Team Five Ten Australia - Adventure Racing Blog

Rocky Trail - GP8, Mt Stromlo

2011-09-29T21:07:00.002+10:00

I sense early signs of an MTB enduro tragic, or maybe just a mid-life crisis?

I was planning a long training ride in the Brindabella's Saturday, that was until I came across the Rocky Trail GP 8hr race scheduled at Mt Stromlo the same day, now this had to be more fun than grinding out a bunch of miles on my lonesome. A call to the race organisers late in the week to check entries were still open and a quick on-line registration and I was good to go... the Super Master category again. Kind of like a day at the office, start at 9 and finish at 5, except the Met' Bureau were predicting 90% chance of rain with 10-20mm forecast, the potential for another mud fest had me a little nervous especially on a course like Stromlo.

Photo by Dave B - the Berm website.

This race was definitely a "gentlemen's" start with registration open from 7am and the race starting at 9am. I managed to make registration in plenty of time, collected my race number and parked a discrete distance from race central. I struck up a conversation with another racer Ian who was prep'ing his single speed for the 4hr event, the low and ominous cloud cover had us both thinking the day could easily get worse.

At a guess around 250-300 riders crowded the start area come 9am, the 8hr bunch were scheduled to go off first with the 4hr riders about one minute behind. Although this didn't make sense to me, everyone was pretty well settled after the first lap.

I'd thought about 8 laps would be a good number to aim for on the day, it'd give me somewhere around 110-120km which I'd planned for on my own in the mountains that day. I settled at the back of the 8hr bunch so I didn't get in anyone's way, however it seemed no time at all before I had lots of 4hr 'sprinters' up my clacker on the first lap. The pressure was mounting as we crested Mt Stromlo and headed out along Western WedgeTail then SkyLine and into the Luge trail, it was towards the end of the Luge that I 'burped' a front tyre and came a cropper in the single track, not a good look. It seemed to take ages to get a tube into the front wheel and sufficiently inflated so I could get back on the bike and complete my first lap, gravel rash and all. The 29'er was performing beautifully throughout all of this by the way, I can assure you I was the weakest link.

A nice feature of the day was Mike Tomalaris from SBS Sport calling the race, it was pretty cool coming through the checkpoint area and having Mike call your name, number and time out over the loud speaker, just as if you were at the Tour de France.

I'd ridden trail 2 at Stromlo a number of times before, this wasn't a lot different except the organisers had added a section of track to the start that extended the total circuit out to 12.2km, a lot of hill climbing but with some pretty classy downhill as well, it didn't take too many laps before I became intimately familiar with every rock and bump on Stromlo. 8hrs is a fair time to be racing technical single track so I settled into a pretty comfortable routine stopping briefly at the summit for a drink and a gel then again as I passed through the checkpoint area, my laps were around the hour mark and that suited me fine.

Throughout the day the weather varied from heavily overcast to sunny periods which raised a sweat on the climbs. The 90% chance of rain really never eventuated thankfully, just a few drops of rain across the whole day. The single track on Stromlo is really quite technical, this meant the day never became boring as it was always a challenge to nail difficult sections of track no matter what lap you were on.

We'd been warned at race briefing that due to the nature of the weather that day the organisers may cut the race short at 4pm, which they eventually did and this meant I officially completed 7 laps for the race, coming in at around 4:30pm. What to do, head over to the event centre and a beer or go out for another lap, decisions, decisions? I eventually came into the checkpoint area around 5:30pm having completed my 8 laps and the very last person on the course, by this stage the race organisers were handing out free beer and there was almost a party atmosphere developing... now that's an MTB race!

I missed the presentations while I was out on that last lap, so it wasn't until mid week that I eventually caught up on the results. What a surprise to find I'd actually taken out the GP8 Super Masters category on the day, quite a thrill. It's raining now in Canberra towards the end of the following week and all I want to do is go back out for a few more laps... now that's tragic!

Here's a tip, keep an eye out for Rocky Trails enduro events, they're a lot of fun... ;O)

Standard Training Plan - XPD 2011

2011-09-13T18:47:00.001+10:00

A number of people have asked - how do you prepare for a 700 km race? The short answer is - I have no bloody idea!! Ask me after we have finished and I will be able to tell you what we needed to do more of!

Basically, each of us have targeted a number of major events during the last year as a lead up to the XPD. This has enabled our bodies to become progressively tougher - at least, that is the hope!

Members of the Team have completed a number of Ultra Marathons: Bogong to Hotham, Overland Track, 6ft Track, TNF 100 and OXFAM trailwalker 100. The GeoQuest was entered as a major mid year adventure race as well as the Husky 100 MTB race.

Here's a typical 10 day training block for David.

Day 1: Run 45 mins, Paddle 3 hrs
Day 2: Ride 6 hrs
Day 3: Gym 2 hrs, ride 1 1/2 hrs
Day 4: Ride 1 1/2 hrs
Day 5: Ride 2 hrs
Day 6: Gym 2 hrs
Day 7: Ride 1 1/2 hrs
Day 8: Paddle 3 hrs
Day 9: Walk 5 hrs
Day 10: Gym 2 hrs, Ride 1 1/2hrs
Rest and repeat!

