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Episode 48: Donna Double Recaps and Multi Day Event Tips and Tricks!
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Welcome to Episode 48 of Peak Pursuits, your ultimate podcast for everything trail running in Australia. This episode is hosted in person by Sim Brick and Vlad Ixel only a few hours after their races at Warburton Trail Fest’s Donna Double! Hear how the races went down, from the highs of some incredible performances to the struggles that inevitably pop up when tackling such a brutal course.
Sim and Vlad then answer a listener's question about how to get the most out of yourself in a Multi-Day race which is a must listen for all those tackling Buffalo Grand/Ultra Slam or any other Multi-Day race this year!
Finishing up this week's ep the team discusses the unfortunate cancellation of Six Foot Track Marathon and some incredibly swift times by Leo Peterson at Orange Running Festival!
Warby Trail Fest Results: https://tomatotiming.racetecresults.com/results.aspx?CId=16&RId=29780
***Run2PB Listener Offer: https://www.run2pb.co/peakpursuitspodcast
Don’t forget, use code PPP at https://bix-hydration.myshopify.com/en-au for 20% off Bix products, exclusive to PPP listeners!***
Thanks for tuning in to Peak Pursuits! 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!
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/mood-maze/trendsetter
License code: K08PMQ3RATCE215R
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Transcript
Introduction and Discounts
00:00:08
Speaker
Hey trail runners, whether you're looking to take your running to the next level or you're gearing up for your next ultra, listen up. Our friends at Run2PB are offering an exclusive 10% discount for the first three months of personalized run coaching.
00:00:20
Speaker
Just log on to run2pb.co and use the code PEAKPURSUITS to take advantage of this special offer.
Live Discussion with Vlad Ixl
00:00:30
Speaker
Hello and welcome to episode 48 of Peak Pursuits podcast. I am finally doing a podcast live with the one and only Vlad Ixl. How are we doing, Vlad?
00:00:42
Speaker
Oh yeah, not too bad. We both just finished the race. We're chilling in the Salomon house. Yeah. um Thankfully, it's nice and cold in here because it's ah it's gotten to a 34 degree day outside, which are definitely felt a little bit this morning, but we got out early, thankfully.
00:01:00
Speaker
But, yeah, we're coming to you live from Warburton. Warby Trail Fest is still going on. There's a ah lot of really cool things that go on on this weekend at this event. And we'll give you a rundown, very fresh rundown of our race results because it was a pretty hectic race this morning. It was really cool.
00:01:19
Speaker
to be part of. um Yeah, some some definitely some fast racing and back and forths and all sorts, but I'm going to pass to you first, Vlad. You came fourth.
Vlad's Race Experience and Challenges
00:01:28
Speaker
When I passed you at the summit, you were in third and you were looking good and not far behind second, who was Nath Pierce, but ah tell us what happened, how did it pan out?
00:01:37
Speaker
Yeah, finished fourth, started pretty much stuck to my plan, which was don't climb too fast and felt pretty comfortable. I ran the whole uphill um feeling good.
00:01:51
Speaker
Once I got to that 6K, that first aid station, ye Um, there was a run, so I was in fourth that time and there was a runner in front of me, um, Toby. i Um, so yeah, slowly kind of picked him off on that kind of flat little bit of climbing that still was left there. Um, had a bit of a gap to him, made it to the top, maybe like 15 seconds behind Nathan. yeah um So I could kind of see him for a bit, um but then I knew, yeah, I'm feeling good for the downhill, so I should be able to catch him.
00:02:26
Speaker
And I did, and it wasn't moving too quick, so I didn't have to like push through it. I just kind of ran my downhill pace that I thought that I could keep for the next 10K. And overtook him just before that aid station.
00:02:40
Speaker
But I think I should have stopped and got some water there. Yeah, it was getting hot down the bottom. It was definitely getting hot. Like, I don't know if if probably it feels hotter. So, like, you know, when we were racing, it was maybe...
00:02:54
Speaker
28 degrees maybe 27 yeah but it felt hotter than that i don't know yeah i don't agree with that as well yeah yeah so it's feeling warm and only had 500 ml of water um that i finished right at the top and kind of was thinking i should stop but that was exactly as i was ah overtaking nathan and i was like crap don't want to slow this down um so yeah i entered that post road technical section um started i could feel like nathan was falling back i could not hear him anymore didn't look back but then yeah it took a turn twisted my ankle again it was actually really painful so i stopped and i was like i probably should walk up to the road because it was maybe 500 meters up to the road so real soon yeah
00:03:39
Speaker
So i was like, maybe I should just walk back up, get a car because it was really painful. um But I was also like, I'm only 2K technically down from the bottom as well. Yeah,
00:03:50
Speaker
um So yeah, I started walking down and then slowly jogged in it and it actually felt not that bad. Yeah, you rallied. So actually ran. Yeah, i kept on running. Obviously like a bit more careful and a bit more scared and um that's when I got like a branch right in my eye, which made things a bit interesting for that last bit of the downhill. Yeah.
00:04:12
Speaker
which wasn't fun at all. um So I pretty much finished the race and was struggling to open my left eye. And I just sat there for like 10 minutes with both eyes closed and went to the medic tent um because I thought there might be like a really bad scratch.
00:04:29
Speaker
But they washed it off. I laid down for like 20 minutes, closing my eyes, and it was fine. um But yeah, managed to hold on to fourth, which yeah um I guess that's better than walking back up um And DNFing.
Strategies and Injury Management
00:04:45
Speaker
Definitely, definitely. Like to rally like that and then have a, like overall not a great feeling finish, especially if you can't see very well out of one eye, not easy on that descent. Yeah. But like to only be, you were only 30 seconds back off Toby. Oh, I could see him and obviously I was already struggling. Damn. He was struggling as well because I think he pushed that downhill.
00:05:06
Speaker
Yeah. think he was trying to, I mean, he wasn't far off Nathan as well, right? like No, a minute and minute behind Nathan. Yeah, I mean, there's so maybe i was thinking that he could catch him. um So yeah, both of them overtook me when I was walking.
00:05:18
Speaker
um Yeah, which was wasn't a nice feeling. um Considering that, I don't know, maybe I'm a better downhill runner and I was hoping to make a move on the downhill.
00:05:30
Speaker
But yeah, third ankle twist in the last one and a half years, which... Yeah, for someone that's never been injured before, his ankle's becoming your Achilles heel literally almost at times. Yeah, pretty much. So I'm kind of like thinking about it, like maybe I have to start taping it because, um yeah, this is not great. um Ten years of nothing.
00:05:51
Speaker
yeah And then, yeah, um three times in the last one and a half years. Saying that, that's still not that much. No, yeah. But, yeah. There's a problem with ankles is once they go once, they're so much more prone to going again and again. And it's like the one weak point that you find that a trail will always seem to find pretty quickly.
00:06:09
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. So I feel like maybe i need to do a bit more strength maybe. Maybe I'll test taping it. I know a lot of people do tape it and, you know, I'm not there. I'm a few months of 38. So like, you know, I'm definitely getting there. So old buddy vibes ah are like hitting me strong now.
00:06:27
Speaker
um So yeah, I might have to test some taping. Tapes worth it for when it's a really technical race. Like when I raced in Norway and a few other ones, I have taped even when my ankles are totally fine.
00:06:38
Speaker
Does it take away the mobility aspect of it? You've got to know how to do it. You do not want it to be so tight that it is compressing your foot at all because otherwise you get foot cramps. And I find that no, as long as I've got my taping down pat, and I will run. Usually I'll actually tape it the day before, do my run the day before in the tape so it's slightly loose.
00:06:58
Speaker
But if you get the sort white... Oh, want to go to sleep with it. Yep. If you get the sort of white Leuco tape... Shower as well? Oh, yeah. Leuco tape will last a few days. 100% that tape will just last and last. you If it it's got to be a good one, but I just spend the money on really good tape and I'll run in it the day before.
00:07:14
Speaker
yeah Like shower, sure, fine. And it'll dry out. Your skin's manky when you get it off after the race. But like even when I've been taping my tier ban in the last few weeks and I would put tape on and it would last four days, four runs, well um as long as it's good tape.
00:07:29
Speaker
And if you get the cheap one, you just don't shower and it should be okay still. ah Sort of. in the chip if If you get a real cheap one, it'll just come off in one run. yeah um I tried to tape mine with the cheap right one once and it just came off, straight off in one run. So, yeah, I think it might, at this point, it's probably worth a shot for you.
00:07:46
Speaker
Yeah, i mean, I think that ah also like, you know, I guess living in Perth, just not getting those down big downhills. And um I mean, when I rolled my ankle was while I was kind of back in Perth and yeah yeah kind of traveling for a race, get a big downhill. And yeah literally they all three times happen on a downhill as well. So um it could also be just the weakness of...
00:08:08
Speaker
doing the repeats. Yep. So like not stressing the ankles enough and, you know, getting always that break of uphill running than trying to push it downhill. But yeah, um yeah this was – I mean, I'm surprised. Like this is a big mountain.
