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Euro Summer, Progressing Trail Running in Aus, and Stirling Ridge FKT feat. Christie Lori | Episode 121
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In this episode Jess and Vlad are joined by Christie Lori to chat about the recent Mixed Team Stirling Range Ridge FKT Christie was part of. Hear about Christie's journey into running, her impressive results so far, and the wild adventure the FKT was.
The team also discuss the AUTRA survey (Found here) on shaping the future of the sport and what they would love to see progress, before plenty of results from a big weekend!
***Don’t forget, use code PEAK at https://bix-hydration.myshopify.com/en-au for 20% off Bix products, exclusive to PPP listeners!***
Join us on Patreon HERE
Connect with us on Instagram @peakpursuits.pod to share your thoughts, questions, and your own trail stories. Until next time, keep hitting the trails and chasing those peak pursuits!
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Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/mood-maze/trendsetter License code: K08PMQ3RATCE215R
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Transcript
Introduction and Welcomes
00:00:00
Speaker
Hey guys, welcome to Peak Pursuits. This is episode 121. I'm Jess Jason.
00:00:09
Speaker
welcome to pe the suits this is episode one hundred and twenty one i'm just jason Logging in today from which is insane um absolutely beautiful here um but today i'm also joined by co-host vlad who's also in europe hey jess yeah i'm in um austria also enjoying the european summer which is incredible a little bit warmer this year but still nice yeah it's so warm it's definitely taken a bit of getting used to
00:00:40
Speaker
Yeah, it's definitely a few degrees warmer than the last few times I've been here. And it looks like everybody's struggling around here without air cons. But yeah yeah, still okay.
00:00:52
Speaker
Yeah, awesome. And yeah, we'll get a bit more into what you've been up to in your training um later in the podcast. But we also have a very special guest on today. It's her first time on the podcast. um She's a member of a very talented family. And we have had another member of that family on the podcast in the early days.
00:01:16
Speaker
um And that was Erica Laurie. But today we're joined by her sister, Christy Laurie. um So you're logging in from Perth. How are you going? I'm good. Logging in from Perth. So not Europe, unfortunately.
00:01:34
Speaker
Yeah. could be like the fittest family in Perth by far definitely definitely yeah some superstars in that family um and yeah i I crossed paths a bit with Erica while i was in Perth but um not yourself Christy and like yeah since it's your first time on the podcast it'd be cool to get a bit of your kind of backstory like how you got into trail running um and how long you've been doing the sports for.
Christy's Journey into Trail Running
00:02:04
Speaker
um so yeah, why don't we kick off there?
00:02:06
Speaker
um How did you get into trail running? Yeah, well, i'm I'm a total product of the trail community um pathway into trail running.
00:02:17
Speaker
so I've been really lucky to be part of some some pretty amazing communities, um like my family, which is which is one, they're you know heavily into running.
00:02:28
Speaker
Um, and my trail running club in Brisbane. So the Trillions, um, yeah. so I kind of came at trail running, um, well, well late into my thirties. Um, yeah. And I think I've been pretty lucky enough to find trail running at the right, right time of life for me and, and not, not kind of earlier than that. So, yeah, so I was definitely influenced by, by my family and, um,
00:02:57
Speaker
and by the running community and that got me to all the different events that I've done. um so yeah, that was my pathway in. What was the pathway before trail running?
00:03:08
Speaker
Before trail running, yeah. So um yeah, so before trail running, well, growing up, I always did like a lot of running as a side product of my training, but it wasn't so much like my primary sport. um So I grew up as a national level level swimmer, um an iron woman. So I was like Nutri-Grain iron woman, not the Kona um type.
00:03:33
Speaker
So there was a lot of running around then like up and down the beach. So I guess running wise, like I did flags um and competed for that at nationals. So flags, do you know what that Yeah.
00:03:45
Speaker
um yeah yeah yeah yeah It's like a uniquely surf fly-saving event for those listening where you lie on the beach and you wait for a whistle and you turn around and you sprint like 25 metres to a flag to get it and there's like increasingly less flags until there's one woman standing. um There's a lot of elbows and, you know, like,
00:04:07
Speaker
it's to try and get that scratch flag. Scratches to face. Yeah, 100%. Yeah. yeah, so yes I was, like, often, you know, the person that was getting that flag. Yeah.
00:04:20
Speaker
So, yeah. Is surf lifesaving still quite big in Australia? and he definitely, like, hear a lot less of it now. um Yeah. So when I was doing it, I mean, that was that was our family, you know, like our family family.
00:04:36
Speaker
Sunday religion, I guess, like we'd go down to Molaloo Surf Club and, um, you know, we'd be there until yeah, 11, 12 o'clock in the morning. um but I think I was researching it actually for today that they've changed the way the state teams and the nationals are done, um to be slightly different ages, but yeah, it is still, still pretty big.
00:04:59
Speaker
Um, so yeah, so back then I was, you know, primarily swim a swimmer actually. so yeah, i was training, you know, 22 hours a week by age 13. So that's where the aerobic fitness kind of comes from for me that like structured aerobic base.
00:05:18
Speaker
Um, and then I would, yeah, then I would do cross country for school. Um, and I did nationals for them, um, in year 10, I think. over in Melbourne, but um that was more a side product. Like I never did running training um specifically. It was always, I was a swimmer and then, you know, and then I did nationals for swimming and surf lifesaving and then, you know, running I would do for school type of thing.
00:05:45
Speaker
um so I only really got into running well well later, literally now you're watching the start. Yeah. Yeah. And your brother, Mike, and your sister, Erica, like, I feel like they're pretty famous for like the FKTs that they've done over in Western Australia. Is that kind of how you started in the sport? Like jumping in with those FKT efforts?
00:06:12
Speaker
Well, yeah, 100% Jess. Yeah. Yeah. So, um, yeah, that was my first trail run. So my first ever trial run was with Erica on her Bibbulmun adventure. 2022. so. twenty twenty two um so ah Those listeners, um that's Erica did 1,000 kilometres or 1,003, think, um the Bimmerman track across, I want to say, 11 days.
00:06:38
Speaker
um And she asked me to pace her and and I didn't know what a pacer was um or anything like that. I just kind of wanted to hang out with her a bit because I'd had my third child um and I just wanted some space and some me time. you know sounded like fun. so yes So I signed up to be her pacer for a big chunk of that um and I loved it immediately. like I just fell in love with that section of the Bivelman track. so I started with her um Starting in Albany, um going all the way up through to to Denmark. And, yeah, I loved just being in nature and losing track of time while you move. So, like, coming from a swimming background, everything is really monitored and controlled, you know. There's, like, the swimming pool is more controlled than a track because there's no wind or anything. So being out on a trail and just the moving, um yeah, it was just wonderful. And I got to see Erica do some just like amazing things, um, across those, those few days.
00:07:44
Speaker
um and I just love being part of the team that moves alongside the athlete, which is really something that's so special in this sport, isn't it? Um, yeah. Yeah, for sure. That was a super special run by Erica. Like I think she held that FKT for a couple of years and there was a few men that went after it and couldn't beat it. So it was a,
00:08:03
Speaker
amazing effort and really cool. And i' I'm sure that would have inspired you a lot um to get more involved. And so where did it sort of progress from there? Did you jump into your own FKT effort or did, because you were talking about you've run at COSY and have you run at UTA as well? Not yet. No, I'm thinking about UTA next year, but yeah.
