Mt Solitary Ultra Marathon - Race Recap

I entered this race intending to run at about 80% as a last long run prior to TNF100. I had been camping out in Capertee for a few days prior so my preparation of boozing and lounging around wasnt the best but I was only intending to go out and enjoy myself.


I did have any time in mind for the day, I told my girlfriend id probably be done at some point after 6hrs as I was meeting them somewhere for lunch.

Got to the start line, had a chat with the only person I knew (KAOS) from NRG, positioned myself at the front for a change and then we were off.

Settled into a nice rythm early on. Keeping an eye on my pace I was probably doing 3.40s on the flats and dropping it down to the low 3's on the decent but feeling comfortable and running well within myself.

Crossed over the creek, well actually practically fell in the creek, and then it was the longest scramble of my life up Mt Solitary.

I was wearing my crappiest pair of trainers ( i only realised this at the start line) with huge holes in them and I was having issues with my laces coming undone due to the mud and crap, So i had to stop every now and again to do these up. Probably did this 20 times throughout the day.

I remember climbing Mt solitary thinking it was strange that no-one had caught me but i was happy to be where i was and I was in no doubt that the rest of the gang would catch up. Having never been to MT solitary before I had no idea how big it was and it just seemed to go on forever. I think had I known in advance I may have slowed myself down a notch.

Soon after reaching the top 2 runners came by as i was yet again doing up my laces. Beaver introduced himself and I guessed the other runner was Fats having read all about his amazing 6ft exploits not too long ago. I was in fine company. Slightly daunting at the same time too..

The first thing i noticed was Beavers gaiters wishing i had a pair of those (if your reading this, where did you get them from?)

The second thing i noticed was that they were both looking extremely comfortable and having a good old chat whilst motoring along.

Soon after they caught up with me I snagged my water bladder on a branch so I was without water for 10kms. Not ideal..Luckily it was a cold wet day so it didnt feel too bad.

Nutrition wise I didnt pack much. A couple of minature twirls and 3 museli bars. I managed to ration this out until the end having a bite to eat every hour.

Beaver, Fats and I then ran together for most of the way to the stairs. We all took turns at being in front at various stages. At some point, Fats and I lost Beaver but he soon caught back up on the stairs. He was making really good ground and passed me easily. I made it to the checkpoint just as they were leaving. I was eager to get going to catch the others up but fortunately Buzz saw that my bladder had split and forced me to carry a couple of powerades in my backpack. At the time i wasnt keen but an hour later i was extremely grateful. So thanks heaps guys for knocking some sense into me.

Once out of the aid station it was back down the stairs. Quite an experience. Almost lost my life on a few occassions but no long term damage. I was told my other runners that the lead men were only a couple of minutes ahead so i just concentrated on running as best as i could in the hope that i would see them again.

The 2 minutes of lead they both had soon turned into 5 minutes then 6 minutes as i started to tire. I knew at that stage I wasnt going to be in contention so I just made sure not to do anything stupid.

The long decent into the valley was excruciatingly painful. Seemed to go on and on and on. Have never been so relieved to see a hill to climb. I made an effort to run as much as possible and power hike the parts i couldnt run. Set myself a target of finishing in under 5.15 to keep myself honest and I just about made it. All up my effort was more likely 90% than 80% but its hard to reign down the competitive spirit.

8 cleansing beers later and a night spent on a blowup mattress has made for an interesting recovery. This is the first race where my upper body has been sore. I have to put this down to the scramble up Mt Solitary.

Looking forward to next year already and now i know what im in for i'll spend less time running on the road and more on the trails. Still, I dont think any amount of prepartion will fully equip me for the beast that is Mt Solitary.

Weekly Summary 10/04/11 - 17/04/11

Super pumped for the Mt Solitary 45km on Easter Monday.

Total elevation 3000 meters and you have to carry compulsory survival gear. Not your average marathon...

No idea how this one is going to pan out but im going to give it a real good crack. As long as I manage to stay on 2 feet and not do anything stupid I should finish up respectably.

This week has been a taper like last week and the week before....I guess ive been concentrating more on speedwork and as a result distance has suffered. I'm not going to make any great gains by ramping out 50km runs now until May 14th so no point putting myself in injury's way. Really happy with the way my running is going when I do actually make it out for a run...