00:08:23
Speaker
yeah yo yeah. Like this was steep. Like don't know. Like i obviously I know that Tassie's got those big climbs. But, yeah, this was surprising. We're not far from Melbourne as well. So this is pretty cool. No, like 90 minutes. 90 minutes out of the CBD. 80 if you get a good run. um But because you know what time you hit the top in. Did you look at your watch at all?
00:08:43
Speaker
No, I didn't. I'll look at this Strava segment. um but We can have a look. But um to run through the full results, Michael Kernaghan honestly put on a little bit of a clinic because he last year beat everyone to the top by four minutes but then was overtaken by a lot on the downhill. Now, I haven't actually spoken to him. I'm not sure if something went wrong on that downhill or he just wasn't used to the trails because I haven't seen him do it before.
00:09:10
Speaker
But geez, he came this year knowing what he was doing because he was, I was surprised. I was on the uphill um and when he passed and I'm like, oh, there's Kerners. So not long after we'll be the guys.
00:09:23
Speaker
And I was running and running and running. And I'm like, okay, there's no one yet. There's no one yet. And then I see Nathan, I see you, then I see Toby and you're just all coming in quick succession. Yeah. So Kerners was so far front, like probably further in front.
00:09:36
Speaker
I'm going to say definitely further in front at the top than at the bottom. term um But Kerners got the win, Michael Kernaghan, in 149.30, which I should look up. I can't remember where that would put him sort of course record-wise, but it would be pretty close.
00:09:52
Speaker
And then Nathan Pearce was in second in 153.42.
00:09:57
Speaker
And Toby Lang in third in 1.54.41, followed very closely by Vlad in 1.55.12. Oh, yeah, there you go. Max Taylor last year was 1.50.07. So I'm going to say Kerners is the first person to break 1.50 on the course, which, yeah.
00:10:15
Speaker
Yeah, i mean, I think that just shows that there's enough talent in Australia. They just have to move to the trails. Yeah. And I think that slowly they will be moving to the trails as yeah opportunities kind of open up. But, yeah, i mean, i't like he obviously – I was leading that first 1.5K on the flat um section, but once we got to that steep uphill, he just went. And I did see, obviously, Nathan and Toby most of the way, but I could not see him, so – That doesn't surprise me. But Michael is more known, like he'll run the whole XCR season. He's a 30 flat 10k runner or under. I might be gibbing him there on some minute on a minute or so. But he's ah very, very good cross-country road runner um that lives in Melbourne, runs for Mentone. Like I've seen him for years and years. It's actually very cool to see him really pull off a result here because I've only really seen him on road and cross-country.
00:11:09
Speaker
Yeah, and maybe that will just mean that he will start doing more of them and um maybe bring some of his track friends and road friends across so we'll have some better runners and have some better come because better like obviously competition is good for Yeah, exactly. yeah um You know, I'm saying that as I get older, so I don't really mind, but um it would be good for the sport, you know, yeah um because there are a lot of, like i always said to even people in my group, like, you know,
00:11:37
Speaker
14, 30 for a 5K, sorry, for guys is, you know, really, really good, but maybe not that special anymore. Yep. And it may be a good chance to get on the trails where you could have some good results. And, you know, obviously today there wasn't much, but maybe we'll decide to do the rest of the season.
00:11:55
Speaker
yeah Yeah. You know, the other, data of well, two of the races are pretty runnable. Coastal would suit him. Yeah. yeah And Brisbane. So yeah, I'll maybe, I'll maybe ah message him and be like, wait, come across. Cause yeah, I would put him and Leo, obviously he's incredibly fast. Nath Pierce, he's fast in the flat himself as well. And,
00:12:14
Speaker
Then I really like seeing how people mix it up for those that do specialize more in trail and how close everyone ends up on some of these courses versus each other um for the different strengths and weaknesses. But yeah, Michael Kernaghan showed that he's ah very well-rounded today for sure.
00:12:31
Speaker
um Yeah, anything else to add on that men's race as it played out for you? not really. I mean, it was just, it's definitely a fun race to be a part of and it's probably smaller than what I expected it to be. I thought there would be it might be a bit of like you know, bigger amount of people. But I mean, you've been saying that it's about the same every year, it might even be bigger this year with 1000 people.
00:12:52
Speaker
ah Yeah, I think it's probably overall as an event. It's been growing every year. i think, yeah, there's there's many factors to all these events. Like we do have a lot of events in Vic and yeah, for these trails, I don't know, it always has felt pretty busy, but you're right. It's nothing like it's no on got nothing on sort of the UTA or the the slightly bigger events, um maybe even Surf Coast Century, those sorts of ones that we do have in Vic.
00:13:17
Speaker
but But this course in particular, For Donna, I think just the brutality of it means you we've always ended up with somewhere between 100 and 150 in this one run.
00:13:27
Speaker
um And you'll find more in sort of the 14, maybe even the 27. They're much more runnable, the 50K as well. um So I think there's a lot less in some of the events, there's a lot less crossover road trail kind of run as much. Yeah.
00:13:44
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, i mean, I guess there is nothing in between as well, or like a pure trail race or almost like a road race on some flatter stuff, right? What do you mean?
00:13:55
Speaker
Like the 14, 27K really runnable where then you have this 20K, which is proper trail race. Yeah, um the one in between would be the night run, which is on tonight, but that's a great big party on the trail. Yeah.
00:14:09
Speaker
What about the 50? What's the elevation on the 50? It's about 1,000. Like it's not much. It's got a big climb to start and then it's very runnable and net downhill. um Like it's, yeah, it has its own brutalities in It's almost always hot this weekend.
00:14:22
Speaker
um It's very rarely do you get like nice weather to run in in that way, but it's certainly a runnable course for sure. So I guess if the fifty k had 2,000 metres gain,
00:14:35
Speaker
you know It did last year actually. really They had to change the course. So it was brutal for the poor people that did it. They had to do our course, Donna, first. wow Then hit and when they hit the aqueduct, they turned left and ran about 20 something Ks flat after doing that downhill.
00:14:50
Speaker
So what, bad reviews and they didn't bring it back? No, that was because of the heat last year. Last year it was a 38 degree day. Like it has gotten to 34 today, but it wasn't um forecast to do that.
00:15:01
Speaker
But last year we were forecast on a total fire ban day and the race almost got cancelled. But um because of a revised course, they put it on just for safety. Because the 50K as it is currently is a point to point and it goes through some pretty hard to access trails where you can't get many people in and stuff. So,
00:15:20
Speaker
It was much safer. And also the higher you got the mountain, the colder it gets. yeah So it was purely a heat factor. They won't bring it back unless they absolutely have to, but definitely not great reviews. That would though. It could almost make it like a special event that people would travel for.
00:15:34
Speaker
yeah Yeah, I think now you get the people that ah would do that event, do the multi-day. It's probably the ones that do that one that like the sort of brutality of the the flat and the hills. But um like I would certainly do it. I'd personally prefer it the other way around where you did the flat first and then you went up and down the mountain.
00:15:52
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, it would make it a lot easier. Because I can only imagine how running on that flat aqueduct after bombing down Donna, like that K at the bottom for us is bad enough. Yeah, it's slow K. Yeah. But, I mean, what it feels like from the outside that I was the only one out of town, I felt like everybody just drove in on the morning of the race or one night before.
00:16:14
Speaker
yeah um But, yeah, I mean, it's... It is a small town too, Warburden. It's very small, yeah. It's actually very, very small, but it is beautiful. Like I did not expect that. It almost had this kind of New Zealand vibe to it as well. Yeah. It's very green, very lush, very pretty. The trail is beautiful, so I definitely want to come back and hopefully give it another shot and try and run a bit better on the downhill. Yeah. um But, yeah, if you are looking for a small town event, this is a good one.
00:16:41
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. It's a lot of fun. It is certainly a lot of fun. And it was also some fun on the women's front, I must admit. Today was probably the least fun I've had on a trail in a while, but that's all good. We we live to tell the tale.
00:16:54
Speaker
um On the women's front, ah ah'll suppose I may as well go from the start of the race. like the um I was leading, I'm going to say, the first K, but I was not taking it out fast.
00:17:05
Speaker
um I could feel a line of people sort of behind me and I was certainly happy with that. That was fine. um I think it was Maddie O'Donnell that was right on my heels and then about a K in Mia Noble went ahead.
00:17:17
Speaker
um But I think she might have hit the bottom of Marta three four seconds up like it wasn't that no gaps were formed by any means um and then up marda that was a lot of fun i think we had a pack of like mia was leading um and then myself bridget maddie o'donnell and um maybe demi caldwell i think it was as well we're all side by side hiking up marda um that was pretty cool like mia was ah up up ahead but maybe only 10 20 meters at that point so it was a just a cool experience to be amongst that many females on the trail.
Sim's Psychological Challenges and Resilience
00:17:51
Speaker
Technically going to plan for you. Oh yeah, 100%. You're a good downhill, right? might want to slow this down. Hey girls, let's just take it easy. It was exactly what I wanted. Anybody want some gels? I was like, get across the bridge behind the guys. I was right on all your heels across the bridge, but then a single track.
