The Hardrock Diaries – scare on scree

By TrailRunMag

Kiwi Grant Guise has been using the mountains of Wanaka as a training ground for what he faces at Hardrock in coming weeks… his training regime is gruelling by any measure, but with a flight to States and the realities of Colorado hitting home, he ruminates on the past few weeks’ preparation which had its scares.

Guise on Alpha, out back of Wanaka, South Island, New Zealand – good Hardrock training territory. Credit Pete Barham

My “Camp Hardrock” is done and dusted, and I am licking my wounds… I said in my first post about how my 200km “crash week” wouldn’t be the breaking of my Hardrock prep, but could be the “making” of it. Well, it was the breaking of me….

It was a wonderfully fatiguing time spend in Wanaka and Queenstown, with minimal nights spent sleeping in my van and maximal vertical accumulated.

By the fourth day after a very social Mt Difficulty Ascent I decided to head for home, with an extra night in my own bed and breakfast with the family winning out over more steep vert.

By mid morning, with 150km and 11,000 meters of vert in my legs from the previous four days, I was rolling up the Leith Valley with my sights set on Swampy and Flagstaff summits. Around 10km in, on cruise control along Swampy Ridge, I was feeling surprisingly good. I was excited by how good things felt, by how strong and durable I was feeling. Oh, how short lived this was……

Descending off Flagstaff like I have so many times before a pain arose in my left shin. No biggie, it was short lived and I kept on descending. It of course quickly returned and this time a lot sharper and more painful. At first, I chopped my step and tried to run through it, still very my in denial, before halting to a stop, with a drawn out “ohhhh fuuccckkk” silently leaving my mouth.

A quick self-assessment ruled out any sort of stress fracture- tendon and/or muscle I guess….. I limped on, as the little world in my little head started to crumble in. Back home I started downing ibuprofen like Skittles, massaging and icing the shin. “How, what and why” was playing over and over in the left-over rubble of my little head.

Luckily, Dunedin has some slick massage-physio types and I could get some great treatment from Geoff at Muscle Works and Mitch at Kinetic Health. Tight, overworked lower leg muscles, and an inflamed muscle-tendon on the shin was the cause of the pain, which I can gladly report has calmed down greatly after a few days of rest and treatment. After a few days I even enjoyed a pain free jog.

I am not sure what to call this little episode. It was certainly not what I was expecting to be writing about. It’s the first time in a very long time I have failed in training and not run because of pain/injury. I have prided myself on not getting injured and for handling big training blocks. I am for the most part, what I would consider, a “low mileage guy”. My week in, week out totals are not big. I love running, as long as I don’t do too much of it. Focusing on quality and keeping it fresh, as well as giving my growing family and business the time and support it needs are far bigger priority’s in life than a yearly total on Strava.

But when it needs to be done, for a short period, I love fully indulging myself and pigging out on day long affairs in the mountains. Racking up, what are for me, big miles and vertical gain. The strength and more importantly the confidence that comes from this is empowering. Not achieving the weeks goal can have the opposite effect and not hitting the target because of an injury can be crushing.

I tell folks – those folks that are foolish enough to ask me for advice – that an ultra-marathon is just a giant problem-solving game. I am a slow thinker, so I guess that could be why I am drawn to the slower games that mountain ultras offer, rather than the on the fly thinking that a race like the Kepler presents. I had to tell myself at the start of the week that training can be a game in problem solving also. Excepting there is an issue, assessing it and making a plan on how to move forward and fix said issue are all things an experienced and successful ultra-runner (and people for that matter) do on the fly, mid race, in the heat of battle.

In a race, I feel I am pretty adaptable and good dealing with issues. If anything, I just don’t let things be an issue- I don’t stress about a last minute course change, if my preferred flavour of potato chips are not at the aid station or if my support crew is a not show- I’ll just roll on. Stress is a great waster of energy and steals focuses on what matters, which is what you can control.

BUT this – a show stopping injury. It robbed energy and focuses and had me stressing, until I looked at it the way I would if it was a midrace issue. Except, assess and move forward.

In two weeks, I won’t be worried about the 2 days, 25km and a couple 1000 meters of vertical that was missed. The shin is coming right, as is my bruised ego from not being able to look at that seven day block on my “moves count”.

TRAINING DIARY
So, the week that wasn’t – my 200km week, turned into 5 days, here’s how it looked:

Day one- Roys Peak, Alpha, Spots Creek out and back, Wanaka- 39km and 3215mD+ over trails I know well. Pete, on his own Mt Difficulty “anti-tapper” joined me for the back half.

Day two- Double Ben Lomand, Queenstown- 28km, 2870mD+. I love BL- it is an epic peak right out of Queenstown and it always leaves me wanted more, but not today! I was joined by Bernard, who is returning to UTMB this year, for both laps.

Day three- Gladstone- Grandview- Breast Hill- Gladstone loop, Lake Hawea- 39km, 2242mD+. A wonderful solo lap above lake Hawea.

Day four- Mt Difficulty Ascent Marathon- 43km, 3000mD+. Always a good time at a Terry and Ed event and a super social run. Stoked to still manage 6hr30 and finish feeling strong.

Day five- Swampy and Flagstaff- 25km, 1200mD+. A fun lap of the local hills around Dunedin.

Totals- 28hrs, 176km, 12,600mD+ and lots of fun!

GEAR CUPBOARD
Out of interest, TRM’s editor, Chris, also asked if I might touch on some of the gear I am using for Hardrock also (cause we are all gear heads at heart)…

Altra– yeah, I am the Altra distributor in New Zealand, so you might think this is one sided. But running 100miles is hard! I wouldn’t make it harder on myself by running in crap shoes!

Altra Olympus 2.0/2.5 – Like last year, I will likely again run Hardrock in the Altra Olympus shoe. It’s a max cushion, Vibram MegaGrip beast. They could rename this thing the “Hardrock”- it’s a great option for long, gnarly mountain races. I have done most my training in the 2.0, but the 2.5 version has just landed. The FootShape toebox and Max cushion make for max comfort and this shoe shas never let me down!

Other Altra favourites are the new Racing Hat and Arm Warmers. As a pasty kid from the bottom of the world, I get dealt to by the sun, so the arm warmers are as much for sun protection in the high mountains as anything. And the minimal Racing Cap is perfect for keep sun off your face, but not blocking your view of technical trails.

On the topic of sun – can’t forget your eyes, especially at altitude where the UV is stronger. Julbo Eyewear AERO glasses with Photochromatic ZEBRA lens will be on my dome for the best part of 24hrs. Super lightweight and with the changing lens, these are great for high peaks and in and out of tree covered trail.

New Ultra Trail Promises Monster Run

By TrailRunMag

Come April 2017, endurance ultra running and adventure enthusiasts will be introduced to one of the greatest physical and mental challenges ever held on Australian soil.

Nicknamed ‘The Monster’ by its creators, the Down Under 135 (DU135) requires athletes to cover 135 miles (217km) on trails stretching through Victoria’s spectacular Lerderderg and Wombat State Forests in what will be Australia’s longest single stage trail race held over 48 hours.

Image: Adventure Types

The out-and-back course begins at Bacchus Marsh, located only 40km west of Melbourne and not far from the international airport making it a prime target for international masochists seeking their next 135-miler challenge (of which there are only few marquee events dotted across the globe).

The foursome behind DU135 aren’t pulling any punches predicting their course will easily be graded as the toughest on the endurance event calendar with an ascent (and descent) profile that goads potential participants with the very notion of what is possible in ultra trail running. This, on a course that against the grain for big ascent trail run events, does not have a ‘hero mountain’ at it core.

“But the first 50km alone has 3000m of vertical gain,” says organiser, Dale Chircop. “And then you still have another 167km to go and somewhere in the vicinity of another 5000m of ascent. The mental challenge for athletes will be knowing that every downhill that smashes their quads on the way out, they will have to run back up on the return leg. That’s a tough mental proposition.”

Image: Adventure Types

Created as a labor of love by four passionate trail and ultra runners local to the region, the grassroots event is seeking to make its mark in its first outing with organisers fully expecting a high attrition rate from the likely small but bloody-minded inaugural entry field.