Elevation change 7000m - most sessions at aerobic to upper aerobic range.

Is it enough? Probably not - but that's all I can do.....

OXFAM 2011 Trailwalker

2011-08-30T19:58:00.001+10:00

A happy and NAIVE Team at the start

The more you disappear down the rabbit hole of Adventure Racing the more the "normal" world warps.

The OXFAM trailwalker is a great example of this - most people consider walking 100km to be a major outing and one that requires significant dedication and preparation! Our Team had fallen so far down the rabbit hole that we now have fur, long ears and stupidity to match. How's that? Well, we thought it would be a good idea to "do" the 100 as a simple training day, in preparation for this year's AR World Champs - the XPD in Tasmania.

17km down - crossing at Cowan Station

Warping and weirdness ensured that we and 2000 other walkers toed the start line at Brooklyn on the shores of the Hawkesbury River in NSW. The competitors were a mixture of regular folk, teens, oldies, clubs and corporates. Hiding in the crowd were a sprinkling of serious runners and the odd ARer - a few GeoQuest, TNF 100 and XPD logos gave the game away. The start was literally a circus, with horns blowing, party hats, costumes and officials "pumping" up the walkers - a party atmosphere prevailed but was short-lived as the clock counted to zero and the first steep hill appeared.

Col ensuring he has enough vegemite sammies

The game was on. Walk as fast as you can. Minimise your stops - manage your tiredness, boredom, fatigue, hunger, pain, blisters, knees, crutch and any other "bit" that could hurt. Remember to eat, drink, refill water, change socks and shoes, lube up as required - tape up bits sooner rather than later. Stay warm, stay cool, stay dry - keep rocks out of your shoes. Ensure you have enough light to get through a dark night. Don't forget the chocolate coated espresso beans, no doz, painkillers and rescue blanket - walking poles are handy if you want some form of knee left at the end. Oh, and a good sense of humour is required - you'll need it. Some parts of this walk are exceptionally tedious and painful!

The best way to describe the Hawkesbury to Sydney Harbour walk is as a continuous series of short steep 100 - 200m hills - up one side, along a ridge top then down into a creek bed - long stretches of tree roots, slippery rocks and technical walking - if you put your brain on auto - you would trip almost instantly! Occasionally a fire trail would appear and give respite to creek beds. We walked non-stop between checkpoints that were spaced every 10 - 15 km. Starting at 9 am, we had covered 35 km by dark - the conga line of walkers on the narrow tracks created a line of headlamps disappearing into the distance. The first 50 km went by in a respectable 12 hrs and 30 mins - our aim was to complete the 100km in 24 hrs. Nothing flash - just consistent walking - the sort of effort that we envisage will be necessary for the XPD in Tasmania.

Wildflowers in abundance

Pizza for dinner at midnight - a slug of coke and we were on the move again - with 60 km down our wheels fell off! Knee pain and blisters began to seriously hamper Carey and I wasn't far behind with my own problems. Colin was suffering
from Monkey Butt and Emma was challenged by the late hour. Maybe a touch of reality would have helped in our preparation - 5 weeks is not enough time to prepare for something as arduous as the OXFAM trailwalker! Living in the AR rabbit hole, it becomes easy to think - yep 100km - no worries - we're fit - stick it in the training plan. Opps - 100km is a LONG way - especially in the type of terrain this walk covered!

A bit of humbling is good for the soul!

Dawn Day 2 - 75 km down

With this in mind, the midnight to dawn stages dragged on and on. Carey was a champion - her feet were becoming bloody pulps. Add a painful knee to the feet and going downhill was becoming a mission - with taped paws and gritted teeth the night disappeared. First light found us close to Roseville Bridge and the 80 km checkpoint. Carey spent an hour in first aid having her feet repaired. A cup of coffee later and we followed the Middle Harbour track along the foreshore until we came out of the bush and into the suburban jungle of cars, noise and expensive houses.

Just another bash along a creek

Carey receiving blister aid

What a shock - we had managed to walk almost entirely in bush through one of the most densely populated areas of Australia. Such is the quality of the Great North Track that it was only now; at 90 km did we encounter the noise and rush of a big city.

Down and across the Spit Bridge - the urban experience was a surreal juxtaposition to the previous 24 hrs, up the hill and down to the "glamour" of Balmoral Beach and the Saturday morning brunchers. We must have looked very shabby and alien in our sweat stained clothes, muddy legs, weary faces and distant eyes. By now our feet felt as though a cheese grater had been run over them. Every step burned.

Not so glamorous walkers at Balmoral Beach - 95km down

One last hill and thankfully it really was the last one! And the finish line loomed. A very pleasing sight - a bit of fanfare and Team Five Ten had completed the 2011 OXFAM Trailwalker.

6600m of elevation change - 100km - 28 hrs and 20 mins.

Colin, Emma, Carey and David

It was a great training day. We were pretty toasted.

The Husky 100ker...

2011-08-08T22:34:00.008+10:00

The rest of Team Five Ten have been powering on after Geo however lately my motivation for training has taken a downward spiral, no particular reason really but I seemed to be struggling with a Canberra Winter, a new job and house renovations that were dragging on and with no central heating through all of this. So I needed something to freshen up my training, what about a 100K MTB enduro?