Ultra Races and Family Support
00:08:26
Speaker
So, so for me, my progression after that So I only had a one-year-old when Erica did the Bibbulmun.
00:08:35
Speaker
So my first ultra was Feral Pig. So that's the one at the other side of the Bibbulmun track, the not ah northern terminus. like um Yeah, so I did 54Ks out there the year later, um which Corey Johnson coached me to. was – and it was it was it was a hard day out, like your first ultra race, you know, coming in off not not much other experience with ultra running other than having seen people very proficient do it. So, yeah, so my first ultra, it like –
00:09:13
Speaker
I made it, but it didn't go very well. We had that norovirus go through the school the week ah of my virus yeah the wake of my first, of my first run. So i you know, so i I ran anyway, just thinking I had locked away the babysitters already. um if you're a parent, this makes a lot of sense where I had three kids aged, you know, two, four and six, and that babysitter was locked in for that time. So I was running sick or not sick or whatever state I was in. um And in the end, like, yeah, it was, it was difficult, but at the end was my whole family and my kids and my best mate from mother's group at the time and her whole family. And it was just a really special moment um doing something that, you know, kind of big and daring and bold as a young mum, I think. Yeah.
00:10:08
Speaker
it was three years ago. Yeah. Yeah. Amazing. And is Corrie still coaching you? Um, no, when I moved to Brisbane, I moved with a, with ah another coach with, um, Meg Brown. so she kind of, do you know Brownie? Yeah. She's a legend, um, in the Brisbane community, but yeah, so she coached me. She's, kind of affiliated with my run crew, the Tralians, which are attached to the Trail Co run by tim and Laura. So yeah, so they sponsor Brownie. I just heard of, um yeah yeah, when I moved to Brisbane, and so 2024, we were posted there on a military posting. So i we're military family. My husband's a um a doctor in the army.
00:10:59
Speaker
Yeah, so we were posted over to Brisbane and I thought, well, I you know wanted to get involved in you know the local community there and started running with the Tralians.
00:11:11
Speaker
And that's really where my love of you know trail running and trail culture just escalated. um But yeah, i wanted ah I wanted a local coach then and um and Brownie was it. So she kind of coached me for a couple of years until, yeah, I've moved back to Perth now.
00:11:31
Speaker
Okay, cool. And um which city do you think is better for trail running, Brisbane or Perth? Whoa, that's such a hard question, Jess.
00:11:45
Speaker
yeah it's such a hard It's such a hard question. I feel feeling it's like yeah the stark opposites of each other, like one's super humid and then the other one's like more dry.
00:11:57
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. You guys have all done your time in Perth, haven't you? And Vlad as well. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Perth-based. Yeah, I've done too much running in Brisbane, but um Perth is just ah probably a little bit flatter as well. Yeah, yeah, definitely flatter. Look, my, like my real love for trail running did come from the Brisbane community, 100%. It's something really special there. There's a lot of trail clubs in and around that Mount Coother area. um I just feel like it's magic. It's that, you know, a type of place probably, you know, I hear people speak about it, about Europe, where you just can lose track of time and be on the mountain for, you know, four, or five, six hours and, you know, and not be looking at a watch, you know, come up for some nutrition and that's about it. And, you know, the trails are really special. It's that subtropical type of trail, you know, really special. smooth fire trail and, um, yeah, there's lots of people out and about on the trails over there. So it's, you always have some good company and people to push you and assist you. It's yeah, and it's really quite special.
00:13:08
Speaker
Yeah, I feel like Perth trails are beautiful as well, but just missing that elevation makes it a bit of a different experience. Still fun um because we do get a lot of vegetation, but just I guess no views makes it a bit different. Yeah, yeah. And I live near the coast. So for me, my my training is, um you know, either around Ballpark or I have to do a special trip. So I always always do my longy out in the in the hills. um But, yeah, the rest of it is, you know, kind of up and around the coast or or on a treadmill. um So it's it's really like apples and oranges, you know. Like one is, you know, Brisbane, yeah I was living right at the base of the mountain, um whereas here i have to travel and I think that makes a difference, yeah.
00:13:56
Speaker
Yeah, that's a 45-minute drive both ways. It becomes like a full-day exercise when you when you are hitting the trails, which is not easy in Perth. No, no, it's not. So, yeah, so I do my long years where i um I drop the kids off at school and then I just head to the head straight to the hills and then I just get back for pickup.
00:14:16
Speaker
Yeah. That's one that's my holiday. It's a long day. Yeah. yeah Yeah, it's definitely a lot easier in Europe as well. And like those, there's like so much infrastructure around the big mountains that it makes it so much easier to become a good trail runner.
00:14:34
Speaker
I think I've said that a few times, like in Australia, there's like a lot of good athletes, but accessibility to the trails and the fact that most people like live in big cities away from bigger mountains um just means that we don't have like specific trail runners or like enough specific trail runners. It is growing, but it is a bit different when you have to drive 45 minutes to, to the trails. And it's, it's hard to build those skills when you're on the trails once a week compared to people that are like have big mountains straight out of their doorstep. Yeah. A hundred percent.
Balancing Racing and Family
00:15:09
Speaker
Um, Well, yeah, it looks like you've definitely been ah able to make the training translate to some awesome results because I just wanted to run through your season last year, which was definitely a bit of a breakthrough um because you had a win at the Guzzler Ultra and then backed that up with a win Transcend only like a month later.
00:15:37
Speaker
um And then you also placed second in the Cozzy Miler in November. What a year. That's epic. um And you were saying before you did win a ticket at Cozzy for UTMB, but you decided not to go this year. um So, yeah, talk us through some of your plans off the back of a really strong year last year. What are your plans for your races this year?
00:16:05
Speaker
um Yeah, so so last year was a pretty interesting year where my strategy for races, so because I'm a, you know, community kind of runner, is I would run a race and then, you know, kind of talk to everyone in the community, see what they were doing next, and then I would just – sign up for my next race. So I had a rule that I would never sign up to another race until I'd finished the last one and, you know, and then felt all right. So that was, that was kind of my strategy and my coach Brownie, um, she, she would program that just amazing, you know, so
00:16:43
Speaker
Like I finished Buffalo. I started Buffalo ah in March, um the Buffalo 100. And then, you know, two weeks later we met up for coffee and I was like, yeah, I've got to i've got to have another crack at Guzzler, I think. um So last year was actually my second crack at Guzzler.
00:17:00
Speaker
um It was home trail, home turf. It got... I had a bit more fitness built um back um and I had a boge pick with Guzzler last year ah because the first time around I wore shoes that were too small and every single toenail fell off. um So, yeah, so so last year, like any any achievement probably would have um gone better than the first year. But, yeah, so did Girls Like 100 and then i was moved, I think I had just moved back to Perth actually when I did Girls Like 100 and Shane was like, Shane who runs Transcend was like, hey, come and do Transcend. i thought, gee, you know, and like I've only just done Girls Like 100
00:17:49
Speaker
You know, but I said to Brownie, what do you think? She was like, yeah, but yeah i think I think you can get it done. um And then, yeah, and then I did Transcend so it was like a month later. But I tell you what, i felt it from the start, like that very first hill.
00:18:03
Speaker
um You know, I think i I like to text my brother Mike um who's like a trail god um to me. i like to text him sometimes during races. I think my first text was like, I'm so stuffed, I really want to stop. Yeah.
00:18:18
Speaker
like you know, like it before the first checkpoint or something. And he was like, no, no, don't stop. Like you're winning. you can't stop when you're winning.