Says Chircop: “We know what reputation we’d like to see evolve but we’ll see what athletes report back as they tackle our monster.”

It is a reputation the quartet is hoping will spark the interest of international ultra athletes in years to come, in a similar way the Barkley Marathons in the United States remains a grassroots event that sits on the top of the bucket list for all miler-plus endurance runners.

Organisers admit, however, that while they are honoured to already be attracting some of the big names in extreme ultras, they are always equally love enticing the Unknown Joe who nobody knows but comes along and grinds out an event like theirs to finish where others fail.

IMAGE: Adventure Types

“The feedback to the concept to date has been great,” says co-organiser Dion Milne. “We know of some who are already eyeing it off for their 2018 calendar. We also know there’ll be sceptics when it comes to a distance like this over terrain like this, but the overwhelming response has been encouraging. Sometimes you’ve just got go for it to create a dream and we are!” says Dion.

As if running 135 miles isn’t enough as a runner with support crew, the DU135 is allowing those suitably qualified to attempt this monsterous challenge solo and unassisted. This was brought about through discussions with race ambassador, the Tattoo Runner Mat Grills, from Queensland, who believed there is enough suitably qualified athletes such a solo challenge would appeal to.

Crewed runners will be accessible across most of the course excluding sections of the Lerderderg Gorge. Aid stations for all runners will be set up across the course with food, water and sleeping quarters for those who want to grab a quick kip and recharge the batteries.

IMAGE: Adventure Types

Says co-organiser, Anthony Beyer: “The little details are important to a runner so we’ll have a good crew of friends, family and volunteers from our local running groups, the Surf Coast Trail Runners and Melton City Runners, to assist in a variety of roles on course. We want it to have a very strong community vibe, because that’s where the idea and now the event itself sprang from – mates out on trails dreaming up big, fantastical ideas. Or monstrous ideas, in this case,” he smiles.

“Our inspiration has been one of a real passion for the area coupled along with the fact there seems to be 100km and 100mile races popping up every second weekend. We wanted to go the next step. We also see our friends put their names into lotteries for 100 mile races in the USA or Europe and either not get their name pulled out or its not financially viable to get to them. So we wanted to present another option to the ultra running community – something closer to home and indeed, longer in distance to match the famous 135 mile races abroad, being the Badwater, Arrowhead and Brazil events at this distance.

It is not too late to enter the Down Under 135 so if you are looking for your next challenge and want to check out what the DU lads have served up, check out www.downunder135.com

IMAGE: Adventure Types

IMAGE: Adventure Types

Q&A: plant power and the Pyrenees

By TrailRunMag

Victorian adventure athlete and dedicated vegan, Jan Saunders, was looking to become the first Australian to run 866km through the French Pyrenees in an inaugural endurance event, the TransPyrenea challenge which began on 19th July. She’s still out there, competing but facing tougher conditions than imagined, she is now in the La Pastoral edition, an abridged section of the full course, that is still brutal at 450km+

This is an interview with Jan before she headed out, as seen in the latest edition of Trail Run Mag downloaded from www.trailrunmag.com/magazines.

What does it take to run 866km and climb 65,000 metres in under 400 hours (UPDATE NOTE: or even 450km!!)?

Fruit and vegetables. A lot of fruit and vegetables, according to vegan athlete, Jan Saunders, who will rely entirely on plant power to fuel her way through this audacious endurance challenge as the only Australian entrant in the inaugural TransPyrenea, a mega-trail running event to be held in France’s stunning Pyrenees mountain range.

The 54 year-old from Smiths Gully, Victoria, is no stranger to endurance efforts, having competed in numerous adventure events from the Costa Rica staged ultra (250km) to local endurance challenges including the 100km Alpine Challenge and the brutal seven-day XPD Expedition Adventure Race. Most recently Jan fast-packed the 230km Larapinta Trail in central Australia in just five days, a journey that is usually undertaken at a pace that takes more than double that time.

But nothing comes close to what lies ahead in the French Alps: Jan will have to run an average of 55km per day, climbing more than 3500 metres each day. Overall she will climb the equivalent of Mount Everest from sea level more than seven times over.

Unlike other endurance events around the globe, there will be no aid stations. Jan will be self supported allowed only one fifty litre re-supply bag that she will have to prepare and made accessible every 200km. The event’s race director expects only one quarter to a half of the 300 entrants to even finish.

The fuelling challenge will be a minimum of 6000 calories between drop bags somehow contained in a pack that, due to the ‘fast and light’ requirements of the challenge, will need to be restricted to approximately 11kg, barely more than a domestic flight’s hand luggage allowance.

Jan assures that being vegan makes no impact on sourcing the high calorific intake, pointing out that some of the world’s best athletes share her vegan lifestyle, including Serena and Venus Williams (tennis), endurance running legend Scott Jurek, Jason Gillespie (cricket), Carl Lewis (Olympian), Murray Rose (swimmer), Martina Navratilova (tennis) and recently feted bound for Rio athlete, Morgan Mitchell, a vegan bound for Rio Olympics after winning the national 400 metre titles.

“Being vegan has really helped with everything: energy, health, the environment. I am one of those people who actually cares. It’s what I chose to do,” says Mitchell.

Saunders agrees that protein and energy requirements demanded by either intense sports like Mitchell’s or endurance pursuits like her ultra running can easily be delivered by a vegan diet.

“On these hard ones, I aim for calorie dense foods – a minimum of 140 calories per 30g weight,” says Jan. “ My favourite is a rolled oats mixture usually with chia seeds, Vanilla Sunwarrior Raw Vegan Protein Powder, coconut sugar, good quality salt, raisin or goji berries, sunflower seeds, coconut shreds, and powdered coconut water. I just add a little water and then eat on the move. It fuels me super well.”

Since becoming vegan in 2012 for ethical reasons, Jan – a former member of Victoria Police Mounted Branch with 33 years of service – has investigated the culinary terrain of veganism by opening a vegan B&B in Victoria’s Yarra Valley, hosting guests who are seeking something a little different from beer and beef.

Jan’s guests will be well catered for in her absence with yet another plant powered trail running athlete, raw vegan John Salton, taking over the kitchen as she takes her plant powered approach to the French Pyrenees for what will no doubt be more proof in the vegan pudding of how plants can perfectly power extreme sporting pursuits.

Jan Saunders began her TransPyrenea challenge on 19^th July. More race information (in French) www.transpyrenea.fr

Q&A Jan Saunders // Vegan Endurance Adventure Athlete //

Name: Jan Saunders
Age: I turn 54 the day before the race! Happy birthday to me.
Occupation: Vegan B&B proprietor
From: Smiths Gully, Victoria
The Race: Transpyrenea – www.transpyrenea.fr

Tell us a little more about the Transpyrenea, Jan.
It’s an inaugural running event taking in 866km with 65000m+ ascent along the GR10, a long distance hiking trail that weaves through, up and down the Pyrenees mountains in France.

Sounds tough, especially as a first edition event!
Yes, the cut off is 400 hours to complete it, or 16.5 days, which sounds like a lot of time but I know the time will slip away quickly trying to tick off 866km! There will only be 300 runners in the field – I’m the only Australian that I know of and the Race Director expects only 1/4 to 1/2 of field to complete within cut off times.

So no aid stations or support crews – how do the logistics work on that?
My goal is to complete on average 55km per day, dependent on total ascent, which on average will be 3500 metres, keeping in mind most days will have equal amounts of descent which can be just as tough on the legs, especially the quads!

In terms of supplies, I’ll have one 50L accessible approx. every 200km (or every 3–4 days) and mostly be self-supported. Being vegan I cannot rely on having the food I want to fuel me available in the public refuges and villages we pass by and through. So I will be carrying most of my four days’ worth of food for each section between drop bags with me.

Wow, so you’re running with a fair whack on your back, then?
My pack weight I anticipate – or hope – will not lurch over 11kg. But

It needs to include compulsory items of clothing for bad/wet weather, sleeping bag, safety items such as first aid kit, GPS and compass, map, head torches and spare batteries, water filter, portable charger, phone and minimum of 6000 calories between drop bags.