Well lady luck was definitely smiling on me when I came across the cancelled Husky 100ker from June, by all accounts it seemed the perfect race for a first timer and with some sweet sounding single track thrown in. The organisers had pushed the rescheduled date out to the 7th August so I was in luck, I could squeeze in a few laps of Bruce Ridge (my local single track area) with a couple of outings to Sparrow/East Kowen in hope of whipping my MTB legs into shape in what time I had left.

Clearly the organisers of the Husky have respect. When I registered I found I qualified for the 'Super Masters' category i.e. those over 50! I liked the sound of the title... it seemed pretty cool, there were a total of 29 in my category out of a field of 294 starters, but don't let that fool you (mistake number one).

The Husky is based out of Callala beach, just south of Nowra on the NSW south coast. Being only 3 hours drive from Canberra I decided to leave late Saturday, stay in Nowra and then get a not so early start Sunday morning to make registration by 6am, perfect. It rained the whole way from Canberra to the coast and mud was on my mind for the Sunday race. The motel in Nowra turned out to be ok and I settled on greasy take-away followed by a couple of coffees to top off my Saturday evening, jeez these MTB racers sure know how to have a good time!

At least the rain had stopped Sunday morning and by 6am the sky was clear and early registration was open at Callala. I registered, got my race number and started to change and prep my bike. I chatted with another racer named Spencer (who'd parked next to my car) about modern carbon fibre bikes and the fact I'd splashed out the previous day on a carbon fibre bidon cage for my Trek Superfly, with thanks to the crew at Bike Culture in Canberra. By 7am the crowds were gathering at the start area and I lined up with everyone else at the back of the pack along with a guy on a uni-cycle, the fact he was wearing 5.10 shoes was a nice touch... ;O)

So what to expect when it had been raining most of the day before and all that night, mud and lots of it. Yes the Husky 100ker this year was muddy, the single track was muddy, fire trails were muddy just lots of mud. For most of the 100k my chain sounded like a coffee grinder and I dare to think what state the brake pads are in, however the aid stations were staffed by very friendly and happy folks dispensing Shotz tabs, water, lollies and fruit... what a fantastic crew. Did I say that I hadn't ridden much mud before, well this was certainly an introduction to riding mud and I have to say I really enjoyed it.

The Husky is both 100k and 50k races, it was at the 50km mark that I thought I probably would have been better entering the 50ker, that way I could have gone home at that point for a nice afternoon nap! I pushed on through more mud but in the knowledge that most of the folks around me were probably feeling the same way, put it down to a perverse sense of humour. It was at about the 95km mark that I met Keith, another Super Master who was powering along a fire trail. I pulled in behind his wheel and stayed with him as he stepped on the gas. For a while I forgot about being tired and just enjoyed some fast racing as we shot down sections of very narrow trail in the big ring. It wasn't long before we rode together discussing all sorts of things and then into the finish line at the back of the Callala beach RSL, me in about 7h08m... not a great time but Ok for an old guy I suppose and my first 100ker on a bike!

As I write this up I'm checking the results for the Husky... first in the Super Master category was home in 5h02m - yikes! Not bad when you think the first Elite rider and race winner was home in 4h24m... go the old guys!

This should give my XPD training a good kick start!

Epic, brutal, mesmerisingly intense - the 2011 GeoQuest

2011-06-19T15:22:00.023+10:00

The start was clearly an omen of what was to come. As the clock ticked to 8 am Saturday - the Premier Mixed teams lined up with their boats ready to start the 2011 GeoQuest - a 48 hr Adventure Race second to none! It was the tenth anniversary edition - little did we know that we would get a birthday present that none of us would forget and a race that will be talked about for a long time to come.

With Col and I skippering and new comers to ocean paddling Carey and Ed in the bow, we paddled strongly from the start to avoid breaking waves and rock bars. Within 50 m of the beach a rogue wave loomed - it was large enough to create an

"oh s--t" moment - throwing the rudder down and sweeping hard we managed to crest the wave just as it went vertical - the slap coming off the top was loud. Paddling crazily we avoided two more large waves. The boats behind us were decimated.

Six boats swamped and the fleet in disarray. But we were now clear of immediate danger.

12 kilometres of downwind paddling in rising seas provided some of the most intense paddling Col and I had done.

We fought for almost two hours to keep our boats upright. Crews all around us were upside down - some separated from their boat - it was getting dangerous and several times we and other teams went to the assistance of distressed paddlers. Carey was on edge with a measure of trepidation - Ed was laughing like a lunatic in the bow - we were in for a wild ride. Most teams capsized on the beach landing. We side surfed a dumper in and nailed it. Ed and Colin were less fortunate.

Leg two started as a Bike Rogaine and was to finish with a two km pack raft of our bikes down the Kalang River to a transition. Our race derailed here and never recovered. It started with a loose bike rack, sucking mud, leeches and a swim in a drain and quickly progressed to more serious stuff - a navigation error and a lost 90 minutes followed by half of our floating devices disappearing somewhere in the state forest.

