Fitzroy Falls Marathon

Last Saturday was the 11th running of the Fitzroy Falls Fire Trail Marathon. I ran this last year as my first marathon and was surprised to finish second to Mick Donges in 3.09 behind his 3.03. This year I was determined to do better even though my build up was half of what had been last year. 


Once at the start line it was obvious that it was going to be a fast race with aussie reps Brendan Davies and Mick Donges  up for some fun along with other serious competitors like Andrew Tuckey and Alex Matthews. 


My stretch goal was to try and break 3hrs which i knew would be ambitious but I set off with that in mind. I let the fast guys speed off whilst i settled into a decent rhythm. I had my ipod with me but only started wearing it after 5km as it became obvious that this wouldnt be a day for chatting on the trail.


I wore my NB MT101's for this race as they are so damn comfortable and super light which makes uphilling relatively easy.


The halfway mark was hit in 1hr 28 minutes and 30 seconds so i knew 3hrs would be tight as its mostly uphill from there.


I was thankful for my conservative start as I started reeling people in around the half way mark. Around the 28km mark I caught up with Ewan Horsburgh. This was timely as I was beginning to feel the effects of the race and it would have been all too easy to step off the gas. We seemed to take it in turns running in front. I tended to pass on the inclines whilst Ewan would maintain a decent clip on the flats. This kept the pace honest but I was also conscious I was falling off the required pace for a stab at 3hrs. 


At about the 35km mark I managed to lose Ewan and I was on my own for the next few km's. This didnt last long as David Hosking caught me up running fairly lightly. In the distance we could make Alex Matthews who was obviously having a hard day. As we passed him it looked like he had taken a nasty fall and was nutting it out to the finish. Towards the 40km mark my legs were beginning to cramp up and David was looking hard to chase down. All my thoughts were on the post-race burger.


Finally I was on the home straight and I tried one last sprint for glory down the straight. This was thwarted however by the amount of mud so i was slipping and sliding rather than making good ground.


In the end I crossed the line in 6th place in 3.02.45. A 7 minute improvement on last year which is good progression. I probably lost a couple of minutes in the back half of the race but there is always next year to crack 3hrs. Before this race only 10 men in the 11 year history of the race had broken 3 hours. This year the top 4 all came in under 3. 


Top 10 results below:

1.   6   Andrew Tuckey             ASQUITH                 NSW 35 M  2:47:05  3:58
   2. 163   Mick Donges               BLUE MOUNTAINS       NSW 28 M  2:48:10  4:00
   3.   4   Tim Cochrane              WESTMEAD             NSW 31 M  2:54:11  4:08
   4.   3   Brendan Davies            BELFIELD             NSW 34 M  2:55:23  4:10
   5. 141   David Hosking             BROULEE              NSW 43 M  3:02:35  4:20
   6.   5   Ian Gallagher             GREENWICH            NSW 29 M  3:02:45  4:20
   7.   1   Alex Matthews             TURRAMURRA           NSW 27 M  3:06:19  4:25
   8. 183   Ewan Horsburgh            KATOOMBA             NSW 33 M  3:09:16  4:30
   9. 166   Stuart Spencer            CAMPERDOWN           NSW 33 M  3:09:43  4:30
  10.   9   Martin Pengilly           TURRAMURRA           NSW 44 M  3:11:59  4:33

My focus is now firmly on the Great North Walk 100 miler in November. I feel massively under-cooked for this compared to other training diaries I often look at. There are many different ideas out there as to how to train for a 100 mile race but at the end of the day everyones body reacts differently to various training methods. Some guys love the mega mileage, others  prefer short intense workouts, whilst a few (ultra168) like mega mileage intense runs!

The main point I keep hearing though is that one of the biggest battles is getting to the start line in one piece. There is a fine line between doing heavy training and becoming overtrained. Once the symptoms of overtraining set in then your pretty much screwed. On the same note, if your under trained then its going to be a hell of a long day on your feet! 

There have been 44 withdrawals from the race so far most notably some of the big guns in the womens race including last years champ Beth Cardelli and Allison Lilley. Hopefully the withdrawals arent a result of anything too serious and i hope all the other competitors make it to the start in one piece.

For me, completion of the race is going to come down to managing the pain. It's going to hurt, alot, and i'll have to prepare myself for this mentally - embrace it even. I've been reading Marshall Ulrich's new book 'Running America' where he talks about managing the pain he experiences whilst running 60+ miles per day. At one stage his foot is so badly injured that he can barely walk let alone run. He decides to 'disown' his foot. Refuses to acknowledge that the foot or the pain associated with it is his. Crazy stuff. But he plugs away and his foot ever so slowly heals. Hopefully for me i wont encounter any serious injuries and i'll just be able to methodically plug away until the finish. Im super pumped for this!