And sleeping – what is the plan?
I want to get an average of 4-5 hours’ sleep per night plus 1.5hrs-2hrs cumulative rest breaks to tend to feet and eat per day. I have a bivvy bag, a borrowed light sleeping bag, an Ultra Light Tarp from Terra Rosa Gear and a ultra light hip mattress that I used in XPD last winter.

What’s the eating plan look like?
Being vegan I don’t reply on anything external – be that the event organisers’ offering or on a race like this we go through villages and past refuges, so there is access to food in general. But I need to guarantee that I have vegan food, so I pre-plan and prepare. [Check out a list of Jan’s vegan race lunchbox in the break out below. Ed.]

In terms of how I eat on the run, I tend to graze. A little something every 30minutes to on hour keeps the tummy happy. I have something liquid early in the morning; I intend to hit the trail each day around 04:00 and eat my special oat mix when the sun is warm, maybe 8-10am.

So your nutrition seems well under control, what is the biggest threat to finishing? Blisters and tendon/ligament over use issues.

You seem to have a lifestyle that works well around your endurance training…
I’ve been training in a way for the Transpyrenea for two years starting with with Alpine Challenge 100km in 2014. I then undertook multi day solo hikes in high country and on the Larapinta trail plus competed in the XPD expedition adventure race in 2015. This year I’ve done a few more mini solo missions as well as a 48-hour adventure race and a second go along the Larapinta Trail – 223km end to end in 5 days with a 15kg pack. That was about 9000m ascent and averaged 50km most days on rough terrain and warm weather so was an excellent training session!

Have you always been an endurance athlete?
Not really. I only really started undertaking serious endurance challenges in my mid forties – I’m edging into my mid fifties now. I was always active with gym and aerobics in 80’s/90’s and a bit of running off and on. Then I got into some hiking in the 2000’s and did an Oxfam (100km trek) in 2006. Plus I trekked in Nepal and climbed Kilimanjaro in Tanzania around then.

My foray into Adventure Racing only kicked off in 2008 at 45 after deciding it would be fun to do something different as I’d stagnated a bit.

At that stage I had never paddled or ridden a mountain bike or navigated. In fact I hadn’t ridden a bike for 18 years!

Then the adventures just followed: I climbed Aconcagua (Argentina, 6962m) in 2009 and Ausangate (6384m, Peru) in 2011 and did the XPD for the first time in 2010.

Sounds like you jumped in the deep end – did you encounter any big dramas while navigating your way into the world of endurance sports?
I injured my back at work – I was a policewoman in the mounted (horse) division – in 2011 and had 18 months off recovering with plenty of setbacks. As an active person who had not long discovered a pure love for adventure sports, it was a difficult time full of doubt. But it was also a time where I reassessed a lot in my life – from my career to how I lived. It was the time, in 2012, that I became vegan for ethical reasons.

So you quit your job, went vegan, and started a vegan B&B – talk about a life change! How did you get back on track in terms of the ultra adventures?
In 2014 I signed up for the Coastal Challenge in Costa Rica, which capped off 11 months of backpacking the world. All the time while travelling I was getting stronger and deciding on what direction I wanted to take with my life as didn’t want to stay in the Victorian Police (I joined 1983). I finished 10th Female in Costa Rica and my back was great! So I ran a few more ultras in 2014 including GOW100, Buffalo Stampede 75km, Wilsons Prom 60km and another Alpine Challenge 100km. I’m hoping it all stands me in good stead for the Transpyrenea!

Lots of non-vegan athletes are skeptical about how you can maintain the required nutritional input from a vegan diet when undertaking endurance sports. How did you manage the transition?
When I found out late 2011 into 2012 that it is possible to survive without consuming any animal product at all it became a no- brainer that I would become vegan. But it didn’t really click over in my mind till a few days after my 50th birthday as I contemplated a leftover spit roasted lamb.

I suddenly really thought about who it was not what…I’d simply assumed without ever investigating it for myself that we needed to eat animals and milk and eggs to be “healthy”. After all, that’s how all the advertising and traditional health advice went. I just “swallowed” that, like most people do.

But once I knew it was possible I knew I didn’t want to be the cause of animals suffering and being killed simply because that’s the way I’d always eaten. So I stopped. I was relieved and excited though when I read Scott Jurek’s Eat and Run and Rich Rolls Finding Ultra, which gave me the confidence, that endurance pursuits and veganism were not mutually exclusive concepts!

You take that lifestyle a step further with your vegan B&B retreat…
I believe in leading by example and supporting people where they are at without sugar coating the facts. At my B&B, The Beet Retreat (www.thebeetretreat.com.au), I provide a safe and friendly space for people to sample the lifestyle and ask questions without fear of being judged or ridiculed. We have great conversations over meals and around the kitchen bench as I prepare food! I also use my endurance adventures as part of my advocacy to show a) what is possible and b) to fire people’s imaginations and awareness of both their health and the plight of animals and the many amazing organisations doing incredible work on their behalf.

I’m passionate about both animals and humans thriving and living a full and beautiful life. I have found my niche doing what I do although it is a juggle doing both the adventures and running a business!

Indeed – your Pyrenean adventure is in part about raising awareness and funds for?
Ah – glad you asked … five organisations that I am personally connected with: Animal Liberation Victoria; International Anti Poaching Foundation; Gunyah Animal Healing Sanctuary; Freehearts Animal Sanctuary ; Project Hope Horse Welfare.

YOU CAN HELP JAN REACH HER FUNDRAISING GOALS HERE:
https://give.everydayhero.com/au/plant-powered-the-pyrenees-run-for-animals-the-hardest-yet

Not just living the dream then Jan, but walking – or running – the talk!
I believe that to live a truly healthy, happy and meaningful life we need to not only be authentic, but to align ourselves to our deepest core values and live by them, not just in our down time but all the time. It won’t usually make you wealthy but it will make you love and be very grateful for your life and your place in the world

PLANT POWER IN THE PYRENEES

What does Jan Saunders endurance lunchbox look like?

Calorie dense foods – minimum of 140 calories per 30g weight
Jan’s favourite is 2 zip bags of a rolled oats mixture with chia seeds, Vanilla Sunwarrior Raw Vegan Protein Powder, coconut sugar, good quality salt, raisin or goji berries, sunflower seeds, coconut shreds, powdered coconut and water.
Turbo Super Food mixed with the Sunwarrior Vegan Protein Powder and Vital Greens in a concentrated liquid mix.
Tailwind for pick-me ups.
Turbo and Hammer electrolyte.
Various raw vegan bars or Fruit Leather I buy or make myself.
A tube of Vegemite to suck on.
Nut butters.
Active Green Food bars. Hammer bars on occasion.
Fresh and dried fruit. I crave fresh fruit and hope to source some at villages. If I can get avocado I will be over the moon!
Salty pretzels and nut mixes at the end of the day.
Coconut water in drop bag if I can fit it in!
I never feel the need to cook or have warm things but if the weather turns bad I will have a couple of emergency soups and an instant cos cous to treat myself with.

Read Jan’s blog about her vegan and adventure life here: www.thebeetretreat.com.au/blog/

Launched – Trail Run Mag Ed21 free download

By TrailRunMag

Winter’s here and so is another edition of your fave trail mag, Trail Run Mag AU/NZ, with the latest Edition #21 (happy coming of age to us!) covering all the glorious singletrack dirt Down Under.

Get your FREE download direct from www.trailrunmag.com/magazines

In this packed edition:

GHOST TRAIL TALES – Mal Law takes on the inaugural Old Ghost Ultra, South Island, NZ.
PYRENEES ODYSSEY – vegan adventurer Jan Saunders looks to power her way through 800km+ mega-mission in the French Alps fuelled solely on plant power
RUN LIKE A (TASSIE) TIGER – TRM Kiwi editor Amanda Broughton takes on her first ultra multiday at the inaugural Tassie Trail Fest
BUFFALO GAL – Melissa Robertson goes for the Grand Slam at Buffalo Stampede
A YUKON QUEST – running on thin ice
LATE STARTER – man of many facets and multiday fancies, Kiwi Paul Hewitson
EQUALITY ON TRAIL – Sputnik’s Spray
PLUS REVIEWS, GUIDES, GEAR & PORN

DOWNLOAD AT www.trailrunmag.com/magazines

13 Lessons: UTA mid-pack perspective

By TrailRunMag

Everyone loves hearing the inspirational feats of the elite runners. Our jaws drop as we hear the winner’s time (9.20…how is that even possible?). But what went down in the middle of the pack? Is there anything to learn from those runners for whom a silver buckle is a distant dream?For anyone who is more likely to crawl up the Furber Steps than sprint, and who maybe had a little meltdown on Nellies stairs, this is for you. Here are some lessons from middle of pack runner Nicki Letts from www.runoldgirlrun.com:

Plan nothing else for the day

Stop seeing the run as race, and instead think of it as something you are doing for the day. As explorer Lawrence Oates famously said, “I am just going outside and may be some time”. Okay, he never returned, but the point is 100km is a bloody long way. Accept that this is something that will take all day and night. Once you can get your head around this, the rest of these lessons are a breeze.