The end result - the most horrific and miserable 2 kms of "river paddling" in my life, 4 bikes, 4 people, 4 packs and 4 floating devices made for an epic of suffering. The tide was against us - so two people on a lilo, lying sideways and towing a small raft with bikes and packs lashed on the top meant we had to hand paddle our guts out to move two metres forward before needing a rest - unfortunately we would then float backwards one and a half metres. You can fit a lot of two metre paddling stints into two kms! On dark and becoming hypothermic we struggled into the checkpoint - four hours behind our projected time!

Moral: don't make mistakes!

Leg three was a kayak paddle down the Kalang River to Urunga - the tide had now turned and we had it in our favour - small mercies from the Gods of AR. Twelve kilometres disappeared in just over an hour - a beautiful paddle in the drizzle, calm water and dark night; we finally started to warm up!

Leg four required us to cross two very fast flowing outgoing 300m wide tidal channels in the PITCH black. You could hear the thundering of breaking waves on the sand bar just a little way downstream. No more immersion in cold water - we would sit in the rafts and use our split paddles to get us across.

Ferrying a plastic donut is an interesting exercise - it tends to go in circles. So we went in circles - downstream! My anxiety levels went higher and higher as the sound of the waves approached. It is disconcerting to be in the middle of what you know to be a fast flowing river but can't see either bank, your only point of reference a 4m circle of light around your raft. Making the far side was a relief!

A mangrove wade, some mud and oysters, a few sand dunes and we were on the beach. A little three kilometer traipse up the coastline in the windy drizzle and we arrived at our scheduled dinner stop - 9.30 pm. Our support team had built a wonderful shelter and we needed it - torrential rain had now arrived!

Leg five was a MTB ride with 4 check points that required navigation and bush bashing; each checkpoint was strategically placed at a creek junction, a euphemism for lantana, mud, groveling and lots of swamp work. We predicted 7 hrs, which meant this would take us through to dawn. We rigged for a wet and cold night. With hot food in our stomachs and layers of clothes and rain jackets on we headed out into the storm. It was 11pm.

Our night slowly disappeared into a collection of memories - all associated with mist, drizzle, wind, rain, steam, mud, leeches, swamps, riding and walking. With good navigation and excellent teamwork we nailed all checkpoints. Some were exceedingly tricky and it was a triumph for all of us to "click" our control bands!

The two hours before dawn is the dreaded "dead time"; micro sleeps while riding our bikes caused us to pull up and munch on a handful of coffee beans. With a new found zing and the psychological hit that comes with daylight we "lifted" and the last two checkpoints came easily. At 8 am we rode into a very welcome site - our fabulously hardworking support crew had built another waterproof shelter. Soaking wet and after nine hrs on the bike we loaded up on hot coffee and soup.

Deciding to stay in our wet clothes, a change of socks was all that was required. Once bare skin was revealed, the extent of the swamp marches became apparent - massive leech attacks.

Carey had six fat ones on each ankle!

Leg six, a 15 km trek began with a 4 km walk through the beautiful Gleniffer valley and the Promised Land to the base of the Dorrigo escarpment. Here our world went vertical and stayed that way for two relentless hrs - describing the trail as steep climbing doesn't do it justice! Called the Syndicate Track - it is famous amongst walkers and for good reason! After 800m of muddy ascent we crested the spur. Largely manageable and at times enjoyable the previous 28 hrs had varied in "wetness".

Now it became truly ugly.

The heavens opened and it deluged - wind and water came out of the sky in biblical quantities. We trudged on. The tracks became streams and the streams became rivers. Being the last team on the mountain and at over 1000m in altitude, we took the brunt of the storm. We started to become seriously cold, hypothermia was looming.

For the first time in my life I considered a DNF - personal and team safety was now becoming more important than finishing a race. I remembered that DNF can also stand for Do Nothing Fatal. As a team, we walked on and debated what to do next; deciding to reevaluate our position once we had made the Transition.

A staunch support crew welcomed us in - a sodden Leg six was over. The checkpoint official informed us that the race had been abandoned due to dangerous weather, floods and increasing rainfall! All teams were to be taken out of the field.

At 2.30 pm on Sunday - 30 hrs and 30 mins into the GeoQuest - our race was over.

We were disappointed and relieved - it was hard to tell which emotion held sway!

We are grateful to our legendary support crew - they went through a tough night and never let us down. No request was too much. A race like this is an equal partnership - without them we couldn't perform. Thank you Philip, Josh and Sharon!

A big thanks to our sponsors: Five Ten, Petzl, Aide, SilkBody, Platypus and SealLine. The right gear for trying places!

And GeoCentric Events - Craig and Louise - well done on a terrific 10th Anniversary race!

Over the Sunday and Monday 300mm of rain fell on the race ground.

It was a tough outing.

Bring on GeoQuest 2012!

Running in the Desert

2011-06-04T19:22:00.006+10:00

With a week to go until the GEO - one last run was needed. What better than - Stage 10 of the world famous Larapinta Trail!

So that was today's plan.

Leave the car at Ormiston Gorge - run to the Finke River and back to the gorge - and the bonus - I get to do the Stage twice.

Running in the West Macdonnell Ranges of the Northern Territory is a very special experience.

It is surreal to run in the absolute quiet of an ancient landscape with only the crunch of gravel under foot and your shadow to keep you company.