00:18:29
Speaker
So I just, you know, finished that through until at the end. um And then after that was done, like I had a really good mate doing a Ferris 50 at Cosby. Um, So I was like like her first trail ultra ever, so I was pretty keen to go and support her. um so I was like, yeah, well, I'll just run a miler.
00:18:49
Speaker
And then Brownie scheduled it and, yeah, did the miler. And, yeah, that was that for last year. That was so funny. Don't stop while you're winning. Yeah. And I was like, nah, you're winning.
00:19:04
Speaker
but Do you ever get your um siblings to crew you in a race? Oh, yeah, they're the best. they're there they know They know what's up. Yeah, yeah, they're so good. Mike mike and Erica are both. um And <unk> we've got two other siblings as well. um And my mum my dad are legendary crew, you know. They're Yeah, pretty pretty well known for being awesome crew. Yeah.
00:19:31
Speaker
Is Mike going to do any trail races soon? Is Mike, yeah. I actually asked him before I was coming on today. I was like, you know, Vlad, ask what do you want me to say? Because there was a bit of banter, I think, on um the WA Running but writing Podcast, like about him today because he's Gollum on Strava. Yeah. no Do you know one? Yeah. He's definitely got a lot of my crowns on Strava.
00:19:56
Speaker
yeah yeah yeah Yeah. um So he says Gollum comes up out of the darkness and sometimes, you know, well will compete and sometimes he will not. But, yeah, um yeah he's um he's got two really young kids. Like I think he's got a four-month-old and he would be 17-month-old. So he's putting together a solid block of training. He just ran an awesome half. ah And he's going to do Transcend 40.
00:20:30
Speaker
um Yeah, so yeah oh yeah always like i mean I've said it on the podcast a few times that it would be nice if he was racing a bit more often um because he's super talented. Obviously an engine that he brought back from his triathlon years would would really translate in trail running.
00:20:50
Speaker
Yeah, and I think i think that's that's definitely on the cards for him and in the in the coming years, yeah. And and he proves that with his FKT results, you know, like when he when he goes and does like the Cape to Cape. um And he did the Sterling Ridge and just, yeah, did an amazing job of of both of them. So, yeah, so he really knows how to run on um on trail. something that Something that's so hard to do, i don't know if you find this as well, Vlad, like as a parent, um but parenting is so it's so difficult to have a race at a day and a time.
00:21:27
Speaker
You know, like as opposed to as opposed to an FKT where you can, you know you can kind of plan the day and the time um to do it. Whereas if you're racing, regardless of what's going on in your family life, there's just so many more variables um that you kind of have to control for.
00:21:47
Speaker
that it can compromise your races a lot, a lot quicker. Like I've certainly found that. I certainly found with Cozzy and with Buffalo, like we've either had a virus or, you know, like ah a child have something go on with their school.
00:22:04
Speaker
So you're you're always racing under compromise. and I think that, you know, for Mike, like, you know, and for me as a parent, and I think a lot of parents find that that's that's a really difficult thing with racing at a high level.
00:22:17
Speaker
Yeah, i think from the outside and even from our like short chat right now, it seems like all of you guys come from a lot of racing as juniors, very high-level racing, um but then you kind of come into a trail running like a little bit more free, probably a little bit less pressure on yourself, just trying to enjoy the sport rather than be super competitive, even though probably all three of you could win a lot more races if you...
00:22:42
Speaker
if you really wanted to. um But you're coming into trail running kind of with that mindset of just being out there in nature and enjoying it and once in a while jumping in a race and doing really well, which is really cool to see that you're not coming in like super dialed in and trying to win every single race. You're just there doing your own thing. Yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah, that was like, that was really observant. Yeah, 100%. I think, um yeah, really observant. When you...
00:23:11
Speaker
When you've raised to a high level, like I was a 50, a hundred meter freestyler and butterfly. So i spent literally a ah decade of my life chasing 26 seconds, you know, like, and you know, and what that means is, you know, you're, you know, or 59 seconds for a hundred meters. Like that means I turn up at training,
00:23:38
Speaker
you know, for 22 hours a week and and do hard sessions to try to take a fraction of a moment off of my time. and with that comes a lot of, a lot of intensity, you know, and, and that dialed in like structured, uh, training where you're showing up and you're getting every, every last little bit out of yourself. Um, and so for now, I think that like, there is a little bit of that surrender to the process, you know, like, and, and be out there and have fun Um, I did like the Tarkhan training camp last weekend with the, with just a great group of guys, um, and Annika. And when we were coming up the back of bluff, Ben Leeson was, you know, like kind of giving me a push up the back. Um, like anyone wants to have Ben Leeson behind them, but I'm pushing them up the back of the hill. But, you know, I was really grinding it out. was in the bit of a locker and, you know, my, My first thought is to look at my watch, you know, cause that was swimming. That was like, what's time? Like how, how much time has gone past? Can I go faster? Can I go harder?
00:24:47
Speaker
But I just try had to really like stop myself and I've just started going, this is fun. Like this is fun. This is what you do for a fun. You know, it's not um an intense thing where you're trying to get an extra second down. Like you are out here in nature having fun and that is so much more joyous, I think. Yeah.
00:25:10
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, no, it's definitely a bit of a different sport. I mean, it it is becoming a little bit more professional, but still there is that element of just going out there, having fun. And, you know, you're still getting fitter by like going up that mountain and coming down. You're still building strength and developing skills. And it doesn't always have to be about seconds and splits and rep rep ah sets and reps. It's, you know, a little bit more flexible. And over time you are getting fitter, but Yeah, it was just kind of because you guys have so much talent. i was always kind of wondering when are they going to start winning all the races around here?
00:25:45
Speaker
um But now kind of getting know yeah a little bit more and the whole story of of you guys just want to enjoy the trails and once in a while show up, but more than anything, just have fun, um which is really cool. And I guess, you know, also that time in your life when you are a bit older, having kids and other responsibilities, you know, maybe 22 hours of training a week is not possible anymore and not realistic anymore anyway. Yeah.
00:26:13
Speaker
Yeah. yeah totally Yeah, you're totally totally right, actually.
Coaching and Training Adjustments
00:26:18
Speaker
um i did um i did just start with ah with ah with a new coach, um with a new coaching squad at Evoke this year for that exact reason where I was just like,
00:26:35
Speaker
ah you know, i need to have a program that can really fit into my life so that I can really enjoy, you know, my long training runs and, um yeah, and minimise, like, the travel to and from training. um Yeah, so that's Scott scott Johnson's group, um Evoke. So, and they, you know, they do such a wonderful job of you know, really,
00:27:05
Speaker
yeah, really really integrating the training, but highly specialized training into your daily life. um So that for me this year has been hugely impactful um in terms of what I'm able to achieve during the week and and with having less impact on my family um life. You know, they use a treadmill and local trails and um you know like yeah choosing the right races a bit education there so it's been a huge huge help for me this year yeah because you've come obviously from years of having a coach training in a system did you feel still like it's important for you to have a coach now when I guess you're a little bit more flexible with your training Um, yeah, I, I need, I need to have that external accountability for sure. Like, yeah, I do need somebody else. Um, like watching over me if, if I'm left to my own devices, i would just hammer every session.
00:28:11
Speaker
Like that's, that's what I would do. um because that was the background that I came from, you know, to have a session within a session, like a warm-up mindset, cool-down. So my my mindset is like that, and that was just the first thing. my my coach now, Jessie, is like,
00:28:28
Speaker
The first thing was like, right, too fast, like too hard, you know. No. um i think this is another one comment. It's just like there's too much zone two for a zone one run.