Speed Work

Tonight was my standard run home. However, in the lead up to the Fitzroy Falls Marathon this saturday i decided to introduce some 1km reps and fartlek.

The first km was a warm up and then straight into it. Felt pretty good hitting a 3.15km then i recovered for a km then hit a 3.16km. After the recovery rep the terrain of the run makes it too awkward to do 1km reps so i moved into fartlek, essentially sprinting for 400-500metres then recovering and doing it again. Finished up the last km in 3.26 and felt awesome!

This is a great workout as its high intensity and teaches your body how to run faster and recover at the same time. Also doesnt leave you feeling stuffed.

All up this turned out to be my 3rd fastest run home ever - very pleasing!

Fitzroy Falls Marathon - Plan for the week

With the Fitzroy Falls Marathon less than a week away my training is now going to focus on getting some speed in the legs. Since returning from Europe last month i've been slowly ramping up my training. September was by no means a big month with just 245km of running. However this was 245km's more than I did in August due to my ITB issue. This now seems to be behind me (fingers crossed).  September was all about learning to run again and this hasnt been easy. My heart rate has been elevated and ive been finding it hard to add any speed into my workouts. However, on saturday I went caught a train up to Brooklyn and ran/hiked through the bush for 6 hours. I wanted to spend some decent time on my feet without smashing up my legs (after all i am racing on Saturday). I wore my NB Minimus Trail which are awesome. I bought these at the same time as the Hoka Combos and I have to say I way my Minimus way more. I find them extremely comfortable and I seem to run much faster in them than the Hokas. Lots of hype surrounding the Hokas but for me they're going to be a 'recovery' shoe. Certainly fun when running down a hill but thats it. Definitely not a performance shoe. Having said that there will probably be a point in the GNW100 when i'll slip them on just due to the cushioning they provide. Anyway, im sidetracking...

I only ran 45km on Saturday  but my legs felt good and it gave me some much need confidence that i'll be able to complete the GNW100 as long as i pace properly. The next day was just a short recovery run and then today i started thinking about the Fitzroy Falls Marathon. If im to have any chance of breaking my 3.09 time from last year i need to start working on some speed - better late than never. So i slipped on my NB Mt101's and went out for a 16km progressive road run - the aim being to start of slow and ease into my run then pick up the pace at the half way mark. I felt pretty ordinary for the first couple of km's then things started to click - finally!! The last 6 of the 8 km's were all sub 4 with the final km being a 3.37. My heart rate was where it should have been (below 180 bpm) and i finished up feeling like i could i have run 5 more kms at that pace.



Last years race was my first ever marathon and as such i didnt know what to expect in terms of how my body would cope running a certain pace or with a certain heart rate. As you can see my pacing was not very even (taking into account its not a flat race) but i was able to maintain a heart rate of 170 which is good. I also think that during my marathon last July my heart rate would have been around the 175bpm mark. I wasnt wearing a monitor so this was my perceived effort. Since I now know how to pace a marathon and since ive ran the course before i know what to expect and im confident of doing better and most importantly finishing stronger. My pacing really fell off towards the end last year and this is what i plan on improving the most.



So my training plan this week will be short efforts at pace. Simple as that. After Saturday all thoughts will be on GNW100. Im by no means as prepared as i should be for this one having only been on the course once but if i push the km's too much in training there is a chance id be a no show and thats the last thing i want. Id rather turn up fresh and under prepared than blown out. Besides im actually excited about running on a course ive never been on before. Target time for me is under 30hrs. If i can somehow hit that i'll be chuffed to bits.

My AYUP light set arrived a few weeks ago. I ordered this especially for the race as im bound to be in the bush all night by myself (i wont be having a pacer). Wow, what a light! Its like having a set of car lights on your head!! Pricey but well worth it!    

Slow Progress

The holiday weight is slowly starting to fall off. Down from 86kg to 82.2kgs in just a few weeks. Havent changed a great deal in my diet, just exercising which seems to help. Obviously drinking less booze now ive returned which is probably a major factor although i have no intention of cutting it out completely. Not when the weather is like this!

Slowly easing back into my running. Conscious not to do too much too soon to irritate my ITB. All feeling well so far.

First runs back were pretty demoralising. Heart rate has been massively elevated. Im talking easy runs leaving me with an average HR in the 170's. Fortunately, things are beginning to turn normal again as my speed is coming back and my HR is falling.