The Finke River is regarded as the oldest active river bed in the world! Today it was full of water and a welcome relief from the midday heat.

One of the best 20 km's you could ever do.

The 2011 North Face

2011-06-04T19:00:00.006+10:00

The 2010 North Face broke a bit of me. Not all of me thankfully - just my knee. I didn’t really pay much attention to the surgeon when he said my Ultra days were over. I figured what would he know! So off I went and did the Six Foot in March.

After a fair degree of suffering I reassessed my figuring. Maybe the surgeon did know something. With this new approach I downgraded my TNF expectations. It was to be the half for me!

All I had to do was to find a keen bean to do the other half. None were that dumb, so whilst my wife Carey is no sucker - she is pretty keen! She was in and the plan was hatched - I'd do the first half and Carey could run over the finish line and enjoy the crowd!

Ed and Colin were signed up for the full 100km - so Team Five Ten was fully represented.

Saturday May 14th dawned clear, COLD and windy, at 7 am almost 900 runners were away to loud cheers.

There is something bizarre about lining up to tackle the North Face - it is a test of physical and mental preparedness. A special sort of craziness is needed for these types of outings, it is tough and it builds an incredible sense of camaraderie amongst its contestants.

For most - it is the individual against the course - not each other! The terrain is mountainous and unrelenting. The majority of the field will finish late at night and in the bitter cold that only the upper mountains can produce.

Having completed the TNF in 2010 I was under no illusions as to what lay ahead. Knowing what is coming helps and I had a plan to get my half done. This year I had poles to help me with the downhills. After only 22km I needed them. The next 32 kms were an exercise in pain management and the bloody mindedness needed to get the job done.

I predicted 9 1/2 hours and that's exactly what it took! At Megalong Ford I handed the "baton" over to Carey at 4.30 pm. The sun was setting and the cold was increasing dramatically

Carey tackled the remainder of the 6 foot track and Nellie’s Glen in good style - passing many people, she was quickly into checkpoint 4 at Katoomba - with 11km done she was just warming up. Which was a good thing - the crossing of the Jamison and climbing Kedumba would be cold!

A very respectable 4 and 1/4 hrs saw her cross the Jamison - one of the biggest climbs in the whole TNF. At just after 11 pm she tagged checkpoint 5 at Queen Victoria hospital. Hot soup, a brief rest and she was away for the last leg - stage 6 - 11kms to the finish.

In good spirits, she completed this leg in just over 2 hours, finishing a few minutes before 2.00 am Sunday May 15th!

Our time - 18 hrs 53 mins and 13 secs. We were chuffed!

Ed and Colin finished in an awesome time of 16 hrs and 43 mins.

The whole team was in under 19 hrs. A great effort!

Crossing Mt Solitary

2011-05-01T22:26:00.007+10:00

It was the last hit out before the North Face.

Carey, Colin and I opted for crossing Solitary the hard way - from Kings Tableland via the Ruined Castle finishing with a climb up the Giant Stairway to the top of the Sisters.

Then back to Katoomba Oval and our car.

From Jamison Creek below Solitary, a 700m climb in the pouring rain led straight up a super steep ridge line to the eastern Summit. The track had turned to a creek and the clouds descended.

It was meant to be a simple 25km run but the rain turned the track to black mud. The Wild Endurance - a 100km walk for the Wilderness Society was also using parts of the same track.

So 400 plus walkers had turned the Federal Pass track into a boggy morass!

Cold and drenched we arrived at the car just before dark - hot coffee

returned some life.

6 hours and 15 minutes for a lousy 25km - it was a slog.

Running in the West Macs - video

2011-05-01T20:15:00.004+10:00

First video: At 1358m, the summit of Mt Sonder on the edge of the Tanami Desert is a surreal place!

Second video: Descending Sonder - grand views all the way down!

A Little Trip to the Desert

2011-05-01T19:15:00.011+10:00

With time running out for the North Face. Carey joined me in Alice Springs for a taste of desert running.

The West MacDonnell Range is home to one of the greatest walking tracks in the world - the 234 km Larapinta Trail which leaves the Overland Telegraph Station in Alice and winds its way through desert, rugged mountain tops and secret canyons brimming with water from a year of rain, to finish on the summit of the majestic Mt Sonder.

Our plan was simple - run two stages of the"Lara" - my friend Dan joined us for the first day, a stunning 25 km from Serpentine Gorge along the top of the range to Counts Point and then down to Serpentine Dam to close out the day.

Blue sky, cool wind and mind blowing views accompanied us all day. The view from Counts Point is as good as any in the world. In fact, Dans words rang loud - it seemed as though we were on another planet.

Day two and Carey and I tackled the 8km climb to the summit of Mt Sonder. At 1358m - the fourth highest mountain in the Territory - after 700m of ascent we were rewarded with a view that takes the breath away.

Visibility was over 100km to the edge of the Tanami Desert. Everywhere we looked ancient mountains and desolate landscape filled the vista.

The desert is a special place to run.

Kedumba Take Three

2011-03-29T15:55:00.009+11:00

The 6 Ft Track showed me that there was only one thing I needed - apart from a replacement knee - hills - big ones and the steeper the better.

So with a measure of trepidation I set out to cross the Jamison again - Stage 5 & 6 of the North Face was becoming my favourite training day out.