00:18:06
Speaker
And I was like, look, if someone wants to put in the surge, they can go, but I'm just going to chill here knowing that There's a long climb ahead. Like sometimes knowing what's ahead doesn't necessarily do you huge amount of favours. But I was like, this isn't where the race is won or you'd do anything smart if you take off. So, um yeah, I was certainly at that point going, yep, I expected this because Bridget was a little bit ahead, Mia at the front. And I'm like, cool, all go on a plan.
00:18:31
Speaker
That's exactly what I expected to happen. Um, and then i think I passed Maddie. Maddie got a little bit of a gap on me, um, just at the very top of Marta. I was in my little world of going, the climb's still coming, like, don't, don't count your biscuits here.
00:18:48
Speaker
Um, and then just up to the aqueduct, I passed Maddie and then ah I could see Bridget up ahead. um I could see Mia at times but not a huge amount and she was actually hard of the spot because she was in dark clothes um which makes me realise tactic, wear some like inconspicuous clothing on these things and because I could see the bright red of Bridget's pack um and i was like oh, there she is.
00:19:10
Speaker
um But yeah, we got onto the climb proper and yeah, I was happily kind of just tracking off Bridget. um She was staying about the same distance ahead of me. I could see her I'm going to say all the way up to about four Ks. I was still just essentially hiking, running my way up um inside of Bridget. I kept thinking I saw Mia at times, wasn't sure if it was her though.
00:19:36
Speaker
So actually can't verify whether it was at all. um I'll have to ask Bridget whether she was in sight, but yeah, But yeah, honestly, this was where maybe just almost could have seen this coming. But if there's one thing I know about my myself, it's that I do denial really well.
00:19:52
Speaker
So as we're hiking up that middle section, you start passing all the slow runners, which was fine. um And they were really nice. They were so lovely. and Oh, so lovely. Not a single one got in the way at all.
00:20:06
Speaker
um But this is where this whole weekend, now this is my own doing, 100% aware of this, but obviously snake incident last week. So almost every single person I come across mentions it, asks questions how I am. So fine. Everyone's now just very aware of snakes.
00:20:21
Speaker
All good. So good. But mid-race when my heart rate's high and I start passing and it was maybe eight people in a row. Just ask you, have you seen any snakes? No, not asking. It was either a joke.
00:20:35
Speaker
It was either a hey Sim, hope you don't see any snakes or, hey, Sim, don't get bitten today or like honest, like and all of them very well-meaning. And I'm also very aware. I put this on Instagram in a very joking kind of way.
00:20:47
Speaker
And not that, hey, guys, I'm slightly traumatized by this experience. And I think we should mention when your heart rate is to the max, is very hard to come up with some funny jokes. So you're just like, yeah. Oh my gosh. my My brain was not in the mood for a joke. Let's just put it that way. Yeah, but they they were not saying funny jokes as well because they're like, you can't really think of anything super funny. Everyone's out there working hard. I do not blame a soul in no way. I'm just as it is. So it could have been coming from like a nice, 100% it would have been. It would have been. They were just trying to relate to the fact and I was like,
00:21:19
Speaker
And for the most part, to begin with, I was like, yeah, well, this is your own doing. Just put it out of your mind. Forget about it. Forget about it. And then just the whole timing of things. It's what your brain does, to be fair. I have one of those brains that is wired for trauma. It'll do it. It's fine. I'm used to it by now.
00:21:36
Speaker
But, yeah, it was like I'd just passed someone else. I'd already passed my brother, so I didn't have the safety factor of going Peter's up ahead. Go find Peter. My brother's out there. It's comfortable. And someone had just said it and then ah kicked a piece of bark.
00:21:49
Speaker
So fine normally, but you would have seen all of the bark on the ground out there. It's nice long bark. It'll wind around your legs. That's fine. And I would never have batted an eyelid in the past.
00:22:00
Speaker
But I was like almost tripping over this bark and my heart rate went through the roof. Like my whole body tensed. And then I was like, okay, breathe.
00:22:11
Speaker
That was just embark. You got this and kept hiking. But because I kept then pushing, was still looking ahead for Bridget. It was just my heart rate wouldn't go down. No matter what I tried to do, my heart rate wouldn't go down. So I stopped.
00:22:23
Speaker
I stood for a second and I'm like, look, just take a few breaths. You'll get this. And I'd already sort of like my diaphragm had already sort of cramped a little bit and it was like just tight. So I went to take a deep breath and went, oh, shit, I can't take a deep breath.
00:22:36
Speaker
Fuck. probably shouldn't swear in this. I'm going to have to put this explicit now, but I will. um I was like, okay, i I can't take a deep breath. That's fine. Breathe through the nose, breathe out. Like I was trying to sing songs to myself, but I was like, look, standing here isn't doing anything for me. Keep moving.
00:22:52
Speaker
So I kept moving and it was just a case of from there onwards, It kept happening, which is fine. Like I would pass someone. And then we got to sort of the section of trail up the top. So for most of this part, we got to the first aid station, which is all the steep stuff. And i this is nowhere near, well, not yet on the same trail as where it all happened with the snake last week.
00:23:17
Speaker
And I saw my parents there and I was like, I'm not going to say a thing. I'm not going to voice this because I'm not going to give it any more time than it's worth. We still have time to come good. I'm not that far behind. Like rally, let's go.
00:23:29
Speaker
and so we then take off up that gravel. um And like I'm in no way feeling perfect just because but maybe I'm full of adrenaline. I don't know. But like my body's a little bit tight and anxious and you don't run well in that state at all.
00:23:44
Speaker
And then I was just in the back of my mind going, I just hope someone's in front that I can catch and get on the back of through the section of trail where it happened. And that didn't happen.
00:23:55
Speaker
So I'm there. This is right after the aid station, right? Right after the aid station. So and so when you go to the technical When you get to the technical, about 250 meters in. That's exactly where twisted my ankle.
00:24:05
Speaker
lovely on No, sorry, on the way, on Mount Victoria. Oh, okay, okay. So on the way up. Oh, okay. On the way up at the aid station. So you hit the tower where there's the TV tower and you're heading across to the summit still.
00:24:18
Speaker
It was that section of trail, like the next 300, 500 metres or so to the summit of Mount Victoria. And so I ended up running through there. There is a couple of people up ahead and I'm keeping telling my brain, i'm like, okay, brain, like nothing's going to happen because there's people up ahead, there's people making noise. That many people have already been through the trail.
00:24:35
Speaker
But it was like, no matter how much I tried to rationalize, my body wouldn't calm down. So I was just like, and I just kept noticing if I tried to push and my heart rate got higher, which it was already sitting honestly where I would normally race, but without being at race effort.
00:24:51
Speaker
And if I tried to push any more, your brain doesn't think properly when your heart rate's that high. And I was seeing snakes everywhere. Like honestly, every single little bit of bark or stick or something that was like under something else, my brain went, oh, that one.
00:25:08
Speaker
And it was like, I kept saying, okay, look ahead. You're going to see it. If you see one, you can move off to the side. You're all good. And then my brain went, yeah, but you didn't see it last time. And I was like, okay, we're doing this today.
00:25:20
Speaker
i am so used to this script. I've got PTSD. We're all good on other fronts. Like I'm used to the whole, you've got to sort of desensitize the brain, which it was at this point, I kind of started kicking myself going, look, don't know how, why you expected any different when this happened a week ago and you've avoided trail since.
00:25:38
Speaker
did you Did you think that maybe, like, I mean, if this wasn't a Salomon event and the Salomon didn't put up the house and all those activations around this race, do you think you would have...
00:25:50
Speaker
come to this race and done it because this is a week ago like obviously it was a pretty um big deal right they're like there was a whole team rescuing you down from the mountain um yeah I think in hindsight having this event here is probably what put me into that state of denial of, no, we'll be fine.
00:26:10
Speaker
I'll be like, my brain can handle this. We've been through worse before, which I get into this little safety thing of me going, I've been through worse. like and And also i can rationalise and go, nothing bad is actually going to happen.
00:26:22
Speaker
But you can tell yourself nothing's bad going to happen until the cow come home cows come home. Your body doesn't always respond that way. But if this was not a Salomon event, you would have missed it? think there's a chance I would have for sure, but I probably would have...
00:26:38
Speaker
Like in hindsight, I should have just at least done a walk out there yesterday or trail run because even when I've run here for my easy jogs, I've been hitting the rail trail.
00:26:49
Speaker
Like I've almost not even hit the river trail. And like in the river today, like it's just that little sensitization of going didn't probably help that the second we drove in on Thursday night,
00:27:01
Speaker
Me and Matt turn into the accommodation and Matt runs over a tiger snake no in the car. Wow. The second we're in freaking Millgrove and I'm like, there's another one. You've literally seen more snakes than I have my whole life, like pretty much in Western Australia, that's for sure. Yeah. In a week.
00:27:19
Speaker
I think if it was a trail race anywhere else other than where it happened, I'd probably be a lot better. um But this was where it got into, it was actually interesting for me across the top. um I actually saw a massive shout out to Tia Wishart.
00:27:34
Speaker
Tia is a trail runner, has been for many years. She's an absolute legend that helps out at all these events. Now Tia's been bitten by a snake four times. Wow. while trail running. And she, I knew this, I've known her and um she was actually the first person I saw and because she started in the slow wave of Donna today after I ran through that section.