Choose accommodation close to the start/finish line

The last thing you want to worry about is how to get to and from the start/finish line. Especially if you don’t have a support crew. We stayed at Katoomba Falls Caravan Park, less than 1km from Scenic World (book early!). Walking to the KCC and Scenic World is far easier than dealing with shuttles, taxis and car parking. And when your brain isn’t functioning pre- or post-race, easy is exactly what you need.

Get tech tips from the second oldest runner in the field

At T minus 24 hours, we were eating our brekkie in the campsite kitchen when Alf walked in, munching on a bowl of cereal. He quickly pegged us as runners and humbly introduced himself as the second oldest runner in the field, at 73 years old. If this wasn’t inspirational enough, he then taught us how to use the UTA app. Alf told us the app is especially comforting for him, as he could pinpoint his exact coordinates if he wandered off course. Who can argue with that? We downloaded the app.

Invest in the right compression bandage

It’s no secret that UTA guys are strict on the mandatory gear list. We enjoyed a very thorough safety briefing explaining why. But there’s nothing quite like a real-life encounter to drum home the message. On a pre-race morning walk along the trail to Echo Point – the very same track we would be running along – we came across a rather real, big anguish. That’s Latin for snake. And very close to the word ‘anxious’, closer still to the word ‘anguish’. Needless to say, we packed a snake bandaged and passed mandatory gear inspection.

Devise a bulletproof nutrition strategy

Ultra runs are really all about the food and drink (and not just the celebratory drinks at the finish line). They can actually be won and lost by fuel choices – or lack thereof. We went into this run knowing what we would be eating and why.

We train with Clif Bars, so that was a no-brainer, and a choice of four flavours meant we wouldn’t get bored. Kooee beef jerky for protein goodness. Mars bars for the later checkpoints when everything starts to taste the same. Electrolytes and salt tablets would keep the cramps at bay. And 2 minute noodles would provide the perfect mix of salt, sugar and warmth at the final checkpoints. Admittedly, we don’t train with 2 minute noodles, but everything else passed the high-energy no-reflux challenge with flying colours.

Drink to your uni days

There’s not a lot of nutrition advice I’d take from my 19-year-old self. Which is why it’s probably surprising that there are two things we consume during the run that once only passed my lips as a hangover cure. The first is flat coke – it gives you all the sugar and caffeine you need for a final push, without any unwelcome bloating. The second is Red Bull. We never drink this stuff, so downing a can at the final water stop gave us wings for the last 5km.

Soak in the views

“The colours are magnificent”, said David King in the Welcome to Country. He hit the nail on the head. I’m not saying you should stop and pull out your selfie stick at every viewpoint, but you are in one of the most breathtakingly beautiful spots in Australia – if you don’t bask in the views, you might as well be running around your local footy ground.

8. Train on stairs

Confession: when running this two years ago, I had a meltdown in the middle of what’s best described as the waterfall section (Leg 5). I simply wasn’t prepared for that many stairs at that stage of the race. It didn’t help that we were running in the dark and could only hear what we presumed were very beautiful waterfalls (this wasn’t good for bladder control either!). This time, not only did we train for stairs, we made it our goal to get to this section in daylight. Meltdown averted.

Don’t count the Furber Steps

There are 951 uneven stairs climbing up, up and across the finish line of UTA100. But do yourself a favour: do not count them. Sometimes it’s just better not to know.

When all else fails, dance up the hill

As trail runners, we don’t run with music. We talk or enjoy the silence and the sound of waterfalls (sigh). But there’s nothing like your favourite tunes for a pick-me-up. I carried it the whole way and only used it to pull me out of my darkest moments (specifically between 85-95km).

That said, I am incredibly grateful to my co-midpack-runner, Mat, who told me halfway up the Furber Steps to turn off my music. I did, and my reward was the sound of cowbells and realisation that the end was really, really close.

Hide a treat at the finish line

After 15+ hours of drinking and eating, more food and drink is usually the last thing you crave. But crossing the 100km finish line puts you into a whole new mentality. You want to celebrate before you collapse into a post-run coma. But being a mid-pack runner, there’s no guarantee the bar will still be open when you rock up. That’s why this year we popped a mini bottle of wine and beer into our finish line bag. And man, did it taste good!

Don’t anticipate a good post-run sleep

The night’s sleep after 100km must be the best of your life, right? Wrong. Your brain is asleep but your legs are still out there on the trail. Get ready for a night of twitching, dancing and kicking. They will even start running at one point. You’ll dream about falling over twigs on the trail and wake up in frenzy. Do yourself a favour, enjoy the finish line for a few hours – stretch, relax and cheer other runners across the line. There’s certainly no sleep waiting for you back at the hotel! Oh and if you usually share a bed, warn your co-habitant that they won’t be getting any sleep either.

Forget what you said at the finish line

Remember when you swore you would never do this ever again? You lied. You’ll stew for a couple of hours/days/weeks. Then the pain will fade. And only the good bits are left. Like when you were running through Leura Falls and the sky turned purple. Or when the volunteer at the final water stop told you to “get out of here, we don’t want you to hang around!” Or when, halfway up the Furber Steps, you were fighting back the tears and the runner behind gave you a pep talk. Or when you grabbed your partner’s hand and sprinted across the finish line to cheers and bells. Oh yes, you’ll be back. And next time, while it will still hurt, you’ll know just how incredible it feels to reach the end.

Read more of Nicki Letts’ musings on a trail running lifestyle at www.runoldgirlrun.com

RESULTS from UT: http://uta.livetrail.net/classement.php

Ultra Trail Australia – a Hawkeye view

By TrailRunMag

Our last post took a look at an example of the heart and soul of events like Ultra Trail Australia – ordinary people achieving extraordinary things – but of course up the pointy end, there is always some good racing going on to satisfy the bookies and pundits. One of them, writes Dan Lewis, is Scotty Hawker, who registered second place behind international interloper Dylan Bowman in 2015. Will he take a step up this year for the ultimate accolade? Dan also takes a top end quick list-look at who’s going to be on whose heels come race day…

Scott Hawker finishing second in the 2015 The North Face 100, Blue Mountains, Australia.

When fertility specialists told Scotty Hawker that being an elite ultra-distance trail runner was affecting his chances of becoming a father, he decided to step back from the sport he loves.

The 29-year-old Kiwi, who is now a resident of Katoomba in Australia’s Blue Mountains, gave up the gruelling training runs and the 100km races. And it has all paid off.

Hawker is looking forward to fatherhood and going one better than his effort last year in Australia’s most prestigious trail running event, Ultra-Trail Australia.

He believes that the long break he needed to take from trail running so his wife, Liz, could fall pregnant (their daughter is expected in late July) has also left him with the freshness to take out the marquee 100km race through the Blue Mountains bush on Saturday, May 14.

“It’s really been a blessing in disguise,” Hawker says of the career pause since coming second in last year’s UTA.

It was the proud Kiwi’s best ever result, but he only raced once afterwards, in Italy in June, before specialists told him that if he wanted to become a father he needed to restrict himself to “normal exercise … just doing a bit of walking and a 30-minute jog here or there”.

It was tough for a man who has always loved the buzz of extreme exercise, but Hawker followed their advice and by late last year Liz was pregnant.

Beth Cardelli (AUS) – a strong contender in the women’s race.

Hawker then got back into training, but his body wasn’t happy. “I was walking up hills I would normally run up without blinking an eyelid,” he said. “I had all these niggles that let me know I had had a lot of time off.”

