Transcript
Speaker: Music
Speaker: Hello and welcome to episode 133 of the Peak Pursuits podcast. My name is Simone Brick and I am joined over in Perth by Vlad Ixl. How are we doing, Vlad? Yeah, not too bad. um Last bits of like cold weather. We actually had a few really cold days, which was nice, but just means that summer is going to start a bit later and go for a bit longer. i love how us runners are so fixated on weather because it affects so much of what we do. yeah It's just like yeah everything to us.
Speaker: Yeah, i mean, i check the weather literally every single day just to get a feeling of what's coming up, which session is going to be hot. Oh, yeah. Like it dictates how you train, where you train, what you like what you do in the day. it It is actually so integral to everything we do, which is funny. I just find it we always start on weather and I'm like, yeah, it kind of is the basis of running really anyway. Yeah. You kind of have to start there, but someone that is joining us and is in very different weather again up in Queensland this week. And as a guest, we have a returning guest on the show, the one and only Zoe Manning. how are we doing, Zoe?
Speaker: Good, thanks. It's ah sunny today, which is a nice break from the rain, so a little bit different. Rainy up there for you too. fun. Thanks for having me.
Speaker: You are more than welcome. Thanks for coming on again and sharing your time with us. You've been a busy, busy human this year by the looks of it, especially when you've got exams coming up next week um for uni. So, I can only imagine the juggle you've got going on, but at the same time, you've been absolutely ripping through results regardless um of everything you've had going on. So we were just chatting. We think we last had you on. i should have checked this beforehand, um but and end of last year or will start of this year, um but it was definitely before all of the results that you've got going on for this year, which is fun, which just for an intro, which recently you've won
Speaker: Most recently, a week ago, you won Black Hole 50 and I think second outright, if I'm not mistaken, um at Black Hole 50 last week. But also this year, what, we've got a sixth at Tarawara Ultra. You've got wins at, we've raced double pinnacles up there in Queensland. ah Wins at Guzzler 50k, Border Bolt 31. We've had Coastal High There was, which we will get into, the UTA miler attempt that didn't quite go to plan.
Speaker: um that I was there for that and that was fun to follow along. But, yeah, I suppose take us back to the start of the year for yourself and what were your actual main sort of A races and goals coming into this season? Yeah, so...
Speaker: kind of over the summer having that break with no uni and nothing to do but train, we kind of focused on Terrawera. So that was like the big goal for the year was just going into that, having some, it's probably the first race that I went to that had some big competition in the sense of like international stage yeah like I did do Asia Pacific two years ago but I think there was 15 in my race um yeah was a junior like juniors are very competitive don't get me wrong but it was like my first open international experience race yeah
Speaker: which was so much fun. Then we had UTA Milo, like you said. That was another really big goal race for me. um We did have Buffalo Stampede half at Marathon sorryri in there, which wasn't necessarily a race, but it was still an important race for me, which actually fell before Mountains.
Speaker: And then i do – I think it was just trying to get into Asia Pacific and seeing what would come out of that. So – The races between essentially UTA and Asia have all not necessarily been A-list races for me, but yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, makes sense. And for, like obviously you started the year with 100k there at Tarawara and then you were going into UTA Mila with the range there of the third place at Buffalo Sky Marathon. Was the short trail at Asia Pacific always the goal or were you tossing up at all between the short and the long? Like what was the thinking there? Because obviously I think Buffalo was a great one for getting into Asia Pacific and some of the other races you had there. But was that the main goal there? Yeah. So as much as i would have liked to apply for the ADK, which kind of looked at when Asia would fall, what my chances are kind of were of getting into the short course versus long course. And that's why we chose the 42 at Buffalo's to get into the short course at Asia, just because of, like you said, exams are about to start in a week time. um which means I've had a uni semester, which is always an interesting to get some a training in for the longer distances. And so that's why we went into that short course for Asia.
Speaker: Yep, yep, makes sense, makes sense. But then before, like obviously that was in the build for ah UTA Mylar. And correct me, was that your first Mylar or had you gone out for one before? It was second. so I hunted COSI 2024, which I did at So I made about 30 extra less K this time, but it's still kind of that. Yep.
Speaker: Yep, yep. And so what was the thinking around doing UTA Myla this year? if If, like you said, like your goals were going into Asia Pacific short, um yeah, just that range of distances is a huge range to deal with for the body and that sort of thing. But I love that i love being someone that can do that.
Speaker: all sorts of different distances. So the range there is is awesome. But yeah, what was the mentality of choosing this year for UTA miler? I just wanted to try it, to be honest with you. I kind of went to dad and I was like, I'd like to do a miler, like try another miler. It's been two years since I had my DNF, um which mind you, i was I've never not been sad about a DNF, but Cozzy, I had absolutely zero regrets. I wasn't sad of pulling out at all. I knew I was ready to kind of come out and I was like, yep, this is right for me so I was like I'm ready to give it another go and see how it feels to hopefully finish this time um yep and Jeff helped me out he got um Jess Jason Maddie and uh Ben to all kind of help pace me into the later stages so it was really cool to have that team set up as well
Speaker: yeah But I just wanted to try it. i just wanted to see what it would be like. I hadn't done a race really with that sort of terrain before either, or especially over that distance. I wanted to try the ladder. It just had different elements in the race that I was like, yeah, I think that's the one I want to do. And it just felt at the fell at the right time with study. can't remember when. I think it might have been right as the semester finished or mid-semester break or something yeah that the race occurred at. So I was like, yeah, let's let's give it a go.
Speaker: Yeah, nice timing, nice timing. And so talk us through that one then, because that one, again, didn't quite go to plan. um So I'd love to hear yeah how that day actually panned out, because then that will lead into sort of your approach afterwards. But yeah, talk us through it a little bit.
Speaker: So going into that race, we were kind of tossing up a few days before, whether it was actually the right decision to do. i had been a little had a little bit of a head cold, so didn't have fevers. I wasn't you know that i wasn't unwell. I was just a bit like mucusy and kind of a bit fatigued, but I was like, you know what?
Speaker: I've been prepping for this race for a really long time. We talked about what happens if I did need a DNF or like, we just got to acknowledge that sometimes this happens. um But I was pretty determined to go into it. I knew my crew was set up. my dad but Both my parents podiatrists, so I had a good crew on that side. Jeff and Leanne were going to come crew in the later stages as well. So I had an exercise physiologist on the team as well. yeah And then Jeff, who has tons of background. So I knew that for whatever circumstances of obstacles that would arise during the race, that I was pretty much supported and covered in every aspect.
Speaker: yeah Day started, i was feeling freely good, chatting with, met some mates, um as you do in the races, chatting along, enjoying the scenery. It was just such an incredible start. You know, you're running underneath the um the overhangs. I'd never been to the Blue Mountains before either, so this was my first exposure to that area and it was just, it's an absolute absolute stunning location. Like if no one's ever been, I would definitely recommend going and just You know, going for a hike, going for a walk, going for a run in that area. It's just such a beautiful area.
Speaker: um Didn't see much wildlife necessarily, but just the environment that in the nature you're running through is quite incredible. yeah Everything was going well beginning mid ah what it would have been about like probably...
Speaker: Nutrition was going well. I didn't have any issues with that My body was feeling really good. um Like zero symptoms of the head cold. I felt really, really good.
Speaker: And then it kind of hit probably about that seventy k mark. And I started, oh I think it's about the 70k mark and I just started fatiguing you a little bit, um maybe got a little bit too excited too early in the race. And that probably helped kind of the fatigue come on a bit earlier than what we would have liked.
Speaker: And then i had by had to do this um ladder I'm terrified of heights. So I'm pretty happy with myself getting down that ladder. took me a K to stop shaking. I was so bad from oh my god having to get halfway down the ladder and then you've got to turn around and then go back down a second ladder. It's not just one big long ladder. So having to figure out how to get off the platform and then onto a ladder with not sure what to hang on to is always an interesting experience at what, 80 odd K of a race.
Speaker: um but you know, I've, it was one of those experiences where it's like type two fun. So you just go into it and you have a blast. Yeah. and Still kind of, I got dropped by the people that I was running with at that point as well. So I was very much by myself, um, which, you know, for a lot of these races you are by yourself.
Speaker: Uh, but I kept going, i was like, we'll see how we go. And then my knee started playing up and I was like, all right, Let's see how we go. This is the same thing that dropped me out at Cozzy, except I pushed through it. And then i couldn't actually roll over bed, in bed for three days. I couldn't bend my leg or change, like flex or extend my knee at all for an entire week. Like I was...
Speaker: I remembered last time it was really bad if I kept pushing, but i was like, you know, it's not that bad. We'll just keep going. So I got to six foot track and i was like, look, I'm having a few issues. I'm struggling to swing my leg, sorry, to bend my hip now. So I'm actually swinging my leg when I'm running downhills, which is pushing more impact through both my knee and my hip joints um so i am starting to compensate in my running style and to do that at 90k of one hundred and sixty k race probably isn't the best thing um but i was like let's just do the six foot track loop like jess was joining me there and she was absolutely amazing to have somebody else i was like yep i'm keen to go there was a little bit of talking about whether it was the right thing but like my whole crew was like no we got to get you out we're going to
Speaker: keep you going. So got up, had some hot food and then went around the track and first K was good. And then you've got this massive downhill. And I just, I was done that downhill kind of just my knee just like essentially stopped working. i could no longer essentially bend my hip. I could do the uphills, but I was starting to struggle with the uphill. So it was only really the downhills that would get my body.