Monday - Standard run to NRG then some really good hill sprints. Felt super strong and pushed it hard to the point where I almost felt like throwing up. Recovered easily enough. Averaging 3.19min/kms on the 500m loops. Heart rate maxed out at 192bpm
(PM) 10.56km - 50min - 4.44min/km
(PM) 10.38km - 49min 48sec -4.48min/km

Tuesday - Easy run home
(PM)11km - 46min 46sec - 4.14min/km

Wednesday - Rest and pizza day

Thursday - Run home on a shorter route. Pushed the pace though and felt pretty strong.
(PM) 9km - 35min 17sec - 3.54min/km

Friday - Normal run home. Those stairs and hills from the bridge and up to North Sydney still kill me. However this was a record run for me so very pleased.
(PM) 11km - 42min 55sec - 3.53min/km

Saturday - Raining hard outside but i ventured out and decided to hit the road rather than get bogged down in the bush. Planned to do 20km at a reasonable pace. Probably set out a bit too fast and was feeling pretty rough only 3km's in. Told myself to run on to 5km and see how i feel and fortunately I started to regain some composure. Set out to run the first 10km in an average of 4.05min/kms but was delighted to hit the turnaround  in 38min 25secs.  Still feeling composed i turned round and held the pace all the way home. In actual fact I was in such a good rhythm I wished I was running a marathon as it was one of those days when everything clicked. Well on pace to smash my recent half marathon pb. A real confidence builder and a total surprise. A quicker second half had me finish up in 1hr 15mins and 50secs
(AM) 20km - 1hr15min 50sec - 3.47min/km (500ml water)

Sunday - Nice easy recovery run down to the Rotary Field. Wanted to check this out as im interested in doing some formal speed sessions at some point over the course of the year. Just over 5km away so wouldnt be a bad warmup to get there.
(PM) 11.33km - 49min 30sec - 4.22min.km


Total - 83.33km - 5hr 50min 16secs

A Reduced Weekly Summary

Didn't mean to run such little mileage this week but thats the way it turned out.

I was interstate on Wednesday and Thursday and used the time to enjoy myself and break from running and then  today I didnt do anything as my achilles were both a little sore. I figured ive already built up a pretty decent base so not point going for overkill for the sake of it so close to race date.

Had a tough sprint session on Monday which was on the flat - I didnt hold back and did 8 all out 100 metre sprints. Felt great doing this but always regret it the next day as my hamstrings were sore for most of the week.

A highlight or actually a lowlight was Saturdays run. I had planned 50km around Bobbin Head but got up late and hadnt planned on the day being too hot. I probably set out a little too fast particularly after the fast 20km the night before and slowly died once i had exited the national park after the good climb. I had only enough money for a train fare and couldnt bare the thought of running 12 more kms home as i was beginning to overheat and my achilles were sore so I jacked it in. Probably a sensible approach. I have never been more covered in salt. My arms, face, bag, and shirt were all caked in it.

So another light week and I doubt I'll be doing anything above 100km from now until Mt Solitary Marathon on Easter Monday then The North Face 100.

Monday (PM) 10.36km - 49min 5sec - 4.44min/km
              (PM) 10.79 - 56min 41sec - 5.15min/km


Tuesday (PM) 11km - 48min 56sec - 4.26min/km


Friday (PM) 20km - 1hr 23sec - 4.09min/km


Saturday (AM) 38.29km - 3hr 3min 27sec - 4.47min/km

Total - 90.45km - 7hrs 1min

Weekly Summary 28/03/11 - 03/04/11

Pulled up pretty well from last Sundays half marathon and threw myself back into training. Oh yeah, it turns out I was second by just 5 seconds.....
Really need to do more trail running as thats been lacking in recent weeks but overall ive been enjoying myself.
Mileage not high but ive certainly increased the pace. After reading The Lore of Running i've decided to put more quality runs in without overdoing it. Amazing what the body is capable of.

Monday was my standard run to NRG then a really hard session. Must have been 12 long hill sprints - killer. Having said that my legs werent feeling too bad from the effort the day before but i was glad when it was over.
(PM) 9.92km - 46min 29sec - 4.41min/km
(PM) 10.68km - 57min 47sec - 5.24min/km

Tuesday was a real slow run home. Made a conscious effort to slow right dow and keep my HR well under 150bpm.
(PM) 11.20km - 52min 10 sec - 4.39min/km

Wednesday I was feeling good as new. Pushed the pace home and felt great.
(PM) 11km - 46min 12sec - 4.11min/km  (500ml water)

Thursday was a longish run over to Neutral Bay with a couple of really good long hills thrown in. Felt super strong and maintained a decent clip the whole way.
(PM) 20km - 1hr 21min 32sec - 4.04min/km (500ml water)

Friday - Set my alarm to get up early then turned it off in the morning and rolled over and went to sleep. Out on the beers in the evening. Probably have more rest days now im picking the pace up a bit.

