up and downhill 10 to 21 kilometres. So it must just sneak Yeah, okay.
00:30:38
Speaker
And I think the Golden Trail now is like 30Ks. Yeah, it depends on the race. But there's like 42K races and stuff in Golden Trail. So probably sits like on average the World Mountain Running Cup races because like you run, correct me if I'm wrong, but when you're running World Mountain Running Cup, you would run all three category of races. It's not just like they rank in uphill and rank in classic. Yeah, you rank in both. You rank in both. Yeah, it's overall ranking for the prize money.
00:31:06
Speaker
No, so there's, yes well, at least when I used to look at it, there's prize money for each category, for like uphill, classic, and then long. Yeah, that that is still the case. So like in order to be ranked in one of them, you have to have done a certain number of races in that category. But then the overall is done across, actually don't quote me on that because I'm not sure, but I'm assuming. This is across all races, 10 race results of 16 races. Yeah, but if you look, like I would have to dive into the paperwork again, but if you look at it, there would be there would be like you have to do two or three of each of the category to rank just, if you want to rank just in that category. I think it's three. um
00:31:47
Speaker
I think Nathan, I would. Yeah. But surely the prize money is for the overall World Cup, not for the ranking of the disciplines. I think they've got prize money across both. Okay, so they have normal. Yeah, okay. Maybe that's the case. There you go Anyway, that's getting into the details. But it's yeah because I guess my point was in average, like these races are shorter than Golden Trail if you average them across the distances probably. Oh, 100%. Well, the uphill and the classic, yes. The long and is in the same category. And Golden Trail probably to the, because World Mountain Running Cup, I think they've been putting a little bit more effort in in in the last couple of years and trying to promote as much as possible. But like,
00:32:26
Speaker
In the last five years, Golden Trail series has been known as the sort of short trail distance, ah the premiere sort of series, I guess. So in my mind, like looking at the sport from a whole, like I guess there's a lot of hype around Golden Trail.
00:32:41
Speaker
um So yeah, it's it's cool to sort of see them continuing on developing, it makes sense, I guess, with World Champs being the mountain disciplines still. um But yeah, giving that other option that's not just you have to sort of get to the level where you can run 20 There is sort of uphill races and classic races, which is cool. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, 100%. Yeah. Yeah, hopefully this brings more awareness too because I didn't even know about it until I had to ask. um I asked Lara what, like, her calendar looked like and, um yeah, i didn't even know the mountain running existed. so yeah, hopefully this, yeah, creates more awareness for other Aussies to...
00:33:23
Speaker
to do them because, they yeah, they're really good and the support's there. Definitely. They're the, yeah, for me it's always, it almost like it sat somewhat in a separate category um in that I don't remember them having as many of the longer distance ones at least. um But it is cool to see that now, you're right, Brodie, it's kind of like there's there's more in there, like they've got Broken Arrow Sky Race this year, like that and things like that where there is more of that sort of,
00:33:53
Speaker
crossover um and it seems more support more um I don't want to say celebrate more media or like it's more yeah people are more aware of it for sure yeah and it's a different sort of media to the the golden trail in general I think the the golden trail one's very very flashy and very like I don't know that it's sort of ah a bit more like it feels a bit more like film makey type of coverage and and the recaps and all that sort of stuff, which is cool. It gathers people's attention and it's awesome to watch world mountain running feels more like, it's just like, this is the sport we're watching the sport. It's sort of like you're tuning in to watch the footy on the weekend. Like it's, it gives me more of that vibe.
00:34:33
Speaker
um And yeah, I love it though. They would do the interviews with people. um Maybe the coverage from this weekend in Portugal wasn't so good, but I'm hoping the China stuff is, is good. And, yeah, it's cool to hear the interviews with people after the races and that sort of stuff. So if, if there's one thing China does well, it is race coverage. They have almost every single one of their trail races live streamed to start to finish. And it is incredible with, and there's prize money, every single one, like having spent that time in China and like every weekend we were, we were sitting down in front of a live stream and some of them weren't even big races. He's just like,
00:35:08
Speaker
And Nyao and Jishuai were just like, yeah, this is this is the way it is. We have live streams. And the live stream, like having seen the live stream done at the race I did, it's it's start to finish, split screen, men and women. You have the entire race of both genders the entire time.
00:35:25
Speaker
And I'm just like, okay, world needs to take note of how these guys are doing it because they're nailing it. Well, obviously, say the prize money in – the world mountain running race for this weekend is paying down right down to 12th.
00:35:39
Speaker
And it's, yeah, very, very nice cash. isn Nice. Yeah. Which is good. Love that when they pay down. um How are you feeling about heading, you head off tomorrow to China. um Question one, have you downloaded the VPN? And question two, um how you feel how are you feeling about, um because China, again, is a different kettle of fish again from Europe um in terms of culture shock and those sorts of things. So is there anything you're going to take from trips last year and the learnings in terms of trying to then like ah get used to the cycle of the the unknowns and the travel and um still performing within that completely overwhelming environment? Yeah.
