1,000km and still counting...

Shared a momentous milestone with Angel... Uploaded my run with Angel onto Garmin Connect after Saturday morning's run and saw that my mileage for the year is over 1,000km this year!!! Yeh!!! One of my goals is to be able to clock 1,000km this year... And I did it with 3 months to spare... Super stoked!!!

Saturday 8-Sep-12
Woke up at 6am... Both my ladies (Angelena and Lena) were still sleeping... Decided to bring my other lady, Angel, for a quick run around the block to start off the day before we head off to Wonthaggi for the weekend...

As soon as I picked up her collar, her ears lifted and she instantly knew that she is in for a good time... Told her that she need to work hard for her breakfast this morning... She has to do a 5km run with me.... Her constant tail wagging being the sign of acknowledgement...

Strapped on my water belt, filled a bottle (not for me...) and off we went...

As usual, Angel cannot control her excitement and started out fast and hard for the first km... I just maintained my pace and kept her in my sight all the time...

Have not ran with Angel for a long time and thought that she might have lost some pace... Well well well, how wrong was I... After she settled down after the first km, she just took it easy and followed my pace... At times, I felt that she was giving me the "hurry up"...

4km done... Since she was doing just fine, decided to push her to do sub 6min pace for the last km... What a trooper!!! She rose to the challenge and kept me in check all the way...

Well done Angel... Very proud of you...

Can I have my breakfast now?

How I survived VTRC Race 3 - You Yangs 52km

Friday 20-Jul:

Typical Friday conversation at work around the pantry area...

Me: "So anything planned for the weekend?"

The replies from colleagues range from "catching up with friends; going to the movies; getting smashed on Friday/Saturday night..." to "just a quiet one".

"What about you Gaz?"

Me: "Not much, spending time with Angelena on Saturday and then will be doing a 52km race on Sunday at You Yangs ("YY")..."

Stunted faces, followed by "Fifty what? Are you kidding me? Are you crazy/nuts/out of your mind? Good luck I guess..."

And yes, given that it was a 52km race, this race report will be longer than usual...

Sunday, 22-Jul:

Finally, a race closer to home... I only need 35mins of drive time compared to the last 2 races.

Alarm went off at 5am and I go about doing my pre-race routine... Cup of coffee, 2 slices of toast with peanut butter... Then took a mandatory dump to lighten the weight before gearing up...

Had been carb loading a bit the last few days and I actually gained 1.5kg, which I will lose during the race (I hope)...

My hydration pack can hold 1.5l. From past race experience, with the well placed Aid Stations ("AS"), I hardly consume the whole lot and carried the extra weight home. This time, I only fill it up with 750ml of Gatorade. If I run out of water before an AS, I just have to beg for water from other runners... See, I do have a backup plan...

Will be using GU instead of Endura gels... Will also be trying Winners energy bar instead of Powerbars... Hopefully my stomach can handle the change...

My food for the race...

Also have been training in MT110 since its arrival last month... Hopefully I have clock enough mileage (58km up to this race) to break it in... Yes, I do track the mileage of my shoes...

Down a cup of water mixed with 1tbs of Chia seeds, kissed goodbye to my ladies and headed off at 6am...

Reached YY around 6:40am... Plenty of time for me to register and hit the toilet one last time... It was still dark and cold... decided to put on my sleeve warmers and gloves... I can always take them off after...

Caught some familiar faces at the start line and started chatting with one of them, Neil... He is in his 60s and he ran ultra and MTB regularly... Oh, he kicked my butt in race 1 (30km), finishing at least 30mins ahead of me... No revenge for me at race 2 as he did the 50km while I stick to 30km... This time round both of us are doing

the 52km...

Trails+ You Yangs course map

Running trails should be straight forward right? Well, not quite... YY is a bit different because we are running in a smaller course... There are certain parts of the course that we be running both inbound and outbound... And if all goes well, we should pass the main AS, which is also the Start/Finish area, at 15km, 30km and lastly at 52km... Hence a map will definitely be handy...  Sounds complicated? Maybe... I will be referencing places on the map quite a bit, so if you can follow the map, it will make more sense to you...  

2 more minutes to start...

First 15km

After a quick briefing from Brett (Race Director), we all formed up at the Start line and wait for the countdown... Popped a gel and wiggle my way to the start... The race was delayed by 15mins, which is good for us as more light began to come through... 7:30am, and we are off!!! Neil and me continued chatting until the first AS at around 2.5km... He decided to take a drink while I continue and started the descend on Saddleback Track...

Downhill from Saddleback Track... Sun still rising...

