Sunday, December 4, 2016

100km World Championships - 2016

Finally got around to writing a few recollections of my race, my 4th 100km World Championship which was held in Los Alcarzares in Spain.

I will add some more details later on, but in summary it was a very satisfying result to finally crack into the Top 10 and a sub 6:45 time too. It was very pleasing to put the disappointment of the World Trail Championship behind me and nail this one, which was always the one that I was going to perform well at given my training this year where road has dictated.

It was a fantastic day for Australian ultra running with Kirstin Bull of course taking out the Womens title - the first Australian to be crowned an individual ultra running World Champion. Meanwhile the men's team also had a day to remember with a sub 21h finish (top 3 times) and finishing in 5th spot in the men's teams.

The race went very well from beginning to end for me, but not completely to plan. It was an unusual event which gave me the initial impetus to work my way through the field. A watch malfunction none the less!

So to save you reading the nitty gritty, have a watch of an interview that Kirstin Bull, the ladies World Champion, did with me after the presentations. Warning - I was well into the post race celebrations!



My average pace was 4:02/km - while very pleasing, I still think I can do better and average under 4min/km at this distance as I did at Comrades this year. Little 1%s could have been done a lot better - race weight wasn't quite there although on the positive side I did have a great lead in week - well slept and rested.

I was also fortunate to come 2nd in the 35-39 Masters category and finish on that podium between two previous Comrades winners. That was a great thrill that I'll never forget.

A lot of people ask about hydration and nutrition. It's off course extremely important at this distance, and my main message is that it's best to keep it simple. As the course was 10 x 10km laps, I had a 400ml water bottle each 10km starting at the 5km CP (so 5km, 15km and so on) and at every 10km (the other CP) I had 2 Hammer Gels mixed in a small flask with water. So all up it was 18 gels in total. Breakfast was a Hammer Bar and 15mins before the race I had a gel to prime the system. There was also another water station 2km into the lap where I sometimes had a bit more water.

Thanks to Hammer Australia for all your continual support. No surprise that half the men's team - myself, Dion and Barry all used Hammer!


Thanks of course to my main sponsors Inov-8 and barefootinc. The shoes I wore are a 150g prototype road shoe which I'm really hoping Inov-8 now include into the range as it's a beauty.

All the crew at UP Coaching, for your continual support and encouragement while I was away was amazing, thank you so much!

Mens Individual | Mens Team

Female Individual | Female Teams


Special thanks to Nadine for crewing and for being just as crucial in the outcome as I was!

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Safety Tips for Runners - Running Safety Month

November is Runners' Safety Month and hopefully this piece will help some of you be a little more safe out there on your runs. To help raise awareness about staying safe, below are some great tips to remember while running outdoors.

There are so many different forms of technology that can help us out on a run or during our outdoor training sessions. Regardless of if the millions and millions of runners worldwide are training for a race, or just simply trying to stay fit, running technology can do everything from tracking our stats, to keeping us safe.

A majority of incidents with runners happen when they’re running by themselves or running in an area without a decent amount of people around. It’s a great idea to run in areas with other runners or even running with a partner if possible. Having other people around isn’t always easy when trail running or training in areas that aren’t well-populated, so in these instances, it’s especially important to have a running partner.

If you’re unable to run with a partner, it’s a good idea to let friends or family know where you’re planning to be and when to expect you to return. This way, if anything happens along the trail, there are people who know your whereabouts and when to call for help. Sport watches with GPS functionality like this one from Suunto also have route guidance and 'track back' and 'find back' features in case you’re unfamiliar with your training route, or if you get turned around and lose your way. Also, night runs should require weather proof and reflective clothing, like this high vis jacket from ThermaTech or even headlamps like these to make yourself visible and keep your sight lines clear

Strava Beacon may be a life saver!
Bringing the right items along for the run, can make a huge difference in keeping you prepared and safe. In the event of an emergency, it’s always good practice to bring a phone with you as well so that you have some way of getting in contact with help. Be sure to leave the GPS feature on, or use applications like Road ID to track your route or current location. This application leaves virtual breadcrumbs of where you’ve been and even has a 'Stationary Alert' feature that sends out an alert if it notices you haven’t moved in more than a pre-determined set amount of time, say 5 minutes.