00:36:24
Speaker
Oh, yeah. i am I think just trying to be a bit more relaxed and not so stressed um and try and yeah just like soak up yeah let's yeah everyone around and the experience because I feel like taking that all in and just like having fun will make me feel a bit more relaxed.
00:36:48
Speaker
at ease and yeah, we'll translate hopefully to a good race. um Yeah, I think that's the main main thing. Nice. Definitely look up which VPN works best in that area. um Down south where i was it was, it was Let's VPN.
00:37:07
Speaker
but um how did it definitely look this as in it's just an app let's vpn like it's just a company but like your apps and everything like a bunch of your apps and the things that you need won't work um also you need to download alipay and wechat definitely do that it's like like this the world mountain running have organized it all for us so yeah we have wechat and then um everything else is sorted so I'm just like love that rocking up and it's in their hands probably I'm just and then upationsons coming through so I'm like oh okay well there's another Aussie just relax a bit more don't have to babysit a night
00:37:52
Speaker
yes yeah Exactly. The trouble you too could get up to. ah know. I'm just like, oh, no. I don't know you're trusting Nath completely. but No, no.
00:38:05
Speaker
um like But, yeah, like it's crazy in China how like cash just doesn't exist pretty much Like you pay via apps for everything. Yeah, saw that. Like it's for the – like it's – QR code or something. Yeah, you pay via QR code for everything either on WeChat or Alipay but also you need different apps. Like my DD app that I downloaded in Australia wouldn't work. You have to download the DD app in China that is the Chinese app in order for it to work and those sorts of things. Like Uber doesn't work. You've got to use DD and you've got to, like it's it's it's a bit of a learning curve but you'll have everything sorted so that doesn't matter. Yeah, I'm hoping you'll see a little sign being like Tinker and Nath and I'll be like,
00:38:45
Speaker
Hell yeah, that's that's where we're going. Don't have to get it over. Perfect. Yeah, but it's different and, yeah, super excited. But, yeah, feeling good. Awesome.
00:38:58
Speaker
Yeah. Good day. Well, good luck. Good luck from everyone listening, I'm sure too. Everyone can follow along. If there is a live stream of sorts, I'm sure we'll be able to find it and post it up on the Peak Pursuit stories, hopefully. We'll see how we go. think there is link.
00:39:15
Speaker
somewhere that they've sent through so can send it. Okay. If they've sent it to you if you, if you can send that to us at um at some point, willa we'll make sure that everyone can follow along because time zone is normally pretty damn good for us to actually follow. Two hours? Yeah, two hours or so. Yeah. yeah um So good. So happy days there. um Awesome.
00:39:35
Speaker
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 as an increase, whereas the berry has 200 milligrams. Both make them perfect for the conditions we have in Australia, yeah 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.
00:40:15
Speaker
As you know, Bix 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.
Brodie's Injury and Recovery Journey
00:40:32
Speaker
Awesome. Well, moving forward a little bit, Brodie, give us a quick update.
00:40:37
Speaker
Where are you at with the post-surgery recovery? Yeah. Yeah, like I guess I haven't actually been on the a podcast since injured myself, so I'm sure it's people may have heard somewhere. But um unfortunately, a couple of weeks ago, I i was racing orienteering and I got i was ah running across sort of the top of some boulders because I was sort of ah coming off the top of a hill and I was like jumping across. was a bit sketchy. I probably potentially maybe shouldn't have been approaching it that way, but...
00:41:10
Speaker
um probably something I've done thousands of times with without any issues. um But yeah, I was jumping across these these gaps in these sort of big boulders and I think on the last one i just landed really badly.
00:41:24
Speaker
um i don't exactly know what happened. um I sort of had like an electric shock and and then next thing I know sort of like off the end of the boulders and sort of just on the normal ground and couldn't really put any ah I could put a little bit of weight through my leg, but it definitely didn't feel right. And yeah, so I managed to walk myself out, which was a bit of a struggle. Oh my gosh, I didn't realize you walked out. Yeah, yeah. I um found a stick and used it as a bit of a crutch. I could still put weight through my toes. um I just couldn't bend my foot at all.
00:41:56
Speaker
um So yeah, I managed to sort of get get out of the forest, um got to first aid. And then when I was sitting in first aid, I was like, bit unsure what it was but I sort of did some tests on myself for Achilles because I was a bit suspicious by that point and um it didn't appear that my Achilles was still intact so I went to the ED. I was in ah was in ah Tassie, that's where the champs were so I went to Launceston, went to the hospital, um had some scans and and stuff and yeah unfortunately completely ruptured my left Achilles about a centimeter or two above
00:42:35
Speaker
my heel bone so pretty low down but not off the insertion so sort of still in probably the part of my tendon that was the most ah affected I think by my tendinopathy so that was likely a contributing factor although I've done so much sort of jumping like that in the last two years when my tendon has been an issue that I think I'm trying not to like blame my tendon being bad for the rupture because that makes me feel bad.
00:43:03
Speaker
I think it was just in an extreme position as well, but I was probably predisposed to it. Um, so yeah, I also managed to fracture my medial malleolus, which is the inside part of my ankle, um, where the, the ligament that's on the inside of your ankle attaches sort of like pulled the bone off.