Went pass a few runners, one of which is Dave: "Let gravity do the work huh!"... Oh yes, I was actually doing quite good pace... maybe too fast for my liking but what the heck, will worry about that later... Dave caught up to me when we were on the flat... We chatted and shared some stories... Felt really good and didn't realised that I was doing 6mins pace... Too fast for my liking... But with good company, I will worry about the pace later...

Have set my Garmin 610 on 50mins alert... This is to remind me to take some food/gel to maintain my energy before they get completely depleted... Popped a gel, removed my gloves and arm warmers around 8.5km and make the climb back up to the Turntable... Dave dropped his pace at the climb while I power on...  

Passed the Turntable AS, had a quick drink and headed north to West Walk... 

Will be seeing these steps a few times during the race...

Not long after, Dave overtook me... This stretch was slow and as there are a lot of boulders and rocks to go over... Then he overtook... Although this stretch was only about 2km, it took me approximately 30mins... 

Shortly after, arrived at Rockwell Junction AS.. Time check, 1hr 24mins... had a quick drink and continued... 2km of downhill and another 1km of uphill later, arrived back at Turntable AS... first 15km completed... decided to have an energy bar instead of a gel... first time trying the Winners bar... it was surprisingly good and I love it!!! Will be stocking it up for next race...

15km to 30km

This time round, we head towards East Walk in a counter-clockwise direction and looped back to Turntable AS around West Walk ... This round trip is about 4km and it took me about 40mins... I overtook Dave while he was trying to shake off his cramp...

Below are some pics I took along either the East or West Track... Cannot really remember weather it was the East or West Walk when I took them...

View from East/West Track?

View from East/West Track?

View from East/West Track?

View from East/West Track?

Arrived back to Turntable at 19km and this time round, headed east towards Big Rock... I then hit the single trails among the trees from 22km... The next AS is Kurrajong and it should be at the 24km mark... Though I am sure I am heading towards the right direction, not seeing any runners in front or behind me start to make me worry... especially when my 610 is showing 25km... I decided to wave down a MTBiker and ask for confirmation of directions... Big load off my shoulders when he confirmed that I was on the right track... Phew...

Thanks goodness not long after, I arrived at the AS... To my surprise, Dave who was behind me is already there!!!   WTF? He was wearing the Garmin 910XT and we compared distance... I had done an additional 500m on my way here... Now that explains why he was there before me... Not ideal, but not the end of the world... The volunteer at the AS mentioned that there are other runners that took wrong route and have to cover more than 1km... I guess I should be thanking my lucky stars...

Dave headed off while I pack my mouth with fruit cake... Saw Coke (as in the drink) on the table and decided to not over indulge myself this early... Hopefully there will still be some left when I come pass later... Popped another gel and press on...

The next few kms are of gradual incline... not steep enough to walk, and yet not flat enough to run flat out... hate it... very hard to concentrate my stride with the constant "should I run or should I walk" playing in my mind... 

YY is a very popular hangout among MTB enthusiasts... We have been briefed to give way to MTBikers along the course, which I have been doing... Then came 2 ladies in their MTBs climbing up the trails... I can hear them chatting from about 10m behind me... Thought to myself, good time for me to rest a bit and let them pass... Jumped to the side and stretched... Said hi and let them pass me... I then followed behind them... With the way they are paddling, I am sure that they are using the lowest gear available... For some reason or another, they started to slow down and I thought to myself, maybe I can overtake them... And I did!!! Yeh!!! Overtaking MTB on a MTB trail... Now that was the highlight of my race...

While running the interesting zig-zag trail, looking up, I can see Dave heading towards the left, and then to the right... we were quite close but because of the zig-zag, I was actually about 200m behind him... Not long after, a petite lady passed me... She looked strong... Her stride was powerful and quick for her size... I later learned that she had turned up 1hour late and there she was, not only has she caught up, but she has also overtook us... Oh well, I just need to concentrate on my own race... 

Passed the Rockwell AS at 28km... 2km more and I'll be back to Turntable AS... My left ITB suddenly became very tight and I think that caused some pain on my left hip... I thought to myself "no freaking way, don't tell me it is Great Ocean Road all over again!!!"... At the back of my mind, I knew I had better prepared this year than last year, fingers crossed that this strain will go away with some stretches and not cause me to DNF...

Desperate time leads to desperate measures... just before I reach the Turntable AS, I popped 2 panadols with a hope that they can last me through to the end... Made it to 30km... Decided to hang around the AS a bit longer... Removed my right shoe to clear the tiny rocks, stretched my ITB, cleared my rubbish, ate some fruit cake, down some electrolyte... Time check, 3hrs 42mins... took a deep breadth and headed off...