There are many great bits of kit to help you carry your phone, and I particularly like these two Inov-8 running belts - the Race Elite for when I just want to carry my phone and the All Terrain 3 waist pack that can carry a few other things too. Both have reflective labelling and just like all the Inov-8 packs and vests the All Terrain waist pack also contains an emergency whistle.

If you're a user of the popular Strava App, their 'Beacon' feature is well worth exploring. Beacon shares your location via a text message that contains a simple URL. Any athlete with an iPhone, Android or compatible Garmin device can use it, and any safety contact with a mobile phone and an internet connection can watch your back. Loved ones can quickly tell the difference between “running a little late” and “stuck on the side of the road,” and you can go for big adventures with the confidence that someone out there knows where you are.

Keeping your mind focused on the run and clear of any and all distractions is a great way to stay alert and safe. Applications and pieces of technology that can help you do this, can give you the peace of mind that you don’t need to worry about potential dangers either on the trail or back at home.

Lastly, one of the last things you want to worry about while on the trail is what’s going on back at home. Fortunately, so many security systems have applications we can take along with us that notify of any emergencies. This wireless one here from SimpliSafe not only promotes connectivity because of its wireless capability, but it has a free app that allows you to arm and disarm the system with ease. It constantly monitors a variety of things around your home, and it’ll even send along alerts should any emergency arise.

For Running Safety Month, do yourself a favour and take a few easy steps to ensure your safety out on the trails. Whether you choose to run with a partner, or invest in a few pieces of technology, it’ll all be worth it should you find yourself in an emergency.

Smart, strong and above all SAFE running all :-)

ADDITIONAL TIP: From my Assistant Coach at UP Coaching, Graham Hand:

"Another good tip...is to hide where you live on running apps. Most allow you to set a privacy zone around your house. In Strava under settings/privacy you can Privacy and set an exclusion zone around your house. Criminals have been known to check out Strava as to when you run/ride and also know where good bikes are to be taken or even do break-ins whilst you are out. After all they could potentially get a live view of where you are.

So general rule of thumb, don't add people you don't know or have not met. Happy training, Handy."

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Blue Mountains Trail Running Routes

It's beginning to feel a lot like Trail Running Season has just started! I've been hitting the trails a lot more lately in preparation for the Trail World Championships in Portugal.

I dug this up today, and would be useful for anyone, especially beginners, that may be looking for some classic Blue Mountains Trail Running routes. These aren't super tough routes but are all beautiful in their own right.

This was a piece I wrote for the Ultra-Trail Australia magazine last year, so I haven't actually included any of the trails on the UTA course. There are some sensational trails equally as impressive as those used in the UTA all over the mountains.

I'm always happy to share more of my routes that I've found over the years too as I've got heaps of routes saved in my Strava Run routes 

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

The Ultimate Human Race - Comrades 2016


This article was written for, and originally appeared in the AURA UltraMag Magazine in Sep 2016

The Ultimate Human Race
Comrades 2016

In my short ultra running career, I’ve had wonderful opportunities to take part in some of the most iconic ultra marathons around the world. Combined across road and trail, I’ve represented Australia seven times and taken part in the biggest trail events in the USA, Asia and Europe. However, there’s always been one race that has been on the bucket list, just constantly nagging away at me at the back of mind for year and years – Comrades.

It was only after a long long year of trail running in 2015, which included five races of over 100k, that I made the decision that in order to stay motivated and enjoying my running I needed to make a change. It was then that I set my first goal for 2016 as Comrades. It wasn’t an easy decision as it meant I would have to forgo UTA100, an event very close to my heart (and home). But it was a decision that left me excited and renewed with eagerness. I’ve only heard gleaming reports from those that have previously taken part in the ‘Ultimate Human Race’.

For those not aware, Comrades is the biggest ultra marathon on the planet. It’s a rite of passage for any self-respecting African runner and it seemingly is in the blood and DNA of all South Africans-to not just run one, but run multiple years. Indeed, Comrades finishes are so highly regarded that many include their times and number of finishes in their CVs – it’s means that much. And so it should, this race is the real deal, this ‘down year’ being 89km and 1800m of down and just over 1000m of ascent, it’s certainly ‘no parkrun’! Oh and it’s televised on National TV all day, following the progress from first to the very last runner. 