00:43:25
Speaker
So it was pretty forceful because to do that and has to be pretty high force. Um, So, yeah, the next day I managed to get surgery, which was really good. It wasn't very busy, Easter Sunday, so they didn't have any electives or anything like that. So it was just emergency cases coming through.
00:43:40
Speaker
So they were able to do surgery on me the next day. um And then I was out of hospital straight after. So I got home in about 28 hours from injury with surgery already done. so pretty efficient.
00:43:54
Speaker
um Yeah, at least it was done fast. Yeah. So yeah, I've been two weeks in a cast. I just had an appointment yesterday and I got put into a cam boot um with three centimeters under my heel.
00:44:08
Speaker
So I can technically I'm allowed to wait there, um but it's really hard to wait there because I'm i' standing on three centimeters. So my you need to get the – I had one of the um high – no, you can get these little platform things that you strap onto your other shoe so that they're – Yeah.
00:44:26
Speaker
I'm thinking maybe I will look at getting something like that because, like, it is, it is like, a bit annoying. I can't really – I have one. I'll just bring it to you on Friday. beautiful. There we go. Solved already. But, yeah, so i'm I'm technically on that. And it obviously it's a bit sore because it's, like, two weeks after a fracture and an Achilles rupture, so I can't put heaps of weight through it anyway. yeah um But yeah, it's the rehab sort of feels like it's starting now, which is nice, but it's going to be a long road back um at least at least four months until I can jog for the first time, um probably a little bit longer.
00:45:05
Speaker
And then after I start jogging, it's going to be quite a long time until I'm back doing sort of high level running. um So yeah, I'm not expecting to be back doing anything of ah any sort of races until at least this time next year.
00:45:21
Speaker
So yeah, that's a bit sad and bit frustrating. But I'm hoping that this process, when I come out the other end, my Achilles won't be an issue any longer be less of an issue. It's strengthening now, hasn't it, from the surgery?
00:45:37
Speaker
Yeah. so Something in there helping it. Yeah, hopefully hopefully, given the tendon has been somewhat fixed, it's just whether it heals properly. It's already had impaired healing for many years. So, yeah, let's hope that it organizes itself and gets good strength. and And when I get back through the... Because it'll be very graduated. I'm hoping that out the other end of this, I'm having less tendinopathy issues. And I think, like...
00:46:04
Speaker
heard some different stories from people who have ruptured, but I know a few people who ruptured on the background of having tendinopathy and they never had any issues afterwards. Isn't that like Jen Gregson who's now killing it? Yeah, think she did have some tendinopathy before she ruptured and she obviously went on to run very good marathons. So yeah, there's definitely some positive cases.
00:46:27
Speaker
Yeah. would Focus on those ones for sure. so Hopefully I'll run a marathon as quick as Jen Gregson when I get out there. I don't think that's possible. She's very fast. But who knows? your heart But yeah, it's the oh it's tough sitting in it at the moment because obviously like there's lot going on. um I think one positive was like it wasn't My Achilles was really frustrating me and I felt like I was i was getting places, but it was very slow.
00:46:58
Speaker
um So it's not like I was absolutely like killing it and I was in the best shape of my life and I didn't have any issues and then I ruptured it. i was sort of like yeah coming from a not awesome place anyway. So think that's been reassuring.
00:47:12
Speaker
And then, yeah, hopefully at the other end, I'll be stronger for it and I can keep my right Achilles happy. in the meantime um well it's got uh it's got recovery time now too exactly it's going to have a full unload and like even last year when i did three months of not running i was like on the bike 15 hours a week so um i wasn't really ever fully unloading so i'm sort of forced unload i can't really do a bunch right now um Hopefully when the wound's healed, I'll get in the pool with a pool boy and maybe in like six weeks I'll be able do some other cross training. But I can't do much right now. could maybe one-legged cycling, but that doesn't really interest me at all. I'm going to go to the gym and do some weights and just get massive arms. The number of imbalances you would create by trying to do one-legged cycling. Yeah, know. It doesn't feel like it works. You're already going to be imbalanced.
00:48:07
Speaker
No. And it's going to work on my beach bod and rest. So going to be good. be fair, there was when I had, I can't remember what injury I had at this point in time. It was many years ago now. But I forced myself to rest because I knew both my legs needed rest. But there was one day that just really needed like the outlet of like exercise. I went and did a monofart leg on a hand cycle.
00:48:32
Speaker
So I'm we're just sitting there and it's literally just like you're cycling. Yeah, we use them at work. and Because my gym my gym had one. Absolute great workout. Like it was just like it hit that spot of like, okay, my legs are resting, so we're good. But also i get to like have that sort of outlet still there. And I didn't use it often because I'm pretty sure my arms would not have coped.
00:48:54
Speaker
But I kind of kept it on the back burner of anytime my legs really needed rest in an injury or something. i might I no longer have access because i'm not at a gym that has one. But it was really cool as like just a burn off some energy kind of tool.
00:49:08
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, I could go to work and get on the one there. Do it. don't think my gym has one. But I've literally have not been able to go to the gym for two weeks because like there's stairs into my gym. was like not willing to try them. Whereas now, like I live in a two bedroom townhouse and ah that was enough sort of going up and down the stairs.