Saturday - Didnt have a plan in mind so I headed out the door and ended up in Vaucluse. Hammering the hills around there and double bay. 738meters of climbing. Felt pretty lively and turned round after i realised i had hit 20km. Hadnt bothered to check my watch prior.
(AM) 39km - 2hrs 50min - 4.21min/km (500ml water + 500ml gatorade + 5 cubes of dark choccy)

Sunday - Legs felt fine and didnt want to run too far after Saturdays effort. Just up and down pacific highway speeding up on the hills and running hard on the flat. Felt strong but was a hard session.
(AM) 18km - 1hr 10min 32sec - 3.55min/km (500ml water)

Total - 119.82km - 8hrs 44mins 44sec

Sri Chinmoy Half Marathon - Race Report

Woke up at 6am to black skies and rain. Not much one can do about that.

Cup of tea and a bagel with PB washed down with a couple of pints of water. Couple of visits to the toilet and I was out the door by 7 and at the venue for 7.15am. Quickly picked up my race number and went back to my car to stay dry and warm for 15 minutes. Then it was onto the course to do a warm up lap and some stretches. Didn't recognise anyone so did this by myself whilst the time passed away fairly slowly.

Just after 8am we were told to line up on the narrow start line and  i positioned myself back into about row 4.
Not sure of the numbers yet but i figure there probably wasn't more than 100 runners. The rain probably stopped all the good runners from turning up..

I ran this as my first ever race last year in 1hr 34. It was about 30 degrees that morning and I really suffered. Didnt pace myself too cleverly and ended up blowing up at the 17km mark - even having to walk. I didn't want to go through that again.

My goal for this race was to finish under 1hr 30 and finish strong - not to get carried away at the start but run in a controlled manner all the way through.

I came prepared with a handheld water bottle and 2 small squares of dark chocolate. I didnt want to slow down at the drink stations, besides I would normally spill the majority of the contents in the cup so i felt more comfortable carrying my water with me.

The course was all cross country and mainly flat with 2 small climbs. 3 loops of 7km's with out and backs meant it was easy to see where in the field I was in relation to the leaders.

The start of the race was a casual countdown and then we were off. Straight away people were sprinting ahead and I settled into a very comfortable stride back in roughly 20th place. I wore my garmin to measure my pace but i left the heart rate monitor at home as i wanted to run by how i felt and not be put off if i saw my HR rising.

My planned pace for the start of the race was to run 4.15min/kms and increase the pace gradually. 21kms is still a long way to run especially if you start off too fast..

The first km went past in 4.07 and i was happy to maintain that moving forward. I was passed by a few people but it was very early in the race.

The next 3 kilometers were 4.02, 3.57 and 3.54. Feeling great and was moving well. I was now slowly moving through the field one by one and I could still see the lead runners up ahead.

The remaining 3 kms of the first loop were 4.02, 3.57 and 3.57. Legs felt great after the first loop and my plan was to keep the same pace and then increase on the 3rd loop.

Loop 1 = 27minutes 56 seconds

It was during the second loop that the lead guy who shot off at the start was obviously beginning to suffer. I think i passed him after 10kms and I must have been in 7th place. The kilometre splits for this loop were 3.56, 4.01, 3.56, 3.49, 3.56, 3.49 and 3.46.

At the end of the second loop I had a square of chocolate  and made a conscious effort to speed up.

Loop 2 = 27 minutes 13 seconds

I think I started the 3rd loop in 7th place and the runners were now spread out but all within sight and I was gaining ground.

After 3 more kilometres in 3.50, 3.42 and 3.42 and I came side by side to the 5th placed runner. He said he was suffering and the lead runner wasnt too far ahead. He told me to run on as I was looking strong.

I passed the next couple of runners with splits of 3.43, 3.43 and then I was only 200 meters behind the lead runner. He was looking strong but I was gaining on him. It was only at this stage that I thought I had any chance of winning. I've got a decent turn of speed and I was confident that I would be able to outsprint him on the home stretch if I continued to close him as  i was doing.