Speaker: I got back to the track and I remember glancing at my watch and I was like, I'm doing what it would have been like 16, 17-minute kilometres. I'm not moving very well. And so we got back there and then it was like, all right, we know what happened last time.
Speaker: Is it the right decision to continue or is it actually going to be bad for your health? And then I remember my dad, Jeff, Leanne, they're all kind of there going, no race is more important than your health.
Speaker: You know, you could keep running. We will support you if you want to keep running. You're about to have a massive uphill section all by yourself in the dark. It's going to be tough, but we will support you if that's what you want to do. But it kind of just came decision. It's not worth my body breaking down more. So we called it there, which was a very tough decision, but I'm happy that we did.
Speaker: Yeah, yeah. And if it was like a similar problem to what you'd had in COSY two years earlier, is this like ah an ongoing knee issue that you've had to be now addressing? Or like, do you know the cause of what was going on? So what we believe happened in COSY is I strained a muscle in the back of your knee called a popliteous muscle. I don't know if I was few of you.
Speaker: know what yeah know it well yeah and so that caused me to jam my knee as I was running downhill which means that my fat pad fat pad and my knee blew up and that was the first time I'd experienced it and then this time again I experienced it i haven't really had any knee problems that was probably only my second injury I've actually ever gotten um maybe my first major one and then I had another fairly decent injury beginning of this year um But that hasn't been an ongoing issue, but it's definitely something that needs to be addressed because I think I've reached a point in my body, essentially, that's going, okay, if you want to go past this distance at a certain pace or a certain effort, you're actually going to have to build up some strength in your, glu like my glute needs so that my knee doesn't compensate through like the forces in that.
Speaker: I swear it's always glute meds. This has been the case for you too, Vlad, because I swear glute meds is just like you go to any physio and you're like, I've got this knee problem or this quad problem and they're like, yeah, strengthen the glute meds.
Speaker: Yeah, usually. I mean, it could also be the feet as well, um you know, weak feet as well could yeah kind of lose a bit of balance in there and stability in your knee. But yeah, usually, usually it's your glutes. Yeah.
Speaker: um ah There's only so many glute exercises you can do for so many years before like when rocking up and they still go, yep, it's weak glutes. I'm like, oh my gosh, does this ever end? um But yes, that is forever a runner's nightmare. Not nightmare, but forever a runner's problem of trying to get stronger glute meds. So has that then been like, what was the recovery like? Was it much better this time from UTA than it was from COSY because you did stop earlier?
Speaker: Yeah, definitely. I was actually able to walk the next day, which I loved. Progress. I think that was a good sign, yeah. So it only took, I think I was running within a week, which was amazing. You know, then you're battling with, oh, was it actually my mindset that was wrong? But was like, no, I definitely, you know, either way it would have been best to DNF. um yeah But i yeah, the recovery was great.
Speaker: I was given some exercises. That's when we kind of went, okay, let's go see um an EP and a strength condition or a strength conditioning coach um yeah just to kind of understand what exercise I need to do Dad has given me, as a p podiatrist, he's able to give me exercises. Getting exercises from your dad is a hard task to sometimes do he is my coach but um and now it's kind of going back to him again i'm no longer with an EP or strength conditioning coach and going back to him getting okay give me some exercises um I think Vlad I don't know if you've put out a video on ankle strength but I think my dad actually sent me your video on ankle strength like two days ago to do um
Speaker: ah last week at some point so I'm planning on starting that this week especially for training for Asia so that's kind of finally being like all right I need to start incorporating the strength training into my running as well Yeah, I mean, I think I would have about 50 workouts out there on YouTube.
Speaker: But yeah, all of them are pretty simple. So it's not about like spending hours doing all those exercises, but rather like small bites of like 15 minutes, which, you know, that's what I'm doing right now is just like a few times a week, 15 minutes.
Speaker: um if if ah If there is some weaknesses, I could do more, but um usually it's not longer than I did 15 minutes last night and it's kind of enough to keep.
Speaker: I mean, I know my weaknesses, I kind of do the strength the depending on my weaknesses. But yeah, if you can do them two or three times a week, I think it will pay off over time.
Speaker: and That's the hope. So at least I'll um have your video to follow along with, which I love that you've got out there. Yeah, nice one. I find it's always the like the little rehabby kind of exercises. I swear I can only put up with 15 minutes at a time, but I can put up. I do actually enjoy lifting heavier when you need the longer breaks and like that takes longer, but at least it's more enjoyable. But anything that's like these, well, you need to do these little glute exercises or these little ankle exercises. I'm like, yeah, 15 minutes and off beyond that, you kind of lose the quality of the movement anyway, because my brain just goes, yeah, that's enough.
Speaker: focusing on one tiny little muscle trying to do one tiny little movement for a while so yeah the and that is most of what runners need um for a lot of us but um depending on your body for lifting heavier or not you say you've been doing stuff with the ep and stuff was um was that did that involve like different strength work and heavier lifting and that sort of thing or was it mostly rehab kind of based stuff it was all rehab based um It was interesting. So I went to the EP and she was really amazing. Cara gave me some exercises. i just, because it's introducing something new, struggled to and actually complete the exercises. Yeah, okay. But it was all just rehab. I haven't really done any lifting.
Speaker: And it was finding out like compensations because I haven't done any lifting. So, you know, some of the exercises that I've struggled to do because I just didn't have the core strength or I wouldn't have like a different muscle would be weakening. So it's how you compensate and then incorporating little bits of different muscles to eventually be able to do that exercise too.
Speaker: Yeah, that is an interesting one. You do actually need a foundation of strength in order to do anything heavier and lifting properly and a foundation of like the right muscles actually doing the work. Otherwise you'll just create worse compensation patterns um as opposed to better. So Yeah, awesome. So then from like the recovery, you then got into sort of the the rehab and doing all those sorts of things.
Speaker: um What has then the last, you say that none of the races since then have been a races or anything as we lead towards Asia Pacific, but what has then kind of the focus of training and um the races that you have done been? Yeah, so because we knew, I can't remember when the team was announced for Asia or when we were told about it. um It was a gap between the two, that's for sure. Yeah, there was a big gap.
Speaker: I just can't remember when exactly they fell in the year, but we knew that, like, we had other races planned if Asia wasn't there. So, yeah, We looked at COSI as a potential option if I didn't get into Asia. ah yeah And so we planned for the COSI 50. And so we just knew that any training races and any that sort of training would still be designed for that race. Good plan. I like it.
Speaker: Yeah. Well, at least for that distance. Yeah. And ah you came from miler block then into the 50k block. what's the What's the makeup of your training kind of looked like? And has is for you between those two, is there a big difference or is it more minor differences in how your week's set up?
Speaker: It's probably more minor differences. Most of my training isn't actually necessarily based, like it is based upon the distance that I'm training for, but it's also based around my uni over the distance a little bit more. yeah So dad actually puts my uni like semester, the weeks, and then my classes and everything into my training program. And so we can also see what times I'm available, when exams will be, what weeks I might struggle with when uni mid-semester break is. So we know that can pick up a little bit of mileage there. And then throughout the year, we're kind of training
Speaker: like Through the week, I do try and get, you know, ah there'll be a few double runs, um few single runs, but then the speed is a bit more effort. So how I'm feeling with running and the mileage while also feeling with um the exams and assignments and studies that I'll have at the same time. And then we focus more on the weekend. So we might reduce the mileage during the week and then pick up the mileage on the weekend. Well, pick up's probably not quite the right word. um yeah But we'll focus more on the weekend. So, you know, I could get one of the weeks we went and did an an FKT exam
Speaker: in Mount Cootha which is not far from like 20 minutes from where I live um I think three people I might have been the third person who's done so it's like a little FKT but we went and did that as a training run essentially so I did a steady marathon in the trails and that was kind of one of my training weeks and it's just about getting that mileage on the weekends um over that like during the week where everything is kind of happening.
Speaker: go Yeah. Yeah. Cause you're study also studying podiatry following in your parents' footsteps, literally. yeah um So how, how many, like what year are you in of that study and how many hours per week is actually dedicated to that? Cause I imagine that's quite intensive.
Speaker: Yeah, so I'm not actually able to do my course part-time. I have to be a full-time student. Yep. And I go in into ah inter uni four days a week. So I'm there and Monday, Tuesday, the ah Wednesday and Friday, and then I work Thursday. It's a full day of work on a Thursday.
Speaker: um monday's just like one class so it'd be two hours tuesdays are my big days i'm at uni from eight to four and then uh wednesday it's kind of two split classes so i'm there from about midday to um what would be midday and then i've got a class that's 5 to 7 p.m so I'm there essentially until 7 p.m but I've got a bit of a break um and then there was one two weeks that I had to be there from 10 to 9 p.m um and then Friday's just a class one two-hour class in the Yavo so it's all about yeah of juggling things a little bit um which is a bit interesting but it is full
Speaker: How do you find that, because when I was trying to study full-time and train, I found I loved it for a little bit and then the the mental fatigue started to play into the physical fatigue and they all kind of meshed into one great big exhaustive period. Yeah. is the best way I can put it. So how do you find navigating? And I also found that obviously obviously our brain uses so much energy that the amount of food I needed to eat so regularly and hydration, but then you forget to actually do it because you're studying. Like I just got into so many little traps when studying of like you get on a roll in an assignment
Speaker: forget to eat or drink for three hours, but then you're to go for a run afterwards and all of a sudden you're depleted and mentally fatigued trying to do a session. like How do you find that juggle is going and are there things that you have in place to help you get it right?