00:28:43
Speaker
yeah so So, you know, this year has been ah being really about, um yeah, learning to run slow to run fast. um and maximise that that um recovery, I think, too, yeah. And are you still sticking by the fact that you're not signing up to a race before you finish a race? Because that's my complete opposite. Like I've got to have, for the past 15 years, I've always had one or two races that I've signed up before the race that I'm about to do.
00:29:13
Speaker
Did you? Yeah, right. So that gave you an allergic reaction when you heard I've got to have a few races that I'm signed up for. Yeah, right. Okay. So, um, yeah, no, that's how I used to do it. And then I started finding, no I've, there's, there's gotta be more of a training arc. Like I just kind of found that for myself with school holidays and certain times of the year where I really can't, um, maximize my training impact. Um, so now, yeah, Jesse, that, that's what he does. He, he really helped me do that. Like I said, i want,
00:29:51
Speaker
of anything this year, I want to go to Cozzy. and then I've got a few other things that I want to do. um and he first looked at it and he was like, no, like they're too close together.
00:30:02
Speaker
um and that's no, you know, and but, um, you know, and then he rearranged, uh, my, you know, kind of my season and he, like, I still have surprises like the, ah the Stirling Ridge that we that we did two weeks ago or last weekend, um you know, that was with two weeks' notice. I said, do you know, Jessie, like, do you think we could fit this in? And it was the week after Guzzler 20, so I raced Guzzler 20, you know, and the Stirling Ridge walk is a, you know, 42-kilometre kind of elevation,
00:30:42
Speaker
you know ridge And he was like, yeah, yeah, yeah, we let's let's fit that in. It's a great idea if that excites you. So I still definitely love a bit of a surprise. But, um yeah, he's he's he's much better about um saying no um than than probably what I would originally plan.
00:31:02
Speaker
Yeah, now I have a plan. So now I have Cosi coming up and having an actual plan that does go against the way that I would normally do things, you know. like So so how many how many hours are you training right now? Obviously 22 was kind of like the peak back in the day, but how many hours are you hitting a week now approximately?
00:31:26
Speaker
How many hours? or like nowhere near 22. I think I'd be around 11 the moment. I think pretty consistently around about that. um you know, about 100 to 110 with, you know, at the moment,
00:31:48
Speaker
is still pretty high Yeah. yeah know um So, yeah we're just slowly building up from from after Buffalo, like there was Buffalo two weeks later and we've started, you know, kind of building up from there. Then Transcend's next for me. so it went, i had a had a Road that Ultra road and then, yeah, then the the fk and then Uh, and then i probably need something else in the middle. i just haven't decided yet, you know, probably around 80 to a hundred Ks.
00:32:30
Speaker
Yep. And then and we finished with Cosi. Yeah. so Was there any um other learnings that you took away from your second go at Buffalo 100 this year? Because unfortunately that finished – well, didn't finish for you. um But, yeah, yeah is if you don't want to talk about it, it's okay. But if was there anything you sort of learnt from that race?
00:32:51
Speaker
um Yeah, absolutely. Like, and this, I think, yeah, so I'm ah i'm a – like provisionally registered psych. I'm studying a psych masters um at the moment. so I think I was really, that was one of the first times that I was able to, look, I was i was sick at at um Buffalo um and I had, I kind of have an inkling that I was sick, the lead up to it. um And yeah, within five, 10 kilometers, my GI sister was just, was really like
00:33:26
Speaker
completely shut down, you know. yeah And I persisted with it for a bit but the kind of visceral reaction was just so severe that, yeah, it was just not quite worth, um you know, pushing on with. But for me, um i had just like an amazing crew with ah with Kay who's the president at Tralians and um Jim, a mate of mine who was going to pace me, you know, like being there. So I still...
00:33:55
Speaker
had a really great day out. I'm still really grateful for them. um but for myself, I was able to use some of my psychology skills. Um, so something that I'm studying at the moment is a bit of DVT, which is, um, dialectical behavioral therapy. um so you know what that is? No. um yeah Okay, well, I'll teach you. So it's kind of the skill of like holding two seemingly opposing truths in your mind um instead of it being like bad or good. um So for example, like I can be a very good runner and still have a very poor race. um you know holding those two things in mind the longer that you can kind of do that instead of being like I'm a you know your first reaction when you something doesn't go as do you plan is to be like especially as an athlete that trained for trained well for uh for a great uh for a race you can really you know i have a performance that can be like really disappointing but in this way holding the two things in mind um it can be genuinely disappointing without becoming like total proof that you're like not a capable person or a capable athlete. um So that kind of helped me really stay honest about what went wrong. um But it also stops the one result from kind of swallowing my whole identity.
00:35:19
Speaker
um and then the next skill is just the mindfulness to focus on, you know, what you love about the adventure and put it correctly, like in the context of your life, um instead of having it like swallow too too much more than any other event,
00:35:33
Speaker
you know, in your life. so yeah So, moving very quickly to the, you know, belief for me like that, um like I'm totally out here to try and fail and make mistakes and learn and grow and, you know, that's all part of being alive and something we get to do on, you know, like, yeah, the do on these mountains together um and that that growth is not like a static process. That's kind of what helps make these endeavours so extraordinary. um you know, I decided to do a miler after, you know, with three months notice, like sometimes it goes well, sometimes it doesn't. um And yeah, that's, that's life and it's okay. um And if I wasn't, you know, kind of willing to take a punt and, you know, go out there and do something really hard, I think I wouldn't really appreciate the, you know, the good results and the growth. um Yeah.
00:36:30
Speaker
So in the end, like, i yeah, actually really like reframe that as, um you know, just, yeah, one data point in the context of my life and what I've able you know, been able to build it on from from then already and I still think about it is like,
00:36:49
Speaker
um You know, there is really concrete things that I learned from, you know, from doing that and racing sick and, um you know, probably I would have made the decision a bit sooner and I would do that again, um you know. But, yeah, in terms of like where it sits in my mind of like totally, totally comfortable with, yeah, going out, having a crack and, you know, failing. Yeah.
00:37:16
Speaker
So good. It's what it's all about. Like, especially, um with the sport that we do, like there's a lot of things that can go wrong. So you've got to be really good at accepting whatever the outcome is and moving on and learning and growing from it.
00:37:33
Speaker
Yeah. So, yeah. So right. There is so many variables in there, you know, um Like the difference between a great race and a poor race is is so big, isn't it? But it's also how we frame it in our heads as well, right?
00:37:48
Speaker
Like you can have a really good race but come last, you know, and you're probably not going to give yourself much credit for it and not be too happy.
00:37:59
Speaker
um So, yeah, it's a bit more of that personal view on it. Yeah, yeahre I think yeah're you're totally right. I was actually was having this conversation with Ben Leeson because, um you know, there's some talk about the stacked field like at Transcend, you know, whereas previously it was like relatively, um you know, like relatively our region, athletes. Um, but like, yeah, what, what would rather, you know, like win convincingly, it'd be like a poor day or would you rather have, you know, like your great day and come eighth, you know, like, or come 22nd, you know, like actually,
00:38:43
Speaker
Oh, it's so rewarding when your training is like comes to fruition rather than any place, isn't it? Like nothing, an athlete wants like nothing more than like the feeling that they've done their best, regardless of like where that lands for you. And then even more like if you had fun doing it, that's just, you know that's even more the icing on the cake.