00:27:54
Speaker
But she misunderstood what I asked her because I'm freaking out a little bit and I'm sort of trying to run while trying to stop myself from hyperventilating and also going, I can't stop here, I have to keep moving.
00:28:05
Speaker
And then I see Tia and I scream out to her, Tia, please tell me it gets better than this. She thought I was talking about the race. So she starts going, yeah, it's flat from here. You got this. You got the downhill girl.
00:28:16
Speaker
Let's go. Let's go. and I'm like, as I run past her, I'm like, that's not what I meant to you. I wasn't caring about the race. Just tell me my brain's going to get over the fact that trails and snakes go together. It's fine.
00:28:28
Speaker
But yes, I ran past her and as I got sort of got around, like I could feel that I was kind of, ah couldn't push because if I tried to push, just my whole body went in a little bit into freak out mode.
00:28:41
Speaker
But I was holding so much tension in that I got around, my dad I actually saw on the road. So my dad was cycling up the mountain and it just so happened that the timing that on the loop I got down to the road,
00:28:53
Speaker
where you go down a little bit before looping back up to the summit, my dad was cycling up. So that was cool because I got to see my dad there. And then I'm running down the bit to the last climb and I look down at my watch and I know I'm on a slow time. Like I looked down at my watch and already there I'm on like an hour 26.
00:29:08
Speaker
now the I've gotten to the top like the very summit in our 24 before. And I'm like, okay, we're not moving quick today. Just get to the summit and see what happens. It'll be fine. But obviously, you know, you got the downhill, which is your strength. Exactly. I'm like, I got the downhill still. I was still trying to look forward to the downhill.
00:29:24
Speaker
What position were you in at the top? I was in third. um So I was still in third. yeah I hadn't seen Bridget in a while. Like I'd i'd kind of lost sight of her um maybe in the last K up to the road.
00:29:36
Speaker
um I couldn't see her anymore and I didn't see her at all across the top. But across the top I was in my own little world of battle. Like it was me against myself out there. I wasn't even looking for anyone. I was just staring at the ground, which is not how you run fast either because I was like every time I went to look ahead, my brain just wouldn't let me do it.
00:29:55
Speaker
um because that's exactly what was happening when I missed the snake. So I was like, I always tell people, don't look at your feet. I was looking at my feet, yeah which don't recommend. But I was still in third. I knew that I hadn't had anyone come past me. And then I was coming up that final bit to the summit and I had this little moment of bliss because I knew my family was all up there.
00:30:14
Speaker
And when I say my family, I mean all my family. So i'm one of seven kids and five of my siblings are here and four of three four of them i don't even remember how many four of them three of them were at the summit with nieces and nephews there was at least four or five of my nieces and nephews ringing bells as i'm coming through the little thing so i get to high five my little niece that was the coolest part of the race was how cool was it yeah they put on a show i mean i did know it was your whole family Oh, that was my family up there. those yeah There was honestly about 10 of those people was my family. Yeah, so pretty much like Zagama, running up Zagama just for few seconds. But it was really loud and it was really Yeah, yeah.
00:30:54
Speaker
Just like 10 metres. So over little a bunch of the little kids there were all my nieces and nephews. Oh, I've high-fived a couple of them? Yeah, you probably did. You probably did. So, yeah, they were gorgeous. I had this little moment of sweet and then I keep hiking up and it's in that next little moment, to be fair, the camera guy is then asking how you're doing and I'm like, honestly, my brain thinks everything's a freaking snake at this point. So i' I'm battling but we're getting there.
00:31:17
Speaker
And then I go to get to the summit and I go, okay, the downhill. But obviously the first part of the downhill is where it happened. Like it was running down, it was on that section of trail and I panicked.
00:31:28
Speaker
Like I saw this is where, yeah I love my mum and I want my mum there but you actually don't want your mum there when you feel that vulnerable because I got to the summit, walked to the aid station, mum was there and I just crumbled.
00:31:42
Speaker
Like I was inner arms bawling my eyes out going, I can't, I can't do it. I'm seeing snakes everywhere. Like don't make me do it. I can't. And I was like, damn it. Then I could see, shout out to him, Oscar from Solomon.
00:31:55
Speaker
I could see him there. He wasn't filming. He was giving me my moment. I was like, oh, but I wasn't sure if he was. But it was actually good because it kind of snapped me out of it and I went, no, you aren't letting this beat you today. You're standing up. And also,
00:32:08
Speaker
I've got a little bit of a competitor in me because Maddie O'Donnell passed me as I'm standing there with mum. So I'm standing there with mum, poor Maddie looks across and I can see the look on her face of, oh my God, what's going on? I'm like, nope, pick yourself up, like put the bottles in your pack and just see what happens.
00:32:24
Speaker
um And then it kind of helped that Maddie had just passed. So I, for the first sort of 500 metres until I caught her again, just had her to focus on. So I was like, okay, you're on the downhill, pass her.
00:32:36
Speaker
Got past Maddie. That was fine. Then this is where was pulling on every tactic I could. As I'm running through the section where it happened, all I can do is sing I'm Not Afraid by Eminem.
00:32:48
Speaker
It was over and over in my head. it was all, I was like repeating the chorus on repeat in my head. um as I'm running through that section of all the way down to the next aid station. it was all I was doing.
00:33:01
Speaker
was like, you are just focusing on these lyrics and they're telling you you're not afraid, you're good. um But the competitor in me was kind of at the point of going, i knew, i' pretty sure I had like eight minutes behind Mia and six minutes behind um Bridget at the top. So you knew that at the top? um Yes. Like I heard someone say something along those lines and I'm like,
00:33:24
Speaker
I actually think I could make up six minutes, but I don't trust my brain to do that today. Like it's not the day sort of thing. So I went, I know I can flow down this trail and I can come third.
00:33:36
Speaker
And today i was just, I kind of hate when you reach this moment as a competitor, but I had that moment of going, that's my win today is get to the finish line. You're on the podium. All's good.
00:33:47
Speaker
Just keep moving. Cause my instincts were telling me to stop at every point. It was like, too much Especially on the downhill because it's actually not so bad on the uphill. You don't kick as many sticks and you don't keep flying flicking bark around.
00:34:00
Speaker
um But that steep section of trail is where there's a lot of, and when I say there's a lot of bark, the whole ground is bark and sticks on this course. Like I'm not, that is ah how the course is. There's no way around that. It's a very small single trail as well. Like yeah kind of like you almost have to cross cross on to yourself every time you run on it because it's so yeah um single trail. And there's obviously a lot of people going both ways.
00:34:22
Speaker
So you do get to spend a bit of time on like bushes and shrubs and stuff like that. Yeah. um And yeah, so it was the downhill that in some ways I was worried about. um But I was also like trying to, like I suppose this is where I got a little bit sad because I love downhills. I hated that downhill.
00:34:38
Speaker
There was no part of my brain letting me enjoy that downhill. But I suppose I was just like, nah, you are getting to the finish line and that is it. Like I just didn't give myself an option really.
00:34:50
Speaker
and So once I was past that aid station, like I did pass a guy again. That was fine. I was like, cool, there's someone else to sort of chase down past them. But then once I'd passed him, I didn't see anyone.
00:35:00
Speaker
um and in my head i was like, look, if I can flow down this thing, if I see Bridget, I'll chase. If I don't see her, I don't have it in me to chase a ghost today.
00:35:11
Speaker
I'm just going to flow down. And then I got to the bottom. there There's that one last little climb, right? Yes. What you mean? That's mountain. It's not a little climb.
00:35:22
Speaker
So you hit what was probably like ah two Ks to go, k and a half to go, um just before the last descent of Marta and there's this horrible little climb that's steep enough that it really takes all your momentum out from the downhill.
00:35:35
Speaker
And I trudged up that thing, telling myself, get to the road, then you'll run. Then I got to the road and then I'm like, no, you can walk to the top of the uphill. So I just walked. And umm when I say walked, as if I was out for a Sunday freaking stroll, I was walking up to the top of Marta.
00:35:51
Speaker
then I'm like, ah I should run. um So ran down Marta. And then to be honest, I will say I did enjoy the last bit. Marta, that's like one of the steepest residential streets in Australia. Yeah. Yeah.
00:36:05
Speaker
It only says 27 degrees, but it feels... 27%, yeah. Sorry, 27%, but it feels gives lot steeper than... yeah i mean, it's not long, but it's steep. But it's got to be more than 27. Yeah, and running down on concrete and that when you're already a little bit tired. running up that. Up was bad too, hey? Yeah, I felt like it was like closer to 40, but... Feels it, feels it for sure. Yeah, I've got to check that.
00:36:28
Speaker
um This is where I got to the bottom and just to make sure that I did have space, I did look back and go, okay, can't see Maddie. Like, I think we're good. And this is the first time, the one thing I did enjoy today was that last run in because I jogged.
00:36:43
Speaker
I was like, you don't need to move fast. You're coming third today whether you absolutely fang this or whether you jog it. Like, Bridget's probably already done, which you almost would have been. So, yeah I jogged along. It's never felt so short.