Starting at the Fairmont Leura - I ran the Cliff Top track to Katoomba - down Leura Cascades - ducked behind the Federal Pass sign onto the "secret garden" track that leads all who like to suffer down and across the Jamison - to be confronted with a 7km climb up Kedumba Walls to Kings Tableland.

From there it's just a couple of hours home.

Rain and the mist kept me company all day. This time round I managed to run the 8 km of "down", my quads are slowly getting used to horror of long downs.

You know downs are tough when you look forward, in fact - prefer to climb, as an alternative to the pain of the down.

Five and half hours later - 30km, 1600m up and 1600m down I wobbled into the Fairmont car park.

A bit toasted.

Ready to do it again next weekend.

Oh the joy of the North Face!

6 Foot Track 2011

2011-03-28T15:35:00.012+11:00

After the 2010 North Face the surgeon said your days of Ultras are over - things weren't looking too good for my knees. His words were - the best you can hope for is a flat land marathon on tar!

Yikes - could there be anything worse?

What I heard was blah blah "best hope" blah blah "marathon" which I interpreted as the 6 Foot Track (45km, off road, all dirt and steep) would be just fine for me.

Needless to say - it was a bit of a challenge.

So with lot's of gym work and very little long distance off road work in my legs - 6Ft Track day 2011 rolled around. Blackheath to Jenolan Caves via the direct route - straight across Megalong Valley - 45km, 1600m up

and 1600m down.

The goal this year was simple. Beat the BROOM. Finish.

Given that I was going to be a back marker and probably hold people up going down Nellie's Glen - I decided the best place to start was at the back of 900 runners.

After two big climbs out of the Cox's river - the Broom hadn't shown up. At the 32km mark torrential rain for an hour turned everything into a river - which meant cold running at over 1000m in altitude.

By 37km my knee was not working properly - this left walking as the only option and that was preferred over the sag wagon - I just had to stay in front of the Broom.

The last 2 km's are notorious and tortuous. Steep and straight down to the top of the Grand Arch at Jenolan.

Now walking sideways and with a km to go - I looked up and the Broom was 100m behind me. A fast sidestep type hobble ensued.

At 6 hrs 55 min and 38 sec - I beat the Broom by three minutes.

A few minutes later - dripping pools of water and waiting in line for a coke. The bloke next to me said "Do you know who won?"

My reply.....

"No idea - but I do know who came last - me!"

He had trouble figuring out why I had such a big grin on my face.

Crossing Kedumba

2011-02-15T10:41:00.006+11:00

I had been putting it off - procrastinating you might say! With time running out for the 6ft Track and the North Face - there was nothing for it.... time to suck it in and start some serious training.

So, stage 5 & 6 of the North Face was as good a place as any to start - 30 km across Jamison Valley in the upper Blue Mountains - a couple of thousand metres of climbing and lots of steps. Oh and some rain.

Needless to say it was a lesson in preparedness - mostly my lack of the physical type. After 5 1/2 hrs of suffering it emphasised one thing - and that is - nothing, absolutely nothing replaces training on the steeps. Gotta get it into you!

So after a few days of hobbling, I'll be back out there for another crossing of the Kedumba next Sunday - maybe it won't hurt as much this time...

First AR of 2011

2011-02-14T12:02:00.009+11:00

The plan was simple enough: enrol Team Five Ten into a Max Adventure Sprint race at Newcastle. Ed was out - he was on a bigger mission that weekend - running the Overland Track Race in Tassie. So Colin invited Emma to join him for the Sunday race and Carey and I would make up the second team for the day. That was the plan until Carey dislocated her shoulder on a training run the previous weekend.

What to do? Clearly I was desperate - I approached Andrew Love to see if he would come out of retirement for the fifth time. The last time we raced together, we were beaten to a pulp in the wee hours of the morning somewhere on the Kosicuisko high plains. I seem to remember Andrew swearing at me - a lot - and saying something along the lines of ...

" don't #$@*% ask me again! "

Oh well - I guess we both have Goldfish brains - because I asked him and he said yes!

A pre race meal stop at Maccas saw us witness one of the most powerful staff motivational speeches ever... Supervisor to recalcitrant employee - " I know it sucks arse but you just have to work harder! "

Andrew was in his usual form - with 3 minutes to race start - he was filling his water bladder - and trying to put his pants on - both at the same time. Needless to say we started at the back of 160 teams of two - with 320 people in front of us - you can only get better from this position.

At a balmy 38 deg we started the 1.5km run uphill to the bike transition. For some unknown reason Andrew has nicknamed me Eddie - so in the throng of sweating, panting people - all I could hear was Andrew yelling "come on Eddie let's surge!" I think it was his way of making up for the poor race start and a plan to get to the front. Much to the amusement of all - this

was repeated at least 10 times running up the hill. I didn't surge. It was going to be a hot race.

Once on the bikes, we shouldered past a lot of teams - with the radiators hissing we wheeled into the kayak leg - with one hour done - it was time to paddle one of the barges a couple of km around a coastal headland. Carey was at the kayak transition with some sage advice about a shortcut - but in our normal style we screwed it up and turned it into a long cut.