00:39:09
Speaker
Um, And sometimes, because sometimes racing is so you know, it puts it into other people's hands, like your enjoyment of the race, doesn't it? Like you can sometimes not control where you come. um You know, that's like not not always up to you, but you can, you know, you can do your best on the day, yeah you know, with with how you are at the at the time. Yeah.
00:39:35
Speaker
ah think it's going to be super cool having such a competitive field at Transcend because, like it's it's only going to uplift you and your performance.
Competitive Races and FKTs
00:39:43
Speaker
And then you also have like the course experience on your backhand. So you still have like, like you've got so much strength and like,
00:39:54
Speaker
experience on that course. So it's going to be cool to have that competition to see like how much better that can lift your performance. Yeah, yeah, definitely. That's, you know, the saying, especially in women's sport at the moment is the rising tide lifts all boats, um which is, you know, which is saying the more, you know, better and competitive women there are, it can drive everybody to you know, to better performance, isn't it? And so you know, like, yeah, I think I say for Transcend if I can be, you know, one bit in that, um you know, in that tide, then, you know, I've had ah had a good day. But have you done have you done Transcend, Jess?
00:40:39
Speaker
No, I've just done some of the course. Oh, you've done some of the course. Yeah, have you? Yeah. Have you done any of them? No, I'm always in Europe when they have it on, but I've run parts of the course as well. Yeah. Yeah. So it's like, you know, it is, it's, it's, ah it's a tough course in the way that, you know, the short, sharp ups and downs, isn't it? And then it's, yeah it's flat and it's, and it's point to point. So, um Yeah, there's beets, especially at the start where, know, there will probably be some jostling. Like, yeah you know, it starts with a single track to go yeah up the hill. um yeah It's always in the dark. So that is always, like, it's always really fun. um
00:41:24
Speaker
Yeah. No, it's exciting. And talk us through this FKT that you just ran, the mixed gender FKT on the Sterling Ranges.
00:41:34
Speaker
Oh, yeah, on the yeah on the ridge. so yeah um So we were heading down there for Tarkine. So Tarkine's my sponsor, my shoe sponsor, um for a training camp for Transcend. um And the guys were like, so this Joel Gray, Bryce Turvey and Ben Leeson. were like, right, you know, the Saturday morning they went to do a full ridge loop.
00:42:02
Speaker
um And I kind of was asking, like, how long they had done it for before. um And they'd done it previously in about seven hours, you know seven to seven and a half, some of them. um So I was like, okay, if I'm going to try and keep up with them, um I'm going to, you know, this is not just a training run for me. Like I've got to, you know, i kind of put some effort into it. um to keep up with the the guys. um and And I was having a look at Mike's route and I saw the current FKT for um for women. um And the current FKT was like 624 or something. So I was like, okay, well, that kind of gives me a good benchmark. that
00:42:48
Speaker
The numbers make sense, like 42 kilometres metres. yeah okay, cool. I'll kind of aim for a roundabout that. um And then, you know, being a parent, probably a kid came in and, you know, my phone rang or whatever, and I didn't think too much about it until the Tuesday, Annika sent through a photo of what the Sterling Ridge had actually looked like. I'd never seen it before. And was like, eject, like, oh, my God.
00:43:21
Speaker
This is formidable is what it is. um And I am way, so I like backtracked and then I Googled who was the current FKT person. Like, I hadn't done that before. so kind of five days before and it was Millie Young. So it's like, yeah you know, like world world class athlete. um ah Yeah. So I really like kind of put my foot in it and immediately I was like, no, this is not ah like a Christy FKT effort. Like I'm not going to be able to do that. And I can't navigate either. so
00:43:59
Speaker
yeah, like honestly, even the thought of Millie Young right now, I'm like how how she did that navigating by herself is just amazing, that whole ridge. Like she did it by herself and carried all of her own things.
00:44:13
Speaker
um But anyway, yeah. There's no like a proper marked path? they not No. No, there's no proper marked path. Well, So the start of the ridge, we went the opposite direction to both Mike and Millie's FKT.
00:44:30
Speaker
So we went clockwise and normally it's done counterclockwise. So normally you run straight up the bluff and then over to Ellen's and then down the back. Whereas we went down fire trail first and up Ellen's.
00:44:43
Speaker
um Yeah. So, I mean, we started at seven, the the conditions were perfect. Um, But personally, like I hadn't kind of committed to the FKT because I was also in the middle of training. Like there was no taper for any of us. We all just, um you know, that was just a good training run, good solid training run, good for it. um Yeah, so started at seven, ran down um fire trowel up to Ellen's. And at that stage, after we got to the top of Ellen's, um
00:45:20
Speaker
like the navigation was really hard. The path was hard to find, even though the weather was great. I think by about then that for me, I was like, yeah, the, you know, the F the female supported, ah the female unsupported merely as FKT, she would have had no navigational errors. So by that stage I was like, yeah, we like, we couldn't afford the downtime. so i kind of stopped chasing that and was just looking at at my watch for my heart rate, just try to keep, um, you know, my heart rate where it needed to be.
00:45:55
Speaker
But yeah, so there's no marked trail, um, between kind of Ellen's and the bluff. So as you go over Ellen's, there's like three minor peaks, um, but you have to really rock scramble, bush bash, um, to really just get your, get your way through. so Joel was Joel um Gray was in front and he was the guy navving, trying to find the route. um And then he'd kind of call back, like, go left or go right.
00:46:23
Speaker
um And I was really just like the person, you know, that was just quiet at the back, just like, yeah, like, sure, know, go left, we'll do next, you know. um And Bryce and Ben would take turns kind of pushing me along. so it was very relaxing, relaxing, peaceful um Saturday morning on the bluff for me.
00:46:49
Speaker
um Yeah. And then, yeah, we came up the bluff and look, i I do have to say this though, because Ben was really like, yeah, I'm just like kind of here to push you um Like when I finished that section, i was 15 minutes under the current crown, like for that section. So even though at the time i was apologizing, i was like, I'm so sorry, I'm so really holding you up. Um, you know, like actually like, uh, you know, I was doing all right, but in my mind I was apologizing.
00:47:25
Speaker
And then, yeah, ran ran down the bluff like as fast as we could, we did. um Well, probably those guys could have gone faster, but I was going as fast as I could all the way to the end. um Yeah, and we took two hours off the previous mixed team, so that was cool.
00:47:41
Speaker
That's awesome. can yeah Yeah, it's a shame they don't really like properly market. I've never been down there because it's such a long drive, but um obviously I see a lot of people do go down there.
00:47:54
Speaker
It's a shame they don't have like a proper marked trail the whole loop. Yeah. Yeah. So it's just up Ellen's and then up up and over the bluff is pretty well marked. So that in itself is an FKT, um up and over the bluff. So you could do a 30Ks up and over. Might put the challenge out to you.
00:48:16
Speaker
So, you could you could start at the cafe because everything starts at the cafe down there and then it's 8km of road, gentle road, um and then you're up and over the bluff, similar steps to like Peruna, you know, like steps but going up to, you know, 900 metres elevation and then and then over and then back. That's 30 kilometres and that's its own up and over. It's its own FK2 route, yeah.
00:48:45
Speaker
That sounds more nice, more manageable. Not going to get lost. Don't need a machete. Yeah, yeah. That's right. The rest of it, that is really what it was like. we you know we were just like, where do we go?