So once my decision was made, it cemented a new discipline and training regime that I’d never attempted before. It got me (mostly) off the trails and on the black top and my running took a focus back on speed and strength. I followed a Lydiard flavoured program, but also took advice from previous Australian Comrades runner Don Wallace. His training document was simple in its makeup – loads of miles and loads of hills with a splash of speed work. I conditioned myself for the hills by hitting the trails at least once a fortnight for either a hard uphill or downhill session. If I was to survive Comrades my body would need to withstand the punishment of 89km of tough road running. I toughened up my quads two weeks previous to the race by running the big up/down Pace22 at UTA. 

So I found myself on race morning with so many other runners at the start line. It felt like being at the start of City2Surf, but with the surreal feeling that these people were not here for a fun run, but actually all with the goal of running 89km – I think the previous biggest race of this distance I’ve been part of is 1000, so this was indeed very unusual! Blue bibbed runners (rookies) faces looking nervous and apprehensive, green bibbed (10 years or more) resolved and self-assured. Then they started singing, first the South African National Anthem, then the hairs on my back rose with Shosholoza and it was all finished off with the playing of Chariots of Fire. The rooster crowed, the Canon blasted and we were off. All 18 000 of us would endeavour to get from Pietermaritzburg to Durban all under 12h – most would make it, some would not make the 5 cut-offs on route, and a few cruelly denied in the last km and indeed the finishing straight. This race gives no favours and medals are truly earned.

Now about the race. It’s not my intention for this to be a race report. I could tell you about my race and how I performed, but you can all look up the results - I’d rather focus on the external. This race lived up to all expectations. Someone told me before the race that it would feel like you’re running in the Tour de France. At the time I thought that had to be a romanticised embellishment, but now I can say that it was exactly true. From the race Expo to the end of the race in Kingsmead, there was a feeling that you were part of something special. It’s hard to describe the race itself, when running in the zone and at near threshold under 4min km it’s hard to take a lot in! But what I do remember is spectators lining the streets in every town the race ran past, even before the sun had risen.

There were locals firing up their ‘braes’, drinking a few cold ones and offering hearty encouragement all along route. Schools and running clubs manned drink stops, families brought their children out to wave and high five their heroes and then all the special moments, for example at Ethembeni Home. This is a special place for reflection, for the children are either on crutches or in wheelchairs. The noise is enormous and the excitements tangible as you pass through this celebration. I found great mental strength here. 

I received two great tips before the race from a Comrades veteran around clothing. The first one was to wear an Aussie singlet during the race. I wore an old representative singlet and boy did it pay off – spectators all day yelling ‘Aussie, Aussie, Aussie’, ‘Where’s ya pet kangaroo’ and just about every other Australian cliché under the sun! While it became quite predictable after a while, the support helped tremendously. The other tip was to wear Comrades branded clothing around town after the race. This I did in Durban, Capetown and Kruger National Park where we visited and for the next week I felt like a rock star! People would come up and chat and retell their stories of their many races and how much it meant to them – Comrades is the ultimate ice breaker but also galvanised in me how much this race means to people in South Africa.

The spirit of the Comrades Marathon is said to be embodied by attributes of camaraderie, selflessness, dedication, perseverance, and ‘ubuntu’ (Zulu for ‘human kindness’). The entire experience, I witnessed all this and more. The slogan this year was ‘It will humble you’. For me, it certainly did.

Thursday, July 14, 2016

The Allure of the Western States Endurance Run

This article was written for, and originally appeared in the AURA UltraMag Magazine in late 2014

Some events attract their participants by the nature of the course. There are longer events and there are rugged and remote events, higher, steeper, crazier and zanier and there are definitely events with higher numbers of participants. These days there are also races with offerings of lucrative prize purses and all the bells and whistles that come with the new age of ultra trail running.

Then there is the Western States Endurance Run 100 miler. Period.