00:49:27
Speaker
So, but now I'm, now I'm back. I'm going to go and do some like core work and some, ah some upper limbs. So that'll be fun. nice Yeah, had to do something. Nice. Nice. Well, yeah, I just remember the message coming through Brodie on the day that it happened and thinking, are you kidding? um After everything and after all the rehab and just all the time you've put into this for it to now go. However, I do hope that this is then the like turning point of completely eradicating the problem as opposed to managing the problem.
00:49:58
Speaker
It's albeit a very slow way to do that. Yeah, hopefully we'll well see. um like I don't want to get too overconfident that that's going to be the case. like I'm hoping it will be. I think I've already started to like process. like I'm hoping I can get back to very high level running, but I know there's a small chance maybe that that doesn't happen. so um as in like at competing like internationally and going to worlds and that sort of stuff.
00:50:28
Speaker
um So, yeah, we'll we'll see what happens. um i'm Yesterday that hey when i was I went to my ortho appointment, i I'm going in St Vincent's where I work, actually. um I saw one of the podiatrists and he's like, oh, my God, that's my worst nightmare. And was like, yep, that was my worst nightmare before I ruptured my Achilles.
00:50:48
Speaker
It is not a good injury to get. But um No. Yeah, there's a lot of worse things that could happen, um especially, I don't know, like working in healthcare for so many years, like you can see like the sort of things that can happen to people.
00:51:02
Speaker
um And yeah, I think having that level of like knowledge and awareness and experience of that sort of stuff has been like I'm actually managing fairly well.
00:51:14
Speaker
um And there's a lot of other things I can do like the podcast and my coaching and and that sort of stuff and still be really involved in trail running even for the short term, but even if that's what what it looks like in the longer term. So, yeah, I'm in a decent place, but obviously it's always like you always get those hours or or or times of the day where you just like start sort of sinking into the the bad feelings. And yeah, I just sort of sit with it for a moment and then try and pull myself out because, yeah, it's not not a good it's never that useful. No, no, you got plenty of us to ah drag you out of it too. um Hopefully. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's good having like people around like um
00:51:56
Speaker
like Kate doesn't live too far away from me which is good I've had coffee with Kate lots of times and my friend lives across that a KOA and I had a coffee with Ben last week and I'm catching up with you later this week Sim so like it's been it's nice to have people around and and lots of people reaching out um so yeah that's that's been a big positive and and it makes it easier to manage when I can still like it's funny. I was saying to Ben like I spend about when I open up Strava, I still want to look at stuff. I want to be engaged. I want to see what everyone's up to. And obviously my athletes are on there. There's like this time limit, like after like five minutes on Strava, that's when I start to be like, oh, shit, like I don't want to be here anymore. So it's like yeah figuring out my threshold for being interested in the sport to then getting upset that I'm not doing it is like it's a daily, daily ah just got to start seeing when I start to feel sad and and then minimise Strava. Yeah, yeah. It'll shift over time. Like I went through a whole month period of not taking in anything running related whatsoever unless it was directly to do with one of my clients, um yeah coaching clients. And it was actually quite freeing for a little bit of them going,
00:53:09
Speaker
okay now i actually want to engage again um so yeah like let let let that process be what it looks like like if you don't want to don't do it um yeah like yeah exactly gotta work but ah but yes if anyone has any questions uh moving forward or is about what what the next process looks like for brodie etc etc shoot them through um and we will answer as we go through For those on Patreon, I'm going to give you my follow on Instagram of the week afterwards. So just ah stick around for that. Love this.
00:53:45
Speaker
Yeah, this post-Patreon show is also going to have Brodie's banter where i i'm I'm waiting for it. I know what he's going to let loose on and it's good. this one This one's good. This is a profile that started following me and it's it's good, but I'm going to save it for the Patreon, I think.
00:54:00
Speaker
Okay, cool. Awesome. Awesome. Well... um Shall we get through some news
ORTRA Committee Announcements
00:54:10
Speaker
for the week? um Because it was, jeez, I can't believe it feels like a lifetime ago that this AGM happened, but it really wasn't that long ago. um The ORTRA AGM did go down last Wednesday, so the day that the previous episode dropped, and the results of the vote, because the entire committee was up for vote, was that the new president is the one and only John Claridge, who we did have on as a guest very, very early days, um which is very obvious by the horrible, ah ah but what is it called? Like the episode cover that I made? Anyways, we had some fun back in the day with those things. um
00:54:53
Speaker
So you can go back and listen to that episode if you want to get to know him a bit more and I'm sure we will have John on at some point in the near future. um Vice President was voted in was Jessica Short, who is an incredible trail runner in her own right um down in Tassie.
00:55:10
Speaker
And Secretary, who I think he was actually the previous Secretary, was re-voted in was Dan Simmons, um did end up staying in that position. Treasurer Tia Jones, Governance Officer Kevin Mueller, and Director of Events Jin Cato.