But Hawker persevered and now he feels like a stronger runner than ever before.

His training times have been “absolutely awesome” and in his one competitive run since coming back, the 45km Mount Solitary Ultra in the Blue Mountains on April 17, he finished a close second behind his good mate and training partner Jono O’Loughlin – another favourite for this year’s UTA 100km title – “with a bit of fuel in the tank … I think it’s on the card to have a pretty good run [in UTA on May 14].”

Hawker believes tough challenges will also come from the likes of 2012 UTA winner Ryan Sandes of South Africa and China’s Yun Yan-Qiao, who was third in last year’s UTA.

In the women’s field, favourites include Australia’s Beth Cardelli, who frequently trains in the Blue Mountains, and Li Dong of China, the first female to finish in UTA 2015.

Hawker is Christchurch product who was living in flat, hot Perth before deciding to move to the Blue Mountains last year to guarantee a landscape and climate that could help maximise his trail-running potential.

When Hawker raced UTA last year, he was cheered like a local hero rather than a Kiwi raider. If he were to go one better in 2016, they might just hear the roar at the Scenic World finish line in Katoomba all the way over in New Zealand.

As well as the elite fields gathered for the UTA 100km and 50km races on the Saturday, the running festival boasts a new 22km race this year from Wentworth Falls to Katoomba on Friday. It will also be hotly contested by some well-credentialed runners including Brendan Davies, Aaron Knight and Lucy Bartholomew.

UTA LEADING RUNNER CONTENDER ROLL CALL 2016

100km > Women

Fiona Hayvice , New Zealand

2016: 1st Tarawera Ultramarathon 100km New Zealand
2015: 3rd Kepler Challenge 60km New Zealand
2015: 1st Tarawera Trail 50k run New Zealand
2015: 4th Tarawera Ultramarathon 100km New Zealand

Beth Cardelli, La Sportiva, Australia

2016: 1st Mt Solitary Ultra 45km
2015: 1st Hillary 80km Ultra New Zealand
2014: 2nd Kepler Challenge 60km New Zealand
2014: 11th Western States Endurance Run 100 miles USA
2013: 1st The North Face 100 Australia

Melissa Robertson, Australia

2016: 2nd Tarawera Ultramarathon 100km – New Zealand
2015: 4th The North Face 100 Australia
2015: 2nd Stromlo 50km
2015: The Great North Walk 100 Miles

Dong Li, Salomon, China

2015: 1st The North Face 100 Australia
2015: 2nd Hong Kong 100
2015: 2nd MSIG Sai Kung 50k 100 – Hong Kong
2015: 3rd TNF Transgrandcanaria

Kellie Emmerson, Salomon/2XU, Australia

2016: 1st Buffalo Stampede Marathon
2015: 1st Surf Coast Century 100km
2014/15: 1st Surf Coast Trail Marathon
2015: 1st Maroondah Dam Trail Run
2015: 19th IAU Trail World Championships Annecy

Ildiko Wermescher, Mammut Pro Team, Hungry

2015: 3rd Madeira Island Ultra Trail 85 km
2014: 6th Ultra Trail Tour du Mont Blanc (UTMB) 168km
2014: 2nd Eiger Ultra Trail 101 km
2014: 4th Transgrancanaria 125 kms

Katherine Macmillan, Australia

2016: 2nd Bogong to Hotham
2015: 1st Yo Yangs 50 miles
2015: 3rd Cradle Mountain Run 85km
2015: 6th The North Face 100 Australia

Gill Fowler, La Sportiva, Australia

2016: 1st Razorback Run 64km
2016: 1st Hillary 80km Ultra New Zealand
2015: 4th Lavaredo Ultra Trail 119km Italy
2015: 1st Cradle Mountain Run 85km

Caroline DuBois, Australia

2015: 1st UltraVasan45, Sweden
2015: 1st Les 100 km de Vendée – Champ. Nationaux, France
2015: 1st Les 100 km de Vendée, France
2013: 2nd 100 km du Périgord Noir, Belves – Champ. Nationaux, France

100km > Men

Scotty Hawker, Hoka/Compressport, New Zealand

2015: 4th Lavaredo Ultra Trail
2015: 2nd The North Face 100 Australia
2015: 1st Ultra Easy 100k Sky Run New Zealand
2014: 7th Lavaredo Ultra Trail Italy

Ryan Sandes, Salomon, South Africa

2016: 3rd Tarawera Ultramarathon 100km New Zealand
2014: 1st Madagascar Race 250km stage race
2014: 2nd Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji Japan
2014: 1st Transgrancanaria 125 kms

Yun YanQiao, The North Face, China

2015: 3rd The North Face 100 Australia
2015: 1st Beijing Mountain 50K
2015: 1st Ultra Trail 100K Mt Gongga
2014: 1st The North Face 100 Hong Kong

Jono O’laughlin, Australia

2016: 1st Mt Solitary Ultra 45km
2015: 4th Six Foot Track Ultra 45km
2015: 1st Mt Solitary Ultra 45km
2015: 4th The North Face 100 Australia

Mario Mendoza, Nike Trail, USA

2016: 3rd Lake Sonoma 50 Mile USA
2016: 2nd Chuckanut 50K USA
2015: Runner up at Ultra Race of Champions 100k
2015: 1st Trail Factor 50K USA

Jordi Gamito Baus, WAA, Spain

2016: 10th Transgrancanaria 125 km
2016: 6th Hong Kong 100 Ultra Trail Race
2015: 5th Hong Kong 100 Ultra Trail Race
2015: 2nd Ultra Trail De Barcelona 100km

Pau Capell, Compressport, Spain

2016: 3rd Transgrancanaria 125 km
2016: 4th Hong Kong 100 Ultra Trail Race
2015:6th Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix (CCC)
2015: 1st Ultra Sierra Nevada 103 Kms Spain

Andrew Lee, The North Face, Australia

2015: 7th Hounslow Classic Ultra SkyMarathon
2014: 2nd Yurrebilla Trail 56km Ultra
2014: 9th The North Face 100 Australia
2009 The North Face 100 Australia Champion

Ewan Horsburgh, La Sportiva, Australia

2016: 7th Buffalo Stampede Ultra
2015: 14th 24 hour IAU World Championships
2014: 1st Alpine Challenge 60 km
2014: 1st Tahoe 200 Mile Endurance Run

Ben Duffus, Hoka, Australia

2015: 1st Hounslow Classic Ultra SkyMarathon
2014: 3rd 80km du Mont-Blanc France
2014: 5th The North Face 100 Australia
2013: 1st Surf Coast Century 100 km

Freddy Thevenin, Prudence Creole, France

2015: 3rd Grand Raid Reunion (167km)
2015: 8th Transgrancanaria (125km)
2014: 4th Lavaredo Ultra-Trail

50KM > Men

Vlad Shatrov, Australia

2016: London Marathon – 2:25:47
2015: Berlin Marathon – 2.18.40
2013: 1st The North Face 50 Australia

Mark Green, Australia

2016: 4th Six Foot Track Marathon
2015: 2nd Mt Solitary Ultra 45km
2015: 3rd Six Foot Track Marathon

Garry Mullins, Australia

2015: 2nd Centennial Park Ultra 50 km
2015: 1st Self-Transcendence 100 km Road Race, Christchurch
2016: 6th Canberra 50km Ultramarathon

Craig Dean, Australia

2016: 5th Buffalo Stampede Marathon
2015: 13th The North Face 50 Australia

Sam Burridge, Australia

2016: 3rd Buffalo Stampede marathon

Wes Gibson, Inov8/Hammer, Australia

2014: 6th Knapsack 6hr Australia Day Lap Race
2013: 9th Sri Chinmoy Canberra Centenary 100 km
2013: 4th The North Face 50 Australia

Tony Fattorini, Australia

2014: 9th Six Foot Track Marathon
2013: 1st Six Foot Track Marathon
2012: 2nd Kepler Mountain Run

50km > Women

Sophie Brown, Australia

2016: 3rd Six Foot Track Marathon
2015: 1st Alpine Challenge 60km

Maggie Jones, Australia

2016: 3rd Buffalo Stampede Ultra 75km
2016: 3rd Razorback 64 km Run
2015: 3rd Hounslow Classic Ultra SkyMarathon

Hanny Allston, Shotz Sports Nutrition/Suunto, Australia

2015: 1st Surf Coast Century 50 km
2015: 1st Buffalo Stampede Marathon 2015
2014: 1st Six Foot Track Marathon

www.ultratrailaustralia.com.au

101 Reasons to run Ultra Trail Australia

By TrailRunMag

While plenty of attention is garnered by the front runners, we reckon the more moving and inspirational tales of ultra running are found further back in the pack, as with the likes of Brett Sammut whose story from 2015 ran in Edition #17 of Trail Run Mag. With Ultra Trail Australia happening this weekend, we thought it worth a look back at Brett’s experience in the Blue Mountains.
WORDS: Chris Ord

When life becomes too much, some run away to oblivion. Others, like Brett Sammut, reach the precipice but use running as a way to step back and rediscover a reason to live, and then some.