00:48:59
Speaker
had to find our own way. Sounds like an adventure still. Oh, it was yeah, it was ah it was a great adventure. That's just... In my core memory bank for sure. And just the Bluebird Day, you know, it looks like you guys are both having that over in Europe right now, you know, being being in Perth in winter and having a Bluebird Day on the mountain with your mates is is pretty special. and And going like at a good speed, at a good pace as well, you know, instead of the zone one was able to give it a good good nudge. Yeah. Awesome. Awesome.
00:49:35
Speaker
Cool. Well, yeah, like, so I think we'll jump into a bit of news slash a bit of a discussion point um that we had. um That'd be cool to get you to weigh up on Christy. Ultra have released a survey um asking everyone to help shape the future of trail mountain and ultra running in Australia.
00:50:01
Speaker
um So, yeah, this is a really good opportunity for anyone listening to jump on and fill in the survey and help Orcha start to shape the sport um a bit more in a way that's going to help us progress. But, yeah, I wanted to ask you guys, like, what what are you what matters to you guys in the sport and, like, what do you think we need to help trail running progress in
Development Pathways for Young Athletes
00:50:26
Speaker
Australia? Christy, you go first. Oh.
00:50:28
Speaker
I'm just going let Vlad go first with that one. Okay. Either or. No, I mean, Chrissy, you can just maybe talk about, like, what has maybe swimming or surf life savings doing really well that we could do in trail running maybe. um Something that is, ah yeah, that is really strong in in both swimming and surfs life-saving well one one i mean one is funding firstly um you know and having like you know in in like yeah embedded government bodies and things to that that are providing funding to um to trail running which you know other sports do get um but
00:51:15
Speaker
The other one is like a really solid development program for, you know, an up and coming juniors. that, that was something i was really a product of, um, in surf lifesaving and swimming is having that, you know, being an athlete at, you know, 12 and 13, as you're developing, having a really clear pathway forward as to like how you can kind of progress in the sport. Um, so for me, yeah, a development pathway,
00:51:43
Speaker
um and kind of that mentorship, um yeah, and and role models, um that really helped me to develop into an athlete. So I think from an athlete perspective, that was really quite helpful, yeah.
00:51:59
Speaker
yeah Yeah, I guess it becomes a little bit tough again with location. So there would have to be almost like flexibility of where they would kind of try and run programs like that around Australia, maybe around clubs or schools that are closer to mountains. um It would definitely not work in City Beach in in Perth. um But, yeah, think like if you can have that flexibility of – developing talent for the future in the right locations we will have some good athletes on the trails and in the future but yeah it feels right now that it's more athletes coming from different sports into trail running which is you know fine as well but to really get to the top level and be really competitive you need them at at a very young age developing skills
00:52:48
Speaker
Yeah, that's true. And I think, yeah, something that like we could consider for at the moment just to like try and bring a bit more attention towards trail events, which is growing for sure with in popularity. But um I think like road races are still a lot more popular. And we do see that with like the number of people that will enter a road marathon versus um an ultra at Buffalo or at UTA COSI.
00:53:20
Speaker
So I think just like continuing to kind of promote those events um as best as we can and kind of glamorize it in a way, like make it seem like something that's really cool for people to be a part of and achieve, which I think like the marathon has been really successful in that. So it'd be cool to kind of like follow on that trajectory. um Because I think the more like participants we get in the sport, that will bring interest from elites as well. Like I think numbers bring
00:53:57
Speaker
Yeah, like more people and more talent um into the sport. Yeah. You said something that just gave me a light bulb, but, um you know, like the marathon is pretty standardised everywhere, so it can be run anywhere that there's a road, you know. That's something that trail how running is so – it's so difficult. Yeah.
00:54:16
Speaker
You know, i think they were trying to so I was at the um the opening bid for the 2032 trail running um in Brisbane. So, you know, they they're putting it forward to try to get trail running in as that being its first Olympics, um ah the first time trail running's in the Olympics. And I think one of the things that they were trying to not nut out is what the distances would be you know, because it would have to be standardised, you know So like if you're going to do twenty k what does a vert look like for that? And is it, you know, it fire trail? Because then could you do it in Melbourne and Perth? And, you know, is there a route that you could commonly do? And I think that standardisation is what helps people get a lot better really quickly, you know. can always do it.
00:55:09
Speaker
um You can train anywhere, twenty ks and 700 metres avert or 41Ks and, you know, like 1,400 metres avert or whatever your distances happen to be. um You know, I think i think that that really helps as well, like if that especially if there was an Olympic event bes that was successful um what the different distances would be um wow yeah i think you're right i think definitely especially in like the shorter distances that'll be a lot easier if you go like well the up and down championships have to be between 12 17k and they have to be between 500 and 750 meters of elevation gain or something like that um yeah i think you're right i think that will make it
00:55:53
Speaker
a little bit easier for younger athletes to train for, to try and get specific workouts, specific kind of sessions dedicated to do that and then see improvement year after year after year.
00:56:06
Speaker
um Where now trail running is just, I guess, all over the place, which is also what's cool about it. There's so many different trail races around the world. You can have a very runnable fire road trail race in Perth.
00:56:19
Speaker
which is 10K with 100 meters of elevation gain, or you can have a fire road trail race in Austria with 800 meters of elevation gain, you know, um of obviously a VK or 100 miles. So there's so many other options. But I think, you know, for the shorter races, trying to have something more standard would definitely make it easier for younger athletes to compare, improve and kind of develop.
00:56:46
Speaker
um and and pushing events like that a bit more. So, like, you know, I think that we have, like, the Australian mountain running championships coming up. um In Tassie, I think we need a couple more...
00:57:01
Speaker
like as a circuit or like a couple of other options in similar distances. um They're being pushed a bit by ultra as well. And they will kind of almost like lead to as a pathway to the championships for shorter events.
00:57:13
Speaker
So I think 50k and 100k trail races, you know, doing well, um but mainly 40 plus, 35 plus. We need to get a bit more in the 15 to 20 category, you know, the juniors, the young kids.
00:57:27
Speaker
and And that has to come through some shorter trail races. Yeah. Yeah, i think I think you're totally right. And that's what what you said about having the national championships. I think that's so important and such a big step forward. And I know that Ultra works really hard for that to happen. um You know, with when I think about surf lifesaving, they had state championships, you know, that's how they did it. So they'd have states and then nationals, um you know, for the specific events.
00:57:59
Speaker
But it's difficult because with trail running, all all the events are privatised. Yeah. You know what I mean? like they're they're privately owned. So, um you know, they're not it's not run by the governing body where a lot of those like swim meets, swim Australia, you know, track meets, it's run by the governing body as opposed to being a privately owned event.
00:58:22
Speaker
race and then they're coming on the back of it. So I wonder if one day they make their own. That'd be cool. Yeah, or try and link up with the Western Australian Marathon Club, for example, which is a non-profit organisation that puts on really good events for...
00:58:38
Speaker
reasonable prices you know out there to really build the sport so they if they team up with them and kind of go hey we need a state you know short um mountain running championships in western australia will you guys be able to run a 10k or 15k race for us that we can use as a state championship and give some free spots to the nationals or you know, have some ah of some kind of a connection to the national championships. I think that that will um could be a pretty easy way of linking up states to a national championship. Yeah, that's a really cool idea, Vlad. Yeah, awesome. Some cool ideas there. So, yeah, anyone listening, definitely jump on and fill in the survey so we can help Orchard plan for the future of the sport.