I had to dig deep for the next kilometer which passed in 3.29. I was now only 100 meters behind him but he was speeding up and I was finding it harder to close the gap. If I sprinted now I would be finished. I stayed relaxed and ran the final kilometer in 3.24 sprinting the final 200 meters which unfortunately was too little too late. He was just too quick - a lovely bloke too as I discovered at the end over pancakes.

However I couldn't have been happier. I finished the loop strong and I would have happily completed another loop if need be - great confidence builder.

Loop 1 = 27minutes 56 seconds
Loop 2 = 27 minutes 13 seconds
Loop 3 = 25 minutes 33 seconds

After looking at my splits on the computer I was really pleased with my consistency and the final loop especially. I had completed what i had set out to do and as a bonus set a pb and beat my last years time by 13 minutes!

Final time of 1 hour 21 minutes 25 seconds

All up 79km's for the week. Time to step it up again

Not Good Preparation...

Half Marathon tomorrow. Contrary to me previous post i decided to taper for the event. More out of laziness than anything.

Last night's preparation wasnt great. Far too many beers and frozen margarittas. Tasty but not conducive to a good race.

Oh well...

Weekly Summary 14/03/11 - 20/03/11

Not much to report this week. Feeling really strong and running well.

Conscious not to run too well and over-train - the aim is to save my best for race day!

Mileage not quite where I wanted it to be this week but thats ok. Drinks on Paddys day and then a wedding meant I took it easier which is just good recovery time for the body.

Monday was the bog standard run to NRG then interval hill sessions. Felt super great doing the hill session - look forward to this every week.
(PM) 10.29km  - 47min 32sec - 4.37min/km
(PM) 11.27km - 50min 13sec - 4.27min/km

Tuesday I managed to drag myself out of bed for a morning jog. Certainly not fast by any means but felt good to loosen the legs up after Monday's session. My afternoon run home felt surprisingly easy. Would have been a record run home just a few months ago.
(AM) 15km - 1hr 9min 10sec - 4.36min/km (500ml water)
(PM) 11km -  46min 59sec - 4.15min/km (500ml water)

Wednesday was a longish run after work around Neutral Bay. Felt tough and I was pleased once it was over.
(PM) 20.10km - 1hr 33min 49sec - 4.40min/km (500ml water)

Thursday morning was a decent run. A few drinks after work was the plan so this motivated me to get my run in early.
(AM) 16km - 1hr 10min 41sec - 4.24min/km (500ml water)

Friday I really didnt feel like doing too much. So just a run home which i cut short as I visited the supermarket to get some supplies. This run was fantastic! I hadnt planned on running it this fast, but after the first 2 kilometers passed in under 8 minutes I thought I would hold on and see what i could do. I thought my heart was literally going to explode through my chest as I was running up the stairs on the harbour bridge. The hills up to Crows Nest also played a part but I was moving well. If I had carried on all the way home at that pace i would have shattered my previous run home record by 1 second! woo hoo!
(PM) 10km - 39min 13sec - 3.55min/km



Saturday I woke up at 5am as my alarm went off. I had planned a 50km route but really lacked all motivation to get out of bed. So I turned my alarm off and rolled over. Then my girlfriend hopped out of bed to use the bathroom and I followed. Once i was up and i decided i would then go for a run. Well, I stepped outside into a storm. At that point I thought my 50km run was just going to be 10kms and then I was going home to bed. As it turned out I was running well and quite enjoying the rain. However I was getting cold and after a while the rain was becoming more of a nuisance. Besides I was starving having not eaten anything apart from a museli bar.I decided to cut my losses at 30km and head home for a warm shower. Then it was a drive down south for a wedding. Sunday morning I actually felt a little stiff in my left calf and the rain was still hammering down so i decided Sunday was to be a full rest day.
(AM) 30km - 2hr 6min 55sec - 4.13min/km (500ml water + 1 museli bar)



Total 123.71km - 9hr 4mins

Next week will probably be slightly less mileage as I prepare for the Sri Chinmoy Half Marathon on Sunday. I wont be tapering but I will probably take the saturday off so my legs feel relatively fresh.

The aim is to beat last years time of 1hr 34. Pretty confident if all goes well I should smash this considering I ran a 1hr 30 half on my saturday run. I'll be happy with anything under 1.30 - then pancakes afterwards!