This race has all the history of a Wild West novel and the prestige of a Rolls Royce Silver Ghost. To me there is no other race that I’d rather be part of so you could imagine the joy of receiving my entry invitation on email after being excepted through the Ultra Trail World Tour. I still have that invite printed out and hung on my office pinboard. It was there to constantly remind me how rare those words on the paper were and that I could never, ever take that for granted.

There’s races I’ve been to that have all the hype and big promises only to fall short of the expectations. There’s also been races that promise nothing and over deliver. Then there’s WSER. You come, you experience, you walk away with the deep satisfaction that you’ve just added to the rich tapestry of the races history. Yes, you may be just a blip in the history, but to any self respecting ultra runner in the world, you’re a rockstar for a day. Oh, and hopefully you walk away with a belt buckle too!

So what is this history and prestige I talk about? Well it’s not every day you get to race in the oldest 100 miler in the world. The history is thicker than just that one statistic though. There is the trail itself which follows the historic Western States Trail, on which runners experience the majestic high country beauty of Emigrant Pass and the Granite Chief Wilderness, the crucible of the canyons of the California gold country, a memorable crossing of the ice-cold waters of the main stem of the Middle Fork of the American River, and, during the latter stages, the historic reddish-brown-colored trails that led gold-seeking prospectors and homesteading pilgrims alike to the welcoming arms of Auburn.

Or you can just hear the love of the trail in legendary trail runner and 5 time ‘States’ winner Tim Twietmeyer’s quote “I think the Western States Trail just makes a great balance between nature’s finest, and being tremendously historic. The last operating hydraulic mine is right next to the course between Last Chance to Foresthill. Running the trail is kind of like a history lesson—going back to the Indians, gold miners, silver miners, guys that founded California—and you realise how rugged and tough those guys were at the time. Plus, its really great singletrack.”

Over the years, there’s been many Aussies who have made the pilgrimage over to ‘States’. Yes, it’s even rumoured that after the Aussie assault in 2007 that these dedicated band of brother led to the change of the entry rules to avoid this occurring again! In the lead up to my race, I spoke to many of these guys and their words repeatedly expressed the same theme; respect the course, the race, the history. Train well, train smart and get to the start line in the best shape you can as you may only get one shot at this.

And with these words ringing in my ears, I got to the start line at Squaw Valley knowing that I’d done everything I could have done to be there at my best; mentally and physically I was in the zone and ready to pay homage to the race by giving it my all.

And that I did. I don’t wish to go into an extensive race report, as that can be viewed on my blog post: 2014 Race Report. But I got to Auburn just under 16hrs after that starting shotgun blast in 8th place but the happiest man in the world.

I want to thank the Australian ultra running community for all your support through all the messages and I know there were lots following the race online too. It was wonderfully uplifting and my only way to repay your goodwill is by strongly encouraging you to enter this race. Yes it may take you years to get pulled out of that lottery, and yes you may think you’re not ready to run milers or conversely you’re best years are behind you, but believe me when I say it, this is the race that every ultra runner just must do.



Thursday, May 26, 2016

The Road To Comrades With Brendan Davies

This blog was written for, and originally appeared on the www.inov-8.com website here



The first half of this year has been all about one thing: preparing for the 2016 Comrades Marathon in South Africa, the oldest and arguably greatest ultra race in the world. This year it will see 20,000 people run between the cities of Pietermaritzburg and Durban. Having a fresh focus on this 89km road race has definitely revitalised the running part of my soul after a less than satisfying 2015.

* Follow Brendan’s live updates from Comrades on his Twitter takeover *

To be honest, the end of last year couldn’t come quick enough. In 2014 I finished 5th overall in the Ultra-Trail World Tour after top-10 results at TNF 100, Ultra-Trail Mt Fuji and Western States. Encouraged by those performances, I decided to compete on the same circuit in 2015 and try to improve on my finishing positions. However, what eventuated was a series of disappointing results. I put it down to an accumulation of being overworked (I started my own business coaching runners here in Australia), travelling epic distances across the world for races, taking part in too many long ultras and giving myself insufficient recovery between big efforts. Simply put, I was burnt out and, as a result, falling out of love with trail running. I think in my mind I had definitely tested and proved the theory that ‘familiarity breeds contempt’.