00:36:54
Speaker
It felt actually quite short for me because I'm just like, cool, we're cooling down to the finish line. This is great. Like, I think I was running, jogging along five minute Ks. This is fine. um And then, yeah, essentially ran into the finish and found my dog first because she's always the one that's going to calm me down.
00:37:09
Speaker
um But, yeah, it was like one of those days where it started with a lot of promise but in hindsight um there was a few things I maybe could have done in the lead up to help. But thankfully I did have a really good chat with Tia Wishart on the finish line um after she finished and she's given me some pretty pretty cool tactics because she said it took – It's probably about a month after her most recent bite to sort of go be able to run trails comfortably again.
00:37:37
Speaker
um But she said what got her back was actually doing, which I love this idea, really complicated fartleks on trails. And she was talking like 15 seconds on, 15 seconds off, 20 seconds on, 20 seconds off.
00:37:50
Speaker
And so that that was all her brain could focus on was the fartlek and not like, and she said, like, you can, I think I'd probably start on trails where I know I'm not going to see a snake or I never have before. um And then maybe slowly work up to mate where I have.
00:38:04
Speaker
I'm not sure I'm going to have many problems anywhere other than this mountain at this point. um But yeah, it was, um, Yeah, there was a lot of kicking myself on the way up going probably might have been able to at least help this a little bit. um I think you did really well, obviously, like after last week.
00:38:22
Speaker
um Even just coming back here and racing with the pressure of Salomon putting on this event and stuff and the extra pressure they put on you, i guess. um even Even if you feel it or don't feel it, there there is a bit of pressure when your sponsor is here.
00:38:36
Speaker
Yeah. um And, yeah, obviously not your best race, but I think – Yeah, you really, really well and you made it to the finish line. Yeah, that the win. And you still made it to the podium. So like, I mean, I think it's a bit of, I guess, a bit of sweetness at the end of tough day for you.
00:38:53
Speaker
Yeah, small wins, small wins. I think it's my slowest time by almost eight minutes or seven minutes, but at the same time. Yeah, it doesn't really matter. I think the big picture here that you kind of went out there and you gave it a shot. Yeah, shot my shot. A week after a pretty, you know, not a fun experience. Yeah, yeah. And I will say, public apology to Woz, people that know Woz from Mountain City Runners, lots of people that listen might, but he was taking photos right near the summit.
00:39:22
Speaker
And I'd just been hearing people mention snakes the whole way up. And he's the first one that mentioned it that I knew. And so, and he took a photo and then he said something, I can don't even remember what it was, but he said something about um been bitten by, like, have you seen a snake yet? Or like, hope you haven't seen a snake or something.
00:39:40
Speaker
And the poor thing, it was the last straw because I just stand there and go, I just wish people would stop saying that. And then as I run off, I'm like, I'm sorry, Woz, that wasn't it you.
00:39:53
Speaker
It really wasn't, but I just, just, just. And then on the way back down, he's like, go Sim. Real quietly, I'm like, yeah, and no, no, no, it's all good.
00:40:03
Speaker
It's all good. Like I just had my little moment and then to be fair, having a good cry at the summit worked well. ah felt little more that. think you should embrace it. think should run with like a little snake um toy on your backpack or something like that like you know that. My brother told me to get a tattoo around my leg and I'm like, no way, man.
00:40:20
Speaker
I can't look down and see that. Maybe one day. Yeah. But I just looked at him, I'm like, too soon, too soon, bro. um but um But yeah, I will say absolutely massive shout out to Mia Noble because she ran a brilliant race today and she was first to the summit and first to the bottom by a
Race Highlights and Winners
00:40:38
Speaker
big margin. So 2.11.23 for Mia.
00:40:42
Speaker
um That is the third fastest time ever on the course and for her first attempt at this and even at this distance, I think, um, She did so well. Like she was only a minute and a half or a minute 40 ahead of Bridget at the summit and then had six or seven minutes on her at the bottom.
00:41:02
Speaker
So she not only ah climbed really well, but she proved that she can descend really well as well. um And then Bridget also climbed amazingly and she ran then 2.18.49 second. um Myself in third in and O'Donnell was the first under 23.00.
00:41:23
Speaker
was fourth in two twenty five thirty and not far back demi caldwell in two twenty six fifty eight um i will also say mea was the first under twenty three and obviously outright winner.
00:41:35
Speaker
And then Maddie O'Donnell, second under 23. um Bridget, and it's funny, I do love this. Like I'm 30 now and I feel old because Mia's 20, Bridget in second is 23, Maddie in fourth is 20, I think, or something along those lines. Like I'm the old one in the bunch, that's for sure.
00:41:53
Speaker
um and Yeah, should we should give Toby a mention as well because he was ah third overall but still under Yep, and then second under 23 was Zach Newsham in ninth and 10th was also an under 23 Lawson Duff.
00:42:07
Speaker
So that competition is heating up, which I actually really love to see because that's what Golden Trail is mostly, is a lot about, is like young people coming through and on the women's side they proved it and on the men's there's still three under 23s in that top 10. So yeah.
00:42:21
Speaker
so Well, it's definitely nice seeing some younger people on the trails because I think in Australia it's always been a bit of an older sport where like, you know, obviously in Europe there's a lot of younger athletes that race and now we're seeing quite a lot of good under 23 runners. Yeah. In a couple of years we'll be smashing. Bridget's only just outside that.
00:42:42
Speaker
biggest improver to Bridget because Bridget ran this race last year and she came eighth in two hours 40. Yeah. wow And then this year she came second in two hours, 18.49, which would have put her third last year, um just behind Katinka. So she, that 20-something minutes off her time, i would have expected it. She's become leaps and straot strides on the trail since then. But, yeah, massive improvement to pull off on the same race a year later. Yeah.
00:43:12
Speaker
Yeah, also Nathan Pearce, who I think was saying on the podcast that he's just coming back from an injury. Oh, he is, yeah. And this was a last-minute kind of an entry. um So, yes, he paid off. He came for points and he got his points. Yeah, definitely got the points. Did you see his blister?
00:43:26
Speaker
Oh, my goodness. Half of his heel was gone. Oh, no. Like he was in the medic tent. Yeah, his heels are a bit sore. Yeah, so he was in the medic tent and he had a blister. Like I'm talking almost the entirety of his heel was a blister um that the skin had shed off um by reports of people that saw it.
00:43:45
Speaker
um So that'll be interesting to hear. Like Toby Lang, Nath Pierce and Bridget Lund will be recording on Tuesday ah for the targeting the ticket, which is cool. All on the podium. Yeah, all did really well. So we we chose the right one.
00:43:58
Speaker
yeah Yeah, so that ah that we definitely got right. um And yeah, Toby Lang also, he would have been a quite a bit further back. I think he was in 10th or so last year in 2004. So he took about 10 minutes off his time as well from last year, which...
Future Races and Community Engagement
00:44:14
Speaker
Yeah, the young ones are coming, Vlad. mean, I think he said on the podcast, if you haven't listened, you should listen to it. First episode of Chasing the Ticket, he just ran a pretty solid 5K as well. Yep.
00:44:27
Speaker
And he's a very strong uphill runner. I mean, he was very smart the way that he went up. He was just like hiking and and running and... um Yeah, he's definitely a good athlete that will do well in the future. Awesome.
00:44:39
Speaker
Awesome. Well, that that's the Golden Trail National Series race. That's done a double for you. Hey, trail runners. It's Jess, one of your hosts on the Peak Pursuits podcast, and I've got something exciting to share.
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Speaker
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Speaker
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00:46:18
Speaker
Let's hit the trails stronger than ever. Now, there was a lot of other races that have already gone down at this event, and I'll just give quick shout outs to some of the winners. um In the 14K today, it was actually a pretty stacked women's podium, I will say, because Sarah Klein, she got the win. Now, this was off the back of We're about to mention her again in the 27K yesterday, which she won.
00:46:39
Speaker
But Sarah Klein in 104.32. In second was Natalie Rooks, 107. And in third, Kate Avery at 23 weeks pregnant, running 109, which is pretty freaking good.
00:46:50
Speaker
um First on the men's was Edward Habersberger, if I've got that right. I'm going to give myself massive kudos there. I think that's what had for dinner last night.
00:46:59
Speaker
Second was Brent Anderson. um So it was 45 minutes for Edward, which is bloody fast actually. Wow. Yeah, that is quick. um Second, Brent Anderson in 58.33 and third, Samuel Ratray in 101.
00:47:14
Speaker
ah There was the 27K Redwoods rush. um Their first female, Sarah Klein, as mentioned, she just missed by 17 seconds Kate Avery's course record.
00:47:25
Speaker
Kate ran 155.43 and Sarah was just off it um in 156 flats. And she wasn't far from the overall win as well? No, so she was third overall. Third overall? Yep.
00:47:35
Speaker
So she was definitely ripping. And then se also I will say she raced a fast 5K, like a 15 high 5K on Thursday night. Oh, back in Melbourne. In Melbourne um at Box Hill Burn.