But what happens when the spectre of failure looms large on the trail to redemption, as Brett faced attempting his first UTA (then The North Face 100)?

The night was a darker pitch than any before. A suffocating weight of blackness tunnelled vision down to transient sweeps of light cast by passing cars. A two-hour walk of wallowing pain echoed as barely ten minutes, but every second of it was unbearable, like seventeen years of pain focused through a magnifying glass; beams of a black sun searing into his mind, charring it like the sun burns a dried autumn leaf.

In that moment, there was a clear, definite and imminent end to this phenomenal feat of endurance for 43-year-old New South Welshman, Brett Sammut.

He was about to quit in the most final way he could imagine.

From his perch on a gutter leading nowhere, on the fringe of a regional city the ex-policeman had served and loved and hated, Brett was preparing to throw himself in front of the next speeding truck that happened along.

His enduring to that point in his life was of a kind more miserable, intense and soul-shattering than any ultra runner – even at their lowest ebb – could ever imagine. Unless, that is, an ultra runner out there has ever been moments from throwing themselves in front of a speeding B-Double, Brett’s preferred method of ending his inner turmoil.

It wasn’t the first time Brett had tried to take his life. A policeman for 17 years, Brett was used to staking out dark corners on the hunt for people who wish and inflict harm on society. He was used to long chases. Long hours. Long nights. Like anyone exposed for an extended period to the raw pain of other people’s lives, Brett suffered. The things he saw, the things he had to do, to deal with while in the Force wore him down to the point where he joined those he usually chased into the gutter, albeit in a more literal sense.

The North Face 100 2015 // Aurora Images

“I was an overweight copper,” says Brett whose peak was around 118kg. “I left the police with diagnosed depression and anxiety. I felt worthless. I knew why I’d become depressed: it was a combination of seeing things that people shouldn’t see and doing things people shouldn’t have to do.”

A beer drinking culture within the force where colleagues drank to forget the worst shifts didn’t help.

“I didn’t drink beer so I was a bit of an outcast, but also, I had no real release valve like they did. I’d go home, not wanting to talk to my wife or daughters about the things I witnessed. I just bottled it up.

“One day my bucket spilled and I had a bad (mental) crash. That’s when I first tried taking my own life. I’m just grateful that the truck never came. I would have missed out on so much. It was a wake up call I needed.”

The following day, in a cloud of confusion, Brett sought a doctor and got the help he desperately needed. The solution, however, was a bitter pill to swallow.

“Medication,” says Brett. “I hated taking that medication.”

IMAGE: Chris Ord / Adventure Types

“To me, it was a sign of a failure. I know it was needed to help me. But I resented taking the medication and to get up every morning and take a 10-milligram pill was hard. The the first few weeks I flushed them all down the drain.”

It wasn’t long before Brett was forced to spend time in a psychiatric hospital.

“That was devastating,” he recalls. “One moment I am a policeman, with the power to take someone’s life or liberty in just circumstances, the next minute I’m locked in a room for three months, my own liberty taken, with no power to do anything.”

Brett had hit his rock bottom.

“I got diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder, a few anxiety disorders and suicidal tendencies. I also had a diagnosis of a perfectionist disorder.”

Before being hospitalised, Brett had taken to running in order to lose weight. “But I read somewhere that running could also help ease reliance on medication, so I had thoughts of using that as part of my therapy.”

With some skepticism, Brett’s doctor prescribed he go for a run, on an assumption he would fail and they could get back to the medicated course of action.

“He was trying to expose me to a ‘safe’ failure, I guess, as part of my treatment. But he didn’t want me to really use running as part of treatment.”

Despite no training, Brett travelled to run the Canberra Half Marathon, his first.

“I loved it. It wasn’t necessarily what my doctor wanted – me to love the running – but I did.”

It’s not unusual to find perfectionists or indeed obsessive compulsives, out on road or trail, monitoring to an inch of their lives time splits, calorie counts, and race pace. Indeed, sometimes for those with personalities locked like a homing missile on the intricacies of measurement in running, the sport can be harmful. Had running just become another mask for the pain, an addiction akin to his beer drinking colleagues back in the force, albeit arguably healthier to all appearances?

“To a degree, yes, but really for me it was about the participation medal,” says Brett. “It was about the achievement, the sense of completing something, more so than being good at something.”

“When I stopped being a police officer I became a nothing,” he explains. “That was how I identified, even though of course I was a father, a son, and a husband. But so much of your being is wrapped up in what you do when you are a policeman. When it is ripped away, you are at a loss. For me, rightly or wrongly, there was no real reason to live. There was no reward. To live, I still needed the thing that was in fact killing me.”

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While running and the medals on offer were no doubt a safer substitute for his achievements as a police officer, he admits to still using running as a way to escape problems, rather than face them.

“Leaving town was the reason I started running in a lot of events. In the first year after getting out of the psychiatric ward, I raced twelve half marathons. It was getting out of Orange. Getting out of town. Leaving everything behind me. I could actually relax doing that. And then driving back home I had that little medal, which to me is someone saying ‘you did well’ which you don’t get in hospital.”

Brett’s journey to the trail and ultimately his first attempt at this year’s The North Face 100, went via some triathlons and road runs, before he signed up to a Running Wild 6-Hour event in the Blue Mountains. The fit was instant, Brett describing how there was something more alluring, more medicating, more comfortable about the trail running scene that plays an important part in his ongoing recovery.

IMAGE: Chris Ord / Adventure Types

“Trail running it seems like a little family. I was accepted straight away. And not as Brett the depressive, Brett the suicidal guy, or Brett the ex-copper. I was just Brett the guy who could run. Like everyone else there.

“There was a sense of not only acceptance, but also community, and I think that is unique to trail running as compared to the road running scene where you don’t know anyone, and no-one wants to know you.”

The friends Brett gained from running quickly replaced those from his policing days who had quickly fallen away when he became ill.

“There is still a lot of stigma attached to mental illness within the police force,” says Brett. “But I’m happy to say that the trail running friends I have gained are a much better, more accepting bunch.”

The environment he was beginning to immerse himself in also played their part, believes Brett.

“It can be so peaceful on trail. I think that helps clear the mind for people like me. There’s no cars, traffic, noise, no clutter…”

Brett firmly believes running and treating depression go hand in hand.

“Trail running in particular amplifies that level of recovery process. My medication levels have dropped the last six months, and I attribute that to the trail. Even when I was running road, I still required my full dose… there’s crowds, cars, people hating on you for being a runner – it remains a place of heightened anxiety. There’s none of that in the bush – just birds and space. Even when you trip over you can laugh it off – you’re by yourself, there’s no one else to blame – and you get back up and run. There’s something about the environmental aspect of the trail that definitely lessens my anxiety, lessening my reliance on medication, which was the aim from the beginning.”

IMAGE: Chris Ord / Adventure Types

Fast forward through Brett falling in love with singletrack, and we’re standing in the crisp night as crowds mill atop the cliffs of Luera, in the Blue Mountains, filing in to collect their race packs place for tomorrow’s The North Face 100. For many, it will be the biggest challenge they have ever faced. The question that hangs heavy in the air anchoring the nervous chatter, is will they achieve it?

For Brett, that weight of expectation has extra gravity. What happens when a man battling mental illness, someone whose daily nemesis is the prospect of failure, faces something as tough as running 100km; what happens when he faces a race where the Did Not Finish rate is one in three?