In late 2015 I finished top-20 at the 100km World Championships and then backed this up to help Australia claim Team Bronze in the 50km World Championships. These two forays back into road running reignited my love for the black top. It was then I decided that I had to change up my training and racing in order to continue as a performance-focused athlete. So began the road to Comrades, dubbed the Ultimate Human Race.

The Comrades has always been on my bucket list, but previously proved a tricky one to fit into my trail racing schedule. This year is different. I have a very healthy respect for the Comrades… it is without doubt the most competitive ultra marathon on the planet and I would never go over to South Africa without bringing my A-game to the table. When you see 2014 world 100km champion Max King and outstanding ultra marathon runner Sage Canaday finishing outside the top 10, you know that this race is indeed the real deal. Click on the image below to read Scott Dunlap’s excellent report on last year’s Comrades.

MY TRAINING PLAN FOR COMRADES

And so in December last year I mapped out my Comrades campaign. The main principles which I wanted to adhere to looked something like this:

* Avoid as much ‘training’ on trails as possible. I would use trail running for hill sessions or easy runs only.

* Stick to a very Lydiard dominated training regime, periodising it to Comrades and reaching minimum 100-mile training in 3 out of 4 weeks a month. No compromise.

* Avoid too many easy paced runs. Going out running too often with the athletes I coach was leaving me too fatigued and unable to put in my own quality sessions.

* Train much more on the road and track, and generally run at least half of my weekly mileage at around 4:00min/km pace.

* Consistently take part in shorter road races for training purposes – this would provide ‘signposts’ of my progress and help with mental confidence. I’ve always believed that training for a fast 5km is just as tough as training for any other distance.

* Maintain my race weight and be more disciplined with all the other elements that make performance improvements.

The year has thus far gone to plan. I’ve gradually built up my mileage to average 100-mile weeks and have been pleased to see the average pace of sessions plummet. I’ve been very consistent with my training, as can be seen from the weekly totals below.Read Brendan’s blog about the benefits and pitfalls of using running apps such as Strava.

My weekly training has generally consisted of this:

Monday: Aerobic Run 10km+ at around 4:00min/km pace or recovery run.
Tuesday (am): Strength focused sessions, e.g hill repeats or hilly fartlek session.
Tuesday (pm): Easy on road.
Wednesday: Long, steady state run or long VO2 reps session, all done around 3:45min/km pace or quicker.
Thursday (am): Track session (short reps) or longer reps on road.
Thursday (pm): Easy on road.
Friday: Aerobic run 15km+ at around 4:00min/km pace.
Saturday: Long tempo session often including a 5km Parkrun.
Sunday: Training race or longer aerobic run 30+km at around 4:15min/km pace.

I’ve limited my long runs too. Prior to the Comrades, which is 89km, my longest run this year will have been 56km. This has been done deliberately to ensure that the quality of that session has been reached, and also to avoid the longer recovery times that running bigger distances require. With all the long ultras I’ve done in my career, I’m pretty sure that the endurance and distance of Comrades won’t be an issue.

28km down…61km to go! The long road of Comrades. Photo: Scott Dunlap.

PICKING THE RIGHT RUNNING SHOES FOR COMRADES

Gear-wise I’ve trained primarily in the Road-X-Treme 250 and 220. In the last few months I’ve been lucky enough to get my hands on a prototype pair of a new inov-8 road running shoes and love the extra level of protection these offer. For race day, I’ll wear the Road-X-Treme 220.

Races have also formed an important component of my lead-up to Comrades. I’ve used them strategically for different purposes. Each one I’ve made sure these process goals have been at the forefront. As such, I didn’t invest mentally in the races, nor did I sacrifice my training by tapering before or recovering heavily around any them. It’s always a bit of a gamble racing for training purposes like this. Yes, there is a lot to gain mentally from them if they go well, but if they don’t then they serve the opposite purpose.

But then I’ve always been a bit of a gambler! I never push as hard in training as I do on race day… and by giving myself these hard efforts along the way I feel they have in themselves continued to build my training momentum, confidence and self belief.