00:59:24
Speaker
um Cool. So now we're going to jump into a bit of results. um So on the international stage, we actually had Lucy Bartholomew place second at the Never Summer 60K over in Colorado in the States.
00:59:41
Speaker
um So that's pretty epic. I think she also was seventh overall, which is amazing. um So well done to Lucy, continuing repping Australia on the big stage. And I think she's probably gearing up for UTMB as well, I think, which would be cool.
01:00:01
Speaker
I think just before you go into the other results, one thing that I did kind of thought about that could kind of – linking to what we were speaking to about before. I don't know if you got the email from ITRA.
01:00:14
Speaker
So you know how they launched the National League ranking like a few years ago? So now they have like a European final as well. Oh, Yeah, so they kind of literally sent out an email with 4000 runners that are eligible to run this race in Portugal. It's in October. So they, you know, within Europe, that's, I guess, enough time for you to plan.
01:00:39
Speaker
um But it's kind of age group based. So it's very it's it's one race. It's only 50. It's only about 50 K trail race. um But they've sent out like 4000 people have qualified for it. You've made a top 10 in your age group in the National League racing score, which is as long a thing, as long as the ITRA race is in that country, it becomes part of the National League. But this is the first time they've created a final for it, which is really cool because it kind of
01:01:13
Speaker
becomes um another player that's against, not against, but like competing against UTMB and creates like a final, a different type of final compared to the UTMB finals in Chamonix.
01:01:26
Speaker
um So pretty much here, it's the top 10 overall male and female. And then also the ones in the category. So under 23, all the way up to masters in, in um up to 70. So quite a lot of, quite a lot of, um,
01:01:43
Speaker
of age categories, they're kind of a bit more to the triathlon side of things. And then they also give um travel assistance. So this is within Europe, so a lot cheaper to travel. But if you're in the top five, you get 200 euro for travel assistance, six to 10th, get 100 euro. Again, not a crazy amount, but still you know, something. But then the prize money is actually, it's quite high for the the overall top five, but they also do prize money for age categories. So again, a lot of categories and some decent prize money for the category. So like 500, 300, 200 euros for the top three in those categories, um which is really cool as well with like other segments. So they have uphill, downhill,
01:02:28
Speaker
flat segments some extra bonuses with prize money for segments so i actually thought a cool way of creating another pathway of like a championship um i guess different to a utmb um but similar in a way that you have to do a few races to qualify but you're not really collecting points you rather collect um ranking points. You don't collect stones, sorry, you collect ranking points. Yeah, interesting. I should ask some of the athletes here um whether they're thinking about doing it. I think something that I have noticed is that um a lot of like
01:03:08
Speaker
the races that the European athletes choose are like based on what their sponsors want them to do. Like this sounds like the sponsors are very, a bit more strict over here and like what races the athletes do and stuff. um So it'd be interesting to see how that goes.
01:03:25
Speaker
Yeah, maybe just before we continue, Chris is going to jump off. So thank you for coming along. Great to have you on. Excited to see you smash some trail races and um good luck in Transcend.
01:03:38
Speaker
Thank you so much, guys. It's so nice to virtually meet you. um Yeah, much appreciated. And enjoy your glorious day over in Europe. if I can see but out both of your windows. looks wonderful.
01:03:51
Speaker
Thanks again. Thanks, Christy. yeah Yeah. But going back to that conversation. Yeah, I think you're right. At this point, athletes are still very tight to contracts and brands trying to get as much awareness and as much, um I guess, airtime as they possibly can.
01:04:11
Speaker
And right now, UTMB and Golden Trail are the ones that are providing But slowly with some prize money here and there, some travel incentives, you know things like that just kind of add, move the sub-elite.
European Trail Running Competitions
01:04:27
Speaker
So maybe not the top, top athletes, but the ones just below them to do different races like um world majors, maybe like this, like the European...
01:04:38
Speaker
I'm getting confused with all the names, the European National League Championships, I guess that's the name of it, ITRA National League European Final. um So I think that that will slowly move athletes to different events.
01:04:53
Speaker
And then the brands are going to pay attention slowly. It's not straight away because those contracts are, you know, three-year contracts, but maybe in next round, you know, being part of the European trail running champs, being part of trail major champs, being part of the National League European finals, could have some weight on it.
01:05:12
Speaker
And we'll see a bit more athletes, um you know, racing those events as well. But, yeah yeah, interesting to see they're going to It's going to, like, I think the European, i don't know if you follow the European mountain running championships in Slovakia a few months ago. i thought that was a really good event. Some of the best runners in the world in Europe showed up.
01:05:31
Speaker
um This one probably is going to be a bit more of an age group feel to it. But... that will definitely, you know, I think in a few years, if they can have a good event here in three or four years, this type of event could be a race that a lot of Europeans and hopefully they'll have it in other regions do target as like end of a year um race. I think here, obviously they're having it in October, end of the season. um So a cool way of, you know, concluding your season and, keeping it in the region in many ways.
01:06:07
Speaker
Um, so I was wondering if my name was on the list there, cause I've done so many races in Austria in the past few years. Um, I got the email, so I ah thought maybe i was eligible cause I think you, nah, you, so what I saw on the list of runners, John kind of going through it is that you're eligible, but you have to be, I think European. So, um, there were people from Germany, they were on the French ranking, for example.
01:06:32
Speaker
Um, but yeah, I think we'll, we'll be cool to see what happens with this race and, and the next few years with this race and hopefully they will launch it as well in Asia, Asia Pacific as well.
01:06:43
Speaker
Yeah. It'd be awesome if they launched that in Asia Pacific. I feel like it'd be really good. Yeah, just another kind of way of of having a final or championship kind of a style of race. Yeah, definitely.
01:06:56
Speaker
I think we need it with that um the mountain running especially. Like we don't have many big races where we can actually get all of our best runners together. Yeah, i mean they had the South Asia Trail Running Championships I think two weeks ago in Indonesia. So this is kind of like Singapore, Malaysia,
01:07:13
Speaker
Philippines, Vietnam region, the c the similar to the SEA Games, I guess. um They actually had an uphill and mountain running.
01:07:25
Speaker
um Actually, i'm not sure about the mountain running, but definitely an uphill race. had uphill, short course, and long course, which was cool to see. I think that it would be nice in the future for Asia Pacific trail running champs to add in an uphill and maybe a mountain running um kind of a 14, 15K option as well to do get more shorter runners, kind of shorter distance runners um into into the sport as well and competing in the championship events. Yeah, definitely. It'd be awesome.
01:07:56
Speaker
um Cool. Let's just circle back to results because there's a few from ah the Australian trail running scene to go through from last week. um So had Rumble in the Jungle in New South Wales, which had a 30K and a the Optum.
01:08:19
Speaker
we had the female winner was kimberley optim in 5 hours 24. ah And male winner was Trent Irwin in 4 hours 23. And then in the 30K, we had Tamara Urquhart as the female winner in 2 hours 34. Male winner was Nathan Hewitt in 2 hours 16. And And then in the 21K, we had Stephanie Wilson as the first female in one hour 48. And the male winner was Toby Dewsbury in one hour 36.
01:08:52
Speaker
thirty six ah We also had winter trails of Manly Dam. um So in the 32K there, the female winner was Jessica Harormis.
01:09:05
Speaker
in three hours 29 and she was also third overall. And the male winner was Angus Freeman in three hours 28. We also had the Great Pyramid race in Queensland. So the 12K race there, it looks like we had Billy Curtis there and he did the 12K and the 6K, so the full pyramid race.