00:55:26
Speaker
um I do have just a quick, ah what's this called, quote from John Claridge, and that is, at this point, as we are just starting out, we are already working through many of the issues and concerns that members had, and we are hoping to bring stability and clarity to the association moving forward.
00:55:45
Speaker
I have already opened dialogue with our international and national governance bodies and hope to have a better alignment in future. Trying to bring all of the sides of trail running and bringing it under all of the sort of different governing bodies that exist is no easy task and I do not envy John in this at all.
00:56:06
Speaker
um Trying to keep it all in one piece but I do think that if there's anyone that can do it, it's John for sure. But yeah, initial thoughts, Brodie? Yeah, like i I didn't attend the AGM. It sounds like it was long and dramatic at times. Yeah, we might touch on that a bit more in the post-Patreon show, but I was there.
00:56:30
Speaker
Yeah, it's it's good. I think, i'm but I don't know, I've been a bit pessimistic about Ultra for the past couple of months, but I think this is a this is a definitely a positive sign. Having someone like John at the helm and some of those other people there as well, I think, is is if it is going to work, it's it's the way that it is going to work.
00:56:52
Speaker
um John was one of the people, he's been pushing, like I've known John since I was about 17, think, and since very early days, even before I started doing trail running, I knew ah i think John had talked to me about there being a trail running association.
00:57:10
Speaker
yeah So he's been talking about this for many years. He was one of the big people who pushed to get trail running ah in Autra and the change of name and that sort of stuff. So, yeah, he's very passionate about ah trial running, but also passionate about it being organised, which I think is really important. So yeah, he'll be a good person to have at the helm. Yeah, I think it's it's one of those cases of seeing someone, John doing so much behind the scenes in previous years and even for previous elections and helping the people that were in um the position previously.
00:57:46
Speaker
from yeah behind the scenes and at that that level to now be stepping forward it just to me I'm like oh this feels right um because he's been at the helm of pushing for what is needed um for the sport to move forward for a long time like decades as you said like oh yeah he's been the work he's put in um I'm hoping I'm not that old mom I did I did say decades and I was like oh don't pick up on that Brodie hang on My bad. That was a slip. But um but yeah, um it's it's when you've got the actual person that's been that knows the system and has been putting in the work and has all those connections. I think it's hopefully going to be a um smoother process moving forward and a smoother association after what has been a bumpy period, to say the absolute least, um of ORTRA.
00:58:38
Speaker
in the past. So ah stay posted. We will aim to get John on at some point soon. um I'll give him a chance to settle in and actually get started on some of the things that I know he's been wanting to get started on first. But then as things progress, we'll ah we'll have him on for a chat. So we can start to accumulate questions if anyone has any for John. Other news, um this one's really sad.
Tragic Loss in the Running Community
00:59:02
Speaker
It's really sad. um But it's, it's supposed it speaks to the the very real um aspect of especially the more extreme trail and ultra running that people do and um that what we all know we kind of in many ways sign up for when when dealing with mother nature even no matter how well we know the area we're in and that is that the um UK ultra runner David Parrish who was going for the FKT on the UK's, what's written as the UK's longest and hardest through hike, the ah Cape Wrath FKT attempt. um
00:59:45
Speaker
There's not much news on how, but he did pass away during the attempt. um So his body was found in the mountains and he knew the area really well.
00:59:57
Speaker
and But it's it's the... ah from Fort William to Cape Wrath on... in... geez, what? Yeah, it's pretty much like through all the highlands of Scotland and some really remote stuff.
01:00:14
Speaker
um And it's all incredibly exposed. So it's... it's there's not a lot of trees. um So it's it's not super high because like Scotland's mountains, like the highest mountain is like just over like 1,000, maybe 1,300. But it's, yeah, that there's a lot of high elevation stuff and a lot of probably ridgeline stuff and then all of it's very exposed.
01:00:43
Speaker
So yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's got all the high wind and the wet, but yeah. it's It's whenever I see something like this, it's it's always that that reminder of,
01:01:00
Speaker
that where that that what we do does does come with the risks for me part to personally it kind of makes me feel lucky that all the times I've had some pretty close calls on some pretty sketchy terrain it was just that a close call um as opposed to anything too bad I've been in some pretty sketchy situations especially with lightning storms etc above 3 000 meters and all sorts of things where you're just like that in itself can be the reminder to be smart and not dumb when you're out um dealing with Mother Nature. But then, yeah, I think for me it it it really does hit home when it's someone that's incredibly experienced, knows the area, was no doubt incredibly prepared, but it's that reminder that things can still go awry when you're dealing with Mother Nature and in so in um extreme ah weather, et cetera.
01:01:50
Speaker
So, yeah, not not ideal, but I think it it is... a good mental reminder mental reminder for people to prepare be careful yeah know know your own limits in many ways yeah and i don't even it's not even so much like about knowing your limits per se about knowing i guess the extreme like thinking about worst case scenario of what the conditions could be like and and making sure that
01:02:22
Speaker
Are you prepared to cover that? And if not, then you probably shouldn't do it. um Because, yeah, like it I heard some people talk, I heard some things talking about this, saying how like in Scotland, people don't really think about this sort of high elevation dangers. It's not like Everest where you're up at 5,000 or higher. And you're up in these real high up on areas.