I’ve also been fortunate to have the use of an AlterG treadmill, allowing me to rack up extra miles without the associated impact fatigue that would come from a similar session done regularly. The other benefit is that I’m able to sustain a faster pace for longer periods, say when I’m performing a session at 75% of bodyweight. So in practical terms, the pace I’d only usually be able to sustain for a couple of minutes on the track can be reached, bettered and sustained for much longer. In fitness terms this has ‘bought’ me loads of fast paced kilometres without considerable effort, but more importantly it’s stirred up my fast twitch to new levels. I really do believe this has made positive adaptations in regards to leg turnover and efficiency.

And it’s showed. In the lead-up I’ve hit new personal bests in all distances, from 5km to marathon, have made the podium in three of the biggest races in Australia: the ‘short trail’ events of Six Foot Track, 2 Bays Trail and the Canberra Road Marathon. More critically though, these races made me feel strong, determined and eager to test myself against the very best in the world at Comrades.

Last week, the Ultra-Trail Australia circus (formerly TNF 100) hit town and it was hard to sit it out. It’s an event very close to my heart and my win there in 2013 opened a lot of opportunities for me. Fortunately the addition of a 22km race to the event still allowed me to participate. I was a very close 2nd to top Australian runner Dave Byrne, after leading for all but the last 2km. The goal for this race was to nail the course’s long downhill section and give the quads a good belting with the idea that the regrowth of stronger, battle-hardened quads will be now well conditioned for the final 35km of hard downhill in Comrades. Again, this race ticked all the boxes and I now go to Comrades with the very rare feeling that I’ve just done about everything I could do in my training build up.

Brendan at recent Ultra-Trail Australia race. © Lyndon Marceau / marceauphotography

The only thing left now is to execute the plan and run my race. I can’t wait to soak up the history and prestige of the oldest ultra race in the world, to stand among the 20,000 other runners at the start, listen to the stirring rendition of Shosholoza and then run.

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Trialling the Alter G Anti-Gravity Treadmill

Over the last month or so I've had the opportunity to trial out the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill at Sydney West Sports Medicine thanks to Moon Runners. Moon Runners were founded in 2014 by husband and wife team Thomas & Joy Gan. Both being medical doctors, their initial vision was to make available to the general public the AlterG anti-gravity treadmill, a world class training and injury rehabilitation device which was previously only accessible by professional athletes. To ensure the highest quality of service, their aim is to only install units in established sports medicine centres run by excellent health practitioners specialising in sports rehab.

A decision was made in early 2016 to convert the business to a social enterprise whereby 100% of the profits would be donated to charitable organisations.

The innovative AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill is a game changer in physical therapy rehabilitation. Whether you’re a patient or an athlete dealing with lower body injuries, chronic pain or neurological conditions that inhibit mobility, you can benefit from the unweighting capabilities. The Anti-Gravity Treadmill helps a broad spectrum of people – top level athletes, orthopaedic and neurologic patients, paediatric, geriatric and those looking to lose weight - to achieve their personal health, wellness or performance goals.

With Aussie Rep Teammate Andy Lee watching
Anthony Famigletti punch out an AlterG session back in 2010.
I personally first came across this treadmill while in Colorado for the World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships in 2010 while visiting the Olympic Training Facilities in Colorado Springs. That day I watched in awe of rehabilitating Team USA Olympic  Steeplechaser Anthony Famiglietti push out a high intensity session on the treadmill. I've been curious about it ever since, but had no idea if these were even available for use in Australia, let along Western Sydney.

My main interest in the AlterG is of course mainly as a Coach in terms of athletes in rehabilitation returning from injury but also for athletes of the more high performance focus being able to benefit from the extra miles of lower impact running but also those wanting to be able to enjoy longer periods of fast twitch muscle activation. I'm keen to explore if, over a period of time, athletes will develop greater leg speed, turnover and efficiency. This of course interests me as an athlete too.

To book sessions, or obtain a referral form for your physiotherapist, click here.

Here is a little video I took from one of my visits to the centre.



Gravity getting you down? Give your training a lift on a Moon Runners AlterG P200 High Performance Anti-Gravity Treadmill in partnership with Brendan Davies from UP Coaching.