01:09:31
Speaker
is the 12K and the half is the 6K. So in the full pyramid, the female winner was Abby Watson in one hour 48 and Billy Curtis took out the win in one hour 21 for the male. And then the half pyramid to the 6K, Laura Wood took out the win in one hour 15 and Billy Curtis won the 6K as well 58 47.
01:09:58
Speaker
forty seven um And then we also had Truth or Consequences um over in WA. So that's part of the WA Trail Series. and So the black course we had female winner was Britt Stokes in two hours 13. then Ben Leeson took out the win for the men in one hour 45.
01:10:21
Speaker
And then the blue course, we had Jolie Patterson taking out the win in the females for one hour 09. And the male winner was Aaron Parker in one hour 07.
01:10:34
Speaker
And then we also had another trail series over in Tasmania, which was the Kunani Trail Series, Tulosa Half. So taking out the win in the men was Titch Hager in 1 hour 34. And then taking out the win in the ladies...
01:10:55
Speaker
was Maggie Lennox in 1 hour 58. Cool. So that was the results from around Australia. So we've definitely starting to gain a few more events um as we're getting to the more tail end of winter, I think. Yeah, there's a few more coming up this week. So over in WA, we've got the Backroads Gravel Run. um In ACT, we have the Canberra Runners Winter Series Dremlo Forest.
01:11:25
Speaker
In Victoria, we've got
01:11:53
Speaker
um And now just to finish out the show, um Vlad, do you want to give us a quick update on your training and plans for
Personal Racing Decisions and Reflections
01:12:02
Speaker
while you're in Europe? Are you entered in any races? Yeah, I'm supposed to race this weekend, but I'm not 100% sure. The CAT like a short twenty five k race um clearly I just had a bit of a head cold a few days ago, I spent like two days of um complete rest. the then I think just overdid it. I think when I got to Europe, you know, seeing the mountains, you know, started yeah doing big runs. And then at the same time, you want to spend time with your family and then trying to work at the same time, I think.
01:12:35
Speaker
just try to squeeze every second out of each day for the first week that I was here and, um, yeah, just overcook myself a little bit. Um, I'm starting to kind of feel a lot better now, but, um, still pretty elevated heart rate on my runs and probably not the smartest thing. It's, um,
01:12:54
Speaker
pushing in two and a half hours on the mountains um so yeah i'll see about the race this weekend and do a couple of smaller races while i'm here um but yeah mainly trying to yeah just kind of mix work my own training um a little bit of racing but racing is i think that one thing i do realize with every trip that i come to europe is it's more about just moving quickly in the mountains that i really enjoy Um, and then I feel, I don't feel like a train here. Like, I just feel like I just want to explore.
01:13:25
Speaker
Um, even coming back on the same trails that I've might've ran on a few years ago, just feels like I'm still exploring and just enjoying trails and the views. Um, so yeah. Um, I do have four weeks left in Europe, so yeah, just gonna try and spend some quality time with the family and, um, work and,
01:13:46
Speaker
If I do a race, I'll be happy to race if I don't feel like I need to race, you know, at times as well. um If I'm feeling good, I'll race. If I'm not, I won't. But yeah, I guess as you get older, there like you don't, maybe put a bit less pressure on racing, which is yeah which is okay at different times of the year, like, you know. Yeah, I think it'll be like if you're having fun and enjoying yourself, like the results will come. and the the shorter, the smaller races that you've entered, are they all kind of twenty k distance?
01:14:19
Speaker
oh Yeah, pretty much. Like I actually really like ah running straight up, straight down. So the race this weekend is like literally run up 1,500 metres and then run back down. um i actually really enjoy those type of races.
01:14:33
Speaker
um You know, not too long, two and a half hours, two hours, 20. Yeah, nice. And you can still run the next day, so don't need to taper too much for. So, yeah, yeah a couple of them.
01:14:45
Speaker
Yeah, that sounds fun. But you're doing OCC three weeks' time? Yeah, yeah. So, yeah, that's what I'm going to focus on. I actually ah did have an entry to Sierra's Analoges on Facebook this weekend.
01:15:00
Speaker
Um, but I've decided not to do it just because, um, yeah, I don't know. I, I did my first run as well in the mountains on the weekend here. And I just really cooked myself, like similar to what you were saying. I just, I kind of had a plan of what I wanted to do, but then I ended up being out there for way too long and I got really hot and,
01:15:24
Speaker
did my first kind of session back since then today and I could just feel it a bit in my legs and I was like oh like I'd rather just put all my eggs into the OCC and um I think like from what I've seen like from a lot of Aussies that go over and do races at UTMB like it's a massive achievement to finish the race like I think a lot of people DNF when they come here so I just want to put I just don't want to take any risks and I want to make sure that like I can have like my best shot at OCC. And yeah, I think doing Sierra Zanar would have been a really cool experience, but it it could have been a bit of a risk, yeah.
01:16:07
Speaker
yeah Yeah, you can risk like having two okay races or having one good race. Yeah, that's exactly um what my thought process was. i I was like, oh, I could have two mediocre races or one – shot at a really good race. So yeah, it was a hard decision, but I think it was smart.
01:16:28
Speaker
um Yeah. I'm sure you'll enjoy, enjoy 60 K around, around Mount Blanc. Yeah. It's funny um being here. Cause like, I'm just in awe and it's like so beautiful and crazy. And like, I feel like all the other athletes here are just like, Oh, we do this every year. Like it's so boring. I'm like,
01:16:49
Speaker
ah it's Yeah, it's funny, but um it'd be cool to experience it. Yeah, I don't know. I come ah come to Chamonix like once a year. I've been like literally coming back for the last maybe like 10 years and it's still so amazing. ah still so amazing Yeah.
01:17:05
Speaker
I guess you really have to spend like a lot of time there for it to be boring. But, yeah, I'm still amazed by the trails there and it would be an epic place to like actually spend three or four months in and really explore all the trails because there's so many options. Yeah.
01:17:22
Speaker
Yeah, and I'll get out to the course this week. So um I don't have a car but Toby Sparks is – joining me um and we're gonna hire a car together and get out on the course which will be cool um is Toby doing OCC as well yes yeah oh that's cool yeah so it'd be cool to have a fellow Aussie here um but yeah no I'm excited I'm excited to see more of the area and hopefully get a bit fit in the next few weeks and
01:17:56
Speaker
Yeah, we'll see. Yeah, I think it's really hard to like hold back on like how much time you spend in the mountains. Yeah. I remember like literally like 2014 did Block Marathon and the week but I got there like a week before, like kind of two weeks before, and and the week before I did 200 plus K because I just couldn't hold back. Like it was just so beautiful. know.
01:18:21
Speaker
I didn't have much on to do back then. So i was literally just wake up, run, have some food and then just look at the mountains around me. And i was like, I might just go for another run.
01:18:32
Speaker
Yep. It's really hard to not go out yeah twice a day because it's so beautiful. Yeah. Especially also with the light because you get so much daylight. um Yeah. It's really easy to do a 8am run and then a 6pm run. Yeah.
01:18:49
Speaker
It's so cool. Yes. um Yeah, cool. That's our update. um And yeah, thanks for listening, everyone. um I think a very cool episode having Christy on for the first time, getting to know her a bit more um and what she's up to and some cool insights into what she's been working on as a psychologist as well. So I hope you enjoyed that one. um Thanks for joining Vlad as well.
01:19:16
Speaker
Hope you feel better soon. Thank See you See you guys.