While others are anxious about how their body will hold up, for Brett – having now been physically fit for two years – the spikes of anxiety are more about how his mind will hold up to the rigors of an ultra.

The question was answered at Checkpoint Three, but it wasn’t his head that caved in to the challenge. After 47km, it was his body. Three hours of being violently ill, vomiting, cramping and becoming dangerously dehydrated, Brett faced his inner demon and pulled the pin.

“My first thought was of letting down my family,” says Brett. “I thought about what I had sacrificed for the race, and more importantly what my wife and kids had sacrificed for me to race.”

Those thoughts alone would have cut deep for Brett, or for any family man. But what Brett hadn’t let on was that his wife, Francine, has terminal breast cancer, and he is her primary carer. Time, therefore, is of the essence, and both he and his wife had sacrificed a sizeable chunk of it for Brett to run in The North Face 100. Their family’s collective sacrifice in seeing less of their husband and father in a precious period of life, where death again threatened, was arguably much more of a black hole than your average ultra runner’s time vacuum.

IMAGE: Chris Ord / Adventure Types

“There were tears when I met up with my family. They were waiting at checkpoint four with homemade signs and banners,” says Brett.They, of course, were a bedrock of support. Dad was safe. Husband was alive. All was well.

“That first hug from my wife was heavenly.”

“Quitting was hard. I felt like a failure again. My goal was to finish. I failed at that goal. But I look at it now – I am healthy, I didn’t get injured. A year ago I would have been in worse mental state by quitting. But I’m proud of what I did regardless – I ran further than I have ever run before.”

Determined to turn the situation into a positive, Brett remained on course to help fellow runners who were racing without support.

“The race was meant to be a chance for me to fight my personal demons and score a victory, but while I failed in this instance, I still saw it as a chance to help others to achieve their goals. So I spent the next few hours and into Sunday morning helping strangers to get through checkpoints and lifting their confidence in their ability to get the job done; to be able to keep moving and keep putting one foot in front of the other.”

“It was the best thing I could have done. I never realised how much joy it would give me, especially when it came to seeing the names of people I helped on the finishers list.”

“That’s what I take away, that to me running is not about times, placings, results or, now I have come to accept, even finishing. It is the chance to be a part of an amazing community and the feeling of belonging.”

A few years ago, Brett Sammut felt overwhelming reason to embrace death. On the trail he found reason enough to live. Trail running gave him strength enough to face failure when it visited 53km short of his long-imagined success. And it continues to give him 100 reasons to live: the 100 kilometres he intends to conquer in the Blue Mountains in the future.

“I’m still on a journey and I want to keep coming back to The North Face every year,” says Brett. “First of all to finish, and then keep getting better. It’s my reward that I will keep looking forward to, keep living for.”

Addendum: In 2016, Brett is returning to run the 50km.

(*And the 1 in 101 Reasons headline? Of course, his two girls and wife…his family).

Brett Sammut’s blog on his The North Face experience can be seen at https://brettsammut.wordpress.com

If you or someone you know is experiencing depression or mental health issues, contact:

Life Line on 13 11 14 or www.lifeline.org.au
Beyond Blue www.beyondblue.org.au
Black Dog Institute www.blackdoginstitute.org.au

Shoe review: Brooks Cascadia 11

By TrailRunMag

In past reviews of the Cascadia, I have been highly complimentary of the model. After all, it was the shoe – out of the box – that got me through my very first trail marathon in the Blue Mountains.

Back then (Cascadia 4 I believe), the shoe was a little more minimal. It still had the bulldozer-like qualities that all Cascadias have delivered, ready to roll through any bush terrain no matter the beef, but the V4 certainly had no puppy fat, especially on the upper, which had a sleek lightweight mesh and only the bare necessities of padding.

Trot forward a fair few years and seven iterations, and the Cascadia has lost none of its prowess along technical trails, but seems to have put on a little around its middle (Men’s 329g). The upper is now quite plush with padding, with a thicker tongue (unfortunately not gusseted).

The improvements over the V10 are focused on increasing durability to minimize some upper-tearing issues found in its predecessor. A tight-weave mesh layer has been added over the medial midfoot support webbing to prevent debris from getting between the webbing and underlying mesh. This makes the shoe more robust and – great for colder conditions – a little more insulated, too.

Some of the beef is of course in the technology. Like a recipe for a finely crafted trail delicacy, Brooks lists: BioMoGo DNA midsole, which “provides adaptive cushioning”; a 4-Point Pivot System “gives you ultimate control” (I reckon there is no shoe in the world that magically gives a two-left footed klutz ‘ultimate control’ and a root popping up out of nowhere will fell the most deft footed, but let’s say this 4-pivot gives some semblance of ‘better’ control, ‘ultimate’ being marketing waffle); a full-length Segmented Crash Pad “allows smooth transitions”, something we found – especially as you get tired and form falls – does give true benefit; and forefoot Ballistic Rock Shield which “adds extra protection” – true although from bullets and projectiles as the word ‘ballistic’ implies…(waves disapproving finger at marketing types yet again)?

The last has been narrowed a smidge from past Cascadias – potentially an issue for big foots, but I wouldn’t say it is totally slim-line, rather it sits in a sweet spot for most. Nevertheless, the midfoot is cosier than previous, giving great foot-hold when cornering tight bends. It may be too claustrophobic for some, however.

A 10mm heel drop places these firmly in traditionalist territory, a good thing for those coming across from the road to get dirty. They will feel more like a traditional tarmac warrior on the foot, the runner sitting higher in the heel. Heel lift from a low profile heel cup is remedied with an extra lace eyelet to tighten the ship.

In terms of ride, Cascadia falls into the centre point of the bell shaped curve of cushion. As listed, there’s a decent stack underneath you, giving superb protection and good cushion for long runs, however it is not quite a springy touchdown, either. That’s neither bad or good, it just depends on how much trail feel you prefer. Less cushioning means (usually) more feedback from the ground allowing better responsiveness. The Cascadias sit somewhere in between – a good balance perhaps – the thicker sole unit armed with the aforementioned BiMoGo and ‘Ballistic’ rated rock plate. It has to be said that a strength of these shoes is no matter what the trail throws at you (or shoots at you according to the marketing nomenclature bods), these will handle with aplomb. Putting them on, I always imagine the bomb disposal veteran William James in The Hurt Locker, climbing into his protective suit before heading off to face-off against a tide of explosives. We all know trail running “ain’t no war” – far from it – but feeling you are at least numbed from those little mini-explosions going off underfoot can be comfort for some trailites.

The lacing system is a little unusual in that the first rows are traditional but the third comes across the foot slightly to the outside. This is a love it / hate it thing that does give more stability and hold across the top of the foot. For some it is too tight a hold.

Overall, for the runner who wants total confidence in running gnarly trails, the Cascadia offers top-shelf performance. The feel is firm, fairly responsive, yet protective and, despite its beef still decently agile. It’s not for short and fast racers – it’s a bit heavy and slow on the turnover, and not for plush maximalist runners either as it is not the squishiest thing on hard packed surfaces and on downhill heel strikes. But just like James was addicted to the buzz of a blow up, the ability the Cascadias have to disarm any technical trail will have you coming back for more, bigger and badder trails than ever before.

VITALS
Great for: grip, technical trails, mountain trails, longer runs, runners transitioning from road
Not-so-great for: minimalists, ground feel, fat feet
Test Conditions: super technical singletrack, some fire roads, approx. 125km
Tester: Chris Ord, Trail Run Mag editor
Tester Mechanics: mid foot striker, tends to more technical style running
RRP: $239.95
Website: www.brooksrunning.com.au/shoes/cascadia

THIS SHOE REVIEW WAS PUBLISHED IN EDITION#20 of TRAIL RUN MAG along with plenty more shoe, gear and trail guide reviews, all available for FREE! Download your pdf copy HERE.

Edition #20 launched: Download free now!

By TrailRunMag

Edition #20 of Trail Run Mag (AU/NZ) has been released, and is once again packed full of dirty goodness from trails Down Under and across the globe!

DOWNLOAD your free pdf edition at www.trailrunmag.com/magazines or subscribe for iPad / Kindle Fire (access via same link).