Speaker: Because it's a struggle. It is a struggle and I'm definitely not great at it. I kind of do the opposite. I have all these things I know I have to do and then I almost get overwhelmed and so I procrastinate and I'll procrastinate through food or I'll procrastinate through who knows what, maybe doom scrolling. I don't, don't quite know what I do. Sometimes I procrastinate with cleaning the house. Like I'll fully clean the house. I'm like, I cleaned the fridge shelves one day. was like, what else did I clean?
Speaker: So it's always a bit of an adventure, but ah it's really good in the sense my partner will message me and is like, what are you doing at the moment? And he kind of helps me keep track a little bit of where i'm at in my day. He's like, right, well, you can start doing this now. You don't need to wait until like on the hour to actually start what you want to do because the likely chance of you actually starting that activity is probably pretty slim if you wait. So he's like, start now. And then um when he is home, he'll, because he works away. So when he is home, he'll actually go out. like If I finish class at five, especially during the winter break, he'll come right next to me so I can go running in the dark along paths and things like that. And I'll be safe because I know I've got him. And it's compensating for things that way. And then having this study, I think on the Wednesdays when I had those really big days, i actually put my studio to locker because we do face-to-face and we're already working with patients in our second year. And so I'd stick my stuff in my locker and then I'd go for a run between classes yeah because that way I have that mental break from having to study. but I also get my run in and so I've got enough time to kind of get a 15k run in essentially. um Yeah.
Speaker: And that's how I kind of compensate and then I have the whole of Wednesday morning and it won't yeah actually impair things that way. So it's about finding little spots I think where you can fit something in and then fitting it in and essentially. But it's a not the most fine tuned thing. And I wouldn't say I'm all that great at it, but it's a work in progress and you learn as you go. Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah. Fair enough. Fair enough. And actually I'm just going to tie in one of the questions we've got from Patreon here while we're on this topic, because one of them is what does the next 12 months to two years look like for your racing distance wise while you're studying full time?
Speaker: Like how does that affect the distances and races you choose? So I think something, especially after UTA and DNFing there, a big thing I learned is I just don't have the mental capacity, for like the fatigue levels to complete a miler while I'm studying. um like you said, it's really a struggle to get them in and it's easy to be burnt out and having them just kind of going through the motions. And I really don't want to go through the motions in my running or my study because I do love studying. um Well, i love what I'm studying. And so i think a part of
Speaker: what it's going to look like for the next two years is probably not looking at a miler until I graduate in 2028. I would like to do ah hundred at least 100k a year. Where that happens, I'm not quite sure. um i did Surf Coast Century last year at the end of the year, I think, and that was close to the end of exams or assignments. And I remember just going, I don't think I can...
Speaker: do another 100k near excitement. It's just the fatigue level is too much to be able to study for the exams that I have coming up. So it's going to be about adjusting when I actually complete the races. and I know I want to do 100k at least once per year. I'll probably stick to 50s a little bit. It would be nice to do 200ks in one year, but you never know quite what's going to happen. yeah But yeah, that's probably what the distance was.
Speaker: Yeah, yeah. And so you've got exams coming up, which seems like decent timing for Asia Pacific. um But how has that block been going so far and how far before the race does the exams finish?
Speaker: So my last exam is November 9th. So it's... okay It's not too bad. It does fall at a point that I probably could have gotten one more week of like a good week of training in, but it's just not realistic. So we'll essentially start my table as soon as exams hit. This week is probably my last week of training, but even then because of my exams, it's very much of see how you go. Like if you just can't fit the run in because of study and you feel like you need to focus on that, then don't go for the run. So it's a very much up in the ear week. Yeah. Yep.
Speaker: Yep. Nice. I like it. And so, yeah, how does it, how has the block then been, what are we, a month out um or so from the race? So how, how are you feeling at the moment going into it, knowing that,
Speaker: Last time at Asia Pacific, this went really, really well for you. and Obviously different race being in the juniors, but you're coming back as a junior champion at this event.
Speaker: um Now stepping into the short trail in the opens, Yeah. Is it all just like, I imagine that such an incredible experience that you've had at your last one feeding into this one. So how are you feeling going into it? And yeah, how's the body and the training been so far? It's been good. So um I've had both GC50 and Guzzler, which I incorporated as part of my training. So they were a week, my first two fifty k races that were a week apart that I've done. um
Speaker: I went out at GC50 with the goal of 4.30 pace and I've done a 50K on the trail before. It was had 200 metres of elevation up in Boyne Valley um at 4.26 pace. So we kind of went out with the goal of just a really, ah so like still a steady pace but not feeling like the effort is flat out. So that's a part of that training. So having run that distance, run that time, I was feeling pretty good. even though it's a road race, it's still like covering the mileage. You ran faster than that in the end? I did, yeah. i was going to say, you were more like weren't you? Yeah, I was.
Speaker: I kind of was like, I got to the third, because it's four laps. I got to the third lap and I was like, oh, i might pick it up a little. I was kind of running with the lady for the first two laps and I was feeling pretty good. And then I got to the third lap and I was like, oh, I might just pick it up slightly, not flat out, just to see how close I could get to the third girl because I was in fourth. Yeah.
Speaker: And then I was coming back from the third lap, saw where she was, and I was like, it's not worth me trying to pick it up. I don't think I could catch her. Yeah. So I just tried to stay kind of at that strongish pace and ended up with a 420s, which was ah bit of um a bit of fun to tell my coach, my dad afterwards. But he's like, ah yeah as long as you didn't feel like you were running and sprinting the whole thing, it doesn't matter. um Yeah, okay. Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah. That's good. That's good. That's good. I can imagine how how do you find those like getting ready for those conversations? Like normally it's it's hard enough when it's a coach, but when it's your coach and your dad at the same time, what's that like? It's it's actually kind of funny because my dad tracks me so like my running, he'll be tracking how I'm going. He wasn't able to come down for that one because the club had something up in up and north a little bit in Brisbane.
Speaker: Yep. And so he called me as soon as the race was over and was like, oh, nice 4.20 pace. I don't actually have to initiate the conversation. Yeah, yep, okay. But he's like, how did you feel? And that's kind of where we start the conversation. It's like where was the effort level at? Who cares what the pace was? He's like, well, if you felt like you did and you ran that time, you know, that's a really good sign of you being at this level of fitness. Yeah.
Speaker: It's a positive thing, essentially. so Yeah, nice. He wasn't mad or anything. It was, yeah, just about the effort rather than the pace in the end. Love that. Love that. And then you did what Vlad's are good at doing, of going 50K one week to 50K the next week um and racing a lot there. um But how did you find the recovery? Obviously went well because you backed up brilliantly at Blackall. But how was Blackall then last week off the back of doing Gold Coast 50s?
Speaker: It's good. um i think with a lot of my races, It's kind of funny the way that I mentally prepped for them is I didn't actually think about Black Hole until I had done GC50.
Speaker: And then once I was thinking about Black Hole, I kind of forgot that I had done the 50K. So the recovery, um i didn't find difficult between those two races. I felt like I was pretty good. I don't think I, like it definitely wasn't a high mileage week. Yeah.
Speaker: probably could have run a bit more, but I just focused on study essentially that week. And then that was where my energy went towards. So I don't feel like it was a huge deal. And then I, like when you go into one race, I don't know how ah you kind of prep for it, Vlad, um but I essentially go into it with a fresh mind being like, well, I have nothing holding me back. So I might as well just go into this one. Um,
Speaker: with a fresh mind. yeahp i thought Yeah. Yeah, that's a hard one for people to do. Vlad, do you find you're the same, like the the short memory thing of like I can forget one I've done recently? It's it's gone now?
Speaker: Yeah? yeah um Yeah, I'm a goldfish when that when it comes to that. Yeah. I've put my body through so much pain and I don't remember any of it really. i just, I mean, remember their high moments but I've had a lot of low moments that I don't remember.
Speaker: Somehow just skip. Yeah, just forget them. Just keep moving forward. love it. yeah Yeah, because from a coaching perspective, I find there's sort of two types of people where like when they put a lot on the calendar, there's the people that are like they get to a hard spot in the middle of a race and it's like, oh, I raced two weeks ago. It's probably because of that and the almost like the memory and the they're not like they're actually good reasons depending on how hard you raced. But there's a lot of times like and I had to learn this way back when of doing that when they put all the golden trail races one week apart and you're like, how does that work? I remember being so scared the first time going into it and my mind did do the whole overthinking it.
Speaker: And then the one race plays into the other race and you don't go so hard in the first race because you're worried about the second one. And then when things go wrong in the second one, you think about the first one and they kind of both go mediocre. um And so that that ability to only think of one at a time is actually a really important ability.
Speaker: When you're the sort of runner that does multiple races in a row, like some people, and this is the reason some people will do one race, one build, recover and go again. um And that's one way to go about it. But I think all three of us have too much FOMO to ever be that runner. Yeah. So we're all going to be the ones that go into a race and then go, oh, that one sounds good and that one's on the calendar. and But Zoe, did you find you ever had to train yourself into that or is that just natural thinking? Like once one's done, we think about the next and once I'm on to the next, I forget about the first one. I don't know if it's ah necessarily I trained myself to do it. I think it was more the fact that it's something that I kind of hold through my running is just acceptance, especially when you go into those longer distances, you know, things going to occur. And so it's kind of being like, yep, I accept I've done that distance and now I'm going to move on. I think the same happens is
Speaker: It's kind of me being able to slot everything into a box and so that I don't overwhelm myself with it as well. So if I had thought about Black Hole before GC50, then I probably would have overwhelmed myself in GC50, even though it wasn't necessarily a big race, like an A-list race for me or anything like that. yeah So I think it's just working through being like, all right, well, this is what's in front of me now.