00:47:48
Speaker
like She ran and made an awesome 5K on the track Thursday night and then came and rent won the 27 and the 14. That's cool. Cleaning up this week. Yeah. Second on the female was Jade Bucklow in 209 and third, Tracy Austin in 214.
00:48:02
Speaker
On the men's, Josh Goding got the win in 153. Adrian Weber was 154 and Jordan Murphy in third was 157. And then in the 50K Lumberjack Ultra, um Vlad Chatrov, win for the Solomon House. Go, Vlad. It's funny because somebody saw me yesterday because the 50K was yesterday. Yep.
00:48:24
Speaker
And somebody saw me in my accommodation and he comes up to me and he goes, oh, I'm a big fan. Well done on the today. Yeah. To be fair, the MC, Nathan Fenton, I'm calling you out here. He was calling in Vlad Ixel across the main microphone. I'm winning because always used to get confused for him. So I've raced against Vlad 2017 in UTMB and we just had a quick chat um at the start line, but this time we actually had a chance to have a proper chat. and Yeah, super, super nice guy and smashing it.
00:48:57
Speaker
And it's not we were kind of talking about it because we both get confused. Yeah. um Like, you know, so i think we're just going to go ahead with it and just like, you can both beat each other. ah How did you do that race in India and you did Tarawera 100 miles? I'm like, yeah.
00:49:11
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, just an easy weekend. Yeah. Magic. Well, yeah, he was definitely getting confused. And even when I messaged, um I was messaging Chris Ord about who to look for, the leaders at Donna Double, and I messaged Vlad Ixel through. And he goes, hang on, hasn't Vlad gone home?
00:49:27
Speaker
And I'm like, no, man, you've got the two. What do did the 50 yesterday. You've got the two only Vlads that we know of in Canada. Australia in trail running. um It's not very common, but yeah.
00:49:38
Speaker
So Vlad Shatrov, he did get the win in four hours and five minutes and 51 seconds. Second was Ashley Harink in four hours, 19. Third, Tom Nuttall in 4.25. On the women's side, on International Women's Day, i loved it.
00:49:54
Speaker
Kelly Angel, she got the win in a new course record by just over a minute in four hours, 34, 10. Second, to be fair, she wasn't in the preview because she wasn't on the start list when we did the preview, guys. Like we didn't just jib-kell there on the preview because she would have been in.
00:50:11
Speaker
um Then Sarah Tapp, who was in the preview, She comes second in five hours and six minutes. And in third was Emma Reeve in five hours, 24. So yeah, the girls on International Women's Day, Kel, if you see the video, I absolutely love it because she runs past the kids because she knows she's on for the course record.
00:50:30
Speaker
So she doesn't stop for the pickup beforehand. She gets over the finish line, then goes back for the kids. I'm like, yep, love that because you got both going there. Get the course record first. um And then, yeah, the kids got to cross the finish line with her.
00:50:44
Speaker
ah Now, the only thing that's left, and this one we're going to mention because it ties into the quick listener question we are going to um cover this week because it is on topic, is that there's a multi-day madness going on.
00:50:56
Speaker
Now, these multi-day madness people, it really is madness. um They do the 50K yesterday, then rock back up today and do Donna Double. Straight after Donna Double, I don't know if you were there for it, Vlad. They do the three-thong thing.
00:51:08
Speaker
Were you there for I got a message at 10 o'clock at night saying that. There's something with the cricket and I was like, what is going on? like What are you talking about? So the cricket had a final that wasn't meant to be on, but they got into the final or something along those lines.
00:51:21
Speaker
Normally the three thong thang is at like 2 p.m. yeah They had to move it forward to 12 p.m. Knowing that maybe not everyone would actually be across the line from Donna to actually do the three thong thang because it's mandatory for the multi-day madness.
00:51:33
Speaker
Now, three thong thang for those of the uninitiated, one of the best, funniest um things to watch in trail running. It's not really trail running. ah So the three thongs is two thongs on your feet and the other thong ah wearing.
00:51:46
Speaker
Then all three must remain intact. You have to run sprint 200 meters of an obstacle course where they set up things youve got to jump over and all sorts of stuff. um And the winner gets 200 bucks cash on the finish line.
00:51:57
Speaker
Win a male, winner, female. but it's also mandatory for the multi-day madness runners. Oh, wow. So they do get sort of 20 to 30 people usually in this thing, and it is just butt cheeks everywhere.
00:52:12
Speaker
Man, lucky I got that branch in my eye because I couldn't see anything in the finish line. So everyone's trying to sprint in thongs on their feet, and if you pop a thong on your foot, you're also just quite like they all have to stay on your feet and everything. So...
00:52:26
Speaker
There's all fun tactics for people trying to keep them on. um But yeah, it is a sight to behold. I will say that one. But some of the poor um multi-day madness people got a little stitched up, I reckon, because um so winning at the moment is Merlin Gammon in the men's side in seven hours, 22. So that's for Donna, the 50K.
00:52:47
Speaker
I don't think they actually time the three thong thing, but they have to do it. um Second, Bailey Forbes in 7 hours 44 and third, Josh Smith in 7 hours 57, which is overall pretty close because they still have the night run tonight, which is 8Ks and it's sort of an hour-long race.
00:53:05
Speaker
And then they have the Lilo Derby tomorrow, which you can actually lose a lot of time in the Lilo Derby. So the Lilo Derby becomes real competitive as well. On the women's front, Claire Vincent, who I coach,
00:53:17
Speaker
So she finished Donna, she's actually winning. She is 8 hours 59, followed by Ruby Hamer only 5 minutes behind in 9.04. So that is tight. And in third, Amy Hewitt ah in 11 hours 43.
00:53:30
Speaker
Claire finished less than 10 minutes before the three thong thang at Donna today. So she has to run across the line from Donna, get ready for the three thong thang, and then sprint 200 meters in the three thong thang 10 minutes later. Yeah, but I guess if the time doesn't doesn't count to your thing, it can go really slow.
00:53:45
Speaker
ah you You can, but who's going to do that? Who wants to be out in three thongs that long any longer? People are allowed to be modest. You're definitely allowed to sort of not be in a full just thong. Three thongs. um People definitely wear the thong on the outside of shorts and all this sort of stuff. Like people aren't forced into anything they don't want to do, um which probably makes the people that go all out look look even more wild.
00:54:08
Speaker
But, yeah, so there is that multi-day madness going on. um They get to run around at night to night for the great big party run and then hook it down the river tomorrow for the Lilo Derby, um which, yeah, I'm tempted to join them at this point. So we'll see how we go.
00:54:22
Speaker
But yeah, on the topic of multi-days, um we do are going to touch on one quick listener question because it is about Buffalo Stampede coming up and generally about
Strategies for Multi-day Events
00:54:33
Speaker
multi-days.
00:54:33
Speaker
Where there are no thongs. Where there are no thongs, no. Buffalo definitely do things a little more by the book than Warby Trail Fest. Heidi sent in, what are your tips for multi- dayss of multi-day events, fueling, when to hold back or push, et cetera. I'm doing Buffalo Grand Slam.
00:54:51
Speaker
ah So Buffalo Grand Slam is when people do the 10K one day, then the 20K the next, and the 42K on the last day, which I will say is kind of a hard way to do it when the longest one's on the last day.
00:55:02
Speaker
There is also the Ultra Slam. which is the 10K followed by the 100K followed by the 42. To anyone that has signed up to that, I salute you because that is wild.
00:55:14
Speaker
Now, um I've done some multi-days. Have you done multi-days? Oh, so many. Really? I've done, ah to come across it was my first. Oh, damn, of course, of course, yeah.
00:55:25
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, okay, you've got a lot more experience than I do then. Yeah, I've done 100K as well, which is like 33, 33, 33 in Kazakhstan, which was really, really good fun. yeah. And a couple of times where like that kind of like races, not 100K in the middle, but like, yeah, like a 25 and then a 35 or something like that. And last year I did a triple in UTMB.
00:55:50
Speaker
ah Malaysia, vertical K first day, 20, the second day, and then 15K on the last day. yeah Yeah, okay. That makes sense. And then, yeah, I suppose what I've done is, but the most brutal one I've done by far is definitely the Golden Trail World Series final where we had five days of races in like five races in five days. You can still watch it on YouTube.
00:56:12
Speaker
You still can. Honestly, it was hectic because that all-out racing five days in a row. And then I've also done four peaks, which I will say is um the easy version of a multi-day being uphills.
00:56:24
Speaker
Oh, is it all uphills? So them are uphill day one, two, and three are entirely uphill. You do have to jog down Feathertop, which is 15Ks downhill, but it's not part of the race. So you can take it as slow as you like.
00:56:35
Speaker
The last day is up and down Mystic. So the downhill is at the very end. Because few people have messaged me about that race. that It's a great event, yeah brilliant event, and it often ends up with real tight racing at the front level, um which is a lot of fun because over the month four days.
00:56:49
Speaker
But at the same time, in terms of a multi-day, it's definitely on the easier side for the fact that it's uphill. On the uphill. um So suppose that's going to be, for me personally, my first tip is that I found it useful.