Was in the Blue Mountains last weekend and planned to run to the top of Pluvi and back for 52km. Set out far to hard really for my fitness. Hit coxes river in 1hr 20 and then slowly began to lose the plot. Turned into a scorching day and i turned around after the 17km point. Glad i did as the return leg was a nightmare. Nellies Glen totally ruined me and I pretty much walked back most of the way. 34km in 3hrs 59. The 1500metres of climbing certainly played their part as im still feeling it even today. However, I think that run did me the world of good as it got my blood pumping.

I returned back to the house adamant that i would not be running the Fitzroy Falls Marathon nor GNW100. Funny what a days rest can do though as come Monday I was again super pumped for the next two races.

I dont think i am going to do myself justice and my chances of being close to a 3hr finish at Fitzroy are rather slim. But it will be a fun morning nonetheless. Im not in racing condition so I need to reset my goals. If I finish under last years time of 3.09 i'll be happy.

GNW100 is a different beast altogether. I have to say that im pretty intimidated by the monster. Again, im in no shape to hang with the big boys and i'll do well to finish. I have to stick with my game plan of going sub 30 whilst not allowing myself to get caught up in the excitement at the start of the race - as this will inevitably come back to haunt me. Its going to be a learning experience and im really excited.

I havent hit a 100km week for over 2 months now so thats my focus for the next month. This week should see me eclipse that then i need to concentrate on maintaining some consistency.

Definitely need to get myself out with the Ultra168 boys on the GNW100 course soon as the training will be invaluable. Life has just been getting in the way as it tends to do but i should be good for a couple of hit outs before the big day.

Fat Boy Slim

Well im back in Australia after more than 3 weeks overseas. I had a great time eating and drinking my way around Europe with zero running to my name. Not the best preparation for the Fitzroy Falls Marathon next month on the GNW100 in November but im not going to worry about that.

I managed to put on 6 kilos in 3 weeks which is a pretty good effort. Needless to say i've felt a little sluggish on my return. I've managed 2 runs of 30km and 20km and have not had any knee pain. So fingers crossed the rest has done me the world of good.

Weighing in at 86 kilos isnt going to do me any favours when trying to get close to 3hrs for Fitzroy next month but its all part of the journey.

My plan now is to slowly ramp up my training whilst still doing my strengthening exercises to stop my knee pain from returning. Im conscious now of not doing too much.

Other news, i'm house hunting and hoping to get in before Christmas. So the large majority of my weekend mornings will be taken up looking at apartments. This will restrict me from joining the merry band of runners who'll be going up to GNW every weekend to familiarise themselves with the course. I'm not too bothered about not seeing the course. I've never recced a course in my life and actually find it quite exciting not knowing what is around the corner. However, come race day i'll need to have my wits about me so as not to get lost.

Looking forward to the next couple of months and by the time January swings around i'll have a serious aerobic base for a proper training build up and a crack at a sub 2.45 marathon time in 2012.

Great North Walk 100 - Mens 100 miler Race Predictions

The Great North Walk 100's is just a few months away and I for one am super excited about this race.

This years field looks really strong and i'd expect to see the race record shattered.

Just for fun, I decided to draw up some odds - i've only created odds for people i know and names i recognise so apologies if I have missed anyone out. Happy to add people.

This is just for fun and some of my researched 'stats' could be total BS.

Who do you think is going to take out this years race?

Nearer the time i'll also assemble a list for the women's race (ive purposely left out Beth Cardelli even though she is a very likely threat to take out the entire competition) and also lists for the 100km races.

p.s Ultra168 - I came up with this idea first.....you just got in there before me..

Andrew Vize 2-1 You cant go past the 2009 and 2010 champion. This will be his 4th year running and I’d expect his class, meticulous preparation, focus and knowledge of the course will get him across the finish line first. There’ll be some battles along the way but I can see the course record being butchered.




Jonathan O’Loughlin 3-1 With an impressive 11hr 09 TNF100 result to his name this year this member of QualityMeats will be push Vizey all the way. A talented athlete with good leg speed, if he can keep focused, turn up sober and have a good day there is no reason why he couldn’t come away with the win.



David Waugh 3-1 The current race record holder from 2007 is back for a vengeance after dropping at the 100km last year. He’s bee running ultras for some time now and knows what he has to take this one out. One of only 2 people to ever go sub 24 David is a real contender.