Speaker: I don't plan my next race. Like I haven't even chatted to dad about Asia. Yeah. And we probably won't until after exams. Like I won't even think about it. I like, I'll go to the meetings and everything and I'll pay attention and engage in those, but I, it won't be on my thought at all. It'll be about studying in my exams. And so I think that's the same thing happens my running. I don't train myself necessarily. You just kind of go, okay, what's next? Let's just focus on that one. And then whatever happens afterwards, because you don't know how you're going go on a race, who knows, you could roll an ankle, you could get hurt, you could get sick. And I feel like, focusing about what's just the first thing that you need to think about is what helps me with that. Yeah, I love that because that not only works on the macro scale of races you've got, but it works within a race as well of like people getting overwhelmed at the 10k of 100k thinking about the ninetieth And you're like, well, you're not in the 90th yet. Let's get there first. Let's just try and do this kilometre that you're in right now. And it it is like, if that comes naturally, that's
Speaker: and an asset, um a mental asset to have ah when it comes to running. And also the memory of a goldfish is almost necessary as an athlete that's trying to achieve in running because I feel like otherwise we'd all just get snowed under with the bad days.
Speaker: um If we don't forget the bad days pretty quick, you think you'd give up pretty quick too um because I guess that's the thing. It's like you can you can roll an ankle, you can fall over, you can yeah, anything can go wrong at any point in time. And yeah, you've got to forget about it pretty quick.
Speaker: um And you can get humiliated and you're just like, yep, okay, moving on. um So yeah, obviously you're in the you're in the now studying aspect of things, which I love to hear that that works as well to sort of just switch into the studying and then into the running and having both those aspects. um But if you were to switch into Asia Pacific for a second and actually think about it just for a look for a second, um where do you think, like obviously you're not going to have these conversations with your dad until a bit later and stuff, but where do you think your mindset will be in terms of goals and um how you want that race to pan out in an ideal world and things going well when you're standing on that start line? Like where's your mind at for what is a good day on that day?
Speaker: Yeah, um I think for me, what a really good day, like the ideal day would be kind of um not giving up and in the sense of like when it gets tough is just keep pushing through. We've got some...
Speaker: interesting. I've seen a lot of videos, especially the reels I've put out, a lot of big stair climbs, a lot of very steep stair climbs. um A lot of them are long cliff faces, which I'm looking forward to, but also a bit like see how my fear of heights is going to play. That's right. you know back um I definitely enjoy it. I just have to force myself sometimes to be like, put myself into that position and go, okay, you're outside of your comfort zone, but it's still a really cool experience. yeah So, you know, i think is staying strong in those climbs in the second half is going to be what we're kind of looking at because it's it's that pick and choose, especially we don't have a lot of stairs around here. So getting a bit on the stair climber is going to be essential in the next, like coming up into that race especially.
Speaker: yeah Yeah. Will you be getting on the stair climber too, Vlad, for this one? Yeah. I have a tub here on my computer that is open with like the list of the tallest buildings in Perth. um So I might just try and go to like a residential building or a hotel building because we do have like one set of stairs in Kings Park, but that's only like 220 stairs and it's like full of people always.
Speaker: I was like, how do I actually get some more than 200 stairs at a time? I think like Obviously, there is the skill of going up, but also there's the skill of going down. yeah um So like the gym, stair master, obviously, is really good. You're going to build strength. You're going to build, you know, the ability of going up on stairs, but also going down is kind of important. I don't know like how much downhill stairs we're going to have. Like none of the climbs are like really, really long, but I feel like it's just going to be like a few steps up, some stairs down. So this kind of like, yeah, kind of up and down. So I'll definitely try and maybe sneak into our tail fire escape and do a couple of like longer sets. So like, you know, climb for 30 stories or something.
Speaker: Yeah. And then yeah obviously go down. Yeah, I think that that would be maybe more useful than the stair machine. Yeah, yeah. It's always the ah the breaking up of the rhythm, but you just got to find a building that lets you. Because I live on the 28th floor of a building, but I'm not allowed in my own damn stairwell. They don't let us. so I've tried them before. i was going up and down and up and down, and all of a sudden they came up and were like, you know, you can't do that.
Speaker: Just say it's an emergency. I've got to race. Yeah, that didn't pan out. That was during COVID too when I couldn't leave the building. really? I was like, oh, come on, guys. You've got to give me somewhere to train. But yeah, just, and to be honest, there are then buildings in the area that I know if you ask, they do let you. So just hopefully, hopefully in Perth, they're a bit more lenient. hu I know that if they let me do my stairs, I'd be doing them every day because it would be useful. But, yeah, have they released the courses then if you're both saying that you've seen some of Yeah, literally we yeah, we kind of got the maps like in the last day or two and, yeah,
Speaker: I mean, by the Strava map, it looks a bit less elevation than the official numbers. It looks like 900 meters, but it could be, you know, in between 900 meters and 2,500 for the thirty seven k short course. only 1,900. Okay. Okay.
Speaker: over the short course sorry nineteen hundred ok Okay. um So it looks like, yeah, well, i mean, it's just a few smaller climbs, so nothing's bigger than 300 metres. Okay. kind of it is yeah It is a fairly common practice, I've been told, for Chinese racers to add some mayo to the stats um because it bumps up ITRA scores. um But yeah that's not verified, but just...
Speaker: what I've been told. um So that doesn't surprise me that it comes up different on Strava. And that's that seems more of a runnable-ish kind of course. At least that's a big difference. Like two and a half thousand versus nineteen hundred is a big difference. yeah So based on what you've looked at on Strava, does that mean there's more there's more runnable looking sections of nice flowy trail at any point? Or does it look like it's one of those ones where you're just constantly disrupted rhythm of up, down, up, down, kind of like our coastal events and that sort of thing? I think like coastal events for the first 10K, so like small up and downs.
Speaker: And then as you kind of get deeper into the races, the few bigger climbs at the back end, which I think that that's where we're actually going to get the big staircases kind of mounting.
Speaker: they're Like ah stairs are like carved into a top of this rock. um But nothing is like super long. Okay. So hopefully it's, um yeah, it's, it's, I think it's actually good for us coming from Australia because you're not going to get like a really long climb and a really long downhill.
Speaker: um So the, the biggest climb technically is 250 meters. Oh, sweet. Okay. Yeah. mean, it is, it is pretty steep, you know, kind of 15, 20, 25%, and then you just go down that,
Speaker: fifteen twenty twenty five um percent and then you just go down that but it's definitely going to be different to to can friend where you know you're going down for like 8k 6k you're going to go down for like you know 2k 1.5k go up again nice nice nice and zoe do you have buildings or stairs you can go up and down rather than just the stair master that you know of or is it just going to be the stair master on your end thought about um asking hotels so I might have to reach out to still borrow your idea Vlad um and reach out to a few hotels because we're not far from the city surely if I reach out to enough some of them will say it's okay 100% say you're training world champ for Asia sorry you're representing Australia you're training for Asia Pacifics like someone's gonna say yes
Speaker: have But there is a place that an hour away from here and I think it's got ah it's the Coastal High course. Coastal Crunch course has one that's got 900 steps. So maybe I'll have to drive out. It's just not very that's pretty good close. That's really good. iron lift thing So yeah. Yeah.
Speaker: Nice. That's really good. Because yeah, even here in Vic, we've got technically the thousand stairs loop, but it's meant to be a one-way loop. You're not allowed to go down them. So anyone training here. Now, if you're there early enough or late enough, there's no one to bother you anyway. So But, yeah, finding stairs like that sounds awesome, awesome, awesome. So it is 1,000. Is 1,000 stairs literally? Oh, wow. Yeah.
Speaker: It's like Hong Kong style. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. It's just, it's at Mount Dandenong. Like it's it's right near where a lot of us train. You can run up a smooth trail or you can go up the stairs. It's just that it's it's so popular as a tourist attraction that especially if you're going in the middle of the day, you're not going to get up them pretty quick because there's a lot of people around. um But they do technically have it set up as a one-way loop.
Speaker: But yeah, if you're there at 5am, who's going to say? um But yeah, we do have the Thousand Stairs here in here in Melbourne, which is good. But Yeah, then the the stairs obviously to prep for and all the race, but what's your final travel sort of looking like at the moment, Zoe? And I suppose you too, Vlad. When are you when are you both travelling in? um so both my parents, Dad's actually a crew member for our the team, which is pretty exciting, um which is really nice to be able to go do this with him. Yeah.
Speaker: Especially with him being my coach. But then my mum's coming across, my partner's coming across as well, so we'll have... um Be there, think, four days before the actual race itself, maybe five days before the race itself.
Speaker: Yeah. And then we're going to stay for a little bit. But, yeah, so that's our travel plans is pretty much Nice. Similar for you, Vlad? When are you going? Yeah, actually pretty short trip. So um flying out on the Monday and then flying out on the Sunday.
Speaker: So yeah, six nights. Nice. At least it's a shorter, it's not too bad of a travel or time difference or anything on the along those lines. So it's a it's pretty sweet for that. But but um awesome. Well, before we chat a few other things, Zoe, I do have one last question for you. And there's no surprise that this one has come from Jeff. um And he's asked on Patreon, why do they call you Meathead?
Speaker: Yeah, so I went running with a friend, Megan, and I forgot she was vego and we were talking about food and going to for dinner that night and I told her my comfort food was a steak. um So she decided to call me Meathead from then on. And then we did an SEQ race up here and she actually got the MC to say congratulations Meathead at the end of the race.