00:57:02
Speaker
So for someone doing the Grand Slam or even the Ultra Slam, to be fair, the Ultra Slam survived the hell out of that thing. The Grand Slam, so you've got the 10K and the 20K. In both of those, I see no reason why you can't push the climb as hard as you want to um or as hard as you're used to in training, but I wouldn't.
00:57:22
Speaker
for me personally, actually push, push the descents yet because you've got that 42K, which is a net descent race last. And you know, you can actually, if especially if you're competing in this or you just want to get through it, just getting through it, you definitely want to keep your legs fresh enough to make it through the 42K, in which case take the downhills quite easy.
00:57:43
Speaker
And even if you want to do well and compete in one of these things, I'm going to say if you flow the downhills on the first two days and push and actually race the marathon like the marathon, I reckon you could probably make up a lot of time.
00:57:54
Speaker
um So that's one of my tactics in terms of the actual course. Would you agree or disagree? Yeah, especially with the pushing uphill. I think that um in the past, like a lot of European races would have the VK and then like a 40K or 30K the next day.
00:58:08
Speaker
um And people would back up pretty easily because it was only an uphill the first day. um So definitely if you are going to push some sections, Probably better off pushing the uphills. I mean, it comes down to like if you do a lot of downhill running and you might be stronger on the downhill and your legs are not going to get smashed from the downhills, you could push the downhills as well and kind of keep your heart rate a bit lower as well.
00:58:31
Speaker
yeah So like, um you know, keep it a bit more of a steady effort. Obviously, when you go uphill, heart rate it usually is a bit higher. Then when you go downhill, it drops a bit. yeahp um You could kind of try and even them out as well.
00:58:43
Speaker
That's only if you're very experienced or you do enough downhill running in your training and and your quads are kind of used to it. um That could also be an option. I will say that I, in the Golden Trail races, they were all three, three and a half hours except...
00:58:59
Speaker
one of the days was short um which trying to sprint short isn't fun either but like ah by you i had to send the downhills you're not going to do very well in that race without sending the whole thing as much as you can um i will say because they also had prizes as well for like seconds right yeah so i was i actually won some money in that one for sending the downhills um which was very handy when i won 500 euro for a two minute downhill it's shame that took that out because i've like obviously like it's it's it's not easy and you really have to kind of almost train for it and take it easy after such an event yeah but it is so different and you get to see elite runners in situations that you're not used to seeing them yeah i thought it was actually like really cool and it's a shame that i think the next year they kind of made it shorter and shorter and obviously now it's like a two-day thing with the prologue prologue yeah so they still have the prologue and stuff
00:59:51
Speaker
so that yeah I would love them to bring back sort of downhilling and uphill sort of segments in the races and these sorts of things. Like last year, the one of the races I did was meant to have an uphill and a downhill segment, but that was the one that got cancelled.
01:00:04
Speaker
um But then that was just put on by the race sort of thing. So hopefully at some point, I agree with you, I love it. Yeah, it's entertaining. Yeah, that's right. It's entertaining, I think. But yeah, I suppose a little bit off topic there. But at the same time, I was going to say that I actually found day three the hardest.
01:00:21
Speaker
For me, that being said, it was out of five days out of five days so out of five days, but it was also like sort of three and a half hours the first two days. So a little different in some ways to um the Grand Slam because it's a 10K and a 20K, so a little shorter. I think you can get away with it a bit more.
01:00:38
Speaker
Um, but this is where the one thing I learned is that, and all the girls were saying this, um, and guys at this event, thankfully we were, we were in this awesome five-star hotel that was an all you can eat sort of buffet at every single meal.
01:00:52
Speaker
And we were all saying it, it's an eating competition as much as it is a running competition when it comes to a multi-day. Like the people that were fading at the end, I actually had my best result on the last couple of days, but I've never been so sick of food.
01:01:06
Speaker
To be honest, like, so this is going back, what, five years ago, four years ago? 2022, yeah. So I think today it could we could see like um way better results and a lot of less and a lot of ah sorry a lot less people fading away because the amount of carbs are consuming. yeah um Obviously, past two years has been the carb revolution and people are recovering quicker and racing more and we're seeing faster times and stuff.
01:01:35
Speaker
I think back then they would have still been on that kind of old old school 40 to 50 grams an hour where today, True, although I wasn't. I was 110 on some of those days. That's why you did so well. I was going to say I was hooking it down um every single, like I was just making sure my nutrition was on top of it and a few of the other girls were as well.
01:01:54
Speaker
So I actually found that a number of girls. 110 an hour for the whole thing, for the whole event. So day one, I didn't manage that. But by day two, my body was asking for it so much that, yeah, every day I was getting in about 350 grams of carbs.
01:02:08
Speaker
um And the races were all three hours to three and a half. So I was either at 100 grams an hour or over um every day, except the one day where we did 7Ks. That day, I actually don't think I took in anything during the 7Ks, but it was 30 minutes or something.
01:02:22
Speaker
um So it wasn't very long. But yeah, i I actually found that there was multiple people doing that. um So it wasn't... guess that's why they're so good. But I mean, like, you know, I think that back then not many people would have been on those. I think not as many on the whole, that's for sure. I certainly personally observed on the global scene high carb coming in a lot sooner than the general public. Yeah.
01:02:46
Speaker
that's like, I suppose that's just the trend. It's always going to follow what the pros are doing. So 2022, it is only three years ago. So like, it's kind of the start of when people were doing that. um And you certainly did notice those that struggled with nutrition. Are you sure it was in 2021?
01:02:59
Speaker
No, because I didn't do the final 2021. was Thailand thailandia Because they had the COVID one, remember? is that it was that oh They had that one before. Oh, okay. So that was five days. The COVID one was when they also did five days. It the first time they did it, but in instead of the entire season. This one was where they had a full season. So we still had all raced an entire season, but then we had the final, which was also five days.
01:03:21
Speaker
So it was big. um but But, yeah, it was certainly like, As soon as I was finished, it was protein and carbs. And then i can just distinctly remember sitting in my bed at on maybe day three or four sitting next to an entire loaf of bread, an entire thing of jam. And I made it through both of them. I was like, okay, you're sitting here hold until both of these are gone. Whole jar of jam, 300 gram jar of jam and a whole loaf of bread. And I just sat on that bed until I got through all of it.
01:03:51
Speaker
I was so proud of myself that day, but it it worked. That's the thing. yeah Like these things, it's it's an equation of if you're putting out puttingtting a lot more energy every single day back to back, like I learned this in training because it takes a lot to learn to fuel training as well.
01:04:05
Speaker
But it's another step above when you're racing because, of course, you can push the uphills. But you have to remember that if you're pushing, you're burning through all your resources. You're just going to there's no way there's actually just almost physically no way you can replenish all your resources. It's not possible to eat enough.
01:04:21
Speaker
Usually 10K, you might be able to manage, but it is also at night the night before the twenty k So like between that 10 and 20, you're still struggling to get enough fuel in to actually replenish. So that's 10K on the trails, you know.
01:04:34
Speaker
It could still be a bit of time. yeah Oh, it's still, it's ah it's a brutal 10K. Yeah, and I think it sounds like we're going a little bit about going off topic here, but this is exactly the topic that you need to kind of fuel that.
01:04:46
Speaker
Yeah. I know that those 10 and 20K like are a little bit shorter, but if you can fuel right before, during and right, right after, you'll make a massive, massive difference to how you feel the next day.
01:04:59
Speaker
Yeah. Like if you think about it, the day before a 42K on the trails, that's going to take people four to nine hours or longer, you're going to be carb loading, right? Yeah. But if you're the day before that, you're also racing a 20K that's up and down and up and down and is going to take you three to six hours or whatever.
01:05:16
Speaker
you have to factor in the nutrition for that 20k, the recovery of that 20k, and then a carb load, you're actually not, you're never going to hit that. Like you're just not almost able to. So my theory and it worked was I just need to eat as much as I physically can at all points.
01:05:33
Speaker
And so at the end of the five days that I did, honestly, I never wanted to see a morsel of food again, but my performance didn't drop comparatively to the field. You're always going to drop a little bit, but what you're trying not to do is drop comparative to everyone else doing the exact same event.
01:05:48
Speaker
So my biggest tip for all of this is fuel the work that you're making your you're asking your body to do. And suppose when it comes to, ah and also on the fueling front, people will think about protein for the recovery.
01:06:01
Speaker
But once I've had that normal amount of protein that it takes to recover, like you don't need still don't need more than that two grams per kilo sort of number-ish even to recover from what you're doing. Like, yes, you can go a little higher. Ideally, you do because you're going to get that much more food in, but it's mostly got to come from carbs. Yeah.
01:06:19
Speaker
Like that's what your system needs and to recover. And obviously, you know, sorry to the listener, this is, you know, obviously not that far away from race day, but do try and do a little bit of testing if you can.
01:06:33
Speaker
um Hopefully in some of the key sessions leading up to this with some higher carb. Yeah. um During the runs. Yeah. Cause I think that that will make a big difference. um Yeah. That's that 42K is going to say not easy. Yeah.
01:06:47
Speaker
Yeah. I guess it almost would have been easier if that 42 was first. ah Yeah. I can't decide which way around would be. yeah let's feel like the it's It's hard either way, but you're doing it because it's hard and that's awesome.