Matt Cooper 3-1 This guy knows the course with a 2nd place finish in 100km event in 2009 and a 3rd place finish in 2010 in a little over 26hrs. Coming off the back of a super strong win at the Alpine Challenge Matt has the talent to go all the way. A real contender for a podium finish if not the win.



Philip Murphy 5-1 A seasoned veteran with the 40-49 race record to his name in a very classy 26hrs 29 minutes. This guy has run them all from Hardrock, to Western States and the legendary Coast to Kosci. Expect him to use his experience to and go slowly for the first half and then work his way through the battlefield.



Richard Mountstephens 7-1 I hear Richard is going to be in the mix. I haven’t heard a lot about him but he has some great pedigree over the shorter stuff with an excellent 7.44 at Bogong to Hotham in 2008. A member of Quality Meats he was part of the team that broke the Trailwalker record in 2010.



Wayne Gregory 8-1 Tough as old boots. Wayne holds the 50+ record of 26.56 set in 2008 which says it all. Expect Wayne to soldier on to a strong finish if fully fit.



Chris Turnbull 8-1 Another member of QualityMeats record breaking TrailWalker team, Chris will be a force to be reckoned with. After a good finish at TNF100 Chris then embarked on an epic 900km adventure from Sydney to Melbourne….to save a flower….Bonkers he is and that’s just what you need to be to finish GNW100. After pulling out at the 100km mark in 2010 Chris will be determined to finish. Expect him to go out hard.



Darrel Robins 8-1 The old man on the block has a big heart and will be hard to stop. One of Australia’s most consistent 100 miler finishes I’ll be expecting Darrel to place high. With an astounding 2nd place finish at the grueling Northburn 100 and top 5 placings at GNW100 this dude is one tough competitor. Strangely enough, expect to see him finish holding hands with someone….



Gordi Kirkbank Ellis 9-1 They don’t come much tougher than Gordi. A relative newby to the Ultra scene Gordi has run the longest and toughest ultras in Australia. After a very impressive debut 29.18 finish last year expect to see Gordi in the 26hr range.



Philip Whitten 10-1 Philip is a super strong runner with endurance and leg speed to match the best of them. With a 2nd place finish at the Alpine Challenge and an 11.38 TNF100 up his sleeve Philip will be mixing it with the best. He has a 30.24 finish in 2009 and will no doubt be looking to improve on this. Hot conditions could prove challenging.



Andy Bowen 11-1 Andy just gets better and better. Quickly become the go-to resource for ultra runners, Andy wiped 2 hours off his TNF100 time this year to run in an 11.40 time. Andy knows what to do after completing the course in 32.57 last year and he’ll be looking to smash his time. Will his fundraising challenge of playing the worlds longest golf course on foot (over 1400kms in 16 days!!!!) effect his chances here? Only time can tell. Like the rest of us ex-pats the heat could be an issue. Andy is a well known heavy sweater so cool weather may just play into his hands.



Keith Hong 12-1 Tough competitor who just last year completed the grueling Coast to Kosci. He’s been here before as a pacer, how will he cope racing? Has a lot of heart and if he can manage his nutrition and stay on course he’ll be in the hunt.



Paul Every 12-1 Another seasoned veteran who has been plying his trade for an eternity now. RD of the infamous Coast to Kosci Paul will be hoping to get through unscathed as he seeks revenge after pulling out at the 100km mark last year. Does he have the training under his belt to go the whole way? I wouldn’t bet against him.



Dan Bleakman 12-1 A member of Ultra168 Dan has the credentials to finish up well here. After getting the monkey off his back with his first 100 mile finish at Northburn earlier this year Dan will be looking to hush his critics. He has a reputation for being navigationally challenged but if he gets his bearings right this year I’d expect him to place well. Top lad to boot.



Ian Gallagher 14-1 As a 100miler virgin I’ll be happy to just finish unscathed. The heat will be a massive factor and navigation could be an issue. If I reign my neck in and control the pace at the start then there is every chance I’ll finish. If the adrenaline takes control and I set off with the big boys then expect a monster blow up. Need to get to the start line in good nick, expect a long taper.



Roger Hanney 14-1 This witty and colourful ‘withnailandi’ lookalike is taking the step up to his first 100 miler. With 3 tough 100km finishes under his belt he’s ready to let rip. If he can remain injury free and put in a solid training block then I’d expect him to finish well.



Marcus Warner 14-1 Another ex-pat 100 miler debutant, Marcus is another member of Ultra168. With consistent finishes at TNF100 and a record time in the marathon pairs this year with Vize I expect Marcus to show his grit and finish well. 100 miles is a different ball game to 100kms but he’s mixing with the right crowd and if he can get to the start line fit then there’s no reason why he wont do well.