Speaker: So, yeah, that's where that comes from, ah which is a bit funny. And it's turned into Meatball now because her partner accidentally said Meatball instead of Meathead. So it's starting to...
Speaker: Morf. Morf. and both But yeah, so that's where that comes from. and She thought it was hilarious. And I was like, oh, I'm so sorry. She's like, no, that was good ass. So that's what they call me now. i love I love our Aussie nature to just turn anything and everything into a nickname.
Speaker: um yeah basically That works. That works. So now now anyone that's cheering for you at a race can just yell out, go meathead. Yeah, basically they can yell out, go meathead. Jeff actually made shirts for UTA that had a picture of a runner on them and it said, go meathead on them. Oh my gosh. For the entire crew to make, which was really cool because he surprised me with them. think he actually did a really good job with them. Nice. Yeah, so it says go meathead on the front and then go Zoe on the back.
Speaker: Oh, I love it. Love it. Awesome. Well, that now everyone's got the context there. It would be a weird one like you running along and then everyone everyone around going, go meathead. It's like who on earth and why? Yeah. That's true.
Speaker: It was pretty good. We did get some cheers at UTA for it because he was wearing this shirt, so it was so good. Love it. Love it. Awesome. Awesome. Everyone's in on the joke now. hum Awesome. Well, we have a few other things to chat through. So thank you, Zoe, for catching us up on where you're at and ah exciting that I'm sure we'll we'll put out a few more things on Asia Pacific, running through the course more in depth with you and Jess, um Vlad, as the time goes on once we've had a bit more, once it gets a bit closer. 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, 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, 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.
Speaker: um But yeah, Vlad, give us a catch up on where you're up to overall with your training and prep. And you're doing you're coming across to Victor for Peaks this weekend? Yeah. Yeah, that's right. So I'm flying out on Thursday and um yeah, hoping to do all four.
Speaker: That's the goal. um Not a crazy taper as it's kind of like crunch time for Asia Pacific. So I've been training pretty much normal amounts till today. So today I still double run in a track session and I'll just do an easy double tomorrow and then two easier days.
Speaker: And then yeah yeah, hopefully get a good stimulus from pushing pretty hard for four days and then... yeah have a few easy days and then a few key sessions and then yeah travel to China and do that race.
Speaker: Luckily kind of works because it's not too long. um But yeah still did a three hour long run on Saturday and um yeah some specific downhill work and stuff like that. So yeah just trying to get some of the weaknesses kind of like make sure that I take the boxes with with some of the key sessions now. So now I'll probably try and do like maybe two or three stair sessions um before Asia Pacific. So after four peaks, just yeah try and find a building and do like, even if it's like three short sessions of an hour each, I think that that would be pretty useful for that race. But yeah, just try to build up some fitness. Obviously,
Speaker: this year will be probably a bit more competitive than two years ago um yeah with the Chinese runners, even though, even if their ITRA scores are not, you know, 999, a lot of them are very good runners and, you know, having a full team. um Yeah, it will be pretty competitive.
Speaker: So, yeah, should be yeah kind of interesting. Yeah. Yeah, nice. And for four peaks, like that's going to be a great stimulus, the backing up day after day with the long run with the long climbs. But then you've got the last day with the downhill stimulus too. has How long has it been since you've done a multi-day race? It's been a while. um Yeah, definitely kind of got me thinking a bit more about recovery and yeah How hard am I planning to push?
Speaker: um But I kind of like I'm on like kind of thinking like, yeah, um ah I can play it safe and run all four days at, I guess, kind of 90%. Or I can just kind of see what happens on the day. And that's what I think i'm going to go with. So if I'm feeling good, push a bit more.
Speaker: If I'm not feeling too good, then obviously I won't be able to push too much. But I kind of not going to go in with too much of a plan. um I think my plan would be more about like the recovery after the run um yeah but like effort-wise on the day. It's still like long enough from Asia Pacific that like, you know, it's still four weeks and that's enough recovery time. Most of it is uphill.
Speaker: So, yeah. Yeah, although you still get the downhill stimulus in the middle from having to run back down Feathertop after having raced up it. So there's still like, and sometimes when people look at four peaks, they forget the fact that feather top, there's no pickup at the top. You've got to get back down on your legs still. And yes, you're not going hard, but that's a long descent when you're going through it. So is that like literally the full So you literally go back on yourself?
Speaker: You run back to the finished start line. Yep. yeah Yeah. There's technically if you really wanted, to oh, no, you're close enough to the finish by the time anyone can pick you up that you'd just run back to the finish. But you we all, like you do it together and you do it slow, but it's still, even going slow, that long downhill is still a stimulus, right? Yeah, absolutely, yeah. And it' yeah there's no way to do it without some pounding on the legs. So, yeah, I find, have you done any of the climbs before, Vlad, of these ones? No, I've never been to Bright, so I think that. Oh, damn. i Get the full experience.
Speaker: Yeah, i mean, one of the main things is that I had flight credit from cancelling Buffalo Marathon and kind of needed to use it within a year. So I was like, oh, this is a good time to try and use those credits and go back to Bright.
Speaker: um Yeah. But no, but actually when you said the back-to-back racing, the last time I did it was 23 when I went to Malaysia, there was a VK, a twenty five k and a But yeah, after the VK going back down, um yeah, it's definitely... damaging i think it's good that it's on the third day because you're already like tired and it's going to be a bit of extra tiredness technically i think it would have been worse if it was the first day um but being on the third they used to do this in reverse they used to have mystic first which is the race that goes up and down and i think that's much more brutal than this way around yeah
Speaker: um Yeah, I think by the third day I'll be so tired that adding another few percent of quite pain, it's not really going to be a bigger difference. But then again, like my last VK in Italy, um just doing the VK was actually pretty painful. Like my body was um obviously because I pushed all out, like I went VO2 max, max heart rate there.
Speaker: and i like I couldn't move for like five minutes after I finished. like I was in shock. yeah My body was literally in a shock state. These are much more smooth, runnable gradient climbs. So I don't think you'd end up in a similar spot.
Speaker: Yeah, yeah, I hope not. But yeah, I was surprised by like how much just that VK took out of me. But then again, like I'm done. I used to do a lot more VKs. Like I remember Hong Kong had a few VKs and I used to do them every year. And um but yeah where we don't have VKs in Perth. So yeah, not even close.
Speaker: oh But yeah, I'm excited about the trip. And um I've always wanted to do that race. But this of... It's a brilliant one. Yeah, this was like a good chance to kind of have to use the credit soon. Otherwise, you're going to lose that credit.
Speaker: So yeah, it worked out perfectly. Nice. Well, yeah, everyone will be keen to hear the recap from that one. I think we've just put out a um preview. I know it's definitely on Patreon at the moment. I'm sure if it's out public yet, but Brody and James put out a preview for Four Peaks.
Speaker: um So I haven't quite listened yet, so I'm not sure who you're up against, but I know it's always it's always a close battle because it's like it's just the nature of entirely uphill events, I think, where it's It can just, especially over four days, like someone has a bad day, but then the next day they have a good day. And yeah, it always ends up surprisingly close over the distances. So it'll be a fun little battle for you, um no doubt.
Speaker: And technically, you know, everybody's doing the four full days as well. No, yeah, there's always people to chase that you're like, well, you're cheating. but You're cheating winning this one as I'm trying to chase you up. But um yeah, the the fiery battles are always between the people that are doing all four and you're kind of in it together because you end up running as hard as you can up the hill and ever and and everyone ends up sitting in the river at the end. icing their legs in between the loops, um trying to recover in time and reminiscing on ah who got who on one what day.
Speaker: And yeah, they're always the best chats. I think that's what makes this event so much fun is sort of what goes on in between the events as you're recovering and you're all going, I'm exhausted, but I'm still going to try and beat you tomorrow kind of stuff. So yeah, no doubt that you'll enjoy that. Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. I mean, being a different event, I think.
Speaker: It's a cool aspect of the fact that you are racing every day um compared to like just come to the race, go home. Here you are sticking around for four days, which is a lot of racing. But then again, it's like it's not that long. It's not like I've done obviously how had to come across in which was my first ultra marathon.
Speaker: And that's some long days like, you know, two hundred and fifty k in and six days. yeah This is a bit nicer. So you're not like fully exhausted, hopefully.
Speaker: Yeah, I've got a questioning my decisions right now as we chat because, um yeah, the whole entire time you are out racing, then recovering, then sleeping, then racing again, i will be trying to be just continuously going the entire time if I can. We'll see how long my body holds out for me. Well, I don't know.
Speaker: I don't know if you remember, but I signed up to um to that race. You did? Last year, like when they just opened registration. So this is like technically two years ago. I signed up straight away. I was like, this is the best thing ever. This is going to be so much fun.
Speaker: And as like the time got closer to the race, I'm like, this is not really a great idea. so Oh my gosh, that is where I'm at right now. Yeah, yeah exactly. yeah I'm petrified.
Speaker: it's It's a hill, it's fun up and down, like that's perfect, that's what I like, that's what I'm good at. But then like you start thinking about more about the logistics of it all and I'm going to be there two nights or like you know whatever time you're about to spend. Maybe it's not such a great idea. Maybe I'll just pick a different race instead. And I think that's what I did. I just end doing a different race.