30km to Finish

If you have been following the map, you now have to navigate with the one on the right...  The left map is only up to 30km...

Cockatoos.. I swear they were laughing at me... 

Next 4km was a clockwise loop from West Walk to East Walk... We then head towards the Saddleback Track... At this time, I was joined by another 3 runners... Around the 36km mark, we saw a few runners including Dave 50m ahead... They stopped for a while at the cross junction and decide to go straight...

When we reached the junction, we can see why... The sign was not as clear as the others... We pulled out our maps and compared, wondered, discussed, guessed which way to go... As I saw Dave heading straight, I decided to head straight... But another runner decided to hold his ground and said we should head up the hill... We spent at least 3mins debating which way to go... Now, it is funny how the human mind works... Going straight is downhill while going left is uphill... My mind somehow wants me to take the easy way, which is downhill... 

Popped a gel and headed straight... ran for less than 100m... saw Dave and another runner heading back towards us... He was pretty sure that they had gone the wrong way and said the right way is left, which is up the hill... Oh well, if I went off course, at least I have a few runners to accompany me... And up the hill we went... 

So happy to see Rockwell AS after the climb... phew... the additional 4mins spent figuring which way to go was well worth it... 

We headed in the opposite direction this time down the zig-zag... Wanted to run faster, but my left leg has other idea... For the next 10km, I was constantly stopping for stretches... I popped another gel and had my energy bar... Where I could, I ran, if not at least power walk... This continued all the way until the Kurrajong AS (46.5km)...  

Made it to the AS and scanned my eyes over the table for the coke... Yes, there was still 1 cup left... Down the coke... ahhh... coke never tasted so good... Quick chat with the volunteers and confirmed that this was it, last 6km to finish! Time check, 6hrs 12mins... Hmmm... maybe can do a sub 7hrs finish... Come on!!! 

Picture courtesy of Dandyrunner.com

Saw the guy from DandyRunner.com... Was in pain and not able to lift my facial muscles for a smile... Me: "So glad to see you mate... Does it mean I am near the finish?" DandyRunner: "You are almost there mate... Keep it up..." 

As much as I would like to finish strong, my left leg is just not cooperating... Just have to take it easy and do an easy 8min pace to the finish...

Big Rock... 

Made the climb to Big Rock... By this time, the weather is beautiful and that explains why there was so many families picnicking around this area... Not far now...  2km more of climb and I am home...

Made it across the Finish line... 7hours, 8minutes and 31seconds... Saw Dave and we congratulated each other... He had finished 3min ahead of me... Finally some warm food... Sausage sizzle time!!!

Race Summary

Course: Compared to the last 2 Trailsplus races, YY is a "walk in the park" for the more experienced participants... Simply because the course is "flatter"... According to my 610, the maximum elevation gain/loss was about 230m... Not as high as Mt Macedon or Maroondah Dam... While running along the MTB trails, although we have to give way to the bikes, I actually enjoyed running along the MTB trails...

Although we do carry a map, we rely heavily on the course markings... The markings are good 90% of the time... The rest of the 10% is reliant on your instinct, an or other runners' experience... That is probably why my 610 showed me that I did 53km instead if 52km...

YY is a beautiful place and I will definitely head up there more often since it is so close to home...

Weather: Prefect!!! Can't ask for more... A little chilly (10 degrees) at the start, which is expected at 7:30am in the morning... No wind and lots of shades from the trees...

Aid Stations: As always, food galore at the main AS... Fruit cakes, chips, jelly beans, GUs, electrolyte, cola, water... Friendly volunteers... What more can you ask for...

My final thoughts...

- Stoked that I completed my first ultra trail!!! Yeh!!! Even happier when I managed to finish before my 610 battery (estimated to last 7-8hours on GPS mode) die off... Saved me messing around with my portable charger... Yeh!!! Yeh!!!

- MT110 definitely provide more protection than MT10 and I am glad that it works well for me...

- Started off to fast, need to slow down... But what to do? It was good to chat with others who are going through the same pain...

Finisher's medal

Next race, 50km around the Tan in 2 weeks time... Yup, it is gonna drive me bananas as you all know how much I "love" to do loops... Until then, more foam rolling and stretches...

My Lifelong Marathon - Progress over the past few months...

Have been slack on Angelena's update... She has turned 9 months this week... How time flies... Check out what mischief she has been up to...

Oh, no human, babies or animals were hurt during the filming of these videos...

By the way, following my finish at You Yangs last Sunday, I have been in recovery mode and have not done any running... I hope to finish and share my race report with you soon...