This was exacerbated when Andrew decided we needed some wet exit practise - what's this I hear you say? Andrew was bored and hot so he decided to tip us both in - and let a few teams pass us in the process - give them a chance he reckoned!

The coastal leg was fantastic - cool clear water and a few bomboras to surf. A three km beach run brought us back to the bikes and the final leg. A hot uphill ride and some fast single track to the finish.

We finished 17th outright in 2 hrs 36 mins - If we hadn't goofed off so much - the podium was in sight - ah well....

Maybe there is something to be said for the manager's advice at Maccas.

Colin and Emma finished 13th in the mixed.

A good start to 2011 for Team Five Ten!

Team Five Ten in Training

2011-02-12T18:13:00.006+11:00

Team Five Ten’s first gathering happened on the last weekend in January, a chance for Ed and Colin to finally meet and all of us to begin to sort out some team goals and objectives.

A bit of training was required as well as group discussion so we started off with a ride into the National Park, up Bennett’s Ridge and then out along the Red Hands Cave fire trail. From here we left the bikes locked up and did a couple of laps around the Red Hands/Campfire Creek loop.

A quick bite to eat, then back on the bikes for a bit of single track and home via the causeway, about 32km on the bikes and 8km on foot.

After a swim and a few beers we settled around the table to talk about Team Five Ten. We decided our calendar of team events for the year and slotted in further team meetings and training days, listed our gear requirements and sponsorship commitments, discussed race strategies, training and nutrition.

The next day, Emma dropped us off at Lawson’s Lookout (Springwood), and after a few photos we headed off towards the junction of Martin’s Lookout track. Scrub-bashing around in the creek, looking for the way to the Lost World Lookout track, Carey unfortunately managed to hurt her shoulder (later found to have been dislocated). However, we found the obvious track and began the hot slog up to the lookout. After something to eat at the top we headed over to St Helena Ridge and down to the Duck Hole.

Here we had a refreshing swim, before heading up the hill and home. About 17km in 38 degree heat!

Needless to say it was straight into the pool, as we gratefully downed some icy cold beers provided by Emma. Then a nice surprise, a fantastic fruit platter, followed by lunch!

She’s obviously training in her role as team support already… and doing a great job!

Cradle Mountain Run

2011-02-09T14:37:00.004+11:00

The next event for the year on Ed's calendar, what more could you ask for than to run from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Claire on the Overland Track? The logistics of just getting to the start line for most people outside Tasmania is daunting save for the fantastic organisation of the race committee, everything is taken care of. Most folks fly into Launceston while I chose an early flight to Hobart so I could catch up with an old mate and also take in the Mona gallery and museum, what a fantastic experience in itself. A small group caught the mini-bus from Fitzroy crescent in downtown Hobart mid Friday morning with a transfer en-route for the final leg out to Cradle Mountain late Friday afternoon.

The pre-race briefing was held that evening on the deck outside the bar at Cradle Mountain Lodge, a small but informal group of runners with about 51 entrants recorded for the Saturday start. The race director and park rangers explained the business end of the run with dinner and drinks to follow before retiring to bunk accommodation at Waldheim. It was a somewhat different mood Saturday morning however, everyone looked so serious with their 'race face on' as one runner put it. We were greeted early with a star filled sky and cool breeze as we gathered at the trail head at Waldheim. A brief roll call and no frills start right on 6am with me deciding to tuck-in at the back as the last runner out along the 'duck boards' and across the moor headed toward Cradle Mountain. It seemed no time at all before we reached the chains going up the steep pinch leading to Marion's Lookout, then Kitchen Hut in about 50 minutes with the cool breeze strengthening and clear views of Barn Bluff.

I was starting to pick up other runners heading down into Waterfall Valley and enjoyed chatting with different folks as we worked our way through muddy sections, the result of a few wet days. It was nice running with various people before I found myself mostly alone coming into the Pelion check point in 4h52 and well within the cut-off time of 12 noon. The only exit point at this stage is the Arm River Track and not a pleasant option if for some reason you are forced to leave the run. We started passing small groups of walkers on the track and by the time I reached Pelion Gap there was a large number of deserted walking packs with bushwalkers taking side trips climbing Pelion East and Mt Ossa, time for a quick photo and then keep moving. It didn't seem to take long before reaching Kia Ora and then Du Cane huts although the roughness of trail was starting to wear on me, picking my way through the odd mud bog and the ever present slippery tree routes. I was surprised just how much time I spent staring at the ground throughout the run, it was nice to come across raised plank sections of trail so you could relax a little and take in the scenery. After the steep climb of Du Cane Gap it's reasonable travelling along to Narcissus with the aid station there stocked with Coke, cookies and other goodies. The support crew were fantastic, in fact the whole organisation of the Cradle Run and the volunteers are be congratulated. My time of 9h48 at the Narcissus checkpoint suggested I might be on for a sub-13hr track time if I got a wriggle on, so I determined not to waste time and kept up a good pace along the lake running then walking most of the way. The 18km section around Lake St Claire is well known as a bit of a trudge, however the trail does smooth out as you get closer to Cynthia Bay which makes for good running. Once I hit the swing bridge I upped the pace after a quick glance at my watch. The last kilometre seemed to take forever running at pace, a couple of volunteers on the vehicle track pointed in the direction of the visitors centre and I put on a burst to made sure I hit the finish in 12h57.