Speaker: I'm glad one of us is sane because, yeah, have four peaks, I'm just thinking about it. I'm like, oh, I'm missing four peaks for this damn thing. But, ah yeah, I'm currently sitting in my bedroom recording this podcast while I have my parents out in the living room portioning all of my fuel for the weekend and the amount of equipment that's The amount of help I've had to bring in, just the amount of logistics for one event feels ridiculous on its own. Like I've got my massage guy flying in from Queensland. I've got some guy named Jimmy that I've never met but is an absolute legend coming to spend an entire night crewing me. And I'm like, the fact that you're willing to put up with sleep deprivation for a night just to come help me is legendary. I've got my parents camping for four days straight. Like, I know, like, I'm ah i'm i'm aiming for the stars and hoping I sit somewhere in there because I've got everyone, like, I've got crew planned until Wednesday morning, essentially.
Speaker: um We're starting on Saturday morning, so we'll see how long that actually goes. But originally it was like just this excitement for the event. And now that it's so close, there's all of those questions of like, what on earth have you signed up for? Because as I'm getting all the logistics done,
Speaker: Like there's just tubs on tubs on tubs of food and then clothing and then equipment and then just the lighting and trying to make sure that everything stays charged and you've got power. And it's just ridiculous, honestly. um And then there's the fear of like, there's one fear of, as Zoe pointed out earlier, anything can go wrong. In the first like three loops, I could absolutely annihilate an ankle. And then you're like, well, all that was for nothing.
Speaker: But then there's also that fear of what if I am still going three days in? What's that going to feel like? Because ah that's just as scary as it not. Although I'm going to say it's more scary at this point because I am excited to test my limits. My biggest fear is just something untoward going wrong in the first 24 hours. Because I'm like, in my head at least, I'm like, i I've made it 18 hours in training by myself. So for me, 24 is kind of a, that's going to happen. And then even 48, I'm like, i I think I've gone 48 hours without sleep before. I think I can make it that long. Obviously, I don't know that at all. But just in my head, there's that level of belief of like 48 is kind of feels like my flaw.
Speaker: that I'm working off, that I really want to get to. And I'm not going to be at all happy if I don't sort of thing or at all content, not happy, but content. So yeah, my biggest fear at this point going into it is like, what if I get sick in the next three days? Like my coach has already gone. He's like, you're not going to the gym. You're not going out in public. You are sitting there. But then that's just another sacrifice for this event that makes it feel even more ridiculous where I'm a bit like, I'm spending an entire week barricading myself in so I don't get sick so I can go do this stupid thing that's running in circles over and over and over again, up and down one silly hill in a silly paddock. like
Speaker: What is this human experience going to be? But thankfully, I do like arguing with my brain. So the arguments have already begun strong, that they're going strong already. um And I've no doubt those arguments are going to continue long into Monday, sunday Saturday, Sunday, Monday. um if I can still be going Tuesday, I'll be stoked. um But I think it's just that having this being my first one, there's that complete unknown of like, I don't know what this actually feels like. Like I know what 18 hours feels like. And that felt pretty fine. So in my head, I'm like, well,
Speaker: I have a small idea, I guess. But also, yeah there's just, it's like the logistics is worse than the actual running and the actual event because you know that the first bit's going to be stupid easy, but then you've got to keep your mind under control of what if the second loop actually feels weirdly hard and you're two loops in and your brain's going, this isn't as easy as you want it to be. Because sometimes that happens in a race and you might be 5Ks into a marathon going, oh, this isn't how I want it to feel. But no matter what, it's over in three hours.
Speaker: this one I'm like well you're still trying to be going in three days so yeah I think it's it's I'm not, I'm already in a bit like, i don't know if I ever want to repeat this experience and I've not even started the damn experience yet.
Speaker: um But that makes it interesting in its own right as like a and a life experience and a human experience, I guess, of like what's actually going on. um So yeah, i I'm trying to just be open-minded and like you were talking about earlier, Zoe, of the like, ah compartmentalizing things, like I really have realized I have to do it one loop at a time because if I'm on the second loop thinking about trying to get to loop 50, that's already overwhelming. Hell, even trying to get to loop 24 when you think about when you're starting at 11am and you're like, well, I'm still going at 11am tomorrow and 11am the next day if my body lets me. Like that thinking is so hard and you can't you can't go into it.
Speaker: It's almost like I have to keep going, no, you're just doing four point two k hilly 4.2k, a very hilly 4.2k, but that's all you're doing. So yeah, it's an interesting one. Zoe, are you ever intrigued by these last one standing events at all? I have done two capped ones at 10 hours. Okay.
Speaker: And I enjoy the 10 hour one. i It did interest me, but ah I'm kind of a bit with Vlad in the sense of, I think I like a finish line.
Speaker: I'm with you. Yeah. But is there anything in particular, like kind of why you decided to pick this one by any chance? ah This one, because it's a lot more interesting than a flat loop in my head.
Speaker: um Like, I guess I like hills to a degree. However, that is also a very much a regret in some ways where I'm like, I really should have tried a flat one first because having now gone out and done some loops with this much elevation gain, I'm like, oh, okay, this is a decent amount and this is going to hurt in a different way to what a flat one would. um Like even having done the 18 hours, 75K like training one that I did, I was a bit like, okay, that vert adds up quick. Like it's not, I think I underestimated that aspect. um That's for sure. But I think for me, it was just more interesting than a flat loop. um And the flat loops I've crewed for ensure it's interesting. But for me, that just took away some of the curiosity I had. And it's closer to what I normally do.
Speaker: And it's also just it made me more curious of like, oh, where is the limit? Now, this is like finding the absolute limit where it's not speed, it's exhaustion and it's sleep deprivation and it's your muscles absolute limit.
Speaker: And i guess i I do find it cool to aim for that because i think it's the scariest thing to aim for. Because if it's if you find your limit a lot sooner than you wanted, you take the ego hit of finding your limit a lot sooner and you didn't want it to be that that to be the case. But then there's also the absolute fear of, well, what if I can keep going? and Because the only rule I have for myself is that if I make it into a loop on time, even if it's that swift 30 seconds to spare, I head out on the next one. Like there's no deciding to stop. There's a, I will be timed out and I will not make it back in.
Speaker: And that's it. That's, that's, that's when we stop, which takes away any of the decision-making, but already by taking away any of the decision-making I've added to the fear of going, well, now I don't know where that's going to be. Like I don't have an overall time goal. I don't have a overall loop goal. I just have a, we are going until I can't go. And that's That's not, there's no finish line. There's no thing to aim for. There's just a feeling to aim for that you know is going to be a horrible feeling. So that's, I guess, it it scares me and I like going after things that scare me.
Speaker: And also, it's kind of, it it felt like a right time when my body's in all sorts anyway. um Like I'm not fit. I'm not like as strong as I normally would be. And so it doesn't feel like I'm destroying anything that I already had planned by doing it now. um And I didn't, I wouldn't want to be doing this when I'm in peak fitness and peak form. And like next year we're going for world champs and that sort of thing. Like all I would have been doing at this point in time is a base building exercise.
Speaker: a base building block and it's almost like putting this on the calendar already did its job in that it gave me something to aim for and something that was motivating enough that got my mileage right back up where I needed it to be without it being a mental grind and that sort of thing. So in some ways, and I'm trying not to tell myself this, it's already ticked the boxes of what I wanted it to do.
Speaker: um But I'm trying not to let that become another excuse to not push as hard as I can because I know at the end of it, the only regret I'll have is if I knew I had more in me and I didn't push to that edge because I might only do this once and I might choose to then just go, okay, I found the limit. let's Let's leave that side lie because I'm not someone that actually enjoys destroying my body. Like I'm not in this sport for destruction. I'm not in this sport to like bash my head through a brick wall. but I am as a human curious about our limits.
Speaker: So I kind of want to, if I'm going into it, I'm like, well, I've got to do it properly. I've got to actually go to that limit. Otherwise I'm going to forever have that itch to scratch of where's the limit.
Speaker: So yeah i think yeah. I think like seeing the backyard race in Perth like a few years in a row, like one thing that is very noticeable is like Phil Gore, his tent,
Speaker: is like the most prepared tent out of everybody. So youre like there's a lot of like it's one of the biggest in the world, whatever that four or five hundred people doing that backyard in Perth every year. And like you walk on those kind of like rows of tents and Phil's tent is like the most organized with the most stuff.
Speaker: Like he's got 20 pairs of shoes. He's got everything set up there where everybody, as like you get away from the start line, like yeah you see people like less organized, like, you know, just have some random bags of chips and gather right on the table. Like, you know, i think if like one thing that is doing well is definitely being prepared. So take it that time to be prepared. and then I was going to ask, are you planning just to hike everything or are you going to try and run the uphill? Well, no, i think I think in order to have a decent enough break, you have to be jogging the downhills and the flats, but I plan on hiking every hill. Yes, I don't plan on. They're 20%, both the hills. We do two hills per loop and they're both 20%. They're not sustainably runnable over that many hours. um So, yes, the plan is definitely the the hill's too steep to not hike for the distance that we want to go. um But then I'll be trying to efficiently, like trying not to plod, but efficiently run the downhills and the flats for as long as my body lets me run the downhills. um And I mean, like, just I'll be just be focusing on not on speed at all, but like light feet and trying to minimize impact. And whatever that looks like will be that. but But yeah, I've definitely gone the route of being overly organized. I've got shipped to me three different sizes of shoes in every different model of shoe that I plan on wearing so that when my feet swell, I have two separate sizes to go up and I have that across three separate models of shoes with different widths. um I have been shipped...
Speaker: a whole bunch of extra clothing and equipment, including like long sleeves that just protect me from the sun and all sorts. I have 40 pairs of socks prepared and ready to go. i have i have that many tubs of different foods. I think we've got about 100 options.