In this edition:

HIMALAYAN REDUX – a return to the front line as Tegyn Angel takes on the Himalayan 100 //
FRENCHMANS FORAY – the magic of Marlbek, Tasmania by Majell Backhausen //
FAMILY MATTERS – journey on the Heysen Trail, South Australia //
PLANT POWERED RUNNING – fuelling your run with green power//
INTO THIN AIR – running Shangri La’s Snowman Route, Bhutan //
NATURAL BORN HERO – Born to Run author Christopher McDougall on being a natural //
FASTEST ’TASH IN TASSIE – itinerant international Felix Weber //
RETURN TO FORM – trail technique //
SPUTNIK’S SPRAY – claims to fame //
PLUS: AU & NZ editorials ‪#‎gearreviews‬, ‪#‎trailguides‬, ‪#‎shoereviews‬ & ‪#‎trailporn‬

www.trailrunmag.com/magazines

Runners earn their stripes at Tassie Trail Fest

By TrailRunMag

More than 400 runners – including a healthy interstate and international contingent – descended on the small tin mining town of Derby in north-east Tasmania recently, the influx inspired by the inaugural Saucony Tassie Trail Fest and $2 million worth of fresh trails to be run. [RESULTS AT: http://www.tassietrailfest.com.au/read-me/]

The three day event was conceived to celebrate a love of single track and the trail running lifestyle with feature distances ranging from 44km through 21km, 14km, 6km and 2km making best use of all-new mountain biking trails created within quintessential Tasmanian wilderness. Keeping runners entertained and informed off trail was a roster of running seminars, a trail running film festival and live entertainment.

In the premier King and Queen of Tassie Trail category, which required runners to complete a 44km marathon, a 14km run and a 2km time-trial, the honours were shared between a local running gun from Launceston and a German itinerant known in his hometown as ‘the fastest moustache in Cologne’.

Elite Tassie ultra runner, Amy Lamprecht, won the women’s crown and a cash purse, registering a cumulative run time of 05:46:48, beating home Yvette Edward (West Hobart; 06:00:34) in second and Victorian, Kellie Emmerson in third (06:07:08).

In the men’s, Germany’s Felix Weber held the King’s of Tassie Trails trophy aloft, but not before cycling all the way from Hobart to attend the event, via Freycinet Peninsua where he ran the long trail circuit (30km) to warm up, and volunteering with event organisers throughout the event in between competing. His total time for the King category was 05:13:54. The short sighted runner known as ‘the fastest moustache in Cologne’ and now ‘the fastest ’tash in Tassie’ has already decided what to spend his prizemoney on:

“Riding up here I lost my glasses. I have very bad eyesight and ‘run blurry’ so I’ll be buying a new pair of specs!”

Also on the dais was American runner who had come all the way from a stint working in Antarctica, Curtis Moore (06:00:38), and Hobart-based John Schuringa (06:10:48).

While the King and Queen was the premier racing category, the most impressive endurance competition was Multiday Madness, a category that challenged runners to run every single event possible across the duration of the event. That entailed a marathon, two 14km runs (a day and a night), another half marathon and the 2km time trial ‘Dash for Cash’.

The Madness women’s title was swept across the Tasman with New Zealand runner Amanda Broughton running consistently for the win, her performance surprising even herself as a short to middle distance cross country specialist in her hometown of Wellington. Broughton took the win in a cumulative time of 10:24:19. In second was Jessica Collins (Margate, Tasmania; 11:43:43) followed by Victorian, Louise Crossley (13:21:48).

In the men’s Multiday Madness, John Schuringa added to his King of Tassie Trails third place by winning the endurance competition in a total time of 10:12:22. Antarctic Station worker, Curtis Moore, added to his second place in the Kings with another in the multiday in a time of 10:15:37, with Launceston’s John Cannel registering third place (10:33:31).

Of course there were individual distance winners throughout the weekend, with special mention going to husband and wife team Reece and Jacqui Stephens, who juggled parenting duties to run in all events between them, each taking out a half marathon win and Jacqui taking home the $250 for the Dash for Cash title, her husband pipped at the post into second by Jerome Whitley who nabbed a time of 7:07 for the 2km (and likely a smidge) ‘sprint’ trail run.

The inaugural Saucony Tassie Trail Fest brought together trail runners from across the globe, with representatives from Chile, Mexico, Belgium, New Zealand, UK, United States, Netherlands and Germany joining running crews from every state and territory in Australia.

The host town of Derby has quickly become famous in mountain biking circles with the installation of up to 80km of new trails weaving through majestic stands of wilderness.

“The running experience is divine and like no other in Australia in my opinion,” says Race Director, Chris Ord from running tour and events company, Tour de Trails. “The huge stands of ancient forest, moss-covered rockeries, giant fern tunnels, and dam busting views make it a spectacular place to run, while the rollercoaster undulations, switchbacks and a few beefy ascents make the running challenging, especially for those taking on the multiday which is essentially 100km over the weekend.”

Runners were particulary impressed with the trails, the close knit community vibe and many noted the 14km nightrun as a highlight, with runners finishing under an arch erected inside a town hall, beer bar to one side and a live band in full rock mode playing on the stage just in front of the finishline. Impressively, the lead singer, Launceston’s Tim Gambles is also a trail runner and ran in a number of the events during the weekend.

Reviews by participants:

“What a privilege to be able to run through that bush and have those epic views!” – Multiday Madness winner Amanda Broughton, New Zealand.

“I volunteered and participated in the Tassie Trail Fest. It was an excellent and authentic experience with fantastic program on and off the trails. I can highly recommend this event to everyone who love to run in the bush.” – King of Tassie Trails winner, Felix Weber, Germany.

“Loved every minute of the Multiday Madness, stunningly beautiful but challenging course…Wow. Just wow.” Asha Mahasuria, Northern Territory.

“A fantastic event, a big thank-you to the organizers for putting on a fantastic event, hopefully everyone will get behind this wonderful event and it will grow bigger over the next few years.” – Tim Gunton, Tasmania

“Absolutely fantastic event. Loved every minute of it. Lovely people, amazing location, great trails. Thanks so much to everyone involved in organising the event – you guys were fantastic. Roll on 2017!” – Philip Judge, Queensland.

“Can’t wait to do it again! It was a tough course…that’s what made it so good! Thanks guys see you next year!” – Tracy Cron, Tasmania.

“Brilliant event. Well organised. Great facilities. Amazing track. Definitely doing it again next year.” – Kirsten Aylmer, Tasmania.

“We had a brilliant time. Great festival and a well organised inaugural event.” – Emma Pryor, New South Wales.

“We believe that the Tassie Trail Fest has installed itself as an slightly quirky, challenging, upbeat and iconic trail event for Tasmania and indeed Australia,” says Chris.

Also featured at the festival was Tasmanian local trail running heroine, Hanny Allston, an elite athlete who presented a seminar on training and nutrition, while fellow elite runner, Mathieu Dore, presented a masterclass on strength and conditioning for runners.

Organisers also screened the international Trails In Motion Film Festival as part of proceedings.

The weekend’s run festivities concluded with a 2km final time trial, a virtual sprint event in trail running circles, with the starter setting runners off at 30 second intervals and the winner not decided until every runner had laid down a time. That included the race organisers who downed organisational responsibilities for the morning to join in the trail fun and madness.

Organisers have confirmed the Saucony Tassie Trail Fest will return next year on the same Labour Day Holiday Weekend, which in 2017 will be 11, 12, 13^th March. They are encouraging runners to enter once entries open in a few months and, importantly, book accommodation in Derby or surrounding towns early, as it is limited.

See www.tassietrailfest.com.au for more details.

RESULTS AT: http://www.tassietrailfest.com.au/read-me/

Tassie Trail Fest is supported by Dorset Council, Saucony Australia, IO Merino, Black Diamond, The Running Company Launceston, Find Your Feet, Run Goat Run, Cheeta Recovey, Little Rivers Brewing Co., Kooee Snacks Australia, SOS Hydration, Break O’Day Council, Veolia, Weldborough Hotel, VFuel, Wildplans, Adventure Types, The Corner Store Cafe – Derby, S Group and Tour de Trails.