An interesting aspect of the Cradle Run this year was the opportunity to participate in a medical experiment. A part of the testing was accurate weight measurement pre and post run and I discovered I lost exactly 1.5kg (81.4 - 79.7kg) over the 82k and 13hrs, interesting as this suggests my hydration strategy is probably close to the mark. Gaiters would have been a good addition on this run, the Injinji's took a major hit coming to terms with the mud and slush and my Salomon XA Pros were at times indistinguishable as if they'd been dipped in chocolate. Having said that, the socks were again a success particularly considering my feet were wet for most of the day, Gurney Goo was a new addition in place of Body Glide and together with Injinji's seems a good combination. I've ordered a pair of Dirty Girl gaiters to try, unfortunately it's trail ultras - two, white Injinji socks - nil... most folks I talk to that have those gaiters rave about them. The socks are still soaking in napisan!

Would I go back and do the Cradle Run again - you bet. Fantastic organisation by the run committee, really nice people and such a magnificent setting for a trail run, most definitely an iconic event. As for preparation, I do think the B2H was a good lead-in event however whether I was still recovering after 4 weeks I can't say. I took some wise advise and rested for about a week after B2H then focused on some quality hill sessions with time on the mountain bike in the heat of the Canberra January afternoons, combined with a good taper the week before Cradle, I have to say I felt pretty good for this run.

The North Face 100 is only 14 weeks away now and I think my legs are in good shape going into preparation for that... see you in the Blue Mountains in May.

B2H

2011-01-11T21:22:00.001+11:00

Ed's first event for the year and what an undertaking, no make that a gruelling undertaking. The "Bogong to Hotham" is referred to by many ultra runners as the hardest race mile-for-mile of any one day run in the country, I now understand why - hills, big hills!

I had been training up to now having come back from an over-train injury in October, so with not quite 3 months under my belt I headed last weekend to the Kiewa Valley in Victoria with some trepidation in what I was about to undertake. Mixed with that was of course the excitement of participating in an event that crossed the highest of the Victorian high country, I just love alpine places and so I was very much looking forward to this run.

The pre-race briefing Saturday evening in the back of the Bogong Hotel was to a room full of very fit looking runners, many of whom had undertaken this run before. The race director Andy made a point of the strict cut-off times and safety both for the runners and the volunteers manning the course. All of a sudden it struck me that maybe I was biting off more than I could chew in the B2H.

I opted for the early start at 5:30am Sunday morning, as did the majority of the field. The whole event had an informal and casual air to it however heightened with a sense of seriousness that refused to be dismissed, and rightly too as this is the B2H after all. We started right on queue at 5:30am and it didn't take long for runners to spread out on the trail up Mt Bogong, about 1400m of climbing in 6k's. I was pleased to reach the summit in just over 2hrs which suggested I was on time for a mid field runner. It was good to be running finally down off Bogong and past Cleve Cole Hut, then down along the steep descent of T Spur to reach the Big River crossing in around 3:21hrs. The climb up Duane Spur was the final insult for my quads but I managed Ropers Hut checkpoint around 4:45hrs, at this point someone suggested that I might just make the cut-off time at Langford Gap. I wasn't relishing the idea of having to drop out at the midway point through missing the cut, so I took off as best I could and found the undulating terrain after Warby Corner helped me maintain a reasonable run pace interspersed with walk breaks. I arrived into Langford Gap with 8 minutes to spare, I'd made the first cut-off and now the game was on. It was nice accompanying various other runners along the aqueduct and up to Bogong High Plains Road where we made that cut-off with plenty of time to spare.

A light fog enshrouded the Bogong High Plains Road checkpoint and drifted across the high plain as groups of runners made their way toward Pole 333 running mainly over snow grass and rocks. Wild brumbys grazed not far from the checkpoint at Pole 333 where we turned left to head out towards Cobungra Gap. It was warmer on the descent to Dibbins Hut next to the Cobungra River, but not as warm as it got heading up the last of the major climbs on Swindlers Spur, where my quads finally capitulated.

By the time I reached Derrick Hut I was reduced to mostly walking with the odd jog in between, the checkpoint crew informed me that the race leader had covered the final 6km to Hotham summit in 29 minutes, now there was something to chase - not! I joined a couple of runners at Mt Loch and we ran the final few hundred metres together to Mt Hotham and our race finish in 11:44hrs. Three other runners followed us with the course sweeps close behind and that was it for the 2011 running of the B2H, with a total of 47 out of the 83 starters completing the course. A fantastic effort by the organisers and volunteers manning the course, really an outstanding event.

Day two after B2H and I'm feeling pretty chippa and thinking this is a good lead in to the Overland Track run in early February. I was surprised by the amount of walking I was forced to do on the B2H course, but then a second glance at the Bogong Alpine Area map tells the story. I think I've got my shoe and socks combination right, no blisters and my feet are in good shape. This was my first major distance wearing Injinji socks and despite the fact I'm never likely to get them clean again they performed beautifully, power users tip - don't get the white ones.

Chalk the Bogong to Hotham up for next year Dave, we're there... ;O)