01:02:45
Speaker
People don't really think about the risks as much because a lot of the time you're not much, you're a thousand meters or lower, like you're not actually up that high. um But because of the weather at this time of year over there, it was I think there was like probably a little bit uncommon weather around that time.
01:03:03
Speaker
um But it's not like crazy out of the question it was still possible um and the exposure and all that sort of stuff so yeah it sort of given me a second thought of like there's probably situations I've been put in I've put myself in where like if the weather had been 20 worse which it was wasn't out of the rounds of possibility I would have been in some some big trouble um so yeah I think it's a nice reminder to be prepared and and then when you're talking about races is like these are the reasons you have your mandatory gear when you're in a high area like the victorian alps like the other weekend when they had alpine challenge it was snowing so literally like if you didn't have your start i think in the case in this case we don't know exactly what happened but unfortunately like the really sad part of this this guy was actually raising money for a
01:03:59
Speaker
raising money for a cause which was like the r mountain rescue or something because his friend passed away in 2014 from becoming hypothermic in the mountains.
01:04:10
Speaker
yeah And it sounds like a similar thing has happened to him. So it's like, it's super sad. But the the thing that happened in this case is like, once you stop, you have no way, your body doesn't have any way of keeping its temperature warm. And if it's too cold and you don't have the the things to keep you warm, then you will die of hypothermia. So like, it is actually serious. And it is why these events that we do, we sometimes think, well, this is ridiculous. Why am I carrying two kilos of of mountain stuff with me? Like, why have ah why have I got...
01:04:39
Speaker
the like I know at Buffalo they were talking about ah no we did or I carried like an extra fleece jumper on top of my thermals and I was like oh that's a bit like that seems a bit extreme but like in reality my thermals probably wouldn't have been enough if I'd had to stop for four hours and the weather had been a little bit worse so yeah yeah yeah all those and and I think for me also because there is no information about his cause of death um sometimes I look at it and they go well yeah there's many times four better or worse, no matter how prepared you are, no matter how much kit you've got on, we're one step away of a misbalanced thing in the wind and you it in in certain terrain, that is the reality. um
01:05:20
Speaker
Yeah. yeah And especially up there, the wind the wind speed gets very high and they have some pretty precarious sort of ridgeline stuff, even though it's low. um and So the yeah could it could have been some of that as well. And and that's the same thing is like, if even if your skills are high enough level to do that ridge when you're in good weather,
01:05:36
Speaker
it's very different to then doing that ridge when there's 50k winds blowing you. So yeah yeah it's, yeah, it's a good reminder to, to the way up that we actually do do a dangerous sport and that we need to sort of make sure we're prepared.
01:05:53
Speaker
And if we don't, if it's not okay to do it, then, then pull the pin. Yeah. yeah try to do i think Trust gut instinct. Yeah. A hundred percent. And it's, It's wild how quickly things can change as well. Like for me, and this this is one of the ones where I i didn't have necessarily much experience um in this at all, but i um trust the trusting my instincts of I was trying to head up a mountain in El Shelton, bottom of Patagonia. It was starting to get windy and the blue skies and sunshine. I was actually with another Aussie runner and he was like, yep, we're going to make it to the top. And I just went, something doesn't feel right. We need to turn around. And it was blue skies, absolute sunshine, wouldn't have had ah necessarily a clue, but the wind had like noticeably picked up pretty quick.
01:06:42
Speaker
We turned and on the way down, both of us had to put, within 10 minutes, had to put all of our mandatory kit on and we were in a whiteout, absolute foggy whiteout in the snow. And it was very, this was 2018, 19, like this was one of my first experiences of the mountains.
01:07:00
Speaker
And I was just like, oh my gosh, if we didn't turn, it's we'd be up the top still. Like it was, it sometimes it takes that like that personal experience, but I'm glad I've got those personal experiences that then I do hear something like this and it's it's that incredibly sad moment of going like, I'm so sorry, but thank you for the reminder um because yeah you're going to make me be safer now. So thank you um for that at least. So Yeah, our thoughts definitely go out to friends, family, everyone that knew David Parrish. And yeah, not a fun one, not a fun one for sure.
01:07:38
Speaker
But we'll move through to results, which Brodie, you want to take us through Hewann Hill, James's
Trail Run Results and Notable Performances
01:07:48
Speaker
race? Yeah.
01:07:49
Speaker
Yeah, it can do. So, yeah, we'll start at Hewon Hill, which is ah the first series of the Riverine Trail Running Series. Now, I knew that James did this like he was part of the organizing crew of this um this series, but I hadn't really sort of looked into it much before.
01:08:08
Speaker
um And I spent a little bit of time on the weekend having a look at the this race and then also the series. It's really cool. Like ah all the races are really close to sort of Aubrey-Wodonga. So like they're sort of on the on the surroundings, on the outskirts, I guess.