Kelvin Marshall 16-1 Kelvin’s been around the block a few hundred times and this race shouldn’t faze him. Likes the heat and loves the long stuff but how will he cope with the trails and navigation? He went sub 30 in 2008 can he do it again this year?



Kevin Heaton 16-1 A stalwart of the ultra scene, Kevin is a regular competitor. Consistency is the key and Kevin has this in bucketloads. Likes to do it tough and has been known to bring up his insides on occasion but you wouldn’t bet against him on finishing. Hard as nails.



Bill Thompson 25-1 This man is guaranteed to finish. Bill is a true legend of the sport and has been doing these races for years. The conditions wont bother him and he’ll have a thoroughly enjoyable time out there. Holds the current over 60’s record and for good reason. The man is a human metronome and gets value for money in the races he enters. Expect a 35.45 finish or thereabouts. If all fall before him then Bill will come up trumps.

M7 Cities Marathon

After running very little and inconsistently this month due to a persistent knee/ITB issue i was in two minds over whether or not to run. Just the day before I nipped out to the shops and just jogging 1km was an issue. Later in the day I went for a 5km tester with Phill. I tapped up my leg and the pain was manageable but i was running 1.5km/min slower than planned marathon pace. In the end I thought I would give it a crack and pull out if the pain was too much.

I woke up naturally at 3.30am before my 4am alarm went off. I decided to get up and take my time getting ready rather than rushing things - even had time to use the foam roller. Breakfast was a large bowl of porridge, cup of tea and a litre of water. I then set about taping up my knee using the method shown to me by a physio i saw a while back. I probably over did it a bit but what the heck. I also planned on running with a patella strap so popped that on to. I decided to take my ipod as i thought there would be times when id be on my own and not chatting. As it turns out I didn't have any conversations with any other runners whilst on the course.

The drive over to Blacktown Athletics Arena didn't take as long as i had planned so I sat in my car for 30 mins whilst the minibus arrived to take us to the start line.

Once there it was another wait for 90 mins and I was on the verge of hypothermia by the time we kicked off. Chatted to Buzz and Roger Hanney at the start line and then we were on our way.

The first few km's were just demoralising. The pain in my knee was excruciating and i was 95% certain I would have to pull out. I was running with a limp as the tight taping meant I couldn't bend my knee fully so i must have looked a little odd. The patt strap was also on too tight and aggravating my calf so I stopped at the 5km point and took it off. I decided to continue on firstly due to the fact that I had gotten up early to run and secondly if I pulled out I would be waiting around for ages to get a lift back to the start. I gritted my teeth and decided to nut it out to the halfway point and then reevaluate.

The course was undulating road and I was feeling really in control as I was finally able to manage my leg pain and run in a style that didn't aggravate it so much - the voltaren was probably taking effect too...

Drink stations were about 5 km's apart and i relied solely on them for my nutritional requirements. Shortly after the 16km mark i began to get a little concerned that I hadn't seen any energy gels available - i was still feeling full of beans but felt like i should be taking in some calories soon to avoid bonking later. Fortunately at around the half way mark energy gels began to appear on every other drinks station.

I went through the 21.1km mark in 1.24.30 which was spot on. This can be a bit of a boost and by this stage I had no intention of pulling out. At the aid station I grabbed 3 gels and ate them in fairly quick succession. Fortunately I have a cast iron stomach and the gels weren't too much of an issue to get down. During the course of the second half I probably had about 8 gels in total. Overkill

A few runners were beginning to fade during this stage and i proceeded to pass about 3 or 4 people and I was lucky enough not to be passed by anyone (apart from negativesplit who tore it up for the win in the half marathon pairs - great running!)

The finish was inside the athletics stadium and I recorded my fastest km of the day 3.47 for the 42 second km.

I went through the finish with a time of 2.48.27 to negative split by around 30 seconds which was a nice way to end it. My goal for the day was 2.49 so i was happy to just sneak under. Elated to finish as it was a real internal struggle not to pull out in the first half. Really chuffed to finish up under 3hrs for my first roadie.

I somehow managed to snag 3rd place and $1000 prize money!! Insane! Feel a bit like a charlatan winning this swag as my time wouldnt have made the top 10 last year. But, you gotta be in it to win it!

My plan now is to retire and live off my winnings...

Not really, what im actually going to do is rest my leg, hit the gym and work on my strength and flexibility to get myself in serious nick for Great North Walk 100 miler.