Speaker: for 30 gram carb portions and it's all portioned out in case I get flavor fatigue from one thing we can go on to the next I have spreadsheets galore I have dad tracking my nutrition my exact nutrition every single hour and adding it up to check what I've got going I've got plans for like the med I'll be taking all my normal medication and everything obviously so that's all in plans and already portioned out I have a 90 medication thing so for 90 different loops I've got all the different antihistamines and everything I need to take for my conditions already portioned out. um I have that many different power banks and everything to charge everything. And I have a complete list of like, when I get in from the loop, here's the inbox, here's what goes in, here's where I sit. Obviously, I've got my massage guy there. So we're going to have my chair that collapses into a bed, but also the massage table ready to go. And I've got a foot care kit. We're going to be washing my feet every four to five hours. Like I've kind of gone all in.
Speaker: um In a big way. It'd be cool if you can document it all. I reckon it'd be pretty cool if you can document it all somehow. Well, I have I do have a filmmaker coming to follow me the entire weekend.
Speaker: um So the whole thing will be ah in the documentary that is being made that is has been going on for a year already. So I've already had a filmmaker following me for a little while, um capturing a bunch of things, and she's going to be there the whole weekend. And then obviously I've got spreadsheets galore as well. But I think that and that it's good and I feel more prepared, but it's also just that the fear of things going wrong really early got a bit bigger when I realized how much I was putting into it and all these things that were coming together. And I'm like, okay, things have actually gone to plan. I feel good. My body's in a good spot and I feel ready.
Speaker: And all that all that that kind of does is leave me with this fear of things going going wrong but then you've got to try and get out of that because you don't want that to become like this self-fulfilling prophecy in a way so I'm spending today doing all my planning and packing the car and we're cooking a bunch of food and portioning all that up today and I plan on spending like Tomorrow I'll do a bit more, but Thursday, Friday, I'll be in distraction mode galore. I'll be watching all the fun movies and Disney movies and all sorts of stuff, and I'll be doing anything and everything to get my mind off the event because I know that going into it, thinking about it too much is also not a good thing. um But yeah, honestly, the logistics that I have going on in the background for this one is insane. And I have all the kudos to Phil. I've watched a couple of documentaries and listened to a few of his podcasts and stuff and taken definitely a few books, a few pages out of Phil Gore's book for how I'm going to go about this. It just feels a bit ridiculous when I haven't done one before and you're going into this level and going, I'm a newbie trying to act like I know what I'm doing.
Speaker: But I'm prepared ah for any and every circumstance, which is an awesome thing. But then, yeah, just that scary thing of going, well, there's nothing to stop me going a long way.
Speaker: There's no excuses for not going a long way because I'm prepared and I know what I'm doing in that aspect. But yeah, it's, um I plan to have a tent very similar to what you experienced for Phil, that's for sure. There, Vlad. It's something about trail running that I think is amazing and that you've really emphasised on with going to this is, doesn't matter what distance or level or anything you're at, is people really try and just like find something they fear and then try and accomplish that fear I think that's so special especially when you see like you're getting it documented so when you can see other people doing it i think it can be quite uh like inspirational it's really amazing to see or just like
Speaker: being able to share almost that achievement is quite amazing. And definitely sharing the fact that like going all in is scary and I am genuinely petrified, but I'm going to do it anyway. Like I'm not going to let that stop me from going and doing it because I i lived the life many years ago where you then went into self-sabotage mode in a way. And you came up with all the excuses or put things in, didn't prepare as properly as you could so that then it was there was an easier out in a way. I gave myself many easy outs um early days before running and that sort of thing. And so I know that that's not, it's not a way you want to live and it's not a way that gets you...
Speaker: Like, yes, going all in is scary because it may not pan out, but it's also the only way that it will ever pan out. So i do know in the back of my head that i I am and I do calm myself with this thought that if things go wrong early, that's fine. You go again.
Speaker: You try again. It's OK. There's we've had many experiences like that where you just you go all in, things don't work and it looks bad for a while or it feels like it looks bad. But at the same time, it it's life. It's what happens. So it's um it's I just do try to remind myself when going after the scary goals of like, well, the only way to make it happen is to go all in.
Speaker: And you at least give yourself a chance for it to go right while knowing that there's very real chances that it doesn't. And that's fine. And it's still there's lessons and things you can share in the ones that don't go well as well. As you know, Zoe, of like you've tried two milers now. when you When it finally pans out, how much is that going to mean?
Speaker: But it's not going to stop you going all in again next time, even though it might not pan out again. And it's just like we keep trying, right? So, yeah, I try to remind myself of that while also going, nah, you've got no excuses. You've got to get this one as right as you can. that And it is very simple. It's keep going until you can't keep going. It's just that how often do we ever actually do that if we're not in a full-on survival instinct scenario of so of like you're about you're going to die if you don't. um I will be convincing myself that I'm out there and there's no excuse not to because I'm like some explorer or something and I've got...
Speaker: there's not There's no reason not to stop. I've been watching actually a whole bunch of movies about early explorers and all the stuff that they went through and I'm like, oh, this is nothing compared to that. oh So, yeah, it's um it's definitely, I reckon, and I actually was chatting to someone about this on the weekend and I'm like, oh, all of those early explorers where they were going off and they knew they weren't home for three years and there was there was a high chance of death and stuff, what do reckon all those people are doing today? And they turned to me and they went trail running.
Speaker: And was like, probably not that inaccurate actually. and so Sounds about right. Especially these silly, silly events. But but yes, i will I won't be on next week. I will be out of action for the entirety of next week. But if my if my body and mind let me, I'll be able to recap how how it goes the week after. yeah.
Speaker: itll um I'll be as intrigued as everyone else to see. And for anyone that is following along, they they do live stream this entire event. So you can watch every single loop on live stream if you're that way inclined um for probably a very boring watch.
Speaker: um And Vlad, I will be asking for Four Peaks updates while I'm out there. So um i will be tracking you just as much while I'm out there um because i need things to keep my brain entertained. Although i will say one of the most intriguing ones of this parts of this event is knowing that I'm not allowed headphones out there.
Speaker: um Because I think and most of the backyard ultras or all the backyard ultras I'm aware of, you're allowed headphones to be listening to music and stuff, but not this one. So I'll be in my own head for a very long time. So we'll see how that pans out. I'll record back on where my head goes because i have a feeling I'm going to come away with a few new imaginary friends.
Speaker: So exciting weekend ahead. Exciting weekend to ahead for all. That is for sure. For sure, for sure. so But moving on, I think we've had a lot of chat now about the three of us and the podcast has flown by so far. But to get into some news topics, Vlad, did you follow along or Zoe, the Golden Trail Grand Final in k South Korea? Yeah, I definitely did. um Obviously, I like I mean, I watch all the live streams when I'm on the treadmill, so I'm excited probably next week um to actually watch the whole the two races are live streamed. Yeah. So I'm actually yeah looking forward to watching what happened. But yeah, I was following you along. um
Speaker: Obviously, a bit disappointed that Philemon didn't win. um yeah But yeah it was I guess like the conditions really threw things... It looked like mayhem.
Speaker: Yeah, it looked pretty bad. And then, yeah i mean again, a mixture of like technical running, um stairs, and a lot of elevation just yeah made it into...
Speaker: I guess a result that we didn't really expect on both on the males and the female. um Well, I mean, Hel Hussein winning, I guess we saw that. But on the female side, it was a bit more a bit more of a surprise. But yeah, definitely cool. Like, I mean, I just love the fact that um there is things to watch on the weekends where you can follow along and you um get pretty invested and i think golden trail just do a really good job in showcasing it also yeah i was following on on on instagram the whole weekend
Speaker: Yeah, definitely. And it was um it was very cool to see Andrea, Andrea, I think, Colburn's daughter, coming from the Aussie Golden Trail National Series, so as a National Series athlete, and qualifying here in Oz, coming through to win the grand final, which...
Speaker: was so, so awesome to see. You can see her face on the finish line of like what just happened. um But I also think that we so we got a taste of her downhill prowess at Donna Double earlier this year. And then obviously in the terrain and the wet and the absolute horrible conditions, she just seemed to shine on those on that terrain. So She got the win coming from our national series. And, yeah, I was following her so closely and it was just, it was nail-biting just when the passes between her and Madalina and knowing the strength of Madalina, although Madalina's been coming off a period of injury and, like, she's she's not at at her strongest but also her not at her strongest is still an incredible athlete, obviously, having come second. So on the women's, yeah.
Speaker: Andrea got the win um with Madalina coming through for second but still getting the overall series win. um And then, yeah, as you said, Elhuzin, he got the win of the grand final and the win of the series. So he's definitely the the top for this year. And on the other Aussie side, we did have Nathan Pearce there coming through in 34th. It looked like Not the best day, but 34th at the Golden Trail World Series final is is nothing to sneeze at. Like, that's it's still in a great run in what looked like really rough conditions on a really rough course, um technicality-wise. Because I can't remember the distance, but it was 2,400 metres. In 28k, so yeah.
Speaker: um twenty eight k or something in twenty eight k so Yeah. in rain and on stairs and all sorts. Like the videos they've already got of people falling over and all sorts looks um fun. um But, yeah, so well done to Nath for being out there. That, yeah, didn't look easy by any stretch of the imagination.
Speaker: But there's definitely worth a watch, at least the highlights, but definitely worth a watch for anyone that's interested in watching. watching some incredibly skillful fast runners move through some incredibly rough terrain in rough conditions. So, um yeah, that's most of the international news we've got going on. Now, we have already been going for a while and a lot of these questions are going to take a bit of time to go through, I think. So um for Pepsi Smacks and David Vernon, we do have your questions and we get I'm going share
Speaker: push them along to next week um so that they can get a proper chat through without us running short on time. ah But moving through, that means we're up to results for this week. Unless, Vlad, did you want to cover either of these ones? No, they are pretty long, I think. Yeah. Definitely it should give them a bit more time and We're going pretty close to an hour and a half already.