01:08:23
Speaker
um So they're not like massive mountains, but they're like some nice hills and some really cool courses that have a mix of biotrail and single track and that sort of stuff. So yeah, I thought we'd been talking a little bit about these sort of more sort of local level trail running series that give people a chance to sort of ah do the sport um without always having to sort of travel a long way and um and also thinking about getting new people into the sport. And yeah, I thought it was yeah it was really cool to see that. and And I know there's ones happening elsewhere in the country as well. But um yeah, it's cool to sort of find out about a new one. so
01:08:58
Speaker
In the 14K course, ah Ellie Jackson took the win on the women's side in 109.38. She was actually also third overall and she also took ah a course record by i think it was about six minutes. um yeah So yeah, really fast time or maybe a little bit longer than six minutes because second place, Tori Thomas, who was just under six minutes behind. She was also under the course old course record, so a fantastic run from her as well in 1.15.09.
01:09:33
Speaker
And then third place was Nadia Birch in 1.19.37. And James just put in here that she came seventh at Buffalo one hundred k so she's so no slouch herself. So like some really quick times there. Super competitive local race, so very cool to see.
01:09:51
Speaker
um In the men, Morgan Payne took the win in 106.17, Joey Evans second in 109.25 and Cody Poulton in 12.11. And they also had a short course.
01:10:07
Speaker
We'll just quickly read out those results. Amy Sullivan, new course record 21.34 and Jordy Rample in the men, new course record 19.23. ah don't I think it was maybe about 4K was the short one. 5K with about up and down. pretty quick then. and park run. think that's cool...
01:10:29
Speaker
ah yeah one eighty up and down is what's given what's given here saying cool yeah that is it's like a hard park run that's quite i think that's such a cool cool way and i'd love i know this probably this one and and most of our series like we look at the short courses maybe more like the juniors can do that one or if you're not quite up to running the 14k maybe you do the short course but like in reality this is such a cool course to like okay you've done park run and you've run 16 minutes or 17 minutes or 18 minutes how about you come along to this trail race and we'll give you another 150 meters of vert and see how you can how fast you can do 5k like i think that's
01:11:05
Speaker
I think that's really cool that we could get some like I'd love to see more five to 10 K racing sort of like guess what Tinks is going to do in China. Like I'd love to see some more ah that racing also at the top end as well as sort of everyone all walks of life having a crack at it. So yeah, it's cool to cool to see that distance and some quick times over the five K.
01:11:28
Speaker
Yep, very, very much so. And then ah in Vic, we had the Maroondah Dam, which this one's always such a cool event in the Vic trail running calendar, and it got a pretty cool field um overall. In the 50K men's, Jaden Halkett got the win by 11 minutes by the looks, which is ah a very big win there in 4 hours 28, because in second,
01:11:52
Speaker
was Ben Burgess in 4 hours 39 and in third was Tom Dade in 4 hours 43, two men who were very used to the top of the podium themselves. So that's great very good look and run by Jaden. I don't have much context. Yeah, awesome run from Jaden.
01:12:07
Speaker
But very... Yeah, I don't want to I'm not underselling Jaden because I think he's done very well. But I think... I'm not sure about Tom. I know Ben was doing it more as a training race and Kate had tried to drill into him to not go too hard.
01:12:20
Speaker
um She actually said to him... Keep it in your pants was her actual instruction. so um i think he ran quite measured, but still, I think he was still running sort of 100k pace. So yeah um yeah, a solid run from Jaden to sort of take down like Ben was our best placed at World Champs last year. So yeah, yeah great run still. Yeah, nice.
01:12:43
Speaker
Very much so. Then in the women's, we had Danielle Gschait in six hours and seven minutes. Sharon Shiman in six hours 45. And this one was close because Jackie Hanson third was in six hours 46.
01:12:55
Speaker
And in fourth was Mel Brothers and Clark in six hours 47, which that's a very cool looking, that obviously Danielle run of the day. That's looks like an incredible run by her. And then the yeah second to fourth being all within two minutes um looks awesome. And James coaches Mel Brothers and Clark, who was there in fourth and said it was epic. So to give her a shout-out for doing an incredible race.
01:13:22
Speaker
um The 42K was won on the women's by Gillian Turnbull, 4 hours 29, and Damien Smith in the men's in 3 hours 50. 30K, Sav Mafra Fetus actually backed up from winning Tara Bulga 42K the week before to now come win ah the 30K at Maroondah Dam in 2 hours 36, and Tara Carson on the women's in 3.04. In the 21K, Anna Rusgen in 1 hour 53 on the women's, Stephen Hadley 1 hour 42 on the men's, and the 10K, Matt McAvoy in 43, 29, and Claire Foreman on the women's in 48, 41.
01:13:59
Speaker
Take us to South Australia, Brodie. Yeah, so over in SA we had Five Peaks Trail Running Festival. So Five Peaks was ah the short course national champs last year.
01:14:12
Speaker
um And that was the one that Vlad and I think Toby Sparks ran. I'm not sure who won the women's fight actually. So sorry about that. I didn't have that. I just knew that off hand. um The winner this year, though, and the outright winner, which was very cool to see, in the 59K distance, which I think is a bit rough, they probably could extend that to 60, couldn't they? The winner was Holly Ranson in 5 hours 46.08. So she got the overall win.