01:07:00
Speaker
But just take into account that it's hard and you've got to sort of get your body through it as best as it can, which is going to require a lot of fuel. yeah So fueling will be your superpower and hydrating. Focus on once you've had just that enough protein, don't overwork the protein. I find a lot of people sometimes they'll go, oh, I need a massive steak dinner and there's not actually that much carbs with it. And i go, no, no, no, like normal protein, mass amount of carbs. Rice.
01:07:25
Speaker
Rice. Rice will be your friend. um Even just i' like to be fair, we were all like we had a buffet, but it got to the point where some of us were hooking back gels or plain jam just to get food in because you don't you don't want it to be complicated.
01:07:40
Speaker
You don't want it to be that complex, creamy, anything of those because it's going to stop you getting a lot of other stuff in. But – um but Obviously, be careful. Like obviously on the first day, don't kill yourself with Cokes and too much because you still have, yeah you know, two more races. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's why rice. yeah I'm going to say rice, rice crackers.
01:08:00
Speaker
I think this is like not long enough to really go 100% junk food and you can sneak in some healthiness. Those do in the hundred k though. Yeah, the other one, yeah. The Ultra Slam. Yeah, go cookies. and Anything you can get in your stomach, the easier to process and the less fiber, the better.
01:08:15
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. yeah Yeah, probably stay away from, guess, fibre. From fibre either way, 100%. Yeah, I guess. Stay away from fibre either way. Yeah. But um you can maybe get away with a lot more sort of just even hot chips or roast potatoes or like maybe in rice. or Maybe not crazy oils.
01:08:32
Speaker
Not crazy, but I find for me sometimes like a packet of chips will actually really easy, yeah like a packet of salted chips. yeah Even though, yes, there's a lot of oils in that. that's You need that. That's fine. You need the protein. But I just find when I was full, I could is still have a handful of chips. yeah um So that was kind of one of my secrets at that point. Yeah, but that's cool. Maybe you should um send us a message after you do the race. and Yeah, please do, Heidi. Yeah, let us know how that goes because, yeah, it's a cool event.
01:08:58
Speaker
Awesome. Well, we don't have too much else to cover this week other than, unfortunately, Six Foot Track got cancelled.
Race Cancellations and Weather Concerns
01:09:05
Speaker
ah That was meant to be this weekend. That is a race that I know so many people look forward to. and yeah, it was, um I believe, and this is, i've done I've tried to do as much research as we can, and the the race has done a really good job of being ah upfront and honest about, ah or just open, about um the reasoning for cancellations and everything. They let everyone know as soon as they could, ah which was a couple of days ago.
01:09:30
Speaker
I must say, I massively feel for all of those people that have been going through the ringer in Brisbane and Queensland, managed to get out early. I saw a few comments like this. They managed to get out early, four, six-foot track, only to then find out that day it was cancelled.
01:09:44
Speaker
I feel for you people. Like, that's hard. there's There's absolutely no way that that isn't hard. But the race just let everyone know as soon as it could because Crown Lands shut the track.
01:09:56
Speaker
And at that point, there's nothing the race can do. Like it was, I believe it was based on the forecast and that um originally there was a forecast for, I think, 90 mil of rain. um Now, I don't know the track myself, but I'm pretty sure there's river crossings in that and those sorts of things. and But no matter what the race was going to do safety-wise or anything,
01:10:14
Speaker
If the tracks close, the tracks close, the race doesn't go ahead. Like that that decision's taken out of their hands at that point. So I feel for the race directors um and the people putting it on. i i kind I hope that they manage to reschedule maybe.
01:10:26
Speaker
um Doubt it. Yeah. Like these things are hard enough to schedule in the calendar as it is. So it wouldn't surprise me if they don't. I will say kudos to them for getting, they did get everyone that had an entry, a free scenic world discovery pass, I think it was, to go see scenic. It's in the Blue Mountains. It's a beautiful spot. Look, if you're going to be anywhere that a race gets cancelled and you can just go for a run, not on the track because the track's closed, but elsewhere, Blue Mountains is a pretty good spot to be so and Yeah, absolutely.
01:10:53
Speaker
um But yeah, sorry to everyone that didn't get to race their shot there. um I hope that you get to use your fitness for it somewhere else soon. as There's events all around the calendar. So hopefully maybe maybe pass it over to pass the fitness over to one in a couple of weeks once you're
Leo Peterson's Performance and Preparations
01:11:10
Speaker
through it all.
01:11:10
Speaker
But ah the only other result that I could find for this week, but it's one that I'm pretty freaking stoked by for Leo. um Leo Peterson. I just saw this pop up and I'm like, wait, what did this man just do?
01:11:23
Speaker
So he went to Orange Running Festival this week, which he has a bunch of different, like I think it would be classed a road race. I'm not sure if it's on gravel or road. I think it's road. It's road? Okay. It is road. It's not perfectly flat by any means based on his Strava.
01:11:38
Speaker
But Leo went out this morning and ran a 29.59 10K. We'll say, Leo, you absolutely nailed that one. and did that at 8.30 a.m. So he would have finished at 9 a.m.
01:11:51
Speaker
And then at the same event of Orange Running Festival, at 9.45, 45 minutes later, he goes out and runs the 5K, which on its own already has 56 metres of gain and loss. So like there's a decent K in there that's uphill.
01:12:05
Speaker
Runs a 14.57 double. Vlad, do you reckon you could do that? i don't think I can do that downhill. Wow. Yeah, that's incredible. and And I think that is obviously in good shape before um some of the upcoming races. I think he was going to be racing the Up and Down ah Mountain Champs, which is two weeks away.
01:12:25
Speaker
No, that's next weekend. I'm not sure I I wonder if Nathan is going to do that. Nathan is. Nathan Pierce is. So is he still going to do Tazi as well? We'll have to well after ask him on Tuesday when we have him on the pod. But um Nathan's definitely doing Mountain Champs. Leo, I'm not entirely sure if his name's down for it. I'll have to have a look. I've seen the start list. oh I don't remember Leo being on it, but I could be very much mistaken there. Don't trust me. doesn't.
01:12:49
Speaker
Don't trust my post-race brain people. But he's definitely doing Kunanyi in three weeks. And so to me, it's a huge statement. The day that a lot of his competitors ah in the series have gone out and run Donna Double, he goes and runs 29.59 14.57 cool down.
01:13:03
Speaker
cool down Yeah, that's quick. It's bloody quick. And it's it's not even, yeah, definitely not. He's obviously done it solo because the next guy in the race was 36.15 for the next person. And in the 5K, he was also at least ah a minute and a half or so ahead.
01:13:24
Speaker
um I think the next was about 16.30. So he's done he's done both of those solo, not on flat courses. Yeah, Leo's fit. Yeah, I wonder if it did a long run as well yesterday or this was just pure.
01:13:36
Speaker
don't think uploads everything to Strava because otherwise it would have been a 26K a week. yeah um But yeah, hopefully he didn't do a long run yesterday as well. But yeah, maybe this was a last kind of big weekend before Tassie.
01:13:51
Speaker
forty Yeah, well, no, it's got three weeks for Tassie. I wouldn't imagine he's going to taper for three. He's not going taper, but last really hard one. Oh, really hard one? Yeah, we'll see. I'll have to ask him. But, yeah, that's that's insane. That's very, very quick.
01:14:03
Speaker
Yeah, essentially. Well done, Leo. And I think that ties us up this week. I think we've covered, we've actually managed, I'm going to say, decent pod off the back of both of us just racing
Closing Thoughts and Listener Engagement
01:14:13
Speaker
this morning. Yeah, well, don't think you know. actually came to Wombatown just to do the podcast and the race was just here at the same time. So I was like, I might just do this. It's all weird. Yeah, was just here for the podcast. That's all you're here for. I definitely had to have a nap before my brain would function on this.
01:14:28
Speaker
I was like, well, I'm not going to cry on the podcast. We got this. I need a nap. um But it's all good. Well, I hope everyone has enjoyed listening to our very fresh off the race Warburton Trail Festival recap.
01:14:40
Speaker
There will be another cool recap coming out this later this week for targeting the ticket. You'll get to hear about um Bridget, Nathan and Toby's races as well.
01:14:51
Speaker
um I'll try and chat to Mia and get a bit of an idea of, I know based off her Strava, she was feeling good all day. So that's good. and But we'll discuss that a little more on Tuesday and otherwise. ah Please keep sending in all listener questions, all feedback questions, anything like that.
01:15:06
Speaker
um And I actually feel like I need to say if you were any of the people that mentioned the snake to me, don't feel bad. It's not your fault. I was totally going to happen anyway. It's it's my brain. Like I just, there was one person that went past and like, oh my gosh, I feel so bad. I'm like, no, no, no, it's all good. Like, please don't feel bad.
01:15:24
Speaker
So anyways, this has been episode 48 of the Peak Pursuits podcast. And thank you for listening. We'll speak to you next week. See you guys. Thanks so much for listening team. Don't forget to head over www.run2pb.co for 10% off the first three months of personalized run coaching using the code PEAKPURSUITS.