Speaker: Yep, that's what I thought. That's what I thought. Awesome. Well, this weekend, what did we have? We had over in South Australia, Hasten Trail, which is a big one over there, in the 115, I thought it was 105, but it must be 115 now. um On the women's side, it was nice and close because Sarah Melville got the win in 14 hours 32 with Kate Savage coming second in 14 hours 38. So only six minutes there, over 115K. Nice solid race with Yasmin Todd in third in 1528.
Speaker: eight On the men's side, it was a bit more of a runaway win for Jared Allen in 10 hours 25, followed by Stephen Dorn in 1120 and Trent Fran in The 70K, interestingly, was won by Indiana Zamet and people may remember her name from Golden Trail or the National Series Juniors two years ago, three years ago. and so don't I'm not sure. She'd still be young. um But Indiana won the 70K in 8 hours 49 for the women and on the men's, Sean McWatters won that in 6 hours 35. And then for the 53K, that was Deborah Pelgrave on the women's in 934 and Rory McComb in the men's in 649, which, yeah, similar winning times for the 70 and the 53. So I'm not sure what the course differences are like there, but they must be pretty different.
Speaker: um I did that 50K actually a few years ago during COVID and um took a wrong turn and did a bit of extra. So maybe they took that wrong turn as well.
Speaker: Possibly, possibly. um But yeah, there was ah there was also a 50K. I'm a little confused on these results, but I'll read them out because we've got them. But the 50K, Alicia Holt, 557 on the men's. This was Godfrey Slattery was out there ah and he ran 411 to win by 80 minutes in So...
Speaker: so That's a run of the day there by Godfrey for sure. um And then lastly, the marathon, Bronwyn Young got the win in four hours 29 and Austin Botha got the win on the men's in four hours 21, which means, yeah, Bronwyn Young was second overall, but first female, second overall.
Speaker: And then we also Pembby Trail Fest, which this one was in WA. Do you know much about Pembby, Vlad? Yeah, did it, yeah, probably three or four years ago during COVID. um Beautiful like mountain bike courses, so pretty flat, but just beautiful, um really high trees. So like really nice mountain biking terrain over there.
Speaker: Nice. I love runs on mountain bike trails. They're so much fun. ah That one, the black course, which was um the longest one was Alan Stabler got the win in the men's in an hour 36 and Sarah Hammer got the win in the women's in an hour 53. For the blue course, the medium one, that was won by Ben Jordanson in 51-23. And for women who was second outright was Ebony Regan in 54-53. So only three minutes back and second outright ah for the women there. And in the green, that was won by Ben Grant
Speaker: This is interesting, actually. That was won by Ben Grant in 2933, who is in the youth age category. And second place was Tom Grant, also in the youth category, in 2937. So I'm going to say that's either brothers or twins or relatives, and there's six seconds between them. So that would have been a fun one to follow along and watch, I have no doubt. ah And then on the women's side, it was won by Linda Dunlop, who is also third outright in 3027.
Speaker: So yeah, fun little racing over there for Pembe. We also in WA had the Run Bibbulmun Track stage race. Now this one I've done, Vlad, you run down in on the Bibbulmun Track down south there? Little parts of it, but not that much. I mean, I run on it pretty much on a weekly base up here in Perth, um yeah but not down there. Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, yeah, down south. Yeah, it's gorgeous and you run past some of the most beautiful beaches you've ever seen in your life. I love it down there on the southern coast of WA. But it's, yeah, they have the long course and the short course stage race and I'll just go through the overalls for the stage race. um And because that was won by Ryan Sanders in the men's in overall time of 10 hours 37.
Speaker: Cody Miller was second in 10 hours 50 and Vaughan Collier third in 1107. For the women's, we had Jess Reynolds win in 1118. Anna Lee Martinovich in 1232 in second and Marnie Ross in 1236 in third. So nice and close. That last day have been a bit of a nail-biter for who came through.
Speaker: um The short course, that was won on the men's by Paul Henschel in 6 hours 23 and on the women's, oh, wow, this is close. Fiona Ruxton got the win in 7 hours 47 and 11 seconds with Catherine Lake getting second in 7 hours 47 and 29 seconds and then Simone Allen getting third in 7 hours 48 and 56 seconds.
Speaker: So over three days, there was less than two minutes between first and third on the women's. That's, I love it when races pan out like that. It's always so interesting to follow along.
Speaker: ah Now we did then have the, I was actually at this one, Great Ocean Trail Ultra. I was working medic at this one and this one their fronts of the races got off fine and that was all good. This one's just straight along the Great Ocean Walk, 100k, but we did actually have a lightning stop for people a bit further back in the field, which is always fun to navigate. ah But thankfully, the men's 100K and the women's 100K front of the fields were all fine. So Steve Miller got the win in the men's in 10 hours 15, followed by Jack Banwell in 11 hours 20 and Mitchell Todd in 11.33. Faye Leanne got the win in the women's in 14.42, followed by Zoe Hendrick in 14.59 and Shimin Lee in 15.15. And then in the 45K, that was won on the women's side by Kate Avery, who came second outright.
Speaker: Not by much because she was four hours 44 and the winner of the men's was Mohsen Farazad. Farazad? I hope I've got that right. I'm sorry. um But in four hours 38. So, yeah, Kate was only, what, six minutes behind or so. um for first That was first man and first first male, first female. Lastly, but not least, we had Paluma Ultra. Now, this one, is this up in Queensland?
Speaker: Zoe, do you know much about Paluma Ultra? Yes. I don't. I just had a quick Google and think it's in Townsville. so Oh, okay. A bit far from you. Not near. That checks out then. um Well, this one, ah did did when you on your Google, does it say how long it is?
Speaker: For the distance? It says 52k technical trail. Okay, perfect. Because, yeah it looks like there's just the one distance. And um for this one, it was one on the women's by Ruth Eagles in 6 hours 32 with Sarah Winter in 2nd in 7 hours 11 and Julie Lightfoot in 3rd in 7.23. On the men's side, Quinn Sheehan won in 5 hours 33. Not far behind was Ethan Kwa in 5 hours 36. And in third, Max McDonald in 6 hours 12. So I have no doubt that was probably hot and humid and a bit of a rough one, but all always up there is very beautiful. Okay.
Speaker: Awesome. Well, that was all the results for this week that we had. And then for what's coming up, we've already chatted quite a few through the top two of these. We've got four peaks. We've got Harry's legend, king, human of the hill, whatever you want to call it.
Speaker: Hopefully not the actual name. um Illawarra Escarpment Traverse, Kununye Trail Series, Cascade Slide, Portland Three Bays Running Festival and Sri Chinmoy Sydney Series, Royal National Park. So as usual, plenty going on this time of year all around but we'll be definitely following closely for Four Peaks as people can listen to the preview for that one. Zoe, this week you've just got more study coming up. We're still in study mode but is there any big training runs got planned?
Speaker: I've got mount Glorious in two weeks, which is going to be the Queensland Champs. Oh, fun. Yeah, so we're really looking forward to that. And that's Jeff's last race as president as track before he moves down to Bright.
Speaker: So it'll be really nice to have him and Leanne there. Is that a similar course or the same course that they used to do nationals on or is it, did I look and it was longer maybe?
Speaker: I don't actually know. I've only done that once last year and I was, um, It was right after I had my plate removed and my collarbone, so it would I don't know anything about it.
Speaker: Yeah, fair, fair. That was a really fun Nationals, the year that it was up at Mount Glorious. I really enjoyed that one. so It's a really fun run because it's a bit more tropical too. Yeah, yeah. I remember it being hot and steep. um But we did we did like the same loop twice and then there was a really brutal out and back steep hill at the end that just almost killed me that year. So, um yeah, kudos to anyone else tackling that one. ah Vlad, we already know what you've got coming up this weekend. So safe trip and everyone will be following along. um Have fun battling it out there. Do you know, just quickly, do you know who you're battling against? Have you listened to the preview? Not yet. I know that um there's obviously a few fast guys every year, so I'm sure there'll be um ah enough competition to yeah keep it keep it interesting.
Speaker: yeah Yeah, it's always nice and close. And yeah, the preview, go listen to the preview guys for that one. um And yes, we obviously know i'm my weekend is going to be probably the longest weekend of my entire life.
Speaker: So I'll probably still think it's Sunday by Monday or Tuesday if I'm still going. Who knows where my brain's at? But will be an interesting weekend all around and you probably you won't hear from me or Vlad next week. We'll be a bit busy, um but you'll get recaps from us at some point. And yeah, Zoe, best of luck in the final build to Asia Pacific. I'm sure many, many people will be following along. And we'll be cheering hard for you. I'll be the biggest cheerleader here back in Oz following and having a lot of FOMO, no doubt.
Speaker: So um best of luck in the final prep. Now, Zoe, if you can stick around, we will do a couple Patreon questions just quickly at the end. And for anyone that is interested in joining Patreon, you will get all the bonus content that we do put out. ah The link is going to be in the show notes for joining us on there for $10 a month just to support what we do is in the show as we try and support all of our Aussie trail runners as they go gallivanting about the world, representing us and our beautiful sport. But yes, thank you everyone for listening. This has been episode 133 of the Peak Pursuits and we'll speak to you next week. See you guys.