01:14:40
Speaker
um I'm not sure if it was a course record. I've just got, I remember seeing it on online. it could they might mail man think it I think it might have been because I think I might have had that one at 5 hours 48.00. Way back when. Maybe. Maybe. And I don't know that. Sorry. I don't know if I'm claiming I'm confirmed stat. But yes, a great result for Holly and and cool to see in her sort of like build up towards Western States in a few months time. So um great run from her there. In the men first place was Luke Butler in 556.
01:15:14
Speaker
fifty six um And then they also have a few other distances, so we'll just read out the winners there. In the 26K, Margot McIntosh got the win in 2 hours 15.47.
01:15:27
Speaker
Owen Williams took the win in the men in 2 hours 11.36. In the 17K, Evelyn Brodergham won in one hour 4904. Evelyn's an orienter from the US, so I'll give her quick shout out.
01:15:39
Speaker
ah Brendan Martin was ah the first male across the line in one hour 1934. And then in the 10K, another orienter, Meredith Norman in 5557. And then Nathan Phillips was the first man
01:15:58
Speaker
so that was Five Peaks. Looks cool. I love the Adelaide Hills. So I reckon at some point I've got to get over and do either this or Eurobilla or one of those races that traverses the Adelaide Five Peaks is fun. I'm hoping they still do what they used to do because along the way for the Five Peaks, to prove you'd been to the top of each climb, you got a wristband with the name of the climb on it, like one of those rubber ones, the ones that you actually would keep and it's like a good one. but I still have them.
01:16:24
Speaker
I've still got all of them. um Yeah, that's cool. So, yeah, you were just collecting these like bracelets as you went along. which was which was really fun. So, um yeah, definitely love Five Peaks. Awesome. Well, there's a lot coming up. Obviously, we've got Katinka in China this weekend and everyone's going to follow along and be cheering damn hard for Katinka and Nathan. Nathan Pierce, very well known by the pod, is Nathan. so um But not only that, we've got Billy Curtis at Madeira Island Ultra Trail 56K. Then be on the lookout for George Knight, Madge Backhausen and Kelly Angel all at the Mount Fuji 100 mile, which that's cool. Like I'm so excited now to track that race um as that goes through. What's George going to What do you think? Is he is it going to be a big one? Is he going to blow it out of the water and we're going to like George is on the world stage or...
01:17:19
Speaker
Where are we at? Yeah, I'll give it to him. ah Let's do it. know we all want to see that, but I'm like, i've ah if before Buffalo, I would have said, I don't think he's quite there yet. After Buffalo, I'm like, I think he's there, but we'll see. think he's there, reckon. Yeah.
01:17:35
Speaker
Yeah. Good vibes. Go, George. Go, George. Go do the thing that we all know you can do. Let's do it. Yeah. And Madge, obviously, in second place would be great also. Yeah. One tip for the Aussies. Yeah. Let's do it, guys.
01:17:49
Speaker
um Awesome. Back at home we've got Mount Solitary Ultra, which is always a very cool one in New South Wales. Bottle Butt Bash Trail Run in New South Wales, which that's a hard one to say. Yeah. Bright Fun Run Trail Fest in Vic is another one that's going on in Bright, which um on the 18K men's, which just because we've got some insider info there, you've got James Barnett up against Chad Freak up against Joe Dorff, which is a very cool lineup for that 18K.
01:18:22
Speaker
Then Brisbane Trail Marathon, Walkabout Creeks Trail Race in Queensland and the Sri Chinmoy Canberra Trail Series Coolman Clips. It's a lot. Yeah, lot's going on. Another local series. That's cool to see.
01:18:34
Speaker
i didn't I don't know much about that one. The Canberra one? Yeah. I thought Sir Chinmoy was like that sort of like running around a track type of stuff, but I guess they've got trail races as well. No, they do heaps. They actually had a well, they had the Yarra Bend trail race last weekend actually. um ah some It's not much of a trail. It like runs along the bike paths, at least parts of it. I'm pretty sure the whole thing runs along the bike paths though. um so but no searching we have big races and trout they've got trail and road and all of the fun things they're actually like my introduction to running and the whole was the street in my series because they're incredibly cheap to enter i think they're like 20 bucks um and you get the whole race environment still and it was like every single time i wanted a hard training run i'd just go into a street in my race
01:19:23
Speaker
And it was an incredible way to get fit, get some race vibes. And, yeah, they do they're all over the place. So very cool to see how the Canberra one goes. I wonder if Jess will jump in one at some point.
01:19:36
Speaker
Then she can give us a rundown on what the Street Chinmoy Series in Canberra is like. Send her out as reporter in the field. Yeah, definitely. Definitely.
01:19:47
Speaker
That is our main show for the day. um Thank you, everyone, for listening. Thank you, Katinka, for giving us your time to come on this episode. And, yeah, any follow-up questions, any feedback?
01:20:01
Speaker
Go win some money, Tinks. Yeah, bring home the coin. Hopefully. Bring home the coin indeed. Awesome. Well, this has been a hot episode 106, everyone.
01:20:12
Speaker
Thank you so much for listening and we'll speak to you next week. See you guys. Bye.